Buchanan County, Missouri - Chapter 7: Legislative Act Organizing Buchanan and Platte Counties - Appointment, 1881

Chapter 7: Legislative Act Organizing Buchanan and Platte Counties - Appointment

LEGISLATIVE ACT ORGANIZING BUCHANAN AND PLATTE COUNTIES - APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONERS TO LOCATE COUNTY-SEAT - ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTYFIRST COURT - COUNTY AND TOWNSHIP SYSTEM - GOVERNMENT SURVEYS -ORGANIZATION OF TOWNSHIPS - BOUNDARIES OF SAME ESTABLISHED - PROCEEDINGS OF FIRST COURT - ELECTION PRECINCTS-ROADS-FERRIES.

In 1837, after the Platte Purchase was made, the territory now included in Buchanan County was by act of the General Assembly, attached to Clinton County, for civil and judicial purposes. That portion of the act referring to Buchanan County is as follows :

"All that portion of territory included within the following boundaries, to wit : beginning at the southwest corner of Clinton County, thence ^^ due west to the middle of the main channel of the Missouri River, thence up the main channel of the same to where the northern boundary line of the State of Missouri intersects the same, thence along said line to the present northwest corner of the state, thence south to the beginning, be and the same is hereby attached to the county of Clinton, for civil and judicial purposes."

The following is the act of the General Assembly of Missouri (1838) under which Platte and Buchanan Counties were organized, and their boundaries defiried.

Platte And Buchanan

Section i. The territory west of Clay and Clinton Counties, included in the following boundaries, shall compose a new county, to be called Platte : Beginning at the southwest corner of Clay County and running north with the western boundary of said counties a sufficient distance, to a corner hereafter to be established by survey; and thence due west to the Missouri River ; thence down the middle of the main channel of said river to the beginning, so as to include in said county of Platte, four hundred square miles.

Sec. 2. ' The territory west of Clinton County, included in the following boundaries, shall compose a new county to be called Buchanan, in honor of the Hon. James Buchanan of Pennsylvania : Beginning at the northeast corner of Platte County, as hereinafter established, agreeably to the provisions of this act ; and thence north along the Clinton

County or old State line, a sufficient distance, to a corner to be hereafter established by survey ; and thence west to the Missouri River ; and thence down the middle of the main channel of said river to the -northwest corner of Platte County, when established as aforesaid ; and thence east to the beginning, so as to contain four hundred square miles.

Sec. 3. The Governor is authorized and required to appoint and commission three persons, resident in each of said counties, as justices of the County Court thereof, and one person in each of said counties as sheriff of the same, who, when commissioned, shall have full power and authority to act as such in their respective offices, under the existing laws, until the next general election, in 1840, and until their successors are duly commissioned and qualified.

Sec. 4. Until the permanent seat for justice of said counties be established, the several courts for said counties shall (unless the respective County Courts shall otherwise direct,) be held as follows : for the county of Platte [at] Falls of Platte, and for the county of Buchanan at Richard Hill's.

Sec. 5. The regular terms of the County Courts, in each of the counties aforesaid, shall be held on the first Mondays of February, May, August and November, in each year ; but the courts may meet at their discretion, after the time of their stated terms, giving due notice thereof

Sec. 6. The Circuit Courts, in said counties, shall be held as follows : In the county of Platte on the third Monday in April, August and December ; and in the county of Buchanan on the second Mondays in April, August and December.

Sec. 8. The Circuit and County Courts of said counties, or the jndge or judges thereof, in vacation, shall have power to appoint their respective clerks, who shall hold their offices until the next general election in 1840, and until their successors are duly qualified.

Sec. 10. Immediately after the passage of this act the Governor [is] authorized and required to appoint some suitable person as surveyor, to ascertain, survey and establish the boundaries of said counties of Platte and Buchanan, agreeably to the provisions of this act.

Sec. II. Said surveyor shall, within thirty days of his appointment, or as soon thereafter as practicable, after being duly sworn and qualified to execute the duties required by this act, proceed to discharge the same, and make report thereof to the '.respective County Courts of Platte and Buchanan, and likewise to the Governor of this State.

