Tipton County, Indiana - Chapter 4: Organization and Government, 1914

Chapter 4: Organization and Government

In 1842 and 1843, ^le Miamis were removed west of the Mississippi river, after which the pre-emption of lands in the reserve, though they were not yet thrown into market, was rapid, and the improvement and settlement were as extensive as if the land had been placed in the land offices for sale. The settlement in the present counties of Howard and Tipton was so rapid that the State Legislature was formally petitioned to create two new mem¬ bers, which was done during the session of 1843 and 1844, the enactment in full being as follows :

"Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Indiana, That all the country included within the following boundaries shall form and constitute the county of Tipton, to-wit: Beginning at the northeast corner of section 36, township 23 north, range 2 east, thence east to the northwest corner of section 33, township 23 north, range 6 east, thence south to the line dividing townships 20 and 21 north, thence west to the line dividing ranges 2 and 3, thence north to the place of beginning.

"Section 2. That all of the country included within the following boun¬ daries shall form and constitute the county of Richardville, to wit: Begin¬ ning at the northeast corner of section 36, township 23 north, range 2 east, thence north to the southeast corner of section 13, township 23 north, range 2 east, thence west to the line dividing ranges 1 and 2, thence north to the line dividing townships 24 and 25 north, thence east to the northwest corner of section 4, township 24 north, range 6 east, thence south to the northwest corner of section 33, township 23 north, range 6 east, thence west to the place of beginning.

"Section 3. Daniel P. Alder, of Grant county; Jesse Carter, of Clinton county; Samuel Cunningham, of Hamilton county; Giles W. Thomas, of Cass county; James Nowland, of Madison county, and Lewis D. Adkins, of Miami county, be, and they are hereby appointed, commissioners for the purpose of fixing the permanent seat of justice in the said county of Tipton, agreeably to the provisions of an act to establish seats of justice in new counties, ap¬ proved January 14, 1824. The said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall meet at the house of Jesse Brown in said county of Tipton, on the sec¬ ond Monday in May next, or as soon thereafter as the majority of them shall agree upon.

"Section 4. John Moulder, of Parke county; Himelias Mendenhall, of Miami county; John Armstrong, of Carroll county; Oliver Raymond, of Wabash county, and Samuel Colip, of Hamilton county, be, and are hereby appointed commissioners for the purpose of fixing the permanent seat of justice in the said county of Richardville, agreeably (etc., as in section 3). The said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall meet at the house of James Harrison in the said county of Richardville, on the second Monday in May next, or as soon thereafter as a majority of them shall agree upon.

"Section 5. The said commissioners shall locate the permanent seats of justice of the said counties as near the center thereof as a convenient site can be obtained, taking into consideration the amount proposed to be donated for the public buildings in said counties. Provided, however, r if the land where the said county seats are to be located is not surveyed, and a good and suffi¬ cient title cannot be obtained, then the said commissioners shall convene for the purposes aforesaid as soon as such survey is made and a title can be ob¬ tained.

"Section 6. From and after the first day of May next, the said coun¬ ties of Tipton and Richardville shall enjoy all the rights and jurisdictions which to separate counties do or may belong.

"Section 7. It shall be the duty of the sheriff of Hamilton county to notify the commissioners hereby appointed to locate the seat of justice in the county of Tipton by writing of their appointment and the time and place of their meeting, and the county of Tipton shall make such sheriff a reason¬ able compensation for his services.

"Section 8. It shall be the duty of the sheriff of the county of Carroll to notify the commissioners hereby appointed to locate the seat of justice in the county of Richardville, by writing of their appointment and the time and place of their meeting and the county of Richardville shall make such sheriff a reasonable compensation for his services.

"Section 9. The circuit and other courts of the county of Tipton shall be held at the house of Jesse Brown in said county, or at any other place where said courts may adjourn to until suitable accommodations may be had at the seat of justice.

