USA > Iowa > Louisa County > History of Louisa County, Iowa, from its earliest settlement to 1912, Volume I > Part 51
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December 29, 1838
Act establishes at the town of Wapello a seminary of learning to be called the "Wapello Seminary" and provides that "John Gilleland, Samuel Kirkpatrick, Hiram Smith, William Milligan, S. S. Gourley. Daniel Brewer, James MI. Clark, John Eagen, Thomas England, Thomas Stoddard, Robert Williams, Wilson Isett, Joel Bronson, Veasey Bunnel, Mason Wilson, William H. R. Thomas, R. S. Searls, John Ronalds, W. L. Toole and their associates and successors will be a body politic incorporate by the name of the "Wapello Seminary."
January 4, 1839
An Act to organize a Territorial Militia, and dividing the territory into three divisions, the second division consisting of the counties of Louisa, Slaughter, Keokuk, Johnson, Linn, Cedar, Scott and Muscatine.
January 12. 1839
An Act of the Territorial Legislature of lowa, fixing the boundaries of Louisa county as follows :
"Beginning at the main channel of the Mississippi river on the line dividing townships 72 and 73 north, thence west on said township line to the line divid- ing Des Moines and Henry counties : thence north on said line to the line dividing townships 73 and 74 north ; thence west on said township line to the range line between 5 and 6 west; thence north with said line to the township line dividing townships 76 and 77 north ; thence east with said line to the line of Muscatine county ; thence south with said county line to the line dividing townships 75 and 76 north : thence east on said township line to the Mississippi river : thence down the main channel of said river to the place of beginning."
By this act the county regained townships 74 and 75 in range 5, and got in addition, township 76, range 5, which had not before been a part of the county.
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
This act provided for an election for the county seat to be held on the first Monday in March, 1839.
January 21, 1839
Louisa county was made a part of the Second Judicial District, and terms of the district court were to be held on the second Monday in June and October. and Judge Joseph Williams of the Supreme court was assigned to the Second District as district judge thereof.
January 21, 1839
On this day two acts were passed relating to the seat of government of the territory ; the first one provided for the appointment of three commissioners, one from each judicial district, they to be appointed by joint ballot of the coun- cil of the house of representatives to locate and establish a permanent seat of government in Johnson county, and the second was entitled, "A supplementary act" relating to the same matter, and it provides that the town selected as the seat of government should be called Iowa City, and that Chauncey Swan, John Ronalds and Robert Ralston should be the commissioners.
January 21, 1839
An Act to district the territory of Iowa into electoral districts. It declared that the counties of Louisa and Slaughter should form an electoral district and be entitled to two members of the House of Representatives.
January 24, 1839
Section 7 of this act provides for the location and establishment of a Terri- torial road commencing at the Ferry landing opposite Oquawka, Illinois; thence by the nearest and best route by way of Florence and Wapello to Napoleon in Johnson county. The act names William Brewer (meant for Daniel Brewer), and Jacob Rinearson of Louisa county as two of the commissioners.
January 24, 1839
An act to incorporate the Burlington and lowa River Turnpike Company. The Louisa county incorporators were: James Guest, Israel Trask, Jonathan Parsons, James Erwin, Elisha Hooke, William Creighton, John H. Benson, M. Eastwood, Elias Keever, Daniel Brewer, James Gordon, Wm. L. Toole, Joshua Swank and Alvin Clark.
March, 1839. An Act of Congress to authorize the construction of a road from Dubuque in the Territory of lowa to the northern boundary of the state of Mis- souri, and for other purposes. This act appropriated $1.500 to defray the expense of a survey of the Red Cedar river within the territory of Iowa, with a view to the improvement of the navigation thereof above the town of Moscow, and the connection of the said navigation with the river Mississippi by a canal ex- tending from the vicinity of said town to some suitable point in or near the town of Bloomington.
July 24, 1840
An Act provides as follows: "That the first territorial road from the ferry landing opposite Oquawka in Illinois to Napoleon in Johnson County, laid out and established by Daniel Brewer and Jacob S. Rinearson of Louisa County in the
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
summer of 1829, shall be as valid as though it had been located and boundaries thereof made by the persons whose names appeared as commissioners in the act establishing it."
