USA > Iowa > Davis County > History of Davis County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc. > Part 46
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H. Williamson, from Perry township.
B. W. Cravens, from Prairie township.
HI. A. Woun, reelected from Soap Creek township. Jonathan Chagan, from Marion township.
In January, 1866, the following became members -- Peter Hendricks, from Salt Creek township. A. Dunn, from Lick Creek township.
C. M. Hurliss, from Drakeville township.
D. Gibson, from Grove township.
D. W. IIntehinson, from Wyaeondah township. Geo. Duffield, from Bloomfield township. M. II. Jones, from Bloomfield township.
In January, 1867, the following became members- H. A. Woun, reelected from Soap Creek township. W. L. Fletcher, from Marion township. E. B. Townsend, from Fox River township.
W. S. Monroe, from Perry township.
J. J. Plank, from Prairie township. B. Adkins, from Roscoe township.
A. Burgher, from Fabius township. M. II. Jones, from Bloomfield township.
In January, 1868, the following members came in- Wm. O. Jackson, from Salt Creek township. John McCaully, from Lick Creek township.
T. M. Samson, from Drakeville township. H. G. Phelps, from Union township. D. W. Intehinson, from Wyacondah township. D. Gibson, from Grove township.
In January, 1869, the following became members- H. A. Wonn, reelected from Soap Creek township. D. L. Hannah, from Marion township. S. B. Downing, from Fox River township. Joseph MeGowen, from Bloomfield township. Stanley Hathaway, from Perry township. 7
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426
HISTORY OF DAVIS COUNTY.
James Craven, from Prairie township.
Frank Pinnell, from Roscoe township.
Dempson IIill, from Wyacondah township.
James Kinsler, from Fabius township. H. A. Wonn elected president.
In January, 1870, the following new members were sworn in-
John M. Sloan, from Salt Creek township.
Harvey Dunlavy, from Lick Creek township.
D. M. Hurliss, from Drakeville township.
Asa Wilson, from Bloomfield township.
Wm. D. Evans, from Union township.
T. F. Collins, from Grove township.
Dempsey Hill, from Wyacondah township.
C. M. Hurliss, elected president.
In Jannary, 1871, the new law, requiring only three members on the board of supervisors, went into effect.
The first three members were J. P. Fortune, John Edwards, and W. S. Monroe, chairman.
It was determined by lot, that J. P. Fortune serve three years, John Ed- wards two years, and W. S. Monroe, one year.
W. S. Monroe was reelected in the fall of 1871, to serve three years, and. elected chairman.
Peter Runkle succeeded John Edwards in Jannary, 1873, and J. P. For- tune was elected chairman.
J. P. Fortune was reelected in 1873, making the board, in 1874, as fol- lows: J. P. Fortune, chairman, W. S. Monroe, and Peter Runkle.
1875, J. P. Fortune, chairman, Peter Runkle, H. H. Cramer.
1876, J. P. Fortune, chairman, H. H. Cramer, resigned, D. J. McConnell.
1877, D. J. McConnell, chairman, R. Eggleston, vice Cramer, Samuel Russell.
1878, D. J. McConnell, chairman, Samnel Russell, John C. Leach. 1879, Samuel Russell, chairman, John C. Leach, David Baer.
1880, John C. Leach, chairman, David Bacr, G. W. McCullongh,
1881, David Baer, chairman, G. W. Mccullough, Al. Power.
427
HISTORY OF DAVIS COUNTY.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATIONS.
The township system is a very old sub-division of a connty. It origin- ated in Massachusetts as far back as 1635. " The first legal enactment con- cerning this system." says Mr. E. M. Haines, in his comprehensive work on ' township organization,' "provided that, ' whereas, particular towns have many things which concern only themselves, and the ordering of their own affairs, and disposing of business in their own town,' therefore, 'the freemen of every town, or the majority part of them, shall only have power to dis- pose of their own lands and woods, with all the appurtenances of said town, to grant lots, and to make such orders as may concern the well-ordering of their own towns, not repugnant to the laws and orders established by the general conrt.'
"They might also," says Mr. Haines, "impose fines of not more than twenty shillings, and " choose their own particular officers, as constables, sur- veyors for the highways, and the like." Evidently this enactment relieved the general conrt of a mass of municipal details, without any danger to the power of that body in controlling general measures of public policy. Prob- ably also a demand from the freemen of the towns was felt for the control of their own home concerns."
