USA > Indiana > Huntington County > History of Huntington County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 42
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42
August 1, 1889, the Huntington Board of Trade organized.
April 1, 1891, the City of Huntington first supplied with water by the municipal waterworks.
April 21, 1898, a company organized at Huntington for service in the war with Spain.
December 12, 1901, first interurban cars begin running between Fort Wayne and Huntington.
December, 1901, Andrew Carnegie gives $25,000 for a public library in Huntington.
September 28, 1904, cornerstone of the present courthouse laid by the Masonic fraternity.
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON COUNTY
1907, Cincinnati, Bluffton & Chicago Railroad completed at Huntington.
April 7, 1910, Methodist Memorial Home at Warren dedicated.
Below is given a list of the officials who have administered the affairs of Huntington County since its organization, with the year in which each was elected or entered upon the duties of his office. This list is as complete as it is possible to compile from the records. Where a number of years is indicated as having elapsed between the election of one man and that of his successor, it shows a reelection of the first named officer, as in the case of Joseph Wiley, who served as clerk from 1841 to 1854. In order to understand these evidences of reelection, it is well for the reader to bear in mind that clerks, auditors, recorders and county assessors are elected for four years, and all other county officers for two years.
Clerks-William Edsall, 1834; Isaac N. Harlan, 1837; William Shearer (appointed in place of Mr. Harlan, resigned), 1839; Joseph Wiley, 1841; Samuel T. Purviance, 1854; Joseph Wiley, 1858; John Morgan, 1862; Thomas L. Lucas, 1870; Willis A. Jones, 1878; Samuel Buchanan, 1882; John S. Glenn, 1886; Anthony Weber, 1890; W. P. Moffett, 1894; Marion G. Wright, 1898; William H. Shideler, 1902; William Schwartz, 1906; Charles E. Griffith, 1910.
Auditors-Prior to 1843 the county clerk also performed the duties that now are discharged by the auditor. Since then the following per- sons have served as auditor : James R. Slack, 1843; Jolin Alexander, 1850; John Carll, 1858; M. B. Brandt, 1862; R. C. Ebersole, 1866 ; Robert Simonton, 1870; H. C. Black, 1874; E. T. Lee, 1882; Israel H. Heaston, 1886; John C. Altman, 1890; W. F. Swaim, 1894; William T. Walmsley, 1898; George S. Morris, 1902; John W. Weaver, 1906; Harold Guthrie, 1910.
Recorders-For twenty years after the organization of the county, the duties of the recorder were discharged by the clerk, or by an officer appointed by the county commissioners. The recorders that have been elected by the people are as follows: Martin B. Brandt, 1854; Thomas L. Lucas, 1862; Isaac K. Schlosser, 1870; Lewis J. Day, 1874; Porter Ayres, 1878; Martin Little, 1886; Cyrus Nave, 1890; Robert Blackburn, 1894 (served less than two years of his term and Nathan Fisher appointed until the next general election) ; J. J. Sprinkle, 1896; George Weller, 1900; Frank S. Bash, 1904; Howard D. McClelland, 1908; John Tier- ney, 1912 (and died in office).
Treasurers-Elias Murray, 1834; Samuel W. Hawley, 1836; Joel Helvey, 1837; Henry Bowles, 1839; George A. Fate, 1842; John Roche, 1843; Wilson B. Loughridge, 1844; Samuel W. Hawley, 1850; M. J.
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Purviance, 1854; Samuel McCaughey, 1856; Oliver W. Sanger, 1860; John D. Jones, 1862; Jacob Mishler, 1864; J. W. Purviance, 1868 ; Sexton Emley, 1872; Daniel Christian, 1876; Henry Beaver, 1882; William K. Windle, 1886; Isaac F. Beard, 1890 ; Jacob John, 1894; George Stephan, 1898; Newton Cameron, 1902; Arthur C. Fast, 1906; George W. Gill, 1910 (reelected in 1912).
Sheriffs-Champion Helvey, 1834; William G. Johnson, 1835; R. H. Eddy, 1838; Chelsea Crandall, 1840; John Buchanan, 1844; Henry Brown, 1852; Jacob Young, 1856; Samuel Dougherty, 1860; Luther Cummings, 1862; Charles Mayne, 1866; Aaron McKimmey, 1870; Aden J. Wiles, 1874; J. A. W. Kintz, 1878; J. W. Bowman, 1880; James M. Bratton, 1886; Samuel Wintrode, 1890; J. A. Leverton, 1894; Alonzo A. Crandal, 1898; Patrick M. McCarty, 1902; George A. Mahoney, 1904; Patrick M. McCarty, 1908; William E. Scott, 1912.
