USA > Iowa > Keokuk County > The history of Keokuk County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. : a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 44
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At the same meeting of the board, the commissioners selected the names of the
FIRST GRAND AND PETIT JURIES.
They consisted of the following:
GRAND JURORS.
Geo. W. Hathhorn.
John Troxel.
William Trimble.
William Lewis.
Moses E. McConnell.
W. B. Smith.
Richard Dickerson.
William Duncan.
William Ralston.
E. Johnson.
John B. Rain.
Madison Mitts. L. B. Hughes.
B. Haworth.
Lemuel B. Holmes.
E. Moffett.
Obadiah Tharp.
Joseph Borough.
David Stout.
Samuel Pence.
Jeremiah Brown. J. B. Brown.
Casper Klett.
348
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
PETIT JURORS.
David P. Helm.
L. B. Brown. John Baker.
Joab Bennett.
Miles Driskell.
Harvey Stevens.
Elias Hollingsworth.
Thos. J. Hicklin.
Andrew Taylor.
John Lafferty.
William Franklin.
Stephen Cook.
Amos Holloway. Jesse Shoemaker.
M. Gill.
Eli Haworth.
C. A. Frisbie.
John Singleton.
Geo. Holliday.
E. G. Stanfield.
A. M. Lyon. P. C. Woodward. Jacob Wimer.
These men having, by order of the board, been summoned to appear at Richland, and failing to present themselves at the proper place as jurors, . were not paid anything for such service.
THE FIRST CLAIMS ALLOWED.
At the April term of 1844 the following claims were allowed:
4.00
Judges and clerks of special election
35.25.
Harvey Stevens, services as sheriff. 40.00
Samuel A. James, services as clerk. 32.00
James M. Smith, services as commissioner 8.25
Jeremiah Hollingsworth, services as commissioner
8.50
Enos Darnell, services as commissioner. 7.50
Geo. W. Hayes, attendance on the commissioners' court. 3.00
Total amount of bills allowed at the April term $138.50
At the July term the following bills were allowed:
Andrew Ogden, services as assessor. $ 33.00
50.00
Chas. E. Woodward, road commissioner 14.00
Geo. M. Holliday, road commissioner 14.00
12.00
S. E. McCracken, surveyor.
21.50
John Marshal, chain-carrier
ยท8.75
N. S. Woodward, wagon and team
14.00
E. G. Stanfield, working road.
3.75
W. A. Woodward, working road.
3.75
N. S. Woodward, driving stakes
1.00
G. W. Hayes, services as sheriff. 18.90
James M. Smith, services as commissioner
7.50
Jeremiah Hollingsworth, services as commissioner
7.50
Enos Darnell, services as commissioner.
7.50
G. W. Hayes, attendance upon court
3.00
Edom Shugart, services as clerk. 7.40
Samuel A. James, stationery .
1.80
Total amount allowed, July term $229.35
Henry Pringle.
Samuel A. James, stationery .
Edom Shugart, services as clerk.
Richard Parker, road commissioner
349
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
At the September term the following bills were allowed: John Hurley, wolf scalps
$ 4.50
Judges and clerks of election.
48.20
Viewers, markers and chain-carriers 33.75
A. P. Moody, swearing in commissioners 1.37
G. W. Hayes, services as sheriff. 66.00
Green Atwood, canvassing poll-books
2.00
Reuben Whitson, books and stationery
30.00
Edom Shugart, clerk .
12.18
G. W. Hayes, services as sheriff.
6.00
S. A. James, clerk court ..
2.50
Obadiah Tharp, services as commissioner
4.00
Elias Whetstone, services as commissioner
4.00
Andrew Taylor, services as commissioner
4.00
Total amount allowed, September term $218.50
At the October term the following bills were allowed:
William Troxell, services as constable. $ 1.00
22.25.
Commissioners, markers, chain-men, etc 85.00
William Webb, canvassing poll-books 4.00
O. T. Ragland, surveying .. 12.50
6.00
G. W. Hayes, posting notices
26.00
Andrew Taylor, services as commissioner
7.50
Obadiah Tharp, services as commissioner
7.50
Edom Shugart, services as clerk
17.87
Total, October term $189.62:
At the November term the following bills were allowed:
$ .50
William Trimble, wolf scalps
.50
Judges and clerks . 28.60
John Baker, wolf scalps
.50
Thos. Alexander, wolf scalps
.50
John Shockley, wolf scalps
.50
O. T. Ragland, surveying
16.75
O. T. Ragland, surveying .
7.50
Henry Keith, canvassing poll-books
2.64
Total, November term $57.99
These constitute all the claims allowed during the first year's history of. the county, the total amount allowed being $833.96.
