USA > Iowa > Louisa County > History of Louisa County, Iowa, from its earliest settlement to 1912, Volume I > Part 17
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1862-64-James S. Hurley, Ninth, Ninth Extra and Tenth. 1864-68-James M. Robertson, Eleventh and Twelfth. 1870-72-James S. Hurley, Thirteenth and Fourteenth.
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
1874-Joseph D. Miles, Fifteenth.
1876-78-William Wilson, Sixteenth and Seventeenth.
1880-82-John W. Prizer, Eighteenth and Nineteenth.
1884-86-Francis A. Duncan, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Twentieth and Twenty- first.
1888-S. T. Chesebro, Twenty-second.
1890-92-John M. Gobble, Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth.
1894-96-C. A. Carpenter, Twenty-fifth, Twenty-sixth and Twenty-sixth Extra.
1898-1900-George M. Titus, Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth.
1902-04-06-F. M. Molsberry, Twenty-ninth, Thirtieth and Thirty-first.
1907-09-Jay I. Nichols, Thirty-second, Thirty-second Extra and Thirty- third.
1911-Alexander M. Garrett. Thirty-fourth.
The following senators of the above list resided in Washington county : Sen- ators Everson, Miles, Wilson and Prizer. The following resided in Muscatine county: Senators Chesebro, Gobble, Titus and Nichols. Those interested in the matter can find when the various senatorial districts were changed by refer- ence to the table in the appendix, showing the various charters, laws, etc.
MEMBERS OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Wright Williams, First, First Extra and Second.
Andrew Gamble, Third.
John Cleaves, Fourth.
Micajah Reeder, Fourth.
John C. Lockwood, Fifth.
Lewis Kinsey, Fifth Extra.
N. W. Burris, Sixth.
Andrew J. Kirkpatrick, Sixth.
Royal Prentiss, Seventh.
D. N. Sprague, Seventh.
John H. Williamson. Eighth and Eighth Extra.
John Cleaves, Ninth and Ninth Extra.
Enoch Potter. Tenth.
N. T. Brown, Eleventh.
Albert Ellis, Twelfth.
George D. Harrison, Thirteenth.
Francis A. Duncan, Fourteenth.
Benjamin Jennings, Fifteenth.
Robert E. Benton, Sixteenth.
George Jamison, Seventeenth.
William A. Colton, Eighteenth.
.
Francis A. Duncan, Nineteenth.
Oliver H. P. Linn, Twentieth.
L. A. Riley, Twenty-first and Twenty-second.
J. F. Holiday. Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth.
Harry O. Weaver. Twenty-fifth. Twenty-sixth and Twenty-sixth Extra.
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IHISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
Hilton M. Letts, Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth.
E. L. Mcclurkin, Twenty-ninth, Thirtieth and Thirty-first.
Robert J. Reaney, Thirty-second, Thirty-second Extra and Thirty-third.
James M. Brockway, Thirty-fourth.
G. H. Crow was elected in 1866, on account of the death of N. T. Brown, but did not serve.
Andrew J. Kirkpatrick resided in Washington county and represented what was called a floating district composed of Washington and Louisa counties. This floating district was changed and Des Moines and Louisa counties were made a floating district and D. N. Sprague, residing in Louisa county was a representative of the floating district composed of Des Moines and Louisa counties.
LOUISA COUNTY MEMBERS OF CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS.
Convention of 1844-John W. Brookbank, William L. Toole, Wright Wil- liams.
Convention of 1846-John Ronalds.
Convention of 1857-Francis Springer, chosen president.
Other offices held by Louisa county citizens :
James M. Clark, President Legislative Council, Extra Session, 2nd Ter. Assembly, 1840.
Francis Springer, President Pro Tem Sixth Legislative Council, on account of failure to elect a president, he presided from Dec. 4, 1843, to Jan. 11, 1844. George W. MeCleary, Speaker of the House. Eighth Legislative Assembly, 1845-6.
