USA > Indiana > Henry County > Henry County; past and present: a brief history of the county from 1821 to 1871 > Part 8
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COMMISSIONERS, FROM 1827 TO 1872.
James Fort, 1827 to 1828. Elisha Shortridge, 1827 to 1829, Abraham Ileaton, 1827 to 1828, John Whitacre, 1828 to 1831, John S. Cooper, 1828 so 1829, Solomon Brown, 1819 to 1834. Robert Murphey, 1829 to 1836. Joseph Robbins, 1831 to 1834, J. R. Leonard, - to 1834, Tabor W. McKee, 1834 to 1836. John Whitacre, 1835 to 1836, Jesse Forkner, 1836 to 1837, J. W. Baldwin, 1836 to 1838, D. C. Shawhan, 1837 to 1840. George Corwine, 1838 to 1841, Jesse H. Healy, 1840 to 1843, James Ball, 1838 to 1839. Matthew McKimmy, 1830 to 1842, Nathan Hunt, 1841 to 1844, Nelson Sharp, 1842 to 1848, Aquila Barrett, 1813 to 1845,
Jacob Elliott, 1844 to 1847, William S. Yost, - to 1815, Preserved L. W. McKee, 1845 to 1816, Elisha Clift, 1846 to 1853,
Jason Williams, 1847 to 1850,
James T. Snodgrass, 1848 to 1851,
David Palmer, 1850 to 1833, Jesse Paul, 1851 to 1854, John Cooper, 1853 to 1856, S. B. Binford, 1854 to 1860, Thomas R. Stanford, 1851 to 1863, W. L. Boyd, 1856 to 1862, M. F. Edwards, 1860 to 1866, John Minesinger, 1861 to 1867, Elias Phelps, 1862 to 1869, Andrew Harrold, 1866 to 1870, Andrew Pierce, 1867 to 1870, Williams Nicholson, 1868 to 1871, Thomas N. White. 1870 to 1873, Jabish Luellen, 1870 to 1873, R. H. Cooper, elect.
SHERIFFS, FROM 1822 TO 1872.
Jesse H. Healey, 1822 to 1827, Ezekiel Leavell, 1827 to 1828, Jacob Thornburgh, 1828 to 1830, Jesse Forkner, 1830 to 1833,
Thomas Ginn, 1830 to 1811, Tabor W. McKee, 1841 to 1843,
Joshua Chappell, 1843 to 1847,
Jesse II. Healey, 1847 to 1851,
Joshua Johnson, 1851,
W. W. Shelley, 1851 to 1853,
*By an act of the General Assembly, February, 1824, the Justices of the Peace became ex officio County Commissioners, but this seems to have
n fallen into disrepute, and, in 1827, the Board of Commissioners was revived.
+President of Board, in 1824.
ĮPresident, in 1925 and part of 1826; died, in 1826.
§Elected President, in 1826, to fill vacancy caused by death of Gilmore.
Moses Robinson, 1834 to 1836,
Tabor W. McKee, 1837 to 1839,
SS
HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT.
Peter Shroyer, 1853 to 1857.
Vincent Shelley, 1857 10 1859,
R. B. Carr, 1863 to 1867. W. S. Bedford, 1867 to 1871.
HI. L. Mullen. elect.
J. W. Vance, 1859 to 1863, TREASURERS, FROM 1822 TO 1872.
W'm. Shannon, 1822.
John C. HIndelson, 1847 to 1852,
Benjamin Harvey, IS24.
L. D. Meek, 1852 to 1855,*
Isaac Bedsaul, 1825,
H. C. Grubbs, 1855 to 1857.7
Matthew Williams, 1826.
Caleb Johnson, 1857 to 1861,
Isaac Bedsanl, 1826 to 1533.
Emsley Julian, 1861 to 1865,
Miles Murphy, 1833.
Morgan James, 1865 to 1867,
Jehu T. Elliott, 1831 to 1839.
R. M. Grubbs, 1867 to 1869,
Samuel Hazzard, 1839 to ISIl.
George Hazzard, 1869 to 1871,
Joshua Holland, 18/1 10 1811,
Rotheus Scott, elect.
M. L. Bundy, 181 to 1817.
CLERKS OF CIRCUIT COURT.
The Constitution of Indiana provides that the "judiciary power " of this State " shall be vested in one Supreme Court, in Circuit Courts, and such other inferior Courts as the General Assembly may from time to time direct and establish."