"Section io. The circuit and other courts of the county of Richardville shall be held at the house of John Harrison in said county or at any other place where the said courts may adjourn to until suitable accommodations may be had at the seat of justice.

"Section n. The boards doing county business in said counties, when elected and qualified, may hold special sessions, not exceeding three, the first year after the organization of the said counties, and shall make all necessary appointments, and do and perform all other business that might have been necessary to perform at any regular session, and take all necessary steps to assess and collect the state and county revenue.

"Section 12. The county of Tipton shall be attached to and form a part of the eleventh judicial circuit, for judicial purposes, and shall be attached to the county of Hamilton for representative purposes, and to the counties of Hamilton and Boone for senatorial purposes, and to the fifth congressional district.

"Section 13. The county of Richardville shall be attached to and form a part of the eleventh judicial circuit for judicial purposes, and shall be at¬ tached to the county of Carroll for representative purposes, and to the coun¬ ties of Carroll and Clinton for senatorial purposes, and to the eighth con¬ gressional district.

"Section 14. The circuit courts in the county of Tipton shall be held on Mondays, succeeding the courts in Jay county, and shall continue three days if the business requires.

"Section 15. The circuit courts in the county of Richardville shall be held on Thursdays succeeding the courts of Tipton county, and shall con¬ tinue three days if the business requires.

"Section 16. The sixth section of an act approved February 16, 1839, entitled 'An act for attaching certain territory to the counties therein named', and for other purposes, be and the same is hereby repealed.

"Section 17. The act entitled 'An act to compel speculators to pay a road tax equal to that paid by actual settlers/ approved January 31, 1843, hereby extended to the county of Tipton.

The First Election

officers to organize the new county of Tipton. May 27, 1844, was accord¬ ingly selected as the date that the first election of the county should be held. Elections were advertised for three commissioners, two associate judges, one clerk of the circuit court, and one recorder, to be held in Cicero, Madison, Jefferson and Prairie townships. N. J. Jackson was elected clerk; Sylvester Turpen, recorder; Joseph Goar, associate judge; Silas Blount, associate judge.

First Voters

J. W. T. Duvall, David Humphreys, John Farlow, John Cooper, William Pfaff. John Sharks, Edward Stivens, G. A. Search, A. Small, Abraham Ploughe, John Nutter, George Forsythe, J. A. Wright, G. W. B. Parks, George Tucker, David Kemp, William Black, Levi Dunn, William Campbell, D. S. Pritchard, A. Pitmore, Daniel Stephens, W. H. Richardson, Ambrose Conn, James Miller, E. M. Sandridge, William Stewart, William Dye, George Dye, Archibald Montgomery, G. N. Phares, William Turpen, Curtis Prit¬ chard and Robert Alexander. The list of voters of Jefferson township is not on record.

