USA > Missouri > Mercer County > History of Harrison and Mercer Counties, Missouri : from the earliest times to the present : together with sundry personal, business, and professional sketches and family records : besides a condensed history of the State of Missouri, etc > Part 22
USA > Missouri > Harrison County > History of Harrison and Mercer Counties, Missouri : from the earliest times to the present : together with sundry personal, business, and professional sketches and family records : besides a condensed history of the State of Missouri, etc > Part 22
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In the fall of 1846 a new county court was elected, composed of the following justices: Thomas Dunkerson, Stephen C. Allen and Elkannah Glover, the first named being chosen presiding judge. They held their first meeting in November of the above year, and during the term a large amount of business was transacted.
The county taxes for 1846 were. $308 76
Delinquents and sheriff's commission. 27 77
Amount to treasurer. 280 99
In February, 1847, the records show settlements made by David Buck, county treasurer, as follows:
David Buck presents his papers for settlement, and by reference to books and warrants, he stands charged with amount received of sheriff. $280 99
Credit by amount paid for county warrants. 276 04
Balance on hand. 4 95
Credit by services as treasurer. 4 95
First Officers of the County Court .- Hon. Samuel Edmiston, the first presiding judge, was a native of North Carolina, and an early settler of Missouri, moving to what is now Butler Township, Har- rison County, in 1842. He was a man of excellent judgment, and during a long period of residence in Harrison County won and re- tained a prominent place in the estimation of the people. Honest and upright in all his dealings, he discharged his duties as presid- ing justice acceptably, as is attested by the fact that his official course never provoked criticism or censure. He died on his farm in Butler Township a number of years ago.
Asaph M. Butler, the only member of the first county court now living, was born in Vermont. He came to Harrison County in 1840, locating where he still resides in Cypress Township. He took an active part in the county organization, and was chosen justice on account of his peculiar fitness for the position, being a man of good judgment and practical business sense. At the expiration of his official term Mr. Butler abandoned public life, and has never since asked nor sought political preferment at the hands of his acquaint- ances. He is a typical gentleman of the old school, and justly regarded as one of Harrison county's most worthy pioneers.
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239
STATE OF MISSOURI.
Lewis Charlton came to Harrison County prior to 1840, and was ,one of the first settlers in what is now Sherman Township. He appears to have been a quiet, unassuming man, and as a member of the court won the respect of his fellow citizens by his earnest efforts in behalf of the county's interests. He possessed fair business abilities, and is remembered as one of the worthy pioneers of Harrison.
Thomas Flint, first clerk of the circuit and county courts, came to Missouri from Indiana early in the forties, and settled about three miles southwest of the present site of Bethany. The early records show him to have been a man of fair clerical abilities, and from what can be learned of him personally, he appears to have stood well in the estimation of his fellow citizens. He was chosen clerk at the organi- zation of the county, and discharged the duties of the position in a satisfactory manner until his death in the spring of 1846.
John W. Brown, sheriff of Harrison County at the time of its organ- ization, was one of the pioneers of this part of Missouri, moving here about the year 1841. He was a Tennesseean by birth, but early left his native State, immigrating, while quite young, to Illinois, where he resided until his removal to Missouri in the above year. Mr. Brown was a man of much more than average intelligence, and for a number of years enjoyed the distinction of being a kind of counselor and advisor among the early settlers of the community in which he lived. His name appears in connection with much of the early county legislation, and his official career, from 1845 until 1866, was eminently satisfactory to the people of the county. From the organization of the county until the fall of 1846 he served as sheriff, and from the latter year until 1864 he had charge of the circuit and county clerks' offices. He was elected circuit clerk in 1864, and discharged the duties of the position until 1866, thus completing an official career of twenty-one consecutive years.