It will be noticed that while the name of Daniel Brewer is correctly given, a mistake is made by fixing the date as 1829 instead of 1839.
July 30, 1840
Repeals all of the Acts of the Territory of Michigan and the Territory of Wisconsin which were in force in the Territory of Iowa on the 4th of July in 1838. and provides that none of the statutes of Great Britain shall be considered as the law of this territory, and also provides that this appeal shall not extend to any Wisconsin law which is private in its nature.
January 7, 1841
An Act to relocate that part of the road leading from Oquawka to Napoleon by way of Florence and Wapello that lies between Florence and Oquawka ; ap- points Davie E. Blair. William Waddle and William Walter as commissioners.
January 9, 1841
An Act providing for the location and establishment of certain territorial roads in Louisa County. One is from the mouth of the Iowa river through Har- rison and Fredonia to the territorial road from Oquawka to Iowa City, and appoints G. W. Austin, J. R. Rockafeller and William Thompson as commis- sioners. Another road is from Black Hawk by way of Grandview to intersect the territorial road from Burlington to Iowa City, in Township 77 north, Range 5 west in Johnson County, and Gabriel Walling of Louisa County is appointed as one of the commissioners.
Another road was to commence at Florence, thence to the residence of George Key, thence to the residence of William Buffington, Sr., and to intersect at the Washington County line the road running from Washington to Wapello. Phillip B. Harrison John Mintun and Joseph Buffington were appointed commissioners.
Another road was to begin at Black Hawk, thence to the court house of Louisa County, crossing the Iowa river directly opposite said court house, thence to the county line by way of Hope farm, intersecting the territorial road from said county line by way of Mt. Pleasant to the Missouri line. George Humphrey, Perry Morrison and Joseph Newell were appointed commissioners.
This Act also in Section 5 authorized the county commissioners of Louisa county "if they think it expedient" to establish a ferry across the Iowa river where the last mentioned road should cross it. to be kept in operation under thie direction of the county commissioners, and over which all citizens of the county, with their horses. teams, etc., should be ferried free of charge.
January 13, 1841
An Act providing for the establishment of a territorial road from Burling- ton to the town of Black Hawk, commencing on the north end of Water street in the upper end of Burlington, thence to the house of James Clark, thence to the town of Black Hawk. Dr. Fullenwider and Wesley Swank, and James Clark
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
were appointed commissioners. Wesley Swank may have been a resident of Louisa County at the time, but the other two lived in Des Moines County.
January 15, 1841
An Act to locate a territorial road from Columbus City in Louisa County to Smith's Mills in Henry County, Smith's Mills being on the Skunk river. George Key of Louisa County was one of the commissioners.
January 5, 1842
An Act to legalize the election of George L. Coe, as Probate Judge of Louisa County, because at the time he was elected to fill a vacancy, there wasn't time between the happening of the vacancy and the day of holding the election to give the required notice of a special election.
February 16, 1842
Vacates all that part of the town of Toolsborough situated west of Mound street, blocks 45 and 49 excepted.
February 17, 1842
An Act,-appoints James W. Isett, Thomas Stoddard and Samuel Wood- side commissioners to relocate, if they deem it expedient all that part of the territorial road lying between the town of Fredonia and Port Allen, in Louisa County.
February, 1842
An Act for the encouragement of agriculture. Date of approval not given, but the act immediately before it was approved February 17th, and the act imme- diately after it was approved February 18th. This act appropriates "for the pro- motion of agriculture and household manufactures in this territory certain sums to various counties, ranging from $20.00 to $140.00, the amount appropriated for Louisa County being $45.00.
January 26, 1843
An Act legalizing the establishment of the road, from the mouth of the Iowa River through Harrison and Fredonia, under act approved January 9, 1841.
January 24, 1843
An Act incorporating a seminary of learning in Grandview, to be called the Grandview seminary. The incorporators names are: Henry Rockafellow, Wil- liam Thompson, John Ronalds, Spencer Wilson, Robert Childers, Gabriel Wall- ing, George Humphrey, Alexander Ross, Martin Gray and Clark Alexander.
