USA > Iowa > Marion County > The History of Marion County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, & C. > Part 45
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At the meeting of the commissioners on the 2d day of March, 1846, the county was subdivided into election precincts as follows:
Lake Precinct-Township 77, range 18, and all of townships 75 and 76 range 18, lying north of the Des Moines River; elections to be held at the house of Samuel Peters; judges, Samuel Peters, Asa Koons and Jacob C. Brown.
Red Rock Precinct-Township 77, range 19, township 76, range 19, and all of township 77, range 20, east of the old Indian boundary line and north of the Des Moines River; elections to be held at the house of Robert D. Russell; judges, James Chesnut, Claiborn Hall and Reuben Mathews.
861
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
Gopher Prairie Precinct- All west of the old Indian boundary line and north of the river; elections to be held at the house of Asa Hughes; judges, Asa Hughes, Alfred Vertrice and Joshua Lindsey.
Pleasant Grove Precinct-All of Marion county and the attached portion thereof south of the river and north and west of Whitebreast Creek; elec- tions to be held at the house of Wm. Glenn; judges, Wm. M. Young, John P. Glenn and William Glenn.
Knoxville Precinct-Township 75, range 19, and township 76, range 19, south of the Des Moines River and south and east of Whitebreast Creek, and all of townships 75 and 76, range 20, east of the old Indian boundary line; elections to be held at the place of holding the District Court; judges, Lawson G. Terry, Landon J. Burch and Moses Tong.
English Precinct-All of the county and attached portions thereof, west of the old Indian boundary line and sonth and east of Whitebreast Creek; elections to be held at the house ot William Tibbott; judges, Wm. Tibbott, Elisha B. Ryan and Samuel Nicholson.
Round Grove Precinct-Township 74, range 19, and all of township 74, range 20, east of the old Indian boundary line; elections to be held at the house of Alexander May; judges, Alexander May, John T. Pierce and Jer- emiah Gullian.
Cedar Precinct-Township 74, range 18, and all of township 75, range 18, south of the Des Moines River; elections to be held at the house of Jasper Koons; judges, Joseph Clark, David T. Durham and Francis A. Barker.
At a meeting of the commissioners in April, 1846, the county was subdi- vided into road districts as follows:
Township 77, range 18, and all of township 76, range 18, north of a line running west of the southeast corner of section 12, to constitute district No. 1; supervisor, Samuel Peters.
All of township 76, range 18, south of a line running west from the southeast corner of section 12 and north of the river, and all of township 75, range 18, north of the river, to constitute district No. 2; supervisor, Wm Welch.
District No. 3, Red Rock precinct; supervisor, Claiborn Hall.
District No. 4, Gopher Prairie precinct; Joshua Lindsey supervisor.
District No. 5, Pleasant Grove precinct; Wm. M. Young supervisor.
District No. 6, Knoxville precinct; L. M. Pierce supervisor.
District No. 7, English precinct; Wm. Tibbott supervisor.
District No. 8, Round Grove precinct; David Sweem supervisor.
District No. 9, all of townships 75 and 76, range 18, south of Des Moines River; Jobn Wise supervisor.
District No. 10, township 74, range 18; Hugh Glenn, supervisor.
It may strike the reader that these were very large road districts, and they were when compared with the present road districts which now are about four sections square. But it must be remembered that in those days there were very few roads laid out and those which were laid out were very seldom worked. The whole country was open, and if there chanced to be a bad place in the road it was easy to go around it.
Among the first and most important business of the commissioners was the location of roads. One can scarcely overestimate the importance which attached to the location of the first county roads. They were more import- ant in those days when they were the avenues for the conveyance of all
362
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
kinds of produce than they are now when wagon conveyance is but for a short distance, and railroads do the greater part of the work. These first roads were important, too, in that a road well located becomes a permanent thing; fields were laid off, farms shaped, buildings erected, and even towns laid off with reference to it. It will, therefore, readily be seen that the matter of the location of some of the first roads in the county is of sufficient importance to be considered here.
The first county road laid out in Marion county led from the house of Samuel Nicholson to Knoxville. It run in a northwestern direction, and was some eight miles in length. It was viewed and surveyed according to the order of the county commissioners, the report of the view and survey being dated January 15, 1846.