Wherever New England people settled, or their system extended in the early period of new states, its township system of managing local affairs has prevailed, and more especially so, as the populations of states and coun- ties became more dense. The county system alone becomes too unwieldy, too distant from the people; and often endangers "equal and exact justice" by the densely populated sections, including towns, overcoming the sparsely settled sections, in elections, improvements, as well as in other similar mat- ters. In many of the older and thickly settled states, township organiza- tions are as independent of the county, as the county is of the State. They collect their own revenne; provide for their own schools; take care of their own poor; make, and keep in repair their own highways and bridges. And thus it will be in the newer states of the great west, as fast as their popula- tion becomes dense enough, and uniformly distributed throughout their do- main.
The first move made by the board of county commissioners toward or- ganizing the townships of Davis county, was January 7, 1846, being the Jannary session, when,
By order of the board, the county of Davis, Iowa Territory, is divided into twelve town- ships, and the same are established and organized in the manner following; to-wit,
428
HISTORY OF DAVIS COUNTY.
SALT CREEK TOWNSHIP.
Ordered-That congressional township seventy north, range twelve west, be organized and called "Salt Creek Township," and that the residence of Richard Cave be appointed as the place for the first meeting of the electors of said township.
LICK CREEK TOWNSHIP.
Ordered-That congressional township seventy north, range thirteen west, be organized as a township, and that the same be called " Lick Creek Township," and that the house of Robert Merchant be appointed as the place for the first meeting of the electors thereof.
SOAP CREEK TOWNSHIP.
Ordered-That congressional township seventy north, range fourteen west, be constituted and organized as a township, and called "Soap Creek Township, " and that the house of A. H. Putman be appointed as the place for the first meeting of the electors thereof.
MARION TOWNSHIP.
Ordered-That township seventy north, range fifteen west, be constituted and organized as a township, and called " Marion Township," and that the house of Alexander Downing be appointed as the place for the first meeting of the electors of the same.
FOX RIVER TOWNSHIP.
Ordered-That congressional township sixty-nine north, and range fifteen west, be con- stituted and organized as a township, and called "Fox River Township," and that the house of Robert Jones be appointed as the place for the first meeting of the electors thereof.
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP.
Ordered-That congressional township sixty-nine north, range fourteen west, be consti- tuted and organized as a township, and that the same he called " Bloomfield Township," and that the court-house in Bloomfield be appointed the place for the first meeting of the electors of the same.
PERRY TOWNSHIP'.
Ordered-That congressional township sixty-nine north, range thirteen west, be consti- tuted and established an organized township, to be called "Perry Township," and that the house of Samuel Evans, Sr., be appointed as the place for the first meeting of the electors thereof.
UNION TOWNSHIP.
Ordered-That congressional township sixty-nine north, range twelve, together with one mile off the north side of township sixty-eight, range twelve, be constituted an organized township, to be called " Union Township," and that the house of Richard Goddard be ap- pointed as the place for holding the first meeting of the electors thereof.
PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP.
Ordered-That congressional township sixty-eight, range twelve west, except one mile off the north side of the same, and fractional township sixty-seven, range twelve west, be or- ganized and established as a township, to be called " Prairie Township," and that the house of Samuel Mondy be appointed for the place of the first meeting of the electors thereof.
429
HISTORY OF DAVIS COUNTY.
GROVE TOWNSHIP.
Ordered-That congressional township sixty-eight, and fractional township sixty-seven, range thirteen, be organized and established as a township, to be called " Grove township," and that the house of Aquilla Conway be appointed as the place for holding the first meeting of the voters thereof.
WYACONDAN TOWNSHIP.
Ordered -- That congressional township sixty-eight, and fractional township sixty seven, range fourteen west, be organized and established as a township, to be called " Wyacondah Township," and that the house of James M. Parris be appointed as the place for holding the. first meeting of the electors thereof.
FABIUS TOWNSHIP.
Ordered-That congressional township sixty-eight, and fractional township sixty-seven north, range fifteen west, be established and organized as a township, to be called "Fa- bius Township," and that the house of Elias Veatch be appointed as the place for the first meeting of the electors thereof.
