USA > Iowa > Iowa County > The history of Iowa County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. > Part 50
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"JAN. 6, 1851.
"To the Honorable Commissioners of Iowa county, Iowa:
"GENTLEMEN-I have the honor to lay before you, according to the
25
:
396
HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.
requisition of law, the following condition of the treasury of Iowa county at this date.
Revenue collected for year 1845
$ 1.10
Revenue collected for 1846
1.00
Interest on same.
.60
Revenue for 1847
108.04 4.07
Interest on samne
.
Revenue for 1848
168.146
Interest on same
4.70
Revenue for 1849
172.792
Interest on same
3.74
Revenue for 1850
96.626
Total ..
$ 560.814
Commission on $560.814 at 4 per cent
22.43
Balance
$ 538.384
Ferry license
2.00
Total .
$ 540.384
Paid out to date
429.96
Amount in treasury
$ 110.424
" ROBERT MCKEE, Treasurer."
Thus we see that the county affairs, during the first ten years of the county's history, were economically managed, and that the taxes, though not very light, were somewhat less than at present, while the valuation was very many times smaller than now.
In 1858 this county, in common with a large majority of the counties of the State, engaged in the speculation of railroad building, without fully counting the cost. The old railroad corporation known as the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company proposed to build a railroad across the county, on condition that the county would issue to it, in bonds, the sum of one hundred thousand dollars. This, or a similar proposition, was accepted by a vote of the county, and the bonds were issued. It was afterward claimed that the railroad which was afterward built, and is now known as the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, did not fill the conditions of the proposition, and the county, through its board of supervisors, refused to pay the bonds. This refusal resulted in much litigation, and the super- visors, refusing to comply with certain orders of the Federal Court, were summoned to Des Moines, to answer for contempt. After much litigation and additional expense, the county officials made the proper provisions for the payment of the bonds, and this debt, which has been the source of so much excitement, is now being gradually extinguished. In order that the reader may fully understand the condition on which the bonds were voted, we give a copy of the proclamation issued by the county judge, William H. Wallace.
Before speaking more definitely of the issue of bonds to the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company, it is as well to refer to the previous at- tempt to vote aid in favor of the Lyons and Iowa Central Railroad.
397
HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.
A petition praying the county judge to submit the proposition whether the county should subscribe twenty thousand dollars to the capital stock of the Lyons and Iowa Central Railroad, was presented to Judge Wallace in August, 1853. On the 31st of August the county judge ordered an elec- tion to be held to vote on the proposition, on Saturday, the 8th day of October, 1853.
The proposition was defeated by a most decisive vote; the vote standing as follows:
For subscribing aid . 22 votes.
Against subscribing aid 127 66
The vote in 1858 on the question of issuing bonds to the amount of one hundred thousand dollars to aid in the construction of Mississippi and Missouri Railroad was taken at an election held on the 15th day of May 1858. The proposition was carried by a small majority, the vote being as follows:
For railroad bonds. 591 Against railroad bonds 517
Majority 74
The following were the official proceedings previous to the election and subsequent thereto: -
"COUNTY COURT, April 15, A. D. 1858.
"This day came Robert McKee and presented a petition signed by R. W. Wilson and others requesting that the question of taking stock to the amount of one hundred thousand dollars in the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company may be submitted to a vote of the legal voters of Iowa county, in the State of Iowa, at a special election to be held for the purpose and thereupon the following notice and proposition are hereby ordered to be published for four consecutive weeks in the Iowa Weekly Visitor, a weekly newspaper published in said county, and said notice and petitions are hereby made a matter of record as follows:
To the voters of Iowa County :
WHEREAS, a petition purporting to be signed by two hundred and ninety-four of the legal voters of Iowa county, in the State of Iowa, has been presented to the county judge of said county, asking that the question of submitting to a vote of the county, whether the county of Iowa will aid in the construction of a railroad through the same, and that said county will give such assistance by subscribing to the capital stock of the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company the sum of one hundred thousand dollars, and to issue county bonds therefor. Now, therefore, that the sense of the legal voters of said county may be taken in the premises, it is hereby,
Ordered, That an election be held in each township in said county, at the usual place of holding elections in the same, on Saturday, the 15th day of May, A. D. 1858, for the pur- pose of voting for and against the following propositions: That said county of Iowa will aid in the construction of the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad, within the limits of said county, by subscribing one hundred thousand dollars stock; that county bonds be issued therefor bearing interest at the rate of ten per cent per annum, and payable within twenty years; that an annual tax not exceeding five mills on the dollar, be levied for the payment of the interest semi-annually on said bonds; that after ten years the rate of tax for said purpose be increased to an amount not exceeding one per cent on the taxable property within said county for the purpose of paying off said bonds. and interest to be continued until said bonds and interest are all paid: Provided, that the county judge of said county may reduce the said rates in each year, in case the same will yield more than the amount required for said purpose in such year, but the
39S
HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.
