USA > Iowa > Dallas County > The History of Dallas County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. > Part 46
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356
HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
Cultivation and general improvement also had become greatly advanced, so that evident signs of enterprise and civilization on a more than ever ex- tensive scale became apparent, giving encouraging promise for the future.
People from other States and other parts of this State now began to dis- cover indeed that Dallas county, with her fertile prairies, excellent timber and water privileges, and numerous other natural advantages, afforded some of the finest opportunities of any locality in the State or western country for the investment of money in real estate or the procuring of desirable, comfortable homes which would soon become greatly increased in value,' and salable in market at the highest figures. Besides, being located so near the center of the State it was becoming apparent to many of the more sagacious ones that at no distant day this locality would not be far from the capital city, at least near enough to secure the increased value and ready sale of land after the lapse of a few years, though it was not until five years afterward that the seat of government was finally located at Des Moines (January 15, 1855).
This brought into the county a rapid increase of land owners within the few following years, many of whom became permanent settlers and estimable citizens, and many others who only entered or purchased the best lands there to be found, and held these for speculation, which proved in some respects a benefit, and in others a great injury to the county's progress.
· The crop was again good this year, and everything went on prosperously in view of the coming bountiful harvest. Mills went up rapidly in various localities, rendering milling privileges comparatively convenient to all set- tlements in the county. Roads were being laid out and worked, and tem- porary bridges constructed in different localities for the convenience of travel. Schools and school-houses were rapidly increasing, and conve- niences for public worship multiplied. Manufactories of various kinds began to be talked of by the more enterprising men of some capital, and the general work of improvement and civilization progressed most en- couragingly.
The summer season was oppressively hot, and the great increase of immigration into the county and country round about, together with the demands of the immense rush of California emigrants passing through here for grain and breadstuffs during the spring and preceding fall, the surplus crop of the previous year was quite exhausted before the new crop came into market, and as a consequence prices ruled very high here for all such products during the summers of 1850 and the following year. Corn sold at times as high as $1.50 per bushel, and flour was ready sale at $7.00 per cwt.
Mills and markets had now come almost to the doors of the settlers, and the thing of chief importance was to raise products to supply these markets.
THE FIRST DEED.
Early in the year of 1850, also, the first conveyance of real estate in the county, of which any record is found, was made, the deed of which bears date of February 13, 1850. The grantors were Judah Leaming, Jr., and wife, and the grantee was Martin Tucker, of Polk county.
The property thus conveyed was the southwest quarter of section twenty-
357
HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
three (23), township eighty-one (81), range twenty-six (26), containing one hundred and sixty (160) acres, for the consideration of one hundred dollars ($100). The deed was acknowledged before Judah Leaming, Sr., an acting justice of the peace, living in Des Moines township of this county.
Soon after this, and during the same spring, another transfer of real estate was made in the county, in what is now Washington township, by one Samuel Marrs, to David M. Starbuck, 160 acres, for the sum of $150, and other minor considerations as specified in the following agreement between the parties. It appears that this was only a claim disposed of, and no deed was given at the time; but a written statement of the agreement between the two parties was given by the one selling to the one purchasing, to bind the bargain and make sure the transfer for all time.
Of said paper the following is an exact transcript from the original:
Adel, Dallas County Iowa.
nown by all men of theas prents I Samuel Marrs have Sold my Came ling in Section thirteen two David M Starbuck witch Marrs Agreas two furnish one thousand rails on said Came this being All the Came that the said Marrs oans in the County of Dallas this Apel the 24. . 1850 Samuel Marrs
April the 24. . 1850
Received of D M Starbuck one hundred and fifty dollars being the ful amount that he was two give for said Came.
Samuel Marrs
The original paper, from which the above was copied, is still in the pos- session of Mrs. W. H. Murphy, of Washington township (formerly Mrs. D. M. Starbuck), which she holds as a choice memento of earlier days, when her former husband secured the possession of the land which has pro- duced the comfortable home where she now lives as Mrs. Murphy.
