USA > Iowa > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 9
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The method of county government seems to have been changed at this time and we have the first record of a board of supervisors, this organization super- seding the county judge. The first supervisors were Thomas Dobson, Daniel Howorth, and H. C. Laub, the latter of whom seems to have been greatly in demand for, in the same year, we find allowances made him for "paper, candles and broom" furnished the county, for services as county superintendent, for ser- vices as county supervisor, and for services as coroner in inquest held on the body of I. M. Allen, whose death, at the hands of H. H. Crowell, was the second great sensation of the county. Pasted on the blue page of this first minute book we find the first printed proceedings of the board of supervisors. This was evi- dently clipped from the old Boyer Valley Record, and is the only part of that paper which we have ever seen. The printed slips contain the proceedings of the board for January 7, 1861. These minutes contain the organization of the first board and are of sufficient interest to warrant their being quoted in full :
"January 7, 1861-Thomas Dobson, Milford; H. C. Laub, Denison; Daniel Howarth, Union. Newly elected supervisors respective townships qualified : Dobson, one year; Laub, one year; Howorth, two years. Howorth, chairman; S. J. Comfort, clerk.
The board adopted rules :
Ist: It is the duty of the chairman to preside and to preserve order during the session of the board.
2nd: Board shall meet at 9:00 A. M. for transaction of business and shall remain in session until 4:00 P. M.
3d: All questions shall be decided by a majority, voting viva voce.
John Vore allowed twenty dollars as sheriff for preceding year. William S. Persons allowed fifty cents for hauling county books. Question presented by the clerk, "What seal is the clerk of the board of supervisors to use in seal- ing papers used in doing business as clerk for said board?" Board unanimously decided that they use the county seal.
Bids for cordwood for county, notice to be published in the Boyer Valley Record.
Vol. I-6
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY
Clerk authorized to lease to Denison school district north room on the lower floor of the courthouse after the present lease expires, until November 1, 1861, at the rate of three dollars and a half per month, for time actually occupied for a school. Decided to allow Denison schools to occupy upper rooms of courthouse during the winter.
Sections 29 and 30, township 84, range 38, to be taken from Denison town- ship and attached to Milford.
Wages of clerk and treasurer fixed at two dollars per day of six hours, ac- tually and necessarily employed.
In October, 1861, H. C. Laub, as county superintendent, reports the persons of school age as follows: Union township, 58; Denison township, 58; Milford township, 52. In 1862 Daniel Howorth was again made chairman of the board, and in this session we find the first item which bears at all upon the war. It was in the disallowance of a claim of J. W. Denison for advertising. notices to the able-bodied men for military purposes.
At the same session we find this peculiar order: "Clerk ordered to repair courthouse gate, keep same closed, locked up, all teams positively excluded from courthouse yard, and that the hoop-breakers be disposed of and steps provided in their place." We must confess that the "hoop-breakers" rather puzzled us, at first, until we remembered the round posts set together like nine pins, through which a man might conveniently squeeze but which must have been embarras- sing to the ladies of the hoop-skirt age. This might be instanced as the first step toward woman's suffrage in the county, as, before that time, it would seem that the ladies must either have been excluded or forced to climb the fence.
About this time the county entered into a long series of agreements and dis- agreements and litigations concerning what were known as "swamp lands." In February, 1862, articles of agreement were proposed between Crawford county and the American Emigrant Company by its agent, H. C. Crawford, of Lake City, by which the county devoted unto said company "all unsold swamp and overflowed lands and all proceeds therefor, company taking said swamp and overflowed land and fund subject to all legal charges and claims, taking place of said county and assuming payment of the same. Said company is to convey to said county such parcels of said land as is needed for actual settlement from time to time, provided said company shall give satisfactory security, company to take said lands and funds and assume the payment of same in lands at not less than one dollar and a quarter per acre. Said company agrees to make and erect in any of the public improvements for which said lands may be devoted such improvements as the board may order, not exceeding two hundred dollars, within four years from January Ist, next, the company to bear all expense of reclaiming said land." This proposition was submitted to the voters at a spe- cial election held March 20, 1862, and was carried, the total vote being 26; for the proposition, 17; against, 9. In June of the same year James C. Savery, of Des Moines, was appointed to settle with the general government for swamp lands within the county and certain defects in the contract with the American Emigrant Company were cured.