George W. MeCleary, Secretary of State, from Dec. 2, 1850, to Dec. I, 1856. (After his election in 1850 Mr. MeCleary became a resident of Johnson county.)
GUBERNATORIAL APPOINTMENTS TO OFFICE OF PERSONS IN LOUISA COUNTY.
Dec. 8. 1836-Samuel Smith, Sheriff.
Dec. 8, 1836-William Milligan, Justice of the Peace.
Dec. 8, 1836-Christopher Shuck, Justice of the Peace. Dec. 8, 1836-Isaac Rincarson, Justice of the Peace. Dec. 8, 1836-William L. Toole, Justice of the Peace. Nov. 25, 1837-Seratus C. Hastings, District Attorney. Jan. 15, 1838-James G. Hall, Justice of the Peace.
Jan. 15. 1838-Zadock C. Inghram, Justice of the Peace. Jan. 15. 1838-John Reynolds, Justice of the Peace.
Jan. 15, 1838-William Kennedy, Justice of the Peace. Jan. 15. 1838-Isaac Parsons, Justice of the Peace.
[John Reynolds should be John Ronalds, and Inghram's first name should be spelled Zadok. ]
Jan. 19, 1838-Seratus | Serranus] C. Hastings, District Attorney for Lonisa County.
All the foregoing appointments were made by Gov. Henry Dodge of Wisconsin. Jan. 16, 1839-Ruben S. Searls, Judge of Probate.
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
Jan. 16, 1839-Cavil M. McDaniel, Sheriff.
Jan. 18, 1839-Fourteen Justices of the Peace, as follows: William Milli- gan, John Gilliland, John Ronalds, Jacob Mintun, Maxmillian Eastwoods, Isaac Parsons, Samuel Woodside. Truman S. Clark, Joseph Crane, George Humphrey, William Fowler, Thomas Stodard, Hiram Smith, Christopher Shuck.
Jan. 19, 1839-John Ronalds. Colonel ist Brigade, 2nd Division, Ist Regi- ment ; Z. C. Inghram, Lieutenant Colonel, Ist Brigade, 2nd Division, Ist Regi- ment : Robert Childers, Major, Ist Brigade. 2nd Division, ist Regiment.
Jan. 13, 1841-John Rincarson, Captain Wapello Cavalry, in place of M. Wilson, resigned.
-, 1842-Edward H. Thomas, District Attorney for Second District. Lewis Kinsey appointed Clerk of the Supreme Court, Nov. 3. 1856. Re- appointed Jan. 12, 1860, served until January 7. 1867.
Arthur Springer, member of the Educational Commission to Revise the School Laws, appointed in December, 1907.
FEDERAL APPOINTMENTS.
Francis Springer, was Postoffice Inspector, Register of the Land office at Fairfield, and Internal Revenue Collector. For dates see sketch in chapter of Personal Mention, in this volume.
Harry O. Weaver, is at present Revenue Collector. See his sketch in Biographical Volume.
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS AND REPRESENTATIVES. TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS, 1846-47.
The state was not yet districted, and S. C. Hastings, of Muscatine, and Shepherd Leffler, of Burlington, both represented the entire state.
THIRTIETHI CONGRESS, 1847-49.
On February 22, 1847, the legislature divided the state into two districts, and Louisa county was put in the second district, comprising the counties of Des Moines, Louisa, Washington, Muscatine, Scott, Clinton, Cedar, Johnson, Iowa and Poweshiek, and all the rest of the state north of a line drawn through the northern boundary of Polk county.
Shepherd Leffler represented the second district in the thirtieth congress.
TILIRTY-FIRST CONGRESS, 1849-51.
On January 24, 1848, the legislature passed an act changing the districts by taking Poweshiek from the second district and putting it in the first. Shep- herd Leffler represented the second district in the thirty-first congress.
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
THIRTY-SECOND CONGRESS, 1851-53.
Second district represented in this congress by Lincoln Clark, of Dubuque.
TIIIRTY-THIRD CONGRESS, 1853-55.
