USA > Illinois > Hancock County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Hancock County, Volume II > Part 74
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This chapter was organized at the home of Miss Cora Tuck at Plymouth, Illinois, on Mon- day, November 21, 1919, with thirteen members, as follows: Luna Young, Dorothy Parlasca, Elsie Cox, Eunice Cox, Fern Brown, Frankie Hendricks, Iona Lawton, Ida Waddill, Joy Ward, Nellie Shaffer, Cora Tuck, Lizzie John- son and Maude Z. Wright.
Later the following names were added to the charter roll : Hattie Selover, Helen Talbot, Florence Waddill, Eva Glass, Emma Hare, Cora
1044
HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY
Garrett, Irene Tuck, Helen Glass, Forrest Hook and Velma Roberts Spillman.
The chapter was organized by Mrs. Sarah Bond Hanley, State Regent.
The first officers of the chapter were elected for a term of two years, and are as follows:
Regent, Luna Young.
Vice Regent, Frankie Hendricks.
Registrar, Joy Ward.
Librarian and Historian, Nellie Shaffer.
Secretary, Maude Z. Wright.
Treasurer, Iona Lawton.
HANCOCK COUNTY MUTUAL LIFE ASSOCIATION. The Hancock County Mutual Life Association, a fraternal benefit society, under a charter from the State of Illinois, was organized March 6, 1906, with the head office at Carthage.
The organization consists of a grand union and local unions located as follows: Carthage Union No. 1, Bowen Union No. 2, Augusta Union No. 3, Burnside Union No. 4, West Point Union No. 5, Webster Union No. 6, Adrian Union No. 7, Powellton Union No. 8, Denver Union No. 9, Plymouth Union No. 10, Dallas City Union No. 11, Nauvoo Union No. 12, Basco Union No. 14, Hamilton Union No. 15, Liberty Union No. 16, La Harpe Union No. 17, Ferris Union No. 18, Middle Creek Union No. 19, Elvaston Union No. 20, Pontoosuc Union No. 21, Stillwell Union No. 22, Niota Union No. 23, Warsaw Union No. 24.
The officers of said association are: Pres- ident, J. W. Westfall; Vice-President, W. O. Sharp; Secretary, Linus Cruise; Treasurer, J. C. Ferris, and Grand Medical Examiner, S. M. Parr. Directors, W. O. Sharp, S. F. Huston, Henry Rams, J. B. Johnson, D. M. Johnson and E. H. Herring.
This association was instituted for the pur- pose of insuring lives for its members in Han- cock County. The association has been very successful and now has twenty-three local unions throughout the county with a present membership of about 2,600. The association, since its organization, has paid out to January 1, 1921, to its beneficiaries, the sum of $325,- 831.71, and one disability claim of $500, with a balance on hand January 1, 1921, of $6,689.37.
TRI-STATE COUNTIES MUTUAL LIFE ASSOCIA- TION, a fraternal benefit society, was organized March 11, 1908, under the laws of the State of Illinois, with head office in Carthage. This Association consists of the Supreme Union, the Grand Unions and Local Unions. The Local Unions in Hancock County are as follows :
Huston Union No. 1, Bowen Union No. 2, Burn- side Union No. 3, Ferris Union No. 4, Ft. Green Union No. 5, La Harpe Union No. 6, and Dallas City Union No. 7. There are 10 unions in Warren County, 15 unions in McDonough County and 18 unions in Adams County.
The Supreme Union meets triennially or oftener in Carthage, to transact general busi- ness for the Association. The Supreme Board of Directors carries out the laws of the order between meetings of the Supreme Union and holds its meeting once a month, or oftener. The Grand Unions of this Association are War- ren, Adams, McDonough and Hancock Counties. There are now fifty local unions in this order with a present total membereship of about 7,000 members. The membership carries over $9,800,000 insurance. The order since its or- ganization has paid to beneficiaries $340,188.70, with a balance on hand, January 1, 1921, $6,850.39.