Surveyors-From the early records it is impossible to give a consecu- tive list of the county surveyors prior to 1850. William Delvin was sur- veyor from 1837 to about 1840 and laid out several of the older towns in the county. Since 1850 the office has been filled by the following gentle- men: S. C. Putnam, 1850; S. H. Swaim, 1853; Frank Calvert, 1854; John Roche, 1858 (served but a short time and G. S. Brinkerhoof was appointed to fill out the remainder of the term) ; G. S. Brinkerhoof, 1860 ; Thomas Bolinger, 1862; W. G. Bratton, 1864; Aaron Sprinkle, 1866; Harvey C. Black, 1868; J. M. Hatfield, 1872; J. W. Gussman, 1874; John C. Altman, 1878; Henry H. Wagoner, 1882; Thomas B. Hart, 1886; R. D. Smith, 1892; Thomas Ruggles, 1896; Herman E. Taylor, 1898; Mahlon F. Smith, 1902; Harley E. Rittgers, 1906; James B. Ver- non, 1910; Samuel V. Hite, 1912.
Coroners-No authentic record of the coroners prior to 1840 is avail- able. Since that time the office has been filled as follows: John Buchanan, 1840; James M. Bratton, 1841; David Myers, 1844; Isaac K. Schlosser, 1846; Luzon Warner, 1848; Joachim Fernandez, 1850; Tipton Allman, 1851; Joachim Fernandez, 1854; Tipton Allman, 1860; Granville Bocock, 1876; Joseph Patterson, 1878; John Lawler, 1880; Cyrus Carey, 1882; Charles L. Wright, 1888; Harvey M. Beaver, 1890; George C. Burley, 1894; James R. King, 1896; Frank B. Morgan, 1900; Robert Q. Taviner, 1908; Spies V. Wilking, 1910; Russell S. Galbreath, 1912.
County Commissioners-Section 5 of the act of February 1, 1834, which provided for the organization of Huntington County, provided certain duties to be performed by "The board of commissioners at their first meeting after they are elected," etc. The first meeting of that board was on May 5, 1834, and the first official act of said board was to divide
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON COUNTY
the county into three commissioners' districts. Since then the follow- ing persons have filled the office of county commissioner :
First District : John Burke, 1834; Channing Madison, 1836; Jesse Cleveland, 1837; Joseph Wiley, 1839; Nathan Fisher, 1840 ; S. H. Purvi- ance, 1842; Nathan Fisher, 1846; Peter Emery, 1848; Sexton Emley, 1854; Samuel Emley, 1858; George Keefer, 1860; Samuel Emley, 1864; Daniel Kitch, 1870; Joseph Wagoner, 1876; Daniel Christian, 1882; Henry Dinius, 1888; Lycurgus C. Chaney, 1890; John M. Smith, 1894; Joel C. Littler, 1900; Abraham C. Huffman, 1902; J. W. Howenstine, 1906; Fletcher J. Emley, 1908; Thomas Powell, 1912.
Second District : Stearns Fisher, 1834; Paul Burke, 1835; Rufus Adams, 1836; John S. Merrill, 1837; Samuel Moore, 1838; John R. Emley, 1839; Alward White, 1840; James C. Best, 1844; John R. Emley, 1846; Albert Draper, 1848; Hugh Montgomery, 1852; John Kenower, 1854; William O. Jones, 1860; Andrew Wiley, 1862; Jolin Brubaker, 1866; John W. Baker, 1870; George Buzzard, 1876; George Kline, 1882; George W. Bell, 1884; William Ewing, 1886; George W. Bell, 1888; Lewis E. Summers, 1890; Isaiah M. Strouse, 1896; George L. Krieg, 1898; Richard W. Redding, 1902; James I. Heaston, 1908; Jacob Vollmar, 1910.
Third District: Lewis Rogers, 1834; John S. Merrill, 1835; Peter Wire, 1836; Leander Morrison, 1837; Nathan Fisher, 1839; John Ley- man, 1840; James Taylor, 1844; John Heiney, 1850; John Alexander, 1854; James Taylor, 1856; Enos Boyd, 1858; John Miller, 1862; Enos Boyd, 1864; Martin W. Little, 1868; Oliver H. Fisher, 1870; Henry Heaston, 1876; David Burket, 1880; John Frech, 1882; Abraham Shideler, 1886; David H. Griffith, 1892; Samuel H. Eviston, 1894; Lewis Long, 1898; Nathan A. Fisher, 1900; Enos A. Chenowith, 1902; Lemuel Colbert, 1906; Alpheus T. Good, 1910.
Jesse Cleveland, John S. Merrill and Leander Morrison, who were elected on May 15, 1837, and whose names appear in the above list as commissioners, were not designated as county commissioners, but as a "board of justices," which transacted the county business. Samuel Moore, elected in 1838 to succeed John S. Merrill, was also one of the justices. In 1839 the office of county commissioner was reestablished by law and a new board elected as above indicated.
County Assessors-Section 112 of the tax law of 1891 sets forth that "There shall be elected, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November, 1892, and every four years thereafter, in each county in this state, one county assessor," etc. The act also provided that the county commissioners of each county, on the first Monday in June, 1891, "or as soon as possible thereafter," should elect a county assessor to serve until
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON COUNTY
the general election in 1892. Pursuant to the latter provision, the county commissioners of Huntington County, on June 1, 1891, elected Isaac E. Fisher the first county assessor. Since then the office has been filled by the following incumbents: Morris W. Kelsey, 1892 (resigned after a few months and William W. Sutton appointed to serve until the general election of 1894) ; David Burket, 1894; Charles S. Wceks, 1900; Isaiah M. Strouse, 1906 (died in office and the last cighteen months of the term filled by James B. Williams by appointment ) ; James B. Williams, 1910.
