USA > Iowa > Chickasaw County > History of Chickasaw and Howard counties, Iowa, Volume I > Part 16
USA > Iowa > Howard County > History of Chickasaw and Howard counties, Iowa, Volume I > Part 16
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Iowa was entitled to thirteen electoral votes, which were given to Harrison. The total vote of the state was 404,040. Harrison received 211,508; Cleveland, 179,877 ; Streeter, 9,105 ; Fisk, 3,550. The presidential vote of Chickasaw County in this election was : Harrison, 1,561 ; Cleveland, 1,604.
STATE ELECTION, 1889
The candidates for governor were: Horace Boies, democrat ; Joseph Hutch- inson, republican ; S. B. Downing, union labor; Malcolm Smith, prohibition ; Elias Doty, greenback. The total vote cast was 361.993, of which Boies received 180,106; Hutchinson, 173,450; Downing, 5.773; Smith, 1,302 ; Doty, 1,362.
The vote of Chickasaw County was: Boies, 1,689; Hutchinson, 1,402 ; Down- ing, 27.
STATE ELECTION, 1891
The candidates for governor for the respective parties were: Horace Boies, democrat ; Hiram C. Wheeler, republican; A. J. Westfall, greenback; Isaac T. Gibson, prohibition. The total vote cast in the state was 420,522, of which Boies received 207,904 ; Wheeler, 199,381 ; Westfall, 12,303 ; Gibson, 915; scattering, 19.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1892
Harrison and Cleveland were the leading competitors for the presidency in 1892, as they were in the previous election. Each of these candidates had served as president, and neither had been extremely popular with their respective par- ties; but both had shown ability as chief executives and were regarded as the logical candidates for a second term. There was some opposition to the nomina- tion of Harrison, in the republican convention, which met in Minneapolis, June 7, 1892, but it was ineffective, and Harrison was nominated on the first ballot. In the democratic convention, held in Chicago, June 21st, Cleveland met with a like condition, and a like result.
The prohibition party held its convention in Cincinnati, June 29th, and again placed John Bidwell at the head of their national ticket. The people's party, the old greenback party under a new name, held their convention in Omaha, July 2d, and nominated Weaver, of Iowa. Another political organization, known as the socialist labor party, held a convention in New York and nominated Simon Wing as their candidate for president. But Wing received votes in only a few of the states ; the largest vote was in New York. He does not appear in the Iowa ballots.
The result of the November election was a reversal of that of 1888. Cleve- land received 277 electoral votes and Harrison 145. Twenty-two electoral votes were given to Weaver. Iowa's electoral vote was given to Harrison. The popu-
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lar vote here was: Harrison, 219,705; Cleveland. 196,366; Weaver, 20,595; Bid- well, 6,402. The total vote of the state was 443,068.
The vote in Chickasaw County in this election was: Harrison, 1,516; Cleve- land, 1,878; Weaver, 43; Bidwell, 12.
STATE ELECTION, 1893
The candidates for governor were: Frank D. Jackson, republican ; Horace Boies, democrat ; J. M. Joseph, populist ; Bennett Mitchell, prohibitionist. The total vote of the state was 415,806, of which Jackson received 206,821 ; Boies, 174,656 ; Joseph, 23,980; Mitchell, 10,349. The vote of Chickasaw County was: Jackson, 1,529; Boies, 1,804; Joseph, 51 ; Mitchell, 22.
STATE ELECTION, 1895
The candidates for governor were : Francis M. Drake, republican ; W. I. Babb, democrat ; S. B. Crane, peoples ; Francis Bacon, prohibition. The total vote of the state was 401,345. Drake received 208,714; Babb, 149,428; Crane, 32,189; Bacon, 11,014. The vote of Chickasaw County was: Drake, 1,564; Babb, 1,701 ; Crane, 85 ; Bacon, 26.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1896
This is noted in political history as the "Free Silver" campaign, a campaign that brought William Jennings Bryan into the limelight as a national character. Bryan's impassioned and dramatic speech in the democratic convention, which met in Chicago, July 7, 1896, supporting a resolution declaring for the free coin- age of silver, was the most noted political event of the year. Bryan's oratory aroused the advocates of that policy to the highest pitch of enthusiasm and he at once leaped into prominence as a presidential candidate. He was nominated on the fifth ballot two days later.
