CHAPTER V

AFFAIRS UNDER THE COUNTY COURT AND SUPERVISOR SYSTEMS

Under a chapter of the Code of Iowa, approved February 5, 1851, County Commissioners' courts were abolished and the office of county judge created. The jurisdiction of this official was almost unlimited, as he had "the usual power and jurisdiction of county commissioners and of the judge of probate. The office was filled by election in August, 1851. John Benson was first judge of the County Court and William Price, clerk.

At the March term of the County Court the prayer of a petition for a road from Richland, by way of Delaware Center, to Delhi, was granted. Coldwater Township was divided and the north part made a new township named York.

County Judge Benson, Recorder Phillips and William Price held a meeting in April to ascertain whether the fees received by them were sufficient to pay their official salaries. It developed that the sum total received for seven months was $223.95. The salaries amounted to $125 each. They thereupon divided the money equally and the court issued orders on the empty treasury for the balance, probably at the rate of $2 for one, as that was the standard price of county orders at the time.

On January 3, 1853, the County Court, Judge Benson sitting, provided for the payment in full of money borrowed of Lawrence McNamee, in 1846, which was used in paying for the entry of the county seat.

On February 26th the County Court established the boundaries of the civil townships, namely: Colony, York, Coldwater, Richland, Delaware, North Fork, South Fork, Union and Delhi.

September 4, 1855, Edward Adams, a native of England, was naturalized by the County Court.

February 7th, Delaware Township was divided by order of the County Court and township 89 north, range 6 west, was then "set off into a separate township for political purposes, under the name and title of Coffin's Grove." The schoolhouse in the grove was designated as the place for holding elections.

On February 19th, Judge Benson resigned his office of county judge, and A. K. Eaton acted in that capacity until April, when Frederick B. Doolittle was elected to fill the vacancy.

In July, 1855, Dr. Albert Boomer, of Delaware, was appointed county agent by the county for the sale of spirituous liquors. He entered upon the discharge of his duties. August 29th, William Cattron was appointed liquor agent and $300 was placed in his hands for the purchase of stock. He resigned the position in disgust after three months' experience.

The County Court on September 29th ordered that township 87, range 6, be set off into a separate township for political purposes, to be called Adams,

to take effect on the 1st of April, 1856. Townships 89 north, range 3, and 89 north, range 4, were erected into a new township, to be called Oneida, the organization to take effect on the 1st day of April, 1856.

Judge Doolittle at the September term ordered an election to be held on the 22d day of October, to ascertain if the county desired to subscribe for $200,000 Delaware County & Pacific Railroad stock, and issue a like amount of county bonds bearing interest not to exceed 8 per cent per annum, to be met by a six mill tax annually. This tax at the end of fifteen years was to be increased to 1 per cent to provide for the payment of the principal. It might be well. to state here by way of parenthesis that the people emphatically rejected the proposition by a vote of 708 to 260.

On the 2d of March, 1857, the County Court set apart congressional township 87 north, range 5, as a township for political purposes and called it Hazel Green.

County Julge Doolittle, on June 30, 1857, ordered an election to be held on the first Monday in August at the general election, upon the following issue:

"Will the County of Delaware loan the credit of said county to the Great Northwestern Railroad Company, to the amount of $250,000, by issuing and delivering county bonds of said county to this amount, to said railroad company, for the purpose of aiding in the construction and operation of said road, which shall be located through the county aforesaid?"

This measure was defeated in the county, the total vote being 791 against to 657 for.

July 6, 1857, congressional township 81 north, range 3 west, was established as a political township and called Bremen. George W. Harper, constable, posted and served the notices of the court.

March 3, 1858, on petition of John S. Barry and others, the County Court set off congressional township 88, range 6, as a political township and named it Prairie. September 13th, on petition of T. Crosby and others, the six southern sections of Coldwater, being the northern tier of sections in township 89, range 5, were annexed to Delaware. September 16th, on petition of George W. Stewart and O. S. Boggs, the townships of Coldwater and York were united and the new township was named Honey Creek. The election was ordered to be held at the house of Casper Dunham.

At the term of the County Court held in 1859, Prairie Township was organized and at the October election twenty votes were polled in that community.