Second district represented in this congress by John P. Cook, of Davenport.
THIRTY-FOURTH CONGRESS, 1855-57.
Second district represented by James Thorington, of Davenport.
January 28, 1857, the legislature transferred the counties of Des Moines, Louisa and Washington from the second to the first district.
TIIIRTY-FIFTHI CONGRESS, 1857-59.
First district represented by Samuel R. Curtis, of Keokuk.
THIRTY-SIXTII CONGRESS, 1859-61
First district represented by Samuel R. Curtis.
TILIRTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS, 1861-63.
First represented at first session by Samuel R. Curtis, who resigned to accept commission as brigadier general.
James F. Wilson, of Fairfield, was elected, October 8, 1861, to fill the vacancy, and represented the district at the second and third sessions of this congress.
THIRTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS, 1863-65.
April 8, 1862, the state having become entitled to six members of congress, a radical change was necessary, and Louisa county was left in the first district. but the district was composed of the counties of Lee, Des Moines, Henry. Jefferson, Louisa, Davis. Van Buren and Washington.
Thirty-ninth Congress, 1865-67-James F. Wilson.
Fortieth Congress, 1867-69-James F. Wilson.
Forty-first Congress, 1869-71-George W. MeCrary, of Keokuk. Forty-second Congress, 1871-73-George W. McCrary.
FORTY-THIRD CONGRESS, 1872-73.
April 17, 1872, the state became entitled to nine members of congress, and in the reapportionment Davis county was transferred to the sixth district, leav- ing the first district with the seven counties which it has had ever since. (Gen- eral J. B. Weaver was then looming up as a probable successor of McCrary, and it was to dispose of him that John II. Gear had Davis county taken out of
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
the first district. At that, General Weaver got to congress eight years before Gear).
George W. McCrary represented the first district in the forty-third congress. Forty-fourth Congress, 1875-77-George W. McCrary. Forty-fifth Congress, 1877-79-Dr. Joseph C. Stone, Burlington. Forty-sixth Congress, 1879-81-Moses A. McCoid, Fairfield. Forty-seventh Congress, 1881-83-Moses A. McCoid, Fairfield. Forty-eighth Congress, 1883-85-Moses A. McCoid, Fairfield. Forty-ninth Congress, 1885-87-Benton J. Hall, Burlington. Fiftieth Congress, 1887-89-John H. Gear, Burlington. Fifty-first Congress, 1889-91-John H. Gear, Burlington. Fifty-second Congress, 1891-93-John J. Seerley, Burlington. Fifty-third Congress, 1893-95-John H. Gear, Burlington. Fifty-fourth Congress, 1895-97-Samuel M. Clark, Keokuk. Fifty-fifth Congress, 1897-99-Samuel M. Clark, Keokuk. Fifty-sixth Congress, 1899-1901-Thomas Hedge, Burlington. Fifty-seventh Congress, 1901-03-Thomas Hedge, Burlington. Fifty-eighth Congress, 1903-05-Thomas Hedge, Burlington. Fifty-ninth Congress, 1905-07-Thomas Hedge, Burlington. Sixtieth Congress, 1907-09-Charles A. Kennedy, Montrose. Sixty-first Congress, 1909-11-Charles A. Kennedy, Montrose. Sixty-second Congress, 1911-13-Charles A. Kennedy, Montrose.
CHAPTER XI.
COUNTY FINANCES AND TAXES.
INCREASE IN TAXES-LOCAL GOVERNMENT-STATISTICS FROM TREASURER'S REPORTS AND TAX LISTS-SWAMP LANDS AND DRAINAGE.