Sec. 12. Said surveyor shall be allowed the sum of six dollars per day, as compensation in full for his services, including all expenses for chain carrying, marking, &c., &c.;. to be paid by the said counties of Platte and Buchanan, in equal proportions, upon the reception of his report as aforesaid. -

Sec. 13. The following persons are hereby appointed commissioners to select the seat of justice in said counties : For the county of Platte, Samuel Hadley, of Clay County; Samuel D. Lucas, of Jackson County, and John M. Morehead, for Ray County. For the county of

Buchanan, Peter B. Fulkerson and Armstrong McClintock, of Clinton County, and Leonard Brassfield, of Clay County; and said commissioners are hereby vested with all the powers granted by an act entitled " An act to provide for organizing counties hereinafter established," approved December, 1836.

Sec. 14. The County Courts of said counties are empowered to supply any vacancy that may occur among the Commissioners hereby appointed ; and said Commissioners for the counties of Platte and Buchanan shall meet for the purpose of discharging their duties, at such time and place as the County Courts shall direct.

Sec. 15. The said counties of Platte and Buchanan shall each elect one Representative to the General Assembly of the State of Missouri on the first Monday in August, in the year 1840.

Sec. 16. The County Court for Platte County shall hold^the first term of their court on the second Monday in March next, at which time they shall appoint some suitable person as assessor for said county, who shall hold his office until the next general election for county offices, and until his Successor is duly elected and qualified.

I, James L. Minor, Secretary of State of the State of Missouri, do hereby certify that by the provisions of an act entitled "An act to organize the counties of Platte and Buchanan and define the boundaries of the same," approved December 31, 1839, Peter P. Fulkerson and Armstrong McClintock, of Clinton County, and Leonard Brassfield, of Clay County, were appointed Commissioners to select the seat of justice of the said county of Buchanan.

James L. Minor

A copy of the above appointment was sent to each of the three Commissioners, and in pursuance thereof they severally went before one of the Judges of the Buchanan County Court, and subscribed an oath for the performance of their respective duties. The oath taken by Mr. Brassfield, and endorsed upon the order of appointment, is as follows :

" Personally appeared before me, William Harrington, one of the Judges of the Buchanan County Court, the within named Leonard Brassfield, and took^an oath to discharge the. duties of Commissioner, without favor, partiality or prejudice.

William Harrington

" We, the undersigned Commissioners appointed by the act of Assembly entitled An Act to organize the counties of Platte and Buchanan, and define the boundaries thereof, approved the 31st of December, 1838, after having been first duly sworn, proceeded to view the territory and situation of the same, to take into consideration as well the weight of the population of the said County of Buchanan, as the interest of the same, have selected for their seat of justice the southest quarter of section 2T, township 56, range 35.

Nevertheless it is the wish of the Commissioners that if under the provisions of the several acts of Congress, granting to the counties a preemption to one quarter section for seats of justice, approved May 26, 1824, and the several acts of Congress granting pre-emptions to actual settlers on public lands, will permit the division of a qu9.rter, we would prefer taking the east half of the southwest quarter of section 21, township 56, range 35, instead of the east half of the southeast quarter of section 21, township 56, range 35.

Leonard Brassfield

Whereas, It has been the custom of parents to name their children, we have thought proper to call the town by the name of the town of Benton.*

Peter P. Fulkerson

Commissioners' report of the location of the seat of justice received at August Term of Buchanan County Court, 1840, and ordered to be filed.

The Governor of the state, as authorized by act of the General Assembly, commissioned Samuel Johnson, William Harrington and William Curl, County Court Justices, and appointed Samuel M. Gilmore Sheriff.

Two of the justices (Samuel Johnson and William Harrington, constituting a quorum) met at the house of Richard Hill, on the first Monday in April, 1839, a"d organized as a court, causing proclamation of the same to be made.

Samuel Johnson, one of its members, was appointed President of the court and William Fowler, clerk. Being thus organized, the court proceeded to the discharge of the public business.

After granting a license to Edward Dodge, to vend groceries in the county, the question of naming and defining the boundary lines of the townships was then taken up, but before noticing the orders of the court in reference thereto, we deem it proper to give some explanations of the county and township system and government surveys, as so much depends in business and civil transactions upon county limits and county organizations.

