USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois : being a general survey of Cook County history, including a condensed history of Chicago and special account of districts outside the city limits : from the earliest settlement to the present time, volume I > Part 51
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COUNTY EXPENSES
1831
1832
1833
1834
1835
1836
1837
1838
1839
1840
TOTALS
County Commissioners' Court
$ 96.00
$173.56
$193.31
$388.12
$ 391.50
$ 209.00
$ 465.03
$ 808.50
GA 827.75
$ 521.00
$ 4,073.77
Incidentals, furn're, repairs, etc.
113.75
14.00
68.56
4.62
251.88
231.11
127.23
290.88
512.89
383.97
1,998.89
Pauper expenses.
27.67
218.10
244.75
369.39
1,062.03
1,954.02
3,421.65
3,611.56
3,125.28
4,318.14
18,352.59
Jail, guard, etc.
783.83
891.88
1,611.35
1,359.37
1,218.43
2,823.54
5,493.82
14,182.22
Circuit and County Courts.
34.00
135.80
43.00
153.66
210.75
306.00
428.18
492.68
1,116.92
2,920.99
Elections. .
6.00
50.40
4.00
72.70
92.00
181.95
79.31
202.10
185.32
235.35
1,109.13
Stationery.
:25.00
30.49
23.50
20.01
117.75
191.35
108.72
132.34
144.07
159.78
953.01
Roads and bridges.
69.12
65.55
74.00
168.34
85.65
4,000.03
70.00
99.00
4,631.69
Sheriff ..
53.43
11.50
135.24
209.13
76.00
25.50
22.00
15.75
41.00
362.85
952.40
Coroner.
18.75
42.75
37.50
105.25
37.50
114.75
138.25
494.75
County Commissioners' clerk.
20.00
75.00
671.09
53.50
242.50
875.50
320.72
2,258.31
Printing ...
37.06
38.66
185.14
28.50
672.01
961.37
Total expenses. ..
424.97
600.66
1,681.74
1,167.63
3,322.79
5,323.62
6,135.71
11,172.91
9,614.78
15,064.50
54,509.31
Total receipts ..
$357.78
$661.42
$2,304.09
$1,040.25
$4,303.38
$7,107.95
$2,931.28
$5,695.63|$10,317.53
$8,106.11 $42,825.42
In addition to the above expense there had been paid out as interest on county bonds the sum of $7,309,41. making the total expense from 1831 to 1849 inclusive, 209,205 67. Deducting the total receipts. $199.444.66, there is left $9,761.01 as the total indebtedness of the county at the end of 1849.
COUNTY EXPENSES
1841
1842
1843
1844
1845
1846
1847
1848
1849
TOTALS
County Commissioners' Court
$ 688.50
$ 475.57
$ 431.17
$ 270.25
$ 398.49
$ 741.00
$ 637.77
$ 443.10
$ 488.00
$ 4,573.85
Incidentals, furn're, repairs, etc.
920.76
556.15
1,304.15
754.00
980.43
252.48
368.01
740.95
474.40
6,351.33
Pauper expenses ..
5,183.60
2,187.64
1,483.50
1,568.62
2,103.43
3,825.59
14,213.54
4,282.46
5,810.26
41,278.12
Jail, guard, etc.
2,524.34
2,470.17
1,620.59
1,557.09
2.329.84
1.589.07
2,181.23
2,113,46
3,453.31
19,843.10
Circuit and County Courts. ..
883.94
903.59
1,882.60
2,019.72
3,830.56
4,019.61
3,332.29
4,050.42
2,126.26
26,916.00
Elections.
224.73
137.08
128.10
242.90
187.70
147.30
267.36
236.30
450.80
21.20
:2,043.47
Stationery.
719.67
277.39
277.11
212.57
273.57
284.34
628.16
197.99
689.50
22.81
3,583.11
Roads and bridges.
415.08
554.52
584.53
719.19
1,354.32
1,821.68
891.79
2,859.13
2,769.49
11,969.73 3,966.91 1,764.53
County Commissioners' clerk.
