USA > Iowa > Humboldt County > History of Kossuth and Humbolt counties, Iowa : together with sketches of their cities, villages, and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 33
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HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY.
CHAPTER III.
COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
As has been already mentioned, the territory now comprising the county of Kossuth, was attached, with the north half of Humboldt, to Webster county, but in 1855 an organization was effected, and at the August election of that year, (for prior to 1859 the general election was held in August,) the necessary officers were elected, and Kossuth county entered upon a separate existence. These first officers were : Asa C. Call, county judge ; Robert Cogley, clerk of the court ; J. W. Moore, treasurer and recorder, and Lewis H. Smith, surveyor.
The records of this election have per- ished in the lapse of years, and no account exists that preserves in official form the number of votes polled. At the next election, however, which occurred upon the 7th of April, 1856, George W. Hand received forty-two votes, all that were polled, for the office of school fund com- missioner ; Eber Stone, thirty-seven for the office of prosecuting attorney, and Francis Brown thirty-seven for that of coroner.
In these early days the mode of govern- ment of the county differcd widely from what it is at the present. The executive powers were vested in what was called the "county court," which had the same jurisdiction and powers as are now held
by the county board of supervisors, the county auditor, the judge of the circuit court, especially those matters that relate to the probating of wills, etc., and of mar- riage licenses. This court consisted of the judge, sheriff and clerk, but in the former resided all authority, and when the two latter acted at all, it was simply as assist- ants. As may be scen by this, the posi- tion of county judge was of primal im- portance.
The first entry upon the minute book of the county judge bears date of March 1, 1856, and is as follows :
"Ordered by the county court of Kos- suth county, this day, That swine and sheep shall not be permitted to run at large, within said county, after the Ist of June, A. D. 1856, and any such animals found so running at large after that date, may be taken up as trespassing animals. The above regulation will be submitted to the voters of Kossuth county at the en- suing April election. Those in favor of the law to write on their ballot, 'For the hog law.' Those opposed, will write, 'Against the hog law.'"
The record then says that there were twenty-six votes in favor of, and eleven against the above proposed law.
At this same term of court the county of Kossuth was divided into townships
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as follows : All that part of the county lying south of the north line of congres- sional township 93, be denominated Hum- boldt township. (This is now part of the county of the same name.) And all that part of the county lying north of the same line to be called Algona township.
At the March term of the county court, 1857, the county was re-divided into town- ships. At this time, that part of the county, now a part of Humboldt, was sep- arated from this, and the remaining ter- ritory was divided as follows : A town- ship with the following boundaries was formed, "beginning at the quarter post on the east line of section 7, township 95 north, of range 27 west, of the 5th prin- cipal meridian, and running from thence due west along the center of sections 13, 14, etc., to the middle of the channel of the east fork of the Des Moines river, and thence down the middle of said channel to the south line of township 94, and thence east along said line to the east line of the county, and thence along said county line to the place of beginning." This town- ship was christened Irvington.
"All that part of the county lying north of a line beginning at the quarter post on the east line of section 13, township 95, range 27 west, and running due west to the quarter post on the west side of sec- tion 18, township 95, range 30," was set off into a civil township, and the name Al- gona given to it.
The third township was called Cresco, and comprised all that part of the county lying west of the middle of the channel of the east fork of the Des Moines river, and south of the south line of Algona township.
On the 15th of October, 1857, the county court made the first levy of taxes, which is recorded to be as follows : County fund, six mills on a dollar ; State fund, three mills ; school, one and one-half mills; road, one and one-half mills ; poll tax, fifty cents; road poll, 82.
But little of any general interest oc- curs in these earlier records, as most of the time of the court was taken up in auditing and paying the bills against the county, and other routine business.
At the October term of the county court held in 1858, the first naturalization papers were issued to the foreign borni residents of Kossuth county. The first man to take the necessary oath, and re- ceive his papers, was John Hutchinson, a native of Ireland, and a subject of the Queen of England. The date of the record of this event is October 7. That and the following days of the same term, papers of an equivalent nature were issued to August Zahlten, a native of Prussia; James Roan, of Scotland; Barnet Devine, James H. Thompson, Michael Fox and Joseph Thompson, natives of the Emerald Isle; George Frederick Schaad and Chris- tian Hackman, from Besse Darmstadt; and Michael Schmidt, a Hollander. All these are now remembered as among the "old settlers," and the day of their en- franchisement should be remembered as a bright era of their lives.