rate shall in no case be less than sufficient to meet the payment of the interest and principal : and provided further, that said railroad company shall pay to said county in par stock of said railroad company, the amount of interest which said county shall be compelled to pay upon said bonds, until said road shall be completed and put in operation to Des Moines city : and provided further, that said railroad company shall issue to said county certificates of stock in said road, at the same time that the county shall issue its bonds to said company, and for an equal amount, that is one hundred thousand dollars of par stock for one hundred thous- and dollars of bonds. The manner of voting at said election shall be by ballot. Those wish- ing to vote for said proposition shall have written or printed their on ballots: 'For Railroad Stock and Tax'; and those wishing to vote against said proposition shall have written or printed on their ballots: 'Against Railroad Stock and Tax'; a majority in favor of 'Rail- road Stock and Tax' shall be considered as adopting the above propositions entire. It is also ordered that a copy of the above proposition be posted up at each place of voting dur- ing the day of election. WM. H. WALLACE, County Judge."
The above propositions were submitted to the suffrages of the county on May 15th, 1858, and resulted in carrying the proposition for railroad tax and the following will show the order of the judge further on the same question :
" STATE OF IOWA,
" IOWA COUNTY. SS.
In the matter of special railroad elec- tion of May 15th, A. D. 1858.
" Be it remembered that on the 15th day of April, A. D. 1858, came Rob- ert McKee and filed a petition asking that the question of taking stock by said county to the amount of one hundred thousand dollars in the Missis- sippi and Missouri Railroad Company may be submitted to a vote of said county at a special election of said county to be held for that purpose; and thereupon on the same day a motion and proposition was ordered to be pub- lished for four consecutive weeks in the Iowa Weekly Visitor, a weekly newspaper published in said county. And, therefore, said publication having been made, and the necessary legal requisites having been com- plied with, said election was held on said fifteenth day of May, A. D. 1858. And afterward; to wit., on the twenty-first day of May, A. D. 1858, the votes cast at said election were canvassed by William H. Wallace, as county judge, and J. R. Flangher and Wm. D. Lowridge, justices of peace of said county, as county commissioners. The result of said canvass showed that the whole number of votes cast at said election, for and against said proposi- tions, was eleven hundred and nine votes, of which 'For Railroad Stock and Tax' received five hundred and ninety-one votes, and ' Against Rail- road Stock and Tax ' received five hundred and seventeen votes and one vote scattering, which showed a majority of seventy-four votes in favor of said propositions as submitted as aforesaid. And, therefore, the court being satisfied that all the legal requirements requisite for the submission of said propositions and taking said vote have been substantially complied with, It is, therefore, hereby ordered that said propositions as adopted as aforesaid, be and the same hereby are entered at large in this 'Minute Book' of said county, said propositions being in the words and figures fol- lowing; to wit., that said county of Iowa will aid in the construction of the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company within thelimits of said county by subscribing one hundred thousand dollars stock; that county bonds shall be issued therefor bearing interest at the rate of ten per cent per annum and payable within twenty years; that an annual tax not exceeding five. mills on the dollar be levied for the payment of the interest semi-annually on said bonds. That after ten years the rate of tax for such purposes be in-
399
HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.
creased to an amount not exceeding one per cent on the taxable property within said county for the purpose of paying off said bonds and interest to be continued until said bonds and interest are all paid: provided that the county judge of said county may reduce said rates in each year, in case the same will yield more than the amount required for said purpose in each year, but the rate shall be in no case less than sufficient to meet the payment of said interest and principal: and provided further, that said railroad company shall pay to said county in par stocks of said Railroad company, the amount of interest which said county shall be compelled to pay upon said bonds until said road shall be completed and put in operation to Des Moines City : and provided further, that said railroad company shall issue to said county certificates of stock in said road at the same time that the county shall issue the bonds to said company, and for an equal amount, that is one hundred thousand dollars of par stock for one hundred thousand dollars of bonds. It is therefore considered by me, as the county judge of said county, that said propositions, as above set forth, have been adopted; and that said county of Iowa is thereby authorized to subscribe to the capital stock of said Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company the said sum of one hundred thousand dollars in accordance with the terms of said proposition. It is also hereby ordered that a notice of the adoption of said proposition's be published for four consecutive weeks in the Iowa Weekly Visitor, a weekly newspaper published in said county, and that due proof of said pub- lication be filed in this office.