In June, 1862, S. M. Howe was sheriff, E. G. Stockbridge, bailiff, and the members of the board were Daniel Howorth, Thomas Dobson, and I. B. Good-
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY
rich, who succeeded Mr. Laub. At this June session the first pair of handcuffs for the use of the sheriff was ordered.
During the year 1862, Crawford county had its most serious Indian scare. The roving bands of Sioux to the north and west were emboldened by the fact that the government was at war with the south, and that the regular soldiers had been withdrawn from many of the frontier forts. Reports of their raids and massacres were doubtless greatly exaggerated, but they were real enough in many places, and numerous settlers in exposed localities lost their lives. Rumors of these depredations reached Crawford county and greatly alarmed the settlers. As early as January, 1862, we find that B. F. Dobson, John R. Bassett and Jesse Mason were each allowed two dollars for their services as scouts. In Septem- ber, 1862, we find the following: "A petition having been presented for ap- pointment of scouts to watch for Indian signs and to give notice to the clerk and settlers of their approach to the settlement, whereupon James M. Butler, Sidney R. Rudd, Franklin Prentice, August Kent, J. B. Huckstep, Solomon W. Slater, W. Williams, and Hartwell Jourdan were appointed said scouts and were severally sworn to the faithful performance of their duties as scouts and to render a correct account of the time thus employed, and that each scout be allowed two dollars per day. Resolved, that the scouts remain on or near the station agreed upon by themselves during each night they are on duty, and we earnestly request citizens to cooperate with them and relieve them as much as possible by keeping a good lookout about their own premises. Said scouts are to be on duty ten hours each day, or during the day and night. I. B. Goodrich and Thomas Dobson are empowered to fill all vacancies and to disband or dis- miss them when in their judgment it is no longer necessary to keep them em- ployed, or to relieve them, or any of them, a day or two at a time from duty. In case the county obtains arms and ammunition from the state the district clerk will be authorized to receive them and let them out to responsible men on their giving a note or bond to the county for safe keeping when called for, the company to be styled 'Home Guards' and the scouts to be first supplied."
In compliance with this order Mr. J. W. Denison was sent to Des Moines to present the petition to the legislature and to obtain arms from the governor. This mission was successful and forty Enfield rifles, with ammunition, were se- cured. These arms were distributed and among those who received payment as scouts we find the names of J. A. Strite, Charles Wilson, John Appleman, E. McKim, A. C. D. Kent, A. R. Kuykendal, I. Goodrich, S. R. Rudd, F. Pren- tice, W. W. Williams, William Goodrich, H. B. Jourdan, John Rounds, Henry Winans, James M. Butler, John D. Huckstep, and S. W. Slater. By October the scare seems to have partially subsided, for it was then ordered that no more scouts would be employed until the further order of the board. In March, 1863, however, we find the following orders:
"The board to take possession of arms now in possession of John Purdy, I. B. Goodrich, James M. Butler, and Andrew D. Molony ; clerk, authorized to give state a county bond therefor in lieu of individual bond. Chauncey Good- rich ordered to clean guns. Ordered that guns in possession of county be dis- tributed to supervisors of each township as agents to distribute them in propor- tion to the need or apprehended danger of the most exposed places. Only deal
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out cartridges in quantities of five or six rounds for practice and after that only when the aspect of affairs is such that attack may be expected, and then; ammunition shall be dealt out judiciously and in such quantities as will meet the exigencies of the case."
This was the last mention of the Indian scare, save that considerable diffi- culty was experienced in getting the rifles back and having them properly cleaned and repaired and returned to the state.
On October 7, 1862, we find the first mention of our old friend, A. D. Mo- lony, in connection with county government. It seems that he served in a humble capacity, at first, for it was his task to remove the "hoop-breakers" and build the steps, for which he received the sum of seven dollars and thirty- seven cents.
The tax levy for 1862 shows a promising increase. It was as follows : State, two mills; county, four; poll, fifty cents; bridge, one mill; school, one; Mil- ford school, one and a quarter; incidental, one and a quarter; teacher's, one ; Denison contingent, two; schoolhouse, two and a half; Union schoolhouse. three ; extraordinary county tax on account of the appointment of Indian scouts, two mills.