With regard to the origin of dividing individual states into county and township organizations, which, in an important measure, should have the power and opportunity of transacting their own business and governing themselves, under the approval of, and subject to, the state and general government, of which they both form a part, we quote from Elijah M. Haines, who is considered good authority on the subject.

In his " Laws of Illinois, Relative to Town.ship Organizations," he says : " The county system originated with Virginia, whose early settlers soon became large landed proprietors, aristocratic in feeling, living apart, in almost baronial magnificence, on their own estates, and owning the laboring part of the population. Thus the materials for a town were not at hand, the voters being thinly distributed over a great area.

" The county organization, where a few influential men managed the whole, business of the community, retaining their places almost at their pleasure, scarcely responsible at all, except in name, and permitted to conduct the county concerns as their ideas or wishes rnight direct, was moreover consonant with their recollections or traditions of the judicial and social dignities of the landed aristocracy of England, in descent from whom the Virginia gentlemen felt so much pride. In 1834. eight counties were organized in Virginia, and the system, extending throughout the state, spread into all the Southern States, and some of the Northern States ; unless we except the nearly similar division into 'districts' in South Carolina, and that into 'parishes' in Louisiana, from the French laws.

" Illinois, which, with its vast additional territory, became a county of Virginia, on its conquest by General George Rogers Clark, retained the county organization, which was formerly extended oyer the state by the constitution of 1818, and continued in exclusive use until the constitution of 1848.

" Under this system, as in other states adopting it, most local business'was transacted by those commissioners in each county who constituted a county court, with quarterly sessions.

land birth or character, dally growing more and more compact and dissatisfied with the comparatively arbitrary and inefficient county system. It was maintained by the people that the heavy populated districts would always control the election of the commis'sioners to the disadvantage of the more thinly populated sections - in short, that under that system - equal and exact justice ' to all parts of the county could not be secured.

" The first legal enactment concerning this- system provided that, whereas, ' particular townships have many things which concern only themselves, and the ordering of their own affairs, and disposing of business in their own town,' therefore, ' the freemen of every township, or a majority part of them, shall only have power to dispose of their own lands and woods, with all the appurtenances of said town, to grant lots, and to make such orders as may concern the well-ordering of their own towns, not repugnant to the laws and orders established by the general court.'

" They might also (says Mr. Haines) impose fines of not more than twenty shillings, and ' choose their own particular officers, as constables, surveyors for the highways and the like.'

" Evidently this enactment relieved the general court of a mass of municipal details, without any danger to the power of that body in controlling general measures of public policy.

"The New England colonies were first governed by a 'general court' or legislature composed of a governor and a small council, which court consisted of the most influential inhabitants, and possessed and exercised both legislative and judicial powers, which were limited only by the wisdom of the holders.

"They made laws, ordered their execution by officers, tried and decided civil and criminal causes, enacted all manner of municipal regulations, and, in fact, did all the public business of the colony. ,

Similar provisions for the incorporation of towns were made- in the first constitution of Connecticut, adopted in 1639, and the plan of township organization, as experience proved its remarkable economy, efficiency and adaptation to the requirements of a free and intelligent people, became universal throughout new England, and went westward with the immigrants from New England into New York, Ohio and other western states.

Thus we find that the valuable system of county, township and town organizations had been thoroughly tried and proven long before there was need of adopting it in Missouri, or any of the broad region west of the Misissippi River. But as the new country began to be opened, and as eastern people began to move westward across the mighty river, and form thick settlements along its western bank, the territory and state, and county and township organizations soon followed in quick succession, and those different systems became more or less improved, according as deemed necessary by the experience and judgment and demands of the people, until the/ have arrived at the present stage of advancement and efficiency. In the settlement of the Territory of Missouri, the Legislature began by organizing counties on the Mississippi River. As each new county was formed it was made to include under legal jurisdiction all the country bordering west of it, and required to grant to the accidental settlers electoral privileges, and an equal share m the county government, with those who properly lived in the geographical limits of the county.