The official title of the fiduciary dignitary commonly called the " County Clerk " is " Clerk of the Circuit Court," although it is evident from the records that more than half his onerous duties have at all times had their origin in the "inferior courts," and while discharging the functions of the various positions he has often attested documents as " C. C. C. P. HI. C.," or " C. H. P. C.," or "C. H. C. P. C," or " Clerk of the Board," which, being interpreted, probably means, " Clerk of the Circuit Court and Probate of Henry County," or "Clerk of the Henry Com- mon Pleas Court," or "Clerk of the Board of Commissioners," &c. The following is a list, from the earliest times till the year of grace, 1871, of the Circuit Court :
Rene Julian, 1822 to 1828.1 Eli Murphey, 1833 to 1812,
Abraham Elliott, 1828,5
Samuel Hoover, 1842 to 1850,11
John Elliott, 1828 to 1833,
S. T. Powell, 1850 to 1855,
*Filled by Deputy J. S. Ferris.
¡Died in office. J. W. Grubbs, was appointed to fill the unexpired term, but Thomas Rogers performed the duties of the office.
[ Died in office, August 9, 1828.
§Pro tem., filling the office for a few weeks only.
¡|Duties of office performed by S. T. Powell, deputy, for about two years.
89
IIENRY COUNTY OFFICERS.
J. (. Hudelson, 1855 to 1859,
H. H. Hiatt, 1807 to IST1,*
Benjamin shirk, 1859 to 1867,
D. W. Kinsey, 1871.
PRESIDING JUDGES.
From the organization of the State until the adoption of the new Constitution, in 1851, the Judges of the Circuit Court were, one Presiding Judge, elected by the cirenit (often com- prising half a dozen or more counties), and two resident Asso- ciate Judges. Hon. Miles C. Eggleston, of Brookville, was the first "President Judge," and T. R. Stanford and Elisha Long. the first Associate Judges. Below is given the list, with dates. of service :
Miles C. Eggleston
1822 to 1825 Joseph Anthony 1853 to 1855
Bethuel F. Morris
1825 to 1830 Jeremiah Smith 1855
Charles H. Test.
1830 to 1836 Jehn T. Elliott 1855 to 1864
Samuel Bigger
1836 to 1840 Silas Colgrove
1865 to 1867
James Perry
1840 to 1844 Jos. S. Buckles 1867 to 1871
Jehn T. Elliott
1844 to 1852 Joshua H. Mellett
1871
O. P. Morton
1852 to 1853.
ASSOCIATE JUDGES.
Thomas R. Stanford
1822 to 1825;Gabriel Cosand 1843 to 1846
Elisha Long
1822 to 1826 Abraham Elliott. 1843 to 1849
John Anderson
1826 to 1839 James W. Crowley
1843 to 1850
Byron Cadwalader
1825 to 1834 Wm. W. Williams
1849 to 1852
Jacob Tharp
1834 to 1843 Joseph Farley.
1850 to 1852
Jacob Thornburgh
1839 to 1840|
In 1852 the Associate Judges were loppedl off and the Pre- siding Judge was termed " sole Judge."
CIRCUIT PROSECUTORS.
These important functionaries, with whom hangs the fate of the evil-doers to a much larger extent than on either Judge or jury, seem to have been at first appointed, and then elected annually, and afterward biennially. The following is the list complete, except appointments pro tem. :
Lot Bloomfield.
1822| Martin M. Ray. 1841
James Gilmore.
1823 J. T. Elliott 1843
Abraham Elliott
1824 Samuel E. Perkins 1844
Harvey Gregg
1825 J. B. Julian 1844
C'alvin Fletcher
1826 John B. Stitt 1846
James Whitcomb
1827 Joshua H. Mellett
1818
Charles H. Test
1828 Silas Colgrove.
1852
Samuel C. Sample
1828 E. B. Martindale 1855
Wm. W. Wick
1829 Thomas M. Brown
1855
James Perry
1830 James N. Templer
1862
Wm. J. Brown
1832 L. W. Goodwin. 1867
S. W. Parker
1837 D. W. Chambers
1868 to 1872 David Macy 1839
*Died March 21, 1871, before entering upon the second term of office to which he had been elected. D. W. Kinsey was appointed by the Commis- sioners to the office till the next general election, in 1872.