The original paper is now well worn and rusty in appearance, but tells, as plainly and unmistakably as it did the day it was written, the intent for which it was given to the purchasing party.
THE ELECTIONS OF 1850.
During this year there were, in all, five different elections held, three of which were special elections called by the board of county commissioners to fill vacancies caused principally by the resignation of officers going to the gold-fields, or, for other reasons, moving away from the county.
The first election held this year was the one before mentioned as being called by the board to be held February 23, 1850, to elect a sheriff in place of Samuel Marrs, resigned.
The voting precincts were three in number, as before, Penoach, Boone and Des Moines.
There were in all, ninety-two (92) votes cast of which Horatio Morrison (Whig) received 55, Thomas Butler (Dem.) received 36, and Eli Smithson received 1 vote, giving Morrison a majority of 19 votes, and therefore duly electing him sheriff.
The sheriff elect came here from Missouri with a large family in 1848, and is described by one who knew him well as being " a genial, whole- souled, kindly, loquacious, vis a vis sort of a man, who to be known was to be respected. But alas for poor humanity! The 'social glass,' one of the engines of satan to polute and destroy God's noblest work and world, beset his pathway and quickened his footsteps to the threshold of eternity. Mor- rison held the office only a few months, he too having resigned, and, in
358
HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
company with his son James, went to California in the spring of 1850, a .'gold-hunter,' where he died a few years later."
At the April election following, there were ninety-two votes cast, the polling places remaining the same as at the previous election.
The office of sheriff being again vacant, the board of commissioners or- dered that the place be filled at this election.
A school-fund commissioner was also elected, together with other minor officers of county and townships, the statistics regarding which we have not been able to procure.
The following table shows the vote as cast for the candidates of the above named offices:
NAMES OF CANDIDATES.
No. of Votes.
Major- ity.
Sheriff :
William Ellis (Whig).
54
17
John W. Hayes (Dem.).
37
John Banks (Dem.). .
1
School Fund Commissioner:
Benjamin Greene (Whig).
49
7
John James (Dem.) .
42
J. C. Goodson (Dem.)
17
It appears a disagreement arose between the members of the board of canvassers, with regard to the poll-book of Penoach township, which re- sulted in its rejection.
This did not effect the result with regard to the county officers, but an- nulled the vote as to some of the minor offices in that particular township, which caused quite little disturbance and brought the matter to test.
Eli Smithson had been elected a justice of the peace at this time, and did not feel disposed to submit thus to be counted out and ruthlessly de- prived of his honors and profits without ascertaining definitely the reasons why it was done.
So with his official bond properly made out and duly signed according to law, he appeared with it before S. K. Scovell, clerk, to be qualified and re- ceive his proper commission for said office. The clerk, on his dignity, re- fused to sign it, or recognize his right to the demands.
Smithson appealed to the authority of the district judge, Wm. McKay, who straightway ordered the clerk to count Penoach township as in order in the regular election returns.
But rather than submit to this and thus "come down a peg" from his assumed dignity, Scovell resigned both clerkships which he had so long held, and left the two offices of district and commissioners' clerk vacant.
On May 13th, following, the board appointed Benjamin Greene to fill his place as commissioners' clerk, and on the same day the rejected poll- book was accepted, Eli Smithson was duly commissioned a justice of the peace, and all the other offices in dispute were declared duly filled by those receiving the majority vote for each respectively.
The August election of 1850 was also the State election at which time the entire list of State officers were again to be chosen.
The voting precincts remained as before, three in number, and there were in all one hundred and twelve (112) votes cast in the county, of which
359
HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
Penoach precinct cast fifty-two (52), Boone thirty-four (34), and Des Moines precinct twenty-six (26) votes.
We have not been able to ascertain the exact number of votes cast for each office, but give below the names of candidates voted for, at this time, indicating the county officers elected.