County Seat and Public Buildings .- The legislative enactment creating Harrison County named three commissioners, whose duty it was to select and locate a permanent seat of justice for the same. These commissoners-John Gibson and Ebenezer Wood, of Gentry County, and Edward Smith, of Daviess-met pursuant to law, and after spending nine days in viewing the county, finally selected the present site of Bethany for the seat of justice, and gave to the future city the name of Dallas. They made a report of their proceedings at the first session of the county court, and as already stated, were allowed for nine days' services at $2 per day, the warrants ordered in their favor being the first issued by the county.
240
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
At the ensuing June term the court appointed John S. Allen com- missioner of the seat of justice with bond at $1,000, and in the latter part of the same month he presented a report of the plat and survey of the town, for which service he was allowed the sum of $30.37}.
The county seat permanently located, the court turned its attention to the necessity of providing appropriate public buildings. Accord- ingly, at the June term of 1845, an order was made appointing John S. Allen commissioner to contract for the building of a courthouse of the following plan, to wit: To be a frame 24x20 and 14 feet high, so as to make one story and a half, the first story to be 9 feet high, the half or upper story to be 5 feet, two windows in the upper story, and seven windows below, all to be twelve-light windows; the building to be put up with good material, and in a workmanlike manner.
From the above order it will be observed that the plans and speci- fications were rather indefinite, no provision having been made for doors.
The contract was awarded to Elkannah Grover, who, for the sum of $194, erected the building in due time, and reported it ready for occu- pancy. At the August term, 1846, the commissioner was authorized "to let a job of work on the courthouse to the lowest bidder, of the following description, to wit: a seat for the judge to be on a platform two feet high, three feet wide and eight feet long, to be banistered up in front with railings and a plank on top, eight or ten inches wide, also one step to ascend the platform one foot high, also a bar in front of the justice's seat to be thirteen feet long."
The house stood northeast of the public square on Lot 4, Block 2, of the original plat, and although a very primitive affair answered the purposes for which it was intended until the increasing business of the county foreshadowed the necessity of a building of enlarged proportions.
Second Courthouse .- At the August term, 1856, the court ordered that $8,000 be appropriated for the purpose of building a new court- house in the town of Bethany, and appointed William G. Lewis, Esq., commissioner to let contract and superintend the erection of the same.
Plans and specifications were furnished, and after some bidding the contract was awarded to Asbury Allen and Allen S. Meek, who agreed to construct the building for $9,732. They made the brick in 1856, began work on the building the following year, and completed it in 1858, The house was a substantial brick structure, sixty-five feet long east and west by forty feet wide, two stories high, each story being fifteen feet high. The lower story was divided by a
241
STATE OF MISSOURI.
hall ten feet wide running through the entire length of the building with stairs to ascend to the second story on one side of the hall. The south side of the lower story was divided into four rooms of equal size, and the north side contained three offices-one double the size of the other two. The largest room below was used for the clerk's office and county court room. The circuit court room was in the second story, with fifteen feet cut off the west end divided by a hall, with jury rooms fifteen feet square on either side. It stood on the public square, and at the time of completion was considered one of the most commo- dious and substantial temples of justice in Northwest Missouri.
As soon as the new building was ready for occupancy the county court ordered the old courthouse property sold. It was purchased in 1858 by Charles J. Blackburn for $500.40, and remained standing until about the year 1881, at which time it was torn down, and the material used in the construction of a business house, which now stands upon the same lot.
The brick courthouse, as already stated, was substantially built, and would have answered the county for many years had it not been destroyed by fire in 1874: The following, from the Bethany Repub- lican of January 8, of the above year, is an account of the fire which reduced the building to a mass of ruins:
"About 11 o'clock last night, January 7, the alarm of 'fire' was heard along the streets followed by a ringing of bells and a general panic. The night was bright with moonlight, the ground partly covered with snow, and a moderate breeze was blowing from the south. The fire was discovered by Scott and Luther Bryant, who observed a brilliant light in the collector's office on the north side of the court- house. As the light increased they gave the alarm, and rushed down to the courthouse, where they found the floor and desk in Mr. Baker's office all on fire, and the desk burning, and also saw that the window of the office was raised about two feet. Other citizens from all parts of the town soon appeared, but, as comparatively few brought buckets of water, and water being scarce in the town at the time, the fire soon gained such headway that little could be done to save the building. The desk was of considerable height, and, having a pigeon hole case standing on the top full of papers, the fire reached the ceiling easily, which was soon in flames.