The canvass of the vote in October, 1862, showed that John Purdy was elected district clerk by a vote of sixty-five, over S. J. Comfort, who received twenty-four votes; for coroner, Reuben Blake was elected apparently without opposition by the handsome vote of five. In January, 1863, it was ordered that "the postoffice may be kept in the courthouse in such place that it would not conflict with the county officer's business."
David Young was elected supervisor in 1862, taking his seat the following January. The board was then composed of Thomas Dobson, chairman; E. B. Goodrich; and David Young. The county valuation at this time was fixed as follows: Improved land, forty acres with building, five dollars per acre; all other improved land, two dollars an acre; timber land, first class, seven 'dollars, fifty cents; second class, five dollars; forty acres with a few acres of timber, two dollars, fifty cents; prairie land, two dollars, fifty cents ; horses, first class, fifty dollars ; second class, thirty ; oxen, first class, forty dollars; second class, thirty; cows, first class, eight dollars; second class, five; hogs, seventy-five cents ; sheep, one dollar and a quarter ; wagons, first class, fifty dollars; second class, twenty-five dollars ; carriages, first class, seventy-five dollars ; second class, twenty-five dollars.
J. D. Seagraves had been elected to succeed H. C. Laub as superintendent, and in June, 1863, Junius Brown was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by Mr. Seagraves' absence.
In June, 1863, we hear another echo of the war for the board met to hear complaints of all persons claiming exemption from military duty. At this ses- sion a militia roll was declared and the following were found to be exempt: Mortimer A. Howe; George S. Johnson; Elihu Dobson; Henry S. Winans; Noah V. Johnson ; S. P. Gardner ; J. S. Hall, exempted as he was in the United States army ; R. D. Butterworth, for removing from county; Robert and James Bell; and Daniel Howorth.
DREDGING SCENE ON BOYER DITCH
DREDGING ON BOYER DITCHI
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY
As an instance of the fact that the board was determined to encourage home industry we find that a prize of five dollars was offered for the best plans and specifications of a bridge span, fifty feet, and the board adds, "The me- chanics of Crawford county are respectfully invited to pitch in." This contest was won by Samuel Young.
The population and political complexion of the county at this time is shown by the canvass of the vote of the election held October 19, 1863. It was as fol- lows : For governor, James M. Stone, republican, fifty ; James M. Tuttle, demo- crat, thirty-five; lieutenant-governor, E. W. Eastman, republican, fifty-five; John F. Duncan, democrat, twenty-nine; senator, forty-third district, George W. Bassett, republican, fifty-three; C. E. Whiting, democrat, thirty-three; rep- resentative, sixty-second district, Addison Oliver, republican, fifty-one; S. E. Dow, democrat, thirty-five. It will thus be seen that the highest total vote for any office was eighty-six, which, with the absence of the usual percentage from the polls, would mean that there were about one hundred voters in the county. In connection with this election we find the interesting note that the county canvass was adjourned, until the army vote could be received from the state canvassers. The final results after the army vote was canvassed are not given in the minute book.
On December 25, 1863, we find the first of numerous actions of the board relative to the war. At this time Daniel Howorth again became a member of the board by appointment from Union township. At this special session the following order was passed: "That the county hereby agrees to pay a bounty of three hundred dollars to all volunteers who shall enlist and be sworn into the United States service under the last call of the president for three hundred thousand men to fill up the old regiments now in the field, said money to be paid as follows, namely: One hundred dollars when the said volunteer shall have been sworn into the United States service, and two county warrants, drawing interest at ten per cent per annum, each for the sum of one hundred dollars, one of which shall be payable January 1, 1865, and the other January I, 1866. Ordered that the families of those persons who volunteer in Craw- ford county to serve their country in suppressing the present rebellion, be sent to their friends at the expense of the county. Ordered that H. C. Laub be agent to pay volunteers under instruction of board, giving bond in the sum of five thousand dollars." The board at this session also made arrangements to go to Union township to obtain recruits.