The counties first organized along the eastern borders of the state, were given for a short time jurisdiction over the lands and settlements adjoining each on the west, until these localities became sufficiently settled to support organizations of their own.

Government Surveys

No person can intelligently understand the history of a country without at the same time knowing its geography, and in order that a clear and correct idea of the geography of Buchanan County may be obtained from the language always used in defining different localities and pieces of land, we insert herewith the plan of Government surveys as given in Mr. E. A. Hickman's Property Map of Jackson County, Missouri : Previous to the formation of our present Govern mejit, the eastern portion of North America consisted of a number of British colonies, the territory of which was granted in large tracts to British noblemen. By treaty of 1783, these grants were acknowledged as valid by the colonies. After the Revolutionary war, when these colonies were acknowledged " Independent States," all public domain within their boundaries was acknowledged to be the property of the colony within the bounds of which said domain was situated.

Virginia claimed all the northwest territory including what is now known as Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. After a meeting of the Representatives of the various states to form a Union, Virginia ceded the northwest territory to the United States Government. This took place in 1784; then all this northwest territory became Government land. It comprised all south of the lakes and east of the Mississippi River and north and west of the states having definite boundary lines. This territory had been known as New France, and had been ceded by France to England in 1763. In the year 1803,

Napoleon Bonaparte sold to the United -States all territory west of the 'Mississippi River and north of Mexico, extending to the Rocky Mountains.

While the public domain was the property of the colonies it was disposed of as follows : Each individual caused the tract he desired to purchase to be surveyed and platted. A copy of the survey was then filed with the Register of Lands, when, by paying into the state or colonial treasury an agreed price, the purchaser received a patent for the land. This method of disposing of public lands made lawsuits numerous, owing to different surveys often including the same ground. To avoid these difficulties and effect a general measurement of the territories, the United States adopted the present mode, or system, of land surveys, a description of which we give as follows :

In an unsurveyed region a point of marked and changeless topographical features is selected as an initial point. The .exact latitude and longitude of this point is ascertained by astronomical observation, and suitable monument of iron or stone to perpetuate the position. Through this point a true north and south line is run, which is called a Principal Meridian. This principal meridian may be extended north and south any desired distance. Along this line are placed at distances of one-half mile from each other, posts of wood or stone, or mounds of earth. These posts are said to establish the line, and are called section and quarter-section posts. Principal meridians are numbered in the order in which they are established. Through the same initial point from which the principal meridian was surveyed, another line is now run and established by mile and half-mile posts as before, in a true east and west direction. This line is called the Base Line, and like the prin- <;ipal meridian, may be extended indefinitely in either direction. These lines -form the basis of the survey of the country into townships and ranges. Township lines extend east and west parallel with the base line, at distances of six miles from the base line and from each other, dividing the country into strips six miles wide, which strips are called townships. Range lines run north and south parallel to the principal meridian, dividing the country into strips six miles wide, which strips are called ranges. Township strips are numbered from the base line and range strips are numbered from the principal meridian. Townships lying north of the base line are " townships north," those on the south are "townships south." The strip lying next the base line is township the next one to that, township two, and so on. The range strips are numbered in the same manner, counting from the principal meridian -east or west, as the case may be.

The township and range lines thus divide the county into six-mile squares. Each of these squares is called a Congressional township. All north and south lines north of the equator approach each other as they extend north, finally meeting at the north pole ; therefore north and south lines are not literally parallel. The east and west boundary linesof any range being six miles apart in the latitude of Missouri or Kansas, would, in thirty miles, approach each other 2.9 chains, or 190 feet. If, therefore, the width of the range when started from the base line is made exactly six miles, it would be 2.9 chains too narrow at the distance of thirty miles, or five townships north. To correct the width of ranges and keep them to the proper width, the range lines are not surveyed in a continuous straight line, like the principal meridian, entirely acrossthe st^te, but only across a limited number of townships, usually where the width of the range is corrected by beginning a new line on the side of the range most distant from the principal meridian, at such a point as will make the range its correct width. All range lines are corrected in the same manner. The last and west township line on which these corrections are made are called correction lines or standard parallels. The surveys of the State of Missouri were made from the fifth principal meridian, which runs through the state, and its ranges are numbered from it. The State of Kansas is surveyed and numbered from the sixth. Congressional townships are divided into thirty-six square miles, called sections, and are known by numbers, according to their position. The following diagram shows the order of numbers and the: sections in a Congressional township :

