USA > Iowa > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, Iowa : its people, industries and institutions, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families > Part 8
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COUNTY FINANCES.
Coming down to 1888 the only indebtedness carried by Harrison county was its bonds for sixteen thousand, five hundred dollars, which had been issued to make good the damages done by the great floods of 1885, which almost totally cut off the means of communication and transportation from farm to town and railroad station. The first bonds were in June, 1885, and the following year the balance were issued and floated on the markets. Not all of this was used for the bridge-building referred to, but a portion was wisely turned into the treasury to keep the county's credit good. They were payable not less than three years and were all to be paid within ten years -- hence called the "three-ten bonds." The interest paid was six per cent. In 1888 there was five thousand dollars on hand to pay on these bonds, leaving only eleven thousand five hundred dollars of a debt hanging over the county.
From the organization of the county up to the year 1866, says Smith's History, being the time when Captain George S. Bacon was sworn into office
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as treasurer, county warrams had been walloping around the streets, hedges and highways of the county, alternating in value, in proportion to the prox- imity of taxpaying time, and the amount of opposition to issning the same. It is well recollected that during all that time prior to this, the currency of the county was made by using county warrants, swamp land scrip and cotton- wood lumber. This afforded a fine chance for the men who had money to speculate, and not a few took advantage of the situation and probably made considerable money without much work. In 1866-67 county orders were kept at their par value, and on the incoming of another man. A. W. Ford, as county treasurer, they lapsed back to the old low-water mark of sixty cents on a dollar and continued at that price until the end of 1869. January 1. 1870. Captain Bacon again came into the office of treasurer, immediately after which the warrants went up to par and so remained until 1871, at which time the bottom fell out of the county coffers. there being no funds to redeem the same, but there chanced to be a few who had money here and elsewhere, who bought up such warrants and made much by the transaction. But in 1888 the county was able to pay her debts dollar for dollar
In 1854 William V. Cooper received the taxes, such as were paid in. and his brother, P. G. Cooper, was county clerk. At this time the county records were kept in a small log house in Magnolia, and while these two Coopers were supposed to be watching the interests of their sacred trust, and during the month of September, 1854, by some manner and means never to be known in this world, the building caught fire and resulted in the destruc- tion of the county records. cash, etc. It has been related that his honor. Judge Cooper, was full of "paddy's eyewater." and came near perishing in the flames. It was also claimed at the time that the money belonging to the county was mostly in gold and melted in the fire. Afterwards a mass of yellow metal was found in the ruins, but alas it proved to be only the frag- ments of some huge brass candlesticks brought from old Virginia by the Coopers. All the newly organized county could do was to rub out all old scores and commence keeping house all over.
CRACKING A CRIB.
Again, in 1858, Jolin W. Cooper was called upon to render an account of funds, some of which he had used for personal expenditures. This he had to make good to the county, under Judge Brainard, who was for years the watch-dog of the Harrison county treasury. No further irregularities worthy of mention in this connection, occurred in the finances of the county until
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the night of February 17, 18OS, when the county treasurer's office and the "safe" were "gutted." Strange to relate that this occurred at just the date when the safe contained the most cash it would have in its walls for that particular year-right after taxpaying time was well along. Whoever planned this job planned it with this fact in view. The county treasurer's safe then contained fourteen thousand dolars, as claimed by some, while others claim that the amount did not run in excess of eleven thousand dollars. The work of cracking the safe was done in a very awkward manner and with car- marks of amateurs. At nine o'clock in the morning of the following day it was sounded abroad that the safe had been robbed. It was not blown up. but simply pried apart by iron wedges and the money extracted by means of wires used to "fish" the same out through the slight opening made.
Public opinion seemed to center on one Michael Rogers, as the leader of a bad gang of men. He was indicted, but escaped before convicted. Thus. the case entitled "The State of lowa vs. Rogers," was dismissed from the minds of the Harrison county taxpayers. Neither the treasurer nor his bondsmen were ever called upon to make good the loss. It was looked upon as a public calamity.