The republican national convention met in St. Louis, June 16th, and nominated William McKinley as their candidate for president, on a gold standard platform.
In the prohibition convention, at Pittsburgh, May 26th, Joshua Levering was nominated as candidate for president. Another convention composed of seced- ing prohibitionists, met and nominated Charles E. Bentley as candidate of the national prohibition party. Another convention composed of a faction of the democratic party, opposed to the financial declarations of the Chicago platform, and the theories advocated by Bryan, selected Gen. John M. Palmer as a candidate of the regular, or gold standard democrats. The socialist party selected Charles H. Matchett as their candidate ; and, with these six entries in the race, the canvass began early in the season and continued with increasing intensity until the polls closed in November. The result was the election of Mckinley ; he received 271, and Bryan 176 electoral votes.
Iowa's electoral vote was cast for Mckinley. The total vote of the state was 521.547. Mckinley received 289,203; Bryan, 223.741 ; Palmer, 4,516; Levering, 3,192; Bentley, 352; Matchett, 453.
The vote of Chickasaw County in the presidential election of 1896 was: McKinley 1.967 ; Bryan. 2.084 ; Palmer, 17; Levering, 10.
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STATE ELECTION, 1897
. The candidates for governor were : Leslie M. Shaw, republican ; F. E. White, democrat ; (Fusion) S. P. Leland, prohibition ; Charles A. Lloyd, peoples ; (Mid- dle of the Road) John Cliggett, national democrat ; M. J. Kremer, socialist labor. The total vote of the state was 437,293. Shaw received 224,729; White, 194,853 ; Leland, 8,243; Lloyd, 4,296; Cliggett, 4,296; Kremer, 876.
The Chickasaw County vote for governor was: Shaw, 1,659; White, 2,115; Lloyd, 20; Cliggett, 7; Leland, 23.
STATE ELECTION, 1899
The candidates for governor were the same as those of 1897, with the excep- tion of M. W. Atwood, prohibition candidate; C. C. Heacock, united christian party. The total vote cast for governor was 433,253. Shaw received 239,464; White, 183.301 ; Atwood, 7,639; Lloyd, 1,608; Kremer, 757 ; Heacock, 484.
The Chickasaw County vote was: Shaw, 1,813; White, 2,091; Atwood. 31 ; Lloyd, 5; Kremer, I ; Heacock, 5.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1900
In 1900 Mckinley and Bryan were again the chief competitors in the canvass. The free silver issue was not so "paramount" in this campaign; that issue had found a place in the political scrapheap, along with many others that had served their purpose to enable parties to gain power, by an appeal to popular prejudice.
The other candidates were John G. Wooley, prohibition; Wharton Barker, peoples ; Joseph E. Malloney, social labor; J. F. R. Leonard, united christian ; Eugene V. Debs, social democrat.
The result of the canvass was a repetition of that of 1896, so far as it applied to the two leading candidates. Mckinley received 202, and Bryan 155 electoral votes. Iowa's electoral vote was cast for McKinley. The total vote of the state was 530,355. divided as follows: Mckinley. 307,808; Bryan. 209,265; Wooley. 9,502 ; Barker, 613; Malloney, 259; Leonard, 166; Debs, 2,742. Chickasaw County gave 2,063 votes to McKinley, and 2,085 to Bryan.
STATE ELECTION, 190I
The candidates for governor were, Albert B. Cummins, republican; T. J. Phillips, democrat : A. U. Coates, prohibition ; James Baxter, socialist ; L. H. Weller, peoples. The total vote of the state was 390,591. Cummins received 226,902 ; Phillips, 143.783; Coates, 15,659: Baxter, 3,463; Weller 782; scatter- ing. 2. Chickasaw County gave Cummins 1,903 ; Phillips, 1,852 ; Coates, 64; Bax- ter, 3; Weller, 23.