10
00
HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT.
Most of our Attorneys have temporarily filled the positions of Prosecutor one or more terms, by appointment of the Court, but it is not deemed necessary to enter into particulars. And so of the Judges' bench, especially of late years. In case of the non-appearance of the Judge elect, the Sheriff, Clerk, and Au- ditor select some suitable person to fill the bench, and we find the names of Judges Walker, Brown, &c., frequently occur- ring on the Order Books of the Court.
CLERKS OF PROBATE.
At the time of the organization of the county, there was in existence a Probate Court, which had especial jurisdiction in the settlement of decedents' estates, whether intestate or otherwise, the jurisdiction in this regard being much the same as that of the Court of Common Pleas of a later day. The Clerk of the Circuit Court was, by virtue of his office, Clerk of the Probate Court, filling both positions during his term of office, except in the case of S. T. Powell, during whose term the Probate Court was abolished and the Common Pleas instituted. Those who thus served are as follows: Rene Julian, Abraham Elliott, John Elliott, Eli Murphey, Samuel Hoover, S. T. Powell. COMMON PLEAS JUDGES.
The Court of Common Pleas appears to have been invented immediately upon the formation of the new Constitution, to take the place of the old Probate Court, and, it might be added, to confuse and complicate litigation-in which respect the exist- ence of two courts having so nearly identical jurisdiction, as the Circuit and Common Pleas Courts have, has been quite a success. The first term of the Common Pleas Court for Henry county began in 1853, and the following is a list of the Judges :
M. L. Bundy. 1853 to 1860 D. S. Gooding 1862 to 1865
Win. Grose. 1860 to 1861
Wm. R. West . 1865 to 1871
. E. B. Martindale 1861 to 1862
DISTRICT PROSECUTORS.
E. B. Martindale
1853|J. B. Martindale. 1865
James Brown.
1855|1C. W. Thompson 186:
T. B. Redding
18576R. A. Riley 186%
M. L .. Reed
1857 Win. F. Walker 1867
+W. R. Hough
1861 Joseph W. Worl . 1869 to 1871
D. W. Comstock 1863
"To fill vacancy caused by the resignation of Judge Grose. +Of Han- cock county. 1Of Grant county. SOf Hancock county.
91
HENRY COUNTY OFFICERS.
RECORDERS OF HENRY COUNTY.
The office of Recorder, for quite a number of years, does not seem to have been counted a prize of any great value, and, notwithstanding the business continued steadily to grow from the first, as the records abundantly show, the emoluments of the office were less than $900 in 1863. The following are the names and dates of service of the incumbents :
Rene Julian 1822 to 1828|Butler Hubbard 1859 to 1867
Thomas Ginn
1828 to 1834 Enos Bond
1867 to 1868
Joel Reed
1834 to 1841
* Butler Hubbard 1868
J. A. McMeans
1841 to 1858 Levi Bond 1868 to 1872
AUDITORS OF HENRY COUNTY.
This office was created in 1840. Prior to this time, the po- sition of Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners had been filled by the Clerk of the Circuit Court, the duties, so far as they went, being somewhat similar to those now performed by the Auditor, though in extent not being a tithe of what now devolves upon the office. Indeed, the records of the first twenty years' transactions are hardly equal to those recorded for one quarter at the present day. Some estimate may be formed of the growth of the duties of the office from the fact that Rene Julian was allowed seventeen dollars for his labors as Clerk of the Board for four terms of the Commissioners' Court in 1822, while to-day the duties require the unremitting labors of two persons from early morning until ten o'clock P. M., nearly every day in the year, an amount of duties considerably in excess even of the onerous duties of the Clerk's office, which it about equals in point of pay. So far the office has been filled by but four persons (and, singular to relate, they have all been preachers, to-wit :
James lliff 1841 to 1850|Thomas Rogers 1863 to 1867 Thomas Rogers. 1850 to 1856 |Seth S. Bennett. 1867 to 1871 James S. Ferris 1856 to 1863]
COLLECTORS OF HENRY COUNTY.
Prior to 1840 the collection of the county revenue appears to have been a duty distinct from the functions of keeping and paying out the same, and generally devolved upon a different person. Now the delinquent taxes only are collected in that way. As it was not an office of record, a complete list is at
* Appointed to fill vacancy caused by death of Enos Bond.