In January 1846. when Bloomfield township was organized, it was six miles square, being townships sixty-nine north, and range fourteen west. In 1848, a part of Perry township was added to Bloomfield township, being all that part lying west of the line dividing sections thirty-two and thirty- three, and as far north as Fox River. In 1852, sections twenty-eight and thirty-three, in Perry township were added to Bloomfield. And in October, 1852, on the petition of E. Young, T. Somerlin, and others, sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 15, of township 68, north of range 13, west, was added to Bloomfield township for election purposes. In September, 1878, on the petition of J. P. Fortune, and others, the east half of section 17, the northwest quarter, and the northwest of the southwest, of section 16, in township 68 north, range 13 west, was taken from Globe township, and added to Bloomfield township, for election purposes.
In April 1874, when West Grove township was organized, sections 30, 31, 32 and the southwest quarter of 29, township 69, range 14, Bloomfield township, were taken from Bloomfield, and given to West Grove. When Drakesville township was organized, it also took away twelve sections in the northwest corner of Bloomfield township, being sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 and 18. And what is left, and what has been added, now forms a very irregular shaped, door-key kind of a township. A singular thing connected with the additions to Bloomfield, is the fact that no one knew that section 15, of Grove township, was added to Bloomfield town- ship, and it has not been recognized as a part of Bloomfield, although no record can be found of it ever being given back to Grove. According to the records it forms a part of Bloomfield township for election purposes.
430
HISTORY OF DAVIS COUNTY.
DRAKEVILLE TOWNSHIP.
In the County Court, March 4, 1852, Henry W. Briggs, County Judge, presiding:
A petition was received from John A Drake, S. B. McGrew, and a large number of others, citizens of Bloomfield township, asking that sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 and 18, should be set off and organized into a new township to be called "Drakeville," and the court considering the public convenience required such a subdivison, it is ordered that the above specified sections of the congressional township No. 69 north, and 14 west, be consti- tuted a township for all purposes, and notice was given accordingly.
A part of Section 31, in Soap Creek township, has since been added to Drakeville township, being the southwest quarter, the south half, north- west quarter, the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter, and the west half of the southeast quarter.
ROSCOE TOWNSHIP.
County Court, March 15, 1854; Henry W. Briggs, County Judge, presiding:
In the matter of the applicaton of various citizens for a division of Prairie township, set for hearing this day, there having been no remonstrance presented, and the court being satisfied that the notice required by this court had been given, and that the citizens in said township are generally anxious for said division-
It is ordered that said Prairie township be divided by a line running east and west through the center of sections No. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30. Township 68 north, range 12 west, and that the south half of said sections No. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30, and all of sections 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, in said township No. 68, north of range No. 12 west, and all of fractional township No. 67, north of range 12 west, be erected into a new township, to be called Roscoe township, which township shall hold their election at the school-house in the town of Roscoe on the first Monday of April next, and notice to that effect was issued to John Garnon and O. Hawkins, constables.
WEST GROVE TOWNSHIP.
At the April session of the Board of Supervisors, in the year 1874 -- the petition of numer- ous citizens of Fox River, Fabius, Wyacondah and Bloomfield townships praying for a new township bounded as follows; to-wit,
Commencing at the southwest corner of the northwest quarter, northwest quarter of sec- tion 19, township 68, range 15. Running thence east six miles, to the southeast corner of the northeast quarter northeast quarter section 24, township 68, range 15, thence north one- fourth of one mile; thence east two miles, to the southeast corner of section 17, town- ship 68, range 14; thence north four miles, to the northeast corner of section 32, town- ship 69, range 14; thence west one-half mile to the southeast corner of southwest quarter seetion 29, township 69, range 14; thence north one-half mile to the northeast corner of southwest quarter section 29, township 69, range 14; thence west four and one-half miles to the northwest corner, southwest quarter of section 27, township 69, range 15; thenee south one-fourth of one mile, to the northeast corner, southeast quarter southeast quarter section 28, township 69, range 15; thence west three miles, to the county line between Ap- panoose and Davis counties; thence south on said county line four and one-half miles to
431
HISTORY OF DAVIS COUNTY.
the place of beginning. And after due consideration the new township was established as prayed for. The name of the new township to be West Grove. Approved,
J. B. FORTUNE, President.
The board appointed D. L. Heywood, W. C. Ewing and John Rawlings, the first trustees, and D. J. Hollopeter, the first clerk.
With these changes and additions, there are now fifteen townships in Davis county, and their material development, as well as their early history, will appear farther on in this work, in the chapter on township history.
COUNTY INSTITUTIONS.
