USA > Illinois > De Witt County > History of De Witt county, Illinois. With illustrations descriptive of the scenery, and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers > Part 17
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McCord, W. Y., Associate County Justice, 1851 to 1853.
Meservay, W. N., Treasurer, 1853 to 1855.
Merryman, H. H., Sheriff, 1856 to 1858.
McFarland, Josiah, Coroner, 1858 to 1860.
Martin, S. H., Probate Justice; 1846 to 1849.
Morlan, J. G., Coroner, 1864 to 1868.
McHenry, A. D., Sheriff, from 1864 to 1866, and from 1868 to 1870.
McMurray, W. C., Sheriff, from 1866 to 1868.
Newcomb, Daniel, Circuit Clerk, from 1841 to 1848.
North, W. H., Superintendent of Schools, 1861 to 1863.
Post, Russell, County Commissioner, 1839 to 1842.
Paiue, F. G., Probate Justice, 1839 to 1844.
Pool, R. H, Recorder, from 1841 to 1843, Treasurer in 1842 and 1843.
Post, Seth, State Attorney, 1849, one term.
Pool, Decatur, Sheriff, from 1858 to 1860.
Porter, Edward, Treasurer, from 1863 to 1867.
Robbius, F. S., Assessor in 1840.
Richter, J. M., Corouer, from 1844 to 1852.
Robbins, Daniel, County Judge, 1849 to 1857.
Richardson, David, Surveyor, from 1865 to 1867, and from 1875 to 1879.
65
HISTORY OF DE WITT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Swearingen, John, Assessor io 1839.
Springer, W. T., Treasurer, 1851 to 1853.
Stansbury, James E., Treasurer, from 1855 to 1857, County
Clerk from 1857 to 1862, died in office three months after commencing a second term.
Tipton, T. F., State Attorney, 1866 to 1868.
Thomas, Ezekiel, Coroner, 1874 to 1876. Vandeventer, James, County Commissioner, 1839 to 1846.
Vanlue, F. M , School Superintendent, 1869 to 1873.
Vanmeter, E. S., State Attorney since 1879.
Wright, W. G, County Commissioner, 1847 to 1849.
Warner, John, Circuit Clerk, 1848 to 1852.
Watson, C. C., Associate Justice, 1853 to 1854.
Weldon, Lawrence, School Commissioner, 1855 to 1859.
Woodward, Jesse J, Associate Justice, 1858 and 1859.
Walker, Robert, County Judge, 1873 to 1877.
Welch, Miss Mary, School Superintendent, 1873 to date. Weedman, Amos, Sheriff, 1876 to date.
Wilson, James A., Treasurer, 1877 to date. Young, W. H., State Attorney, 1860 to 1862.
First Board of County Commissioners, Muy 15, 1839, to Sept. 1839.
JOHN MAXWELL, JAMES VANDEVENTER, JOHN HUGHES,
Commissioners.
The board held their first meeting on the 15th of May, 1839, at Clinton, which town had been established as the county seat by a public election held on the 6th of May .- Three hundred and thirteen votes had chosen Clinton, while one hundred and eighty had selected Marion as the county seat. The abstract of this election is certified to by K. H. Fell, circuit elerk of De Witt county, and by William Anderson, an acting justice of the peace.
The first orders made by the board had reference to a political subdivision of the county into six precincts, to wit .:
Sangamon precinct -Commencing at the south-east corner of the county, thence north to the center line of township twenty, thence west one mile, west of division line between range four and five, thence south to line between townships eighteen and nineteen, thence east to the place of beginning. Poll to be at the house of John Madden, and John Madden, Ezra Marcus, and John Maller to be judges of election.
Mount Pleasant .- Commencing on the south-east corner, thence west with the county line, one mile west of the range line between four and five, thence south of the county line, thence with the county line to place of beginning, with poll at Mount Pleasant. Richard Webb, John Dener and Denis Hurley were appointed judges of election.
Marion .- Commencing on the county line between sections 35 and 36, township 19, range 4 east, thence north to county line, thence west, taking two-thirds of range number three, thence south to county line, thence cast to place of beginning, with poll at the town of Marion. James McCord, Gabriel Watt, and Hiram Chapin were appointed judges of election.
Clinton .- Commencing on the south line of the county, or conoty line, between sections 32 and 33, township 19, north of range 3 east, thence north to the north-west corner of section 16, township 20, thence west to county line, thence sonth with the county line to the south-west corner of the county, thence east to the place of beginning, with poll at Clinton. Henry Brown, Andrew Wallace, and Thomas Fruit, judges of election.