STATE TICKET.
COUNTY TICKET.
For Governor: Stephen Hempstead (Dem.). James L. Thompson (Whig).
District Clerk: Andrew Schouten (Whig), elected. S. K. Scovell (Dem.).
Secretary of State: Geo. W. McCleary. Isaac Cook.
Sheriff: Irwin C. Hughes (Dem.), elected. Levi A. Davis (Whig).
Auditor of State: William Pattee. Wm. H. Seevers.
County Commissioner :
J. C. Corbell (Dem.), elected. Tristram Davis (Whig).
Treasurer of State: Israel Kister. Evan Jay.
County Surveyor :
S. K. Scovell (Dem.), elected. O. D. Smalley (Dem.).
Treasurer of Board of Public Works:
George Gillaspy. James Nosler.
Congressmen : Barnhart Henn. George G. Wright. State Legislators : W. W. Williamson (Whig). Taylor Seargent (Whig). S. K. Guiberson (Dem.), elected. L. W. Babbitt (Dem.), elected.
The above are the fullest statistics we have been able to procure with re- gard to this election. But so far as learned there was no unusual excite- ment or events of special importance, aside from the usual programme at regular fall elections, and all passed off in a quiet and peaceable manner.
The election of William Thompson to a seat in the 31st Congress from the first district of Iowa, was contested by his opponent, Daniel F. Miller, which resulted in the unseating of Thompson and the calling of a new election, by the Governor, to fill the vacancy.
This special election was held September 24, 1850, with the following re- sults :
FOR CONGRESSMAN.
No. of Votes.
Major- ity.
Daniel F. Miller (Whig).
38
5
William Thompson (Dem)
33
Delazon Smith (Independent).
2
Miller was duly elected and took his seat in the second session of the 31st Congress.
Soon afterward three other vacancies in the county offices occurred on account of the resignation of Andrew Schouten, district clerk; Samuel
360
HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
Dilly, treasurer and recorder; and S. K. Scovell, county surveyor. To fill these vacancies, another special election was called by the board of commis- sioners, which was held November 19, 1850. The townships remained as before- Penoach, Boone, and Des Moines-and there was only twenty-one (21) votes cast in all. S. K. Scovell was elected to fill the two offices of district clerk and treasurer and recorder, receiving eighteen (18) votes for the former and twelve (12) votes for the latter office; and O. D. Smalley was duly elected surveyor by seven (7) votes. This was the fifth and last election held in Dallas county during the year 1850.
We have aimed to follow the elections, during the first four years of the county's existence and history, as accurately and minutely as possible, in view of the great difficulties under which we have labored in tracing these up and obtaining the necessary statistics. Doubtless, occasional mistakes and omissions will appear, which it has been impossible to prevent, but in main the above report is correct.
To follow this plan through, year by year until the present, giving the minutiæ of all the election returns, would require much more space, time and labor than can possibly be devoted to it in this work. Besides, it would neither prove interesting nor profitable to any of the parties concerned to pursue such a statistical course.
The particulars of these first few years have been given, thinking they would prove of especial interest to each reader, but quite enough of this has already been given to show the youthful condition and growth of the county.
We insert, further on, the substance of election abstracts of a few years later, and also the general result of the last year's election, to show the rapid increase of voters, population and general growth of the county, together with a full list of county officers from the first to the present.
THE FIRST PROBATE.
Probate business was not very extensive during the first years of the county's existence. In fact, no cases appear on record as having been ad- justed until after the office of probate judge was abolished and the duties pertaining to it were turned over to the county judge in 1851.
Lloyd D. Burns was elected the first county judge in August, 1851, and by him, on the 12th day of September following, was the first probate on record in the county, which was the appointment of William W. Miller as the guardian of the minor children of Eli Smithson, deceased; Solomon Runyan as the administrator of the estate, and Rice R. Turner as the gen- eral executor.