Local government is an interesting study in itself, and one to which the sovereigns and tax-payers ought to devote. occasionally at least, a few moments of silent, prayerful, and, where possible, intelligent consideration. This con- sideration ought to be approached with a feeling composed of three parts of patriotism, or public spirit. to one part of selfishness, and one of economy. With many individuals parsimony would be the more appropriate word, but economy sounds better. If this problem is approached in the proper spirit. we will perhaps all agree that the people ought to have the best and most efficient local government which their necessities demand and their circumstances justify, and that this government should be obtained as economically as possible. It is not meant by this that we should have the cheapest government, regardless of quality ; but that we should get the very best government at the least cost. Most people will agree to this in the abstract, but will take neither thought nor pains to put it in force. Perhaps a study of the county finances will bring this matter more closely home to the people, because their pocket-books are affected. It is with this thought that we have been induced to depart somewhat from the beaten path of county histories, by collecting information drawn from our tax levies and expense registers. It may be interesting, if not a little startling. to learn that less than forty years ago when we had in the county practically the same population as we have now (to be exact, just 22 more), our total tax list for all purposes, including state, county, school, municipal and road, amounted to $84,129.36, while for the past year of grace it was $208.175.49. Of the tax levied in 1873, $14.078.15 was Air Line Railroad tax, which, for purposes of comparison should be deducted, and this would show an increase of $137.000 in the current taxes of the county in less than forty years with the same num- ber of people. The mere fact of this enormous increase does not of itself indi- cate that the local government we are getting now is not worth what it costs us, but it ought to serve to put tis upon inquiry, and to cause us to study the conditions now existing and to see where, if at all, savings can be made. It would be a difficult matter to make those who are familiar with affairs as they existed forty years ago, and as they exist today, believe that our local government is worth three times as much to us now as it was then.
Our school tax in that time has grown from about $35.000.00 to $78,000.00, though it is as certain as it is lamentable, that the schools on the average are
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not a penny's worth better than they were then, and in most cases are of less practical value. But in this, as in other cases of governmental imperfections, we may console ourselves with the thought that the people rule, and that they really are not entitled to any better or more economical school system than they want, and that the people of this state have recently been quite pronounced in their adherence to a system which puts ten million dollars a year and the edu- cational chances of a half million children in the keeping of an unorganized and uncaptained army of forty thousand school officials, none of whom are re- quired to have, and most of whom do not have, any special qualifications for such work. We have in this county a superintendent of common schools, it is true, but the law practically limits his power to visiting schools and scolding school Ma'ms, while the real control of school affairs is exercised by 244 officials in about fifty-seven different ways.
If this be a wise and logical system in regard to our school affairs, why not turn our general county affairs over to the management of 244 men ?
It is proper to observe also, that the greater part of this increase of $137,000 in our total county tax list from 1873 to 1910, is not, as many fondly believe, due to the increase in state taxes. The state tax levy in Louisa county during the period above mentioned, has only increased $9.025.32, thus leaving $128,000 of this increase to be accounted for in some other way.
It would also be interesting to know just how many thousands of dollars have been expended, or rather wasted, in the payment of road taxes in this county during the seventy-five years of its existence. We are now paying $17,000.00 a year for the privilege of using the roads in dry weather .- a privi- lege which we would have, if we only paid enough road tax to keep up the few bridges which are not cared for out of the County Bridge fund.
Another subject worthy of attention is as to the number of our county officials. It is not long since a leading business man of the county remarked that the county business could be done by two competent officials, each with a competent deputy, fully as well as it is now done, and at a considerable saving. He instanced the fact that there were several banks in the county, which each did a much larger amount and volume of business in a year than the county business amounts to. Perhaps if he had known that it has cost the county over $1.700.00 in the past six years, and $600.00 in the past year to investigate its county officials, he would have been strengthened in his opinion. It is hard . to escape the conclusion that if this expenditure was necessary, the system which makes it so, is wrong; and of course, if it is unnecessary, the wrong lies in the expenditure itself.
In the early years, when the sheriff's office was not a very lucrative posi- tion, he was made county assessor. Now, the sheriff has the least to do of any of our salaried officials, and gets much the best pay, while our assessments in the county are made by nineteen different assessors in nineteen different ways.