On the Ist of January, 1861, a change took place in the mode of government of the county, in accordance with the laws of the 8th General Assembly. The coun- ty judge, by that act, became of secondary consideration, and the board of county supervisors, consisting at that time of one
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member from each township, was created, and to which was delegated nearly all of the powers and functions of the county judge. The latter only retained jurisdic- tion in probate, and some other minor matters. The first board of supervisors of Kossuth county met at the office of the county judge, in Algona, on the 7th day of January, 1861. The following gentle- men presented themselves as the choice of their respective townships for the office of supervisor, and presented their creden- tials: Ambrose A. Call, Algona; M. C. Lathrop, Cresco, and J. R. Armstrong, Irvington.
After having qualified they took their seats and proceeded to perfect their or- ganization by the election of a chairman, and on a ballot being taken the choice fell upon Ambrose A. Call, who was conducted to the chair.
The first business brought before the new board was the settling of the amount of the bond to be given by the clerk of the board, which was placed at $500. The members then drew lots to determine the length of the term for which each should hold his seat; M. C. Lathrop drew the ballot entitling him to his place for the "long term," or two years.
There being no court house nor county offices, the board rented the office of L. H. Smith for use of the clerk of the board, and at the same time anthorized the treasurer and recorder and probate judge to rent another office. Much of the regular routine business came up before this board in the way of paying claims and locating of roads, but nothing seems to have occurred of any historical impor- tance or of general interest, although a
great deal of necessary business was trans- acted by the honorable board.
The new board for the year 1862 met on the 6th of January, and consisted of the following gentlemen: Ambrose A. Call, Algona; J. R. Armstrong, Irving- ton, and Abiathar Hull, Cresco. Mr. Arm- strong was chosen chairman for the ensu- ing year.
At the February session this board en- tered into a contract with Asa C. Call, a resident of the county, by which he agreed to act as the agent of Kossuth county in procuring for the said county the swamp and overflowed lands to which the said county was entitled, under certain acts of Congress and of the General As- sembly of the State of Iowa. By this contract Mr. Call was made the duly ac- credited agent for the whole negotiation of the matter, and was to receive as com- pensation for his services one-fourth of all such lands recovered to the county.
At the May term a resolution was passed to submit to the legal voters of the county an important question, as follows:
"The undersigned makes to the county of Kossuth the following proposition, to wit: If the said county will give to the undersigned as a bonus 8,000 acres of the swamp lands of an average quality in said county, the undersigned will build within one mile of Algona, in said county, a grist-mill, to be propelled by water; which mill shall be built in a substantial manner, and shall have two run of buhrs, and all the fixtures necessary to make good flour. And the undersigned further agrees, if said county shall accept this proposition, to enter into an 'obligation, with good and ample security to said
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county, that said mill shall be in opera- tion within twelve months, and that it shall be run at the place designated for five years, and that the rate of toll to be taken at said mill shall not exceed one- seventh. [Signed] SAMUEL REED. ABIATHER HULL."
But owing to the withdrawal of Mr. Reed's name from the proposition, the board decided to annul the whole pro- ceeding, and, on the 9th day of June, did revoke the order for the special election, and the scheme died into obscurity.
The county having made other use of the lands, Asa Call could not comply with the terms of the contract made by him, so did not procure the necessary patents endowing the county with the so-called swamp lands, but as the matter was other- wise settled the claim was made good and he was settled with by a committee, con- sisting of Lewis H. Smith and W. H. Ingham, appointed for that purpose. At the general election of 1862, a majority of the qualified electors of the county, voted in favor of the county entering into a contract with the American Emigration Company, whereby they turned all these swamp lands over to that corporation, in lieu of improvements that they would make and the aid it would give to emi- gration to this section of the State and various minor considerations. All deeds to be given by the company, to enclose a clause, binding the purchaser to make a bona fide settlement thereon within a limited period, which should be stipulated in the conveyance.