The first will admitted to probate was that of Massom Bilderback, the duplicate of which appears in full on the probate record in the clerk's office as the first one recorded in Dallas county. It was made October 14, 1851, and recorded November 17, 1851. A number of others soon followed, however, and probate business of different kinds has filled many pages of the county records from that until the present time.
THE FIRST FERRY.
On March 6, 1850, license was granted by the board of county commis- sioners for running the first ferry boat in the county, as is shown by the following order copied from the minute-book in the auditor's office:
361
HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
Ordered, That Horatio Morrison be, and he is hereby, licensed and permitted to keep a ferry across the North Raccoon river, where the State road runs across said river, at the town of Adel, for the term of five years, from the 6th day of March, 1850, by the said Horatio Mor- rison paying into the county treasury of said county two dollars annually, and obtaining a license from the clerk of said board; and the rates established for ferrying by said board, as follows, to-wit:
For a four-horse team and wagon. 50 cents.
For a two-horse team and wagon. 35 cents.
For a horse and man 15 cents.
For a footman 5 cents.
In January, 1851, this ferry changed into the hands of Eli Smithson, who obtained permission to run it on pretty much the same terms for ten years, only the board took pains to specify that "the ferry was to be supplied with one good boat, at least thirty-five (35) feet long by nine (9) feet wide, to be propelled by hand-power or rope; also one skiff or canoe, good and sufficient."
RATES OF FERRIAGE.
For footmen, each 5 cents.
Man and horse. 10
One-horse carriage 25 66
Two horses and wagon
35 66
Same for oxen as horses.
Neat cattle, per head
5
66
Sheep and swine, per head.
3 66
"The applicant to give bonds in the penalty of three hundred ($300) dollars."
This ferry afforded the first, and for a long time the only, means in the county for crossing the river otherwise than by fording, which was often impracticable as well as dangerous on account of high water. Smithson died in the following August, and this ferry again changed hands.
VALUATION OF OUT-LOTS.
The following order of the board of commissioners, fixing the price of town lots in Adel, issued July 7, 1851, shows their valuation at that time:
Ordered, That the out-lots in the town of Adel be valued at the following prices, to-wit: That Lots Nos. 6 and 16-28 be valued at ($20) twenty dollars each. Lots Nos. 4, 5 and 8-14 be valued at ($30) thirty dollars each. Lot No. 3 at ($25) twenty-five dollars. Lot No. 1 at ($12) twelve dollars. Lot No. 2 at ($10) ten dollars. Lots Nos. 7 and 11 at ($15) fifteen dollars each.
And that Lot No 15 is granted to the M. E. Church at Congress price. (Paid.)
STATISTICS.
It will be remembered that at the first election in Dallas county, April 5, 1847, there were only (25) twenty-five votes cast; and at the first presiden- tial election, November 7th, 1848, there were (57) fifty-seven votes cast; while in August, 1850, at the State election, there were (112) one hundred and twelve votes cast.
There is a missing link in the election returns, after the year 1850, caused by a failure to record or preserve some of the abstracts during that time, so that we have been unable to procure the complete returns. The follow- ing abstracts show the healthful increase of votes in the county during the succeeding six years :
362
HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
THIRD PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
Abstract of votes cast November 4, 1856.
STATE OF IOWA, SS.
DALLAS COUNTY.
The undersigned Board of County Canvassers for the county aforesaid, do hereby certify that we have this day duly canvassed the returns of the elections held in the several town- ships in said county, on the first Tuesday following the first Monday, the 4th day, of Novem- ber, A. D. 1856, and find the result for electors of President and Vice-President of the United States as follows to-wit:
Whole number of votes cast for electors of President and Vice-President (826) eight hun- dred and twenty-six; of which J. C. Hall and James Grant, senatorial electors, each received (319) three hundred and nineteen votes.
