USA > Missouri > Lafayette County > History of Lafayette county, Mo. , carefully written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, cities, towns, and villages > Part 34
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July 21, 1845, Robert Aull, William H. Russell, and Robert M. Hen- derson were appointed commissioners to locate a county jail; but for some reason not recorded did not act. Afterward, Eldredge Burden, William Boyce, and Alex. McFadden appear as jail commissioners, and on October 6, 1846, it is recorded that $2,700 was paid to Gabriel F. Brown, con- tractor for jail building.
COUNTY LINE SURVEYS.
Sept. 2, 1846, a report was made to the county court by John C. Bled- soe, surveyor of Lafayette county, and A. H. Perry, surveyor of Johnson
COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE, LEXINGTON, MISSOURI.
county, in regard to an official survey of the line between these two coun- ties. The cost of this joint survey was $696.35, of which Lafayette county paid half. The report covers twenty-two pages (from pp. 131 to 152) of county record book No. 8.
Sept. 1, 1851, the county surveyor was ordered to re-survey and estab- lish the boundary line between Lafayette and Saline counties. And on Oct. 10, 1854, appears a similar order with reference to Lafayette and Johnson counties again.
May 8, 1854, the sum of $4500 was appropriated to build offices for the clerks of circuit and county courts. Wm. Morrison was appointed to let
304
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
the contract and oversee the construction. The building erected under this order was the offices and fire-proof vaults now occupied by the clerks above mentioned and the county treasurer and auditor.
Occasionally we find in legal proceedings a combination of language as ludicrous and laughable as the grotesque conceits of Mark Twain. Here is an instance under date of July 21, 1877: " The state of Missouri, to the sheriff of Lafayette county, greeting: You are hereby commended to summon Lafayette county, if she be found in your county, that she be and appear before the circuit court of Lafayette county," etc. It is pre- sumed that the sheriff found "her" and brought "her" into court; and. the ladies would like to know how "she" was dressed.
COUNTY OFFICERS .- 1881.
The term of some of the county offices is two years and some four years. The following are the present incumbents:
Years. Name. Office.
4 John A Prather
Presiding county judge.
2 James W. Harrison
Associate county jndge.
2 John A. Lockhart
4 William B. Steele ..
County clerk.
Samuel J. Andrews
Deputy county clerk (appointed).
4 John P. Strother, Saline Co. . Circuit judge.
4 John E. Ryland . Criminal judge.
· John S. Blackwell.
Prosecuting attorney.
4 Frank Trigg
Clerk of the circuit and criminal courts.
. . C. B. Daniel.
Deputy circuit clerk (appointed).
2 James B. Hord.
.Probate judge.
.. Samuel M. Harris
Probate clerk (appointed).
.. Benjamin G. Chinn
Deputy sheriff and jailor (appointed).
. . Joseph Bowman
Deputy sheriff.
2 Benjamin R. Ireland
Treasurer.
4 Jacob D. Conner.
Recorder.
2 Zach S. Mitchell.
Assessor.
2 Geo. M. Mountjoy
Collector.
· S. S. Reeder . Deputy collector (appointed).
2 Dr. J. G. Russell Coroner.
2 Geo. M. Catron . County schoool commissioner.
2 Benjamin D. Weedin County surveyor.
Rev. L. B. Wright. Supt. county poor farm (appointed).
POSTOFFICES IN LAFAYETTE COUNTY .- 1881.
In Clay township-Greenton, Napoleon, Waterloo, Wellington.
In Davis township-Higginsville.
In Dover township-Corder, Dover, Page City.
In Freedom township-Aullville, Concordia.
In Lexington township-Lexington.
In Middleton township-Alma (it absorbed Dick P. O.), Waverly.
-
2 Benjamin Elliott.
Sheriff.
305
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
In Sniabar township-Bates City, on line between Sniabar and Clay townships (it absorbed Sny P. O.), Chapel Hill, Odessa, on line between Sniabar and Clay townships (it absorbed Mount Hope P. O.).
In Washington township-De Motte (established this year), Mayview, Tabo.