It goes without saying that these suggestions will not be popular in some quarters ; and it may be that they are too radical. They will accomplish their purpose if they set even a few people to studying these matters for themselves.
As we have already seen, the first body which had charge of our county affairs was the Board of Supervisors, but its powers were somewhat limited. Our next governing body, so to speak, was the Board of County Com-
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
missioners or as it was sometimes called, Commissioners' Court, con- sisting of three members. This Board of Commissioners held sway from 1838 to 1851. At that time the people of the state seemed to have become dissatisfied with the county government as administered by three commissioners, and when the laws were revised provision was made in the Code of 1851 for a County Judge. The County Judge was made, by law, the accounting officer and general agent of the County and was invested with the powers which had been exercised by the three commissioners and the Probate Judge. This County Court continued until 1861 when another change was made by which the affairs of the county were to be controlled by a Board of Supervisors consisting of one from each township; in this county the new board, therefore, was composed of twelve members.
In 1870 another change was made by which we went back to the system of three supervisors, and that has continued to the present time.
In these days when so much is being said about referendum, it is well for us to remember that under the County Judge system of governing county affairs, provision was made for the submission of a great many questions to a vote of the people. There was also provision made in some cases for an appeal to be taken from the decision of the County Judge to the people at the ballot box ; this right was exercised in one case at least, in this county, in regard to the Wapello Ferry franchise. It may be that the people in their wisdom will some day return to the County Judge system, or to something of that kind. In this county we had but three County Judges, the first was Wright Williams, the next Francis Springer and the last Joseph L. Derbin. Judge P. M. Casady of Des Moines, who was one of the ablest and most successful of our Iowa pioneers, in an article upon Judge Springer read by him before the Pioneer Law Makers Association in 1900, referring to the fact that Judge Springer had been County Judge of Louisa county, said: "The office of County Judge of Louisa county was a very important one. At the time Judge Mason was County Judge of Des Moines county, Judge Johnstone was County Judge of Lee county, three prominent and well respected men having charge of the county business of their respective counties. If such men had continued in office, the County Judge system would not have become unpopular."
It is hard to form a judgment from the history of Louisa county, as to which particular system would be the best. In the last analysis, it probably depends more upon the men who hold the offices and who are entrusted with the people's affairs, than it does upon the name or character of the office or the number of officers. In this respect we may agree with Pope as expressed in the latter part of the following lines :
"For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight, His can't be wrong, whose life is in the right ; For forms of government, let fools contest, That which is best administered, is best."
A complete list of all our county officials so far as there are any records to show of their existence, will be found in the preceding chapter. Something of the manner in which they have transacted the county business at various times
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
and of the expenses incurred and taxes levied, may be learned from the following financial items which we have taken somewhat at random. It would be im- possible to give all the financial transactions of the county, and we have made no special selection except as to the period during which the Air Line Railroad taxes were being paid. We have given account of all the taxes for all of the years during which that tax was paid, covering the period from 1869 to 1879. The items for this period, and for the earlier years, are given because of their historic interest ; those of later years are given because they are thought to be of importance from an economical, as well as a historical standpoint.
The first financial item we find is in an old book which has nothing on the outside, or on the fly leaf to indicate what it is. but which appears to be the beginning of a sort of cash account of Louisa county. The first item is dated May 15, 1837, from which it appears that the county received $28.50 from William H. R. Thomas.
The next item is November 2d of the same year and shows the receipt from William H. Creighton, collector of the county, $380. This was probably from poll taxes. These two items make a total of $408.50, and on the following page and one or two subsequent pages appear payments made out of this fund. There are payments of sums ranging from eighty-five cents to $2.70, to the various grand jurors and petit jurors, also payment to Samuel Smith, sheriff. of Sto for summoning the grand jurors and $3 for two days' attendance on court. This payment is under date of May 15, 1837. Z. C. Inghram, clerk, was allowed Sto for stationery, and William II. R. Thomas was allowed $1.50 for two days' attendance on court.