Long Point -Commencing at the north-west corner of section 9
16, township 20, thence north to county line, thence west with county line to center of section 17, towoship 21, thenee south to center section 17, township 20, thence east to the place of begin- ning, with poll at the house of Samuel P. Gleon. William Ilougham, S. P. Glenn, and Samuel Spencer, jr, judges of elec- tion.
New Castle .- Cemmencing in the center of section 17, in town- ship 21, north of range 1 east, thence south with the said center line to section 17, in township 20, thence west to county line, thence with said line to the place of beginning, with poll at New Castle. Andrew Brock, John Hoblett, sen., and John Barr, judges of election.
The board next proceeded to organize and divide the county into nineteen road districts, and to appoint the following citizens supervisors of public roads, to wit .: Joseph Howard, John Hum- phries, Ambrose HIall, John Lowry, Isaac Davenport, Henry Distion, William Dye, G. D. Smallwood, Tyre Harp, William Pierce, Abraham Marins, Andrew G. Winkler, Samuel Cline, Isaac Swisher, William Bolin, Allen Turner, George Isham, and T. R. Hoblet.
The various roads through the county, designated either as state or as county roads, were declared to be county roads of the new county of De Witt.
William Lowry (see pioneers), qualified as county recorder, and Fleming G. Paine, took the oath of office as probate justice, the clerk of the court of county commissioners, John J. MeGraw, was appointed school commissioner ; Jesse C. MePherson, county treasurer, and W. H. Lafferty collector of taxes for that portion of the county formerly helonging to MeLean county. The valuations of that-( the northern )-part of the county, amounted to one hundred and fourteen thousand, seven bnodred and eighty six dollars ; the rate of tax was 30 cents per hundred dol- lars of assessed values. The prospective revenue for the first year was therefore only $344.35. The taxes to be paid on the property situated in the southern part of the county, formerly part of Macon county, was being collected by the authorities uf said county. More than one-half of the first year's revenue of the county of De Witt was thus lost to the county. The amount was but small, yet the loss was felt severely. The county had to enter upon its mision of an independent corporation in a de- pendent condition, so to say, ushered into existence with a debt. in embryo. The financial condition of the county was bad in the beginning, nor did it improve for years thereafter. The board organized a seventh precinct, ---
Waynesville-from parts of New Castle and Long Point, pre- vions to the regular August election, and appointed Zebulon G. Caotrall, Thomas Cuppy and David Montgomery judges of election.
Henry Dishon contraeted for the building of a court-house, to be completed by September, 1839, and for which the county was to pay to him the sum of sixteen hundred and four dollars. E W. Fears appears as the first sheriff, and A. L. Barnett as first surveyor of the county. Daniel H. Dragstrem was ap- pointed constable of New Castle precinct.
Second Board of County Commissioners. JAMES VANDEVENTER, ) JOHN HUGHS, 1839 to 1840.
RUSSELL POST,
The court house was completed, as contracted for, and was received on the 2d of September hy the commissioners. The con- tractor received on payment two county bonds of $302.00 cach,
66
HISTORY OF DE . WITT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
dne in 18 and 36 months, aud bearing interest at the rate of twelve per cent. per aunnm. These two bonds remaiued unpaid for many years; the county managed, however, to pay the 12 per cent. interest, with regularity.
Preparations were now made to hold a term of the circuit court at Clinton ; the board appointed the following citizens to constitute
THE FIRST GRAND JURY.
Samuel Hobblet, John Barr, James Downy, John Montgomery Matthew McElheny, Thomas M. Glenn, Frederick Troxel, Daniel Newcomb, Thomas Fruit, Charles M. Simonsou, Ambrose Hall, William Wright, Franklin Barnett, John Walker, John Lowry, Polly Richards, George B. Lemen, James McCord, John Lane John Danner, Preston Webb, John S. Madden, and William Baily.
The acts of this and other grand-juries are mentioned under the heading of " Circuit Court." to which our readers are referred.
