USA > Iowa > Dubuque County > History of Dubuque County, Iowa; being a general survey of Dubuque County history, including a history of the city of Dubuque and special account of districts throughout the county, from the earliest settlement to the present time > Part 44
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It was charged by the Miners' Express, late in 1842, that General Wilson, the surveyor-general, had not resided at Dubuque since June, 1842, and was neglecting his duty. When, in the spring of 1839, the office was moved from Cincinnati to Dubuque, the Iowa News sharply lashed Albert G. Ellis for visiting Dubuque but once in three months, and demanded that the incumbent of the office should reside there and attend to his duties. Now, when Wilson did no better, he was likewise criticised.
On the question of holding a territorial convention to take steps for admission into the Union, Dubuque county, in August, 1842, polled 115 votes for the convention and 477 votes against it.
In 1842, John Frink was mail carrier from Dubuque to Prairie La Porte at $249; Nelson Plummer, from Dubuque to Davenport (river route ), at $900 : Gilbreth & Campbell, from Dubuque to Iowa
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City, at $480; Otto Hinton, Dubuque to Davenport (two-horse coach twice a week), at $1,000. An act of February, 1842, pro- vided that poorhouses could be built by counties. In the fall of 1842 the county board were William Smith, Jacob Dreibelbis and F. Byerly ; Nightingale was still clerk. New road districts were formed throughout the county in April, 1842-thirteen in all. In 1842 the board borrowed in small sums, from more than sixty per- sons, $1, 175 on which it agreed to pay interest. In June, 1842, William Carter furnished timber for the new county jail being erected. It would seem that the jail was built by private sub- scription. (See second June term of the board, 1842). Amos Matthews plastered the new court house, finishing in 1842. Two floors in the court house were paved with brick by Rogers & An- son. Small sums were borrowed to be used in building the jail. A tax of $I on each $100 was ordered levied in 1842; also a poll tax of $1. Samuel L. Clifton furnished rock for the new jail in 1842. Large numbers of Irish were coming to this county at this time. There were the O'Haires, the O'Sheas, the O'Donnells and O'Haras ; the O'Sullivans, O'Bleas, O'Flynns and O'Maras; the O'Briens, O'Rourkes, O'Glasses and O'Darrells; the O'Reagans, O'Kellys, O'Tooles and O'Farralls.
The territorial legislature of 1841-2 passed an act giving the county board authority to divide the county into townships as soon as they were of the opinion that a majority of the people desired it. Accordingly, on February 7, 1843, ten townships were created, as follows: Julien, Jefferson, Concord, Liberty, Iowa, Center, Cas- cade, Clinton, Washington and Mosalem. Julien township was bounded east by the Mississippi, Dubuque and the prolonged line between ranges 1 and 2 east; north by prolonged line between sec- tions 18 and 7, township 89 north ; west by the prolonged line be- tween sections 14 and 15, township 89 north, range I east; south by the prolonged line between sections 23 and 26, township 88 north, range I east. It embraced parts of the present Julien, Du- buque, Center, Vernon, Table Mound and Mosalem townships. Jefferson was bounded east by the Mississippi ; north by the Missis- sippi ; west by the prolonged line between sections 10 and II, town- ship 89 north, range I east ; south by the prolonged line between sections II and 14, township 89 north, range I east. It included all of the present Peru township and parts of the present Jefferson, Center and Dubuque townships. Concord township was bounded east by the prolonged line between sections 10 and II, township 89 north, range I east ; south by the prolonged line between sections 10 and 15, township 89 north, range I east ; west by the prolonged line between sections 8 and 9, township 89 north, range I west ; north by the county line and the river and the fifth meridian. This embraced parts of the present townships of Jefferson, Concord, Iowa and Center. Liberty was bounded north and west by the
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HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
county line, south by the prolonged line between sections 8 and 9. township 89 north, range I west, and east by Concord township. Iowa township was bounded north by Liberty, west by the county line, south by the prolonged line between sections 20 and 29, town- ship 88 north, range I west, and east by the prolonged line between sections 20 and 21, township 88 north, range I west. Center township was bounded east by Julien, north by Jefferson, west by Iowa, and south by the prolonged line between sections 21 and 28, township 88 north, range I west. Cascade township was bounded north by Iowa, west by the county line, south by the county line and east by the prolonged line between sections 28 and 29, township 88 north, range I west. Clinton township was bounded north by Center, west by Iowa, south by the county line and east by the pro- longed line between sections 26 and 27, township 88 north, range I east. Washington township was bounded north by Julien, west by Clinton, south by the county line and east by the prolonged line dividing ranges 1 and 2 east. Mosalem township was bounded east by the Mississippi, south by the county line, west by the line between ranges I and 2 east, and north by Julien or Dubuque city.