COUNTY FINANCES.
The first assessor of Lillard county was Wm. Y. C. Ewing, appointed April 23, 1821; and the first tax collector was Markham Fristoe, appointed at the same time, his bondsmen being Isaac Clarke and Thomas Fristoe. Markham Fristoe was also, on April 24th, appointed constable of Sniabar township. Wm. Christie is mentioned at the same time as the " auditor of public accounts," he being the State officer to whom all county financial matters must be certified. July 23d Young Ewing is mentioned as county treasurer, but there is no record of how or when he first received the office. The same date, W. Y. C. Ewing is allowed $30 for services as assessor. The first mention of county funds occurs at this date. The county treasurer acknowledged in open court that he had received from Abraham McClelland the sum of $40, which was now subject to the order of the court.
This singular entry appears July 24th: " Ordered that the collector of this county collect thirty-seven per cent. on all species of property liable to taxation as stated in the assessor's book, and pay the same to the county treasurer, as the law directs,"-meaning, of course, thirty-seven per cent of the levy, although it reads thirty-seven per cent. of the whole property. On November 5th the collector reports a delinqent list amounting to $8.97. Another entry on the same day shows that the total tax collection for 1822 was $168.173.
The first tax book of the county, in 1821, shows 188 resident and 7 non-resident taxpayers, and the taxable property foots up thus:
Tax on total valuation $199.72₺ 38.00
bachelors
watches
9.12
carriages.
6.00
"household furniture. 1.00
Total amount of State tax $253.84₺
If the list of names of taxpayers only included residents within the pres- ent territory of Lafayette county, we would give all the names and their assessed valuation of property; but the county at that time embraced terri- tory which has since been formed into seven other counties, and the tax- payers were widely scattered
306
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
TAX ON BACHELORS -- 1821.
In 1821 the State of Missouri levied a special tax on " unmarried white males above 21 and under 50 years." The first tax list of Lafayette county (then called Lillard) gives the following list of bachelors thus taxed: Aaron Bryant, Thomas Blakey, John Bastick, David Blevins, James Ball, Solo- mon Catron, Gabriel Chineth, Joseph Cox, Elijah Demasters, Isaac Duna- way, Moses Day, Alexander Dunbar, Robert Ewing, Green Hughes, Wm. Hall, Amos Horn, John Ingram, Zachariah Linville, Green McCaf- ferty, Thomas McCafferty, Hugh McCafferty, Robert Renick, George Stevens, John Sallady, Isaiah Tribble, Elijah Tate, Henderson Wheeler, Wm. Wallace, Wm. Young, Jr., James Young-total, 31. All these men were specially taxed for the "luxury " of living in the county without incurring the cares and responsibilities of the "head of a family," and this special tax for that year amounted in all to $38. This tax seems to have been abolished after the first year, for the term " unmarried " does not occur in the tax lists of subsequent years. But the " tax on bachelors" was for many years thereafter a favorite joke among the ladies.
COUNTY TAX LIST FOR 1828-ABSTRACT.
What tax is on.
Value.
Total tax. $157.50
White males, [poll tax]
Number. 315 17,118.91
$22,617.00
56.542
Town lots.
71.50
4,607.50
11.51%
Improvements
136
8,400.00
21.00
Slaves
239
59,665.00
149.16₺
Horses
713
23,407.00
58.51&
Cattle.
1,459
9,306.00
23.26₺
Watches
21
396.00
.99
Tanyards
3
140.00
.35
Distilleries
4
360.00
.90
Mills .
4
225.00
.56}
Carriages
3
415.00
1.03&
Added at court
3.16
Total
$487.523
The total tax on non-resident owners of lands and lots at the same date was $42.261.
The above document is certified by Markham Fristre, assessor, and Young Ewing, county clerk. The county had not yet obtained an official seal, so Mr. Ewing "affixed his private seal," which consisted of a four-rayed star cut out of white paper, the rays measuring three inches diameter from point to point, and stuck on to the document with a red sealing wafer such as were in use at that time.
Land-acres.