On December 29 it was further ordered that the sum of two dollars per month should be paid for the use of families of volunteers where there are two in the family, and one dollar per head for each additional child. On December 30th the bounty was raised from three hundred dollars to three hundred and fifty dollars. At this time S. M. Howe was allowed seventy dollars, paid for expenses of Henry Franks, wife and child, he having enlisted in the United States service for Crawford county, to Marshalltown, thence by railroad to Clyde, Illinois. This would indicate that Marshalltown was the nearest rail- road point.
It seems also that there must have been some misunderstanding about the bounties, for Mr. Laub is especially ordered by the board to pay no bounty until
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY
fully satisfied that the volunteer has gone through the last examination and been actually accepted into the United States service. The members of the board were constituted as agents to pay the families of volunteers the monthly appro- priation and it was further agreed that the county would forward baggage to the amount of two hundred pounds, if desired, with familes of volunteers. At this time it would appear that the courthouse was too large rather than too small, for the north room was rented to Mrs. S. P. Gardner for three months, at three dollars per month.
In 1864 the board was composed of Daniel Howorth, Chauncey Goodrich and Thomas Dobson. Morris McHenry was treasurer, recorder and county surveyor. S. E. Dow was clerk of Union township; John R. Bassett was county judge and clerk of Denison township; and Thomas Dobson was the clerk of Milford township. S. M. Howe was sheriff and was allowed twenty dollars as his salary for 1863. Junius Brown was deputy clerk. We find no record in the minutes, but it is a fact, that seven men responded to the enlistment call. The nearest recruiting office was at Fort Dodge and they were taken overland to that point during some of the bitterest days of that winter. The story of this enlistment will be found in the chapter devoted to war history, but an echo of it is found in the proceedings of the board when, in April, 1864, James H. Foster was allowed sixteen dollars and fifty cents for eleven days service, going to Fort Dodge and sixty cents for a bill paid at Bond's Hotel, in Denison. Fur- ther items were also allowed-H. C. Laub, expense transporting volunteers to Fort Dodge, one hundred, sixteen dollars, thirty-five cents ; for services raising ammunition to Fort Dodge, twenty-three dollars, fifty cents. Chauncey Good- rich was also allowed twenty-four dollars and fifty cents for endeavoring to raise volunteers.
We have been patting ourselves on the back concerning our good roads move- ment and the placarding of the transcontinental line, but "there is nothing new under the sun," as is evidenced by the fact that in April, 1864, our supervisors ordered that ten dollars be appropriated for the purpose of printing posters to be put on the road between Decatur, on the Missouri river, and Chicago, Illi- nois, "providing the counties east and west of us to the railroad, cooperate, for the purpose of inducing emigration to this part of the country." It was in 1864, also, that Chauncey Goodrich was employed to procure "nice, thrifty, young maple trees in sufficient quantities to set out the courthouse yard in trees to be planted fifteen feet apart at right angles." Many of us have enjoyed the grateful shade of those same maple trees and remember with regret when they bit the dust in advance of the building of the new courthouse. It was at this time also that the "finishing up" of the new courthouse was ordered.
April 25, 1864, is a memorable date in Crawford county's history, for on that day A. D. Molony first became officially connected with our county govern- ment. He was appointed as clerk of the board of supervisors to fill the unex- pired term of John Purdy, deceased. This was the beginning of an official career which has seldom been surpassed in point of continuous service by any officer in any county of the state. Mr. Molony owed his popularity to his kindness of heart, his genuine sympathy with the poor and the oppressed, his broad catholicity of spirit, and his unfailing good humor and kindliness. He
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY
presents one of the most lovable characters in our county history. In office he showed good judgment and the strictest integrity. It was well for the county that he had these characteristics for, during many years, his was the predominat- ing influence in our entire county government. In fact for many years the board of supervisors acted more as clerks to record the will of Andy Malony than he acted as clerk to record the will of the board.