The institutions belonging to and maintained by the county, are not numerous, but are important in their relation to society and humanity, in- asmuch as the evil-doer and the poor exist in all countries to a greater or less extent. As already noted in the chapter on "county organization," the first public building constructed in the county, was
" THE OLD LOG COURT-HOUSE."
The history of the first court-house is almost co-extensive with the history of the county. The contract was awarded to J. J. Selman for $164, at the July session of the Board of Commissioners, 1844. On his bond were John Banta and Wm. J. Hawley, as sureties. It was on lot one block thirty-one, and was built of hewn logs about 24x40 feet, two stories. In November 1844, the contract for furnishing lumber for the floors, windows, stairs and doors, and for sash, glass and putty for the windows, for framing and easing the windows and door, making the door, laying the floors and running the stairs, was let to Andrew Taylor for $175, he giving bond in the sum of $350. Miles Tatlock had some kind of a job on the court-house at this time, also, for which he received $35.
This log house when completed seemed to be satisfactory until August, 1846, when the building was " underpinned and the roof let down by cutting off the window frames and running a "petition" in the loft, dividing it in two rooms, the division running north and south." In July 1847, Willis Faught repaired the institution $25 worth. In May 1848, Samuel Riggs was au- thorized to go to work and repair the institution some more. In October I. Kister and II. B. Ilorn were allowed $20 each for work on the institution In April 1849, some window shutters were added at a cost of $10, and in July a stove pipe. In 1851 the old institution became unfit for use and the county judge rented offices on lot six, block twenty-six. Some time after this rooms were rented of Wm. S. Stevens as a court room, etc., and in 1855
432
HISTORY OF DAVIS COUNTY.
a contract was made with Calvin Taylor for a court room for four years, at $100 per annum.
The record, from 1856 to 1861, is lost. The writer, with the assistance of county officials, made a thorough search but failed to find any trace of it. In 1861 the Baptist church was rented for a court room for one term, for $20. At the Jannary session of the board it was resolved to submit to the people a proposition to build a court-house at a cost not to exceed $150,000.
This year the county offices were in rooms belonging to J. W. Ellis, at $100 per year. It is to be supposed that the proposition to build a court- house was defeated as no more is heard of it. In 1863 the Methodist church was rented as a court room. A proposition to build a $6,000 jail was sub- mitted to the people in 1863, and that is the last heard of it. In Septem- ber 1866, another proposition to build a court-house was submitted to the people, to cost $24,000. The county offices were moved into a building on lot eight, block 19, belonging to J. B. Glenn and E. T. Cole. The proposition to build the court-house was lost, and in June 1867 a contract was made with the Bloomfield Town Hall Association for the use of a court room and connty offices, in a building to be erected by the association and the county as a kind of a joint stock company. This contract must have fell through as no further notice was taken of it, and in 1868 another contract was made for renting rooms. The building rented was owned by Moore, Hogan and Walton.
In November the new offices and court room were fitted up for use. The rent of the building for 1869 was $300. In November 1872, another prop- osition was submitted to the people to build a court-house and jail on the public square in the city of Bloomfield, and that a tax be levied of five mills on the dollar for three years and for that purpose, commencing in 1873. After the election it was discovered that the poeople didn't want it just yet. The result was: For, 598; against, 1702.
So the same building was rented again, and continued in use, being rented for three years at a time, better known as the Phoenix Block, on the east side of the square. The rent was six hundred dollars a year, in ad- vance.
At the October election 1874, the board ordered that the court-house question be submitted again; this time it was a $25,000.00 one. But it is presumed, the people had got tired of voting on that question so much, as only two townships voted upon it, Fox River giving six votes for and 44 against, and West Grove giving fifty for and ninety-seven against. Total for, 56; against, 141.
So the question was defeated again, but the board, with a persistency"
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HISTORY OF DAVIS COUNTY.
worthy of the reverence of future generations, determined, at the June ses- sion, 1875, to submit it again at the next general election. The cost not to exceed $50,000, and the people to determine whether it should be on the publie square in Bloomfield or not.
The election resulted in 1404 votes for the tax, 1133 votes against the tax. and 1464 for the public square, to 182 against the public square.
The people of Bloomfield had, on the 13th day of May 1872, at an elec- tion then held, authorized the use of the square for that purpose, and in November 1876, the ground in the center of the square was cleared off to prepare for the erection of the court house. The plans of T. J. Tolan & Sons, architects, were adopted, and at a special session of the board in June 1877, the bids for building the court house were opened; the following were the bids :-
O. J. King, Corning, Iowa-
Brick.