The Supreme Officers are as follows: Pres- ident, S. F. Huston ; Vice-President, James Mc- Carty ; Secretary, Linus Cruise; Treasurer, Samuel Naylor ; Medical Examiner, Dr. J. T. Jenkins, all of Carthage. The Supreme Di- rectors are John Graves and A. Irene Ford, McDonough County ; C. E. Britt, Warren Coun- ty ; H. F. Chittenden, Adams County, and J. W. Westfall, Hancock County. (See last chapter.)
CHAPTER XIX
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION
COUNTY COURT-COUNTY COMMISSIONERS-ORGANI- ZATION ACT-ADDITIONAL TOWNSHIP ORGANIZA- TION ELECTION.
COUNTY COURT
County Court for County Business, Consist- ing of the County Judge and Two Justices Elected to Sit with Him.
This Court organized for county business un- der the Act of 1849 attempted to act in that capacity in Hancock County for three or four years until the decision of the Supreme Court
HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY
1045
holding that township organization was in force in Hancock County from the election in 1849. The members of this Court were as follows :
1850-51-M. Couchman, County Judge; M. M. Morrill and Robert Miller, Justices.
1852-53-M. Couchman, County Judge; M. M. Morrill, Robert Miller, Justices.
1853 (Dec.)-John M. Ferris, County Judge ; Wm. S. Moore, Jesse Duffield, Justices.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
From the organization of this county in 1829 until 1850, when township organization obtained in Illinois and the Board of Supervisor system came into effect, the county affairs were ad- ministered by what was styled the "County Com- missioners' Court of Hancock County," com- posed of three commissioners, whose names were as follows :
1829-'30-James White, Henry Nichols, George Y. Cutler. .
1830-'31-James White, Morrill Marston, Henry Nichols.
1831-'32-James White, Henry Nichols, John Johnston.
1832-'33-James White, James B. Lincoln, Thomas H. Owen.
1833-'34-James White, Thomas H. Owen, Mark Aldrich.
Precincts
For
Against
Augusta
65
29
St. Mary's
121
15
Fountain Green
123
62
1835-'36-Mark Aldrich, William Smith,
92
4
Michael Rickard.
Appanoose
51
2
1836-'37-Michael Rickard, Henry Nichols,
Pilot Grove
Rejected
Richard Cannon.
Nauvoo
121
4
1837-'38-Michael
Rickard, Henry Nichols,
Montebello
29
8
Richard Cannon.
Commerce
94
41
1838-'39-David Greenleaf, John McAuley,
La Harpe
149
..
George Coulson. *
Warsaw
90
133
1839-'40-David Greenleaf, John McAuley,
Green Plains
95
11
George Coulson.
Rocky Run
55
4
1840-'41-George Coulson, John McAuley, Samuel Comer.
Bear Creek
74
7
Chili
42
42
Carthage
46
120
Total.
1247
482
1843-'44-Robert Miller, John T. Barnett, An- drew H. Perkins.
1844-'45- John T. Barnett, Andrew H. Per- kins, George Coulson.
1845-'46-Andrew H. Perkins, George Coulson, George Walker.
1846-'47-Daniel N. Bainter, Frederick M. Walton, James M. Renshaw.
1847-'48-Daniel N. Bainter, James M. Ren- shaw, Frederick M. Walton.
1848-'49-Calvin Cole, James M. Renshaw, Warren Miller.
1849-'50-Calvin Cole, James M. Renshaw, Warren Miller.
ORGANIZING ACT
The Township Organization Act, entitled "An Act to Provide for Township and County Organi- zation, under which any county may organize whenever a majority of voters of such county, at any general election, shall so determine," was passed by the Legislature and approved February 12, 1849, and was in force April 16, 1849. Accordingly the question of "For Town- ship Organization" or "Against Township Or- ganization" was submitted to the people at the next general election (November 6, 1849), and returns were made to George W. Thatcher, County Clerk, and by him canvassed on the 7th, in conjunction with Michael Rickard and David Greenleaf, Justices of the Peace. The vote is here given by precincts for future reference :
There is a discrepancy in the records as to the total vote cast, the above vote as given by precincts aggregating 1247 for and 482 against, while the totals in the record following are 1176 for and 482 against. According to either set of figures, township organization was
.
1834-'35-William Smith, Mark Aldrich, Paul Brattain.
Camp Creek
1841-'42-John McAuley, Robert Miller, Sam- uel Comer.