The proprietors of the town lots of Clinton had, in accordance with the act of the legislature creating the county of De Witt, to donate to the county the sum of two thousand dollars, either in money or in real estate, to be appraised by competent parties. The question of the location of the county.seat had been decided by the elections above mentioned. From the number of votes cast, 403-it may be inferred, that all voters took a deep interest in the matter, and no one seems to have ab tained from voting. The feeling between the rival towns, Marion and Clinton, bad become rather warm, and the decision of the 6th of May, 183., was by no means considered final However, the ('lintonians had it, "and the proprietors of the town lots were ready " to ful- fill their part of the contract. Hugh Bowles, Henry Dishon and J. J. McGraw acted as appraisers for the proprietors had choseu to donate lots in lieu of the two thon-and dollars cash to the county, In consequence of the appraisemeut thus had, the following deed was executed, to wit. :
STATE OF ILLINOIS ) This indenture made and entered DE WITT COUNTY. ) into this 20th day of September, A. D. 1839, between Jesse W. Fell and Hester V., his wife, of the county of McLean, and State of Illinois, of the first part, and James Vandeventer, John Hughs and Russell Post, County Com- missioners of the county of De Witt, and State of Illinois, and their successors in office of the second part, Witnesseth, that whereas by an act of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois, entitled an act for the formation of De Witt county, it was provided among other things that the proprietor or proprie- tors of the town where the county seat should be established should donate to the said county the sum of two thousand dollars, or in lieu thereof, at their discretiou, grant and convey town lots or other lands situated iu or about the town where the county- seat should be located, to the value of two thousand dollars; and whereas, the county-seat of said county of De Witt was, in man- ner prescribed by said act, established at the town of Clinton on the first Monday in May, A. D. 1-39. Now, therefore, J. W. Fell and Ilester Vernou his wife, one of the proprietors of the said town of ('lintou, in consideration of the premises do, give, grant, bargain, sell and convey to the said county commissioners, and their successors in office, for the use of and in trust for the inhabitants of said county of De Witt, the following described lots, to wit .: Lot No. 4, block No. 1; Lots No. 1 and 2, in block No. 2; Lots No. 7 and 8, in block No. 14; Lots No. 5, 6, and 8, in block No. 20; Lots No. 3 and 4, in block No. 26, and Lots No. 5, 6, 7 and 8, in block No. 30, all of said towu of
Clinton, as marked and recorded in the recorded plot thereof, with all the privileges thereunto belonging, or in any wise ap- pertaining. To have and to hold the aforesaid lots to the said county commissioners and their successors in office, for the uses aforesaid forever.
And I, the said Jesse W. Fell, for myself from my heirs, ex- ecutors and administrators, do covenant to and with the said County Commissioners and their successors that I will forever warrant and defend the title of the aforesaid lots against the lawful claims of myself, my heirs, or assigns, and against the claim of every other person or persons whatsoever. In testi- mony whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals the day and year aforesaid.
J. W. FELL. [seal.] HESTER V. FELL. [seal.]
This deed was acknowledged before Geo F. Markley, notary public of MeLean county, Ill., on the 21st of September, 1839, and recorded in book A, on pages 145, 146 and 147, Dewitt County Records, on the 14th of March, 1840. By similar deeds Peter and Evelina A. Withers couvey to the county lots 1 and 2 iu block 20; James Allin and Catharine, his wife, lot 5 in block 15, lots 5 and 6 in block IS, lots 5, 6, 7 and 8 in block 19, lots 3 and 4 in block 30, lots 3 and 4 in block 29, lots 5, 6, 7, and 8 in block 25, and John Anderson the Public Square, ta wit : 40 feet of the west side of lot No. 5 aud block No. 9, and more particu- larly described as follows : Commencing at the south-west corner of said lot, and running thence north 1231 feet to the uorth side of said public square, thence west 40 feet to the place of be- ginning.
Thus the county obtained possession of thirty-two lots, valued at $2,000, or 862.50 each, rather a fancy price, as subsequent events amply proved. .
The public square had been lad out and properly recorded as such ou the 1st day of October, 1835, almost four years prior to these douations. The title of the county to the public square is imperfect for this very reason. The county will have to build a new court-house sooner or later, aud should then erect it on grounds actually owned and possessed by the county. Public squares are not intended for buildings of this or any other kind, and people cannot be legally taxed to erect public buildings on real estate not owned by the authority ordering such tax levies to be made. Besides, it may be said that the presence of a court- house on the publie square is detrimental to the development of the city in all other directions.
We return to the county affairs.
The board granted the prayer of David Macon to erect a mill- dam, five and one-half feet high, across Salt creek, on the north- west quarter of the north-east quarter of section 19 north, range 2 east. R Edwin Post, of Waynesville, obtained license to re- tail liquors-the first license granted by the authorities of the county.
The board next proceeded to examine into the financial affairs of the county, and caused the treasurer, J. C. McPherson, to sub- mit a detailed report at the December term, 1839. This report is still on file ; we give it in full, to wit :-
REPORT OF J. C. McPHERSON, TREASURER. Dr
Amount received for licenses $ 10 00
Amount received for fines . 24 00
Amount received in town lots, as part of donations to the county
from proprietors of Clinton ; appraised valne. 1,369 00
One promissory note in hand of treasurer 24 00
$1,427 00
COUNTY"
FARM
-
COURT HOUSE .
