USA > Missouri > Linn County > Compendium of history and biography of Linn County, Missouri > Part 14
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The act which gave to Linn and Chariton counties the right to in- vest the proceeds of the sale of the swamp lands donated to them by the state, and subscribing to the stock of any plank road or railroad, was approved February 24, 1853.
The road leading from Linneus to Trenton in Grundy county, by the way of Dye's mill and the storehouse of B. F. White & Co., was declared to be a state road.
The last act of that legislature that bears any particular signifi- cance for Linn county was the appropriation of $500 to build a monu- ment over the grave of Senator Lewis F. Linn.
All along through the records is found a particular ambition to keep the county's buildings in good repair and to improve the roads and bridges. On June 1, 1857, the county court appropriated $800 to repair the court house. Later on other repairs were made from time to time as the occasion seemed to warrant. It seems that the building must have been larger than the actual demands of the officers, and that a thrifty county court had been in the habit of renting out such portions as were not needed. However, in April, 1859, an order was made that thereafter no part of the court house should be rented for any purpose.
On May 3, 1858, a petition was presented to the county court, ask- ing that body to divide Baker township in two and to call the new town- ship North Salem. At that time Baker was a pretty large township, being over three congressional townships in size. It was 12 miles north and south, except on its west border, and 10 miles east and west, and was the northeast township of the county.
The court granted the petition to create the new township out of Baker, and made an order that it be called North Salem, and bounded as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of Linn county; thence west on the county line, to the northwest corner of Section 3, in Township 60, of Range 19; thence south along the section line to the southwest corner of Section 34, in said Township and Range; thence east along the township line between Townships 59 and 60, to the county line between Linn and Macon counties; thence north along said county line to the place of beginning.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
The first election in North Salem Township was held the following August. The judges chosen were T. G. Childress, William Putman and John B. Baker.
Originally, Linn county included all the territory of the township line between 56 and 57, of Ranges 21 and 22, to Grand River, in the forks made by Locust creek, the channel of Grand river from the mouth of Locust creek being the Linn and Livingston county line to the middle of Range line 22, dividing Range 22 equally, and where the same line crosses Grand river.
This was changed by an act of the legislature, approved January 10, 1855, which made the south line of Linn to follow the township line, dividing 56 and 57, instead of following Locust creek to its mouth and then northwest, keeping in the channel of Grand river.
This act, however, reserved to Linn county the swamp land within this territory (the strip being added to Livingston county), with the right to sell the same and retain the money. This change gives five miles of Linn county's southern line bounded by Livingston county.
The first publication in a newspaper of the receipts and expendi- tures of the county was made June 6, 1859. The Linneus Democratic Bulletin was awarded the publication.
The poor farm which the county court had purchased for the care of paupers, seems to have been a failure in the early days, because the county court ordered it sold on February 8, 1860, and went back to the old plan of letting out the keeping of the poor to the lowest and best bidders. At this writing (1912), Linn county has an institution for the care of its poor which is one of the best of its class in the state. A description of it will be found elsewhere in this history.
A petition for a new township to be called "Enterprise," was pre- sented to the county court August 13, 1860. The petition was granted and the court ordered the bounds of the new township, which was to be cut off from Benton Township, to be as follows:
"Beginning at the northwest corner of Section 4, Township 60, Range 19; thence running west along the county line to the middle of Section 10, Township 60, Range 20; thence south to the center of the north line of Section 15, Township 59, Range 20; thence east to the northwest corner of Section 16, Township 59, Range 19; thence north to the place of beginning."
The year 1861 found the country on the verge of a civil war. In August of that year an order came for the county court to levy a tax to aid in the prosecution of the war. The county court took the responsibility of refusing to make this levy on the following grounds:
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
"It is ordered by the court here that the military tax for the year 1861 be not levied, for the reason that this court is of the opinion that the law authorizing said tax to be levied is unconstitutional."
The judges of the county court, when the above order was made, were S. P. Phillips, Joseph C. Moore and James A. Maddox.
The general business of the county was much depressed during the Civil War. It was hard to make tax collections, and the delinquent list grew rapidly.