1842-'43-Samuel Comer, Robert Miller, John T. Barnett.
1046
HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY
adopted by a large majority. Considering the population at the time, the votes actually cast must have represented practically the whole voting population of the county.
The record of this election and of subsequent proceedings is as follows :
State of Illinois,
Hancock County SS.
Where as Agreeably to an Act Entitled "An Act to Provide for Township and County Or- ganization under which any County may organ- ize whenever a Majority of the Voters of such County, at any General Election shall so deter- mine"-Approved by the Legislature of Illinois on the 12th day of February, A. D. 1849-The Question of "Township Organization" or "No Organization" was submitted to the legal voters of Hancock County Illinois at their Annual Election held on the Sixth day of November A. D. 1849-And whereas on the Canvassing of the Votes (duly returned to the Office of the Clerk of the County Commissioners Court of said County)-by Michael Rickard and David Greenleaf, Esqrs., two Justices of the Peace assisted by George W. Thatcher Clerk of Said County Commissioners Court on the Tenth day of November, A. D. 1849. There appeared to be One thousand one hundred and Seventy-Six Votes given, for Township Organization and Four hundred and eighty-two votes given Against Township Organization. All of which is of Record in the County Clerk's office. And afterwards to wit on the Sixth day of Decem- ber, A. D. 1849, the County Court of said County Appointed Matthew McClaughrey, John G. Fonda and George Edmunds, Jr., Esqrs. Com- missioners to lay off and divide said County into Townships in Accordance with Said law, which said Commissioners on the 26th day of February, A. D. 1850, filed in the County Clerk's Office of said County their Report, of their pro- ceedings therein in the words and figures fol- lowing to wit :
State of Illinois, - Hancock County
Ss.
We, the undersigned Matthew McClaughrey, John G. Fonda and George Edmunds, Jr., Com- missioners appointed to divide the county of Hancock into Towns under the Act relating to Township Organization, Approved Febr. 12, 1849-Report that we did on the 25th and 26th days of February, A. D. 1850, Meet at the Court
House in Carthage in said County and divide said County into Towns, and in Accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants of said Towns Respectively name said Towns as follows, viz. :
1. Augusta, Town 3 N. Range 5 W.
2. St. Mary's, Town 4 N. Range 5 W. & S. 1/2 Town 5 N. 5 W. Attached.
3. Fountain Green, Town 6 N. Range 5 W. & N. 1/2 Town 5 N. 5 W. Attached.
4. La Harpe, Town 7 N. Range 5 W.
5. Chili, Town 3 N. Range 6 W. & S. 12 Town 4 N. 6 W. Attached.
6. Carthage, Town 5 N. Range 6 W. & N. 12 Town 4 N. 6 W. Attached.
& E. 12 Town .5 N. 7 W. Attached.
7. Pilot Grove, Town 6 N. Range 6 W. & E. 1/2 Town 6 N. 7 W. Attached.
8. Durham, Town 7 N. Range 6 W.
St. Albans, Town 3 N. Range 7 W.
10.
9. Bear Creek, Town 4 N. Range 7 W.
11. Pontoosuc, Town 7 N. Range 7 W.
Walker, Town 3 N. Range 8 W.
12. 13. Wythe, Town 4 N. Range 8 W.
14. Montebello, Town 5 N. Range 8 W. & Town 5 N. 9 W. & W. 1/2 5 N. 7 W. Attached.
15. Sonora, Town 6 N. Range 8 W. & W. 1/2 6 N. 7 W. Attached.
16. Appanoose, Town 7 N. Range 8 W.
17. Rocky Run, Town 3 N. Range 9 W. & 3 N. 10 W. Attached.
18. Warsaw, Town 4 N. Range 9 W.
19. Nauvoo, Town 6 N. Range 9 W. & 7 N. 9 W. Attached.
All of which is Respectfully Submitted Carthage Febr. 26, 1850
Matthew McClaughrey, John G. Fonda, G. Edmunds, Jr., Commissioners.