"The square and street were by this time thronged with a multi- tude of men, women and children, who stood shivering in the bleak night wind powerless to render much aid in saving the building, but organized into amateur fire companies to protect the buildings on the north side of the square.
242
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
" Water and snow were thrown on the roofs and sides of the build- ings and the showers of sparks eagerly watched. When the roof of the courthouse caught fire the heat was so great on the walk in front of the Ohio House, and the falling cinders so thick, that many people fled in terror. It was soon observed by the most thoughtful that the courthouse could not be saved, and the cry was then given to 'save the records.' A rush was made for Dr. Skinner's office, and the door broken down, and in a few minutes the land books, court records and papers were taken to a safe distance. Next the probate court and county clerk's offices were emptied of their contents. All of the pro- bate records were saved, and most of the county records, except some papers in the large desks on the west side of the county clerk's office. Some of the latter were destroyed, including the settlements with the township clerks and the estimates for school expenses. The tax books, all of the road receipts that had been received on taxes, and other papers connected with the collector's office, were destroyed. There was little doubt that the fire was the work of an incendiary, as it appears to have started near the desk of the collectors.
" When the parties first on the ground appeared there was no fire about the stove. A bunch of shavings, partly burned, was found in the hall in front of the sheriff's office door. Just after the alarm had been given a strange man was seen running out of the courthouse yard. Previous to the fire two or three suspicious characters were seen in the vicinity of the building, but no clue to their whereabouts was ever ascertained."
On Monday after the fire the county court held a called session, and ordered the walls of the building taken down to the top of the first story windows. Arrangements were also made for the accommodation of the various offices, and the records were at once removed to places of safety.
Present Courthouse. - The county being thus deprived of its temple of justice, steps were at once taken to erect a new building. According- ly, at the February term, 1874, an order was made by the court, appro- priating $9,000 for the purpose. The citizens of Bethany increased this amount by subscriptions to $12,672, and in due time Charles J. Blackburn, commissioner, prepared plans and specifications for the pro- posed building. Benton Edwards and Isaac Hays, of Macon City, Mo., were awarded the contract, and in May, 1874, work upon the new house began. The bricks were made and laid up during the summer, and so rapidly had the work progressed that by the following September circuit court was held in the new building. The house was not then
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
plastered, but was completed and received about the 15th of November, 1874. Like its predecessor, the present house is a two-story brick structure, but a more spacious building. It is eighty feet long, forty- five feet wide, two stories high, the upper story twenty-one feet from floor to ceiling, and the lower story twelve feet. Upon the first floor are located the different county offices, viz. : County and circuit clerk, county attorney and probate judge; while the second story comprises the court room, grand and petit jury rooms, all substantially finished and thoroughly ventilated. The building is a superb model of archi- tectural beauty, and with its well-kept lawn and handsomely shaded yards "is an ornament to the city and county. The original contract was in round numbers $12,672, but changes in plans, additions made to the original design, furnishing, and all extras combined, made the cost a little in excess of that amount.
Jails .- At the February term, 1847, " it was ordered by the court that the building of a jailhouse be let to the lowest bidder, and that one-fourth of the money for the same be paid when the materials are furnished on the ground." E. S. Hughes was appointed commissioner to let the contract, which was awarded to John and Clem Oatman for $346.80. The following from Col. Heaston's centennial history of Harrison County, is a full description of the prison pen:
"The building erected was two stories high, sixteen feet square, consisting of two thicknesses of hewed logs; the logs were hewed out of good solid oak, twelve inches square, and fitted together tightly with floors and ceiling of the same material, each story being eight feet high. The entrance was by stairs on the outside to the second story, where there were two heavy doors, an inside and an outside door. The lower room was called the dungeon, and the prisoners were let down into it through a trap door. The two windows con- sisted of holes through the sides about ten inches square, with strong iron bars across them. It was completed, and the keys delivered up on the 1st of September, 1847. It was built upon the northwest corner of the public square, and remained standing until the year 1861."
