USA > Illinois > Ogle County > The history of Ogle County, Illinois, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics history of the Northwest, history of Illinois etc > Part 32
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326
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
nearly similar division into 'districts' in South Carolina, and that into 'parishes' in Louisiana, from the French laws.
"Illinois, which, with its vast additional territory, became a county of Virginia on its conquest by Gen. George Rogers Clark, retained the county organization, which was formally extended over the state by the constitu- tion of 1818, and continued in exclusive use until the constitution of 1848. Under this system, as in other states adopting it, most local business was transacted by three commissioners in each county, who constituted a county court, with quarterly sessions. During the period ending with the consti- tutional convention of 1847, a large portion of the state had become filled up with a population of New England birth or character, daily growing more and more compact and dissatisfied with the comparatively arbitrary and inefficient county system." It was maintained by the people that the heavily populated districts would always control the election of the com- missioners to the disadvantage of the more thinly populated sections-in short, that under that system, "equal and exact justice " to all parts of the county could not be secured. The township system had its origin in Mas- sachusetts, and dates back to 1635. The first legal enactment concerning this system provided that, whereas, " particular towns have many things which concern only themselves, and the ordering of their own affairs, and disposing of business in their own town," therefore, " the freemen of every town, or the major part of them, shall only have power to dispose of their own lands and woods, with all the appurtenances of said towns, to grant lots, and to make such orders as may concern the well-ordering of their own towns, not repugnant to the laws and orders established by the General Court." "They might also (says Mr. Haines), impose fines of not more than twenty shillings, and 'choose their own particular officers, as consta- bles, surveyors for the highways, and the like.' Evidently this enactment relieved the * general court of a mass of municipal details, without any danger to the powers of that body in controlling general measures or public policy. Probably, also, a demand from the freemen of the towns was felt, for the control of their own home concerns.
"Similar provisions for the incorporation of towns were made in the first constitution of Connecticut, adopted in 1639; and the plan of township organization, as experience proved its remarkable economy, efficacy and adaptation to the requirements of a free and intelligent people, became uni- versal throughout New England, and went westward with the emigrants from New England, into New York, Ohio and other Western States, includ- ing the northern part of Illinois."
Under these influences, the constitutional provision of 1848, and sub- segment law of 1849, were enacted, enabling the people of the several coun- ties of the state to vote "for " or "against " adopting the township system. This question was submitted to the people of the state on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 1849, and was adopted by most of the counties north of the Illinois River.
February 12, 1849, the legislature passed a law creating a county court. Section one of this law provided " that there should be established
* The New England colonies were first governed by a " general court," or legislature composed of a governor and a small council, which court consisted of the most influential inhabitants, and possessed and exercised both legislative and judicial powers, which were limited only by the wisdom of the holders. They made laws, ordered their execution by officers, tried and decided civil and criminal causes, enacted all manner of municipal regu- lations, and, in fact, did all the public business of the colony.
Jal Campbell,
STATES' ATTY.
POLO
---
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HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
in each of the counties of this state, now created and organized, or which may hereafter be created or organized, a court of record, to be styled the 'County Court,' to be held and consist of one judge, to be styled the . County Judge.'" Section seventeen of the same act [see p. 307-10, Statutes of 1858] provided for the election of two additional justices of the peace, whose jurisdiction should be co-extensive with the counties, etc., and who should sit with the county judge as members of the court, for the transaction of all county business and none other.
November, 1849, Spooner Ruggles was elected county judge, and William C. Salisbury and Joshua White were elected associate justices. The first term of the county court was commenced on the 17th of Decem- ber, 1849. The commission of Spooner Ruggles was signed by Augustus C. French, Governor, and bore date December 3, 1849. Justice Salisbury's commission bore the same date; Justice White's commission was dated the 17th of the same month. John M. Hinkle was elected county clerk at the same election, and his commission also bore date December 3, 1849.