An act of the general assembly, approved March 20, 1861, vacated the town of Thayer, which was the original Missouri division point of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad. There will be found something of interest concerning this town in the railroad chapter. The removal of the division from Thayer to Brookfield obliterated Thayer and many of the present generation have never heard of that once very active railroad center.
The voting precinct of Yellow Creek township was changed from Wyandotte to St. Catharine on September 1, 1862.
Brookfield was made a voting precinct in Jefferson township, February 6, 1865; was incorporated as a town October 10, 1866. The township of Brookfield was organized July 2 of the same year.
Bottsville, afterwards Meadville, was made a voting place in Par- son Creek township, May 1, 1865.
The state road from Brookfield to Brunswick, intersecting the state road from Laclede to Brunswick, was laid out and opened in 1865.
In 1865 the first bridge tax was levied, the amount being 20 cents on the $100 valuation. Up until this time the county had got along- with the road and canal fund, but the increased population and the urgent demand for bridges necessitated a tax levy to build them. Con- siderable repairing was done on the court house in 1866. The cupola was constructed at a cost of $1,000, and some other work done. The total cost of improvements and additions made since the court house was first built amounted to $8,456.20, something over twice the original cost of construction.
In the old court house, previous to the November term, 1866, the county judges had been content to serve for $2 per day per man. With the improved appearance of the county's official home, the judges felt justified in giving themselves a modest raise. At the May term, 1866, they fixed the price per day for county judges at $4.663. As that was a little awkward to figure out the per diem was raised at the August term to $5.
Clay township was the next to be added to the list. It was taken
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
out of Parson Creek and Jackson townships, which had covered all the territory west of Locust creek. The order for Clay township's organi- zation was made January 5, 1869, and the boundaries of the new town- ship described as follows:
"Commencing in the southwest corner of Section 15 and the north- west corner of Section 22, Township 59, Range 22, at the Livingston county line, running east with said line between 15 and 22 to the center of the channel of Locust creek; thence south meandering the channel of said stream to where it crosses the section line between 22 and 27, Township 58, Range 21; thence west following said section line to the Livingston county line at the southwest corner of Section 22, Township 58, Range 22; thence north with the county line to the place of beginning.
William Parr was the first justice of the peace for the new town- ship, being appointed March 3, 1869.
Strawberry School House was designated as the voting precinct in Clay township. The judges of the election were John Branson, James A. Neal and William Parr.
Bucklin township was created out of East Yellow Creek township, September 7, 1863, under this order:
"It is ordered by the court here that the petition of Sampson Wyatt and others of Yellow Creek township, praying for a division of the municipal township, as aforesaid, by a subdivision line running north and south through said township, to be called Bucklin and that the prayer of said petitioners be received and granted."
The election precinct was at Bucklin. Jesse Austin, David Brownlee and Paul Shreckise were appointed judges.
Here is the court's order defining the lines of Bucklin township:
"Commencing at the southeast corner of Section 32, Township 57, Range 18, running east on the county line between Chariton and Linn county to the southeast corner of Section 36, Township 57, Range 18; thence north on the county line to the northwest corner of Section 1, Township 58, Range 18; thence west to the northwest corner of Section 5, Township 58, Range 18; thence south to the place of beginning."
Grantsville township was organized February 20, 1870, and the voting precinct established in the village of Grantsville. The boundary of the township was somewhat changed from the original organization, west Yellow Creek being then its eastern boundary, which is now on a section line, for three miles, thence east one half mile; thence north until it strikes the creek; then continuing up Yellow creek to the north boundary line. Two miles of its west boundary, commencing at the
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north end, have been moved east one mile. With the exception of these changes Grantsville township remains as originally formed.
At the same time Enterprise township was enlarged by taking in the two sections that belonged to Baker, on its eastern boundary, and which run like an arm to the Sullivan county line between the townships of Enterprise and North Salem. This gives Enterprise the size of a Congressional township, less the dropping of the township line between 60 and 61.
With the organization of Grantsville, the municipal township organization of Linn county was complete, and but few material changes in the township lines have since occurred.
After several changes back and forth the name of Meadville was finally substituted for Bottsville, on October 6, 1869.
A petition asking the county court to subscribe $150,000 to the Chicago & Southwest Railroad was rejected July 18, 1871.