904.66
549.88
755.64
691.57
699.43
1,262 94
2,191.45
2,777.68
3,590.63
9.50
13,433.38
County Atty. and law expenses
1,009.53
377.58
920.80
131.67
271.58
80 95
160.37
151.13
231.53
3,335.14
Printing .. ..
43.50
75.75
95.48
70.58
17.50
65.50
22.50
42.00
73.00
35.75
541.56
Collection expenses.
872.46
404.12
56.52
1,365.78
986.22
657.11
1,048.44
1,179.61
1,065.31
148.15
7,783.72
Total expenses .. .
14,067.44
9,002.12
9,841.21
9,916.24
13,402.96
15,504.55
27,405.85
17,821.89
22,898.80
$7,525.89
147,386.95
Total receipts.
$10,294.07|$11,501.17 $12,478.01|$14,511.36|$15,240.13|$23,185.16|$23,676.10|$27,9638.2|$17,769.42
156,619.24
.
91.75
88.75
101.28
122.48
179.49
288 03
296.00
273.25
323.50
25.50
Coroner ..
83.37
229.75
324.48
425.53
936 31
237.05
441.75
362.00
1,233.44
1,595.44
County Atty. and law expenses
2.00
2.00
11.50
9.25
24.75
Collection expenses ..
Sheriff ..
1,263.17
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
525
526
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
"These two tables must not be considered absolutely accurate," said the Democrat of April 4, 1850. Owing to the disappearance of several of the books of account and to the lack of a correct sys- tem of keeping receipts and expenditures absolute accuracy, it was stated, could not be expected. The statement "is sufficiently accu- rate for all practical purposes and in all cases of doubt the balances have been charged against the county, so that the future errors, if any shall be discovered, will inure to the credit side of the county," said the same newspaper. The two tables (1831 to 1840 and 1841 to 1849) were prepared after much labor by Judge Rucker and Dr. Kimberly. The Democrat of April 4, further said: "The people will be gratified to learn that the county debt is so small. The im- pression heretofore has been that the county was very deeply in debt, and consequently county orders are at a great discount. We should think that this expose of its financial condition would have the effect of bringing the orders up to par, especially when we con- sider that the amount of outstanding orders does not exceed the amount of the uncollected tax of the current year."
The act of February 2, 1865, made it lawful to levy and collect a tax of not more than 3 per cent. in any one year in all the towns of Cook county except those of North, West and South Chicago; and the revenue thus raised was to be used in paying bounties to volunteers, substitutes and drafted men and such revenue was called "county tax."
"Taxes .- The people of Cook county, which includes the city of Chicago, pay in taxes the sum of $39,000 a year, as follows: State and county, $22,000; city, $17,000; of the State and county tax only $7,000 goes to the State, leaving the sum of $15,000 for county purposes, to which add the city tax of $17,000 and we have the sum of $32,000 to govern and take care of the public in- terests of Cook county for one year. Under such circumstances it is truly wonderful that the people of this county come forward with such unanimity and petition for an increase of taxation to pay interest on the public debt. It shows a virtue and integrity well worthy of intelligent freemen. We are glad to observe that the County Commissioners have begun to curtail expenses by fixing the old clerk and recorder's office into a courthouse, with rooms for the various county offices, so as to save quite a sum which has heretofore annually been paid for rent. Our city taxes are undoubtedly too high, especially when it is considered how little the public are benefited with the $17,000. The interests of the whole people have been wonderfully subserved by the sacri- fices which the council have made to Neptune to appease his anger and keep him from taking possession of that magnificent gift of the Government known as the Lake Park. And many people have spoken to us of the impropriety of spending money enough on one schoolhouse to build comfortable ones in all the school districts
527
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
in the city; and of commencing a system of schoolhouse building which will require an enormous tax for a series of years to come to carry it out, at a time when the State, county, and city are all overwhelmed with debt .- (Chicago Democrat, December 25, 1844).