The above building was used as a place of incarceration until 1860, when it was decided to erect a more secure prison; accordingly in that year the court appointed Charles J. Blackburn, commissioner, to prepare specifications, let contract and superintend the construc- tion of a new jail and jailer's residence. Garden R. Sanderson, being the lowest responsible bidder, was awarded the contract at $8,000, and began work on the building in 1861. Owing to troubles
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HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
occasioned by the war work was retarded, and not until 1864 was the building completed and received by the court. The jail proper is twenty-two feet square, two stories high, built of large dressed stone weighing from one to two tons each. The large double doors are made of iron, and the upper floors and ceiling are lined with boiler iron, rendering escape well nigh impossible. The jailer's residence, comprising the south end of the building, is 15x30 feet in size, built of brick, and consists of four comfortable rooms.
When the jail was first completed it was considered utterly impos- sible for prisoners to escape. This delusion was dispelled in a few years, however, as the inmates learned to make fires against the stone, which when heated and dampened by dashing on of water, soon cracked, causing large scales to peel off. They continued this process until the jail was rendered insecure and a few prisoners escaped. In 1875 the jail was improved by the addition of strong iron cells, put in by W. T. Cooper, at a cost to the county of $2,400.
Townships .- As already stated, one of the first acts of the county court was the division of the county into municipal townships-Mad- ison, Butler and Dallas.
The boundaries of Madison Township, as described in the records, were as follows: Beginning at a point where the State road from Savannah to Moscow crosses the line between Harrison and Mercer Counties; thence westwardly with the said State road to the summit of the divide between Big Creek and the east fork] of Grand River; thence with the divide northwardly to the State line; thence east with the State line to the northeast corner of the county; thence south with the county line to the place of beginning.
Butler Township, named in honor of Asaph M. Butler, included an area with the following boundaries: Beginning at the county line on the divide between Cypress and Hickory Creeks; thence north with the divide six miles, to the line between Sections 25 and 36; thence west with said line to the west side of the county; thence south with the county line to the southeast corner of the county; thence east to the place of beginning.
Dallas Township, subsequently changed to Bethany, was bounded as follows: Beginning at the northeast corner of Butler Township; thence north with the divide to the State line; thence west with the State line to the northwest corner of the county; thence south to the northwest corner of Butler Township: thence east with said township line to the place of beginning.
At the June term, 1845, Sugar Creek Township was created, with
245
STATE OF MISSOURI.
the following boundaries: Beginning at a point where the State road leading from Savannah to Moscow crosses the Harrison and Mercer County line; thence west with said road to the summit of the divide between Big Creek and Grand River; thence south with the divide to the county line between Harrison and Daviess Counties; thence east with the county line to the southeast corner of the county; thence north with the county line to the place of beginning.
At the May term, 1846, upon petition of numerous citizens, it was "ordered that all that part of Bethany Township lying north of Town- ships 64 and 65 be created a separate and distinct municipal township to be known and designated by the name of Marion."
Trail Creek Township was created at the December term, 1855, as follows: "Ordered that all that portion of Sugar Creek Township lying north of the following line, to wit: Beginning at the southeast corner of Section 12, Township 63, Range 26; thence west on section ยท
line to the line dividing Bethany and Sugar Creek Townships, be and is hereby organized into a municipal township, to be known by the name of and called Trail Creek."
It was ordered at the March term, 1856, that the following bounds "be and are hereby set off into a municipal township: Congressional Townships 65, 66, and the fractional part of 67, Range 29, to be known by the name of Washington."
The following were the boundaries of Union Township created in 1858: Beginning at the northwest corner of Section 19, Township 64, Range 28; thence running east on section line eleven miles; thence north six miles with section line; thence west to the northwest corner of Section 19, Township 65, Range 28; thence south with range line to the place of beginning.