The following are the reports, verbatim:
"January 15, 1846: I doo hear by assertify that the above is the true bearing and distances of the county road beginning at Samuel Nicholsons and terminating at Nowville the county seat of Marion county and that this is a true platte of the same.
" ISAAC B. POWER, "County Surveyor."
"Jannary 15, 1846: We, the undersigned, called on to vue and lay out & county road, commencing at Samuel Nicholsons, running to Noxville by the way of John Conrey's claime. We doo further more assertify that we have vued and layed out the above road which we believe to be of jeneral utility to the county of Marion and thear fore repoart favorabel.
"R. I .. LOWRY. "G. W. CLARK."
In the spring of the same year the board of commissioners ordered Isaac B. Power and Francis A. Barker to survey, and John Pearce, John Conrey and J. B. Hamilton to view a proposed road leading from the east line of Marion county to Knoxville. The following is a report of the viewers:
" This is to certify that we, John Hamilton, John Conrey, and John T. Pears, was appointed by the board of county commissioners of Marion county to view and locate a county road commencing at Joseph McPhearsons, near the county line of Marion and Mahaska counties to Knoxville. John Ham- ilton and John Conrey met according to the order of said board, after being sworn proseeded to view said road and believe it would be of utility to the publick in general. Given under our hands this 26th day of September, 1846. " JOHN CONREY. "J. B. HAMILTON."
Among the other duties of the commissioners was that of registering ear. marks. This is something with which the people of the county have noth- ing to do at the present day and while it will be a matter of interest to the older settlers it will be necessary to make some explanation for the benefit of those who have come to the country in more recent times. During the first settlement of the country people were able to enclose with fence only a small portion of land, all of which was cultivated. Cattle, hogs and stock of all kinds were permitted to run at large. During this state of affairs it was of no unusual occurrence for stock to get together and disputes fre-
863
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
quently occured as to the ownership and identity of stock. To remedy this difficulty as much as possible it was provided by law that the owner of stock might choose any particular ear-mark not already registered and af- ter that no one else was allowed to use that particular mark. Of course it was equivalent to theft for any individual to to put his ear-mark on any stock which did not belong to him and such an offense was punishable by heavy penalty. After an ear-mark had been registered with the board of commissioners, it was prima facie evidence of ownership when found on a horse, cow, hog or any other animal. Deeming this explanation sufficient we proceed to give a number of ear-marks as registered.
"TERRITORY OF IOWA, "MARION COUNTY.
"ANNY JONES, recorder of ear-mark. "On the sixth day of January, 1846, Anny Jones made return of her ear- mark for hogs, cattle, etc., to be recorded, which is as follows; to-wit., a swollow-fork in the left ear.
"L. W. BABBITT, "Clerk Board of Commissioners.
" JOHN JONES, recorder of ear-mark. "On the sixth day of January, 1847, John Jones made return of his ear- mark for hogs, cattle, etc., to be recorded as follows; to-wit., an under-bit in the left ear and a slit in the right ear.
"L. W. BABBITT. "Clerk Board of Commissioners.
" JOHN M. JONES, recorder of ear-mark. " On the sixth day of January, 1846, John M. Jones made return of his ear-mark for hogs, cattle, etc., to be recorded, which is as follows; to-wit., a swallow-fork in the left ear and a square-crop off the right ear. "L. W. BABBITT, "Clerk Board of Commissioners.
LANDON J. BURCH, recorder of car-mark.
"On the fifth day of February, 1846, Landon J. Burch made his return of his ear-mark for cattle, hogs, etc., to be recorded, which is as follows; to-wit., a smooth-crop off the left ear and an under-bit in the right ear.
"L. W. BABBITT, "Clerk Board of Commissioners.
" MARTIN NEEL, recorder of ear-mark.
" On the first day of April, 1846, Martin Neel made return of his ear- mark for cattle, hogs, etc., to be recorded, which is as follows; to-wit., a crop off the right ear.
" L. W. BABBITT, "Clerk Board of Commissioners."
It seems that Mr. Babbitt was not only a county official but also a stock- breeder, he not only registered ear-marks, but was likewise an owner of ear- marks, as witness the following:
" L. W. BABBITT, recorder of ear-mark.