On Monday, the 3rd day of June, 1844, the three county commissioners who had been elected met at the home of Jesse Brown, to set the official ma¬ chinery of the county in motion. William Harrington announced himself sheriff by virtue of his commission from Governor Whitcomb, and the county commissioners formally introduced their certificates of election. The first commissioners were Robert E. Davison, John D. Smith and Thomas Jackson. The first act was to draw' lots for the long and short terms, which was done with the following results: Davison, one year; Smith, two years; Jackson, three years. N. J. Jackson was appointed temporary county auditor, and Jesse Brown, county assessor. Browm had previously served as county as¬ sessor under appointment from the commissioners of Hamilton county, and he presented his assessment list, which was received, and he was paid eighteen dollars and seventy-five cents for his services for twelve and a half days. The board then proceeded to create towmships as follows : Madison to be six miles square, in the southeast corner of the county ; Cicero to be six miles square, and to adjoin Madison on the west; Jefferson to be six miles north and south and eight miles east and wrest, and located west of and adjoining Cicero; Prairie to be all of the county north of Jefferson township. Elec¬ tions in Madison were ordered held at the house of John B. Cole; in Cicero, at the house of Jesse Brown; in Jefferson, at the house of Stephen Bleven, and in Prairie, at the Montgomery school house. John Hogan was granted a license to vend merchandise for six months for fifty cents, his capital amount¬ ing to sixty dollars. This gentleman, at that period, was not rich. All road supervisors who had previously been appointed under Hamilton county juris¬ diction were ordered to open all roads that had been properly laid out and graded. Two justices of the peace were ordered elected in each of the town¬ ships, Madison, Cicero and Jefferson, and one in Prairie. At the September term, 1844, N. J. Jackson wras again appointed temporary auditor, as he had not yet qualified as clerk, to which office he had been elected. Elias S. Con¬ ner was appointed constable of Cicero township. Madison was divided into four road districts, Cicero into three, and Jefferson into four. Jesse Frasier was appointed constable of Prairie township. The county was divided into three commissioner's districts, as follows: All east of an extended line be¬ tween sections 31 and 32, township 21 north, range 5 east, to be district num¬ ber 1 ; all east of the extended eastern boundary of section 36, township 21 north, range 3 east, to be district number 2 ; all the remainder of the county to be district number 3. On Monday, October 14, 1844, David P. Alder, Jesse Carter, Samuel H. Cunningham and G. W. Thomas, four of the five commissioners appointed by the Legislature to locate the county seat, ap¬ peared and after investigating the merits of several locations, finally drove the stake and permanently fixed the seat of justice of Tipton county on section 1 1, township 21 north, range 4 east, on a tract of one hundred acres that was donated to the county by Samuel King in consideration of having the county seat located thereon. These commissioners were paid one hundred and fiftynine dollars for their services and discharged. The county seat was named Canton. William H. Nelson was appointed county agent and directed to lay out the new county seat after a design of a plat supplied by the locating commissioners, and was ordered to sell not exceeding fifty of the lots so laid out. As the county had no funds to carry on expenses, the auditor was di¬ rected to produce a quire of printed county orders, which were to be issued to raise money.

Jn December of the year 1844 Charles Thurman was appointed county surveyor. In laying out Canton, now Tipton, he was assisted by John Cris¬ well, Jesse Brown, M. L. Thomas and E. D. Thomas. Andrew Evans was clerk of the first public sale of town lots, and James Graves was auctioneer. A. M. Young became sheriff in the autumn of 1844. N. J. Jackson was for¬ mally qualified as clerk and took office. He relinquished the office of auditor. George Tucker was.licensed to sell liquor in January, 1845. The buyers of lots in Canton up to March 3, 1845, were Daniel Smith, Lewis Jones, Silas Blount, E. S. White, Lewis Beck, Jesse Frasier, Daniel Lister, J. M. Chew, Samuel Neese, D. G. Wilkes, N. J. Jackson, George Tucker, L. C. Phares, Daniel Welshons, William Ballard, M. L. Thomas, Brown and Whisler, Sam¬ uel Dale, J. N. Starkey and Wilson Thompson. The total receipts of the sale thus far were seven hundred and two dollars and seventy-five cents, onefourth of which was cash. Almost all of the early funds of the county came from the sale of town lots. This was a very important source of revenue, but the county was forced to issue orders at a considerable discount, which discount continued to increase as time passed and the orders were not re¬ deemed. In June, 1845, Joseph Van Buskirk was paid in orders twenty-seven dollars and seventy-five cents, for assessing the county. The first county tax levied was in 1845, upon the basis of an assessment, twenty-one and a quar¬ ter cents on each one-hundred-dollar valuation, and seventy-five cents on each pole. The cash receipts on the county levy were very small and the delinquent list began to increase. The first court house was built in 1846 and a jail was constructed during the previous winter. Roads began to be laid out in the more needed places of the county. Township and county officers were paid in county orders and a discount of about ten per cent. The rapid settle¬ ment of the county began to be felt in the presence of money brought in by the new settlers. Business was done, however, largely by a system of ex¬ changing, balances often being disposed of by the transfer of some article of value. Butter, eggs and produce were worth so much sugar, coffee, calico or tobacco. Deer skins were marketable at about one dollar each. The county only gradually grew out of its early financial difficulties.