The county court remained in the management of county affairs until succeeded by a board of supervisors in the Fall of 1850, the first board being elected in April, 1850, and holding their first session on the 11th of November, A. D. 1850. February 5, 1850, the commissioners appointed by the county commissioners court, at their last session, November, 1849, to divide the county into townships, submitted the following report to the county court, which report was accepted and ordered to be made of record :
Report of the Commissioners appointed to divide the County of Ogle into Towns, in pursuunre of an act of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois, entitled " An Act to provide for County and Township organizations." Approved February 12, 1849:
Monroe Township-Includes all of Township 42 north, range 3 east of the third principal meridian
Scott Township-Includes all of Township 42 north, range 1 east of the third princi- pal meridian.
White Rock Township-Includes all of Township 41 north, range 1 east of the third principal meridian.
Lynnville Township-Contains all of Township 41 north, range 2 east of the third principal meridian.
Flagg Township-Comprises all of Township 40 north, range 1 east of the third principal meridian.
Lafayette Township-Includes all that half of Township 23 north, range 11 east of the fourth principal meridian, which lies in Ogle County.
Eagle Township-Includes all of Township 23 north, range 11 east of the fourth principal meridian.
Taylor Township-Comprises all those portions of Township 22 north, ranges 9 and 10 east of the fourth principal meridian, which lie in Ogle County and east of the middle of Rock River.
Nashua Township-Includes all that part of Township 23 north, range 10 east of the fourth principal meridian, which is situated on the east side of a line drawn along the middle of Rock River, and on the south side of the half section line running east and west through the centres of sections 10, 11 and 12 of said township 23, range 10 east; also, the following islands in Rock River: Nos. 7, 8 and 10.
Oregon Township-Contains all that part of Township 23 north, range 10 east of the fourth principal meridian, which lies on the west side of the middle of Rock River, and that part of said township which lies on the east side of Rock River, north of the half sec- tion line running east and west through the centres of sections 10, 11 and 12 of said town- ship 23 north, range 10 east, and also the islands in said Rock River which are not placed to the Town of Nashua and in the bounds of said township 23.
Brooklyn Township-Comprises all of Township 24 north, range 10 east of the fourth principal meridian.
Marion Township-Includes all of Township 24 north, range 11 east, and that part of Township 25 north, range 11 east of the fourth principal meridian, which lies south and east of the middle of Rock River.
330
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
Byron Township-Includes all that part of Township 25, range 11 east of the fourth principal meridian, which lies on the north and west of the middle of Rock River, and all the east half of Township 25 north, range 10 east of the fourth principal meridian.
Grand de Tour Township-Contains all those portions of Township 22 north, range 9 and 10 east of the fourth principal meridian, which are situated in Ogle County and on the west side of the middle of Rock River.
Pine Creek Township-Contains all of Township 23 north, range 9 east of the fourth principal meridian.
Mount Morris Township-Comprises all of Township 24 north, range 9 east of the fourth principal meridian, and the east half of Township 24 north, range 8 east of the fourth principal meridian.
Leaf River Township-Includes the west half of Township 25 north, range 10, and the east half of Township 25 north, range 9 east of the fourth principal meridian.
Harrison Township-Includes the west half of township 25 north, range 9 east, and the east half of Township 25 north, range 8 east of the fourth principal meridian.
Brookville Township-Contains the west half of Township 24 and the west half of Township 25 north, range 8 east of the fourth principal meridian, also all of fractional Townships 24 and 25 north, range 7 east of the fourth principal meridian.
Buffalo Township-Includes all of Township 23 north, range 8 east, and fractional Township 22 north, range 8 east of the fourth principal meridian, also fractional Township 23 north, range 7 east of the fourth principal meridian.
(Signed) WILLIAM WAMSLEY,
HENRY HILL, DANIEL J. PINKNEY,
At the general election November, 1849, the people of Ogle County voted on the question of adopting the township system, with the following result :
PRECINCTS.
FOR. 94
8
Grand de Tour
78
25
Maryland.
158
-
Buffalo
154
1
Harrison
88
4
Brooklyn
96
* Jefferson
2
Byron
135
-
Washington
74
Monroe
75
1,024
40
Whole number of votes cast
1,064
Majority in favor of towhship system.
984
At the April election, 1850, the following named gentlemen were re- turned as supervisors:
Oregon. J. B. Cheney.
