USA > Missouri > Grundy County > The History of Grundy County, Missouri : an encyclopedia of useful information, and a compendium of actual facts > Part 19
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These townships took in all the territory of Grundy and Mercer counties as now defined north of the forks of the Grand River.
FIRST ELECTIONS.
The county court of Livingston at the same session, April term, 1837, ordered elections to be held in both townships on May 27, 1837, for justices of the peace. The election in Muddy Creek township was to be held at the house of Daniel Devanl, and the election in Sugar Creek township was held at the house of Wm. Peery. The judges appointed to hold the election in Muddy Creek township were John Thrailkill, Daniel Devaul and Wm. Cochran, and in Sugar Creek township W. P. Thompson, George Bunch and Philip Wild. The house of Daniel Devaul was designated as the election precinct for Muddy Creek township, and the dwelling-house of Philip Wild as the voting precinct for Sugar Creek township. Another election was held in August, 1837, of which John Thrailkill, Samuel Benson and Win. Cochran were the judges. This was about all that transpired in that year, but in 1838 there is recorded that James S. Lomax secured a license as retailer of merchandise and liquors at the June term of the Livingston county court, which license was dated June 25, 1838.
FIRST ROAD.
The first road known by any man in this whole section of country at that day was called the Iowa trace, and many of the petitions afterward presented to the county court of Livingston county from this section was worded to start from, run to, or intersect the Iowa trace, sometimes called Iowa trail. The first petition for a road in Grundy county, or territory of Livingston, was made by George Tetherow and others at the August term, 1838, for a road leading from Chillicothe by the nearest and best route to section thirty-
·
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
five, township sixty-two, range twenty-four, which was granted by the court, and James Conner, William Evans and Francis Preston were appointed re- viewers. The next road located was from Chillicothe to the house of Wm. P. Thompson in Sugar Creek township which was ordered at the February term of the county court, 1839.
Up to this time Wm. Martin had been the presiding justice of the Liv- ingston county court, but at this, the February term, February 4, 1839, Wm. P. Thompson of Sugar Creek township was one of the three justices elected, composing the county court of Livingston county, and on meeting of the court was, by motion of David H. Dunkerson, one of his associate justices, made presiding justice, which position he held up to and including the February term, 1841, of the Livingston county court. Grundy county then having been organized and his residence being in this county he vacated his seat.
SCIIOOL-LANDS.
An examination of the county court records of Livingston county, show the following sections of Grundy county school-lands were ordered sold by that conrt. The first sixteenth section sold was in township sixty- one, range twenty-four, and this was at the August term, 1838. The next was the sixteenth section of township sixty-three, range twenty-four, which was ordered sold at the May term, 1839. At the February term, 1840, the sixteenth section of township sixty-one, range twenty-five, was ordered to be sold, while the last sold by order of the Livingston county court prior to the organization of Grundy county, was at the November term, 1840. and was the sixteenth section of township sixty, range twenty-five.
THE FIRST SCHOOL ORGANIZATION
within the limits of Grundy county, and also within the township of Tren- ton, was by order of the Livingston county court, and was congressional section sixty-one, range twenty-four. It was organized by appointing Jas. R. Merrill commissioner, and Martin Winn and Samuel Benson school- inspectors. The first meeting was at the house of Jas. S. Lomax.
TOWNSINIP BOUNDARIES.
The original order making two townships out of the territory composing the present counties of Grundy and Mercer was afterward changed and these townships cut up into several others and the names Sugar Creek and Muddy Creek townships were known no more. There are no records to be found of Scott, Clark and Monticello townships, in the minutes of the Liv- ingston county court, and as Grundy county records of the first five years are lost and destroyed, the only supposition is that these townships were formed by the first county court held in Grundy county, after it was organ- ized, as the records of the election of the justices of the peace for these town-
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
ships gives the fact that elections were ordered by the county judges in reg- ular sesssion. There is no mention of Liberty township either in the Livings- ton or Grundy county records, until 1846, and in what year the seven town- ships which composed the civil districts of Grundy county up to 1872 were organized, cannot be determined prior to 1846. It is easily to be be- lieved that the townships named, formed the civil districts of the territory yet under the jurisdiction of Grundy county, until it was organized as Mercer county. By the action of the Livingston county court, the follow- ing orders arc of record defining the metes and bounds of the townships hereinafter named, and which are, more or less of them, within the pre- scribed limits of the present boundary of Grundy county.