THE FIRST TAX LEVY.
The following is the order of the court making the first tax levy : " Ordered by the board, that a road tax of fifteen cents on the hundred dollars valuation of taxable property in said county be levied.
Commissioners, markers, chain-men, etc.
G. W. Hayes, services as sheriff.
Philip Wareham, wolf scalps
350
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
"Ordered by the board, that a county tax of five mills to the dollar, on all taxable property as returned by the assessor, be levied.
" Ordered by the board, that a territorial tax of one-half mill on the dollar, on all taxable property as returned by the assessor, be levied.
" Ordered by the board, that a poll-tax of fifty cents be levied on each person subject to poll tax within the county."
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.
As has already been remarked, the first subdivision of the county into eight election precincts was made May 14, 1844. They were formed with reference to the location of the settlements and the physical characteristics of the country, and were named as follows: Richland, Rock Creek, Steady Run, Sugar Creek, Ridge, Goss, German and Cedar Creek. This was really the first attempt at the organization of civil townships and formed the basis for future action in this direction. The civil townships as they now exist were not formed at one time, but gradually grew out of this original subdi- vision of the county into election precincts. Some of the civil townships retained the same name and the same territory as the original election pre- cinct. Thus, Richland precinct as defined by the county commissioners at their meeting May 14, 1844, was identical with Richland township now. Rock Creek precinct was the same as Jackson township now. Steady Run precinct and Steady Run township were the same. Benton township is what was formerly Sugar Creek precinct.
Goss precinct, as it originally existed, included all territory which now composes Clear Creek, Lafayette and Liberty townships. At the meeting of the county board, January 6, 1845, the following record was made:
"Ordered by the board, that in compliance with the petition of a num- ber of the citizens of Keokuk county, the name of the precinct known as Goss precinct shall be changed to that of Clear Creek precinct, and the place of holding elections shall be at the house of L. B. Holmes instead of at the house of Wesley Goss."
At the April term of the same year the board of commissioners formed the precinct known as English River precinct, which was made to consist of the territory now comprised in the limits of Adams, English River and Liberty townships; by this arrangement the territory now known as Liberty township was taken from Clear Creek precinct and put into the new pre- cinct of English River. The following is the order:
" Ordered by the board, that all that part of Keokuk county lying in township No. 77 north, range Nos. 10, 11, 12 west, be, and the same shall be, from and after the 13th day of June next, established as a seperate pre- cinct, to be known by the name of English River precinct, and that the elections be held at the house of James Thomas."
From this time on frequent changes were made, both in the names and boundaries of the precincts. Ridge precinct was changed and called La- fayette precinct, the name again being changed to Lancaster. The name Lafayette, which was then dropped, again appeared when there was a new precinct formed out of the congressional township 76, range 10.
At the September term the board ordered that German precinct be ex- tended westward and the name changed to Sigourney. The name German, thus dropped, again reappeared when this precinct was subdivided. Wash- ington township was at one time called Coal precinct, and Sugar Creek pre-
.
351
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
cinct became Benton township. Finally, names and boundaries became fixed and crystalized into the condition in which they are now found.
The earliest record of the proceedings of the board of commissioners. which refers to the civil townships as they now exist, was that made at the April session, 1847. It is as follows:
" Ordered by the board, that the county of Keokuk be now districted into three county commissioner's districts, to-wit:
" The first district shall compose Richland, Clear Creek and Jackson townships.
"The second district shall compose Lancaster, Sigourney, Steady Run and Benton townships.
"The third district shall compose Lafayette, Liberty, German, English River, Van Buren, Adams, Warren, Washington and Prairie townships."
THE FIRST COURT.
As has already been remarked, Judge Williams arrived in the county and proceeded to hold the first court, which did not arise to the dignity of a court, there being no jury impaneled and no cases tried, the business be- ing confined to the naturalization of some aliens and the admission of two- candidates to the bar. The first term of court was not, then, this in reality,. but the one which was held the following year.
This court was held in the court-house in Sigourney, beginning on the 28th day of July and continuing for six days. Both grand jury and petit jury were impaneled and the court docket shows the following business transacted :
" State cases: United States vs. John Henderson and William John Stur- gon; indicted for malicious mischief; jury trial as to Henderson and ver- dict of guilty ; fined fifty cents. Court trial as to Sturgon and same result.
" United States v. Moses Beard; indicted for resisting officer; jury trial and verdict of not guilty; defendant discharged.
" United States v. Cynthia Ann Beard; indicted for resisting officer; in- dictment quashed.