STATE ELECTION, 1903
The candidates for governor were: Albert B. Cummins, republican ; J. B. Sullivan, democrat ; John F. Hanson, prohibition : John M. Work, socialist ; L. H.
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Weller, peoples. The total vote of the state was 417,919. Cummins received 238,804 ; Sullivan, 159,725; Hanson, 12,375; Work, 6,421 ; Weller, 594.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1904
The assassination of Mckinley in the early part of his second term made Vice President Roosevelt chief executive. He was nominated by the republican national convention as their candidate for president in 1904. The other candidates were : Alton B. Parker, democrat ; Silas C. Swallow, prohibition ; Eugene V. Debs, socialist ; Thomas E. Watson, peoples. In the electoral count Roosevelt received 336, and Parker 140 votes.
The electoral vote of Iowa was cast for Roosevelt. The total vote of the state was 485,703, divided as follows : Roosevelt, 307,907 ; Parker, 149,141 ; Swal- low, II,601 ; Debbs, 14,847; Watson, 2,207. Chickasaw County gave 1,790 votes to Roosevelt, and 1,902 votes to Parker.
STATE ELECTION, 1906
Albert B. Cummins was a candidate for governor, for a third term, in 1906. The other candidates were : Claude B. Porter, democrat ; John E. Shank, socialist ; Lorenzo S. Coffin, prohibition ; J. B. Norman, peoples ; Andrew Townsend Hisey, secular government. The total vote of the state was 432,405. Cummins received 216,995 ; Porter, 196,123; Coffin, 9,872; Shank, 8,728; Norman, 347; Hisey, 340.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1908
For the third time William J. Bryan was the candidate of the democratic party, in 1908, and for the third time he failed to secure the office. This year his chief competitor was William Howard Taft, the nominee of the republican party. The other candidates in the race were, Eugene W. Chafin, prohibition; Eugene V. Debs. socialist ; Thomas E. Watson, peoples : Thomas L. Hisgen, independent.
The result was an overwhelming victory for Taft. He received 321, and Bryan 162 electoral votes. Bryan received the vote of the solid South, and the vote of Nebraska, Nevada and Oklahoma; Taft received the vote of all the other states.
Iowa gave her electoral vote to the winning candidate. The total vote of the state was: Taft, 275,907; Bryan, 200,771 ; Chafin, 9,887; Debs, 8,287; Watson, 261 ; Hisgen, 404. In Chickasaw County Bryan received a small majority, the vote being, 1,863 for Bryan and 1,580 for Taft.
STATE ELECTION, 1908
The candidates for governor were: Beryl F. Carroll, republican; Fred B. White, democrat; K. W. Brown, prohibition; I. S. McCrillis, socialist ; D. C. Cowles, peoples; L. H. Weller, independent. The total vote of the state was 470,653, divided as follows: Carroll, 256,980; White, 196,929; Brown, 9,118; McCrillis, 7,140; Cowles, 228; Weller, 258. The Chickasaw County vote was 1,431 for Carroll, and 1,864 for White.
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STATE ELECTION, 1910
The candidates for governor were: Beryl F. Carroll, republican ; Claude R. Porter, democrat; A. McEachron, prohibition ; John M. Work, socialist. The total vote was 412,964. Carroll received 205,678; Porter, 187,353; McEachron, 10,248; Work, 9,685. Chickasaw County vote : Carroll, 1,431 ; Porter, 1,863; McEachron, 15; Work, 13.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1912 .