FEBRUARY TERM, 1839.
Ordered, That a township be made in the territory of Livingston, called Washington town- ship, to commence at the mouth of the Weldon River, running with same to the State line; thence west with the stated boundary line to where the same crosses Grand River, thence down said river to the beginning.
FEBRUARY TERM, 1839.
Ordered, That a township be made in the county of Livingston, commencing where town- ships sixty and sixty-one cross Grand River; thence west to the intersection of said line with Daviess county; thence south with said line to the road leading from Jerry Bannon's to . Robert McGaw's; thence with said road to Black Mills. Said township to be called Jeffer- son township, running from McGaw's so as to include James Black in Jefferson township; thence to N. R. Hobbs, so as to include Hobbs in Jefferson township; thence running with Bear Creek to the mouth; thence with the river to beginning.
FEBRUARY TERM, 1839.
Ordered, That the name of Sugar Creek township, be changed to Madison township in honor of James Madison, former President of the United States.
MAY TERM, May 6, 1839.
Ordered, That a township be laid off as follows; to-wit, Beginning at the southeast corner of township fitty-nine, range twenty-four; thence north with the said line dividing sections twelve and thirteen in township sixty-three; thence west with said line, to where said line crosses the east fork of Grand River to the township line, dividing of townships fifty-nine and sixty; thence east with the said line to the beginning. And the name of the said township to be called Franklin. Changed from Muddy, in honor of Benjamin Franklin.
MAY TERM, 1839.
Ordered, That a township be laid off as follows; to-wit, Commencing on range line be- tween twenty-four and twenty-three, said line to where (lead) at the section line between twelve and eighteen, township sixty-three; thence west to the east fork of Grand River, thence up said east fork to the township line between townships sixty-three and sixty-four; thence west with said line to the main river, and all that portion of territory between said range line twenty-three and twenty-four and the main river, and north to township sixty- three, and the said township be the bounds thereof. Be called Morgan township.
MAY TERM, 1839.
Ordered, That a township be made as follows; to-wit, Beginning at the east corner of township fifty-nine, range twenty-four; thence north with the said range line to the State boundary; thence east with said boundary to where the Linn county line intersects the same: thence south with the said Linn county line to township fifty-nine; thence with the said township line to the beginning. Said township to be called Marion township.
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IHISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
JUNE TERM, June 15, 1840.
Ordered, That Morgan township be so divided, that the west side of Weldon Fork of Grand River be known and designated as Lafayette township.
In 1836-37, the United States government surveyed this portion of the State, and Grundy county was a part of that survey. In 1839 the govern- ment opened a land-office at Lexington, Lafayette county, on the Missouri River, and the lands of the survey were thrown open to entry. At this time the country began to attract considerable attention for its splendid agricultural resources, and settled rapidly. Upon the opening of the land- office for entry of lands, the settlers lost no time in entering the claims which they had located, but it went hard with many, for they were unable to pay for their. lands. There was also a heavy rush by speculators who took up large tracts of land. Speculation was rife, and the lands in the beautiful valley of the Grand River, were sought for with avidity. This, however, did not last long, and those who had purchased on speculation met with a serious drawback in the opening to entry of the celebrated " Platt Purchase," a body of land east of the Missouri River, which went by that name, which was a part of the old Indian Territory and which had, in 1836, been annexed by Congress to the State of Missouri. In 1837 the Indians were removed farther west, and the famous " Platt Purchase" became the agricultural El Dorado of a vast throng of settlers and speculators. This at once checked immigration, and settlement of this valley that had just begun to hold ont an early promise of rich fruit. It proved a serious drawback for several years, the country settling slowly. The principal trading done by the early settlers was at Glasgow on the Missouri River, nearly one hundred miles distant, and also at Richmond, in Ray county. The farmers would load up their wagons with the currency of the country, such as skins, furs, venison, bees-wax, honey, etc., with an occasional small mixture of silver and bank bills. The silver was generally hoarded to enter lands. Those who had and could spare it, who did not wish to enter more land, could loan it at a big rate of interest to those who wanted to preempt a claim.
ITS ORGANIZATION.
