USA > Illinois > Lee County > History of Lee County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 6
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Odd dates figured conspicuously in the early affairs of Lee county. On Friday, the 13th of September, Lee county began business, and who shall say she ever has met an unlucky or unpro- pitious minute ! And who shall say she has failed to keep pace in the race with her 101 sister counties!
Isaac Boardman was elected clerk of the county commissioners' court ; Aaron Wakeley, sheriff; Joseph Crawford, surveyor; Har- · vey Morgan, probate justice or judge, and G. W. Chase, recorder. Instead of the present township and board of supervisors style adopted in 1850, the older method of county administration by three county commissioners, acting as a court, prevailed.
At this first term of the county commissioner's court, the terms of office of the commissioners were settled as follows: Mr. Ingals, three years; Mr. Dixon, two years, and Mr. Whitney, one year. Mr. Dixon was not present during the first session. He qualified Sept. 30, 1839.
The commissioner's per diem was $2.50.
The first business of the commissioners was to lay off Lee county into election precincts :
No. One was known as Gap Grove precinct and it comprised the territory known today as the township of Palmyra.
No. Two was called Dixon.
Precinct No. Three was called Franklin.
Precinct No. Four was called Melugin.
Precinct No. Five was called Inlet.
Precinct No. Six was called Winnebago and it took in the territory now comprising Marion, East Grove, Hamilton and Harmon.
The house of William Martin was selected for the polling place in Gap Grove precinct and William Martin, Thomas J. Harris and William Johnson were appointed judges of election. For precinct two, the polling place was fixed at the schoolhouse in
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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
Dixon and the judges of election appointed were James Santec, Samuel M. Bowman and Thomas MeCabe. For precinct three, the house of Jeremiah Whipple was selected for a polling place and for judges, Cyrus Chamberlain, Jeremiah Whipple and Don Cooper were selected. For precinct four, the Melugin school- house was selected for a polling place and for judges of election, David A. Town, Zachariah Melugin and John K. Robison were appointed. For precinet five, Inlet, the house of Benjamin Whit- aker was made the polling place for elections, and Daniel M. Dewey, David Frost and Asa B. Searles were appointed judges. For the sixth precinet, the house of David Welty was selected as the polling place and for judges, David Welty, Henry W. Bogar- dus and Nathan B. Meek were appointed.
Then as now the subject of better roads was one of paramount importance and we find the records of the county commissioners' court which had jurisdiction of the subject, flooded with petitions to review and relocate roads and parts of roads and to view and locate new roads. The first road to come up for consideration before the court was one leading from Dixon's Ferry to Bush's Ferry, down stream a couple of miles. One should believe that with the orders the commissioners gave, it should not have required any order, because invariably, every order to comply with the petition was accompanied with a reservation to the effect that the county was to be put to no expense save the surveyor's fees, and in those cases the record generally showed that somebody deposited them in the county treasury, five dollars, to pay the surveyor, conditioned that the same should be repaid if not used.
The next petition to review and relocate a road was brought in on the same day and asked to relocate the road from Dixon's Ferry to the house of Cyrus Chamberlain. In this case William P. Burrows deposited the $5. But next came a pretty big job for so young a county. It was desired to re-view and relocate the road running from the ferry to Cleaveland's turnpike, and from thence via the west end of East Grove to the south end of Lee county. To do this job, S. M. Bowman, David Welty and Henry W. Bogardus were appointed commissioners. Later it was ordered that an election be held in each of the six precinets to cleet, on November Ith, two justices of the peace and two constables in each precinct. Rimming on down I found one very important item in the history of Lee county. Should the date grub desire to know the date of the first cireus held in Lee county. it was Sept. 17.
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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
1839, and for the privilege of holding it the circus of Howe and Sons paid into the Lee county treasury the sum of $10.