At the September term, 1860, it was ordered that " all of Con- gressional Township No. 63, Range 29, be and is hereby organized a municipal township to be known by the name and called White Oak."
Cypress Township was organized in September, 1858, with the fol- lowing boundary: Beginning at the northwest corner of Section 35, in Township 62, Range 27, at the county line; thence north to the northwest corner of Section 35, in Township 63, Range 27; thence west of the section line to the middle of the main channel of Big Creek; thence down the main channel of said creek to the county line; thence east on county line to the place of beginning.
It was ordered at the March term, 1858, that "all that portion of Marion Township lying north of the line dividing Townships 65 and
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246
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
66, be and is hereby set off into a separate municipal township to be known by the style and name of Clay Township."
The township of Lincoln was created in July, 1865, with the follow- ing boundaries, viz. : Commencing at the northeast corner of Section 36, Township 67, Range 29, on the Iowa line; thence running south six miles to the southeast corner of Section 25 in said township of 66, in Harrison County, State of Missouri; thence west to the county line between Harrison and Worth Counties at the southwest corner of Sec- tion 30; thence north to the Iowa State line at the northwest corner of Section 31; thence east to the place of beginning.
At the April term, 1866, the boundaries of the above township were variously modified, and at the ensuing May term, outlines of Sugar Creek and Trail Creek Townships were materially changed. From 1866 until 1872 no new townships were created, but in June of the latter year, the court organized the township of Grant by a division of Union with boundaries as follows: Commencing at range line be- tween Township 64, Ranges 27 and 28, at the southwest corner of Section 18, Township 64, Range 27, and the southeast corner of Section 13, Township 64, Range 28; thence north to the northwest corner of Section 19, Township 65, Range 27; thence south on section line to the southeast corner of Section 14, Township 64, Range 27; thence to the place of beginning.
In June, 1872, the county court upon proper petition ordered that the question of township organization should be submitted to the peo- ple at the general election in November of the same year. The township organization law provides that each municipal township shall be a body corporate with power and capacity, as follows:
"First, to sue and be sued in the manner provided by the laws of the State; second, to purchase and hold real estate within its own limits for the use of its inhabitants subject to the power of the General Assembly; third, to make such contracts, purchase and hold personal property, and so much thereof as may be necessary to the exercise of its corporate or administrative powers; fourth, to make such orders for the disposition, regulation or use of its corporate property as may be conducive to the interests of the inhabitants thereof; fifth, to purchase at any public sale, for the use of said township, any real estate which may be necessary to secure any debt to said township or the inhab- itants thereof, in their corporate capacity, and to dispose of the same." The law provides for the election of the following officers in each municipal township, to wit: " One trustee, who shall be ex officio treas- urer of the township; one township collector, and one township clerk,
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
who shall be ex officio township assessor, one constable, two justices of the peace, and as many road overseers as there are road districts in the township."
The election to decide whether or not the citizens of the county desired the township organization was held on the 5th of November, 1872, with the following result:
For township organization.
Against township organization.
Sugar Creek.
195
17
Trail Creek.
191
37
Madison.
89
73
Clay .
157
10
Marion.
117
268
Grant.
55
18
Union.
127
4
Bethany.
343
103
Cypress
154
17
Butler.
91
78
White Oak
182
1
Dallas.
111
Washington.
79
3
Lincoln
97
0
Tota
1,988
636
Majority in favor of organization.
.1,352
Immediately after the election the county court, by the power vested in it by the township organization law, divided the county into twenty municipal townships, making them correspond with the Con- gressional survey.
Sugar Ridge Township consists of all that part of Congressional Township 62, Range 26, being and lying in Harrison County.
Fox Creek consists of all of Congressional Township 63, Range 26. Madison comprises all of Congressional Township 65, Range 26.
Clay Township consists of all of Congressional Township 66, Range 26, and that part of Township 67, Range 26, that lies in Har- rison County.
Colfax Township consists of all of Congressional Township 66, Range 27, and part of Township 67, same range.
Marion is Township 65, Range 27, of the Congressional survey.
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