Sections are divided into quarters, eighths and sixteenths, and are described by their position in the section. The full section contains 640 acres, the quarter 160, the eighth 80 and the sixteenth 40. In the fol- lowing diagram of a section the position designated by a is known as the northwest quarter ; / is the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter ; ^ would be the south half of the southeast quarter, and would contain 80 acres.

Congressional townships, as we have seen, are six miles squares of land, made by the township and range lines, while civil or municipal townships are civil divisions, made for purposes of government, the one having no reference to the other, though similar in name. On the county map we. see both kinds of townships - the congressional usually designated by numbers and in squares ; the municipal or civil township by name and in various forms.

By the measuremements thus made by the Government,, the coursesand distances are defined between any two points. St. Louis is in township 44 north, range 8 east, and Independence is in township 49 north,, range 32 west ; how far, then, are Kanas City and St. Louis apart on a direct line .' St. Louis is forty townships east - 240 miles - and five townships south - thirty miles ; the base and perpendicular of a rightangled triangle, the hypothenuse being the required distance.

The "township," as the term is used in common phraseology, in many instances, is widely distinguished from that of "town," though many persons persi-st in confounding the two. " In the United States,, many of the states are divided into townshps of five, six, seven, or perhaps ten miles square, and the inhabitants of such township are vested with certain powers for regulating their own affairs, such as repairing roads and providing for the poor. The township is subordinate to the county." A "town" is simply a collection of houses, either large or small, and opposed to "country."

business man ; still there are some poirtts connected with the understanding of it, which need close and careful attention. The law which established this system required that the north and south lines should correspond exactly with the meridian passing through that point ; also, that each township should be six miles square. To do this would be an utter impossibility, since the figure of the earth causes the meridians to converge toward the pole, making the north line of each township shorter than the south line of the same township. To obviate the errors which are, on this account, constantly occurring, correction lines are established. They are parallels bounding a line of townships on the north, when lying north of the principal base ; on the south line of townships when lying south of the principal base, from which the surveys, as they are continued, are laid out anew ; the range lines again starting at correct distances from the principal meridian. In Michigan these correction lines are repeated at the end of every tenth township, but in Oregon they have been repeated with evefy fifth township. The instructions to the surveyors have been that each range of townships should be made as much over six miles in width on each base and correction line as it will fall short of the same width where it closes on to the next correction line north; and it is further provided that in all cases, where the exterior lines the townships shall exceed, or shall not extend six miles, the excess deficiency shall be specially noted, and added to or deducted from the western or northern sections or half sections in such township, according as the error may be in running the lines from east to west, or from south to north. In order to throw the excess of deficiencies on the north and on the west sides of the township, it is necessary to survey the section lines from south to north, on a true meridian, leaving the result in the north line of the township to be governed by the convexity of the earth, and the of the meridians.

Navigable rivers, lakes and islands are " meandered " or surveyed by the compass and chain along the banks. "The instruments employed on these surveys, besides the solar compass, are a surveying chain thirtythree feet long, of fifty links, and another of smaller wire, as a standard to be used for correcting the former as often at least as every other day, also eleven tally pins, made of steel, telescope, targets, tape measure and tools for marking the lines upon trees or stones. In surveying through woods, trees intercepted by the line are marked with two chips or notches, one on each side ; these are called sight or line trees. Sometimes other trees in the vicinity are blazed on two sides quartering toward the line ; but if some distance from the line the two blazes should be near together on the side facing the line. These are found to be permanent marks, not only recognizable for many years, but carrying with them their own age by the rings of growth around the blaze, which may at any subsequent time be cut out and counted as years; and the same are recognized in courts of law as evidence of the date of the survey. They cannot be obliterated by cutting down the trees or otherwise, without le^iving evi- of the act. Corners are marked upon trees if found at the right -spots, or else upon posts set in the ground, and sometimes a monurnent of stones is used for a township corner, and a single stone for section mounds of earth are made^ where there are no stones nor timber. At the corners the four adjacent sections are designated by distinct marks cut into a tree, one in each section. These trees, facing the -corner, are plainly marked with the letters B. T. (bearing tree) cut into the wood. Notches cut upon the corner posts or trees indicate the number of miles to the outlines of the township, or if on the boundaries of the township, to the township corners."