Brookfield raised a subscription of $100,000 for the Brookfield & Northern Railroad, October 17, 1871.
Baker and North Salem townships voted $25,000 each to the same road October 19, 1871. The same day that Brookfield made its sub- scription to the railroad it was enlarged to take in all that remained of Sections 5, 7 and 8.
The vote for township organization was: In favor of the proposi- tion, 1,627, against it 22. One board of supervisors only was elected under its provisions, holding until a change was made dividing the county into four judicial districts, in 1874. The board of supervisors received $2 per day for services actually rendered, and the new county court of five judges were allowed $3 per day.
It was decided to build a new county jail in 1869. B. F. Northcott was appointed on April 6th to estimate the cost of the new building, and was authorized to sell the old jail and the ground upon which it stood, and to purchase lots for the new building, more convenient to the court house. Lots 1, 2 and 3, Block One, of Smith's Addition, were selected. They were purchased in October for $150. A tax was then levied to build the jail, but it was not until November following that the county court made an order appropriating $10,000 for that purpose. The order specified that Charles A. Fore should superintend the erection of the building. The superintendent was not satisfied with the ground selected, and as he was authorized by the county court to select other property for jail purposes he did so. Mr. Fore chose Lot 5, Block 22, and his selection was approved by the county court. The court ordered that the treasurer pay A. W. Mullins, grantor, $250 for the lot. The
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
jail building was completed in 1871 and was approved by the court on September 18. The total cost, as shown by the superintendent's report, was $8,680.26. Including the amount allowed the superintendent, the costs ran up to about $9,000.
The Linn County Agricultural and Mechanical Society was organized on February 8, 1870. Its purpose was to promote improve- ments in agriculture, manufacturing and the raising of stock. In August the county court appropriated $150 to aid the society in holding the county fair, and a like sum was appropriated in August of the fol- lowing year. In September, 1872, the court gave the society another $150.
The Common Pleas Court was established in 1867, and at the end of four years its jurisdiction was enlarged by an amendment passed at the session of the general assembly, approved March 20, 1871, giving it "exclusive and original jurisdiction of all misdemeanors arising un- der the laws of this state, committed in Linn county." It was provided that, the judge of the Common Pleas Court could not practice law in the county. His salary was $600 per year. This court was finally abolished January 1, 1881.
The Linneus Bulletin and the Brookfield Gazette were the two papers of Linn county in 1875. Both were anxious to secure the county printing that year and to be known as the official organ of the county. The Bulletin, being published at the county seat, was closer in touch with the work and the official printing was finally awarded to that paper. The Brookfield Gazette, with an energy which has always characterized it, made a bid for the county printing in 1875, and the Bulletin strove hard to retain it. The county court finally awarded the contract to the Bulletin for one year at 50 cents per square. At the November term the Gazette made the startling proposition to do the county printing for nothing. The county court obligingly revoked its order giving the work to the Bulletin and decided that the Gazette's bid was the best and cheapest. But the Bulletin wasn't through. It had just one more card to play, and it was a winner. At the December term of the court the Bulletin people planked down one dollar in cold,
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
hard cash for the privilege of doing the county printing for the ensuing year. The county court pocketed the money and then looked at the Gazette people, but they shook their heads, and the honor went to the Bulletin.
In that year the railroad assessment showed 49 miles of railroad in Linn County.
The county collector's office was separated from the sheriff's office in 1877.
James Tooey, whose name frequently figures in the development of Linn county, was appointed collector. In November, 1878, another party was elected, but the incumbent's health proved so bad that he was compelled to resign and Mr. Tooey was again tendered the office.
The first iron bridge erected in Linn county was across Locust creek, near Austin's mill. It was built in 1878 by the King's Iron Bridge Manufacturing Company. There are now quite a number of iron or steel bridges in the county.
The town authorities of Linneus were granted the privilege of digging two public wells, one on the northwest corner of the public square and the other on the southwest corner in July, 1879. These wells were for fire protection and the general use of the citizens.
The petition of William H. Brownlee et al., of Brookfield, for the removal of the county seat from Linneus to Brookfield was received, ordered filed and indefinitely postponed, the filing order being made June 25, 1879.