"On the fourth day of April, 1846, L. W. Babbitt made return of his ear-
364
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
mark for cattle, hogs, etc., to be recorded, which is as follows; to-wit., au upper-bit in each ear.
"L. W. BABBITT. "Clerk Board of Commissioners."
Another part of the business of the commissioners was the licensing of groceries and ferries. The term " grocery " had a specific meaning in early days. A license to keep a grocery carried with it the permit to sell whisky. Groceries were usually licensed for a period of three months at a time and a fee of two dollars was charged.
In those days there were no bridges and in crossing the larger streams the traveler had to depend on ferries. It not only required considerable capital to equip a ferry, but necessitated quite an outlay to maintain it. In order to protect the owner of a ferry froin ruinons competition and the traveler from exorbitant charges it was customary for the board of county commis- sioners to license a certain individual, giving him the exclusive right to op- erate a ferry at some important point and prescribed the rate of ferriage to be charged. A ferry license usually cost two dollars and the schedule of prices to be charged were generally as follows:
One footman 61 cents.
One man on horse. 124 cents.
One wagon and two horses 25 cents.
One wagon and four horses 50 cents.
Cattle per head. 5 cents.
Hogs and sheep per head
3 cents.
By this manner of supervision the county realized considerable revenue from licenses and the traveling public were protected from avaricious and grasping ferrymen. Some of these more important ferries along the Des Moines River in the county still retain the names of their former owners. Among others we mention the following: Wilson's Ferry, Keables' Ferry, Horn's Ferry and Durham's Ferry, the last being on the direct road from Knoxville to Oskaloosa.
SECOND ELECTION.
The first officers of the county, as has already been intimated, were chosen at a special election and held their positions only till the next regular elec- tion. This occurred Angust 3, 1846, consequently the first county offi- cials served less than a year for their first term of office. Prior to the time for holding this election, on the fifteenth of July, L. W. Babbitt, clerk of the board of county commissioners, wrote the following, addressed to the various judges and clerks of election; it will be seen by perusing the docu- ment that Mr. Babbitt did not presume much on the knowledge of the persons addressed:
"To the judges and clerks of election:
"When the hour arrives for opening the polls, if all of the judges are not present those present will appoint a justice of the peace to act as judge, but if there be no justice present then the judge or judges will appoint some discreet person or persons, having the qualifications of electors, to act as judge or judges. He will then take and subscribe to the oath on page seven of the poll-book. The oath will be administered by some person an-
865
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
thorized to administer oaths, if there be any such person present, but if there be no such person present then the judges will administer the oath to each other. The person administering the oath must sign the certifi- cate on page seven of the poll-book and attach thereto his official capacity. If the oath be administered by one of the judges to the other judges and the clerks, one of the judges so sworn must administer the oath to the judge who administered the oath to him, and another oath and certificate must be written out, the oath must be signed by the judge to whom it is admin- istered, and the certificate must be signed by the judge administering the path. In signing the poll-books the judges and clerks must, in all cases, attach their official capacity. The clerks will be appointed by the judges. They must have the qualifications of electors, and must be sworn. The judges will cause the blanks in the heading of the poll-books to be filled with their names and the names of the clerks. The judges will then cause the polls to be opened by proclamation. The polls will be opened at nine o'clock in the morning and closed at six o'clock in the afternoon. Half an hour before the closing of the polls the judges will cause it to be proclaimed that the polls will close in half an hour.
"All electors who have resided in the Territory thirty days next preceding the election are entitled to vote. If the vote of anyone is challenged by an elector who has previously voted, or by one of the judges, such a person will not be allowed to vote unless he shall take the following oath-here follows the prescribed oath. Immediately after the polls are closed the judges will proceed to count the votes cast at the election. The clerks will write down the names of all persons voted for under the head of 'persons voted for,' and carry out the number of votes each person received in a line with his name, under the head of 'tally of votes,' and write down the office for which such person received such vote or votes, under the head of offices,' on page four and five of the poll-book. After the votes are all' counted the clerks will write down the name of every person voted for, the office for which such person received such vote or votes, and the number he did receive, written out at full length, under the form on page six of the poll-books. The judges will then certify the statements therein made to be correct and sign the same and the clerks will attest and sign the same. After the votes are all counted and the returns made out as herein- before required, the judges will enclose and seal one of each of the poll-books under cover, directed to the clerk of the board of county commission- ers of Marion county. The judges will then appoint one of their number or one of the clerks to convey the packet thus sealed to the clerk afore- said, and to deliver the same to said clerk at his office within nine days from the closing of the polls. The other poll-books and papers will be deposited with one of the judges and by him safely preserved for a period of forty days, during which time the same will be subject to the inspection of any person who may wish to examine the same.