,
HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT
present unattainable, although the following is nearly correct :
Jesse H. Henley 1822 10 1823 Moses Robinson 1830 to 1833
Joseph Craft
1:21 Wesley Goodwin 1831 to 1835
John Anderson
1825 Moses Robertson 1836 to 1838
Joseph Craft
1826 A. G. Small
1839
Jesse Forkner
195 Joshua Holland
1840 to 1842
John Harris 1828 to 18201
COUNTY SURVEYORS.
This office has never been regarded as a " fat" one, and, so far as heard from, none of the incumbents have died wealthy. The probabilities are that the compensation growing directly out of the position has never in any one year exceeded $250. The following named persons have held the position, the first- namod having it for twenty years : Thomas R. Stanford, Stephen Mendenhall, George Ballengall, Isaac Kinley, Jolm F. Polk James M. Clements, Noah Hays.
CORONER.
The office of Coroner is a position of more dignity and importance, and less pay, perhaps, than is generally known. The term of office is for two years, and the incumbent may be called to fill the Sheriff's office when that officer is invited to be party to a suit. He is also a peace officer, with the same powers as a Sheriff, and, in case of a vacancy or disqualification of the Sheriff, he becomes the Sheriff de facto, and yet the pay of such a position in this county has generally been but a few dollars, perhaps less than twenty-five, per annum. Only once or twice, we believe, has the Coroner been called on to act as Sheriff in the county. William McDowell, familiarly known as " Uncle Billy Mack," has been Coroner so generally that he has come to be looked upon as the Coroner.
BAILIFF.
In addition to the above, ought by all means to be men- tioned the almost indispensable and inevitable Bailiff. This position has been filled for thirty-nine years (up to 1869) we be- lieve, by William MeDowell, senior; and notwithstanding the place may be as acceptably filled by the present Bailiff, Mr. John Alexander, there would have been a fitness in retaining " Uncle Billy" for at least a quarter of a century longer.
93
STATISTICAL AND FINANCIAL.
STATISTICAL AND FINANCIAL.
-- -0 --
The steady growth of our county in wealth, population, and educational facilities cannot perhaps be better presented than in the following brief tables, some of which are not com- plete, from the fact that the sources of information on which we relied are in themselves incomplete. It is to be regretted that not even a complete file of local papers back of 1858 can now be found in the county, while tax duplicates of a date prior to . 1842 were destroyed with the Court House in 1864.
The area of the county is about three hundred and ninety square miles, and, taking the record of the vote for Governor in 1825, (the first of which we have any account,) and allow- ing six inhabitants to each vote cast, we have 2,193, or a little little less than six to the square mile. Three years later it was about nine per square mile, and four years later the population had reached about sixteen per square mile, or one to each forty- acre lot ; while to-day the population is nearly four times as great, and numbers about one to each ten-acre lot in the county.
ASSESSING THE REVENUE.
The cost of assessing the county for the first few years may also serve to throw some light on the past, and, compared with the same service to-day, must be admitted to demonstrate pro- gress at least.
In 1823 John Dorrah was allowed four dollars for assessing Henry township, nearly one-third of the county, from which we estimate the cost of the whole county at $15.
Assessing for 1823. $15 Assessing for 1827 $49
Assessing for 1824
16 Assessing for 1828. 40
Assessing for 1825
16 Assessing for 1829 25
Assessing for 1826
25, Assessing for 1830. 25
This was all well enough -- no needless expense about it at all, one would think; and, at the same time, it is probable that the Assessors were as well paid as to-day, when the average cost is about $150 per township. In early times a man knew- much more about the affairs of his neighbors than at present,
94
HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT.
and could tell the number of horses, oxen, gold watches, or pleasure carriages, without going to see him; so he would just sit down at home and make out a schedule for the township; and so late as 1846 the coat for the whole county was but $266, little more than the cost for the largest township this year. The cost of assessing the revenne for 1871 is $1,801.
COUNTY REVENUES.
No complete statements of the condition of Henry county finances, such as are set forth by the Auditor's and Treasurer's books of to-day, seems to have been kept prior to 1842, and what there was of the earlier duplicates was probably destroyed in 1864. An occasional reference or paragraph, of from two or three to a dozen lines each, interspersed through the Commis- sioners' records, furnished about all there is extant of the amount and kind of taxes levied, as well as the condition of the Treasury, for the first twenty years of our history. The total cash in the Treasury, from June 1, 1822, to] November 13 of the same year, was $74 50. This, we are left to suppose, flowed into the Treasury from some natural course, as no account of a tax levy prior to this has been preserved.