Few of you know what a keel boat was. It was the popular river boat for many long and weary years and was not superseded until the steamboat appeared. In point of form it resembled very much the canal boat. All around the top of the bulwarks a plat- form was built, along which the erew walked forward and back- wards with their long poles with which the boat was propelled. The poles did a good job while going down stream or while float- ing upon the surface of quiet waters, but while trying to make headway against the wind or the current, the task was nothing short of fearful. The crew were forced to go ashore with a long rope. tie the rope to a tree on the bank and then by bull strength one relay would pull the ropes and another would catch and hold the gain by having the rope wound round the tree tightly enough to prevent any "give." This was called cordelling. If no trees appeared along the banks, then the crew were compelled to make for the shore and wade in the shallow water and pull the boat along by means of ropes. A sail was used in most instances, but the boats were so clumsy that sails afforded very little assistance. Keel boat crews were noted for their brutality-not to passengers -and for their boat songs, sung too while in the act of their most slavish duties. But to apply the case to Lee county : On the pay- ment of $5, Andrews and MeMasters were granted by the board of commissioners, the privilege of selling merchandise on board their keel boat in said Lee county until the end of the next term of the county commissioners' court, "abont Oct. 13, 1839."
On Oct. 2, 1839, the report of the commissioners locating the county seat at Dixon was ordered approved and spread on the records.
FIRST COURTHOUSE AND JAIL
On Dec. 2, 1839, plans for a courthouse and jail were taken up and considered ; Commissioner Dixon was absent that day.
Messrs. Carpenter and Davy were employed to draft further plans for the courthouse.
On Dec. 26, the clerk was ordered to make out specifications for building a courthouse and jail. On the next day the clerk sub- mitted them : the courthouse must be of stone or brick and the jail of stone and timber. They were accepted and filed, and the clerk was ordered to advertise for sealed proposals, to be opened Jan.
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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
6, 1840. On that date the clerk was ordered to procure plans for jail, to correspond with specifications, and the time to contractors was extended one day when Cyrus R. Miner was paid $3 for draw- ing draft of courthouse roof. This was the great day of days for Dixon. The bids were opened; but they must have been insuffi- cient because the board at once ordered that S. M. Bowman and Smith Gilbraith and John Van Arman be communicated with regarding their price for doing certain work not included in the specifications.
Bids could not have been minerous. Zenas Aplington, of Buffalo Grove, and G. G. Holbrook secured the contract for build- ing the jail, for the sum of $1,495, and for the faithful observance of the contract bond was required.
Samuel M. Bowman was given the contract for building the courthouse for the stipulated price, $6,800, and for the extras not included in the original specifications. he was to receive $450. Bond was to be executed.
And right here in the midst of all this joy of expansion comes the first official record we have of a death in the new county. On this same day, Christopher Brookner was ordered paid the sum of $9 for making a coffin in which to bury Daniel Bremridge, a county charge. Nine dollars! Compare that with the price of a modern equipment in which to be ferried over the Styx!
A study of the struggles of Dixon, a little frontier outpost, to secure the county seat and then to provide funds with which to build the county buildings, furnishes a story of energy and pluck to be found only in a young and unconquerable community. Money was scarce in 1839-frightfully scarce. The effects of the 1837 panie were still hovering over the country. The Internal Improve- ment, after ruining the state, had collapsed. The people were generous but poor, and yet in order to secure county buildings for county uses, which should be paid for by all those who were to enjoy their benefits, the little village of Dixon was required by the act of the Legislature and the action of the commissioners in selecting Dixon, to provide a block or square of ground upon which to locate the courthouse and to provide money to build that court- house, and a county jail as well.
If will be noticed by the report of those commissioners, that the block of ground had been offered (by John Dixon). It also will be noticed by their report that eighty acres of land adjoining the town plat had been secured. Jolm Dixon added that to his contribution. It also will be noticed that Messrs. Smith Gilbraith.
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COURT HOUSE, DIXON
في الصد
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LEE COUNTY'S SECOND COURT HOUSE
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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
Wilkinson and Dement, (not John nor Charles Dement) guar- anteed by bond to pay $1,050. Others guaranteed by bond, the sum of $6,460, and it also will be noticed that another bond of $3,000, less the one of Gilbraith, et al., of $1,050, was required as the sine qua non for settling the county seat in Dixon.