On January 1, 1860, Joel Bailey became county judge and he was the last person elected to the office. At that time the credit of the county had become. sound and county warrants were worth their face in cash.

SUPERVISOR SYSTEM ADOPTED

By an act of the General Assembly, approved March 26, 1860, the county judge system, which had been tried for ten years, was abolished and a board of supervisors created, consisting of one from each civil township, to be elected in October and assume the duties of their office in January following. By this

act the duties of county judge were restricted to probate powers. The act went into effect July 4, 1860.

Pursuant to law, elections were held in the various townships in October, 1860, and a member of the newly created board of supervisors was returned from each. Upon assembling at Delhi for organization on January 6, 1861, Z. D. Scobey, member from North Fork, was elected chairman of the board, and James Wright, clerk of the District Court, became its clerk.

At the first meeting and for many others following, large numbers of petitions were submitted to the board for roads, bridges and other improvements. On January 8th the committee on public buildings reported that the jail was insecure and recommended that the sheriff be furnished with a better office.

It was reported at the June session that a considerable amount of swamp lands belonging to the county had been discovered and on the 6th of June, George Watson was appointed agent and attorney to look after the county's interests in relation thereto.

On the 7th of June, Mr. Coffin, from the committee on paupers, reported and recommended that a proposition be submitted to the voters of the county for the purchase of a poor farm. Upon recommittal it was reported that a proposition be submitted to the voters of Delaware County to purchase a poor farm at a price not exceeding $3,000. At the election in October, the question being submitted to the people, was rejected.

C. L. Flint, from the committee on school funds, reported at the January meeting in 1862 that several borrowers from that fund were not financially sound. Thereupon it was ordered that these persons be required to improve their securities and that prudent rules should be adopted in relation to the management of the school fund.

January 10th the committee on paupers recommended that a farm for the poor be leased and that a suitable person be employed for overseer. On the same

date the board voted to petition the Legislature for a tax on dogs.

June 14th, S. A. Holt was appointed steward of the poor house, and on the 16th F. B. Doolittle, William Terwilliger and Andrew Lord were appointed poor house directors.

October 21st, the county treasurer was ordered to sell the gold in the treasury. October 22d, the board appropriated $1,000 to aid in the support of the families of volunteers of the Civil war.

On January 8, 1863, the director of the poor house was instructed to purchase a farm for the poor. On the 9th the treasurer was again authorized to sell all the gold in the county-$300. It should be remembered that at this time gold was selling at a premium, there being little of it in circulation.

January 6, 1864, $1,000 was appropriated for the support of the families of volunteers and on the 7th, $50 was appropriated for the soldiers' home in Dubuque. The poll taxes of all soldiers in the service were remitted.

June 8, 1864, the committee on paupers recommended the purchase of the Hefner farm for a county poor farm, at a price not to exceed $1,000, and F. B. Doolittle was appointed agent to carry the same into effect. The committee on military affairs reported 406 persons of families of volunteers in the county needing aid. June 10th, the clerk was authorized to draw $1,000 to pay for the Hefner farm in case Mr. Doolittle should make the purchase.

June 8, 1865, the committee composed of F. B. Doolittle, Joseph Grimes and D. P. Baker reported that a contract had been made for the northwest fractional quarter of section 18, northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 18, in township 88 north, range 4 west, and northwest quarter of northeast quarter of section 23, range 5, amounting to 22214 acres, for $2,000, to be paid on the date on which the contract was entered into. Payment was made and Judge Doolittle was requested to prepare plans and specifications for the poor house.

September 4th, an appropriation was made for the purpose of building an addition to the house then on the poor farm. The house was reconstructed with additions by Judge Doolittle, costing from $400 to $600.

January 1, 1866, the board granted permission to the citizens of Delhi to erect a monument in memory of its soldiers.

In 1869, the sum of $1,500 was appropriated by the county board to build an addition to the poor house.

In June, 1869, on petition of citizens asking for an election to relocate the county seat, it was ordered that at the next general election the question should be submitted whether the county seat should remain at Delhi or be removed to Manchester.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS REDUCED TO THREE

In 1870, by an act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 22 of the Revision of 1860, approved April 14, 1870, the board of supervisors was reduced to three, which number might be increased to five or seven by a vote of the people. In September the existing board ordered that the question, "Shall the number of supervisors be increased to seven?" be submitted to the people at the next general election. The proposition was negatived by the people by 874 to 698.

