USA > Iowa > Butler County > History of Butler and Bremer counties, Iowa > Part 92
USA > Iowa > Bremer County > History of Butler and Bremer counties, Iowa > Part 92
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The county court still held its sessions, and continued so to do until 1869, when it was abolished by law; but nothing of
interest transpired, as the time was all spent in routine matters. (See chapter on county representation.)
The board of county supervisors con- sisted of one member from each township. The election for members occurred at the general election, in November, 1860.
The first meeting of the board was held on the 7th day of January, 1861, at the auditor's office, in the court house, at Waverly. The members were all present and took their oaths of office before Louis Case, clerk of the district court, who, by virtue of his office, was also clerk of the board. Mr Case filed his bond, in the sum of $1,000, for the correct performance of his duties. The board then effected an organization by electing L. J. Curtis pres- ident. Ballots were then drawn to ascer- tain the length of term to be served by the _ various supervisors, resulting as follows:
B. M. Reeves, two years. Washington
Barnes Thompson, one year. .Polk
T. V. Axtell, one year. Jackson
David Marquis, two years. Jefferson
N. M. Smith, one year. Warren
John Aken, two years. Douglas
E. J. Walling, one year. Frederika
P. H. Wilson, two years. LeRoy
Otis Clark, two years. Fremont
William Mathias, one year.
Maxfield
Ichabod Richmond, two years. Franklin
L. J. Curtis, two years ..
Dayton
L. M. Sholes, one year.
.Sumner
R. J. Stevenson, one year. Lafayette
After attending to a few preliminary matters, the board adjourned until the fol- lowing day, when rules and regulations were adopted.
On the third day of this session, the bond of the clerk of the board was increased to $5,000.
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819
HISTORY OF BREMER COUNTY.
On the 10th of January, from the report of the committee on school funds and lands, it appears that the funds for school pur- poses were in bad shape. Their report says that they "find a large proportion of the school fund, notes and mortgages, con- fined to a small portion of the county, and indifferently secured by irresponsible per- sons, and secured by real estate of but lit- tle value, and of a perishable nature, and recommend that the district attorney com- mence prosecution against all delinquents at the earliest practicable period, and that the district clerk and board of supervisors distribute the loans hereafter made as much as possible through the county, and place every possible safeguard about our school fund."
About the same time the matter of the bond of the clerk of the board was again brought up, and it was reduced to $1,000.
On the 11th day of January, 1861, a re- port from the committee appointed for the purpose, states that they find a large de- ficiency in the accounts of the ex-county treasurer and recorder, and recommend that the district attorney be requested to collect the same at once.
This, apparently, had the desired effect, for, under the date of the 3d of April, the following entry appears:
"In reply to the representations made of the delinquency of W. B. Hamilton, late treasurer of Bremer county, the district attorney is of the opinion that Hamilton paid over to the county the amount named in the indictment as found against him by the grand jury, and hence the prosecu- tion was discontinued. But if anything further remains due the county he will at- tend to it at once."
Everything was satisfactory, and the matter was accordingly dropped. During the same session a committee which had been appointed at a previous meeting to investigate as to whether the court house had been erected according to contract, reported finding considerable fault with the way it had been built, and setting forth that G. W. Le Valley and H. F. Beebe had not complied with the plans and specifica- tions which were a part of the contract. This committee was composed of N. M. Smith, E. J. Walling and P. H. Wilson.
At a meeting on the day following, a compromise was presented by the contrac- tors in question, which was accepted and the matter was dropped.
On the 3d of April, 1861, the following entry appears:
Resolved, That hereafter no bills presented for tobacco furnished paupers will be allowed by this board.
It is to be supposed that since that date Bremer county paupers have paid for their own chewing and smoking tobacco.
On Thursday, June 6, 1861, the board of supervisors unanimously passed the fol- lowing preamble and resolution:
WHEREAS, Certain patriotic citizens of the county of Bremer have volunteered their ser- vices to maintain the constitution and Union of our common country, and as there is a possibil - ity that families thus deprived of their natural protectors may suffer for the need of succor and protection; therefore,
Resolved, That the county of Bremer take all such families under their especial care and pro- tection, and for the purpose of carrying this res- olution into effect, the chairman of this board is instructed to appoint a committee of three (who in all cases shall serve without compensa- tion) whose especial duty it shall be to look after
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820
HISTORY OF BREMER COUNTY.
such families and see that they are supplied with all the necessary comforts of life, while their fathers and husbands are in the service of the United States.