Recurring now to the County Court, we shall here insert, from its -"Order Book" the following extracts, defining the boundaries of the different townships :

"Ordered by the court, that Platte Township shall be bounded as follows, to wit : Commencing on the old State boundary line, where Castile Creek crosses the same ; thence due west to the Platte River, so as to include all the territory lying south of that line, between the old State boundary and Platte River, down to the north line of Platte County.''

"Ordered by the court, that the north boundary line of Platte Town- be extended north one mile ; thence due west to Platte River ; thence down Platte River to the county line."

"Treraont Township shall be bounded on the south by Platte Township ; east by the old State, boundary ; north by the Third Fork of Platte River, and west by Platte River."

"Marion Township shall be bounded on the south by the Third Fork Platte ; west by the Hundred and Two ; east by the old State boundary, and north by the north line of the state."

On Tuesday, April 2nd, 1839, the court convened, pursuant to adjournment, and continued the laying out of townships, beginning with Bloomington :

"The court further orders that Bloomington Township shall be bounded as follows, to wit : Beginning at the mouth of Contrary Creek ; thence up said creek to Benjamin Sampson's, so as to include said Sampson ; thence south to the Platte County line ; thence west with the said line to the Missouri River; thence up the Missouri River to the place of beginning."

"Ordered by the court, that Crawford Township be bounded as follows, to wit:: On the north by Jefferson Township; west by Bloomington Township ; south by the north boundary of Platte County, and east by Bee Creek, as far north as Dodge's mill ; thence by a line running

" Ordered by the court, that Washington Township be bounded as follows, to wit : Beginning in the main channel of the Missouri River, at the northwest corner of Buchanan County proper ; thence east with said line to the main channel of Creek One Hundred and Two; thence with the meanders of said creek to the mouth thereof; thence down Platte River in the' main channel thereof, to the mouth of the Third Fork of saij Platte River; thence westwardly to Dr. Hubble's ; thence due west tO' the middle of the main channel of the Missouri River ; thence up said river to the beginning."

There were established by the County Court, at their first term, four other townships, bearing respectively the names of Lewis, Noble,. Jefferson and Nodaway. Atchison Township was formed two years after.

These, however, have no distinctive existenice now. The county was originally divided into nine large townships, called Platte, Marion, Lewis, Jefferson, Nodaway, Bloomington, Washington, Crawford and Noble.

Following up the varied history of the townships, we find on the 7th day of June, 1842, Buchanan County was divided into eight municipal townships, to be called aijd designated by the names of Bloomington, Crawford, Platte, Tremont, Marion, Washington, Wayne and Centre,, and were bounded and described as follows :

Agency Township was formed in 1876, and is bounded as follows: All that portion of Congressional township 56, range 34, west of Platte River, beginning at Platte River, on township line between 56 and 57 ; tjience west to the northwest corner of section 6,, township 56, range 34; thence south to the southwest corner of section 31,, township 56,, range

34; thence east to Platte River, including all that part of said township that was at the time attached to Washington and Centre. Townships.

Rush Township was formed in August, 1842, and embraces all that portion of Bloomington Township west of the range line, dividing ranges 36 and 37, and south of the township line dividing townships 55 and 56 to the Missouri River. ^

In August, 1842, the boundary lines of Crawford Township were extended east to the range line dividing towns thirty-four and thirtyfive, said range line being made the dividing line between Crawford and Jackson Townships.