And so the newly elected county commissioners proceeded to build the first county buildings of Lee county.
The first jurors, grand and petit, for the first term of the circuit court, were selected at this time and their names are: Grand Jurors, William Martin, Noah Bedee, Reuben Eastwood, John H. Page, Oscar F. Ayres, Elijah Bowman, John Brown, Thomas McCabe, Cyrus Chamberlain, Cyrus R. Miner, Erastus De Wolf, David H. Birdsall, George E. Haskell, Daniel M. Dewey, Daniel Baird, James Blair, Joseph F. Abbott, Peter T. Scott, Nathan B. Meek, John Wilson, Zachariah Melugin, John K. Robi- son and Jacob Kipling.
The first petit jurors, and they were drawn for the April term, 1840, were Oliver Hubbard, Simon Fellows, Jonas M. Johnson, Benjamin H. Steward, William F. Bradshaw, Hiram Parks, Jeremiah Murphy, Josiah Mooers, Charles Edson, Joseph Craw- ford, Samuel C. McClure, John Chamberlain, Edward Morgan, Amos Hussey, Daniel Frost, John "Done," Richard F. Adams, Sylvanus Peterson, Asa B. Searls, R. B. Allen, William Guthrie, John Gilmore, David Welty and James S. Bell.
From the records in the same office it may be interesting to know the movements of little Cupid in this new and expansive county of Lee! The first three marriage licenses procured in the new county, in their order, are Sept. 24, 1839, Gustavus Witz- ler and Louisa Dombach, who were married Oct. 10 by Smith Gilbraith, and the license was registered with the clerk Oct. 16. Thus the German was the first to get a new license in the new county and the thrifty German has been coming to this county and he has been growing into fatherhood and grandfatherhood ever since and to those same Germans the county is under lasting obligations. But Mr. Witzler was not the first bridegroom. The second man to get the license beat him: On Oct. 3, 1839, William Hopps (unele of Clyde Smith of Dixon), who obtained license number two, was the first to wed, so the record says. He and Miss Martha Smith were married by Rev. Charles Morris, minister of the gospel, Oct. 5, and his license was registered Oct. 9. The third to procure a license was Henry W. Cleaveland, who was married
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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
to Rowena Smith, Oct. 23, by Rev. James De Pui, an Episcopal clergyman, who established the first Episcopal church in Dixon. The license was registered Nov. 10, 1839.
LEE COUNTY'S CHARTER
Session Laws Eleventh General Assembly, Page 170
An Act to create the county of Lee from the county of Ogle.
Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That all that part of Ogle county lying south of a line beginning on the western boundary of Ogle county at the northwest corner of section eighteen, in town- ship twenty-two, north, of range eight, east of the fourth principal meridian ; thence, on the section line between sections numbered seven and eighteen, in said township, east, to the main channel of Rock river; thence up the center of the main channel of Rock river, to the section line between sections twelve and thirteen, in township twenty-two, north, of range nine, cast of the fourth principal meridian; thence, east with the last mentioned section line, to the northeast corner of section seventeen, in township twenty-two, north, of range ten, east of the fourth principal meridian ; thence, south, to the southeast corner of the last men- tioned section; and thence, east, with the section lines, to the eastern boundary of the county, shall constitute the county of Lee.
Sec. 2. That Lorin G. Butler of Cook county, E. H. Nichols, of Whiteside coimty, and D. G. Salsbury of the county of Bureau, be and they are hereby, appointed commissioners to locate the seat of justice for said county of Lee; and said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall meet at the town of Dixon, on the first Monday in May next, or as soon thereafter as may be, and, after being duly qualified before some justice of the peace faithfully to perform the duties required of them by this act, shall proceed to locate and establish the permanent seat of justice of said county of Lee, having due regard to the settlements and the convenience of the present and future population of said county, and when so located, shall be and remain the permanent seat of justice.