The next defalcation in the county was that of County Treasurer I. P. Hill, who was elected in 1875 and in January, 1888, when he turned the office over to his successor, Lew Massie, it was found that he was short to the amount of between twenty and twenty-five thousand dollars. Hill was placed on trial for his impeachment by the county, through John Hnie and A. C. Gilchrist. Learned attorneys on both sides fought the case out and the jury found a verdict of "not guilty." There were fifteen articles of impeachment under which he was tried. The jury was made up as follows: William Elliott, A. Jewell. Thomas F. Vanderhoof, Henry Weed. N. B. Wadsworth, D. A. McDermott. G. W. Noyes, Jr., James Norman. J. A. Deal. John A. Reel. G. W. Smith and H. P. White.
The county Jost about twenty thousand dollars in this case. but all but about one thousand dollars was made good by the treasurer's bond-men and others interested in the case.
Later on the grand jury indicted him on a criminal charge, and he was tried, convicted. and served a term in the penitentiary, but not the full term for which he was sentenced. It nas always been believed by those best in- formed that others who had the use of the county's funds in his charge were more guilty, or at least as much so, as was Hill, who was made a scape-goat to shield them from the results of their wrongdoing. It was one of the had. as well as sad. cases on the pages of this county's history. Since those days
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the laws and rule have been so changed that county money is more evenly distributed among the various banks for safe keeping and the rate of in- terest, though small. is fixed by laws, and the treasurer does not have the temptations placed before him that obtained when Mr. Hill was county treasurer.
What the county did in Civil War days will be seen by reference to the military or war chapter of this book. After the close of the war all turned their attention to improving the wild lands of the county and building up the mimerous towns which sprang up after the building of the railroads. Bridges and roads had to be provided for. and this, with the provision for school houses, kept the various boards of supervisors quite busy from one session to another. The finances of the county went on fairly well for a number of years and taxes were not thought to be burdensome to the citizens of the county.
In 1906 the official bonds, which were required by the various county officers, were as follows: Treasurer --- $150,000, deputy. $10,000; auditor- $10,000; deputy. $5.000: clerk-$20,000; deputy. $10.000: sheriff -- $10.000; deputy. $5,000; recorder-Sooco. deputy. $2.500; school superintendent- $5.000; county attorney-$5.000; surveyor -- $2.500.
In 1912 the taxes in Harrison county were $18.000 more than in 1911 and larger than ever before. The grand total of all taxes was four hundred and three thousand. five hundred seventy-six dollars and seventy seven cents. The back debts, the drainage enterprises throughout the county, and road and bridge buildings, all came in for their full share. It should be said, in passing. that the county is beginning to reap the fruits of good government which started a number of years ago.
COUNTY SEAT CONTESTS.
Harrison, like most other counties in every state in the union, at one time or another. has had her experiences. her difficulties. her joys and sor- rows, over the question of what town in the county should have the advantage of being the seat of justice. Magnolia had it : several other places desired it, and Logan now has it. The history of these contests (outside the personal bitter feelings engendered at times ) may be understood by reading the fol- lowing few paragraphs, which, it is believed by the authors. covers the situa- tion withont bias.
In 1853, when Harrison county was organized. by act of the Legislature, the locating committee appointed by said .act, selected Magnolia as the spot
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best suited to the needs of the people of that day and had also in mind the needs of the county for the future, as best they were able to judge at that early date, which was far ahead of railroads and towns and prairie settle- ments. But as the country developed the conditions changed rapidly and parts of the large county, which at first did not appeal to these three locating commissioners, were not satisfied with the location of the county seat. At the time of locating the original seat of justice at Magnolia, Calhoun and the present site of Logan were both sharp competitors. For long years the notion prevailed at Calhoun that that place was more generally suited to the demands of the county than Magnolia, and this feeling was at times quite bitter. On the other hand, the people residing along and east of the Boyer river, always preferred that the county seat be at Magnolia rather than to have it removed to Calhoun. Hence, as a natural result, whenever Calhoun made an effort to have it removed, the east side of the county would at once rally their forces to have it retained at Magnolia.
