Crawford County, Illinois - Chapter 6: Official and Political, 1909

Chapter 6: Official and Political

FIRST BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS - CHA NGES IN ORGANIZATION - COUNTY OFFICERS - FIRST CIRCUIT AND COUNTY CLERKS - SHERIFFS, COUNTY TREASURERS AND SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS - GENERAL ASSEMBLY - SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY TO THE PRESENT TIME - COMPLETE LIST OF CONGRESSMEN WHO HAVE REPRESENTED CRAWFORD COUNTY - DELEGATES TO STATE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS - OTHEBS WHO HAVE FILLED IMPORTANT POSITIONS IN OFFICIAL HISTORY.

Edward N. Cullom, John Dunlap and Isaac Moore, the first County Commissioners or Justices of the Peace in Crawford County, were installed February 26, 1817. In the following year this body numbered twelve, namely: E. N. Cullom, Samuel Harris, George W. Kincaid, James Shaw, Smith Shaw. Joseph Kitchell, S. B. A. Carter, Chester Fitch, William Locklard, David Porter, David MeGahey and Thomas Anderson. In 1819 the number was reduced to three - E. N. Cullom, Wickliffe Kitchell and William Barbee. Those who held office under this arrangement previous to 1830, with dates of election, were: David Stewart, Aaron Ball and Henry M. Gilham, 1820 (E. M. Cullom succeeding Gilham in 1821); Daniel Funk, Enoch Wilhite and Zephaniah Lewis, 1822; Funk, Wilhite and John Lockrider, 1823; Funk, Lockrider and William Highsmith, 1824; Funk, Daniel Boatright and Bottsford Comstoek, 1826; Highsmith, William Magill and Doctor Hill, 1828. In 1849 the form of government underwent a change by the adoption of the Constitution of 1848, the board then being composed of a County Judge and two Associate Judges, and J. B. Trimble became the first County Judge, with Isaac Wilkin and John B. Harper as associates.

County Officers

CIRCUIT AND COUNTY CLERKS. - Up to 1835, Edward H. Piper acted in the double capacity of Cireuit and County Clerk. From that time until 1837, D. W. Stark and A. G. Lagow held these positions, respectively, and from 1838 to 1848, W. B. Baker held both offices. In the latter year James H. Steel became County Clerk and C. M. Hamilton Circuit Clerk. The first successor of the latter was William Cox, elected in 1849, while John T. Cox succeeded James H. Steel as County Clerk in 1857.

SHERIFFS. - The office of Sheriff was first filled by John H. Woodworth, his early successors being John Houston, in 1823; Joel Phelps, in 1826; A. M. Houston, in 1827, and E. W. Kellogg, in 1829.

CouNTY TREASURERS. - Thomas Kennedy was the first County Treasurer, elected in 1824, he being succeeded in 1826 by John Malcom. Charles Kitchell was elected in 1833.

COUNTY SURVEYOR. - CORONER. - The first County Surveyor was John Dunlap, and the first Coroner, Allen MeGahey, the latter being followed, in 1820, by Jonathan Wood.

ScHooL COMMISSIONERS. - In accordance with an act of the Legislature in 1819, R. C. Ford was made School Commissioner of the county, Thomas Kennedy succeeding him in 1832.