PUBLIC BUILDINGS, DE WITT COUNTY, ILL.
-
67
HISTORY OF DE WITT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Cr.
By cash paid to K. II. Fell . $ 15 00
By cash paid E. W. Fears ; services as sheriff . . 6 00
By county orders due and unpaid . 322 42
By court-house bonds issued Sept. 2, 1839 604 00
By balance in favor of county 479 58
$1,427 00
This report seems to have given full satisfaction, inasmuch as the county had a surplus of $479.58 after all its debts had been discharged and paid in full. A closer examination of the report will develop a less prosperous and plethoric condition of the treasury. The treasurer had received uot more nor less than $34.00 into the treasury, and was called ou to pay 8947.42, therewith clearly demonstrating that the revenue then being collected would barely suffice to pay one-third of the county in- debtedness. The report does not show who paid those $10.00 for licenses, nor who had been fined. It is to be presumed, how- ever, that the fine item is the proceeds of eight fist-fights, the usual fine being 83, until Esquire McGraw raised it, as will be seen in our chapter on Pioneers.
The promissory note has remained promissory to this date ; it was made by one Bradshaw, and has received reinforcements or compromises in the shape of similar notes; they are still on file in the county clerk's office at Clinton, and apt to remain there. The lot item of $1,369 has long ago been stripped of its illusion.
We come now to the credit items, and find them solid and genuine ; they all had to be met, and were met, although at a much later day ; the court-house bonds were redeemed in 1853.
In March, 1840, the board appointed Joseph Bowles, Johu Montgomery and Daniel Robbins overseers of the poor. This office proved a sinecure, for fortunately the county of De Witt had but few if any paupers in its limits at that time. The first pauper it mentioned in the census reports of 1850.
MePherson resigned the office of treasurer on the 17th of March, 1844, and was succeeded by John J. MeGraw, appointed treasurer pro tem.
The board ordered a road tax of ten cents, and road labor of two days.
The first assessment of taxable property was returned to the court in June, 1840, by John Swearingen, W. H. Lafferty and Daniel Dragstrem, distriet assessors, who received seventy two dollars for their work. These officers had been very exact and conscientious in the discharge of their duties. The assessed values correspond with the actual values, as appears from deed records and administrators' sale of personal property records. The assessed value in 1840 was $305,920. The tax levy was 30 cents per 100.
W. H. Lafferty was appointed census commissioner for the county at the June term, 1840. His reports seem to have been lost or destroyed.
Third Board.
JOHN HUGHES, RUSSELL POST, JAMES VANDEVENTER, (re-elected ) )
1840 to 1841.
The necessity of having a proper prison at the county-seat had become more and more apparent, the board therefore invited bids for the building of a jail, to wit :
" To be fourteen feet square in the clear, two stories high, the lower story to be eight feet, the upper seven feet high; lower story to be built of timbers twelve inches square ; two walls with a space of four inches between said walls, said space of four
inches to be filled with timbers upright ; the lower floor to be laid with timbers twelve inches square ; the timbers of the second floor also to be twelve inches square, and the third floor to be composed of timbers ten inches thick."
William Dishon took the contract, and completed his work June 1, 1841. He received his pay, 8900.00, in county bonds, payable in two and three years, bearing interest at the rate of six per cent. lle was allowed a further compensation of $25.00 for some extra work not mentioned in the contract.
P. De Spain, who had been elected treasurer in August, 1840, resigned in June, 1841, the vacancy being filled by the appoint- ment of Charles Maltby. W. 11. Lafferty reported to have com- pleted the collection of the county revenue, and requested to be credited with 837.64 of delinquent taxes. From this it would appear that the net revenue of the county, proceeding from taxation amounted in that year to 8880.12.
E. W. Fears was appointed to collect the revenue of 18.11, the tax rate being 40 cents, and the assessed value had increased to $392,000.
Fourth Board.
1
RUSSELL POST, JAMES VANDEVENTER, 1811 to 1842. FRANKLIN BARNETT.
The building of the jail had increased the county debt-the treasury of the county was continually out of funds ; so another slow and searching examination of the financial condition of the county was resolved upon.
The Treasurer, Charles Maltby, at the December term, 1841, submitted the following report :
Cash in Treasury, $3 31
Bills receivable, 306 07
Tax bills in hands of collector, 1,563 75
Lots in Clinton, unsold,
899 00
Balance due from proprietors of claims,
607 00
Credit :
County orders unredeemed, 630 69
C'ourt-honse bonds, ......