The following entry, made at the November term, 1822, speaks for itself. Jesse H. Healey was Collector as well as Sheriff:
Upon settlement entered into with the Sheriff. after giving him credit for delinquency, and the balance being struck, he stands charged to the county of Henry, for taxes due, the sum of one hundred and fifty- three dollars, thirty-seven and one-half cents.
Next follows a statement of the receipts and expenditures of the Treasurer, up to November 13, in words and figures as follows :
Cash to the County Treasurer from the first day of June. 1822, up lo the 13th day of Nov., 1822, the sum of $142 55, in orders against the county, which the Treasurer allowed, and. after allowing his per cent. for receiv- ing and paying, leaves a balance in favor of the County Treasurer against the county of the sum of eighty-five dollars and eighty-seven cents.
A further settlement was had with the Treasurer on the 11th of February, 1823, which seems to have been the end of the first financial year. From this " balance sheet " it appears that there had been received into the county " strong box " the sum of $153 3712, and that he had paid out, since the November set-
95
STATISTICAL AND FINANCIAL.
tlement $42 7216, making a total of receipts, $153 3712 ; expen- ditures, $184 2716.
From this it will be seen that the county was in debt the considerable sum of $30 90, which the unsophisticated financiers of the time no doubt felt to be a burden, as the theory that the " public debt is a national blessing" was not invented at that early day.
In 1823 the county was placed fairly on its feet, as there ap- pears to have been a balance left in the Treasury, after having paid the Treasurer and Sheriff $11 50 each for their laborious duties. The receipts and expenditures for the year ending Feb- rury 9, 1824, were : Receipts, $296 75; expenditures, $241 37; balance, $34 76; delinquency, $11 55.
It must not be supposed that this very satisfactory state of the public exchequer was brought about by our present ad valorem system of assessments. Far from it. The amount of the duplicate for 1824, for county purposes, was but $27 28; State purposes, $45 50; or a total of $72 78.
EXCISE AND SUMPTUARY LAWS.
To devise ways and means for meeting the wants of the county was an early concern of our county "administration," and to this end it enacted that the rates of tavern license for 1822 shall be $4; and well knowing that the tavern-keeper must get this money of his customers, the Commissioners, on the 11th day of November, 1822, enacted that the following shall be the
Rates of tavern-keepers for diet, liquors, lodgings, horse feed, stab- lage, &c .:
For breakfast, dinner, or supper. 183.
For lodging
4
For whisky, per half pint.
4
For peach brandy, per half pint. 1212
Wine, French brandy, and rum, per half pint. 25
('ider, per quart
121.
Beer or porter, per quart.
1217
Horse per night, at hay
1212
Oats, per gallon, or corn 614
In November, 1823, the following entry was made on the records :
Ordered by the Board, That the former rates and prices of liquors, diet, lodging, stablage, and provender, for which the several tavern- keepers were allowed to sell, are continued the ensuing year.
In 1824 the price of " diet " was advanced to 25 cents, and that of whisky was doubled, as was also a single feed for a
HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT.
horse, or, "oats, per gallon, or corn," while other items for the comfort of man or beast seemed to have remained stationary.
The following is the regular duplicate rates of taxation or- dered by the Board for 1824 :-
For State purposes :
On every $100 worth of bank stock $ 25
On each male person, sane, and not a pauper. 50
For county purposes :
On every animal of the horse, ass, or mule kind, over 3 years old
On oxon, three years old and over. 18%
On cach gold watch
1 00
On cach two-wheeled pleasure carriage
1 50
On each brass clock
1 00
On each silver or pinch-beck watch
As it is probable that there was not a pleasure carriage, gold watch, or brass clock in the county, it looks as if. the above schedule of prices was intended to be prohibitory. Take into consideration the scarcity and value of money at that early day, and a portion of these taxes must be considered onerous, while the smallness of the duplicate shows conclusively that very few of the tax-payers of Henry county sported such trin- kets as gold watches or brass clocks. In our day, when Unele Sam put a tax of one dollar on a watch or carriage, men have been heard grumbling most unamiably about the burden.