The question remained quiet for a year when it again came up, and this time was submitted to a vote of the people. The proposition was defeated by a large majority.
In the same election township organization was carried by a vote of 688 to 296.
The proposition to erect a new court house to cost $15,000 was sub- mitted to a vote of the people in April, 1881, and defeated.
In 1880 the county court paid $3 as bounty for two wolf scalps, and in 1881 purchased another wolf scalp at the same price.
CHAPTER XI
Assessed Valuation of Linn County in 1881-Some Comparative Statis- tics-Last Census Bulletin Values Linn County Farm Land at $54.80 per Acre-Thirteen Farms of 1,000 Acres and Over-Rapid Rise in Missouri Land Values-Linn County's Total Taxable Wealth, $10,217,242.05-Report on Live Stock-Some Important Figures on Missouri-Corn Crop of State Valued at $107,347,000- Wheat Crop, $29,926,000-Tenant Farmers Thrive-General Farming Conditions Satisfactory.
The petition for the incorporation of the town of Eversonville was presented to the county court November 7, and granted. Its first officers, as a board of trustees, were J. F. Harris, J. H. Tharp, John Blodgett, W. B. Brinkley and J. A. Hudson.
Meadville was incorporated by the county court, January 4, as a city of the fourth class. George W. Goldman was mayor and John Crafton, marshal.
The assessed valuation of Linn county for 1881 was, real estate, $2,560,063; personal property, $1,612,021; total valuation, $4,172,084.
As a comparative table the Government Census Bulletin for 1910 is interesting. It gives the value of all farm property in Linn county at $28,862,815. In 1900 Linn county farm property was valued $14,- 093,253. The percentage of increase between 1900 and 1910 was 104.8.
The Thirteenth Census Bulletin of the United States, but recently issued, contains some interesting statistics concerning the development of Missouri counties in the decade between 1900 and 1910. It gives Linn county a population of 25,253. There is but one county in the Second Congressional district that has a larger population. Randolph county has 26,182. For the purpose of comparison the statistics of a few of the larger and more populous counties of the district are here given :
Population (1910). No. of Farms.
Linn
25,253
2,689
Livingston
.19,453
2,479
Chariton
. 23,503
3,481
Randolph
. 26,182
2,396
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
Linn county has 13 farms of 1,000 acres and over ; Livingston, four ; Chariton, four, and Randolph, two.
The value of farm property in Linn county jumped from $14,093,- 253 in 1900 to $28,862,815 in 1910. Linn county's percentage of in- crease in those years was 104.8; Livingston's, 84.7; Chariton's, 98.1, and Randolph's, 92.6.
Linn county's approximate land area is 400,640 acres. The other counties mentioned above have the following areas: Livingston, 339,840 acres; Chariton, 491,520 acres; Randolph, 314,240 acres.
Of this area Linn county has in improved farm land 322,196 acres; Livingston county has 257,935 acres ; Chariton county has 376,512 acres ; Randolph has 223,908 acres.
The percentage of improved land in those counties is as follows: Linn county, 85.5; Livingston county, 81.1; Chariton county, 85; Ran- dolph county, 78.5.
The value of farm buildings in Linn county increased from $1,922,- 730 in 1900 to $3,444,505 in 1910.
The value of land per acre in Linn county has increased, according to the government's bulletin, from $23.63 per acre in 1900 to $54.80 in 1910. The government's report of land values in the neighboring counties is as follows :
Macon, $40.56 per acre ; Chariton, $52.48 per acre ; Randolph, $43.19 per acre; Sullivan, $42.95 per acre.
The number of farms in Linn county in 1910 was 2,496. Of these 685 run from 50 to 99 acres.
The value of domestic animals, poultry and bees in Linn county increased from $2,534,203 in 1900 to $4,113,710 in 1910.
These figures, compiled by the government, an absolutely unbiased source, tell the story of Linn county's agricultural development and standing better than columns of description.
The high value placed upon the land by the government's report was because of the productivity of the soil and its superior qualities generally. The remarkable fact that the value has considerably more than doubled in the last decade is due to increased energy in develop- ment and a better understanding of the soil capacity.