See. 3. If said seat of justice shall be located on lands which have been laid off into town lots. the owners or proprietors of the same shall donate and convey unto the county commissioners of said county of Lee, and their successors in office, for the use and
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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
benefit of said county, necessary land on which to erect public buildings, which shall be erected thereon; and shall enter into bonds, with approved security, to the county commissioners, and their successors in office, for the use and benefit of said county, to pay the sum of three thousand five hundred dollars, in three equal installments, one-third in three months, one-third in nine months, and the remaining third in fifteen months, from the time of said location. And if the county seat shall be located on lands claimed by any individual, not laid off into town lots, the owner or pro- prietor shall donate unto the county, as aforesaid, at least twenty acres of land, on which public buildings shall be erected, or enter into bonds to the county commissioners in such sums and con- ditions as is required if the same shall be located on lands laid off into town lots. And all moneys accruing from the sale of any lands which may be donated to said county, or may be received on said bonds, shall be appropriated to the erection of a suitable court house and jail. And, until public buildings are erected, the several courts of the counties of Ogle and Lee shall be held at such place. in their respective county seats, as the county commissioners shall direct.
Sec. 4. The citizens of the county hereby created are entitled, in all respects, to the same rights and privileges as are allowed in general to other counties in this state.
See. 5. It shall be the duty of the clerk of the county com- missioners' court of Ogle county to order an election to be held in the several precinets in the county of Lee; which order shall be directed to the judges of election in the several preeinets in said county of Lee established by the county commissioners' court of Ogle county, to be held at the several places of holding elections in the several precinets, for the election of county officers for the county of Lee; which election shall be held on the first Monday in August next, and shall be conducted in all respects agreeably to the provisions of the law regulating elections.
Sec. 6. It shall be the duty of the judges of the election so ordered to make returns thereof to the clerk of the county com- missioners' court of Ogle county, who shall, together with two justices of the peace, proceed to canvass all the votes taken in the county of Lee, and shall deliver their certificate to each officer so elected: and shall also deliver to the clerk of Lee county, so soon as he shall have been qualified, all the poll-books of said election, whose duty it shall be to forward an abstract to the
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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
Secretary of State, in such manner and form as is required in other counties in this state. The county of Lee, hereby created, shall continue to form a part of the county of Ogle until after said election, as is above provided ; and the county commissioners so elected shall be qualified.
Sec. 7. The county commissioners elected under this act shall meet at the town of Dixon, within five days after receiving certifi- cates of election, and shall qualify by delivering the proper oath to each other; and shall require their clerk, so elected, to enter into bond and take the oath of office as is required by law. It shall then be the duty of said clerk to ascertain by lot, the term each of said commissioners shall serve, according to the provisions of an act, entitled "An act to amend an act, entitled 'An act estab- lishing courts of county commissioners,' " passed March 22, 1819.
See. 8. The county of Lee hereby created shall vote with Jo Daviess county for Senators and Representatives until the next apportionment.
Sec. 9. The commissioners appointed by this act to locate the seat of justice in the county of Lee shall receive two dollars per day for each and every day necessarily spent in discharging the duties thereof, to be paid out of the county treasury.
Approved, Feb. 27, 1839.
LIST OF ALL PLATS OF ORIGINAL VILLAGES, LAID OUT IN LEE COUNTY
By Ira W. Lewis
Adelheid was laid out June 19, 1896, by the Anglo-Swiss Con- densed Co.
Amboy, The Town of was laid out March 27, 1854, by Hiram Ketchum and George W. Gray, trustees of the owners of the land.
Binghampton. The Town of, was laid out May 16, 1848, by Asa B. Searls and Warren Badger. proprietors.
Brooklyn, The Town of, was laid out Aug. 26, 1872, by O. P. Johnson, D. L. Harris and R. N. Woods. proprietors.
Carnahan, The Town of, was laid out June 19, 1873, by A. J. Carnahan, proprietor.
Chaplin, The Town of, was laid out May 3, 1853, by Christian Lahman and Silas P. Tollman.
Compton, The Town of, was laid out May 8, 1873, by Joel Compton.
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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
Coventry was laid out Nov. 13, 1841, by Smith Gilbraith, up- on parts of sections 35 and 36, T. 22, R. 8 (Palmyra).