In the year 1839 the legislature passed a bill defining the limits of Grundy county. The name given it was in honor of the distinguished statesman and U. S. Senator from Tennessee, the Hon. Felix Grundy. The bill passed November 12, 1839, but for all civil and judicial purposes it was to remain attached to Livingston county until its organization into a county proper.
HON. FELIX GRUNDY.
The county of Grundy was named after the Hon. Felix Grundy, of Ten- nessee, and it is meet and proper that a short biographical sketch of the man should be given. Felix Grundy was born in Virginia in 1777. In growing to manhood he had evinced studious habits and social qualities
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
which made him popular both for his learning and that charm of manner so befitting the young as well as the old-school gentleman of the earlier times. He was originally educated for a physician, but his mind running to law he gave up medicine and entered into a thorough course of law reading and study, and was soon admitted to practice. He was a member of the constitutional convention, a member of the legislature, and judge of the Court of Errors and Appeals of Virginia. In the year 1807, when in his thirty-first year, he was made chief justice of Kentucky, but resigned soon after and made his home in Nashville, Tennessee. His law practice soon became extensive. His popularity gained on acquaintance, and he was twice elected to Congress from the Nashville district. In 1829 he be- came United States Senator from Tennessee, took high rank among the statesmen of that day, and was an active as well as an able supporter of President Andrew Jackson. In 1838 he was appointed attorney-general of the United States, succeeding Benj. F. Butler, July 5th. He held the position until his death early in January, 1840, in the sixty-third year of his age. He was a peer among the intellectual giants of that day, and his loss was sincerely mourned by the whole country. In naming Grundy county after such a man, while doing justice and perpetuating the name and fame of a statesman, she glorified herself while honoring. his memory.
MOVING FORWARD.
But years were being added to the settlements, and as the time passed the population had increased, and Grundy county began to assume the import- ance and independence of a distinct and distinctive municipal corporation. The government had finished the survey of the land, and the legislature had defined the boundaries. The population, though not great, was steadily gaining, and Chillicothe seemed too far distant to transact its civil business. It thus became apparent that a county organization was becoming a neces- sity and steps were accordingly taken to accomplish it. The legislature of the winter of 1840-41 was applied to carry into effect a county organiza- tion. A bill was brought in that session to organize counties, and among the number was that of Grundy county. The act referring to Grundy county reads as follows :
ORGANIZATION OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
"AN ACT to organize counties therein named, and to define the boundaries thereof. Approved January 29, 1841.
" SECTION 13. All that portion of territory north of Livingston, and in- cluded within the following described limits; viz., Beginning at the north- east corner of Livingston county; thence north, with the section line, twen- ty-one miles, or to the corner of sections nine, ten, fifteen and six- teen, township sixty-three north, of range twenty-two west of the fifth principal meridian; thence west; thence along the section line dividing
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
sections nine and sixteen, continuing said section line west to range line di- viding ranges twenty-five and twenty-six; thence sonth with said line to the northwest corner of Livingston county; thence east with said county line to the place of beginning, is hereby created a separate distinct county, to be called and known by the name of the county of Grundy.
" SEC. 14. The circuit and county court of said county shall be held at the dwelling-house of Jas. S. Lomax, in said county, until the permanent sea of justice for said county is established, or the county court shall otherwise direct.
"SEC. 15. John Minnis, of Linn county; Jeremiah S. Stockart and John Wolfscale, of Livingston county, are hereby appointed commissioners to se- lect the permanent seat of justice for said county."
The bill was brought before the legislature early in January, but it was not approved until January 29, 1841. Thus, while the sections thirteen, fourteen and fifteen, making Grundy a county, were passed by the legisla- ture January 2, 1841, the bill was not completed for several days after and did not become a law until approved January 29, 1841. From that day. and not the 2d of January, was Grundy an organized county, nor was there any county business transacted prior to its approval. From the latter date, however, Grundy became a county in fact as well as in name, and assuned all the rights and prerogatives of a free and independent municipal corpor- ation. Governor Reynolds on the same day he approved the act, commis- sioned Wm. Thrailkill, the first sheriff of Grundy county. His commission read as follows:
"COMMISSION OF WM. TIIRAILKILL, SHERIFF OF GRUNDY COUNTY, STATE OF MISSOURI.