As previously mentioned, much exact information about the county in its infancy is not attainable, and we are forced to rely upon disjointed fragments, collected here and there, for many things.
The taxable polls of the county in 1825 numbered $405, and there was not a pauper in it. In the same year Wayne county had $2,201 taxable polls and sixteen paupers. Marion county had but $630 taxable polls and twenty-two paupers.
THE ANNUAL EXIBIT.
The following is an exhibit of the revenues of the county for the years named :
Year.
Receipts.
Expenses, | Delinquent.
1822
$71 50
$112 55
1823
296 75
230 47
$11 50
1821
538 94
521 30
31 00
15.25
462 22
352 51
25 00
1527
489 04
429 27
1828
419 97
319 73
15 93
1.529
474 75
39 58
97
STATISTICAL AND FINANCIAL.
The receipts and expenditures for 1829 are not given. From the foregoing it will be seen that the total transactions at the " treasury department " for seven years, are represented by the sum of $2,786 15 in receipts, and the expenditures were less by $100 24, with which sum the county entered upon the fiscal year 1829. A very considerable portion of the receipts was from the sale of New Castle lots, some forty or fifty of which at least must have been disposed of up to this date, the agent having at one time presented his bill for making twenty deeds.
In 1833 the receipts had been swelled to $1,593 09, and the expenditures to $1,520 39.
Still greater expansion of the county revenues and expendi- tures is shown in 1840. They foot up as follows : Receipts, . $4,522; expenditures, $3,0S5.
The following table, taken from the duplicate, is interesting as an exhibit of the condition of our finances each fifth year, beginning with 1841 :
Year.
No. of Polls.
Total Taxables
State Tax.
County | School Tax. Tax.
Total Taxes.
Amount Delinq't.
1841
2,089
$2.376,350
$11,072
$3,420
$14,575
1846.
2.4441
2.722,236
9,553
4,664
15,802
$739
1851
2,633
4,341,149
14,563
9,345
$4,836
29,148
297
1856
2,996
5,949,540
13,395
9,673
7,449
52,971
749
1861
3,339
8.342,950
14,186
12,853
9,995
54,860
1,727
1866.
3,221
9,562,190
26,410
98,936
16,910
*189,188
3,717
1870
3.445
11.041,520
18,658
12,788
19,413
98.029
3,454
WEALTH AND TAX PER CAPITA.
The following estimate gives a very nearly correct state- ment of the'amount of property for each man, woman, and child in the county, for the periods named :
Taxables per Tax per capita. capita.
1840
$146 60
$0 93
1850
170 60
1 27
1860
405 29
2 46
1870
477 42
4 24
PER CENT. OF TAXES.
The following has been the rate of taxation on each $100 valuation, for the years named, omitting the fractions :
1841
$0 51|1861 $0 65
1846
58|1865
2 15
1851
68,1866
1 97
1856
88 1870
98
HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT.
The above per cent. is on the entire levy for State, county, school, road, township sinking fund, and every other tax placed upon the duplicate, that for county purposes being often an inconsiderable part of the whole.
From 1840 to 1850 the amount of taxes levied increased pretty regularly, but little more than keeping pace with the growth of the county in wealth. About the latter period the plan of supporting the common schools by taxation was adopt- ed, which, with the additional expenses for better roads, and the increased interest on the State debt, ete., etc., conspired to increase the rate until, in 1855, it had reached a trifle over eighty- nine cents on the hundred dollars valuation. The rapid in- ' crease of wealth, however, by 1861, had caused the rate to fall off again to sixty-five eents on the hundred dollars. From 1861 to 1865 the increased State tax, the care of soldiers' families, and bounties to volunteers, together with the tax for the erec- tion of county buildings, increased the rate of taxation be- yond all precedent. In 1865 a tax of $212,203, or a trifle over two dollars and fifteen eents on the hundred dollars, was placed on the duplicate. In 1864 the tax for county purposes alone was $42,969; in 1865, $101,458; in 1866, $98,936; in 1867, $100,822; in 1868, $75,285; in 1869, $51,495; and in 1870 but $12,788. This latter sum, with the accumulated surplus, it was supposed, would be sufficient for the ordinary wants of the county, besides meeting some expenses in completing the Court House grounds, finishing the Jail, and re-roofing the County Asylum, etc.
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