O. C. Harrington, of Horton; J. T. Bar- rick, of Janesville; L. J. Curtis, of Dayton; E. J. Walling, of Frederika; and B. M. Reeves, of Waverly, were appointed as a committee to carry into effect the foregoing resolutions. The following resolution was also adopted:
Resolved, That the board of supervisors of Bremer county appropriate the sum of $500, or so much thereof as may be necessary, for the benefit of families of volunteers who have en- listed or may enlist in the service of our country; that we also request those persons having paid subscriptions for the benefit of volunteers, and who wish the county should reimburse them, in whole or in part, shall make out and present their bills therefore, at the next meeting of the board for action at that time.
On the 15th of October, the following appears as entered upon the record:
"Motion by John Acken, that the committee on volunteer fund report, how, when, where, and to whom the volunteer fund had been ex- pended, and that the same be published, Where- upon there was considerable discussion among the members, it being the understanding of a majority that the names of the recipients of said fund were not to be published, and that when said committee report, they report the amounts distributed, having taken receipts therefor."
The vote on the matter was as follows: ayes -- Acken, Mathias and Stephenson; nayes-Thompson, Richmond, Axtell, Mar- quis, Sholes, Reeves, Walling, Clark, Curtis.
At a session on the 21st of August, 1862, the board of supervisors passed a resolu- tion to the effect that the clerk of the board should be authorized to issue a war- rant for the sum of $50.00 to each volunteer
that had or should thereafter enlist from Bremer county, "under the present call of the Governor of Iowa, as soon as they have been received and mustered into the ser. vice" The vote on the resolution was close, being decided by a majority of one.
This gave rise to the following resolu- tion, which was at once adopted:
"Resolved, that the county of Bremer, through its board of supervisors, will levy a tax two mills additional, at its September meeting, to cover ordinary and extraordinary expenses incurred by reason of the present rebellion and ask the Leg- islature to legalize the same."
Shortly afterward the record says that warrants were issued to the following named volunteers, viz:
H. F. Beebe $50
E. C. Dougherty 50
E. L. Brown 50
S. Kinyon.
50
T. Orthmann
50
Ellis Shaw.
50
H. H. Bartlett 50
W. O. Butler. 50
P. H. Smith.
50
Jacob T. Ren
50
Geo. A. Michael 50
Samuel Downs.
50
Francis Henston
50
J. O. Jones
50
Henry Smith.
50
J. M. Farris.
50
Adam Fleisher
50
Geo. A. Brown
50
Samuel Wilson
50
S. F. Beebe
50
Richard Currier
50
E. M. Dougherty 50
S. S. Reynolds 50
Fred. Leege.
50
Casill Sharp.
50
Geo. W. Baskins
50
H. McHenry
50
L. H. Lowe 50
821
HISTORY OF BREMER COUNTY.
W. M. Baskins $50
T. A. Stearns 50
J. F. Messinger 50
Charles E. Smith 50
William Ogden
50
Francis Kerr
50
Cyrus Robbins.
50
Shadrach Hinton
50
Others followed in rapid succession. The above list includes many of the first warrants issued for war purposes.
In 1864, the board first met on the 4th of January, and organized by the re-elec- tion of L. J. Curtis as chairman. The new members who were present and took their seats were:
Eri Terry .Polk
P. Ingersoll Lafayette
W. C. Dove. Jackson
L. C. Prince. .Frederika
Wm. S. Detrick
Maxfield
D. R. Hatch
Sumner
D. Wenrick. . Warren
One of their first official acts this year was to grant a license, for twenty years, to J. Ackerson Taylor, permitting him to build a toll bridge across the Cedar river at Janesville.
At the January session, this year, the following resolution was adopted:
Resolved, that a county bounty of $100 be given to every volunteer who shall enlist from Bremer county to fill the present call for 300,- 000 men.
This carried by a vote of eleven to three. At the June term, in 1864, this resolu- tion was amended as follows:
Resolved, that the record of the action of this board at the January session, A. D., 1864, for granting bounties of $100 to volunteers to fill the President's call for 300,000 volunteers, be so amended to give or grant the same bounties to
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soldiers that have enlisted in the three years service since that call, whether veterns or new recruits, provided that they are accredited to this county, and that the county warrants be delivered to the families of said soldiers; or if they have no families to the order of the volun- teer.
It was also resolved that the members of the board mutually "pledge themselves to levy a tax of three mills on the dollar, for the benefit of soldiers' families." This was to be done at the September session.
The following apportionments of the Relief Fund to the several townships was made at the June term, viz:
Polk. $200 00
Douglas 25 00
Frederika 25 00
LeRoy 100 00
Sumner
125 00
Dayton
100 00
Fremont.
