The first term of court held in the county of Somerset was convened for the first time on Monday, the 25th day of December, 1795. Hon. Alexander Addison as president judge of the fifth judicial district presided, assisted by James Wells, Abraham Cable, and Ebenezer Griffith, Esqs., associate judges of Somerset county.
Judge Addison presided over the courts of this county until early in the year 1800, when he was succeeded by Hon. James Riddle, of Chambersburg. The latter was the president judge of the fourth district, composed originally of the counties of Cumberland, Franklin, Bedford, Huntingdon and Mifflin, but in 1800 it was composed of Franklin, Bedford, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Somerset and Centre counties. He officiated from the opening of the September term in 1800 until the close of May term in 1804. His successor was the Hon. Thomas Cooper, who first appeared at Somerset, as president judge, at the beginning of the December term in 1804.
Hon. John Young, of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, then president judge of the tenth judicial district, succeeded Judge Cooper, and began his first term of court at Somerset on the 12th day of May, 1806. His successor was Hon. Thomas H. Baird, of Washington county, who opened his first term at Somerset at the beginning of November sessions in 1818.
On the 29th day of March, 1824, the sixteenth judicial district was formed of the counties of Franklin, Bedford and Somerset. Hon. John Tod, of Bedford, was appointed president judge of the newly formed district June 8, 1824, and first appeared in Somerset, in that capacity, at the beginning of the August term of that year. Since the formation of the sixteenth district, nearly sixty years ago, both Bedford and Somerset counties have formed part of it.
(Source: History of Bedford, Somerset & Fulton Counties, PA; 1884)
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