The new board, consisting of Ferdinand W. Dunham, Joseph Chapman and J. Salisbury, assembled at Delhi, in January, 1871, and elected Mr. Dunham chairman.

The new and smaller board of supervisors in July, 1873, entered into a contract with N. W. Austin for the erection of the present main building on the poor farm. The contract price was $4,100, but the actual cost was $5,028.50. Again the question of relocating the county seat was submitted to the people at the annual election in 1876, through permission obtained of the board of supervisors. In this contest Delhi and Earlville were the aspirants, one to retain, and the other to attain the plum. Delhi again was victorious by a large majority.

CHAPTER VI

COUNTY OFFICIALS FROM 1841 TO 1914

County commissioners-William H. Whiteside, William Eads and Daniel Brown, 1841-42; William H. Whiteside, Simeon Phillips and Missouri Dickson, 1842-3; William H. Whiteside, Missouri Dickson and Simeon Phillips, 1843-4; Henry A. Carter, Simeon Phillips and Missouri Dickson, 1844-5; Henry A. Carter, Lawrence McNamee and Simeon Phillips, 1845-6; Henry A. Carter, Henry Baker and Samuel Mulliken, 1846-7; Henry A. Carter, Samuel Mulliken and Henry Baker, 1847-8; Henry A. Carter, Samuel Mulliken and Daniel H. Thornburg, 1848-9; Lawrence McNamee, Daniel H. Thornburg and Henry A. Carter, 1849-50; Lawrence McNamee, Daniel H. Thornburg and John W. Penn, 1850-51.

Judges of probate-Roland Aubrey, 1841-4; Clement Coffin, 1844-7; A. K. Eaton, 1847-50; Z. A. Wellman, 1850-51.

County judges-John Benson, 1851-5; Frederick B. Doolittle, 1855-7; A. E. House, 1857-60; Joel Bailey, 1860-1 (confined to probate powers when county board of supervisors were created in 1860); Z. A. Wellman, 1861-5; Jeremiah B. Boggs, 1866-9.

School fund commissioners-John Benson, 1849-51; Joel Bailey, 1851-3; Peter Case, 1854-5; John Hefner, 1855-6.

Recorders-John Paddleford, 1841; Charles W. Hobbs, 1842-7; William Phillips, 1847-53; Zina A. Wellman, 1854-5; George Wattson, 1856-7; Joel Bailey, 1858-9; Ray B. Griffin, 1861; Z. D. Scobey, 1862-3; O. E. Taylor, 1864-5; W. H. H. Blanchard, 1866-7; Henry Harger, 1868-74; Henry C. Jackson, 1875-8; George H. Morisey, 1879-82; Jacob H. Morisey, 1883-4; G. H. Morisey, 1885-94; Abner Dunham, 1895-1902; John Latimer, 1903-12; A. E. Dunlap, 1913-.

Clerks of the court-The offices of clerk of the courts and clerk of county commissioners and supervisors were held by the same person, although distinct under the law, until the creation of the office of county auditor. Charles W. Hobbs, 1841-6; J. W. Clark, 1846-7; C. W. Hobbs, 1847-50; James E. Anderson, 1850-1; William Price, 1851-4; James Wright, 1854-62; Eli O. Clemens, 1863-8; A. J. Brown, 1869-72; G. B. Beveridge, 1873-4; Jerome B. Satterlee, 1875-82; H. J. Jackson, 1883-4; H. C. Jackson, 1885-8; F. H. Paul, 1889-1900; John Georgen, 1901-04; James Bishop, 1905-10; R. D. Graham, 1911-.

Auditors-1869-91; S. M. Chase, 1892; R. R. Robinson to fill vacancy, 1892; R. R. Robinson, 1892-6; H. E. Stetson, 1897-1902; Roy B. Davis, 1903-06; W. J. Davis, 1907-08; Will J. Crosby, 1909-10; W. J. Davis, 1911-12; C. H. Bunker, 1913-.

Sheriffs Leroy Jackson, 1841-4; John W. Penn, 1844-50; Isaac Smith, 1850-3; John W. Penn, 1853-5; Cornelius T. Peet, 1855-7; Samuel F. Parker,