Matters ran on in this way until the summer of 1864, right in the height of the Civil War, when the citizens of Calhoun presented to the board of county supervisors a petition, praying that the question whether Magnolia should still remain the county seat be submitted to the voters. To offset this move came a lengthy remonstrance "well-signed," asking the board to deny such petitioners and the prayer they had presented for the removal of the county seat. When the board made the final count of names on the petition and those on the remonstrance, it was found that Calhoun was defeated and the matter was allowed to rest six years longer.
ANOTHER COMPETITOR.
Again, when the town of Missouri Valley was six years old, its citizens thought it the most suitable location of any in the county for the county seat. Hence that entire year was spent in circulating petitions, which were strewn about the county like the leaves of autumn. These petitions asked to have the question submitted to the legal voters of the county at the follow- ing general election. When the issues were finally made up. the following questions were balloted upon with pro and con votes, as here indicated :
For removal to Missouri Valley
Against removal to Missouri Valley 935
Majority for retaining at Magnolia 56 (7)
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Three years more elapsed, when, at the April meeting of the board of supervisors, the citizens of Missouri Valley and vicinity presented a second petition, asking that the question be voted upon again. The Magnolia faction was not asleep to all these things and they had remonstrances galore to offset the numerous petitions offered. What is known in politics as "gum-shoe" or "still-hunt" campaigns were never resorted to in these Harrison county-seat fights, but everything was out open and above hoard-each going in to win on merit. In this case the result was:
Names on the petition 1,224
Names on the remonstrance 1,538
Majority against submission 314
LOGAN SELECTED.
But the matter was not settled yet, for the records show that in June of that year ( 1873) Missouri Valley submitted another petition with 931 names upon it, while Magnolia had a remonstrance with more than it had in April just previous, and showed 1,573 names attached to her papers.
Still, a little later, the contest became a three-cornered affair, in which Logan, then the new railroad town on the Boyer river, entered the ring, and that to finally win the county seat prize. This was the first time that Mag- nolia and Missouri Valley had joined their forces. By this combination Logan was beaten, as the other two towns had 1.405 names on their papers.
Peace then reigned for two years-Magnolia still holding the county seat, but the fires of selfishness and personal greed were still in existence and soon were re-kindled into another bitter contest. In 1875 Logan, which town had grown and had become quite popular in many ways throughout the county, now held the balance of power, and her wide-awake citizens had the forethought and shrewdness to spring the question at just the best possible time to insure success. In this contest the towns of . Magnolia and Missouri Valley tried to outdo Logan. The question was settled at the polls, where there was found to have been 2,569 votes cast.
For relocation at Logan 1,269
Against relocation at Logan 1,267
Majority for Logan 2
Out of this grew an illegal election contest set up by the people of Mag-
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nolia, which, however, never materialized, for the reason that some few of the then prominent men of Magnolia considered the removal to Logan benefi- cial and. without any regular court order. the case was dropped. unbe- known to the majority of the good citizens of the old county seat. The county records and effects at Magnolia were all moved over to Logan, to the great astonishment of many in Magnolia, who believed they had been sold out by their supposed friends. No one can tell what the result of the con- tested election case would have been. There might have been as many illegal votes on the one side as on the other. However, this located the scat of justice at Logan and a court house was built there in 1876.
Ten years more rolled around before another attempt to change the county seat was sprung upon the voters of Harrison county. This was in 1886, when Missouri Valley again presented a petition and was again offset by remonstrances. The records showed that there were 5.600 voters in the county at that date. but a wag is the authority for saying that all the voters between the Black Hills and Dunlap were used on this occasion! The people of Logan were also alive to all this, and, as a matter of fact, considerable "padding" might have been done in the furtherance of her cause. The ques- tion, however, never came before the people at an election, as the required majority of names could not be secured.