Under date of November 2, 1837. are the following items of payment : William H. R. Thomas, deputy sheriff, $12.25; Z. C. Inghram as judge of election one day, $1 : J. S. Rinearson, clerk of the board. $2; I. H. Rinearson, $40, as assessor. Then there are payments to William Milligan of $5 and to Jeremiah Smith of $5 and to William Kennedy of $4.87. The payments to Milligan and Smith are undoubtedly for their services as members of the board of supervisors and the payments to William Kennedy was doubtless for his services as clerk of the board and township clerk.
The first treasurer's report found on the file is a very brief document. We quote it in full: "To the board of county commissioners, a true statement of all the moneys received and of all the moneys received and disbursed by me since the October term of A. D., 1838.
Received into the county treasury, $82.15. Paid out, $7.50. April the 3d. A. D., 1839.
HIRAM SMITH, Treasurer. L. C. I. T."
On the files is a paper said to be an "exhibit of the receipts into the county treasury of Louisa county since the ist of January, 1839." and it shows receipts for fines and for licenses from stores, groceries and ferries up to January 6. 1840, of $291.3114, and from county revenue paid in as per treasurer's receipt, $507.871/2. a total of $799.1834. The same paper also gives an exhibit of the expenditures of the county since the ist of January, 1839, as follows:
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
To cash paid County Coms. for services as a board doing County business $ 202.371/2 To cash paid clerk of District Court for official services, furnishing stationery for his office, etc. 160.00
To cash paid clerk to commissioners board for official services, fur- nishing stationery for the use of his office, etc. 160.37
To cash paid Shff. & Deputies for official services 186.83
To amt. paid Grand and Petit Jurors 281.04
To amt. paid Judges & Clerks of Elections 42.00
To amt. paid Witnesses for attendance before District Court, etc. 38.631/2 15.00
To amt. paid Const. in attendance before court.
To amt. pd. house rent for holding District and County Courts. 76.00
To amt. paid prosecuting Atty. 47.69
To amt. pd. chin. bearers and staker in surveying out Wapello 23.00
To amt. paid crier of court 9.00
To amt. paid justice fees, etc.
5.80
To amt. paid assessor of taxes
57.50
To amt. paid coms. surveyor chn. and marker for surveying territorial road, etc. 103.31
To amt. paid Recorder for Recording Town plat clerking, sale of lots in Wapello, etc. 10.00
County roads, etc. 9.00
$1434.55
We find another interesting document from which it appears that the poll taxes in those days were fully as hard to pay as the heavier taxes of the present time. On July 9, 1840, C. M. McDaniel, collector, filed a schedule of the de- linquents for the year 1839. We give the names and amounts :
"Samuel Chaney $1.12
Albert Morgan 1.00
W. H. Sheldon
1.00
John Fleming I.OO
John Swair 1.00
George Emerson 1.00
Moses H. Reed 1.00
Robert Knox 1.OO
John Creighton 1.00
James Williams 1.00
Anthony Thrasher 1.00
Alhanon Sebriel I.621/2
John McGowin 1.32
Bishop Stephens 1.321/2
R. E. Slaughter 1.00
Charles Ristien 1.00
William Bevins 1.00
John Payton 1.021/2
James Majors 1.50
Jacob Holbrook 1.00
John Alloway
1.321/2
Benjamin C. Maxon 1.00
Nathan Blevins 1.00
Angelo Driskell
3.73
William Mooney 1,00
Joshua Stearn .5614
William A. Dexter 1.00
Isaac Johnson 1.741/2
G. W. Barr I.91
Alexander Smith I.IO
Eliphelet Chapman 1.00
Halcom Jonson 1.20
Jacob Wren 1.50
Joshua Adams 1.00
Samuel Bartimis 1,00
Charles Hill 1.65
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
E. A. Badgers. 1.00
Jarred Lewis 1.00
Zachariah Easton
1.00
George Faxon 1.00
Joseph Jeffreis 1.00
J. W. McClewain 1.00
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