The county clerk notified the citizens of each of the above town- ships to assemble and organize.
During 1843, the county jail was built. It was constructed by the county board, the materials being secured under special con- tracts.
Solomon Asby was authorized in April, 1843, to keep a ferry across the Mississippi opposite Potosi, Wisconsin Territory. In 1843 the board viewed and built many roads in all parts of the county. The jail was finished in 1843. The sum of $5 was charged for use of the court room for all shows for profit. Hiram Welds was authorized to keep a ferry over the Mississippi two miles above Parson's ferry, Dubuque county, in 1844. Jonathan Higgins became county commissioner in 1843: Smith and Byerly were the others.
In 1843, Dr. John O'Brien was paid for holding an inquest on the body of Haw-Kaw-Kaw, a Winnebago Indian. This year George W. Cummins took to the penitentiary the Indian, Waw- kon-shon-ne-kaw, who had been convicted here for murder, on a change of venue. Ore of lead on 16th sections was worked on shares under the supervision of the county board.
In February, 1843, a road was ordered surveyed from Cascade to Olmstead's Mill, in Delaware county. The act of February 17, 1843, definitely fixed the boundaries of the counties which had been severed from Dubuque county. A proclamation of President Van Buren, May 4, 1840, ordered a land sale in the western and southern parts of the county ; this sale was postponed. In February, 1843, President Tyler ordered a sale of lands in this county.
The returns of the secretary of state showed a population of
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HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
4,059 for Dubuque county in June, 1844. About this time sub- stantial county bridges were constructed over the Catfish, Little Maquoketa and other streams. Jolin Barney, agent of the United States, was at work on the Dubuque harbor. By proclamation of October 8, 1844, President Tyler ordered township 87, range I west, (Cascade) thrown into market January 13, 1845; the sale was to be kept open for two weeks.
In 1844, the county commissioners of Dubuque county, Iowa Territory, memorialized Congress to grant to the city certain lands, as follows: "Two lots and a half of ground in the town of Du- buque, on the northwest corner of Seventeenth and Locust streets, upon which the public square was at one time laid off and a tempor- ary jail erected thereon ; that said parcel or parcels of land were in the year 1835 donated to the county of Dubuque by Peter A. Lorimier, Esq., the original claimant under the settlers' regulations ; but that the said public square has since been removed and more permanent public buildings erected elsewhere in said town. The petitioners now ask that as the county of Dubuque is the equitable claimant of said lots, and is the owner of the beforementioned temporary buildings erected thereon, a law may be passed giving our county a title to the same and authorizing the commissioners. as the constituted authority of the county, to make sale thereof." The senate committee found "that Congress, by its acts of July 2, 1836, and the supplement thereto, passed March 3, 1837, have di- rected that the quantity of 640 acres of land, embracing the town of Dubuque, be laid off into lots, streets, avenues, etc. ; that the lots be classed and preëmption rights granted to all such persons as had, by building or enclosure, improved said lots prior to July 2, 1836, and the residue exposed to public sale. The entire proceeds arising from the sale of these lots, as well from preemptions as at public sale, after deducting some incidental expenses, would be paid over to the trustees or other authorities of said town, to be expended by them in the improvement of streets, wharves, etc." The com- mittee reported in favor of a bill .- (See House Reports, No. 351, 28th Aug., Ist session, Vol. I.)
On January 1, 1845, the balance against the county was $10,- 410.73. The balance against the county on January 1, 1844, was $9,134.68, of which $5,273.66 was in notes given for court house purposes.
On January 1, 1845, there were outstanding $6,354.58 in county bonds. "The secretary of the treasury has been addressed by the commissioners requesting that the funds heretofore advanced by the county for the pay of jurors, witnesses, fuel, stationery, etc., for the District court during a period of five years, be refunded ; it amounts to near $3,000, and during the past year the department has decided that the pay of jurors, etc., as above are proper charges upon the
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United States."-(Statement of county commissioners, February 26, 1845. )
In the spring of 1845, the following mail routes were established : Dubuque to Bloomington via Garryowan, Lodge's Ford, and Thomas Mills; Dubuque to Ft. Atkinson via Ead's settlement and Moreland's colony ; Dubuque to Iowa City via Cascade and Marion in two-horse coaches; Dubuque to the county seats of Delaware and Buchanan counties.