" WILLIAM H. WALLACE, " County Judge.
The delivery of the bonds and their approval by Judge Wallace together with the terms and conditions are set forth in the following order of court:
" STATE OF IOWA, " IOWA COUNTY.
1; } s.
" On this sixteenth day of October, A. D. 1858, came Reuben Sears, Samuel Cooper and John M. Talbott as agents of the Mississippi and Mis- souri Railroad Company and presented the following terms and conditions respecting the delivery of the hundred thousand dollars of bonds voted by said county to said railroad company, at a special election held in said county, on the fifteenth day of May, 1858; and thereupon it is considered that said terms and conditions be and the same hereby are accepted by the undersigned, on the part of said county. Said terms and conditions are in the words and figures following; to-wit.,
"We the undersigned for and in behalf of the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company, do propose to Wm. H. Wallace, county judge of Iowa county, in the State of Iowa, the following terms and conditions respecting the delivery of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) of bonds of said Iowa county voted by the electors of said county to said company to be raised by taxation on the taxable property in said county; to-wit.,
"Proposition 1st. Said bonds shall be deposited in the hands of Ben- jamin F. Crenshaw, to be held in trust by him until the following condi- tions and terms are complied with by said railroad company.
" 2d. Certificates of the capital stock of said company to the amount of one hundred thousand dollars shall, within thirty days from this date, be issued by said company to and for the benefit of said Iowa county, and be
400
HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.
deposited in the hands of said Benjamin F. Crenshaw in trust to be de- livered to the county judge of said Iowa county upon the faithful perform- ance of all and singular the terms and conditions by said railroad company herein specified.
"3d. Work shall be commenced upon the northern line of said railroad, running near the town of Marengo, in said county, within thirty days from the deposit of said bonds as aforesaid, and said work shall be prosecuted without delay until the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) shall have been expended upon such part of said railroad as is located within said Iowa county.
"4th. Said company shall release unto said county one year's interest upon said bonds by surrendering to the county judge thereof, the coupons for the same, payable on the first day of January and first day of July next ensuing this date.
"5th. The said company within thirty days after receiving notice of the delivery of said bonds as aforesaid give its bond to said county in the penal sum of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars as collateral in the premises and conditioned for the faithful performance of the several under- takings required of said company as herein specified, and also deposit said bond with the county judge of Iowa county to be held by him for the bene- fit thereof.
"6th. Said company shall, in writing and in due form, ratify and ap- prove of all and singular the within and foregoing terms and propositions of the undersigned within thirty days from this date.
" 7th. Upon the faithful performance by said railroad company of all and singular the terms and conditions required of it as aforesaid, within the respective periods limited therefor as aforesaid, then in such case, and not otherwise, said county bonds shall be delivered to said company, and also its own collateral bond aforesaid and said certificates of stock shall there- upon be delivered to the county judge, but upon failure of said company on its part to perform promptly and faithfully all or any of the terms and conditions and undertakings required of it as aforesaid, then in such case said county bonds shall be re-delivered to said county judge for cancellation and said certificates of stock to said company. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this sixteenth day of October, A. D. 1858.
" (Signed)
" REUBEN SEARS, "SAMUEL COOPER, " J. M. TALBOTT."
"I accept of the above and foregoing, October 16, A. D. 1858.
" WM. H. WALLACE, "County Judge of Iowa county.
"It is, therefore, in consideration of the premises, hereby ordered that said one hundred thousand dollars of the bonds of said county; to-wit., one hundred bonds of one thousand dollars each of even date herewith, and numbered fron one to one hundred be executed by county judge of said county, and attested by the clerk of the county court of said county, and placed in the hands of said Benjamin F. Crenshaw, in trust, for the use and purpose and upon the terms and conditions and subject to the contin- gencies as set forth in the above mentioned terms and conditions.
"WM. H. WALLACE, County Judge."