150 00
Maxfield.
75 00
Warrer
50 00
Lafayette 150 00
Washington
400 00
Jackson
350 00
Jefferson
550 00
Franklin.
150 00
In 1865 the board commenced their work on the 2d of January, with all the mem- bers present save John Troy, of Douglas township. The board then proceeded to organize, by the election of William C. Dove, of Jackson, as chairman. The newly elected members were as follows.
E. J. Messinger. Jefferson
John Buckmaster Warren
John Chapin. .Fremont
David Chadwick. Dayton
Ichabod Richmond Franklin
B. M. Reeves
Washington
A. Brodie LeRoy
822
HISTORY OF BREMER COUNTY.
In June, 1865, $250 was appropriated to repair the bridges over the Cedar river at Janesville.
At the September session, in 1865, of the board, the recompense to those who had served in the war was made more general and more liberal. The resolution was pre- sented by D. C. Hatch, and was adopted, as follows:
Resolved, That the county issue orders, at the rate of $100, for three year-enlistment soldiers, who have enlisted or been drafted, and served from Bremer county: Provided, said soldiers have not received a bounty from another county, and that such sum or sums as have been paid to soldiers as bounty by this county be deducted from said $100, and the balance be paid in the following manner, to-wit: In three equal annual payments of thirty-three and one-third per cent. of the whole amount due The clerk of this board shall issue said bounty to said soldiers, or their heirs or their legal representatives, on proof presented from the Adjutant General's reports, certificates of Provost Marshal, discharge papers, and other legal evidence; and the clerk shall com- mence paying the said bounties on and after the 20th of this month.
At the October session, Mr. Dove vacated the chair, and tendered his resignation as supervisor from Jackson township. The resignation was accepted, and Mr. Reeves took the chair.
On New Year's Day, 1866, the board of supervisors convened at Waverly, and the following members elect, appeared, qual- ified and took their seats:
Elias Congdon. Sumner
N. A. Reeves Lafayette W. S. Dietrich Maxfield
John K. Head .Polk W. C. Dove. .Jackson
John Henry Frederika
B. F. Call
Franklin
On ballot being taken, N. A. Reeves was chosen chairman for the ensuing year.
For the year 1867, the board of super- visors first convened on the first Monday of January, and commenced routine busi- ness. The following members elect from their respective townships, qualified and took their seats:
N. J. Moore Douglas
George Parker. Dayton
John Bingham .LeRoy
Thomas Fountain Jefferson
B. F. Call
Franklin
John Mohling.
Maxfield
C. Morse
Washington
W. C. Dove took the chair pro fem and the matter of electing a chairman for the ensuing year was taken up. Six bal- lots were taken before a choice was arrived at, but finally the election of W. C. Dove was made unanimous.
At the June session, this year, a resolu- tion was presented, proposing to submit to a vote the question of purchasing a poor farm. The resolution was defeated. It was then resolved that a committee be ap- pointed to purchase a poor farm for Bremer county. Accordingly the committee was appointed, consisting of C. Morse, J. K. Mead, N. J. Moore, Thomas Fountain and D. R. Hatch, who were instructed to pur- chase the farm. But before the board ad- journed, one of the committee moved that the last resolution be reconsidered, and upon vote, the former was adopted, sub- mitting the matter to the people and a committee was appointed to inquire the price of suitable farms. This matter is treated elsewhere in this volume.
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823
HISTORY OF BREMER COUNTY.
During the session a petition was pre- sented to the board, praying that the boun- daries of Sumner township be changed, and sections 6 and 7 be annexed to LeRoy township. It was soon followed by a re- monstrance and the matter was laid upon the table.
During 1868, the matter was again taken up and it was decided to make the west half of section 7, and the southwest quar- ter of section 6, a part of LeRoy township.
The years' work of 1868, was inaugu- rated by the board at a session on the 6th of January. N. J. Moore was elected chairman for the ensuing year, and the following members-elect appeared and qualified:
F. Coddington. Jackson
M. F. Gillette Frederika
John Mohling. Maxfield
A. Gerry. .Polk
G, C. Stephenson. Lafayette
John Smalley appeared and presented his appointment as supervisor from Warren. township, which was duly approved.
It was also stated that Sumner was not represented. Henry Lease, Jr. was elec- ted but resigned.