The county commissioners, in 1846, were William Smith, Jon- athan Higgins and Michael W. Power. James R. Thompson was sheriff. In January, 1846, the board were asked to assist the city of Dubuque to build a hospital, but deferred action until they could learn whether the county sick persons would be admitted and upon what terms.
In 1846 the Fairfield Land District contained 10,396,160 acres and the Dubuque Land District 13,200,000 acres. An additional land district was created with office at Des Moines .- (House Re- ports, No. 677, 29th Cong. Ist session, Vol. III.)
For the fiscal year commencing February 22, 1847, and ending February 23, 1848, there was against the county at the beginning. $9,370.24; paupers cost $2,276.50; boarding the Indian, Kanoga, $137.25; court fees, $1, 199.08; wolf scalps, $23; boarding and keeping prisoners, $179.87; laying out roads, $116.98; total ex- penses, $8,040.75 which, added to the county debt, made a total of $17,419.99. The county debt increased during the year $2,603.31. The big expenses had been support of the poor and fitting up the court house. The poorhouse about to be built would reduce, it was estimated, the annual pauper expense. "The county commissioners assure their fellow citizens that not one dollar is allowed by them but what is unavoidably necessary and that they have left and will leave no means untried to extricate the county from debt. It is be- lieved that our financial affairs (taking into consideration the fact that our court house is built, and fitted up in a manner superior to any in the state) are in a better condition than those of any other county therein. Our county is rapidly filling up with an industrious population which necessarily will increase the amount of taxable property, increasing correspondingly the revenue, for many years to come ; little or no taxes have heretofore been derived from the as- sessment of lands, in consequence of the great portion of the same remaining unentered previous to March, 1847, owing to the claim of the Dubuque heirs ; this difficulty is now removed, the land in the county being at this time nearly, if not quite all, entered and subject to taxation."-(Michael W. Power. John G. Shields and Lyman Dillon, commissioners, February. 1848.)
In 1848, Mordecai Mobley was school fund commissioner. There were 11,060 acres in Dubuque county for public schools.
In July, 1848, John G. Shields, who was appointed agent of the
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HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
board to buy a poorhouse and lands for a farm, reported that he had bought such a farm of Joseph Evans and had paid him $417; had paid $175 for a land warrant, and the total cost was $594.50. The board called for proposals to build a poorhouse-a hewed log building of two rooms, fourteen feet square in the clear, with a large hall between them. Robert Flanagan leased the county farm in August, 1848. John Carson was the agent of the board to rent the farm.
On February 7, 1849, several petitions, numerously signed, re- quested the board to alter the boundaries of the townships and to set off each surveyed township of thirty-six sections as near as prac- ticable, with a separate township, whereupon the board, after due consideration, ordered the following townships to be created, the order to take effect April 1, 1849: Peru, townships 90 and 91, range 2 east : Julien, township 89 north, ranges 2 and 3 east ; Mos- alem, fractional township 88 north, ranges 3 and 4 east ; Washing- ton, township 87 north, range 2 east; Table Mound, township 88 north, range 2 east ; Jefferson, township 90 and fractional township 91 north, range I east; Center, township 89 north, range I east ; Mount Pisgah, township 88 north, range I east; Prairie Creek, township 87 north, range I east; Whitewater, township 87 north, range I west; Taylor, township 88 north, ranges I and 2 west ; Iowa, township 89 north, ranges I and 2 west; Concord, township 90 north, range I west; Liberty, township 90 north, range 2 west ; Cascade, township 87 north, range 2 west. New Wine and Dodge were not yet provided for. In the above named townships elections were ordered held for the necessary township officers.
Michael W. Power, John G. Shields and Lyman Dillon were county commissioners in 1847-8. The state census of 1847 gave Dubuque county a population of 7,440. In 1847 the proclamation of President Polk threw much land west of Dubuque into market. the sales to take place at the land office in Dubuque.
The county assessment for 1847 amounted to $972,010, and for 1848, $1,368,401.
In 1847 the county tax list was $5,437.44; in 1848, $7,712.16; in 1849, $8,260.10. Of these three amounts, by February 19, 1850, there was delinquent $5,836.56. The county assessment in 1847 was $972,010; in 1848, $1,368.401 ; number of polls in 1847, 1,151; 1848, 1,758.