307
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY, FOR 1870.
Lands, acres
Town lots.
Valuation of
$5,788,848.00 2,569,128.00 .
Total.
$8,357,976.00
State revenue tax
$
20,894.94
State interest tax.
20,897.71
County tax
41,813.29
Road tax ..
19,872.34
Poor house tax
13,801.73
Lexington and St. Louis R. R. tax
62,798.83
Bridge tax ..
16,716.21
County interest tax.
20,899.10
Lexington township R. R. tax
9,344.28
Total $ 226,588.41
Township school tax is not included in the above statement. The rate of school tax for Lexington township was 69 cents on $100.
VALUATION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY IN LAFAYETTE COUNTY FOR 1876.
8,226 horses, valued at $ 290,273
3,793 mules and asses
171,347
21,300 neat cattle. 245,768
8,017 sheep 8,082
30,664 hogs.
103,067
Money, notes and bonds
616,058
Personal property .
243,298
Household property
226,249
Total
$1,904,142
FINANCIAL STATEMENT, 1881.
Abstract of receipts and expenditures of Lafayette county for the fiscal year ending December 1, 1880:
County expense fund, total receipts, . Disbursements :
$ 26,772.62
By criminal court $ 5,032.15
By circuit court
1,242.20
By county court
6,108.26
By probate court.
110.00
Miscellaneous items
9,770.38
Total disbursements $ 22,262.99
Balance on hand December 1, 1880. $ 4,509.63
387,678.40 3,846 00
All personal property
308
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
DIFFERENT COUNTY FUNDS.
What Fund
Bal. on Hand.
Poor house.
$
Receipts. 6,642.21
Disbursements. 3,556.80 $ 8,667.91
$ 3,075.41 *
Road and bridge
5,291.13
County railroad.
169.07
169.07
County interest.
68.08
+
5.72
Poor house interest
10.60
10.60
Redemption land .
23.07
23.07
Lexington township railroad
26.33
26.33
Washington
66
10.35
10.35
Sniabar
66
10.42
10.42
Middleton
66
193.40
193.40
Davis
66
231.56
45.15
186.41
Freedom
489.89
42.30
447.59
Sinking, county int. and school
1,217.66
1,077.10
140.56
Compromise .
69,437.12
48,181.86
21,255.26
State fund :- Balance on hand at settlement, December 2, 1879, $280.72. This amount was transferred to the state treasurer, and his receipt there- for placed on file.
GENERAL STATISTICS 1879-80.
[Compiled from State Auditor's Report, January 1, 1881.]
Total state revenue received from Lafayette county in 1879: Revenue fund, $19,118.48; interest fund, $12,767.87. In 1880: Revenue fund, $22,183.99; interest fund, $26,022.73.
Costs in criminal cases, by state warrants issued fo Frank Trigg, cir- cuit clerk, in 1879, $5,336.19; in 1880, $2,034.12. Warrants issued to Geo. M. Mountjoy, county sheriff, in 1879, $298.50; in 1880, $188.50. Number of convicts in 1879, 14; cost of transportation, $265.50. Number of convicts in 1880, 10; cost of transportation, $172.50.
Cost of assessing and collecting the revenue:
Warrants is- sued 1879.
Warrants is- sued 1880. $ 689.96
To Wm. B. Steele, county clerk.
$ 594.07
To Wm. C. White, assessor
943.87
1,044.54
To P. S. Fulkerson collector
72.63
64.23
To R. B. Ireland treasurer
14.14
Totals .
$1.610.57 $ 1,812.87 The state school money issued to Lafayette county in 1879 was $6.124 .- 15; in 1880, $6,140.98.
Uuder the head of "Bonded Debt of Counties" occurs the following table, which will be of interest and value to preserve:
*Balance due treasurer, $3,376.78.
+Transferred to sinking fund $62.36.
. . . . .
. . . . .
309
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
County.
Date Issue. Amt. Issued.
For What Purpose.
Lafayette
1869
$488,700
. Lexington & St. Louis R. R.
Lafayette.
1870
251,000
Lexington & St. Louis R. R.