A break in the friendly relations between Taft and Roosevelt in the early part of the Taft administration caused a serious dissension in the ranks of the party. The followers of Roosevelt, which comprised many of the active leaders, advocated his nomination for a third term of the presidency, and long before the time for holding the 1912 convention began to make plans to carry out their purpose. The followers of the Taft contingent were just as active in his behalf, and there was an indication of turbulent times, an indication that was verified when the delegates to that convention got together. After some time spent in efforts to secure har- mony between the contending factions, and finding these efforts unavailing, the Taft delegates, who were in control of the convention, proceeded to nominate their candidate. The Roosevelt delegates withdrew, and afterward called another convention, which met in Chicago and organized the progressive party, and named Roosevelt as their candidate for president.
The democrats nominated Woodrow Wilson and the canvass became a three- cornered contest, with the principal fireworks between the opposing candidates of the two republican factions. Eugene Debs, the candidate of the socialist party, and Eugene W. Chafin, candidate of the prohibition party, conducted vigorous campaigns for their respective parties, but the main interest was centered upon the three-cornered contest.
With the republican party divided the election of the democratic candidate was a foregone conclusion. This was confirmed when the votes were counted. Wilson was elected by the largest number of electoral votes ever given to any candidate for the presidency. He received 454, Roosevelt, 69, and Taft. 8.
For the first time Iowa's electoral vote was cast for a democratic candidate for president. The total vote of the state was 492,356. Wilson received 185,325; Roosevelt, 161,819: Taft, 119,805; Debs, 16,967; Chafin, 8,440. The vote of Chickasaw County was : Wilson, 1,891 ; Taft, 1,022; Roosevelt, 662.
STATE ELECTION, 1912
The candidates for governor were: George W. Clarke, republican ; Edward G. Dunn, democrat; John L. Stevens, progressive; I. S. McCrillis, socialist; C. Durant Jones, prohibition. The total vote of the state was 467,206. Clarke received 184,148; Dunn, 182,449; Stevens, 77,877 : McCrillis, 14.986; Jones, 7,746. Chickasaw County vote : Clark, 1,370; Dunn, 1,883; Stevens, 203; McCrillis, 25; Jones, 22.
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STATE ELECTION, 1914
The candidates for governor were: George W. Clarke, republican; John T. Hamilton, democrat ; George C. White, progressive; Malcolm Smith, prohibition ; Oliver C. Wilson, socialist. The total vote of the state was 422,579, of this Clarke received 207,881 ; Hamilton, 182,036; White, 16,796; Wilson, 9,029; Smith, 6,837. Chickasaw County voted as follows : Clarke. 1,397; Hamilton, 1,703; Smith, 14; Wilson, 13; White, 21.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1916
The candidates for president in 1916 were. Charles E. Hughes, republican ; Woodrow Wilson, democrat; J. Frank Hanley, prohibition ; Benson, socialist. Wilson received a majority of the electoral votes and became his own successor for a second term. Total vote in the state was 516.495. Hughes re- ceived 280,449; Wilson, 221,699; Hanly, 3.371; Benson, 10,976. The vote of Chickasaw County for president, in 1916, was, Hughes. 1,982; Wilson, 1,669; Benson, 20; Hanley, 13.
STATE ELECTION, 1916
The candidates for governor in 1916 were, W. L. Harding, republican ; E. T. Meridith, democrat ; J. W. Bennett, socialist ; Oren D. Ellett, prohibition. Harding received a majority of the votes in the state and is the present governor. The vote of Chickasaw County for governor in 1916 was : Harding, 2.336; Meridith, 1,539; Bennett, 10; Ellett, 8.
CHAPTER II
COUNTY ORGANIZATION
CHICKASAW BOUNDARIES ESTABLISHED-FIRST ATTEMPT TO EFFECT ORGANIZATION A FAILURE-ORGANIZING SHERIFF SETS ASIDE ELECTION RESULT-ANOTHER ELECTION DATE-SECOND ORGANIZING EFFORT SUCCESSFUL-NAMES OF FIRST COUNTY OFFICIALS-TOWNSHIPS ESTABLISHED-COUNTY SEAT LOCATED-BRAD- FORD THE FAVORED PLACE.