" United States v. William B. Thompson and Elijah A. Lathrop; indicted for larceney; indictment quashed.
" United States v. John Henderson; indicted for firing the prairie; indict- ment quashed.
" United States v. John Henderson, Nicholas Henderson, Thomas Hender- son, Pleasant Sanford, Joseph Middleton and William John Sturgon; in- dicted for riot; indictment quashed."
Beside these State cases there were forty civil cases disposed of.
The first indictment found by the grand jury of Keokuk county was against John Henderson and William Sturgon. The court records in the case run as follows:
" UNITED STATES
"JOHN HENDERSON AND WM. JOHN STURGON.
vs. Recognized for malicious mischief.
" The grand jury now here returns a true bill of indictment against the said defendants for malicious mischief.
352
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
" UNITED STATES vs.
" JOHN HENDERSON AND WM. JOHN STURGON. 7 1 .
" This day came the district prosecutor, as well as one of the defendants, Wm. John Sturgon, in proper person, and consent that this cause shall be submitted to the court on said defendants' plea of guilty to the first count in said indictment without a jury; whereupon the court, being fully ad- vised in the premises, on said defendants plea of guilty, assesses the fine of the said defendant at fifty cents, and thereupon it is ordered that plain- tiff have and recover of said defendant, Wm. John Sturgon, to and for the use of Keokuk county, a fine of fifty cents and the costs of this suit, and that said defendant stand committed till this order be complied with.
" UNITED STATES vs. Indictment for malicious mischief.
" JOHN HENDERSON. $
" And now comes E. H. Thomas, Esq., district prosecutor, and the said defendant in his own proper person, comes, and being arraigned, pleads " not guilty,' whereupon comes a jury, to-wit: James Whitson, Riley Bales, Amaziah Covey, Lewis Crill, Wm. Scearcy, Horace Bagley, James M. Brown, Joshua Hadley, David McEwin, Robert Linder, Joseph Hillery and Wm. Dixon, who, being impaneled and sworn well and truly to try and true deliverance make between the United States and said defendant, on their oaths do say that the said defendant is guilty, and assess the fine to be paid by him at fifty cents; whereupon it is considered by the court that the said United States recover of said defendant for the use of the county of Keokuk, the said sum of fifty cents, as aforesaid, together with costs of this prosecution, and that said John Henderson stand committed till the fine and costs are paid."
The Sheriff's return runs thus:
" Fine, fifty cents; costs, $31.30; levied the within on one three-year-old bay colt, August 12, 1845; no sale; satisfied.
G.W. HAYES, Sheriff."
The court record for this term closes with the following:
"On motion of W. W. Chapman, Esq., it is ordered that the following proceedings be spread upon the record of this court, to-wit:
" At a meeting of the Keokuk County Temperance Society, held at the court-house, in Sigourney, on Friday evening, July 31, 1845, President, A. W. Blair, Secretary, S. A. James, the following pledge was presented, and signed by the following named persons, to-wit:
" We, the undersigned, by hereto setting our names, pledge our sacred honor, each to the other, that we will abstain from all intoxicating drink as a beverage:
A. W. Blair, S. A. James, D. C. Stover, G. B. Cook, Nancy Cook, C. A. Jewett, Lydia Hulbert, Britton Edwards, W. W. Chapman, G. Acheson, Joseph Adams, Wm. Hall, Joseph Hillery, Ebenezer John, Lewis B. Crill, John Shaver, Thos. Alexander, E. Hollingsworth, Lemuel Hall, W. C. Brown, Wm. R. Bailes, John Scott, Alex. Cochran, J. Williams, Wm. Hul- bert, S. Harned, J. B. Way, Jacob Shoemaker, A. M. Lyon, Jas. Wiliams, Wm. Scearcy, Wm. Dixon, G. W. Waters, Joel Skinner, W. R. Harrison,
353
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
Wm. Williams, Thos. Frazier, I. D. Stark, Wm. Vincent, Wm. Shaver, Wm. Shockley, Curtis Crawford, Elisha Byers, Stephen Fowler, Thomas Stanfield, Wm. D. Shugart, M. B. Friend, J. M. Brown, James Whitson, E: Shugart, W. J. Carruthers, Joshua Hadley, E. G. Stanfield, Joseph Hockett, Horace Bagley, G. M. Holliday. J. R. Hobson, A. Covey, A. P. Moody, J. Crawford, Eli Haworth, J. Hollingsworth, M. Harmon, An- drew Taylor, R. L. Mark, O. Tharp, M. G. Driskell, James Small.