Marion
E. Payson Snow.
Buffalo Zenas Aplington.
Scott. Geo. Young.
Brookville
David Hoffman.
Monroe Austin Lines.
Pine Creek Spooner Ruggles.
Lynnville
C. C. Burroughs.
Mount Morris James B. McCoy.
Flagg Ira Overacker.
Brooklyn N. W. Wadsworth.
Eagle
Jeriel Robinson.
Harrison Samuel Mitchell.
Nashua Joseph Williams.
Leaf River
Wm. C. Salisbury.
Taylor Hiram Sanford.
Byron A. O. Campbell.
Lafayette *
Thomas Paddock.
This Board of Supervisors first met in an official capacity on the morning of November 11, 1850, when Joseph Williams was chosen tem- porary chairman, and Messrs. Spooner Ruggles, A. O. Campbell and Wm. Salisbury were appointed a committee on rules and regulations. The board then adjourned until 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
* Thomas Paddock and Charles C. Royce were contestants from Lafayette Township, an examination of which was deferred from the first to the second day of the session, and then referred to the committee on elections. On the third day this committee reported in favor of Mr. Paddock. The report was adopted and the seat given to that gentleman.
Commissioners.
AGAINST.
Oregon
331
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
At 2 P.M. the board re-assembled and proceeded to perfect their organization. Zenas Aplington was chosen permanent chairman. After the transaction of some further preliminary business, the board adjourned until 9 o'clock, November 12.
November 12 .-- The board met pursuant to adjournment, when the Committee on Rules and Regulations reported the following:
1. The chairman shall take the chair each day precisely at the hour to which the board shall have adjourned, and shall immediately call the meeting to order, and if a quorum be present shall cause the minutes of the previous day to be read.
2. When a motion is made and seconded, it shall be stated by the chair, or, when presented in meeting, shall be handed to the clerk to be read aloud before debate.
3. When any member is about to speak in debate, or present any matter to the board, he shall rise from his seat and address himself to " Mr. Chairman," and shall confine himself to the question under debate, and avoid personalities.
4. Where two or more members shall rise at once, the chair shall name the member who is first to speak.
5. No member shall speak more than once on the same question without leave of the board, nor more than once until every member choosing to speak shall have spoken.
6. When the chairman is putting any question or addressing the board, no member shall walk across the room; nor when a member is speaking shall entertain private con- versation ; nor when a member is speaking pass between him and the chair.
7. No person shall be permitted to smoke in the house during the sitting of the board.
The next business to claim the attention of the board was in relation to a change of name of three of the townships, as reported by the commission- ers appointed to divide the county into townships. On motion it was resolved that
Whereas, It appears from a communication from the Auditor of State to the Clerk of the County Court that, by a decision in his office, the names of the Towns of Harrison, Eagle and Brooklyn must be changed, in pursuance of which the name of the Town of Har- rison is changed to the name of Maryland; the name of the Town of Brooklyn is changed to the name of Rockvale, and the name of the Town of Eagle is changed to the name of Pine Rock.
[Haldane Township was erected from the west part of Mount Morris and the east part of Brookville Townships, September 15, 1869. September 11, 1873, the name was changed from Haldane to Lincoln. The first election in Haldane was held in April, 1870.
Eagle Point Township was taken from the Town of Buffalo, September 15, 1869. Forreston was erected from Brookville and Maryland, March 5, 1857.
Dement was set off from Flagg, September 11, 1855.]