At this time the old Boyer Valley Record was defunct and there was no newspaper published in the county, thus we find the sale of school lands adver- tised in the "Union," a paper published at Magnolia, in Harrison county. In the proceedings of January 1, 1864, we find that the bounties had been paid to the following Union soldiers: Simeon Strong, James H. Foster, Sterling P. Gardner, Franklin Prentice, A. J. Bond, J. H. Munson, Henry Frank, and Jacob Prentice. During this same year the board passed the following war order :
"Having in view the good of our common country, and to encourage enlist- ment under the present call of the president for five hundred thousand men, ordered that it would be just under the present call to offer the same bounty for enlistment as was offered last winter, and the honorable board of super- visors would respectfully solicit their constituents to respond cheerfully to the call of their country. They do, therefore, offer a bounty of three hundred and fifty dollars to all volunteers and further order that the same monthly stipend shall be paid to those who leave families.
For this year the tax levy was, state, two mills; county, four; military and relief fund, two; bridge, one; school, one.
Passing to the year 1865 we find that still more strenuous efforts were found necessary to secure enough men to fill the quota from Crawford county. David McWilliams was appointed military surgeon and a total of two thousand, three hundred dollars in bounties was paid to William Goodrich, Uriah Gable, Will- iam Spence, H. C. Laub, S. E. Dow, and John Kuykendal, all of whom were drafted, and the last four of whom, we understand, sent substitutes. In March, 1865, twenty dollars and thirty-five cents each was allowed to Thomas Alexan- der, Ward Goodrich and Michael Molony, as expenses to Waterloo. where they went to volunteer. In the same month it was ordered that a bounty of one hundred and twenty dollars be allowed all persons drafted into the service, to be paid in monthly installments of ten dollars to the families, with the some- what ambiguous addition that "All single will receive the same at the expiration of their time of service."
The board this year, 1865, was composed of Thomas Dobson, representing Milford township; Chauncey Goodrich, Denison; and James M. Butler, Union. Mr. Dobson was chairman of the board. A canvass of the vote shows that A. D. Molony was elected clerk, Morris McHenry, recorder, J. S. Comstock, coroner.
At this time the valuation of land in the county had slightly increased and the board fixed the valuation as follows: Forty acres with buildings, five dol- lars per acre; other improved lands, three dollars per acre; timber lands, first class, ten dollars; second class, seven dollars, fifty cents; forty acres prairie,
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY
with fifteen acres timber, five dollars; forty acres prairie with less than fifteen acres timber, three dollars; raw prairie, two dollars.
School lands in what was known as Buck Grove were advertised for sale on March 4, 1865, the advertisement being placed with the "Bugle," published at Council Bluffs.
The expenses of the war had been such that the county found itself in straights for money, and Morris McHenry, county treasurer, was directed to negotiate a loan of seven or eight thousand dollars, on the best terms he could, at a rate of interest not exceeding ten per cent annually.
In spite of this condition of the treasury, the necessity for soldiers continued and the board found it necessary to pass the following: That three hundred and fifty dollars be paid to all persons who have been drafted from this county and have been mustered into the United States Military service, or who have furnished substitutes and said substitutes have been mustered into ser- vice, and that the sum of eight hundred dollars be paid by Crawford county to all persons who may volunteer for one year for Crawford county, and that H. C. Laub is appointed agent to recruit said volunteers, he not to be per- mitted to pay any volunteer until he is actually mustered into service, and not to pay any bounty for any number of volunteers unless he gets sufficient to fill the roll of said county under the present call, and that he be paid three dollars and a half per day for all time actually spent in procuring said volunteers." In connection with this we have had brought to our attention the following receipt :
$800.00
Treasurer's Office, Crawford County, Denison, Iowa, Jan. 14, 1865.
Received of A. D. Molony, Clerk of Crawford County, Iowa, eight hundred dollars to be held subject to the order of Alfred B. Conyne in case he is ac- cepted as a volunteer in the United States Military Service for Crawford County, Iowa, under the last call of the President for 300,000 men, but in case he is rejected said sum shall be returned to A. D. Molony.
MORRIS MCHENRY, Treas. Crawford County, Iowa.
Revenue
Stamp.
Mr. Coyne made the journey to the recruiting office at Waterloo, but for some reason was not accepted, and we believe this bounty was never paid. Evidences of further trouble in connection with payments to volunteers is shown by an order that the board shall visit and examine into the condition of the families of volunteers and drafted men under their charge, and distribute the bounty "in such manner as not to exhaust the bounty so given to those families."
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