$43,500.00
Pressed briek
45,000.00
Stone
51,000.00
N. C. Terrill, Kankakee, Illinois-
Briek
$42,364.00
Pressed brick
43,964.00
Stone
49,864.00
J. W. Hinckley, Indianapolis, Indiana
Briek
$39,110.00
Pressed brick
42,360.00
Stone
45,610.00
Valentine Jobst, Peoria, Illinois-
Brick
$42,972.00
Pressed brick.
45,272.00
Stone
48,572.00
W. H. Myers, Fort Wayne, Indiana-
Brick
$44,862.76
Pressed briek
49,841.00
Stone
51,562.76
Larkworthy & Menke, Quincy, Illinois-
Brick
$39.985.00
Pressed briek
41,445.00
Stone.
45,201.00
S. J. Stanber & Co., Knoxville, Iowa --
Brick
$41,700.00
Pressed brick
44,050.00
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HISTORY OF DAVIS COUNTY
Palmer, Lane & Co., Bloomfield, Iowa-
$43,500.00 Brick
Pressed brick. . 45,672.00
Stone
47,660.00
After examining the bids, the board at first determined to have pressed brick, and then changed and awarded the contract to Larkworthy & Menke, of Quincy, Illinois, for stone, at $45,201.00, and John Lane was appointed local superintendent of the work.
In March, 1878, bids for steam heating the court-house, were examined. The following were the bids: J. N. Manning & Co., Chicago, $2,672.77; Robt. Ogden, Fort Wayne, Indiana, $4,490.00; Haxton Steam Heater Co., Kewannce, Illinois, $2,675.00; Larkworthy & Burge, Chicago, $2,840.00. The contract was awarded to the Haxton Steam Heater Company.
In September the county officers were anthorized to sell all the old furn- iture, stoves, etc., belonging to the county at private sale. In October A. L. Hoyt was employed as the first janitor of the new court-honse at a sal- ary of $20 per month, and was continued in that official position without decreasing his salary until he died in 1880, when he was succeeded by C. A. Rockafellow, the present janitor. In September 1879, a chain was or- dered put up around the square.
At the Jannary session 1880 the new conrt-house was insured for $35,- 000, being $3,500 in cach of the following companies: The Fire Associa- tion, of Philadelphia; Insurance Company of North America; Springfield Fire and Marine; Hartford; Home; Ætna; North British and Mercan- tile; Glen's Falls; Phoenix, of Hartford, and American, for five years.
In June, 1881, a contract was made with the Cleveland Wrought Iron Fence Company to put an iron fence around the square at 82.23 7-11 per lincal foot.
The dimensions of the court-house basement are 973x871 feet and the jail ocenpies about one half of this space and the furnace, coal vault and water closet the other half. The jail is on the east end, in which there are three steel clad cells.
The court-house proper is two stories high with mansard roof and a bean- tiful belfry on the center, with a clock face on each side. The belfry is snr- mounted by a life-sized statue of the blind goddess, with the scales in one hand and a sword in the other. In the belfry is the complicated clock ma- chinery which keeps old father time from going to sleep, and strikes the bell each honr of the year, day and night. The court house clock is the first thing noticed by strangers on entering the city. The court-house proper is
435
HISTORY OF DAVIS COUNTY.
entered on the east and west by a flight of nine stone steps, entering a ves- tibule ten feet wide running through the building east and west. From this vestibule opening on either side are the county offices. Entering from the east the stairway to the court room commenees just inside, and on the left is the Recorder's office, on the right the Treasurer's office, and next on the left is the Clerk's office, and on the right the Auditor's office, next on the left is the Sheriff's office, and on the right the janitor's room; the next door is the stairway leading into the basement. The court room, County Superintendent's office and jury rooms ocenpy the next floor.
This building is one the people can look upon with pride, as a fitting emblem of their prosperity. As we write this, the statue, 130 feet from the basement, is draped in mourning for our dead president, and as a eoin- eidenee, she has dropped the sword and stands merely holding the seales of justiee.
For the benefit of future generations, we will say that the old court-house, the "Institution," was sold in January, 1855, to D. C. Van Duyn and he moved it ont on his farm, four miles southeast of Bloomfield, where it now stands, used as a dwelling, by J. T. Norris, who now owns the farm. The price paid by Van Duyn for it was $50.
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