January 24, 1843
An Act legalizing the official acts and proceedings of Jacob Mintun who was appointed Justice of the Peace in the Spring of 1842, by the Trustees of Wapello township.
February 6, 1843
An Act to incorporate the Iowa Medical Society. Among the members named as incorporators are, John Bell, Jr .. and John Bell, Sr.
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
February 10. 1843
An Act authorizing Ezra F. Dennison and Newton B. Dennison of Louisa County to establish a ferry across the Mississippi at or near the mouth of the lowa River, and gives them the exclusive right to ferry for twenty years, along the west bank of the Mississippi, extending one mile on either side of the middle of the channel of the lowa River.
February 13. 1843
An Act vacating the original plat of the town of Port Allen, Louisa County, excepting certain blocks therein named, and legalizes the relocation of that part of the territorial road from the Mississippi river by way of Black Hawk and Fredonia to Iowa City which lies between Fredonia and Port Allen, made by Thomas Stoddard and James W. Isett under a previous act.
February 16, 1843
An Act to divorce a number of persons ; the act contains twenty sections. The only sections of local interest are 15 and 16 which provide that the marriage con- tract between Elizabeth Ridgeway, and William C. Ridgeway is dissolved, and Elizabeth Ridgeway shall be known by the name of Elizabeth Hurley, and that the name of the infant child of said parties shall be Joseph Newell Hurley. This bill was vetoed by the Governor, but passed both houses by a two-thirds majority.
February 16, 1843
.An Act to locate a territorial road from Richmond in Washington county to Columbus City. Samuel Bell of Louisa county was one of the commissioners.
1843
Chapter 68, Revised Statute of 1843, provides for the election in each county · of three county commissioners, a sheriff, coroner, recorder, treasurer, collector, judge of probate, surveyor and county commissioners' clerk : the treasurer. col- lector and county commissioners and members of the house of representatives to be elected on the first Tuesday of October, 1843. and on same day each year there- after ; delegate to congress and county surveyor to be elected on first Tuesday in October, 1843, and on same day every second year thereafter : the election of mem- bers of the council, sheriff, commissioners' clerk, coroner and recorder, the first Tuesday of October, 1844, and every second year thereafter : and the election for judge of probate, on the first Tuesday in October, 1843, and every third year thereafter.
February 12, 1844
An Act to provide for the expression of an opinion of the people of the ter- ritory upon the subject of the formation of a State Constitution. This act pro- vides for a vote of the people on "convention or no convention," and that if a majority of the votes were for a convention, the convention should consist of seventy members, and that Louisa County should be entitled to three members.
January 4, 1844
An Act to legalize the official acts of Isaac Parsons, Coroner of Louisa County, and acting Justice of the Peace of Jefferson township.
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To the Flavouralle The Board of County Commissioners of Louise to Fra denstory
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
January 27, 1844
An Act providing for the location of a territorial road from Wapello in Louisa County to Augusta in Des Moines County and names Thomas Stoddard and Merit Jamison of Louisa County as two of the commissioners.
February 7. 1844
An Act to incorporate the Grandview Literary and Philosophical Society, and names Alexander McCall, Lewis Kinsey, Robert Childers, Spencer Wilson and Abraham MeCleary as incorporators.
February 7, 1844
An Act to incorporate the "Toolesborough Manufacturing Company," and . names William Shepherd, Daniel West, H. D. Smith, Ezra F. Dennison, Jonathan Parsons and William L. Toole as incorporators. The capital stock was limited to $40,000 in shares of $100.00 each, and the company was authorized to take from the Iowa river sufficient water for their purposes at a point on said river nearly opposite Iowa Town, and convey the same over or through any suitable grounds by means of a canal, race or water-way to a point at or near Toolesborough.
February 12, 1844
An Act authorizing Thomas J. Jamison and Edwin Jones, administrators of the estate of John Jones, deceased, to execute fee simple deeds for two lots in Grandview, known as lots number one and two in block number four. Deeds to be executed to the Trustees of the Grandview Seminary and their successors in office.
February 14, 1844
An Act to perfect the collection of taxes in Louisa County. The act legalizes the proceedings of the sheriff in the collection of taxes on the tax duplicate for the year 1843, and provides for his payment over to the Treasurer of the money collected by him, etc. (It would seem from this that the Sheriff had been exer- cising the duties properly belonging to the collector of taxes.)