Early in 1849 proposals for a poorhouse were called for and the following bids were received: Robert Flanagan, $650; Frederick Walters, $584: Ralph Reynolds, $488; the bid of Walters was ac- cepted ; he received $50 additional for extra work. Timothy Mason, William Gilliam and Edward Langworthy were the first directors of the poorhouse, appointed April, 1849. John H. Thedinga be- came county commissioner in 1849.
In 1849 the name of Pisgah township was changed to Vernon.
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HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
On January 11, 1850, Iowa township was divided and New Wine was formed out of the western half; elections were ordered held in New Wine at the house of Henry Schemmel. Taylor township was also divided and Dodge created out of the western half; elec- tions were ordered at the house of Peter Melinguer.
In March, 1849. the county commissioners, in their report, re- gretted that during 1848 they had been unable to reduce the county debt. The poor expense was large, but now would no doubt be less, as they had bought a poor farm on the northwest quarter of section 28, township 88 north, range 3 east, and the west half of the southwest quarter of section 21, same township and range, mak- ing in all 240 acres, with timber and water and enough fencing to enclose twenty to forty acres. The poorhouse was a double log cabin, each half fourteen feet square, with a hall eighteen feet wide between them; there was a cellar under one of the sections. Fred- erick Walters erected the building. The county formerly had many transients, but now the settlements were permanent, because in 1847 the mineral lands had been offered to the highest bidder and substantial settlers had come. The mineral lands could now be assessed by lot numbers. There was yet due the county from Cedar, Jackson and Clayton counties $1,072.32 as their proportion when stricken off of Dubuque. Suit had been instituted against these counties. In addition, Clayton county owed Dubuque county $1,589.45 for expenses incurred in trying the Indians charged with murder and brought here on a change of venue. Clayton county had refused for several years to pay these obligations. The county debt in 1849 was $12,647.35. This was regarded as a large sum at that time; five years later it would scarcely have been noticed. Among the items of county expense in 1847-8 were: Poor, $2,- 276.50; District court, $1,199.08: wolf scalps, $23; boarding the Indian, Ka-nah-gah, $137.25; court house repairs, $937.30; roads, $116.98; interest on county orders, $339.35. The wheat harvest of 1849 was the largest and best the county had ever enjoyed up to that date. Mexican war and other land warrants were on sale here, many of them $150 for 160 acres. The California gold ex- citement took away 150 settlers of the county in 1848-9. The county spent much to crush cholera in 1849.
In 1850, the official census gave Dubuque county 9,185 popula- tion. The commissioners built a fence around the court house. Farming, instead of mining, began to engross attention about 1848- 50. The county assessment in 1850 was $1,608.735: in 1849 it was $1,464,781. In 1850 there were four pianos in the county, Many new roads and post routes were established. The land sales in Dubuque county were : 1848. 68,856 acres ; 1849, 58,374 acres; 1850, 33,172 acres : 1851. 35,361 acres.
In August, 1851, according to law, the county commissioners, Lyman Dillon, J. H. Thedinga and Michael W. Power, turned
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over all their duties to William Y. Lovell, judge of the county court. The change was welcomed, because many believed the board had unnecessarily run the county into debt and were incom- petent, though both charges were unfounded and unjust. The board had been forced by the taxpayers to run the county on too small a revenue. The county debt on the face was $18,207.82, but there was $12,570.73 due the county.
In April, 1852, the people voted down the proposition to borrow $7,000 with which to erect a county jail ; a two mill tax was pro- posed. The settlement of the Dubuque claim in January, 1854, by the United States Supreme Court made every resident glad; all county lots were put on the market at once.
The urgent necessity for a new county jail was felt by 1852 Judge Lovell endeavored to induce the Dubuque council to assist the county to erect such a building, but did not succeed ; the total cost was estimated at $20,000. By August 1, 1852, Dubuque county had a population of 12,508 and fifty-six colored persons. In the fall of 1852 the Dubuque County Horticultural and Agricul- tural Society was organized and a fair was held late in 1853. W. Y. Lovell was president, H. S. Hetherington secretary, John Car- son treasurer, and a vice president was appointed in every township. An exhibit was made at the court house in July, 1853-informal but creditable. On September 8 and 9, 1853, the first real fair was held in the grove on Couler avenue near Major Langworthy's. There was quite a large exhibit and much interest was shown. Each of the two days 1,500 persons attended. Judge Dyer spoke the first day and Mr. Vandever the second. Jacob Smith took the first premium on spring wheat-421/2 bushels per acre. Six fine Durham bulls were exhibited. Hogs of the Byfield and Irish Gra- zier breeds were shown. The cows and sheep were medium. Mules, oxen and fat cattle were good. There was a fine display of Shanghai poultry. The exhibit of apples, pears, grapes and plums was excellent. But the fair of 1854 was a failure.