In June, 1847, Wildcat township was created as follows: Beginning at the northeast corner of section 32, township 23 north, range 6 east, thence south five miles, thence west twelve miles, thence north five miles, thence east twelve miles to the place of beginning. At the March term, 1849, the town¬ ships were given the following boundaries: Madison, located in the south¬ east corner of the county, to be eight miles from north to south and five and a half miles east and west; Cicero, located next west of Madison, to be seven and a half miles from east to west, on the south, thence north'six and a half miles, thence east one mile, thence north one and one-half miles, thence east six and a half miles, thence south eight miles to the place of beginning; Jef¬ ferson, located next west of Cicero, to be seven miles east and west, and six and a half miles north and south; Prairie, to commence at the southeast cor¬ ner of the northeast quarter of section 32, township 22 north, range 4 east, thence west eight miles, thence north six and one-half miles, thence east eight miles, thence south six and one-half miles, to the place of beginning; Wildcat, to commence at the southeast corner of section 20, township 22 north, range 6 east, thence west twelve miles, thence north five miles to the county line, thence east twelve miles, thence south five miles to the place of beginning. In June, 1849, Liberty township was created as follows: To commence at the northeast -corner of section 32, township 23 north, range 6 east, thence west seven miles, thence south five miles, thence east seven miles, thence north five miles, to the place of beginning. At the same time, Wildcat township was bounded as follows : Commencing at the northeast corner of section 32, town¬ ship 23 north, range 6 east, thence west seven miles, thence south five miles, thence east seven miles, thence north five miles, to the place of beginning. In September, 1831, a portion of eastern Prairie was attached to Liberty, and a portion of southeastern Prairie to Cicero. In September, 1855, the boun¬ daries of Cicero and Jefferson were altered to present size. In 1857, fiftyfour citizens of Liberty and Wildcat townships petitioned the county board to create a new township out of certain portions of those two townships, but action by the board was postponed, and finally dropped completely. In i860 a petition to change the boundary between Madison and Cicero townships to a half mile east was refused.

County Seat Named

In the year 1848 the name of the county seat was changed from Canton to Tipton, in honor, of Gen. John Tipton. Late in 1847 George Tucker, Zimri Brown and O. H. Perry were appointed as agents to see that proper donations of land for the necessary depot buildings were given the Peru & Indianapolis Railroad Company.

On the first Monday in April, 1847, ^le townships were required to vote on the question of licensing the sale of liquor within their borders. Every township voted "wet". In April, 1849, the townships again voted on the liquor question, and Madison was the only township which voted "dry". Saloons were called in those days "wet groceries".