"Knoxville, July 15, A. D. 1846.
" L. W. BABBITT "Ex officio Clerk."
At this election the county was subdivided into eight election precincts, similar to those which were designated by the commissioners at their meeting in March, as already given, with the exception of English pre- cinct, whose boundaries had, in the meantime, been slightly changed so as to take in a small portion of the county which had been inadvertently left out; the name of the precinct also was changed to that of Liberty.
866
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
This being the first regular election we deem it of sufficient importance to give a brief synopsis of the vote and election officers in each precinct, as follows:
KNOXVILLE PRECINOT.
Election held at the district court room; Judges, G. W. Clark, Landon J. Burch and Moses Tong. Clerks, Isaac H. Walters and George G. Rose. Number of votes cast, 64.
The vote for the several candidates was as follows:
REPRESENTATIVE.
William Pilgrim.
33
John W. Cunningham
26
SHERIFF.
James M. Walters
88
George Gillaspy
30
COMMISSIONERS.
Hugh Glenn.
David Durham.
57
Samuel Tibbott 59
Simcon Reynolds
2
Simon Drouillard.
3
PROBATE JUDGE.
36
John Conrey
4
John F. Monohon
22
William Bassett
31
TREASURER.
David T. Durham .
58
Jacob C. Brown
1
CORONER.
Asa Koons
25
Wm. O. Williams
9
John Babcock
2
A88E88OR.
Allen Laine
42
J. T. Clark.
2
G. T. Clark
4
Joseph Olark.
COMMISSIONER'S CLERK.
57
Daniel Hiskes
8
62
Francis A. Barker
RECORDER.
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY. 367
SURVEYOR.
Isaac B. Power
33
Claiborn Hall
7
For the constitution
46
Against
11
RED BOOK PREOINOT.
Election held at the house of Benjamin Bowman; James Chesnut, Charles Sharp and Allen Tice, judges; J. S. West and J. W. Hayes, clerks. The number of votes cast was 79, distributed among the various candidates as follows: REPRESENTATIVE.
Wm. Pilgrim.
48
John W. Cunningham
31
SHERIFF.
George Gillaspy
34
James M. Walters
28
I. N. Crum
14
COMMISSIONERS.
Simeon Reynolds
71
Simon Drouillard.
57
David Durham
8
James Deweese
48
Samuel Tibbott
7
Hugh Glenn
4
Francis A .. Barker
PROBATE JUDGE.
15
John H. Bras
45
RECORDER.
J. F. Monohon
30
Wm. M. Bassett.
22
W. H. Palmer
13
TREASURER.
50
D. T. Durham
CORONER.
John Babcock
39
Asa Koons
11
Warren Mathews
ASSESSOR.
62
Allen Laine
3
COMMISSIONER'S CLERK.
62
Daniel Hiskey
Joseph Clark
11
10
J. C. Brown
868
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
SURVEYOR.
Claiborn Hall 57 J. B. Power
1
For constitution
56
Against
23
GOPHER PRAIRIE PREOINOT.
Election to be held at the house of Asa Hughes; Joshua Lindsey and John Stroup, judges; William Hughes and James M. Brous, clerks. There were 16 votes cast, distributed as follows:
REPRESENTATIVE.
John W. Cunningham
8
William Pilgrim.
6
SHERIFF.
George Gillaspy
6
James M. Walters
2
6
COMMISSIONERS.
Simon Drouillard
13
David Durham .
6
Simeon Reynolds 13
James Deweese 10
Samuel Tibbott.
1
Hugh Glenn.
1
PROBATE JUDGE.
John H. Bras
13
F. A. Barker
8
RECORDER.
Wm. H. Palmer
8
J. F. Monohon
3
Win. Bassett
1
TREASURER.
5
Jacob O. Brown
CORONER.