W. W. Chapman, Esq., offered the following . resolution, which was passed :
" Resolved, that the foregoing pledge and signatures be placed on the record of the District Court, now in session, as a tribute of respect to the Hon. Joseph Williams, judge of said court, and as a memorial of the un- exampled revival of temperance and total abstinence."
The second court met in the court-house, in Sigourney, on Wednesday the 16th day of March, 1846, and the grand jury was composed of Henry Pringle, Josiah Burge, Alex. Jones, Joel Long, Green Atwood, John Palmer, Amos Barnett, D. P. Helm, Elijah Shockley, John Shockley, John Mealey, John Baker, R. I. Harris, Daniel Conner, Jeremiah Fye, Evan Thomas, Moses E. McConnell, Daniel McEwen, Joseph Stephenson, Caster Troxel, David Stout, Sr., A. H. Haskell, Richard Quinton.
The first trial by jury recorded this term was entitled the United States vs. Thomas Hendrix, indicted for perjury; it runs as follows:
" This day comes the prosecuting attorney in behalf the United States, and the defendant in his own proper person, being arraigned, pleads, ' not guilty,' and for trial puts himself upon the country, whereupon comes a jury of twelve good and lawful men, to- wit:
" John Lacy, John Hooker, Frederick Bucher, James Hutton, John Borough, D. G. Burgess, Charles Connor, Elijah Stout, Lewis Gregory, George Wertz, A. M. Lyon and William Trueblood, who, being impan- eled and sworn the truth to speak upon the issue joined between the par- ties, after hearing the evidence, and being charged by the court, upon their oaths do say, and find the defendant, Thomas Hendrix, not guilty, as he stands charged in the indictment. It is therefore adjudged by the court the defendant be released thereof, and that he go hence thereof without day."
During this term of court was tried the first case for violation of the liquor law. Benjamin F. Edwards was the defendant; he was found guilty and fined fifty dollars.
The first change of venue granted was in the case of the State of Iowa vs. Joseph Knox, indicted for inducing an elector to vote contrary to his own inclination; the case was sent to Iowa county.
During the September term, 1847, which was the first term held at Lan- caster, the following record was made:
" Comes now Joseph Knox, Esq., by Curtis Bates, Esq., and moves to adjourn this court to the town of Sigourney. The said motion being ar- gued and heard, the court being advised in the premises, it is ordered by the court that the said motion be overruled."
The first citizens naturalized in the county were Andrew McWilliams, a native of Ireland, and Michael McGinnis, Charles C. Sangster and Edward Redhead, of Great Britain and Ireland, all naturalized at the first term of court, July 1, 1844.
354
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
OLD RECORDS.
The early official records of Keokuk county, while they are meagre, yet some of them show great care in keeping, while in some cases the spelling and punctuation and penmanship are curiosities to behold, yet it must be borne in mind that they only inaugurated the " spelling reform," which is now becoming such a mania. Few of the old records have been copied, and yet there are some of the books in a good state of preservation and the writing is as legible as the day that the entries were first made. The first proceedings of the county commissioners are as legible as when they were first written down, in April, 1844. The first commissioner's clerk, Edom Shugart, was a good penman, and evidently a fair scholar, as the writing is very legible, the spelling good, and very few examples of false syntax are visible in the construction of the sentences.
The first district court record is particularly well preserved. Thanks to the thirty-dollar appropriation made for books by the first commissioners' court, these records were placed in a volume which up to the present time has withstood the ravages of rats and the tooth of time. Mr. James, the first clerk of court, was a good penman, a scholar of more than ordinary ability and possessed of all the qualifications requisite to this position. He was careful, industrious and reliable; although it has been thirty-five years since these records were made, they now compare favorably with the best records of recent date. When we recollect that at first the character of the books and quality of paper was inferior, that the county clerk attended to all the work of the office without the aid of a deputy, and owing to his mea- gre salary was compelled to spend a large portion of his time earning a living as a farm hand, and further, that for many years there was no suita- ble place to keep.these records, the fact appears that the county must have been most fortunate in the selection of its first public officials.
The original tax levies and tax sales are perhaps the most faulty, as the file is incomplete and some of them in existence are so badly rat-eaten and faded that they are illegible; some of them are also faulty in that they do not bear the date of the levy or the sale. These records are as varied as Joseph's coat, and it is hard to tell in some cases just whose work it was and when done.
But however disappointing to the historian, the old record has its virtues and has many strange and often amusing features. Those who wrote it did not think, perhaps, that they were making history, but the smallest inci- dents of that early day have now become of interest.
They were kept on foolscap paper, sewed together in the form of a book and covered with the coarsest kind of brown wrapping-paper. They are ancient and faded little volumes and afford a remarkable contrast to the elaborate and carefully kept records of the present day. They exist now only as curiosities, their usefulness having long since departed.