February 14, 1844
Act approved February 14, 1844, provides that Alvin Clark, of Louisa County is authorized to cause a complete and legal plat of Fredonia to be made out ac- cording to the survey made by John Gilliland in 1840 and to have the same duly recorded within 90 days from the passage of this act, and that all deeds, mortgages and other contracts in writing relating to lots in Fredonia shall be as legal and binding as if a complete plat had been made out and recorded prior to the execution of such deed, mortgage or contract.
February 15. 1844
An Act amending the act establishing a seminary of learning at Grandview, by making the shares of stock consist of $5.00 instead of $10.00, and provides that each share holder shall be entitled to one vote only, instead of one vote for each share.
Vol. I-28
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
February. 1844
Act of Iowa territorial legislature providing for a vote on the question of constitutional convention and giving Louisa county three members of the con- vention.
June 19, 1844
An Act relating to the collection of taxes in Louisa County and authorizing the Board of County Commissioners to give the collector of taxes such further time to complete the collection as may be necessary.
March 3. 1845
Act of Congress for the admission of the State of Iowa and Florida into the Union. The boundaries of Iowa were fixed as follows :
"Beginning at the mouth of the Des Moines river, at the Middle of the Mis- sissippi, thence by the middle of the channel of that river to a parallel of latitude passing through the mouth of the Mankato, or Blue Earth river. thence west along the said parallel of latitude, to a point where it is intersected by a meridian line. seventeen degrees and thirty minutes west of the meridian of Washington City : thence due south to the northern boundary line of the State of Missouri ; thence eastwardly following that boundary to the point at which the same intersects the Des Moines river, thence by the middle of the channel of that river to the place of beginning."
May 28, 1845
Repeals so much of the act to vacate a part of the town plat of Port Allen approved February 13, 1843, as vacates that portion of Water street on the Iowa and Cedar rivers, and provides that said Water streets fronting on the Iowa and Cedar rivers opposite the town plat of Port Allen and within the bounds are (leclared public highways.
June 10, 1845
An Act appropriating $50.00 to Martin Harless of Louisa County for extra services as Sheriff in the year 1838.
January 19th, 1846
An Act changing the electoral districts, and providing that the Sixth District, composed of the counties of Louisa, Washington, Keokuk, Mahaska and Marion shall be entitled to one member of the council, and three members of the House of Representatives, and that the County of Louisa shall elect one member, and the counties of Washington and Keokuk shall elect one member, and the counties of Mahaska and Marion shall elect one member.
January, 1846.
Act of Iowa territorial legislature providing for a constitutional convention giving Louisa county one member. passed January 17. 1846.
January 12. 1846
An Act authorizes C. Whipple & Co. to keep a ferry across the Iowa and Cedar rivers at the junction of said rivers opposite to the town of Fredonia,
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
where the road leading from Columbus City to Bloomington crosses said Iowa river, and where the road leading from Fredonia to Iowa City crosses the Cedar river.
January 17, 1846
An Act providing for the election of delegates to a convention to form a Constitution, and provides that the convention shall consist of thirty-two mem- bers, and Louisa county is given one member.
January 17, 1846
An Act to locate a territorial road from Wapello in Louisa County to Augusta in Des Moines County, and names Joshua Marshall of Louisa County as one of the commissioners.
January 17, 1846
Joint resolution of the Territorial Legislature, requesting our delegate in Congress, Honorable A. C. Dodge to have a mail route established from Mon- mouth, Illinois, by way of Keithsville ( Keithsburg) Illinois, Wapello, Columbus City and Port Allen in Louisa County, to Iowa City.
1846
Joint resolution of territorial legislature approved January 17, 1846, requesting Hon. A. C. Dodge, delegate in congress, to use his exertions to procure an appro- priation of five thousand dollars to improve the territorial road across the Mis- sissippi bottom between Toolesboro and the Mississippi river.