Another year went by and the county supervisors were petitioned to submit the question of re-locating at Magnolia to the voters at the general election of 1887, which was carried out with the following result :
Whole number of votes cast -3,920
Against relocation at Magnolia 1,481
Majority against Magnolia 959
The last struggle over the location of the county seat was at its height in 1891, when the matter was taken before the supreme court for a decision regarding the validity of a petition and remonstrance between Logan and Missouri Valley. This was decided in favor of Logan.
HISTORY OF THE COURT HOUSE.
Harrison county was organized in 1853, and in 1854, from funds derived from the sale of town lots in Magnolia. the erection of a court house was commenced. It was a small frame structure, but plenty large enough for the time in which it was built. It was two stories high and cut up into the usual
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offices. A fair illustration of it is found in this volume, the same being a reproduction from an oil painting made by the brush of a local artist. Mr. Hoyer, of Missouri Valley. It served well the purpose for which it was erected, and many an exciting scene was enacted within its walls, both dar- ing and after the Civil War days. Here mass meetings were held, public speakers and judges of the district court all hell sway and greatly edified the people who used to congregate there. However, after twenty years, about 1873, it was condemned by the authorities as being unsafe as a place for keeping public records, and the county supervisors ordered a small office building constructed for the better keeping of the records and the accom- modation of the county officials. That served the county until the county seat was removed to Logan in 1876. The last-named building was sold to the Methodist Episcopal church at Magnolia. Its original cost was five thou- sand dollars.
FIRST COURT HOUSE AT LOGAN.
At Logan the first court house was erected in 1876, in the center of a full block of land donated by the city. It was a brick structure fifty-five by seventy feet, and two stories high. The first floor was divided into six offices-auditors, treasurers, clerks, recorders, sheriffs and school superin- tendents. All but the last named were provided with good, fire-proof safes. Fire-proof vaults were built for the offices of treasurer, recorder and clerk. The second floor of the building was used for a court room and jury rooms. The court room was forty-eight feet square and twenty feet high, in the clear. It was erected in 1876 by Contractors Yeisley & Stowell, from an appropria- tion of five thousand dollars made by the board of supervisors, and added to this was the nine thousand dollars donated by the people of Logan, the total cost being fourteen thousand dollars. The ground on which it was erected was valued at two thousand dollars more. For a time this building sufficed for the needs of the county, but even as early as 1890 it was seen that more room must soon be provided for the transaction of the business of Harrison county.
Unfortunately, the various sections of the county pulled and hauled over the matter of location, Missouri Valley, Magnolia and Dunlap all looking with suspicious eyes on Logan, that had been the seat of justice for more than a dozen years. Hence, whenever the supervisors wanted to have a vote for court house tax taken, one section or all would oppose it, hoping by de- ferring it that at a later date their part of the county might be strong enough to vote the county seat away from Logan. Several votes were taken but none were decisive for bonding or taxing for a new building. Matters ran
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HARRISON COUNTY'S FIRST COURT HOUSE, MAGNOLLA.
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on with the county records in danger of being injured and lost in the old building until in January, 1905, when the grand jury, backed by all three district court judges, referred the matter to the supervisors again, and it was then that an architect was secured in Omaha to estimate the cost of repairing the old, or building a new court house. The estimated cost of suitable repairs and additions to the old structure were about fourteen thousand six hundred and fifty dollars, and six times as much would build a new and modern building. The names of the grand jurors who condemned the buildings were Charles Gramkow, Persia : C. L. Harder, La Grange township; Lewis Erick- son, Raglan: J. M. Kenney, Jefferson : W. J. Peckenpaugh. Cass : Jonathan Iloleton. Boyer: A. L. King, Morgan: E. Dougal, Douglas: J. O. Silsby. Allen township.