The bond of the first treasurer of the county was fixed at two thousand dollars, and the first allowance which the commissioners made as compen- sation for their own services was the sun of $7.50 each.
The following order explains itself:
" Ordered, that the eagle side of an eagle ten cent piece, American coin, be adopted as the temporary seal of the board of commissioners of said county until an official seal shall be provided by said board."
L. J. Smith, Charles E. Woodward and J. B. Whisler were the first men
yours Respectfully
357
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
authorized by the board to keep a grocery for the sale of intoxicating liquors. The license were issued at the October term, 1845, to run for one year, and the cost of the license was twenty-five dollars. The next year Martin Grimsley and Jacob Wimer were licensed to keep groceries, for which they each paid twenty-five dollars. It must not be supposed, however, that these were the only places where intoxicating liquors could be obtained, as the records of the district court for those years show that numerous persons were indicted for selling liquor without license.
In these days there were as yet no bridges, and it became necessary for the convenience of the settlers, that ferries be maintained at certain points along the rivers. This matter was taken charge of and prices regulated by the county board. The first record bearing on this matter runs as follows:
" Ordered by the board, that John W. Snelson be authorized to keep a skiff or canoe ferry across the north fork of Skunk river in section No. 13 in township No. 75 north, range No. 12 west, upon the said Snelson pre- senting to the clerk of the board the treasurer's receipt for the sum of two dollars therefor for the term of one year.
" Ordered by the board, that the rates of ferriage to be charged by said Snelson be six and one-fourth cents for each footman.
"Ordered by the board, that George W. Hayes be authorized to keep a skiff or canoe ferry across the south fork of Skunk river in section No. 4, township No. 74 north, range 12 west, upon the said Hayes presenting to the clerk of the board the treasurer's receipt for the sum of two dollars as a tax therefor for the term of one year.
"Ordered by the board, that the said Hayes be authorized to charge as the rates of ferriage the sum of six and one-fourth cents for each footman."
In the early settlement of the country farmers were much annoyed by the depredations of wild animals. Wolves especially were troublesome. In order to raise sheep or hogs it was necessary to keep them enclosed in a secure building, and even then when the careful farmer had secured his stock to the best of his ability, these noxious animals would often succeed in making their way into the stock-pens and devour the inmates. Several organized movements were set on foot to exterminate the wolves, but in order to make the riddance permanent and effectual, the necessity became apparent for some special inducement in the way of compensation for each wolf killed. It was therefore ordered by the board of commissioners as fol- lows:
" Ordered by the board that a reward of twenty-five cents be allowed to any person who shall kill any prairie-wolf, not exceeding six months old, in the county of Keokuk, Iowa Territory, according to law.
"Ordered by the board that a reward of fifty cents be allowed to any person who shall kill any prairie-wolf, over six months old, in the county of Keokuk, Territory of Iowa.
" Ordered by the board that a reward of fifty cents be allowed to any person who shall kill any large gray or black wolf, not exceeding six months old, in the county of Keokuk, Territory of Iowa, according to law.
" Ordered by the board that a reward of one dollar be paid to any person who shall kill any large gray or black wolf, over six months old, in the county of Keokuk, Territory of Iowa, according to law."
In this way hundreds of dollars were paid out of the county fund to in-
23
358
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
dividuals who assisted in the extermination of these pests. Probably no money expended by the commissioners proved to be as good an invest- ment.
TERRITORIAL AND COUNTY ROADS.
The fact has already been mentioned that at the first meeting of the county commissioners, in April, 1844, the county was divided into eighteen road districts, and supervisors were appointed. Prior to this time there were, of course, no county roads laid out, and what roads there were ex- isted by common consent, with the exception of such territorial roads as were authorized by the general government, and which led through the county. There were three of these roads, as follows: one leading from Brighton, in Washington county, to Oskaloosa, in Mahaska county; a sec- ond leading from Fairfield, in Jefferson county, to Oskaloosa, in Mahaska county, vid Bennett's Point, in Keokuk county; a third leading from Iowa city, in Johnson county, to Oskaloosa. in Mahaska county, via Sigourney, in Keokuk county. Some of the first acts of the board of commissioners had reference to the improvement of these territorial roads. The first road record found in the proceedings of the commissioners is the following:
"Ordered by the board, that the sum of one hundred and one dollars and fifty cents be allowed to defray the expenses of the territorial road leading from Brighton, in Washington county, to Oskaloosa, in Mahaska county, so much thereof as lies in Keokuk county."
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