In April, 1850, Palmyra Township was changed to Somerset; Trenton to Palos; Taylor to Proviso; Monroe to Leyden.
At the first meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Cook county, held on April 30, 1850, at the courthouse, there were present from: North Chicago, George W. Dole; South Chicago, N. H. Bolles; West Chicago, Henry Smith; Bloom, Joseph Holbrook; Bremen, Leonard H. Scott; Jefferson, M. N. Kimball; Lake, Osgood Kim- ball; Lyons, Samuel Marrs; Niles, Samuel E. Ferris; Northfield, J. E. Kennicott; Monroe, M. L. Dunlap; New Trier, James Har- try; Palmyra, John Kittering; Ridgeville, Edward Murphy; Schaumberg, Daniel H. Johnson; Thornton, Andrew H. Dolton; Worth, Henry Douglass; Wheeling, Stephen M. Salisbury; Elk Grove, Ransom F. Clough; Trenton, M. A. Powell; Palatine, Thomas A. Clark; Orland, William Jackson; Rich, Eli Taylor; Taylor, Stephen Pennoyer; Maine, Curtis Clarke.
The following is from the report of the finance committee of which N. H. Bolles was chairman, on June 6, 1850: "It is well known to the public that for many years past the finances of the county have been in a deranged condition. Your committee deem- ing their correct administration a matter of great importance to the welfare of the inhabitants of the county, feel called upon to make such suggestions and recommendations as we think if adopted will renovate the credit of the county. Publicity of all accounts allowed by the Board of Supervisors; strict accountability of all county officers ; and a perfect system in keeping the accounts of the county, are the great means of securing a faithful administration of the county finances. It is the opinion of your committee that no allow- ance should be made from the county treasury not clearly author- ized by law; that the Board of Supervisors should hereafter settle with the county officers at every regular meeting of the Board; that once a year at least there be published a finance report, giving a full and detailed statement of the revenues, expenses, debts, cred- its and prosperity of the county to be taken from the books"- (Democrat, June 7, 1850).
"Your committee to ascertain and report to this body the names of all such persons as are supposed to retail ardent spirits in this county without license, would beg leave to report as follows: The super- visors of twenty-nine towns have reported names to the committee in compliance with an order passed at the former meeting of the Board in May last, from which report there appear to be fifty-three persons retailing without license and sixteen with license. Seven of the last named were not reported by any supervisor, making a total of sixty- eight persons retailing spirituous liquors. There are ten supervisors
.
528
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
who have not reported to the committee. Your committee would rec- ommend that this Board refuse to grant any more grocery license in the county"-(S. Pennoyer, Chairman of Committee).
Mr. Pennoyer then offered the following resolutions: "Resolved, That the Board reject all applications for licenses to keep gro- ceries." Passed-ayes 16, nays 11, as follows: Ayes-Dole, Smith, Bolles, C. Clarke, T. A. Clark, Clough, Johnson, Devol, Herrick, Douglass, Jackson, Taylor, O. Kimball, Kennicott, Pennoyer, Salis- bury and chairman. Noes-M. N. Kimball, Marrs, Kittering, Pow- ell, Holbrook, Dunlap, Scott, Murphy, Hartrey, Ferris and Dolton.
"Board of Supervisors .- This board, composed of some of the most intelligent and best business men in the county met yesterday We are confident that our board will not suffer in comparison with any other legislative body in the State. And as for dignity, their proceedings are conducted in a manner which is worthy the imi- tation of some of our larger legislative bodies"-(Democrat, De- cember 3, 1850).
At this meeting S. M. Salisbury was elected temporary chair- man. The report of the commissioners to divide the county into townships was approved and ordered to be recorded. The follow- ing committees were then appointed: Committee on bills against Cook county-M. L. Dunlap, William Jackson, Curtis Clarke, Na- than H. Bolles and Stephen Pennoyer; Committee on the condition of the county-Henry Smith, George W. Dole and Osgood Kim- ball; Committee on rules-N. H. Bolles, Samuel Marrs and Martin N. Kimball; Committee on poor and poor asylum-Henry Doug- lass, Leonard H. Scott and Osgood Kimball; Committee on jail and jail accounts-George W. Dole, J. E. Kennicott and R. F. Clough, E. S. Kimberley was county clerk.