Asa Koons
5
John Babcock.
2
Warren Mathews
ASSESSOR.
12
Allen Lowe.
1
COMMISSIONERS' CLERK.
Joseph Clark
5
Daniel Hiskey.
10
I. N. Orum
D. T. Durham
369
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
SURVEYOR.
I. B. Power
4
Claiborn Hall
9
For constitution
10
Against constitution
6
PLEASANT GROVE PREOINOT.
Election held at the house of William Glenn; Wm. G. Young, J. P. Glenn and Wm. Young were judges; Robert M. Logan and Jesse Glenn, clerks. There were thirty-five votes cast, distributed as follows:
. -
REPRESENTATIVE.
Wm. Pilgrim.
J. W. Cunningham
8
SHERIFF.
George Gillaspy
21
J. M. Walters.
9
Imac Crum.
2
COMMISSIONERS.
Samuel Tibbott
25
David Durham ..
19
Simeon Reynolds
12
Hugh Glenn
17
PROBATE JUDGE.
Francis A. Barker.
14
J. H. Bras
8
J. F. Monohon
RECORDER.
18
Wm. H. Palmer
11
J. L. Brown
1
D. T. Durham
TREASURER.
14
J. C. Brown.
5
Ams Koons
CORONER.
14
J. Babcock
6
\88E88OR.
W. S. Mathews
9
Allen Lowe.
18
Daniel Hiskey
COMMISSIONERS' OLERK.
11
370
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
SURVEYOR.
Claiborn Hall
29 I. B. Power
9
For constitution
19
Against constitution
18
BOUND GROVE PREOINOT.
Election was held at the house of Alexander May; Alexander May, Isaac Kelsey and Jeremiah Gullian, judges; Benjamin Sherwood and James Cade, clerks. Twenty-two votes were cast:
REPRESENTATIVE.
Wm. Pilgrim.
9
J. W. Cunningham.
7
George Gillaspy
11
J. M. Walters
7
Samuel Tibbott
COMMISSIONERS.
19
Hugh Glenn
10
David Durham
17
Reuben Lowry
1
PROBATE JUDGE.
12
John Conrey
RECORDER.
J. F. Monohon
8
Wm. Bassett
10
David T. Durham
TREASURER.
16
Alex. May
1
CORONER.
Asa Koons
1
Wm. O. Williams
8
John Babcock.
2
Green T. Clark
ASSESSOR.
14
Allen Lowe.
3
Joseph Clark.
COMMISSIONERS' CLERK.
17
Claiborn Hall
SURVEYOR.
9
I. B. Power
1
6
Francis A. Barker
SHERIFF.
871
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
For constitution
18
Against constitution
4
LAKE PREOINOT.
Election held at the house of Samuel Peters; J. H. Parks, Levi Bain- bridge and Wilson Stanley judges; Wm. Welch and W. S. Mathews clerks. There were twenty-seven votes cast as follows:
REPRESENTATIVE.
Wm. Pilgrim
12
J. W. Cunningham
13
SHERIFF.
George Gillaspy
8
J. M. Walters
5
I. N. Cram
11
COMMISSIONERS.
Simeon Reynolds
18
J. M. Deweese
19
S. Drouillard 19
S. Tibbott.
3
David Durham
5
Hugh Glenn.
5
PROBATE JUDGE.
14
John Conrey.
2
F. A. Barker
6
RECORDER.
Wm. C. Palmer
10
Wm. M. Bassett
5
Jacob C. Brown
TREASURER.
17.
D. T. Durham .
5
John Babcock
6
Asa Koons
8
ASSESSOR.
17
Allen Lowe
4
COMMISSIONERS' CLERK.
17
Joseph Clark.
4
Claiborn Hall
SURVEYOR.
15
I. B. Power
5
John H. Bras
CORONER.
W. S. Mathews
Daniel Hiskey
879
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
For constitution.
14
Against constitution
10
OFDAR PREOINOT.
Election held at the house of Jasper Koons; Jasper Koons, Elias Wil. liams and David T. Durham judges; B. Williams and Charles H. Durham clerks. There were twenty-three votes cast, distributed as follows:
REPRESENTATIVE.
J. W. Cunningham
3
Wm. Pilgrim.
SHERIFF.