Court House History

Early in the year 1845, Jesse Brown was given orders to advertise for sealed proposals for the erection of a frame court house, twenty by twentyfour feet, two stories high, to be roofed with poplar shingles, to be con¬ structed on lot 3, block 10, Canton, to be ready by June 1, 1845. In Febru¬ ary of that year the contract was awarded to the successful bidder, George Tucker, who was paid the first installment on March 5, 1845. The building was erected in due time, and the contract for completing, partitioning and furnishing the house was let to Jacob W. Whisler and Christian Eshelman, for two hundred and thirty-eight dollars, the work to be completed by No¬ vember, 1845. This was accomplished according to contract, the contractors receiving jtheir pay in March, 1846. Under orders, N. J. Jackson purchased two stoves, for thirty-seven dollars and seventy-seven cents in December, 1845, f°r the court house, and using the town lot fund for the purpose of gaining the money. The cost of this first court house was approximately twelve hundred dollars. It had a hall running through from east to west, and on each side of the lower story were two rooms for the accommodation of the county officials. The upper story was occupied by the court room. In June, 1846, Solomon Smith, who had donated to the county two thousand feet of good lumber for the public buildings, was directed to deliver the same at the court house. In September, 1846, James Cassler contracted to clear the court house square for thirteen dollars and twelve cents. At the same time, George Tucker, under orders, secured twelve chairs for the court house. I11 the autumn, quite an extensive addition was built to the court house, at a cost of several hundred dollars. This was rendered necessary owing to the crowded condition of the offices. In 1855, a much-needed fence was placed around the public square, and in December of the same year Samuel Deal and Harvey Goodykoontz were appointed to see the erection of additional county offices on the square, the building to be of frame, four¬ teen by twenty-eight feet, nine feet high, with a partition in the center, the rooms to be ceiled and plastered. The building was completed in June, 1857, at a cost of three hundred and twenty-nine dollars and nine cents. About this time the court house was unfortunately or fortunately destroyed by fire, and the county courts were forced to meet in the Methodist church on South In¬ dependence street, which had been erected about three years previously.

The Second Court House

In June, 1858, Nelson Daubenspeck, of Hamilton county, contracted to build a new ccttrt house for Tipton county, within two years, for ten thou¬ sand dollars, of which one thousand was to be paid November 1, 1858, three thousand the first of January, 1859, three thousand the first of January, i860, and three thousand when the building was completed and accepted. The foundation of the building was three and a half feet high, two feet thick at the bottom and twenty inches thick at the top. The outer wall was to be of hammer-dressed limestone, and the inner walls either of brick or limestone, eighteen inches thick. The walls of the building were of brick, the outside wall eighteen inches thick, except the gables, which were to be thirteen inches wide, and the inside walls were to be thirteen inches thick. The first story was ten feet high, and the second story seventeen feet high. A hall extended north and south through the first story, on the sides of which were the county offices. The upper story contained the court room. The bond of the contractor was fixed at twenty thousand dollars, with the following sureties : D. S. Hurlock, S. D. Cottingham and W. Daubenspeck. In September, 1858, in order to meet the expenses of constructing this building, the board of county commissioners ordered issued and sold eight county bonds of five hundred dollars each, payable at the banking house of Winslow, Lanier & Co., New York; two thousand to be paid in two years, and two thousand in four years. The first two thousand dollars worth of these bonds sold at a dis¬ count of eighty-four dollars fifteen cents. The erection of the new court house was rapidly made, and in December, 1859, Mr. Daubenspeck an¬ nounced that it was completed. He was soon paid the remainder due to him under the contract, besides five hundred dollars additional for extra work, 'and enough more to run the cost up to near fifteen thousand dollars. In 1862 John W. Axtell recovered the court house with tin roofing, at a cost of nine dollars per square. At the same time a fire and burglar proof safe for the treasurer's office was purchased of W. B. Dodd & Company for five hundred and fifty dollars. In December, 1862, John Cox repaired the court house roof to the extent of sixty dollars. The building was afterward sold to N. S. Martz, and the brick frpm its walls were used in the construction of the Fame Canning Company.

The Present Court House

In the latter part of February, 1888, the first steps were taken for the erection of a new and complete house of justice for Tipton county. The citi¬ zens of Tipton and the county prepared a petition, asking the county commis¬ sioners to proceed .toward the erection of a new court house, and also a jail. The petition was signed by nearly one thousand tax payers. A meeting of the commissioners was held, and there were present a large number of tax payers. The board considered the petition, and immediately granted permis¬ sion for the work, the plans to be made and other preparation to be executed at once.