Chickasaw County was created a political division of the state by virtue of an act of the Iowa Legislature, approved on the 15th day of January, 1851. Chapter nine of the Acts of the Third General Assembly, section thirty-three, reads as follows :
"That the following shall be the boundaries of a new county which shall be called Chickasaw County, to-wit: Beginning at the northwest corner of town- ship 97, range 10; thence west to the northwest corner of township 97. range 14; thence south to the southwest corner of township 94, range 14; thence east to the southwest corner of township 14, range 10; thence to the place of beginning."
In the Fourth General Assembly of Iowa the boundaries were changed, detach- ing a strip off of the north side of Chickasaw and adding this to Howard County. Chapter 120 of the Acts of the Fourth General Assembly, section one, reads :
"Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa, that the north half of township 97, of ranges 11, 12, 13, and 14, following the line of the United States subdivision thereof, shall be, and the same are hereby detached from Chicka- saw County and attached to Howard County." By the act of this same General Assembly, approved January, 1853, Chickasaw County was attached to Fayette County for election, revenue and judicial purposes, and it was by Thomas Woodle, county judge of Fayette County, that an order was issued, June 30, 1853. for the organization of Chickasaw County.
FIRST ATTEMPT TO ORGANIZE COUNTY
The first attempt at organizing the County of Chickasaw was made in 1853. The following, which relates to this official act appears as the first entry in the records of the county judge relating to Chickasaw County :
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"The County of Chickasaw embraces towns 94, 95, 96, and 97, ranges II, 12, 13, and 14, west of the fifth principal meridian; and by order of the county judge of Fayette County, State of Iowa, the same was on the 30th day of June, A. D. 1853, ordered organized. John Bird, organizing sheriff in the election held on the 13th day of August, 1853."
The following is a copy of the original notice to the organizing sheriff, marked, "Filed December 31, 1854, in the office of the county judge of Chickasaw County, by J. Lyon, county judge :"
"State of Iowa 1 ss.
Fayette County
"John Bird,-Sir: By virtue of power vested in me by the code of Iowa, I have this day appointed you organizing sheriff for the organization of Chickasaw County. You are hereby required to post up at least five written notices in said county, that on the first Monday in August there will be an election held at the house of A. E. Haskell, in the Town of Bradford, for the purpose of organizing said county and electing county officers, as follows, to-wit :
"County judge, district clerk, recorder, and treasurer, school fund commis- sioner, prosecuting attorney, sheriff, coroner and county surveyor.
"And also one justice of the peace, one constable, three township trustees, and town clerk. And make due return to me of the same at my office in West Union.
"The above mentioned notices to be posted up at least ten days prior to the election.
"June 30, 1853.
"THOMAS WOODLE, "County Judge."
It is probable that the sheriff discharged the duty for which he was commis- sioned and that the election was held at the time specified in the order of the county judge, and that the specified officers were elected. But there is no record showing returns for this election. The presumption is that the result of the elec- tion was not in accordance with the wishes of the organizing sheriff, and for this, or for other reasons satisfactory to himself, he withheld all returns on his war- rant and ordered another election to be held on April 3, 1854. If the theory holds that such action was taken in the first organizing effort in Chickasaw County, it may have served as a precedent for a similar action of the election officials in "doctoring" the returns in the county seat election, a few months later.
The only record showing that an election was held on April 3d is the bond of John Campbell, as treasurer and recorder, signed by G. R. Rowley and James S. Frazee, as bondsmen, in the sum of $5,000, filed in the office of James Lyon, county judge, April 12, 1854. From other evidence it appears that the following were elected at that time: James Lyon, county judge; S. C. Goddard, county clerk; John Campbell, treasurer and recorder; D. A. Babcock, prosecuting attor- ney ; Andrew Sample, sheriff ; Oscar Cooley, surveyor ; Dr. S. C. Haynes, coroner. It is presumed that S. C. Goddard either did not qualify or resigned, as county clerk, and that his place was filled by the appointment of J. A. J. Bird. This presumption is based on the fact that the commissioner's report for the location of the county seat bears the following endorsement: "Filed in the office of the clerk of the county court, August 14, A. D. 1854, J. A. J. Bird, clerk."