"To all who shall see these presents, greeting: Whereas, that reposing especial trust and confidence in the integrity and ability of William Thrail- kill, I, Thomas Reynolds, Governor of the State of Missouri, in behalf and in the name thereof, do hereby commission him sheriff within and for the county of Grundy, of the State of Missouri and do authorize him to dis- charge according to law the duties of said office, and to hold and enjoy the same, together with all the powers, privileges and emoluments thereunto appertaining until the legal termination thereof.
" In testimony I have herennto set my hand and caused to be affixed the great seal of the State of Missouri. Done at the city of Jefferson, this 29th day of Jannary in the year of our Lord 1841, of the independence of the United States the sixty-fifth, and of this State the twenty-first.
THOS. REYNOLDS.
[SEAL.]
"(Signed) " By the governor: "JAS. L. MINOR, Secretary of State.
" Filed for record the 22d day of February, 1841.
THOS. W. JACOBS, Clerk.
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
" STATE OF MISSOURI, SS.
COUNTY OF GRUNDY. J
Be it remembered that on this 22d day of February, 1841, before me, the- undersigned, as clerk of the Circuit Court within and for the county of Grundy, personally came William Thrailkill, who took an oath to support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Mis- souri and to demean himself faithfully in office as sheriff of said county.
In testimony whereof, I, Thos. W. Jacobs, clerk of said Circuit Court, hath hereunto affixed my private seal, there being no public seal yet pro- vided, this day and year aforesaid.
[SEAL.]
" THOS. W. JACOBS, Clerk."
The boundary proper of Grundy county, as defined by the act of the leg- islature gives nearly a perfect square. The exact distances being, north and south twenty and a half (20}) miles, and east and west twenty-one (21) miles. There was no map of the county giving the original townships, as some of them, as will be seen by the orders of the Livingston county court, reached to the Iowa State line, which included the present county of Mercer. Grundy county, with the above dimensions contains 427g square miles, and in acres 273,357.39.
LOST OR DESTROYED.
The most important record of the county, that of the county court, the anthor is compelled to state, in Grundy was lost or destroyed, up to August, 1846. It seems from the best information to be obtained that the economy and the want of information as to the value of these records by the citizens, . was, in a great measure, the cause of that loss. The records of the sessions of the county court were kept upon cap paper and at the end of each session rolled up and tied with a string. When finally done with they were tossed into a box or into some corner, and their valne supposed to be what old paper was worth a pound. This loss would not have been severely felt if this history had been written some fifteen or twenty years ago, but as it is, the loss is to be deeply regretted by all who have, or take an interest in the. early affairs of the county. It is impossible to give but a fragmentary compendium of the history of Grundy county for the first five years. The search for the records has been close and careful, and days have been given to the work of gathering from the old settlers, from all parts of the county, their reminiscences of early days, and all this and more is given. By close. comparison, and with persistent effort, we have been able to gather much history of the county in those blank years not of record, and if it were not here mentioned, perhaps few would have found or recognized the missing link. What the county court did those years, is only found in the progress the county made in its material advancement and the political history as. gathered from a few of the sages, who are yet a living reality on the world's.
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
stage. History, it is said, repeats itself, but the record of pioneer life, and of the dead past, is not likely to again loom up in the history of Grundy county, and whenever it mnay repeat itself, to this people it will be a bar- ren result.
COUNTY JUSTICES.
The first justices were Jewett Norris, Robert Peery, Isaac J. Harvey, and Benj. F. Woods. Jewett Norris was president of the justice court and so signed himself. The first elections for justices of the peace were held on the 20th day of March, 1841. They were held in several townships on that day. On June 19th other townships held elections for two or three, each, as the law required, and the curiosity of these elections was that while eleven municipal townships were defined by the election of these jus- tices, their metes and bounds are not of record in any book or writing yet discovered. A list is given of the justices elected during the year 1841, and from their respective townships also is published a verbatim copy from the records of the election of one and his oath of office:
"STATE OF MISSOURI,
" COUNTY OF GRUNDY. ss.
" The State of Missuri, to all whom it may concern: Know ye that at an election held at the house of Nathaniel Winters in Marion Township county and state aforesaid on Saturday the twentyeth day of March 1841 for the purpose of Electing two Justices of the peace for said Township that we the Justices of the County Court of said County of Grundy do certify that we did find upon A full Examination and Comparison of the · Poll Book of said Election that Alexander Work was duly Elected for the office of Justice of the peace for said Township for the period of four years In witness hereof we have hereunto caused the Clerk's private seal to be affixed there to being no official Seal provided this 17th day may 1841. [SEAL.] " JEWETT NORRIS,
President Justice Court.