Among the other committees appointed at the first session of the first Board of Supervisors, a special committee-Austin Lines, Samuel Mitchell and E. Payson Snow-to consider the traffic in spirituons lignors, and devise ways and means to regulate what was then believed by many people (as many people now believe) to be an evil. That committee had the sub- ject under consideration for two or three days, and on the last day of the session submitted their report, recommending the Board o Supervisors to fix the sum to be paid by applicants for license at one hundred and fifty dollars. "Your committee are led to this conclusion from the fact that they consider the practice of selling liquor by the small mcasure to be a fruitful source of immorality and opposed to the well-being and good order of society; and they would further state, as their conviction, that this sum fixed as the price to be paid would perhaps have a greater tendency to dis- courage the traffic, than an attempt at utter prohibition. And your com- mittee would further recommend to the Board of Supervisors to use all due dilligence to put the law in force against all who may violate the license law, and to recommend all good citizens to do the same, to the end that
332
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
the traffic may be discouraged, and the law sustained in case of violation." The report was adopted. So it seems that in 1850 the temperance wave was agitating the people of Ogle County, and that the Board of Super- visors, through a special committee, placed themselves in an attitude of antagonism to what their special committee designated in their report as "a fruitful source of immorality." But that action did not permanently settle the question. Thirty-eight years, almost, have come and gone, and still the evil exists. The coming of every municipal or April election, re- opens the agitation of the subject, and license or no license is the dividing issue in almost every municipality. Sometimes the scales have been pretty evenly balanced between the license and anti-license elements, but as a rule the license people have maintained the supremacy. The license system may have been a source of revenue, and the means of aiding in certain im- provements, but it is a fact that can not be readily and successfully denied, say the more intelligent representatives of the two factions, that the cost of prosecuting the law cases that grow out of the traffic, even under license, more than overbalances the amount of revenue that is derived from license.
From another report of a special committee herewith presented, it would seem that the affairs of the county in its early days were loosely and carelessly managed. It is a lamentable fact that in almost every instance there was an inexcusable carelessness or negligence about preserving official papers, and keeping a proper record of the accounts of counties, the receipts and expenditures, the different sources of revenue, etc. There is no valid reason why there should not be in every county a ready means of showing every business transaction from the time the first entry was made upon the records to the close of the last year. Neither is there any reason (loss by fires or floods excepted) why every paper of an official character, no matter how small or comparatively trifling, should not be carefully pre- served. On the other hand, there onght to be a severe penalty imposed upon all officials, whether of new counties or old ones, who fail to preserve intact the official papers of the offices they fill. If this rule were always followed by public officers, it would save a world of trouble and vexations confusion. Special committees of examination and charges of fraud, cor- ruption and dishonesty would not be so frequent, and the means would always be at hand to show the taxpayers where their money goes.
When the supervisors succeeded the county commissioners and county court in the management of county affairs in 1850, "confusion confounded " or confounded confusion, prevailed, to a very great extent in the county offices. Papers had been carelessly kept, the records, in many instances, were in bad shape. No one knew the exact, or even approximate, condition of the financial status of the county. This was not the result of a dishon- esty of purpose on the part of the respective clerks and other guardians of the county's interests, but of carelessness and indifference. The careless- ness had come to be an abuse, and the abuse demanded correction. So at a special mecting of the board, November 15, 1850, a special finance com- mittee of two was appointed to investigate the affairs of the county and report at a subsequent meeting. December 5, 1850, the board again met in special session, when the special committee just mentioned, presented the following report as the result of their investigations:
First. We have, by carefully inspecting the records in the County Clerk's office and the books of the Treasurer, endeavored to ascertain the amount of revenue orders issued from the year 1837 up to September, 1850; also, the amount of the same in payment of
333
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
taxes and cancelled during the same period of time; also, the amount of interest on the unpaid balance, which had been presented to the treasurer for payment up to the present time.
Second. We have, by a careful examination of the records, found the whole amount of building fund orders which have been issued from A. D. 1839 up to June, A. D. 1843, including all that species of orders ever issued by the county. Next, we found the amount of these orders which had been paid into the Treasury. Then we carefully computed the interest on the unpaid balance, which, when added to the principal, shows the amount, or the total indebtedness of the county on the building fund.
Under the third division of our report your committee have labored under serious embarrassment. In this division we designed to show the indebtedness of the county in the form of Jury certificates, but it appears on inquiry of Mr. Light that a record of a very small part of the jury certificates issued had been kept, consequently your committee had no resort left but to ascertain the amount of which a record had been kept by the present clerk, and then refer to the whole mass of cancelled county paper now in the archives of the county. From this mass, where county orders, building fund orders, jury certificates, county clerk and county commissioners certificates, etc., etc., are in wild confusion mingled, we have, by carefully unfolding each package and paper separately, of the thousands there found, been able to figure up the whole amount of jury certificates already paid. From this amount we have deducted the amount of which a record has been kept, and thereby sbown the sum cancelled, which had never been recorded; and your committee would here add, only, however, as a presumption of their own, that as these certificates are usually issued in small sums and scattered generally throughout the county, they have mostly found their way back to the county treasury, and are not to any great extent a source of county indebtedness.