Thereupon W. W. Steele County Clerk of said County gave Notice as required by said act to the legal voters of the Respective Townships as above set forth notifying them to meet in their Respective Townships on the first Tues- day in April A. D. 1850 and Elect such Officers as are required by said Act,-
And afterwards towit on the 19th day of July A. D. 1850 W. W. Steele County Clerk of Hancock County Issued and Delivered to the Sheriff of said County the following Notice towit
1047
HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY
State of Illinois,
Hancock County SS.
To the Supervisors of the Townships of Augusta, St. Marys, Fountain Green, LaHarpe, Chili, Carthage, Pilot Grove, Durham, St. Al- bans, Bear Creek, Pontoosuc, Walker, Wythe, Montebello, Sonora, Appanoose, Rocky Run, Warsaw, and Nauvoo. Greeting, I am Re- quested to Notify you that there will be a Meeting of the Board of Supervisors for the Purpose of Organizing and transacting business devolving upon you by the Township Organiza- tion Law, on the Second Monday in August next. Given under my hand this 19th day of July A. D. 1850.
W. W. Steele, Clerk.
Which said notice was returned by said sher- iff on the Twelfth day of August A. D. 1850. Endorsed, "I have served the above notice upon the Supervisors of Nauvoo, Pontoosuc, Sonora, Augusta, Chili, Appanoose, St. Marys, Carthage, St. Albans, Wythe, Rocky Run, Fountain Green, Pilot Grove, Bear Creek, Montebello, and War- saw. Aug. 7th 1850.
John Carlin, Sheriff.
Carthage Ills. August 12th A. D. 1850.
In accordance with the Notice, the Board of Supervisors Convened at the Court House in Carthage on Monday the 12th day of August A. D. 1850.
Mr. James A. Winston called the House to Order and upon his motion Mr. James Stark of Augusta was chosen Chairman pro tem.
Whereupon the following Members appeared and took their Seats viz
Augusta
James Stark
St. Mary's
Wm. Darnell
Gilmore Callison Chili
Carthage James A. Winston
Bear Creek Almond Thompson
Wythe Slocum Woolley
Montebello Robt. F. Smith
Appanoose. James A. McCance
Pilot Grove Samuel Richey
St. Albans Alexander McDonald
James Irving Nauvoo
Sonora
J. J. Gardner
The charges of the several officers were not in the least extravagant, as it is recorded that the fees of the Commissioners to divide the county into townships were only $5.00 each, with $2.50 additional to Mr. Fonda, for mak-
ing a plat of the county. The Board allowed the members $1.50 per day for their services.
ADDITIONAL TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION ELECTION
The constitution of 1848 was adopted by the convention on August 31, 1847, ratified by vote of the people on March 6, 1848, and was in - force from and after April 1, 1848. This con- stitution authorized township organization and the substitution of a board of supervisors for the County Commissioners Court in County gov- ernment.
As we have already shown, the General Assembly promptly passed an Act to provide for township and county organization, which act became effective on April 16, 1849. The County Commissioners Court or County Court, which- ever was in commission, was required to sub- mit the question of township organization to the voters of the county at the next general election. If a majority of all the votes cast was for township organization, the county so voting became subject to the provisions of the township organization act on and after the first Tuesday in April, 1850.
At the same session of the General Assembly an act was passed establishing county courts. This act provided for the election of two jus- tices of the peace by the county, in addition to the justices elected in the districts of the county as provided in other parts of the act, who should hold their offices for four years, and further provided that these two justices should "sit with the county judge as members of the court, for the transaction of all county business, and none other." While acting in this capacity, the county judge was to preside, but was to have but one vote, each of the justices having "an equal vote" with him. Any two of the three constituted a quorum to do business.
The board of supervisors when duly elected after township organization superseded the county court (the judge and the two justices) in the transaction of the county business.
It appears from the records of this county that the board of supervisors held sessions from 1850, and that two justices to sit with the county judge for county business were elected, and that these two bodies were in existence for three or four years contemporaneously, when the county court (county judge and two jus- tices) ceased to act for County business, and
1048
HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY
the board of supervisors became and continued to be the governing body of the county. 4
An explanation of this condition of affairs is interesting.
It will be remembered that the township or- ganization act of 1849 provided that the law should become in force in any county in which a majority of the votes cast should be for town- ship, organization.