The new board for 1863 met, for their first session, on the 5th of January, and consisted of the following gentlemen, who
were all present and took their seats: Ambrose A. Call, Algona; J. R. Arm- strong, Irvington, and Benjamin Clark, Cresco. They immediately proceeded to effect an organization by electing Am- brose Call chairman for the ensuing year. A great mass of business was transacted during the year but none of it of general interest at this time except the various resolutions in favor of bounties to volun- teers, which may be found at length in the chapter devoted to "The War for the Union."
The board of supervisors for the year 1864 met, on the 4th of January, and the following gentlemen appeared and an- swered to their names: Addison Fisher, Irvington township; D. W. King, Algona township; Benjamin Clark, Cresco town- ship.
After being duly sworn and inducted into office, Benjamin Clark was elected chairman for the year, and the organiza- tion was completed. A resolution was then introduced and adopted empowering the clerk to procure a plan and specifica- tions for building a court house, and sub- mit the same to the board at their next meeting. Nothing seems to have grown ont of this at the time, but the seed thus early planted bore rich fruit in the full- ness of days, as a glance at the beautiful edifice of the county will prove.
On the 3d of Jannary, 1865, the new board met in regular session, and after taking the usual oath of office, the fol- lowing members took their seats: Addi- son Fisher, Irvington; D. W. King, Al- gona; and C. Hackman, Cresco. After electing Mr. Fisher as chairman for the
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year, they proceeded to the transaction of the usual routine business.
The board of supervisors for the year 1866 was made up of the same members as the previous year. After the usual formalities, Mr. Fisher was again elected chairman. But little business was trans- acted by this board, except the usual rou- tine of auditing claims and road and bridge matters. However, during their administration, a contract was let to Samuel Reed to build a structure for the use of the county as a court house, which he erected in compliance with the terms of the contract, for the sum of $775. Upon the 15th of October, this same year, the following resolution was adopted by the board:
Resolved, That, as the American Emi- grant Company have passed a resolution donating the sum of $5,000 to this county for school house purposes, that said sum of money, when received, shall be used for the erection of a seminary in the town of Algona, and for no other purpose. This seminary to be under the control of the board of supervisors, and to be con- sidered a county building.
The board of supervisors for the admin- istration of the business of the county, for the year 1867, met on the 7th of Jan- uary, and consisted of the following mem- bers: Addison Fisher, Irvington; D. W. King, Algona; and Benjamin Clarke, Cresco.
After a proper qualification, the board proceeded to organize by the election of Addison Fisher as chairman for the year, and proceeded to the auditing of claims and locating of county roads.
The board in 1868 was made up of Addison Fisher, Irvington; Benjamin Clarke, Cresco; and Abram IIill, Algona.
Immediately after meeting, on the 6th of January, the new members were duly qualified and taking their places, organ- ized for the year by the election of Addi- son Fisher as chairman. One of the first measures adopted was a resolution an- thorizing the board of supervisors to act as a committee of the whole in selecting a site and purchasing land for a poor farm for the use of the county.
The board, for the year 1869, met for the first time on the 4th of January, of that year, and the following gentlemen appeared and were duly qualified: Addi- son Fisher, Irvington; Abram Hill, Al- gona; G. W. Olmsted, Cresco.
Mr. Fisher was re-elected to fill the chair, and the board proceeded to assume the reins of government. Lewis H. Smith, late county judge and ex-officio county anditor, having handed in his resignation, the board appointed Marcus Robbins to fill the vacancy. It was also
Resolved, That the territory embraced in the following congressional town- ships, to-wit: Townships 98, 99 and 100 in range 29 west, of the fifth principal meridian, and townships 98, 99 and 100, in range 30 west, of the same meridian be formed into a new township called Green- wood, and that its boundaries shall be as above described. Also, at the October session, that portion of Kossuth county embraced in townships 96, 97, 98, 99 and 100, range 28, were formed into a new civil township under the name of Port- land. That portion of the county em. braced in congressional townships 96 and
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97, ranges 29 and 30, was formed into a new township to be known as Darien. This latter township, however, never was organized under this name, as it did not seem to meet the views of all concerned.
Jan. 3, 1870, was the day upon which met the new board of supervisors of the county. The following gentlemen pre- sented themselves, and after the usual formalities, took their seats: Daniel Rice, Algona; Albe Fife, Irvington; L. K. Garfield, Greenwood; and O. F. Hale, Cresco.