George Gillaspy
90
8
COMMISSIONERS.
Samuel Tibbett
Hugh Glenn.
David Durham
98
James Deweese
1
Simeon Drouillard
1
PROBATE JUDGE.
Francis A. Barker
22
John H. Bras
1
J. F. Monohon
RECORDER.
93
D. T. Durham
TREASURER.
98
Asa Koons
OORONER.
A88E880R.
Allen Lowe
22
Warren Mathews
1
Joseph Clark
COMMISSIONERS' CLERK.
Isaac B. Power
SURVEYOR.
1
Claiborn Hall
1
For constitution
11
Against constitution
11
L
LIBERTY PREOINOT. -
Election was held at the house of Conrad Peck; Benjamin Spillman,
14
J. M. Walters
378
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
:tin Neel and Francis Clements were judges; John Keneday and John enman were clerks. There were twenty-nine votes cast, as follows:
REPRESENTATIVE.
V. Cunningham
13
1. Pilgrim
9
SHERIFF.
M. Walters
13
rge Gillaspy
COMMISSIONERS.
gh Glenn
19
iuel Tibbott
22
'id Durham
19
PROBATE JUDGE.
ncis A. Barker
15
n Conrey.
RECORDER.
`. Monohon
16
r. Durham
TREASURER.
15
per Koons
CORONER.
10
, Koons
4
en Lowe
A88E88OR.
80
COMMISSIONERS' OLERK.
21
eph Clark
SURVEYOR.
. Power
14
here is no record of the vote in this precinct on the constitution.
SUMMARY.
›xville
64
| Rock
79
›her Prairie 16
asant Grove 35
ind Grove
22
27
ar
23
erty
29
Total
295
9
4
374
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
The vote received by the several candidates, and result of vote on the constitution submitted to the people was as follows:
COMMISSIONERS.
Hugh Glenn. 136
David Durham 153
Samuel Tibbott 158
Simeon Reynolds 116
Simon Drouillard
93
James Deweese
78
PROBATE JUDGE.
Francis A. Barker
129
J. H. Bras.
87
John Conrey
6
REPRESENTATIVE.
Wm. Pilgrim
153
J. W. Cunningham
109
SHERIFF.
J. M. Walters
95
George Gillaspy
165
Isaac N. Crum
33
RECORDER.
J. F. Monohon
125
W. M. Bassett 69
W. H. Palmer
42
TREASURER.
David T. Durham
J. C .. Brown
83
CORONER.
Asa Koone ..
96
John Babcock
57
W. C. Williams
17
ASSESSOR.
Allen Lowe
107
G. T. Clark. 16
W. S. Mathews
101
COMMISSIONERS' CLERK.
Joseph Clark
138
Daniel Hiskey
102
Isaac B. Power
SURVEYOR.
69
Claiborn Hall
120
145
I Overkamp
377
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
For constitution 174
Against constitution 76
With regard to this election it may be remarked that with the exception of the vote on the constitution, politics had very little to do with the vote. There were 295 votes cast to 189 at the first election, showing a gain of 108 votes in less than one year. Three persons chosen at the first election were re-elected; viz., David Durham, David T. Durham and Francis A. Barker.
Though it would doubtless be a matter of much interest to give a synopsis of the election in 1847 and 1848, it is not practicable to do so here. At an- other place we shall speak of the political history of the county, where reference will again be made to these elections.
The government of the county continued to be in the hands of the board of county commissioners, and the other county offices remained the same till 1851, when there was a revolution in county affairs. The board of county commissioners was abolished and in its stead was created the office of county judge, that official also assuming the duties of probate judge; the offices of recorder and treasurer were united, and instead of a county assessor, there were assessors for each township. We are, therefore, now led to speak of the system of county government which was in existence from August, 1851, till January 1, 1861, commonly known as the
COUNTY JUDGE SYSTEM.
The old board of county commissioners held their last meeting prior to the regular fall election which occurred on the 4th day of August, 1851. The county judge system went into effect one week from that date, August 11th. The first gentleman who filled this office was Joseph Brobst, who served till 1855; in 1855 F. M. Frush was elected and served till 1861, when the law was changed and the management of the county affairs went into the hands of a board of county supervisors, consisting of one member from each civil township.
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