Dixon, The Town of, was laid out Oct. 28, 1840, by John Dixon, Smith Gilbraith, William Wilkinson and Bowman & Lane.
Eldena was laid out July 10, 1863, by the Illinois Central Rail- road Co.
Franklin Grove, The Town of, was laid out May 8, 1854, by Thomas D. Robertson and Christian Lahman.
Harmon, The Town of, was laid out May 15, 1872, by D. H. Wicker, J. S. Meckling, Alonzo Kinyou and C. G. Wicker.
Lee, The Town of, was laid out Aug. 19, 1872, by Francis E. Hinckley and John Kennedy.
Lee Center, The Town of, was laid out Nov. 23, 1854, by Luke Hitchcock and Charles 1. Hitchcock.
Middleboro was laid ont Nov. 1, 1911, on part of sections 23 and 24 Bradford, by John W. Weishaar and Henry Weishaar.
Nachusa, The Town of, was laid out March 1, 1855, by A. P. Dysart and George Baugh.
Nelson, The Town of, was laid out Dec. 22, 1862, by Willard S. Pope and Samuel Nelson.
Ogle, The Town of (now Ashton), was laid out May 9, 1853, by E. B. Stiles and Thomas D. Robertson.
Oporto (no plat or survey recorded), two lots known as "Log House Lot" and "Frame House Lot." This "speculator's plat" was recorded in Jo Daviess county. It embraced lands between the I. C. R. R. and North Dixon on each side of the Palmyra road.
Palestine, The Town of, was laid out May 10, 1854, by Rhoda E. Hook, on S. W. 1/4 of S. E. 1/4 Sec. 21, T. 20, R. 10 (Amboy township).
Prairieville was laid out April 10, 1858, by Abijah Powers, in Palmyra township.
Paw Paw Grove, Village of, was laid out Ang. 1, 1871.
Scarboro, Village of, was laid out on part of S. W. 1/4 Sec. 8, T. 38, R. 2 (Willow Creek township), by Lewis G. Durin.
Shaw. The Town of, was laid out Oct. 24, 1878, by Sherman Shaw.
Shelburn (North Shelburn and South Shelburn) was laid out April 25, 1847.
Steward, The Town of, was laid out Nov. 30, 1872, by Wesley Steward.
Sublette, The Town of, was laid out May 8, 1855, by the Illinois Central Railroad Co.
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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
Swissville was laid out June 23, 1892, in part N. 1/5 S. W. 1/4 See. 32, T. 22, R. 9, by George H. Page.
Van Petten was laid out Sept. 3, 1901, on part of S. 1/2 Sec. 19, T. 20, R. 8 (Harman township ), by A. G. Van Petten.
Walton, The Town of, was laid out in part of sections 14 and 15, Marion township, May 4, 1878, by Pryce Jones.
COUNTY OFFICERS
Following is the list of county officers (including circuit judges) from the organization of the county to date :
Coroners-Samuel Johnson, 1839-41; John Lord, 1841-48; Solomon Parker, 1848-50; JJames Goble, 1850-54; Daniel B. Mc- Kenney, 1854-56; H. O. Kelsey, 1856-64; James Hatch, 1864-66; Harvey Barrell, 1866-70: A. E. Wilcox, 1870-78: John C. Church, 1878-88: William B. Andruss. 1888-96, died in office: Charles T. Smith, 1899-1912; George B. Stephan, 1912, present incumbent.
Surveyors-Joseph Crawford, 1839-44; Seth H. Whitmore, 1844-46; S. Parker, in 1846; C. Camp, 1846-49; Joseph Crawford, 1849-55; A. W. Tinkham, 1855-57; Milton Santee, 1857-61; K. F. Booth, 1861-63: William B. Andruss, 1863-65 ; C. B. Hall, 1865-67; William McMahan, 1867-82, resigned Oct. 1. 1882; Henry E. . Wylie, 1882-88: Charles C. Jacobs, 1892-96; William McMahan, 1896-1900; L. B. Neighbour, 1900-04: George C. Heritage, 1904. resigned 1906; L. B. Neighbour, 1906, to date.