401
HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.
In the following will be seen the acceptance of the above terms and con- ditions :
"And now, this 25th day of October, A. D. 1858, appears H. Price, secre- tary of the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company, and it is agreed by the county judge and said railroad that the understanding of the agreement recorded on a previous page in this 'minute-book' is as therein set forth. And further said Iowa county. will on her part, as soon as said stock is issued and bond filed, cause to be delivered to said railroad company the one hundred thousand dollars of the bonds of said county, and also agree to claim no interest on the stock so issued to said county as aforesaid until after July 1, A. D. 1859.
" WM. H. WALLACE, County Judge."
The delivery of the bonds to the secretary of the railroad company is made a matter of record in the following:
" STATE OF IOWA, "COUNTY OF IOWA.
A, {ss.
"November 15, A. D. 1880.
" This day the bonds voted by the said county to the M. & M. R. R. company were delivered to H. Price, secretary of said company, for the use of said company by B. F. Crenshaw, trustee, in conformity with the terms and conditions entered into between said county and said company on the sixteenth day of October, A. D. 1858, and as contained and understood by another agreement entered into between said county and said company on the twenty-fifth day of October, A. D. 1858; and therefore said H. Price, on behalf of said company deposited a certificate of stock of said company of one thousand shares of one hundred dollars each with B. F. Crenshaw; and thereupon said B. F. Crenshaw, as said trustee, delivered said certificate of stock to the undersigned for the use of said county. It is the distinct understanding between said parties that work shall be commenced on said road by said company within thirty days from this date.
" WM. H. WALLACE, County Judge."
The payment of these bonds, interest at ten per cent for twenty years and expenses of litigation, altogether cost the county the appalling sum of four hundred thousand dollars. The whole indebtedness including the last bond and interest was recently paid, and so far as Iowa county is con- cerned there is not a cent of railroad indebtedness. The county, notwith- standing the vast sum which the railroad cost it, has been much more for- tunate than many other counties along the line of the C., R. I. and P. and Northwestern railroads, which still owe thousands of dollars of railroad bonded indebtedness. The following was recently published by county Auditor Berstler:
It will be seen by the annexed letter that the last railroad bond is paid and canceled, and Iowa county is in good condition financially. This has for a long, long time been a great burden to the tax-payers of Iowa county, although for the past year or so no levy has been made to feed this great tape-worm :
402
HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.
1625 K Street, N. W., "WASHINGTON, D. C., Nov. 15, 1880.
"J. G. BERSTLER, EsQ., County Auditor, Iowa county:
"Dear Sir-Your favor of 12th instant, with draft of First National Bank, Marengo, on Gallatin National Bank, N. Y., for $9,320, to pay the nine bonds left at Iowa City (1st Nat. Bank) received, for which thanks. Here- with I enclose order on First National Bank for the bonds, Nos. 85 to 93 inclusive.
"Am glad to hear this is the last of your county bonds, and that you are practically out of debt. To be out of debt in these days is to be compara- tively rich, and so your county is in fact.
"Very truly yours,
J. B. EDMONDS."
Having made these brief allusions to the county finances in times past, we come to speak of the finances of more recent times. We first give the county valuation by townships for the year 1880.
VALUATION FOR 1880.
TOWNSHIPS.
PERSONALTY.
REALTY.
Amana
$ 189,202 $
214,809
Cono .
11,914
58,068
Dayton
52,686
196,515
English
81,612
198,289
Fillmore
45,964
161,829
Greene ..
44,979
189,041
Hartford
148,585
248,170
Victor
40,418
37,996
Hilton
42,662
157,951
Honey Creek
54,467
235,130
Iowa
160,848
235,298
Lenox
39,679
118,905
Lincoln
32,856
171,210
Marengo
140,170
187,368
Marengo City
95,916
130,800
Pilot
42,442
174,188
Sumner.
81,918
192,178
Troy .
60,269
188,341
Washington
31,699
108,870
York.
30,148
163,871
Total
$ 1,428,434 $ 3,370,532
Total personal and real property, $4,798,666.
403
HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.
The amount of taxes levied for the year 1880, for the various funds, is as follows:
Total valuation
. $4,798,666
State .
$ 9,598.99
Warand defense
2,399.75
County .
19,197.98
County school
4,799.49
Insane
2,399.75
Poor.
4,799.49
Bridge ..