After organizing by the election of Daniel Rice as chairman, the board pro- ceeded to the transaction of business. At the July session of this board the action taken in the creation of Darien township was rescinded, in answer to the petition of seventy-six of the legal voters thereof.
The following year, 1871, Daniel Rice, D. H. Hutchins and Charles C. Chubb, constituted the board of supervisors, and after taking the usual oath and seating themselves, elected Mr. Rice chairman. This was at their first meeting, on the 2d of January. At the April session the county auditor was authorized, by resolu- tion of the board, to purchase fifty cords of building stone for the building of the basement of the new court house to be erected. About this time the north part of the county was organized into a sep- arate county and called Crocker county, but as it was contrary to law it was after- wards abandoned. But at the time, in April, 1871, a pretended board of super- visors, to quote the records of Kossuth county, made a demand that this county cease to assess, levy and collect taxes within their territory, but the government
of Kossuth county paid no attention whatsoever, except to say that when they were satisfied that there was such a county as Crocker, with a de facto govern- ment, then they would listen to the re- monstrance. In June the honorable board passed a resolution, submitting to the qualified voters of the county the proposition that the bonds of the county be issued in the sum of $25,000, npon which to borrow money to build a court house. These bonds were to bear an in- terest of ten per cent., payable annually, and the principal to be paid in install- ments of $3,000 each year, beginning with that of 1874. Also that a tax of five per cent. should be levied as a special tax upon the assessed property of the county to meet these bonds as they ma- tured. On the 5th of September, being then in session, the board appointed D. H. Hutchins and J. E. Blackford a com- mittee to draft plans and specifications for a county poor house, and to advertise for proposals to build the same.
The board of supervisors, for the year 1872, met for the first time at the court house in Algona, January 6, and consisted of Daniel Rice, who had been re-elected, D. II. Hutchins and C. C. Chubb. Mr. Rice was elected the presiding officer, after qualification.
In 1873 the board consisted of D. Rice, D. HI. Hutchins and R. I. Brayton, the latter the newly elected member, who, after being duly sworn, took his seat with his colleagues. Mr. Brayton was then called to the chair, temporarily, Mr. Hutchins, the third member, being absent at the time, and the board being organ- ized proceeded to the transaction of the
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business before them, which consisted mostly of locating roads, hearing petitions and paying claims against the county. At a later session Mr. Hutchins being present, was made chairman of the board for the ensuing year. The usual business coming up for settlement, the board proceeded to its consideration. At the June session the auditor was in- structed to sell the old court house to the highest bidder, and have it removed from its present site.
The board for the year 1874 met upon the 5th of Jannary, and consisted of the following gentlemen: D. Rice, R. I. Brayton, H.F. Watson, Leonard Ayers and M. Taylor. After having entered upon the duties of their positions by subscrib- ing to the usual formula, they completed their organization by the election of Mr. Rice as chairman for the concurrent year.
The board of supervisors for the year 1875 was composed as follows: HI. F. Watson, R. I. Brayton, M. Taylor, D. Rice and L. Ayers. Mr. Taylor was elected chairman.
The members of the board for the suc- ceeding years were as follows:
1876 .- II. F. Watson, chairman; M. Taylor, D. Rice, R. I. Brayton and Philip Dorweiler.
1877 .- D. Rice, chairman; R. I. Bray- ton, Philip Dorweiler, M. L. Bush and H. Schenck.
1878 .- R. I. Brayton, chairman; Philip Dorweiler, H. Schenck, M. L. Bush and E. S. Streater.
1879 .- Philip Dorweiler, chairman; M. L. Bush, H. Schenck, E. S. Streater and A. Rutherford.
1880 .- E. S. Streater, chairman; Philip Dorweiler, A. Rutherford, C. D. Pettibone and Isaac Sweigard.
1881 .- C. D. Pettibone, chairman; I. Sweigard, A. Rutherford, Philip Dorweiler and J. D. McDonald.
1882 .- C. D. Pettibone, chairman; J. D. McDonald, H. B. Butler, J. B. John- son and I. Sweigard.
1883 .- H. B. Butler, chairman; J. D. McDonald, J. B. Johnson, Norman Collar and George Boyle.
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CHAPTER IV.
OFFICIAL MATTERS.