604 00
Jail bonds,
900 00
Balance in favor of county,
1.244 44
3.379 13 83,379 13
Here is the same state of affairs meutioned in 1839, the county assets exceeding its liabilities nearly 81250, and yet no money to pay or redeem county orders aud matured bonds. The "bills receivable" mentioned above are the Bradshaw notes, etc. From the statement above, it is to be inferred that the county had, up to that date, realized about $496 from the sale of Clinton town lots.
The Treasurer reports further, that during the year ending November 30th, 1541, 8979 84 had been issned in county orders to defray the current expenses of the county. This amount is in excess of the county revenue, which, as seen above, could not have amounted to more than 88-0. The county board seems to have been fully aware of the want of proper economy and man- agement of the fiscal affairs, for in making the levy for the ensu- ing year, they provide for an amount sufficient to pay off unre- deemed orders and to meet current expenses. The writer does not know what member of the board should be complimented in the premises, and would merely state that Franklin Barnett was the new member.
68
HISTORY OF DE WITT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
This financial report, like the one of December, 1839, is fol- lowed by the resignation of the Treasurer, June 1842, when R. H. Pool was appointed Treasurer pro tem.
Fifth Board.
JAMES VANDEVENTER, FRANKLIN BARNETT, 1842 to 1843.
TIMOTHY B. HOBLETT,
The financial condition of the county continued to improve during the administration of this board. The amount of unpaid county orders was reduced to $305.07 ; a part of the " bills re- ceivable," some 842-00, were collected, and the total amount of expenditures of the county reduced to 8901.60. There had been trouble during the year in the collection of the revenne. E. W. Fears had resigned the office of collector, and was succeeded by William Mitchell. The latter neglected to file a bond, and was superseded by E. W. Fears, in September, 1843. Mitchell ren- dered a full and suecinet account of collections made by him and paid his vouchers, amounting to 8791.88, into court, as required. The colleetors of the county performed, for many years, nearly all the official funetions of the treasurers, who had apparently no duties to perform. Collectors would disburse the county funds in the payment of county orders and juror warrants, and then settle their aeconnts with these vouchers, by paying them directly into eonrt. The county board would then examine these vouchers, eount them, and finally buru them. From the finan- eial reports introduced here, it would appear that the treasurers of the county, during the first four years of its existence, had handled less than $100 in cash, and that they received no com- pensation for their services. There were not less than seven treasurers in office during those four years, and all of them hnt one, R. E. Pool, resigned before the expiration of their respective terms.
The financial condition of the county having materially im- proved, the board reduced the aunual county tax to twenty cents per one hundred.
Absalom Hamilton was appointed to make the county assess- ment for the year 1843.
Sixth Board.
FRANKLIN BARNETT,
TIMOTHY B. HOBLETT, 1843 to 1844.
JAMES VANDEVENTER, re-elected. )
O. Wakefield was appointed overseer of the poor, and agreed to keep, elothe, feed and guard a certain idiot-John Bellew- for 8120.00 per annum.
The county tax was raised to thirty cents, as the financial statement of 1843 exhibited an inerease of county indebtedness, and consequently a depreciation of county orders.
From March, 1844, the county sheriff's became eolleetors of revenue, and the treasurers became assessors by virtue of their office.
Seventh Board.
TIMOTHY B. HOBLETT,
JAMES VANDEVENTER, 2 1844 to 1845.
FRANKLIN BARNETT, re elected. )
During the year the citizens of the county were greatly agi- tated about some questions in reference to changing the county seat, dividing the county, or making additions to it.
Presley Williams and four hundred others had petitioned the State Legislature to make Waynesville the county seat.
Another petition, signed hy E. W. Wright and four hundred and seventy-six others, prayed for a division of the county ; while B. R. Warfield and four hundred and forty-one others remonstrated against Wright's petition.
The reader will perceive that this petition and the remon- stranee against it aronsed the most profound interest of all eiti- zens, for there appear the signatures of nine hundred and thirty - nine citizens attached to either one or the other of said doenments. Many citizens were wholly wrapped up in the business, so that they signed the petition as well as the remonstrance.
John J. McGraw, county clerk at the time, careful and acenrate, compiled the names of all voters of the eonnty by precincts, and stated officially, and above the seal of the court, that the county of De Witt counted, in August, 1844, not more nor less than six hundred and seventy-five voters. This list is still on file in the elerk's office,-onr chapter on Pioneers contains it at length.
Another petition, headed by W. E. Sawyer and signed by two hundred and eighty one others, prays the State Legislature to add a part of Logan county to De Witt. Fred Troxell and three hundred and forty-seven others remonstrated against Saw- yer's prayer, saying that the object of it was, first, to add terri- tory to the county ; next, to divide the county, and, finally, to get the eonnty seat away from Clinton.
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