In June, 1850, the county owned a toll bridge on the Calumet and employed a tender to care for the same. At this time Hiram Squier was warden of the poor house; he and his wife were paid for their services $350 per year.
In 1849-50 the expenses of the Chicago postoffice amounted to $12,488; the proceeds were $1,795. The expenses of all postoffices in the county outside of Chicago were $561 and the proceeds were $730. At this date there were twenty-eight postoffices in the county outside of Chicago, and of all seventeen were comparatively new.
In July, 1850, the Supreme Court sitting at Ottawa decided that the old Cook County court had jurisdiction over the affairs of each county until the new Township Organization System had been adopted and put into effect by a "majority of all the legal voters of said county." In November, 1850, N. H. Bolles was chairman of the County Board.
In June, 1850, the County Board determined to unite with the Common Council of Chicago in a petition to the Legislature to annul the criminal code so that a workhouse could be brought into
529
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
requisition. The Board also concluded to accept the offer of the city to erect a public building on Block 39.
The commissioners who divided Cook county into towns in 1850, were W. L. Church, S. Rexford and M. Winchell. At the June session, 1850, the following resolution was passed: "Re- solved, That the County of Cook is hereby organized into election precincts for the general elections, in accordance with the present town organization, provided that the three towns of Chicago shall each be entitled to have two or more places designated for holding elections, as follows: North Chicago two places, West Chicago two places, and South Chicago three places."
In December, 1850, it was announced that the County Board had concluded to sell half of the public square in order to raise means with which to erect the necessary county buildings. The Democrat, Journal and Western Citizen opposed the plan. The Democrat said : "The City of Chicago is represented on the Board by but three supervisors while at the same time in population it is two-thirds of the whole county;" it was therefore argued that the decision was unfair because Chicago was not properly represented on the Board.
In 1850 it was estimated that the quantity of swamp land in the Chicago drainage district was 367,485 acres. In December, 1850, the County Board petitioned the Legislature for a law to authorize them to borrow $10,000 with which to build a new court house. At this time a committee of the County Board was ap- pointed to sell a part of Block 39, Original Town.
In December, 1850, it was ordered that county obligations to the amount of $50 should be issued in $5 orders; from $50 to $200 in $10 orders; and over $200 in $20 orders.
"During the last ten years we have had all sorts of men for sheriffs and also all sorts of men for County Commissioners, yet there has been an evil genius in our county affairs somewhere. We call the attention of the people of Cook county to the fact that our orders are now the lowest, and yet we are the richest county in the State. We have had no expenses for public buildings and there has been nothing to warrant the existing state of things. Our Cook county orders are where they were about ten years ago, and some reform seems absolutely necessary."-(Daily Democrat.)
For the fiscal year 1850-51 the total amount of orders issued was $26,487. Previously there were outstanding orders to the amount of $19,478, making a total indebtedness of nearly $46,000. Of this amount over $35,000 in orders had been taken up and can- celled leaving outstanding about $11,000 in orders. The whole amount of liberalities of the county in March, 1851, was about $20,000. The assets of the county were as follows: Block 39, · Original Town, valued at $50,000; poorhouse and farm $2,700; live stock on the poor farm $310; fees to be collected $992; taxes of
-
530
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
1851 not yet collected $10,000. Total $64,000. The net balance in favor of the county was $45,000.
"Cook County Wealth .- In 1839 the value of real and personal property in Cook county was $1,829,420. In 1849 the value of real estate was $5,733,760; personal property $1,833,342; total $7,617,102. The revenue and special State tax in 1839 was $3,658.84; the net amount of State tax $3,408.64. In 1849 the revenue and special State tax was $44,190.08; the net amount of State tax $41,896.23. The interest of school fund in 1839 was $1,326.89; in 1849 it was $1,442.60"-(Democrat, February 12, 1851).