The following is a tabular view of the revenue fund as at present existing, and coming under the first privision of the foregoing report:
Whole amount of revenue orders issued $21,591 21
Whole amount of revenue orders paid. 13,945 41
$7,645 80
Interest on this balance since presented for payment.
1,359 16
Total indebtedness $9,004 96
Under the second division of the report we present the present condition of the Building Fund orders :
Whole amount of building fund orders issued np to pres- ent time. $17 819 83
Whole amount of building fund orders paid_ 6,647 75 $11,172 08
Interest on unpaid balance. 6,809 13
Total amount of building account indebtedness $17,981 21
RECAPITULATION.
Whole indebtedness on revenue account. $9,004 96
Whole indebtedness on building fund. 17,981 21
Total indebtedness on both funds. $26,986 17
Add amount of indebtedness of county commissioners and clerks certificates 939 65
Total indebtedness of county aside from jury certificates_$27,925 82 Against this indebtedness we have notes and obligations and inter- est in favor of county in hands of clerks, amounting to $2,084 90
Valuation of town lots unsold_ 4,260 00
Notes and interests in hands of Judge Ruggles. 101 81
Due county from late Sheriff on delinquent tax list. 118 06
Orders uncalled for in hands of clerk 105 67
Total assets $6,670 44 Under the third division of this report we present the following view of the jury certificates, unsatisfactory and imperfect as it may be :
Whole amount of jury certificates issued of which a record has been kept up to Nov. 30, 1850. $1,467 80 Whole amount of jury certificates paid into the treasury and can-
celled from 1837 to November, 1850 2,767 38
$4,235 18
334
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
From this amount deduct recorded certificates, and we find a balance of [$1,299.55, of which no record has been kept. Then by adding the amount of certificates recorded, to those already caucelled, and we have a total amount of $4,235.18, as above.
Your committee would further report that from the thorough examination they bave given this part of the duty assigned them, they have come to the conclusion that by far the greatest part of the jury certificates issued by the clerk of the Circuit Court previous to a record being kept, are paid. Of those issued under the administration of the present clerk, about one fourth only have been cancelled. One fourth of $1,467.80 is $366.95; this amount taken from the whole amount recorded, leaves a balance against the county of jury certifi- cates unpaid of $1,100.85.
In conclusion, your committee would recommend the adoption of the following resolution :
That the treasurer of Ogle County be instructed by the Board of Supervisors to keep a separate and distinct account of the species of funds paid into the treasury, viz .: Cash, Revenue Orders, Building Fund Orders, Certificates of County Commissioners, and Clerks and Jury Certificates, each separate and distinct, and ou separate pages; also, that the County Clerk be instructed to file each of the foregoing species of' county paper, when can- celled, in his office, in separate parcels.
The adoption of the above resolutions, in the opinion of your committee, would here- "after avoid confusion and greatly facilitate reference to the state of the affairs of the county.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
N. W. WADSWORTH. JOSEPH WILLIAMS.
The report was adopted and ordered to be prepared by the county attorney and printed in the Mount Morris Gazette.
Thus was inaugurated county management under the township system.
It would be as unprofitable as unnecessary to present in detail the numerous orders, reports, resolutions, etc., etc., of the board of supervisors. Among so many men, their proceedings partake a good deal of the nature of a legislature. There are always some cool business heads, as well as a good many glib tongues. Some of them are practical, industrious workers-others are of the "buncombe" order, and always ready to make . a speech or voluminous report, more to be heard and read of men, than for real, practical usefulness to their constituency and the taxpayers. This is in no wise derogatory to their characters as men, for they can't help 'it. They were born so. It has always been and always will be. In the Congress of the United States, in state legislatures, a few men do the work, a few others do the talking-make the speeches. This is neither romance nor elaboration, but solid history, sustained by facts as old as civilized government.
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