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From this it appears that the organization of Chickasaw County, with full county government, officially dates from April 3, 1854. At the election for the organization the whole county was included in one precinct under the name of Bradford. At that time Bradford was quite a pretentious village and the only town in the county. A great deal of the interesting early history of Chickasaw County centers around Bradford and vicinity. It was in that vicinity that the first hardy settlers located, and long before the advent of the white settlers it was the location of an Indian trading post and station. Some of the interesting inci- dents centering around Bradford will find a place in another chapter of this volume.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION
Among the first acts of the county authorities, after assuming their office, was to divide the county into five townships or election districts. At the March term of the county court, 1855, it was "ordered that the County of Chickasaw con- stitute five election districts, namely :
I. Township 94, range 14 and 13, to be called Bradford District.
2. Township 95, range 14 and 13, to be called Chickasaw District.
3. Township 96, range 14 and 13, to be called the Brink District.
4. Township 961/2-97, range II and 12, to be called the Obispo District.
5. Township 94 and 95, range II and 12, to be called the Yankee District.
At a special session of the county court, held July 23, 1855, it was "Ordered that the Brink District be attached to Chickasaw for election purposes."
At the March term, 1856, of the county court, "Application was made by peti- tion to organize township 96, range 14, and that the name of Deerfield be given the same, which was granted, and the south half of 97, range 14, added thereto." At the same term of court, township 94, range 13, was set off, and at the ensuing election organized under the name of Richland. At the same term an order was made to organize township 96, range 13, and the south half of 97, range 13, under the name of Washington, and this township proceeded to organize. But, at the following June term of court, the record says: "It appearing to this court that the Township of Washington failed to effect a legal organization, in accordance with the order of this court, made at the March term thereof, A. D. 1856, there- fore, the said Township of Washington is attached to Deerfield Township for township and county purposes." Referring to this action, Capt. J. H. Powers, in his "Historical and Reminiscences of Chickasaw County," makes this comment :
"The real offense was that the vote of this town, if allowed, would have removed the county seat from Bradford to New Hampton."
At the April term, 1857, township 95, range 12, was ordered organized under the name of New Hampton. Also township 96, range 13, and the south half of 97, range 13, under the name of Washington ; also, township 94, range It and 12, under the name of Fredericksburg. At this term the west half of township 94, range 12, was attached to Richland Township; and township 95, range II, was organized under the name of Stapleton. At the July term, 1857, township 95, range 13, was ordered organized under the name of Dayton.
At the March term, 1858, township 96, range 12, was organized under the Vol. 1-10
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name of Jacksonville; and at the same time township 96, range 11, and the south half of township 97, range II, was organized under the name of Utica.
In 1859 township 94, range 12, was ordered organized under the name of Dresden. Subsequently, the east tier of sections of Dresden were detached and placed in Fredericksburg Township; but these sections have since been replaced, except the southeast of section 12, and the northeast of section 13. Another change of township boundaries was made when a part of Dayton Township was detached and made a part of New Hampton Township; this detachment was the east half of northeast, and the northeast half of southeast, of section 12.
The townships thus organized have remained without change since. Naming the townships in their order as they appear on the map, beginning with Deerfield, in the northern tier of townships, they are: Deerfield, Washington, Jacksonville, Utica, Chickasaw, Dayton, New Hampton, Stapleton, Bradford, Richland. Dres- den and Fredericksburg.
COUNTY SEAT LOCATED
At the time of organization of Chickasaw County Bradford was the center, not of the county, but of population and influence. It was the one and only precinet in the county, the place where the first voting was done, and the place where the chosen officials assembled to prepare the necessary machinery for the new county government. One of the first essentials for a county government was a place for the transaction of official business, or a county seat, and the selection of this place was among the first duties devolving upon the new officials. This was done by virtue of provisions of section 5, of chapter 12, of the Acts of the Fourth General Assembly, which reads :
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