% The contract for the erection of the building was entered into by the board with Messrs. Pearce & Morgan on the 5th day of November, 1892, at the contract price of $143,760, and for all other contracts, including furniture, heating, grading and numerous other small contracts, the sum of $39,651.30, making a grand total of $183,411.30. Work was commenced on the 6th day of April, 1893, and completed on the 15th day of October, 1894, and the building was occupied by the county officers on that date. The building is ninety-two feet by one hundred and twenty-five feet, and in height sixty-six feet to the top of cornice; the tower is one hundred and forty-six feet in height to the top of cornice and in total height two hundred and six feet to the top of the flagstaff. The clock adorns the tower at a height of one hun¬ dred and twenty-six feet above the grade; the dial of the clock is eleven feet and eight inches in diameter. The building is of the best quality of Berea stone, the foundation is of St. Paul, Indiana, lime stone, depth of foundation is eight feet and is six feet wide, under tower twelve feet deep and eight feet six inches wide; one million eight hundred thousand brick and one million pounds of steel were used in the construction of the building. The slate used on roof is of the best Pennsylvania black. The glass used throughout the building is of the best grade of plate. The furniture, of which so much ad¬ verse criticism was had at time of contracting, cost eight thousand eight hun¬ dred and twenty-two dollars. The criticism and charges of corruption against the board were unfair and false, as is now evidenced by the quality of furni¬ ture, fixtures and railings, much of which is hand-carved and all of which is elaborately massive and in elegance corresponding throughout fittingly with the building and the finishings. Anything cheaper would have been a pro¬ nounced failure, as all are free to admit. The clock is of the best make of Seth Thomas clock and the price, one thousand four hundred and twenty-five dollars, was below the price fixed by competing firms.

There are forty-five rooms in the building, all of which are heated by a system of steam registers, and the entire building is supplied with water by the county's own water works, the pumps and machinery of which are located in the basement with the heating machinery. The well from which the water is obtained is located a few feet south of the building. The basement, which is above grade, really constitutes the first story of the building. The rooms are large and nicely furnished; the toilet rooms, one each for ladies and gen¬ tlemen, are elaborately furnished in the latest designs. The first floor above the basement is occupied by the various county offices, the office rooms are en suite of public and private rooms, furnished and supplied with all modern conveniences. The second floor above the basement is occupied by the judi¬ ciary: the two court rooms are large and elegantly and appropriately fur¬ nished. The judge's private room and the library room adjoining are hand¬ somely furnished. The grand jury rooms, the witness rooms and the con- sultation rooms are all supplied with conveniences. The third floor above the basement is occupied by large and commodious rooms and halls. The main entrance to the building from the north is twenty-five feet wide, the foyer is supplied with two steam registers for heating the stairway and ro¬ tunda, the wainscoting from the entrance to the attic is of the finest Ten¬ nessee marble, the tiling used in foyer, rotunda and hall is of the most hand¬ some design, the steps leading from the foyer to the rotunda are blue stone from Bedford, Indiana.

The entrances, rotundas and halls leading to all parts of the building, together with magnificent stairs, are all light and commodious and of easy access. The grounds are nicely graded and supplied with wide stone walks, and inclosed with a handsome stone wall rising sixteen inches above the grade. The lighting of the building is by electricity and gas, with elaborate fixtures.

The clock is about three feet long and four feet high. There is less ma¬ chinery about it than an ordinary watch, there being only nine wheels. The pendulum rod is fifteen feet long and weighs twenty-five pounds. The weightcord is made of steel cable and the time-weight weighs four hundred pounds. The striking weight weighs eleven hundred pounds and runs down the length of four stories, or about one hundred feet^ It takes an hour to wind it up, and it has to be wound up once a week. The dial is ten feet in diameter and the numerals are a foot in length. The hour and minute hands are five feet in length. The bell weighs three thousand pounds, is eight feet high and about four feet across the lower end. The striking clapper weighs fifty pounds. The bell is made of copper and tin, eighty per cent, copper and twenty per cent. tin. The bell was especially cast for Tipton county and on its sides are cast the following inscription :

Ind., Court House County Jail History

In September of the year 1845, the county agent, W. H. Nelson, was ordered to have built a log jail, fourteen by twenty feet, eight feet high, with walls of hewed oak timber, one foot square, the rooms to be lined with heavy oak plank, spiked firmly in their places. Charles A. Thurman took the con¬ tract at one hundred and fifteen dollars, and completed the same in Decem- her, 1845. Daniel Smith was the first jailer. This jail was destroyed by fire. It is supposed that the fire was the work of an incendiary, in an at¬ tempt to aid in the escape of some prisoners.