Another development that caused the rapid rise in value of Mis- souri lands within the period referred to was a recognition by Iowa and Illinois farmers that Missouri land had been valued ridiculously low. As a consequence, in the early part of the decade thousands of farmers in those and other northern and eastern states sold their homes and came into Missouri, taking up the $20 and $25 land as fast as they
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
could get it. This had a great effect in opening the eyes of the Mis- sourians to the real value of their land and prices shot up rapidly. Still, many conservative ones say that the price is yet low; that it will advance until it is as high as land in Iowa and Illinois, which is not more fertile than Missouri soil and commands a much higher price.
The government's report for 1910 on domestic animals gives Linn county this standing :
Cattle-Total number, 41,478. Dairy cows, 11,048; other cows, 3,562 ; yearling heifers, 4,001; calves, 4,041; yearling steers and bulls, 5,066; other steers and bulls, 13,760. Value, $1,385,692.
Horses-Total number, 14,478. Mature horses, 12,439; yearling colts, 1,679; spring colts, 360. Value, $1,629,207.
Mules-Total number, 2,656. Mature mules, 1,864; yearling colts, 705; spring colts, 87. Value, $331,629.
Asses and Burros-105. Value, $35,785.
Swine-Total number, 49,194. Mature hogs, 29,265; spring pigs, 19,929. Value, $394,066.
Total value of real estate in Linn county (June 1, 1910), $6,588,938 ; total value of personal property, $2,320,229; total value railroad, bridge, telegraph and telephone, $1,308,075.05; total taxable wealth in county, $10,217,242.05.
Sheep-Total number, 37,060. Rams, ewes and weathers, 24,546; spring lambs, 12,514. Value, $167,367.
Goats-405. Value, $1,320.
Poultry and Bees-Number of poultry of all kinds, 253,834. Value, $158,399. Number of colonies of bees, 3,074. Value, $10,245.
In the above the writer has simply sought to bring out the standing of Linn county as shown by the report of the government. As touching the state in general a recent article in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, compiled from the same source, presents the following interesting and valuable information for the farmer :
The Missouri farmer, aided by his able assistants, the Missouri hen, the Missouri cow, and the Missouri mule, succeeded in almost doubling the value of farm property in the state during the decade ending April 15, 1910, the date of the United States census which reveals these figures. The census report on Missouri's agricultural resources has just been issued from the office of E. Dana Durand, director of the census.
The value of farm property in Missouri increased from $1,033,- 121,897 to $2,032,917,488 during the decade. Farm property included
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
land, buildings, implements, machinery and live stock. The average value of Missouri land rose from $20.46 per acre to $41.80.
The Census Bureau sagely remarks, however, that in taking into consideration the increase in values in agriculture the general increase in prices of all commodities during the same decade should be borne in mind. It may be, therefore, that the farmer is not so much better off now than he was ten years ago, despite increased prices paid for his produce.
The total acreage of improved land in the state rose during the last decade. Only 78.6 per cent of improved land is reported as farms, of which 71.1 per cent of the total area of the state is improved land. The unimproved condition of many of the counties in the Ozarks is to be blamed for this. A glance at the map which accompanies the report shows that six counties, Iron, Shannon, Reynolds, Carter, New Madrid and Pemiscot counties show less than 40 per cent of land area in farms. More backward in this respect even than these swampy or mountainous counties is the city of St. Louis, which is reported by the Census Bureau as having only 13 per cent of its area in farm lands. However, St. Louis city and county make the best showing in the value of their farm lands. With the farm lands of Jackson county, whereof the metropolis is Kansas City, they have the exclusive privilege of being designated on the map with a solid color showing value of farm lands over $125 per acre. The map indicates that the average value of lands in Taney county is $8.18 per acre; in Shannon county, $9.94 an acre, and in Ozark county, $6.29 per acre.
The leading crop in Missouri is corn, valued at $107,347,000, with wheat valued at $29,926,000. The value of the state's hay and forage crops is $33,845,000. Oats is valued at $10,254,000, and potatoes at $4,470,000, while cotton shows the comfortable total of $3,392,000. The statistics show that the acreage of corn has decreased slightly, as has also that of wheat. The acreage of cotton has doubled and that of oats, hay and potatoes has increased.
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