Superintendents of Schools-E. R. Mason to 1840: Joseph T. Little. 1840-43: Daniel B. MeKenney, 1843-46; Lorenzo Wood, 1846-50; John V. Eustace, 1850-53: John Stevens, 1853-55: Simeon Wright, 1855-57: James A. Hawley. 1857-59: JJohn Monroe, 1859-61; W. IL. Gardner, 1861-63: Benjamin F. Atherton, 1863-65; James H. Preston, 1865-73: Daniel Carey, 1873-77; James Il. Preston, 1877-82; Sammel J. Howe, 1882-86; P. M. James, 1886-90; Jay C. Edwards, 1890-94; T. F. Edwards, 1894- 1910; 1. W. Miller, 1910-14.
Sheriffs-Aaron Wakelee, 1839-41 : Aaron L. Porter, 1841-42; James Campbell, 1842-48 ; James Goble, 1848-51 ; Aaron L. Porter, 1851-53: Ozias Wheeler. 1853: William Butler, 1853-56; Ozias Wheeler, 1856-58; Lester Harding. 1858-60; Aaron L. Porter, 1860-62; Charles F. Lynn. 1862-64: R. P. Treadwell, 1864-66; Truman 1. Pratt. 1866-68; George M. Berkeley, 1868-76; Jona-
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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
than N. Hills, 1876-80; Walter Little, 1880-82; Isaac Edwards, 1882-86; W. H. Woodyatt, 1886-90; George Stainbrook, 1890-94; Josiah L. Gray, 1894-98; Michael J. McGowan, 1898-1902; Charles W. Wohnke, 1902-06; A. T. Tourtillott, 1906-10; Clarence P. Reid, 1910-14.
Treasurers-John Morse, 1840-43; Nathan Morehouse, 1843- 46; S. Parker in 1846; W. W. Bethea, 1846-50; Elias B. Stiles, 1850-57; Francis B. Little, 1857-59; Elias B. Stiles, 1859-63; Joseph T. Little, 1863-71; Josiah Little, 1871-75; Frederick A. Truman, 1875-79; Josiah Little, 1879-86; Charles H. Hughes, 1886-90; Michael Maloney, 1890-94; Charles F. Welty, 1894-98; John M. Sterling, 1898-1902: Walter B. Merriman, 1902-06; John M. Sterling, 1906-10; Frank C. Vaughan, 1910-14.
Recorders-For a time the office of recorder was a separate one. In 1850 it was united with the office of clerk of the circuit court. Michael Fellows, 1839-44; Edwin W. Hine, 1844-50.
Circuit Clerks-George W. Chase, 1839-41; Charles T. Chase, 1841-51; N. F. Porter in 1851; Isaac S. Boardman, 1851-57; George E. Haskell, 1857-59, resigned; Isaac S. Boardman, 1859-60; Benjamin F. Shaw, 1860-68; Jonathan N. Hyde, 1868-76; Remington Warriner, 1876 to July, 1882, died; Ira W. Lewis, appointed to fill vacancy, 1882-98; Arvene S. IIyde, 1898-1903, resigned ; Ira W. Lewis appointed 1903-04 ; William B. McMahan, 1904, present clerk.
County Clerks-Isaac S. Boardman, 1839-43; Charles T. Chase, 1843-49; J. B. Gregory, 1849-53; Thomas W. Eustace, 1853-61: James A. Hawley, 1861-82; Charles H. Gardner, 1882-86; James H. Thompson, 1886-1902 ; William C. Thompson, 1902-14.
County Judges-Harvey Morgan, 1839-43; 'O. A. Eddy, 1843-47; Lorenzo Wood, 1847-53: David Welty, 1853-61 ; William W. DeWolf, 1861-69; John D. Crabtree, 1869-77; James B. Charters, 1877-82; Richard S. Farrand, 1882-1902, resigned, when he was made circuit judge; Robert H. Scott, Aug. 9, 1902, present incumbent. The first few judges were called probate judges, but when their jurisdiction was enlarged, the name was changed to county judge, whose duties ex officio included those of the probate judge.
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