Grouped together in this chapter will be found the various matters gathered from the county records and other sources, and that fill no special place in history, but which left untold would mar the com- pleteness of the annals.
POPULATION.
In 1856, the first year that this county was mentioned in the census returns of the State, there were some 377 inhabitants credited to the whole county, as then con- stituted. In 1860, with a less area, the population was 416. The number of in- habitants for the succeeding years are herewith presented, as compiled from the State census returns:
1863.
365|1870 .3, 351
1865. 694 1873. .4, 252
:867
1, 573 1875. .3,765 1869 1,949|
By the census of 1880, the population was shown to be 6,178, of which 3,238 were males and 2,940 were females. A large portion of the settlers of the county are American born, those of that nativity numbering 4,883, where the foreign ele- ment only foots up 1,295.
MARRIAGE RECORD.
Licenses have always been required in the State of Iowa before the nuptial knot could be tied, and the clerk of the court has always been the custodian of the books and has authority to issue the said
permits, under certain restrictions. These records therefore have proved an invalu- able source from which to draw the ma- jority of the facts found here.
The first license on the record books of Kossuth county was issued by Judge Call, under date of April 22, 1857, and author- ized the proper person to unite in the bonds of matrimony, William Moore and Sarah Wright. The ceremony was per- formed the same day, apparently, by George D. Wheeler, a justice of the peace. This was the first marriage within the limits of Kossuth county.
The second license was issued on July 21, 1857, by Judge Call, to Hurlbut W. Lake and Rachel W. Eggers. This couple were married the same day by "his honor the judge."
Licenses were issued the sante year to the following parties: Charles I. Harvey and Minerva Wright, October 15. They were married by Judge Lewis H. Smith, the same day
Thomas J. Foster and Jane Lane, Octo- ber 15, who were also united in mar- riage by the county judge.
Lewis H. Smith and Abbie M. Rist, October 24. This couple were united In- der the sanction of the Church, in the per- son of Rev. Chauncey Taylor, and was the
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first rite matrimonial to be so solemnized by a clergyman in the county.
Theodore J. Smith and Roxa Fleming, November 10.
Roderick M. Bessie and Mary E. Lane, November 20.
William D. Eaton and Nancy II. Kel- logg, December 20. The last three couples were all married on the day of the issuance of the licenses by the Rev. Chauncey Taylor.
This comprises all the marriages for that year, nor did the number increase very materially the next year. In 1858 there were the following candidates for matrimonial honors:
August Zahlten and Mary Reibhoff, January 6. Married, the same day, by Lewis H. Smith, county judge.
Amos Otis, Jr., and Almira E. Heck- art, March 24. Married the following day by J. E. Blackford, justice of the peace.
William A. Wilson and Chloe S. Law- rence, May 16. Married, the same day, by Rev. D. S. McComb, a Presbyterian cler- gyman.
James E. Hall and Susan Hall, July 1. Married at the same time by Judge Smith.
George M. Wiltfong and Martha A. Clarke July 17. Married the same day by W. B. Moore, a justice of the peace.
Sylvester S. Rist and Mary Ann Millen, Angust 31. Married by L. II. Smith, the county judge.
Marcena Harriet and Caroline Latti- more, September 14; also united the same day, by Judge Smith.
Swan Linqnest and Hannah Peterson, Jan. 15, 1859. Married the same date by L. I .. Treat, justice of the peace.
J. R. Armstrong and Jane Fife, Jan. 27, 1859. Married by Rev. O. A. Holmes. G. W. Mann and Lanra M. Bellows, Aug. 25, 1859. Married by Rev. C. Taylor. J. E. Stacy and Harriet E. Taylor, April 12, 1860. United in wedlock by the Reverend father of the bride, Cham- cey Taylor.
George P. Steele and Mary S. Clark, April 12, 1860. Married by Rev. C. Taylor. Oscar Stevens and Jane Magoon, May 28, 1860.
Christian Hackman and Elizabeth Clark, May 24 1860.
Andrew L. Seeley and Alice Benscho- ter, May 30, 1861.
Richard Colburn and Elmira Heckart, May 7, 1861.
Elias N. Weaver and Polly Benschoter, Dec. 18, 1861.
But this is sufficient. Many of the names will be recognized as those of early settlers, and of the parties who have been most prominently identified with the prog- ress and development of Kossuth county.
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