· STATE TAX ASSESSED AND COLLECTED.
1839
$3,658.84
1843
$4,501.47
1847 $18,162.26
1840.
3,728.41
1844
6,333.49
1848
25,848.21
1841
5,664.48
1845
14,007.37
1849
44,190.08
1842
3,487.84;
1846.
17,749.83
1850 47,532.96
In 1850-51 the County Board desired to purchase a new poor farm and to exchange the present one on the South Side several miles below the city for the same so far as it would apply. In 1850- 51 when it seemed probable that the county would succeed in ob- taining a new law authorizing them to sell a portion of the public square, the city took immediate action and sent a representative to Springfield to prevent the passage of such a bill. In February, 1851, the Legislature passed a law permitting counties to vote themselves back from the new Township Organization system to the old County court system. A law about this time gave Chicago an additional supervisor for each ward. This was demanded in order that the city might have proportionate representation on the County Board.
The County Board advertised for sale a portion of the public square and was duly served by the city with an injunction to pre- vent such a sale. It should be said to the credit of the county perhaps that in early times the greatest item of county expense was in behalf of the poor. On March 14, 1851, the County Board appointed a committee consisting of A. K. Swift. George W. Dole and N. H. Bolles to negotiate a loan of $30,000 with which to build a jail, etc.
In November, 1850, the following assessments were made: Bar- rington, $83.96; Palatine, $113.37; Wheeling, $600; Northfield, $98.50; New Trier, $150; Hanover, $50; Schaumburg, $138.15; Elk Grove, $225; Maine, $125; Niles, $150.50; Ridgeville, $200; Leyden, $81.13; Jefferson, $350; Proviso, $62.06; West Chicago, $300; Lyons, $18.13; Lake, $200; Lemont, $23.13; Worth, $175; Orland, $95.63 ; Bremen, $200; Thornton, $51.50; Bloom, $73.56.
It seems that the new Township Organization law conflicted with the previous one as follows: That the County court under the old law should attend to county business and that the County
531
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
Supervisors under the new law should also attend to county busi- ness. This was corrected by a special law.
"Two systems of county organization are now in use in this State-one called the 'County Court System,' where the county business is transacted by a judge and two associate justices. The other is called the 'Township System' and conducted by a Board The of Supervisors. Under the first we collect three taxes : State tax and the county tax, in which is included the residue of road taxes not collected by the supervisors of roads before the first of January, and the tax for school purposes as levied by the several school districts. In giving a receipt for these several taxes it is necessary for the collector to give the amount of each tax, to-wit : State, County, Road and School; and as these taxes are levied for different purposes, it is necessary to place them in separate columns. Under the town system other taxes for special purposes are re- quired. These all come under the head of town tax. The auditor in his form of tax rolls first enumerates State and county tax on real estate, and then repeats in separate columns State and County tax on personal property. This is all plain, but an unnecessary repetition and when other taxes are to be extended on the same page rather inconvenient, yet the objection to the unfinished books did not arise from this cause as it was only objectionable from inconvenience. The objection was from the fact of the clerk's mixing up with the county tax, the town, school and road tax making it a perfect hotch potch. It was to correct this that the new books became necessary. The Board very properly came to the conclusion to dictate a form which would be concise and easily understood; they rejected the bungling repetition of the auditor and also separated the total of real and personal tax for obvious reasons. As the rolls now are, we have State, county, town, road, and school tax"-(Democrat, January, 1851).
"Whatever differences of opinion may exist as to the propriety of the measures of the Board of Supervisors during the year, all accord them the credit of having labored faithfully and honestly for the public good and of having brought a good share of talent and sterling good sense to bear upon the complicated affairs of the county, for it was no small matter to entirely revolutionize the whole method of doing business from the old system to the new"- (Democrat, March 14, 1851).