August 4, 1846
Act of Congress supplemental to the act for the admission of the State of Iowa and Florida into the Union. This act, among other things, provides "that section numbered sixteen in every township of the public lands, and where said section has been sold or otherwise disposed of, other lands equivalent thereto. and as contiguous as may be, shall be granted to the State for the use of Schools."
August 4, 1846
Act defining the boundaries of Iowa, and repealing so much of the act of March 3, 1845, as relates to the boundaries of Towa. This act fixes the bound- aries of the State of Iowa as follows :
"Beginning in the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river, at a point due east of the middle of the mouth of the main channel of the Des Moines River ; thence up the middle of the main channel of the said Des Moines river to a point on said river where the northern boundary-line of the State of Mis- souri as established by the constitution of that state adopted June twelfth, eight- een hundred and twenty, crosses the said middle of the main channel of the said Des Moines river ; thence westwardly, along the said northern boundary line of the State of Missouri as established at the time aforesaid; until an extension of said line intersects the middle of the main channel of the Missouri river ; thence up the middle of the main channel of the said Missouri river to a point opposite the middle of the main channel of the Big Sioux River according to Nicollet's
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
map ; thence up the main channel of the said Big Sioux River, according to said map, until it is intersected by the parallel of forty-three degrees and thirty min- utes north latitude ; thence east along said parallel of forty-three degrees and thirty minutes until said parallel intersects the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river : thence down the middle of the main channel of said Missis- sippi river to the place of beginning."
December 28, 1846
Act of Congress recites that whereas the people of Iowa did, on May 18, 1846. by a convention assembled for that purpose form a constitution and state govern- ment, etc. etc., and provides that the state of lowa is admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original states.
1846.
The constitution of 1846 apportioned the members of the general assembly, and gave to "the counties of Louisa and Washington one senator jointly, and one representative each." This constitution was adopted by the convention May 18, 1846, and ratified by the people August 3, 1846; and the governor appointed Monday, October 26, as the day for holding the first election under it. Act of Congress admitting Iowa as a state became a law, by the approval of President Polk, on December 28, 1846.
January 24. 1847
An Act in relation to common schools, containing 47 sections. Section 36 provides that at the next annual township election in every organized county in the State, there shall be elected a School Fund Commissioner for the County, who shall hold his office for two years, etc.
February 2, 1847
Joint resolution of the lowa Legislature requesting our representatives in Congress to use their best exertions to obtain an appropriation, either of land or money, sufficient to improve the navigation of the lowa river from its mouth to Iowa City.
February 3. 1847
A joint resolution instructing our representatives in Congress to use their best endeavors to obtain an appropriation either of land or money, to improve the navigation of the Cedar River, from its mouth or where it empties into the Mississippi after its junction with the Iowa river to the commonly called Forks of said river in Black Hawk county.
February 4, 1847
An Act to divide the State of lowa into Judicial Districts. The First District was composed of Lee, Des Moines, Louisa. Washington and Henry Counties.
February 8. 1847
An Act locating a State road from Wallings Landing by way of Grandview. Fredonia. Columbus City and Crawfordsville to Washington, and appointed
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
Spencer Wilson, Aaron D. Hawley ( Hurley) of Louisa County, and Joseph Neal of Washington County as commissioners.
February 12, 1847
An Act to locate a State road from Wallings Landing to Columbus City, and appoints Benjamin Stoddard, Jeremiah Fish, and Aaron D. Hawley as commis- sioners to locate the road.
February 22, 1847
An Act providing for laying off counties into County Commissioner Districts.
February 22, 1847
An Act dividing the State into Congressional Districts, the Second District was composed of the counties of Clinton, Dubuque, Delaware, Johnson, Clayton, Jones, Linn, Powesheik, Benton, Iowa, Jackson, Cedar. Scott, Muscatine, Wash- ington, Louisa and Des Moines and all the country north of a line from the northwest corner of the county of Polk running west to the Missouri River.
January 22, 1848
Joint resolution asking our delegation in Congress to use their endeavors to obtain a grant of 10,000 acres of land for the improvement of Muscatine Island on the Mississippi river.
January 22, 1848
An Act to review a part of the state road from Walling's Landing to Column- bus City, and appointing Benjamine Stoddard and Zachariah Kurts and Aaron D. Hawley as commissioners.
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