At the June Term of the Supreme Court, 1850, the constitutionality of the township organiza- tion act was challenged in the case of PEOPLE, ex rel., v. BROWN, 11 Ill. 478, tried in the Woodford Circuit Court, on the ground that the act required a majority of the votes cast in order to bring the county under the township organization act, whereas the constitution re- quired a majority of all the legal voters of the county regardless of the number actually vot- ing. The Supreme Court held that a majority of all the legal voters of the county was neces- sary, but sustained the act in other respects by rejecting the unconstitutional part of it.
In 1851, a new township organization act was passed, which went into effect on April 1, 1851, and repealed the act of 1849, but without affect- ing proceedings under the first act, in which new act the constitutional provision as to the majority required was followed, but with a pro- viso, "that a majority of the voters voting at such election shall be taken and deemed a ma- jority of the voters of said county."
The act of 1851 provided that upon petition of fifty legal voters of any county acting under township organization, the county clerk should give notice of an election to be held at the annual town meeting, the voting to be by ballot, and to be "For township organization," or "Against township organization," and that if a majority of all voters voting at such election should be against township organization, the county should cease to act under such organiza- tion, from and after the election and qualifica- tion of such county officers as were provided for in such counties as had never adopted township organization.
It was said by the Supreme Court in PEO- PLE ex rel. WESLEY H. MANIER v. MEL- GAR COUCHMAN and MILTON M. MORRILL, 15 Ill. 142 :
"Under this law an election was held in Han- cock County, at which election, we shall assume, a majority of the voters voted against township
organization, although, to arrive at this conclu- sion, it would become necessary to sustain the objections to the returns of two towns in the county, by which their votes were excluded in the canvass."
It appears from the proceedings of the Board of Supervisors on September 15, 1852, that this election had been held during the preceding April, which was as early as it could be held according to the act of 1851.
Under this election, if it had been valid, town- ship organization would have ceased to be effective in Hancock County, and there would have been reversion to the original type of County government.
The County was divided into two factions on this question, and each party lost no oppor- tunity to take the advantage of the other.
Afterwards, those favoring township organiza- tion procured the passage of a special act by the general assembly, submitting the question to the people of the County once more. The special act was approved and went into effect on January 20, 1853, and ordered the election to be held on the first Monday of March, 1853.
This act provided that the secretary of state, immediately after the passage of the act should cause a copy thereof to be sent to the clerk of the county, who should proceed forthwith to give notice of the election.
The act ratified the previous division of the county into towns, dispensing with the appoint- ment of new commissioners, or the making of any other division of the county, and provided that the towns as existing should be the legal towns until otherwise altered, and provided that the county should be governed by the township organization act of 1851.
Pursuant to the requirements of the above act, an election was held on the first Monday of March, 1853, as the result of which town- ship organization was adopted, or re-adopted, and from this time on the county affairs have been administered under the township organi- zation plan of county government.
The records in the office of the County Clerk show allowances to many persons as judges and clerks of this election, under order made on March 11, 1853. This order is here given to preserve the names of men who were then prominent in their respective communities.
"It is ordered by the Court that the following Allowances be made for Services as Judges &
1
0
HEZEKIAH LINCOLN
PHOEBE A. LINCOLN
1049
HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY
Clerks of Election at the March Election on Township Organization A. D. 1853, to-wit:
M. Ingersol .$1.00
W. S. Moore 1.70
Jas. Westfall 1.00
E. Worrell 1.00
S. Staples 1.00
N. Hanson 1.00
Jessee Avis 1.00
John Booth 1.00
J. D. Hamilton .. 1.00
Geo. Smith 1.00
J. E. McConnell. 1.00
M. Gray 2.50
J. Gardner 2.80
E. D. Brown 1.00
S. C. Vincent. 1.00
J. W. Fry.
1.00
J. C. Cain. 1.00
S. C. Thompson 1.00
J. K. Duffield. . . 1.00 J. Simmons 2.80
Edwin Sexton . . 1.00
T. Delaplain 1.00
S. Myers 1.00
A. H. Blair 1.00 J. M. Botts. 1.00
C. E. Hecox. 1.00 J. S. Jenifer 1.00
T. G. Hill .. 1.00
G. W. Thatcher .. 1.00
C. L. Cochran. 1.00
L. S. Cogswell. 1.00
Andrew Moore 1.00
J. McGuire 2.40 James Porter 1.00
H. W. Holden. 1.00
A. G. Dickerson .. 1.00 J. Lamme 1.00
W. S. Avery 1.00
A. McQuary 1.00
, S. S. Wess 3.20
W. Tyner 1.80
S. M. Chapman .. 1.00 J. J. Glassner ... 1.00 J. S. Smith. 1.00
Ch. Shank 2.50 E. Campbell 2.80
J. E. Roberts 2.00
C. Winston 1.00
H. J. Bickett. 1.00
J. N. Waggoner. 1.00
J. S. Painter 1.00
T. Kinney 1.00
C. G. Speer 1.00
G. W. Ketchum. 1.00
D. Wigle 1.00
Levi G. Patchin. 2.40
H. Mead 1.00
W. R. Hamilton. 1.00
. A. H. Levings 1.00 R. W. Smith .... 1.00
Jos. Johnson 1.00
In the meantime two separate bodies were claiming jurisdiction in county matters, and
each was holding meetings and endeavoring to conduct the business of the County, one, the board of supervisors under the township organ- ization law, and the other, the County Court, composed of the County Judge and two justices of the peace elected to sit with him. The County Court would have had jurisdiction if township organization had never been adopted, or had been lawfully discontinued. Melgar Couchman was County Judge. Milton M. Morrill was one of the Justices. These two constituted a quo- rum. .
On June 10, 1853, Calvin A. Warren, State's Attorney, by leave of the Circuit Court, and in the name of the People, and on the relation of Wesley H. Manier, filed an information quo warranto against Melgar Couchman and Milton M. Morrill, to require them to show by what authority they were assuming to act as a court for the transaction of the business of the county. On the next day the respondents, by George Edmunds as their attorney, entered their ap- pearance. On Oct. 5th the respondents filed demurrer to part, and three pleas to the re- mainder, of the information. On Oct. 14th the people demurred to the pleas of the respondents. The court held the part of the information demurred to bad and held the pleas good, and, the parties abiding, rendered judgment that the relator take nothing and that the defend- ants stand acquitted.
This decision meant that township organiza- tion did not exist in Hancock County, that the Board of Supervisors was an unlawful body, and that the county government was vested in the County Court.
Wesley H. Manier, with characteristic insist- ence where lie believed his interpretation of the law to be correct, appealed the case and filed the required bond.
The Supreme Court decided the case at the December Term, 1853.
The Joints of the decision were :
1. That the proceeding for township organ- ization in 1849 was valid, and that the county was thereby duly organized under the township organization act.
2. That the election supposed to have dis- continued township organization, held under the act of 1851, was invalid, because (quoting from the opinion) :
"We do not think the legislature had the power to allow a county to abolish township organization, where it had been adopted in a
W. Gleach 1.00
J. Kidson 1.00
M. C. Johnson ... 2.20
J. A. McDonald. 1.00
J. Perkins 1.00
L. Wallace 1.00
P. Wilsey 1.00
A. Swartz 2.80
Jas. Evans 1.00
H. P. Griswold .. 2.40 T. F. O'Daniel .. 2.80
Th. Crawford 2.80
W. C. Taylor. 1.00 J. Ewing 1.00
S. H. Tyler
1.00
Thos. Branham. 1.00
B. L. Toof. 1.00
J. Carmean 1.00
W. T. Glover. 1.00 Wm. W. Reed ... 1.00
E. Rossetter 1.00
W. M. Cosgrove .. 1.00
E. Hus 1.00
Z. Tysen 1.00 Geo. Benner 1.00
H. H. Gunawine. 1.00
E. Collins 1.00
P. McLure 2.40
B. Ballard 1.00
T. Pitt 1.00
Thos. Gates 1.00
A. McDonald .. 1.00
D. H. Rice. 1.00
Wm. Darnell 1.00
1050
HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY
constitutional mode, in a way less solemn, or with different formalities or safeguards to secure the most deliberate action of the people, than the constitution required should be ob- served in its adoption."
The constitution provided that township or- ganization might be adopted at a general elec- tion, but at no other.
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