"Cook county pays one-thirteenth of all the State taxes of Illi- nois. If the population of the State was 500,000 and we were taxed according to population, this would all be proper ; but as it now is this tax is too much by three-fifths. It was this condition of things that gave rise to the following resolution of Colonel Fil- kins of Wheeling: 'Resolved, That the Supervisors of the several towns in Cook county use their influence with the Assessors of the several towns to equalize the valuation of the property in propor-
1
532
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
tion to the other counties of the State'."-(Democrat, May 3, 1851.) The County Board adopted the following resolutions, December 11, 1850:
"Resolved, That in the erection of jail and workhouse, the county pay three-fourths, and the city one-fourth of the expense of the construction and maintenance of such a building, and that the said building shall be under the joint control and management of the Board of Supervisors and the Common Council, under the following restrictions, to-wit: In proportion to their respective interests or as three to one."
"Resolved, That, inasmuch as Block No. 39 in the original town of Chicago was conveyed to the County of Cook to aid in the ex- pense of erecting proper buildings for the use of the county, which expense will be greater than ought to be borne by the tax payers of the county, it is the duty of this board to provide for the sale of such portion of said block as may be necessary for that purpose."
"Resolved, That Supervisors Bolles, N. M. Kimball and Pen- noyer be the agents of the county to prepare a plan for a courthouse and jail; that they contract for and build said courthouse on the south side of block 39; that they be empowered to purchase a suita- ble lot or lots for the building of a jail; and that they contract for the erection of the same as soon as the money can be obtained for the sale of the north half of block 39. The jail to be first con- structed out of the proceeds of the sale of lots or otherwise."- (Democrat, December, 1850.)
A large public meeting was held on Monday, May 31, 1851, for the purpose of arriving at some definite conclusion, if possible, regarding the public buildings about to be erected. A number favored the location of all the proposed buildings on the public square; others wanted them located in the square south of the public square-such land to be bought; still others wanted the courthouse located on the public square and the jail somewhere else. The whole matter was finally referred for permanent settle- ment to the following committee: Doctor Boone, ex-Mayor Wood- worth, Dr. Daniel Brainard, William Jones and Dr. Evans. The meeting then adjourned to reassemble later to hear the report of the committee. The report favored the construction of the court- house on the public square and the jail on a lot to be bought in the suburbs, and was adopted by a great majority of those present. In the end the authorities decided to build the courthouse of stone if the cost did not exceed $20,000, otherwise of brick. Another $20,000, making in all $50,000 for public buildings, was appropri- ated by the County Board for the proposed public buildings. The city appropriated $15,000 for a city hall in the new courthouse.
The act of February 17, 1851, provided for the appointment by the Circuit court of Cook county of "three competent and dis-
533
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
creet persons residing in Chicago to be port wardens of said county." It was made their duty to examine the condition of ves- sels, the condition of cargoes, estimate damages in case of wrecks, and to keep a record of their acts.
COOK COUNTY EXPENDITURES, YEAR 1851-52.
Paupers
$ 7,692.01
County jail.
5,002.55
Circuit court .
2,171.41
County court Common Pleas.
1,741.28
County court
595.30
Public buildings
24,364.29
Board of supervisors.
2,398.60
General
4,674.31
Legal
1,181.75
Election
453.55
Loan committee
476.50
Office
50.00
Printing
153.50
Total $50,955.05
Jury certificates issued.
2,000.00
Total
$52,955.05
Orders issued March 14, 1851, to March 14, 1852
61,559.44
Orders outstanding March 14, 1851.
7,680.36
Total $69,239.80
Orders paid and cancelled. 50,033.71
Orders outstanding March 14, 1852 ..
$19,206.09
Amount outstanding bonds March 14, 1852
50,370.32
Total liabilities
$69,576.41
COUNTY ASSETS.
Block 39, Original Town
$50,000.00
Improvements on same. 24,364.29
$74,364.29
Poorhouse and Farm No. 1.
2,000.00
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