The first meeting in 1869, was held on the 4th of January, and A. J. Tanner was elected chairman for the ensuing year. The following members took their seats:
N. J. Moore. .Douglas
A. J. Tanner, chairman. .Washington
John D. Woodruff. Warren
Patrick O'Dea LeRoy
Hiram Lester Fremont C. S. Wellman. Jefferson
Jocob Ward. . Franklin
John Kehe. Maxfield
George Parker. Dayton
Mr. Tanner presented the credentials of appointment of.J. N. Johnston, as super- visor of Frederika township, and he was accordingly sworn in.
During this year the name of Louis Case as clerk of the board of supervisors drops from sight and again appears signing the records as "county auditor," that office in the meantime having been created.
At the June term the committee appoin- ted to confer with the officers of Bremer county in reference to the safe keeping of public records reported-
That after making examination, and advising with said officers, we have come to the unani- mous conclusion that it would be unwise to at- tempt a reconstruction of the court house' for that purpose. We therefore recommend a separate building from the court house to be erected on the court house square, and we would further recommend that a committee of one be appointed to apply to a good architect to draw a plan for said building and make a prob- able estimate of the cost of the same to be sub- mitted to this board at its next session, all of which is most respectfully submitted.
[Signed.] N. J. MOORE,
ADIN TERRY, J. N. JOHNSTON, Committee.
The report was accepted, and Louis Case appointed as committee of one, to attend to the matter.
The members-elect of the board for the year 1870, were as follows, and appeared at the January session, and duly qualified:
Otis Clark. .Lafayette
John Kehe. Maxfield
R. Morehouse. Jackson
A. L. Stephenson .. .Sumner
J. N. Johnston Frederika
Adin Terry .Polk
824
HISTORY OF BREMER COUNTY.
A. J. Tanner was elected chairman for the ensuing year.
This was the last meeting of the board of supervisors, represented by a member from each township, as the General Assem- bly passed an act changing the system, and providing that the board should consist of three members, elected at large, instead of one member from each township.
The first meeting of the new board was held on the 2d day of January, 1871, at Waverly, and the members-elect-S. P. Curtis, M. Farrington, and John Chapin- were duly qualified. John Chapin was elected chairman for the ensuing year.
The board for 1872 consisted of John Chapin, S. H. Curtis, and M. Farrington. Mr. Chapin had been re-elected, and quali- fied by taking the usual oath. The board first met on the 1st of January, and pro- ceeded to the election of a chairman for the ensuing year, which resulted in the choice of S. H. Curtis.
During this session the auditor of the county was directed to issue orders on the iron bridge fund, in payment for the King iron bridge; which had been erected at. Waverly, in amounts as follows:
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One due January 4th, 1873 $200 00
One due March 1st, 1873. 3,466 00
One due March 1st, 1874 3,667 00
One due March 1st, 1875 3,667 00
Total. $11,000 00
The whole to bear interest at the rate of ten per cent.
The board evidently did not propose to have the county come out behind, passed the following resolution at the same ses- sion :
Resolved, That Messrs. Ellis, Slimmer, Ridge- way, and Gillette are released from their bond
for the cribbing of the Stockwell bridge piers, on condition that the stone got out by them for that purpose be donated to the county.
The salary of the county auditor was fixed at $1,200 and the fees of the office, he to pay the necessary clerk hire.
It was also resolved that the delinquent tax lists for 1861, 1862, and 1863, be can- celled, as it was deemed that all had been collected that could be.
At the September session, the following was presented by Mr. Farrington which was adopted:
WHEREAS, The census board of the State of Iowa, in accordance with chapter 26, of the General and Public Laws of the Fourteenth Gen- eral Assembly, hive filed with this board the following statement, viz:
STATEMENT
Showing the length in miles of the several railroads in Bremer county, Iowa, on Decem- ber 31, 1871, and the assessed value thereof per mile, as fixed by the census board on July 31, 1872.
The Cedar Falls and Minnesota Railroad, oper- ated by the Illinois Central Company, has 19.47 miles of road in Bremer county, which is as- sessed at $3,000 per mile.
The Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota Railroad has 4.5 miles of road in the county, as- sessed at $3,800 per mile.
Therefore, it was resolved by the board that the total assessed value for all purposes of the former road should be for the year 1872, $58,410; of the latter, $17,100.
For the year 1873, the board comprised the same gentlemen as of the year before, Messrs. S. H. Curtis, M. Farrington and John Chapin, the first named having been re-elected. He was also chosen chairman for the ensuing year.
In 1874 the board consisted of S. H. Curtis, John Chapin and Marvin Potter,
825
HISTORY OF BREMER COUNTY.
. The chairman chosen for the year was S. H. Curtis. Routine business occupied the attention of the board during this year.