4,799.49
School-house
3,801.37
Teachers'
25,241.26
Contingent.
9,660.93
Railroad special
204.07
Corporation.
1,416.17
Poll
1,912.00
Total
$ 90,230.74
For the sake of comparison we hereby give the tax levy in the counties of Poweshiek, Washington and Keokuk for the year previous.
POWESHIEK COUNTY.
State.
$10,522.32
Special State railroad
619.46
County
15,783.59
County school
5,261.33
Bridge.
5,261.33
Railroad .
5,261.33
Teachers' fund
20,794.76
School-house.
3,568.54
School, contingent
9,375.95
Road
4,321.17
Municipal .
4,872.41
Special .
165.58
County poll
2,001.50
Total
$96,809.27
404
HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.
WASHINGTON COUNTY.
$10,611.82
State
County
23,453.15
School .
5,305.91
Bridge .
10,611.82
Poor-house
5,305.91
Insane
2,652.96
District school
29,425.22
City . . .
2,497.42
Railroad aid
29,780.61
Township .
16.10
Township cemetery
375.64
Special State, railroad.
330.82
Road
1,976.75
Washington City road
968.18
Total
$123,312.32
KEOKUK COUNTY.
Total valuation
$4,999,537.00
State
$ 9,997.07
County
14,999.61
School
4,998.54
Bridge
4,998.54
Insane.
4,998.54
Poor-farm
4,994.54
County bond.
4,994.54
Poll.
2,361.00
Road .
1,473.15
District
31,155.34
Railroad
55,307.58
City
1,032.60
Total
$141,315.04
The county expenses are those in which the people most generally inter- est themselves, and in this direction do they most usually attempt retrench- ment. They insist upon the privilege of voting one another's property away for the purpose of building railroads for the enhancement of the value of their own property; taxes are paid willingly for the erection of bridges and and other public structures; the schools which after all are the most impor- tant and as a rule most economically managed, are cheerfully and liberally maintained; but the management of courts and county offices, which are sought after by so many aspirants, is closely scrutinized and the complaint of mismanagement and extravagance is often made, and the cry of retrench- ment raised for the purpose of making political capital and to further the schemes of certain ambitious men who are desirous to fill the places. We give a statement of the county expenses for the year 1879, and also the county expenses in the three counties of Boone, Poweshiek aud Keokuk, in order that the people may, by comparing the items, be able to judge
HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.
405
whether or not their county officials are economical and careful in the ad- ministration of affairs.
COUNTY EXPENSES OF IOWA COUNTY FOR THE YEAR 1879.
Salaries of supervisors.
$ 328.20
Clerk and deputies
776.66
Witnesses in State cases
1,139.10
Jurors
2,007.70
Attorneys .
470.00
Sheriffs and bailiffs
747.03
Jail expenses
547.90
Deaf, dumb
21.50
Justices and constables
917.20
Poor outside poor-house
1,370.45
Fuel, light and repairs
198.37
Assessors and the clerks
1,977.90
Trustees
352.65
Books and stationery.
1,104.56
Printing
711.66
Superintendent schools
1,013.89
Elections.
580.25 54.00
Bounty on scalps.
Salaries auditor and treasurer and deputies
4,047.07
Miscellaneous.
1,291.16
Medical attendance outside poor-house
574.60
Labor on poor-farm
1,090.51
Supplies poor-farm.
1,638.66
Salary director poor-farm
121.20
Medical attendance poor-house
65.45
Repairs poor-house
355.49
Burial expenses.
30.50
Insane. .
2,194.44
Bridges and repairs
6,218.16.
Total
$32,936.36
BOONE COUNTY.
Treasurer
$ 1,625.00
Auditor.
1,950.00
Deputy treasurer
845.00
Deputy clerk.
1,341.67
Superintendent schools
771.00
Clerk ..
106.25
Deputy collector
110.78
Watchman
54.00
Mine inspector
54.00
Coroner ..
53.30
Steward poor-farm
162.50
Sheriff and bailiff
1,751.44
Physicians.
254.00
406
HISTORYOF IOWA COUNTY.
576.00
Jail expenses
Supervisors
807.00
Agricultural society
150.00
Judgments
326.45
Attorneys.
711.00
Township officers
4,819.84
Poor
1,779.93
Poor-farm
1,159.96
Roads
82.50
Bridges.
2,479.78
Bridge over Des Moines
14,855.50
Redemption .
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