Immediately after the destruction of this jail, a log jail was built of black walnut logs, which served its purpose until the close of the Civil war. In April, 1866. advertisements were ordered for the erection of a combined jail and jailer's residence. In May bids were received from J. H. McConnell, Alpheus Lay and J. H. Coffman, but none of them was accepted at the time. N. R. Overman was appointed as agent, to take the plans and specifications to Indianapolis, to have them corrected by a competent architect. The plans had been submitted by B. F. Hough & Company. The contract was finally awarded to J. H. Coffman, for six thousand dollars, the building to be com¬ pleted by the first of November, 1866. The old jail was sold to John Kassabaum for thirteen dollars. G. W. Boyer was appointed superintendent to oversee the work on the new structure. It was again found necessary to issue several thousand dollars worth of county bonds, to meet expenses, and N. R. Overman was appointed agent to negotiate their sale. The building, a fine brick structure, was completed in June, 1867, the time allowed the con¬ tractor having been extended. This jail was located on South East street, about four squares from the court house. It is now used for a private resi¬ dence.

The building became inadequate before many years, and plans were pro¬ posed by the city for a new jail. In the years 1894 and 1895 a new ja^ house was constructed and the cost was forty thousand dollars.

The present Tipton county jail is pronounced by the board of state charities to be one of the best in the state. It is located on a lot, sixty-six by one hundred and ninety-eight feet, at the corner of West and Madison streets. The building is constructed of brick and stone, and architecturally is of a very high type. The building, contrary to custom, does not present the grim and fortified look of the ordinary bastile, but is well proportioned and attractive. There are nine cells and a bath on the lower floor, and the upper floor is designed for the same equipment, although this is not at present installed. There are two cells and a bath in the women's department. The jail is constructed of solid steel, and the locks are all protected with heavy armor steel castings. The cells are heated by steam and lighted by electricity. I11 the jail building the sheriff has his residence, occupying the forepart of the structure. This residence is commodious and well supplied with all mod¬ ern conveniences. There is a large basement under the entire building.

Court House And Jail Bonds

On January 3 and 5, 1894, the county commissioners issued two sets of bonds, each for $85,000, making $170,000 altogether. The original contract for the court house was $143,000. In addition to this was the jail at a cost of $30,600. Then the furniture, heating plant, electric light, yard, fence and walks, making a total of $170,000 for which bonds Were sold. The bonds brought a premium of $820, they drawing five per cent, interest. The first bond of $10,000 was due in 1904; the next, amounting to $15,000, was due in 1909, and the next, amounting to $20,000, was due in 1914, making $45,000 of the principal of the original bonds, that has been paid. In addition to this $54,000 in warrants were issued that have long since been paid. The total cost of the court house, jail, heating plant, furniture, yard, fence and other expenses connected with the court house was $204,000. In 1919 there will be $60,000 fall due and in 1924 the last payment of $65,000 will be due. The bonds were made payable in ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five and thirty years.

Five per cent, interest has been paid on the bonds and they are still draw¬ ing five per cent, interest. Up to 1904, the county had paid $85,000 in inter¬ est; between 1904 and 1909, the county paid $40,000 in interest, and between 1909 and 1914 the county paid $36,250, making interest paid up to this time, $161,250. Between 1914 and 1919 we will pay $31,250 interest, and between 1919 and 1924 we will pay $16,250, making a total amount of interest we have yet to pay $47,500. The total amount of interest that has been paid and is yet to be paid on the bonds amounts to $208,740, or $38,750 more than the original bonded indebtedness.