Lafayette
1871
20,000
Lexington & St. Louis R. R.
Lafayette.
1869
98,500
. Funding County Debt.
Lafayette
1870
102,000
Funding County Debt.
Lafayette
1871
45,000
Funding County Debt.
Lafayette. ..
1876
631,000
Compromise of above bonds.
Lexington Twp ...
75,000
.. Lexington & St. Joseph R. R.
Lexington Twp ...
75,000
. Chillicothe & Gulf R. R.
Washington Twp
75,000
. Chillicothe & Gulf R. R.
Sniabar Twp .....
35,000
Chillicothe & Gulf R. R.
Middleton Twp ...
17,000
Tebo & Neosho R. R.
Freedom Twp ...
25,000
Lexington & St. Louis R. R.
Davis Twp .......
10,000 Lexington & St Louis R. R.
Of the Lexington and St. Louis R. R. bonds of the county, the amount compromised was $578,900; amount outstanding, $44,900; amount in litigation, $11,000; amount canceled and paid, $131,900. Of bonds for funding the county debt, amount compromised, $95,250; amount outstanding, $65,000; amount in litigation, $41,000; amount canceled and paid, $81,250. Of the compromise bonds there were still outstanding $611,900, and $19,200 had been canceled and paid. The Lexington and St Joe R. R. bonds had been declared unconstitutional by the U. S. supreme court; nevertheless they are still out in claimants' hands. All the other township bonds are outstanding, with accrued interest from date of issue.
There were in Lafayette county 28 dram shops (?) [that's all that were reported to the state Auditor], and for these the state licenses amounted to $1.295.76; the county licenses to $2,593.81. The column for wine and beer saloons is left blank, none reported; and only two drug stores in the county licensed to sell liquors. The state liquor license is $50 per year, and the county license $100.
The assessment returns of valuations gives number of acres, 491,645; valuation, $4,493,855; average value per acre, $11.47. Number of town lots, 6,575; valuation $988,500; average value, $150.34. Total value of real estate in the county, $5,482,355. Of live stock and other personal items, there were:
Horses
No. 9,172
Valuation. $ 294,365
Mules
4,122
174,645
Asses and Jennets
36
2,525
Neat Cattle.
20,290
272,140
Sheep.
13,709
15,920
Hogs.
37,457
83,480
Money, bonds and notes.
717,155
Brokers and exchange dealers
113,100
Corporate companies .
30,150
All other personal property
604,050
-
310
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
Total personal property, $2,307,530; total taxable wealth of the county $8,789,885.
In 1880 only 69 counties paid anything for wolf scalps, and among these was Lafayette, $10. The highest amount paid was by Atchison county, $143; the lowest amount was by Pettis and Platte counties, only $1.50 each.
RAILROAD HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
VIEW ON THE CHICAGO & ALTON R. R., TWO MILES WEST OF GLAS- GOW. EMIGRANT TRAIN GOING WEST.