Members Of General Assembly

SENATOBS. - Joseph Kitchell was the first State Senator from Crawford County, serving in the First and Second General Assemblies, 1818-22. Others who served successively as State Senators from Crawford, previous to the adoption of the Constitution of 1848, were: Daniel Parker. 1822-26; William B. Archer, 1820-28; Wickliffe Kitchell, 1828-32; David McGahey, 1832-36; Nathaniel Parker, 1836-38; Abner Greer, 1888-40; John Houston, 1840-44; Samuel Dunlap, 1844-48; Uri Manley, 1848-50. Under the Constitution of 1848 Crawford County beeame a part of the Ninth Senatorial District with Clark and Edgar Counties, and under the first apportionment was represented in the Senate by Josiah R. Wynn, 1850-54. By a new apportionment in 1854 it was attached to Clark, Fayette, Effingham, Jasper and Lawrence Counties, constituting the Nineteenth Senatorial District, and was represented by Mortimer O'Kean, 1854-60; Presley Funkhouser, 1860-62. By apportionment of 1861 it became a part of the Eighth District and was represented by Samuel Moffat, 1862-64; Andrew J. Hunter, 1864-68; Edwin Harlan, 1868-70, and by Harlan and Robert M. Bishop, 1870-72. By the apportionment in 1872, under the Constitution of 1870, making the Senatorial and Representative Districts identical, with one Senator and three Representatives from each, Crawford County became a part of the Forty-fifth District, which was continued by the apportionments of 1882 and 1893, and it was represented as follows: William J. Crews, 1872-74; C. V. Smith, 1874-78; William C. Wilson, 1878-82; William H. MeNary, 1882- 86; Andrew J. Reavill, 1886-94; Hiram H. Kingsbury, 1894-98; Charles A. Davidson, 1898-1902. By the last apportionment in 1901, Crawford County was attached to the Forty-eighth District, and has been represented in the Senate by H. R. Fowler, 1902-04; and Jesse E. Bartley, 1904-08.

REPRESENTATIVES. - The first Representative in the State Legislature from Crawford County was David Porter, who served one term, 1818-20. His successors previous to the adoption of the Constitution of 1848 were: Wickliffe Kitchell, 1820-22; R. C. Ford, 1822-24; David MeGahey, 1824-26; John C. Alexander, 1826-32; William Highsmith, 1832-34; James D. McGahey, died in Office and was succeeded by David Porter, 1834- 36; Wilson Lagow, 1836-38; Harmon Alexander, 1838-40; Wm. Wilson, 1840-44; R. G.. Morris, 1844-46; M. Boyle, 1846-48. In accordance with the first apportionment under the Constitution of 1848, Crawford County became a part of the Tenth Representative District, and was represented by James C. Allen, 1850-52; and William H. Sterrett, 1852-54. In 1854 it became a part of the Seventeenth District, its Representatives being, Randolph Heath, 1854-56; Isaac Wilkins, 1856-58; H. C. McCleave, 1858-60; Aaron Shaw, 1860-62. A new apportionment in 1861 placed the county in the Eleventh District, and its Representatives were: David W. Odell, 1862-64; Thomas Cooper, 1864-66; David W. Odell, 1866- 68; Joseph Cooper, 1868-70. By the first apportionment made by the Governor and Secretary of State under the Constitution of 1870, the county became the Thirty-first District, and it was represented by William C. Jones, 1870-72. By successive apportionments made by act of the Legislature in 1872, 1882 and 1893. it was asigned to the Forty-fifth Distriet and in 1901 to the Forty-eighth with Representatives as follows: Harmon Alexander, L. Flanders, Thomas J. Golden, 1872-74; Ethelbert Callahan, J. H. Halley, J. W. Briscoe, 1874-76; A. J. Reavill, J. H. Halley, William Lindsey, 1876-78; A. 7. Reavill J. H. Halley, William Lindsey. 1876-78;

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS. - A Constitutional Convention convened at Kaskaskia, August 3, 1818, for the purpose of framing the first Constitution for the State of Illinois. Joseph Kitchell and Edward N. Cullom being members from Crawford County. In the next convention - that of 1847-48 - the county was represented by Nelson Hawley; in that of 1862, by H. Alexander; and in 1869-70, by James C. Allen.

Other publie service has been rendered by Crawford County men, as follows: Augustus C. French, Governor, 1846-53; Wickliffe Kitchell, Attorney-General, 1839-40; James C. Allen, Representative in Congress, 1853-57 and 1863-65; James C. Allen, Circuit Judge in 1873-79; William C. Jones, Circuit Judge from 1879-91; Alfred H. Jones, of Robinson, has held the position of State Food Commissioner from 1901 to the present time.