One of the first official acts of Judge Lovell was to ascertain the amount of the old debt and settle the same. Up to March 23, 1853, he found the debt to be $23,456.07. To meet this he caused to be issued $15,000 in ten year ten per cent bonds, which were sold in New York at par. Further investigation showed the county debt to be $28,094.08, much of which was interest that had ac- cumulated at a high rate for a dozen years or thereabouts. Of this sum $13,094.08 was refunded and the balance was paid from the proceeds of the $15,000 bond sale. To meet all this a four mill tax was levied. In November, 1853, the county assessment was an- nounced as $4,148,387 ; there were 2,462 polls. The land office at Dubuque was doing literally a "land office business," employing from ten to twenty clerks. From May 1, 1853, to November 15, 1853, $850,000 from the sale of lands was sent to the government
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HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
depository in St. Louis; Patrick Quigley took $308,000 on the steamer Lamartine at one time.
In September, 1855, a county fair was held at Centralia, but was not very successful. W. W. Hamilton was president. The state census of 1856 gave the county a population of 25,871 ; there were thirty-six paupers. The total assessment in 1856 was $14,190,445, a wonderful increase. At this time there were strong demands for a new jail, poorhouse and hospital-for county as well as city use. Stephen Hempstead was elected county judge in 1855. The ques- tion of raising means to make these improvements was submitted to the people and carried and bonds were accordingly sold. There were over 200 persons in the county assessed at over $10,000 each; the Langworthy brothers were assessed at over $500,000. In the spring of 1856 the children of school age in the county were 7,760, and the state apportionment was $4,746.55. The Lambert farm near Caledonia sold for $45 an acre-a notable occurrence.
The county assessment in 1855 was $8,203,665. The tax was: County, $34,331 ; state, $10,250; school, $4,099; road, $7,698, and enough more to make the total $56,384.32. This showed an enormous advance over the figures of only three and five years be- fore. County school affairs began to take shape and expand about this time.
There was general complaint by the citizens in November, 1855, that the roads of the county were in wretched condition and the road law inefficient and unheeded. Township supervisors were urged to improve matters.
"Considerable activity was created in the grain market yesterday among wheat speculators. The prices rose from $1.05 to $1.15 and $1.20 per bushel."-(E. & H., December 13, 1855.)
The county jail, built in 1857-8, was the best at that time in the northwest. It was located at Eighth and Clay streets in the rear of the court house. The stone was obtained from the bluffs op- posite Dubuque. It was begun about February 1, 1857. David Armstrong was contractor. The total cost of jail and grounds was about $45,000. The sheriff's dwelling formed the front and the prison proper, about 60x35 feet, was in the rear. It was four stories with tiers of cells rising above each other-thirty-two cells in all.
RECEIPTS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JULY 1, 1858.
Balance in treasury June 30, 1857 $ 38,313.00
Amount of county levy, 1857. 77,756.26
County bonds sold, less expenses 30,185.49
Sale of county poor farm .. 3,000.00
Fees from clerk's office 3,602.00
Fees from recorder's office . 2,678.90
Total
$155,535.65
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HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
EXPENSES.
Amount of county warrants receipted $ 63,321.67
Jail ... 28,826.55
Poor house 10,863.85
Total
$103,012.07
Among the items of county warrants were the following: Sal- aries, $6,245.30; District court, $8,961.85; poor, $6,784.45; jail, $3,255.14 ; interest, $6,452.34 ; poorhouse building, fences and im- provements, $14,777.82 ; jail building, $26,673.25. David Arm- strong was the contractor for the county jail at $36,011. The land at the county poor house consisted of twenty-two acres. The old poor house was located eight miles from Dubuque. The new one was near the city. A portion of the county bonds for the building of the jail and poor house were negotiated at par, but after the finan- cial crisis of 1857, $9,000 of the issue was sold for 70 cents on the dollar, the best that could be done.
Early in 1859, Michael O'Brien, county treasurer, was shown to be a defaulter to a large amount-$108,894 on the face of the records, and $37,277 by his own admissions ; he had been treasurer for seven years. He resigned, soon died, but his heirs made good the loss. W. W. Beebe owned the "Dubuque Nurseries;" he lec- tured over the west on "fruit trees" and other similar subjects. In 1859 the county assessment had fallen to $9,419,298. Efforts made in 1858 and 1859 to revive the county fair failed, owing mostly to the hard times.
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