In 1858 and 1859, the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company was pushing its line westward with a good deal of enterprise and vigor; and, as nearly all of our western lines have done, they were running it through those towns, cities and counties which offered the largest bonus. The people of Lexington and Lafayette county saw that they must " struggle for existence," if they were going to "survive as the fittest " in the on-coming railroad age. They met the issue boldly and struck out with a strong hand to hold their vantage ground. In 1859, the matter had got pretty well warmed up, and after harvest several public meetings were held to discuss and consider the situation. These culminated in the following proceedings of the county court, which are the first official record of any railroad matters within the county:
Monday, October 17, 1859 .- Now, at this day, came Thomas P. Akers, R. C. Vaughan and Wm. S. Field, a committee appointed at a public meeting of the citizens of said county, and present to the court here a
311
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
report made to said meeting respecting the project of a railroad, which report is in the words and figures as follows:
" We, Thompson M. Ewing, Wm. Shields, Stephen S. Neill, John Reid, Edward Winsor, G, J. Blewett, Eldredge Burden, Robort B. Smith, Rich- ard Vaughan, Alfred James, Samuel Warren, and Wm. S. Felds, a part of the committee appointed at a meeting of the citizens of Lafayette county on the 19th day of September, 1859, for the purpose of reporting business for a mass meeting of the citizens of said county, to be holden at the fair ground of said county on the 11th day of October, 1859, beg leave to submit the following as our report:
" THAT WHEREAS, In the present progressive age of the world, it is em- barrassing to an intelligent community to live without the beneficial influ- ences of railroads; that we live in the center of a community unsurpassed on the American continent in point of national advantages; our soil, cli- mate and central position, combine to make our county lovely and desira- ble; that we have a population of moral, liberal, industrious and enter- prising people; that our county is possessed of a large amount of wealth, her taxable property exceeding nine millions of dollars, with the present low grade of valuation placed upon it by our county assessors; that we believe a reasonable, fair selling estimate of the value of taxable pro- erty now in our county, is not short of fourteen millions of dollars; that in five years, with a railroad running through our county, the value of her taxable property would run up to twenty millions of dollars. That in view of these facts, we believe our county can pay half a million of dol- lars toward the construction of some great railroad outlet and inlet to and from the center of our county, without difficulty or embarrassment; that we believe the most practicable route for us at present to undertake to construct is a road leading from a point on the Pacific road between George- town and Knob Noster, the most practicable point to be ascertained by actual survey from said beginning point on the nearest and best line to the city of Lexington, and thence up the river on the most practicable line to Kansas City. That Jackson county, Kansas city, and other influences west will be amply sufficient to insure the completion of said contem- plated road from Lexington to Kansas City, and therefore it behooves Lafayette county more especially to look to the completion of said road from said beginning point to the city of Lexington.
In consideration of all of which facts, therefore be it
Resolved, to- wit: That we ask the Honorable County Court of Lafay- ette county to subscribe half a million of dollars for the purpose of build- ing a road from said beginning point to the City of Kansas, by way of Lexington, and to be applied towards the construction of that part of said road between said beginning point and Lexington, to be paid in five equal annual installments, the first beginning in 1861: To be subscribed to such company as the said court may think best, and in such a manner as to allow each taxpayer to become a stockholder in such company to the amount of the taxes he may pay. The county, inher corporate capacity not to retain any stock after all the subscription shall have been paid up; but to remain a stockholder to the extent of half a million dollars until the first installment shall have been paid, and certificates of stock issued to the taxpayers, then to be reduced one-fifth, and in the like ratio each year until all the stock is paid up.
312
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
Second, That in order to test the voice of the people of the county upon this proposition, a poll be opened at the respective places of voting in said county, on the 14th day of November, 1859, and that each voter of the county be requested to vote for or against the proposition; and that poll books be prepared and opened for that purpose; a majority of those voting to govern the court.
Third, That we desire our county court to reserve a controling and protecting influence in said subscription, and guard our interests from fraud, and misapplication of our means, and to see that our money shall not be spent without the certainty of procuring the road.
Fourth, Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed by this meet- ing, to present these resolutions to the county court. All of which is respectfully submitted.
WM. L. FIELD, chairman.
Said committee further present to the court here the proceedings (in part,) of an adjournec session of said public meeting, in words as follows:
On motion of Hon. S. F. Taylor, that portion of the report (above), which made the eastern terminus of the same (said proposed railroad) the most available point between Georgetown and Knob Noster, was stricken out, and " that point where the Pacific railroad line crosses the stream, Muddy, west of Georgetown, or its vicinity, was designated and made the point of termination."
Order of Court-And all and singular the premises being seen, it is ordered by the court here that an election be held at the several voting precincts in Lafayette county on Monday, the 14th day of November, 1859, to test the sense of the people on the proposition that said county shall subscribe the sum of five hundred thousand dollars as stock in said proposed railroad upon the terms, conditions, limitations and restrictions set forth in the report and resolutions copied above and adopted by said public meeting hereinbefore mentioned."