D. O. Finch of First Congressional District, and A. H. Palmer of Second Congressional District, each received (319) three hundred and nineteen votes.
Daniel F. Miller and Henry O'Conner, senatorial electors, each received (487) four hundred and eighty-seven votes.
Wm. M. Stone of First Congressional District, and Samuel A. Russell of Second Con- gressional District, each received (487) four hundred and eighty-seven votes.
John P. Cook and Wm. F. Gaff, senatorial electors, each received (20) twenty votes.
S. G. McAchran of First Congressional District, and Isaac Booth of Second Congressional District, each received (20) twenty votes.
In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our official signature and caused to be affixed the seal of the County Court of said county, at Adel, this eighth day of November, 1856.
LLOYD D. BURNS, County Judge,
STEPHEN PEABODY, J. P., County Canvassers.
NATHAN B. NICHOLS, J. P.,
"ABSTRACT
Of the election held in the several townships in the county of Dallas, in the State of Iowa, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, A. D. 1856, for electors of President and Vice-President of the United States":
Buchanan and Breckenridge.
Fremont and Dayton.
Fillmore and Donaldson.
Presidential Elec- tors.
Presidential Elec- tors.
Presidential Elec- tors.
J. C. Hall.
James Grant.
D. O. Finch
A. H. Palmer.
D. F. Miller.
H. O'Conner.
Wm. M. Stone.
S. A. Russell.
J. P. Cook.
Wm. F. Gaff.
S. G. McAchran.
Isaac Booth.
Congressional District.
Ist
2d 171
168
168 62
2d 168 62
5
5
1st 5
2d 5
Boone .
20
20
20
20
62
Union.
40
40
40
40
146
146
146
7
7
7
7
Sugar Grove.
31
31
31
31
42
Dallas.
17
17
17
17
30
42 30
30
30
Des Moines
40
40
40
40
39
39
39
39
3
3
3
3
319
487
20
1stl 168 62 146 42
42
5
5
5
5
Penoach
171
171
171
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS AND TOWNSHIPS.
At this election, also, on the fourth day of November, 1856, Dallas county cast (812) eight hundred and twelve votes for delegate to the constitutional
363
HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
convention from the twenty-seventh senatorial district-consisting of Polk, Dallas and Guthrie counties-of which
M. M. Crocker received 327 votes, and Thomas Seeley received 485 votes. The following table, as taken from the abstract on file, shows the entire vote of the senatorial district:
DELEGATE TO CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, 1856.
NAMES OF COUNTIES.
M. M. Crocker.
Thomas Seeley.
Thos. H. Seeley.
Polk County
1001
950
6
Dallas County
327
485
Guthrie County.
205
197
Total.
1533
1632
6
At the election previous, held August, 1856, the following vote was cast for the respective candidates and offices:
NAMES OF CANDIDATES.
NO. VOTES
NO. VOTES
Secretary of State:
Representative in Congress :
332
Elisha Sells. 454
Samuel R. Curtis. 455
Auditor of State:
Representative, 36th District :
James Pollard.
336
Wm. L. Henderson. 335
John Pattee .. 454
Benjamin Greene. 442
Treasurer of State :
District Clerk:
George Paul.
336
O. D. Smalley.
352
M. L. Morris. 454
Cole Noel. 414
Attorney General:
Prosecuting Attorney :
James Baker
336
Jeremiah Perkins. 456
Samuel A. Rice 454
H. C. Rippy.
324
State Senator:
Theophilus Bryan
187
James Jordon.
200
Cole Noel was duly elected district clerk by a majority of 62 votes, and Jeremiah Perkins, prosecuting attorney, by a majority of 132 votes.
Benjamin Greene received a majority of 107 votes in his own county, and a much larger one in the District, which included Dallas, Polk and Guth- rie counties, and altogether gave him 1539 votes, to 1242 cast for Mr. Hen- derson, securing Greene a seat in the Assembly.