Perhaps no other county in Iowa's ninety-nine. can say what Harrison county can about court house levies. Up to the date of the present building there had not been a tax levy for court house purposes made on the property of the county. One half a century and no tax receipt ever contained the words "court house tax" upon its face or back. First, the United States government gave the land to the newly organized county in 1853. on which to place the pioneer court house. The town of Magnolia platted lots, sold them and with part of the money built a court house, while a part went to- wards putting funds into the treasury to run the county. In 1873, nineteen years after erecting the first building, it was found insufficient for safety of the public records. That court house was condemned in 1873 and the board set apart five thousand dollars for a new one out of the general fund of the county. With this the first brick court house was erected in Magnolia, the same later being converted into a Methodist church. The vote of the people having moved the seat of justice to Logan, in 1876, the first court house was erected in that place. The board of supervisors appropriated the legal five thousand dollars and the city of Logan the balance needed.
This building served well its purpose until. through age. it became use- less, as above stated, and was condemned by the courts and grand jury.
SPECIAL ELECTION FOR NEW COURT HOUSE.
Notice is hereby given that the board of supervisors of Harrison county. lowa, have called a special election to be held on Monday, the 27th day of May. A. D. 1905, at which special election will be submitted to the electors of Harrison county the following question : "Shall the county of Harrison
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bond itself in the sum of $85.000 for the purpose of erecting a new court house, complete, including fixtures."
At said election the polls will be open and remain open as provided by law.
Joux S. HALL, M. MURRAY. A. B. HOSBROOK. Members of the Board of Supervisors.
Attest :
G. W. ArkINs, Auditor.
The election was heldl and the measure failed to carry. The matter then rested until June, Igo8, when the board ordered another election, to vote on a one hundred thousand dollar court house proposition. The grand jury . again condemned the old court house in January, 1909. Finally, the taxpay- ers of the county came to understand that something must be done, and that quickly. The following appeared in the Observer. as early as January, 1905 : "The auditor was instructed by a resolution of the board to remove enough of the old records from the vaults in the office to the wooden building in the back yard. which is a light frame structure, surrounded on three sides by wood for the offices. A little fire would play havoc with the Harrison county records. It is about time our land owners should wake up to the necessity of providing vault-room sufficient to make the records safe. The action of the board has been forced upon them: the members saw for themselves the crowded condition, making the work in the anditor's office tedious, ex- pensive and annoying."
Finally, the county voted and sokl bonds to the amount of one hundred and one thousand dollars. The old court house was sold for seven hundred five dollars and fifty-eight cents. The present building was erected in 1910. The contract called for its completion by September, 1911, and the price was was eighty-nine thousand two hundred and eighty-one dollars, aside from the furnishings, which made the total outlay a little over one hundred thou- sand dollars. The corner-stone was laid October 5. 1910, with impressive ceremonies. attended by over three thousand people. The meeting was called to order by C. A .- Bolter and invocation was made by Eller Charles Derry. Auditor G. W. Atkins made the deposits in the "box" in the stone, which was laid by Supervisor Jonathan Holeton. The oration was by Scott M. Ladd, of the supreme court. The corner stone has upon its faces the follow- ing inscription : "Erected 1910-J. E. Mills, Detroit, architect : T. Prothero.
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Logan, local superintendent : W. J. McAlpine, Dixon, Illinois, comractor : J. Iloleton (chairman ), T. Chatbarn and F. Zaner, supervisors."
The building is one hundred feet and five inches by seventy-one feet and ten inches. It stands seventy-seven feet high from the grade of the street to the top of the dome. The exterior of the building is of stone. The steps. platforms, doors, etc., are of No. I blue Bedford stone and the walls are of No. 1 buff Bedford stone, of an even color.
In the construction of this court house there was used twenty-seven car- loads of stone : six hundred and seventy-two thousand brick : fourteen cars of cement : eighty cars of sand; thirteen of crushed stone: three of cinders: four of iron ; three of plaster ; one of re-enforcing ; one of slate : one hundred and forty windows; seventy-eight hundred pounds of glass; forty doors; twelve hundred yards of plastering ; one car of marble : three hundred electric lights: fifteen posts or pillars of iron; ten thousand four hundred and eighty pounds of sash weights.
This temple of justice was dedicated November 3, 1911, Judge Thor- nell being the orator of the day. Its total cost was one hundred three thousand two hundred five dollars and fifteen cents.
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