The above court record was made October 17. On November 7th the court recorded this-
" Additional Order in relation to the proposed railroad subscription. It is hereby further ordered that this court will not be bound to make any subscription to a railroad from Lexington to the Pacific railroad until there is an act of the Legislature passed that will make the tax levied for railroad purposes applicable to all taxable property in the city of Lexing- ton and all incorporated towns in the county of Lafayette, any law to the contrary notwithstanding that exempts the property within the county of any corporation in the county of Lafayette aforesaid. It is further ordered that this court will not authorize the collection and payment of any rail- road tax until there shall have been made actual survey and estimates of cost of said proposed road."
November 14th, 1859, the election was held as ordered. This was the first vote ever taken in the county on any railroad proposition, and the fol- lowing table shows how the vote stood:
-
313
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
For appropriation.
Against appropriation. 199
232
Davis
98
1
99
Dover
93
76
169
Freedom "
(east precinct)
136
8
144
Freedom '
(west precinct).
92
21
113
Lexington township
470
46
516
Lexington city.
599
19
618
Middleton township
94
80
174
Sniabar township
3
163
166
Washington township
50
144
194
Totals.
1,668
757
2,425
It must be borne in mind that at this time the constitution of the state did not lay any restriction or limitation upon the voting of bonds to rail- roads, * etc.,-and the above votes were entirely legal, although some fraudulent operations were carried on in after years under pretended authority of these votes. But the new constitution adopted in 1865 (after the war) did expressly provide safeguards against the too easy voting of public bonds.
December 20th, 1859, the court appointed Thomas G. Smith as agent of the county on railroad matters; but on January 7th, 1860, the appoint- ment of Smith was rescinded, and the following appears of record:
WHEREAS, the people of Lafayette county have signified by an election heretofore held their desire that this court on behalf of said county should subscribe the sum of five hundred thousand dollars as stock in said pro- posed road under the orders, restrictions and limitations herein and here- tofore made by this court. It is therefore ordered by the court that Charles S. Tarleton be appointed to make said subscription, and in all matters relat- ing thereto to represent said county and this court, and generally in refer- ence to said proposed road to represent and act for said county.
The county judges at this time were T. G. Smith, Richard Carr, and Charles S. Tarleton.
March 6, 1860, by the court it is "Ordered that the act of Charles S. Tarleton as the agent of this court to represent Lafayette county and to subscribe the stock to the Lexington and Georgetown railroad be approved by this court." But it is recorded that Richard Carr dissented from this order.
June 11, 1860, the court ordered its agent, Judge Tarleton, "to make said subscription final, as soon as the directory of the Pacific Railroad Compnay shall have confirmed the contract heretofore agreed upon between their committee and the fiscal agent of the Lexington and St. Louis Railroad Company." Judge Carr filed his dissent against this order
*Under the constitution the county court had full power to issue or not to issue bonds, without any vote of the people at all ; but the court very wisely wanted a vote of the people on so grave a matter, to stand in the nature of instructions by the people to their agents. The later constitution made special provision for this.
Total
vote.
Clay township
33
314
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
also. And just what the "contract agreed upon" was, we could not learn. Nothing appears of record again until July 2, 1861, when this entry ocurrs: "Lexington and St. Louis railroad company against the county court of Lafayette county," etc.
It appears that Judge Tarlton had refused to make the county's sub- scription final, because the railroad company did not comply with the conditions upon which the county had voted to give its aid. He was sus- tained in the refusal by the county court; and thereupon the railroad com -. pany locked horns with the court and rushed into a sort of "bulldosing" litigation. They obtained a writ of mandamus from the supreme court of the State, requiring the county court to "show cause," etc., and their answer was made July 2, 1861. In this document they recite many points of fact elaborately and in detail; but the gist of the whole matter is that the county's agent, Judge Tarlton, had subscribed for $450,000 of stock in "the said proposed railroad on which the vote of the people had been taken in November previous and for no other road." But the railroad company had laid out and let contracts for a line greatly different from the route and the eastern point named in the proposition voted upon by the county; and therefore the court refused to issue bonds or levy any taxes or in any way recognize or acknowledge that the railroad company had any sort of legal claim upon the county.
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