The board of county canvassers at this election were, L. D. Burns, County Judge; David M. Starbuck, J. P .; John T. Alexander, J. P.
The population, at that date, would number at least four thousand, and the general cultivation and improvement of the county had advanced in proportion to the greatly increased number of inhabitants.
Reaching forward, then, from the date of the Presidential election in 1856, over a scope of twenty years, to the eighth Presidential election held in Dallas county, and noting the Presidential vote, the following results
George Snyder. 337
Augustus Hall.
364
HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
appear, which indicate at a glance the remarkable growth of the county from its organization to the present:
PRESIDENTIAL VOTES.
The following are the votes cast for the Presidency in Dallas county since 1848:
1848. Taylor Cass ..
34
Van Buren .. 1- 57
1852. Pierce, Scott and Hale. Abstract missing.
1856. Buchanan
Fremont.
Fillmore 20- 826
1860. Lincoln
612
1864. Lincoln
632 328- 960
1868. Grant .
1254
1872. Grant
1620 O'Connor
45-2229
1876.
Håyes.
Tilden.
752
451-3339
In 1876 the following is an abstract of the official vote:
NAMES OF CANDIDATES.
NO. VOTES
NO. VOTES
Presidential Electors at Large :
JOHN VAN VALKENBURG . 2136
WILLIAM P. HEPBURN 2136
John P. Irish. .. 752
Daniel F. Miller
752
A. M. Dawley
451
P. C. Welch. 451
District Electors, 6th District :
W. O. CROSBY 2136
T. B. Perry 752
J. W. Murphy 451
Secretary of State:
JOSIAH T. YOUNG. . 2137
John H. Stubenrauch 755
A. Macready. .. 452
Auditor of State:
BUREN R. SHERMAN 2137
William Groneway. 754
Leonard Brown .. 452
Treasurer of State :
GEO. W. BEMIS .. 2137
Wesley Jones 750
George C. Fry. . 452
Register of State Land Office :
DAVID SECOR. . 2137
N. C. Ridenour 754
Geo. M. Walker. 448
Attorney General:
JOHN F. MCJUNKIN 2137
J. C. Cook. 755
Supreme Judge-(Cole Vacancy) :
WILLIAM H. SEEVERS. . 2135
Walter I. Hayes. 754
Charles Negus. 5
Judge Supreme Court :
WILLIAM H. SEEVERS. 2135
Walter I. Hayes. 754
Charles Negus. 452
Supreme Judge-(Vacancy 1879) :
JAMES H. ROTHROCK. 2136
William Graham 754
O. R. Jones. .. 453
Superintendent of Public Instruction : CARL W. VON COELLN. 2132
J. A. Nash. 458
Representative in Congress :
H. J. B. CUMMINGS. 2061
S. J. Gilpin 765
A. Hastie. 505
Circuit Judge : JOHN MITCHELL 2160
· Clerk of Courts :
A. C. HOTCHKISS 2194
A. R. Smalley. 1238
Recorder :
J. W. MATTOX ..
2163
Preston Bilderback 1164
Board of Supervisors :
JACOB STUMP.
1766
Stevens.
1532
319
487
Douglas 434-1046
McClellan
Seymour 590-1844
Greeley 564
2136
Cooper.
22
NOTE .- Republicans in SMALL CAPITALS; Democrats in Italics ; Greenbackers in Roman type.
ABSTRACT OF VOTES CAST AT THE GENERAL ELECTION, OCTOBER 8, 1878.
Represen- tative in Secretary Congress -7th dis.
Auditor of State.
Treasurer of State.
Register of State Judge of Land Of- fice.
Attorney- General.
Clerk of the Su- preme Court.
Reporter of the Supreme Court.
District Judge- 5th Dist.
Cir.Judge -2d Cir- cuit, 5th Dist.
Dis. Att'y Clerk of
County
Member of Board
5th Dist. the Cou's. |Recorder| of Super-
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