" Attest: T. W. JACOBS, Clerk.
" COUNTY OF GRUNDY. S }ss.
" STATE OF MISSOURI,
" This day personally appeared before the undersigned a justice of the peace within and for said county aforesaid Alexander Work and made oath that he would support the constitution of the united States and of the State of Missouri and faithfully demean himself in office as Justice of the Peace of marion Township and County aforesaid sworn to and subscribed to before me this 17th day of May 1841. ·
" BENJ'Y F. WOOD, "Justice of the Peace. " T. W. JACOBS, Clerk.
"filed for Record the 17th may 1841."
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
Wilson G. Perkins was the other justice elected from this township.
In Washington township, March 20th, 1841, an election for justices of the peace was held at the house of Benj. F. Wood, and Win. Reed and Wesley Reynolds were elected.
In Jefferson township, same date, an election was held at the house of Jos. Sherring. Jas. Nordyke and Zela Conkling tied, each receiving twenty-two votes and the justices appointed Jas. Nordyke. Mr. James Johnson was elected at the same time.
Monticello township elected two justices of the peace June 19, 1841, the election being held at the house of George Tetherow.
Jewett Norris and Richard Minehel were elected. Those elections were certified to June 21, and they took the oath of office June 30, 1841. On the 2d day of August, James R. Merrill was also elected a justice of the peace in this, Monticello, township.
Wmn. Sehooler and Wm. P. Fitzpatrick were elected justices of the peace for Franklin township, the election being held June 19, 1841, at the house of David Ashbrook.
Lafayette township elected Abel Miles and Wm. Miller June 19, 1841. The election was at the house of Jno. Hartz.
Clark township election was held August 2, 1841, at the house of Wm. Clark, and Mr. John Rockhold was elected a justice of the peace.
Scott township elected Geo. Wood and Harrison Weldon as justices of the peace. Election August 2, 1841, and at the house of Allen Scott. The latter removed in February, 1842, and the county court appointed John Dunkerson in his place.
Madison township elected Wmn. Renfro March 20, 1841. He resigned, but was appointed August 10, 1841, and seems to have served. The election was held at the house of Isaac J. Harvey. Evans Peery was elected at the same time.
Dr. Wm. P. Thompson was one of the original justices of the peace. No record can be found of the election of the following justices, but all were serving at that time, April, 1841: Dr. Wm. P. Thompson, Jewett Norris, Robert Peery and Isaac J. Harvey. William Donnellin was also elected from Monticello, June 19, 1841.
The election for justice of the peace in Morgan township was held at the grocery store of James Morgan, August 2, 1841, and John Lambert was elected.
A large number of justices were also elected in 1842, some to fill vacancies by death or resignation and others for new terms. James Nordyke, of Jefferson township, died and his successor, Michael Hornback, was appointed June 21, 1842. Andrew J. Walker, of Trenton township, resigned and the county court, May 4, 1842, appointed John C. Griffin to fill. the vacancy. Walker had been appointed to fill the vacancy of Richard Minchel, resigned.
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
COUNTY AND CIRCUIT CLERK.
An impression prevails among the few old settlers now living that Dr. W. P. Thompson, the untiring physician and true-hearted man, was the first clerk and acted as such at the first and second sessions of the county court, but of this it is impossible at this day to find a record, or an old settler who can distinctly call the matter to mind. There had been a session of the county court, on or about the first of March, ordering an election of justices of the peace in several townships on the 20th of March, 1841. On that day Thomas W. Jacobs signs himself as clerk, and is so recognized by the first circuit court held in Grundy county, April 4, 1841. Mr. Jacobs was a brother-in-law of James S. Lomax and came with Mr. Lomax from Ray county. He held the position of circuit and county clerk about five years. He proved an efficient clerk and stood high among his fellow citi- zens. The records of 1845 of the book in which commissions were recorded are, also, among the missing, and the next clerk mentioned is the Hon. Geo. HI. Hubbell, to this day a leading and honored citizen of the county.
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