At the June session, in 1874, the board of supervisors divided the county into su- pervisor's districts, by passing the follow- ing resolution:
Resolved, That Bremer county is hereby di- vided into supervisor's districts, comprising ter- ritory as follows:
District No. 1, to embrace Washington and Jackson townships, having a population of 4,251.
District No. 2, to embrace Polk, Douglas, Warren, Lafayette and Jefferson townships; population, 4,214.
District No. 3, to embrace Frederika, LeRoy, 'Sumner, Dayton, Fremont, Maxfield and Frank- lin townships; population, 4,052.
This division of the county is still in force.
The board held a session on the fourth of January, 1875. S. H. Curtis and Marvin Potter answered to their names and A. L. Stevenson, the new member, qualified and took his seat. The chairman this year was S. H. Curtis.
The board of supervisors was the same during the year 1876, S. H. Curtis being re-elected and again chosen chairman.
By the report of the county auditor to the board, at its January session, it was shown that during the year just closed $20,051 worth of county warrants had been issued, and the assets and liabilities of the county, balanced.
In 1877, the new member was Barnes Thompson, of Polk township, who quali- fied and took his seat. S. H. Curtis and A. L. Stevenson, answered to their names. Mr. Curtis was re-elected chairman. .
During this year, a resolution was passed offering, as an iuducement for residents to
plant trees and hedges along public high- ways, an exemption of $300 from assessed value of taxation for each mile of hedge or shade trees.
At the September session, in 1877, the following was adopted and entered upon the records:
Resolved, that a vote of thanks is hereby ten- dered to the retiring member of this board, Mr. A. L. Stevenson, for the uniform courtesy he has always shown during the sessions of this board, and for the very efficient and prompt manner in which he has attended to all official business en- trusted to him during his term of office as county supervisor.
In 1878 the board first met on the 7th of January, when the old members, S. H. Curtis and Barnes Thompson, took their seats and the member elected in place. of Mr. Stevenson, Andrew Carstensen, qualified and took his seat. The same chairman was elected for this year that served the year previous.
During the January session a vote of thanks was tendered to the retiring county treasurer, George Morehouse, for his cour- tesy, carefulness and efficiency.
The following resolution was also pre- sented and adopted at the October session of the board:
Resolved, That the thanks of the people of Bremer county are due S. H. Curtis, the retiring member of this board, for the very able and tire- less manner in which he has discharged the duties of his office during his long term of ser- vice, and that the remaining members will miss his genial good nature and guiding counsel.
The members of the board for 1879 were, Barnes Thompson, Andrew Carstensen and C. Cadwallader, the latter being the new member. Barnes Thompson was elected chairman for the year.
826
HISTORY OF BREMER COUNTY.
In 1880 the board consisted of Andrew Carstensen, C. Cadwallader, and T. P. Wilson. Andrew Carstensen was chosen chairman.
The following report from Mr. Rice, steward of the poor house, was presented for the year 1880:
Total number of paupers at poor house dur- ing year. 12
Greatest number at any one time. 8
Number on January 1, 1881. 6 Average number kept. 6 Health good.
In 1881 the board was the same as in 1880, Mr. Carstensen being re-elected chairman.
For the term commencing in 1882, James S. Conner was elected in place of Mr. Cad- wallader, and Andrew Carstensen was again chosen chairman.
The only change for the year 1883, is that John Homrighaus takes the place of T. P. Wilson. This makes the present board of supervisors as follows: Andrew
Carstensen, chairman; James S. Conner and John Homrighaus.
Andrew Cartstensen, the present chair- man of the board of supervisors, was born in Germany, on the 14th day of August, 1823. He came to America in 1852, and soon after his arrival, settled on a farm in . Will county, Illinois, and there lived until 1869, when he came to Iowa, and settled on a farm on section 15, Fremont town- ship, where he now owns 340 acres of land. In 1881, he removed from his farm into the village of Tripoli, and is now engaged as a stock dealer and farmer. In 1878, he was elected to the office of county supervisor, and in 1881, was re-elected. In 1854, he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Butler,a native of Germany, who bore him six children, of whom five are now living-George Peter, John, Andrew and Ella. Mrs. Carstensen died in 1866. Mr. Carstensen was again mar- ried, in 1868, to Miss Mary Johnson, and they have four children-Reka, Matilda, Henry and Herman.
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CHAPTER V.
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OFFICIAL MATTERS.
In this chapter are presented various matters gathered from the county records and other sources.
POPULATION.
In 1845 the population of Bremer county was about four. In 1850 this had increased
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