County Council-On March 3, 1899, Governor Mount approved an act authorizing the establishment of a county council in each county of the state, to have general supervision over the business of the county, particu- larly in the matter of appropriations. Section 2 of the act provides : "That within twenty days after the taking effect of this act, the board of county commissioners of cach county of the state shall meet and make and spread of record an order dividing such county into four coun- cilmanic districts, of contiguous territory, as nearly equal in population as possible: Provided that no township shall be divided in forming such districts."
Under this provision the commissioners of Huntington County met on May 3, 1899, and divided the county into the following districts: 1. The townships of Jackson, Clear Creek, Warren and Union; 2. The Township of Huntington; 3. The townships of Dallas, Polk, Wayne and Lancaster ; 4. Rock Creek, Jefferson and Salamonie townships.
By Section 5 of the act it was provided that "An election of council- men shall take place at the general November election in 1900 and in 1902, and every four years thereafter," ctc. In these elections one councilman is chosen by the voters of cach district, and three from the county at large, making a membership of seven men in the full council. Since the taking effect of the act the members clected in Huntington County have been as follows :
1900-David Anglemyre, William McGrew and John S. Glenn, at large; William T. Purviance, first district; James Eckenrode, second district; John Stouder, third district; Joseph D. Creviston, fourth district.
1902-Isaac A. Smith, Martin W. Little and Laban Allred, at large ; William T. Purviance, first district; William F. Swaim, second district ; John Stouder, third district; Vestal C. Shaw, fourth district.
1906-Frank M. King, Isaac A. Smith and William F. Swaim, at large; William T. Purviance, first district ; John M. Smith, second dis- trict ; John Stouder, third district; Arthur P. Back, fourth district.
1910-Isaiah Garber, George Wilhelm and Price Foust, at large; . Vol. I-26
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Davis A. Kline, first district ; Elza Lawver, second district; John Stouder, third district; John L. Taylor, fourth district.
Representatives-Prior to 1868 Huntington County was joined to some of the adjacent counties to form a representative district for the election of a member of the lower branch of the State Legislature. During this period the district was represented by Samuel Jones, Joseph Cheese- bro and Samuel McCaughey, Huntington County men, at different times. Since the county was made a representative district by itself it has been represented in the lower house of the general assembly as follows : John R. Coffroth, 1868; William H. Trammel, 1870; Buell M. Cobb, 1872; James C. Favorite, 1874; James C. Branyan, 1876; Henry Drover, 1878; James B. Kenner, 1880; John H. Barr, 1882 (reclected in 1884) ; Cyrus E. Briant, 1886 (rcclected in 1888) ; Hiram Gill, 1890 (reelected in 1892) ; Firman D. Smith, 1894; John J. Hart, 1896; Harvey C. Dilley, 1898 (reclected in 1900) ; Marion B. Stults, 1902 (reelected in 1904 and 1906) ; Edmund M. Wasmuth, 1908 (reelected in 1910) ; J. Ray Dickin- son, 1912.
Since 1906 Huntington also shares in the election of joint representa- tive for the counties of Huntington, Kosciusko and Whitley, and forms part of a senatorial district composed of the counties of Huntington and Whitley. The returns of elections in these joint districts, being kept in different counties, makes it difficult to obtain the names of the senators and representatives elected, and they are therefore omitted.
In every county, or other political subdivision of the country, where public officials are elected by popular vote, it sometimes happens that men are chosen for positions of trust and responsibility more because they are "good mixers" than for their capability and integrity. It is therefore not surprising that officials of this class occasionally prove to be guilty of malfeasance in office, or when they retire at the close of their terms the public records of the office are found in such a shape as to furnish conclusive evidence of the incompetency. Fortunately for the interests of the people of Huntington County, such instances are ex- tremely rare. A casual study of the above list of the men who have been placed in charge of the county's business throughout its entire history, will disclose the names of many who are remembered as men of sound judgment, executive ability and unimpeachable integrity, who, in the exercise of their official functions used the same careful and conscientious methods that marked them as successful men in their private business enterprises.
To win a sufficient number of friends and supporters to be elected to a public office is well, but to retain the friendship and confidence of these supporters after the office is relinquished is better. And few,
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indeed, are they who have at any time administered the affairs of Hunt- ington County, who have forfeited any of the esteem or good will of their fellow citizens.
Four score years have fled since the first county officers entered upon their work of building up a civilized community in a wilderness. During all these years the development along all lines has gone steadily forward. The men who aided in making the laws of the state, or who have ordered the local affairs of the county have assisted in this development, both in their private and public capacity. In a few instances newspapers have made charges of extravagance or lack of judgment on the part of public officials, but generally such charges have been uttered for political pur- poses and few of them were based upon any substantial foundation. When another history of Huntington County shall be written eighty years hence, it is to be hoped that the record of her public servants shall be as free from stain as that of the first eighty years of her career. ~
HECKMAN BINDERY, INC. Bound-To Please'
FEB 01
N. MANCHESTER, INDIANA 46962
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