The first record of the county assuming care of a poor person was in September, 1846, when a destitute was farmed out to Josiah Gilliland for forty dollars a year. Near the same time a poor woman, named Rachel Cum¬ mings, was removed at the county expense to the poor house of Hamilton county. The poor expense for the fiscal year ending June, 1847, was eighteen dollars and ninety-three cents. The favorite plan at that time was farming out the paupers to the lowest bidder, although the townships aided consider¬ ably, independent of county help. Physicians were paid by the year to ad¬ minister to the sick poor.

In December, 1863, an agent was appointed to view several locations and to purchase the most favorable for a poor farm. This action was followed by the purchase of seventy-eight and seventy-two-hundredths acres in sec¬ tions 14 and 15, township 21 north, range 4 east, for one thousand dollars cash and fourteen hundred and ninety dollars on the first Monday in March, 1865. Upon this farm was a small frame dwelling, insufficient in size and comfort to accommodate the poor, and bids were called for to repair the old house and erect a new one of adequate space and convenience. John H. Mc¬ Connell contracted to do this work for five hundred and eighty dollars. This occurred in the spring of 1864. William Morris became the first poor super¬ intendent. He was succeeded by D. J. Caldwell in 1868, and he in turn by R. W. Mullis in 1869. In 1872 a contract for building a new poor house was let to William Rubush and J. H. McConnell, but for some reason the work was abandoned until 1876, when the contract was given to William B. Young for seven thousand dollars. This building, a commodious, two-story brick structure, was immediately erected, and the poor inmates removed. In 1873 John Emehiser became superintendent. Thomas B. Bates came next, then, in 1883, John Q. Shaw. The next man to hold this position was George King, and following him, in order of their service, have been : Joseph Grose, A. J. Woods (served two terms), William Devault, C. W. Middleton, Frank Rayl, and I. M. Boszell, who is the present incumbent.

Early Finances

The first money received by the county was on October 5, 1844, when Daniel Crull was taxed four dollars and seventeen cents for a. peddler's li¬ cense. The second money was received November 4, 1844, when Silas Blount paid fifty cents for a license to vend merchandise. The third money was a fine of one dollar against Joseph McMurtry, for assault and battery on the person of John Welshons. It is interesting to note the following report made bv the auditor for the time from June I, 1844, until May 31, i&45 : saline fund, etc., loaned, $14.25; making a total of $714.58. Taking into consideration the fact that $121.00 was yet due for locating county seat, the actual county deficit at that time was $123.11.

For the fiscal year ending in June, 1846, the total receipts were $1,197.40, and the total expenses, $1,443.54, leaving a deficit for that year of $246.14, which, added to the deficit of the previous year, made a total deficit of $369.25. County officers for this year cost $285.24, and $18.00 was paid out for wolf scalps. In June, 1876, the total deficit of the county was $1 1,387.99. This sum continued to increase until June, 1878, when the county board or¬ dered to be issued "bonds of the county of Tipton and state of Indiana for the sum of $25,000 of the denomination of $1,000 each, to bear date June 10, 1878, to bear seven per centum interest, and to be payable at the bank¬ ing house of Winslow, Lanier & Co., of New York City, etc." These bonds were issued and sold, and the county indebtedness placed in definite shape. For the year ending June, 1880, receipts were ,$34,655.14 and expenses $27,412.46.

County Treasurer'S Report For I9I3 County Officers In I914

The treasurer of the county is Henry C. Haskett; recorder, Solomon D. Adams; sheriff, Fred M. Recobs; coroner, Lindly M. Reagan; surveyor, Jesse O. Bowlin; commissioners, Grant Mitchell, John P. Leininger and Rich¬ ard Rayl.