On the 27th of June, 1842, the court changed the boundaries of Marlon and Washington Townships, by attaching all of Marion Township west of One Hundred and Two and Platte Rivers, to Washington Township, and locating the line dividing said townships on the west bank of the Platte River, where the township line, dividing towns fiftysix and fifty-seven intersects the same ; thence up Platte River to the mouth of the One Hundred and Two ; thence up the One Hundred and Two to the line dividing the counties of Buchanan and Andrew, and attaching all the territory north of Washington Township and south of the county line dividing the counties of Buchanan and Andrew, and attaching also, all the territory north of Marion Township and south of the county line to Marion Township.

Places For Holding First Elections

"Ordered by the court that an election be held in the several townships in this county, for the election of two Justices of the Peace for each township, and one Constable ; the election to be held on Saturday, the 27th day of this month, and at the following places, to wit : In Platte Township, at the house of John Henry, and that John Henry, James B. Glenn, and Richard Chaney, Sr., be appointed judges thereof"

" In the Township of Marion, at the house of Benjamin Cornelius, and that Benjamin Cornelius, James Watters and Anderson B. Gregory be appointed judges thereof

" In Noble Township, at the house of Pleasant Yates, and that Benjamin McCrary, Elisha Smith and Millford Gilmore be appointed judges thereof .

"In Lewis Township, at the house of William Stephenson, and that Thomas Crowley, William Thorp and Isaac Massa be appointed judges, thereof.

They recommended also that a poll be opened in the townships for one County Court Justice, Richard Roberts, Esq., having either resigned or refused to act.

On the 7th of May, 1839, the County Court at its second term, held at the house of Joseph Robidoux, at Blacksnake Hills, began the work of laying out roads. Many applications upoa the part of the citizens residing in different portions of the county, had in the meantime (since the adjournment), been filed with the clerk, praying an order for the establishment of roads. These were taken up by the court and acted upon as follows : ,

"On application of Frederick Waymire, the court appoints Richard Hill, William Cogdil and Claybourne F. Parmer to view, mark 'and locate a road from S. H. Bell and F. Waymire's mill site, on Contrary Creek, thence the nearest and best way to Pennick's store or West Point, who shall make report at the next term of this court."

"On application of Frederick Waymire, the court appoints H. W. Planson, Samuel C. Hall and John H. Whitehead, to view, mark and locate a road from S. H. Bell and F. Waymire's mill site, on Contrary Creek ; thence the nearest and best way to Robidoux's, on the Missouri River, and that they make report at the next term of this court."

"On application of James Gilmore, the court appoints Robert Irvin, Robert Gilmore and James Davis, to view, mark, and locate a road from Joseph Jenkin's, at the line of Clinton County, crossing Platte at Gilmore and Dixon's Mill, thence the nsarest and best route to Robidoux's on the Missouri, and make report at the next term of this court."

"On application of Jamss Gilmore, the court appoints William Poe, Jarvis McCorkle and George Jeffers, to view, mark and locate from Joel Burnam's, at the Clinton County line, to Gilmore and Dixon's Mill, thence intersecting a road about to be established, leading from Jenkin's to Robidoux's, and make report at the next term of this court."

road from Gilmore's mill, on Platte River, to the rapids of Nodaway, by way of Elliott's store, and make report to this court at the next term."

Whoever will take the trouble' of examining the map of Buchanan County will see that the country is traversed by a number of large streams, which even at this day cannot be crossed during a greater portion of the year without the medium of bridges or some other appliance. The difficulty of crossing the streams was even greater in earlier days than now, as it is a fact that there were at that time jnore freshets, and a higher stage of water in the streams than now. While the Indians were occupying the territory now embraced in the limits of the county, one or two persons were permitted by government to locate within the county and operate a ferry; especially was this the case at Agency Ford.

At a later day, however, after the county was organized, these ferries were under the direct control of the County Court, who, in consideration of an annual fee, licensed certain persons to operate them. The County Court, moreover, upon issuing said license, prescribed the rate of toll to be charged, and in other respects looked after their management.

Public policy dictated that the supervision of the ferries should be rigid, for by their mismanagement commerce and travel would be materially interfered with, and in some cases entirely interrupted.

The first person regularly licensed as a ferryman was Julius C. Robidoux, who was authorized to maintain a ferry across the Missouri River at Blacksnake Hills, on the 7th day of May, 1839.

The record is as follows: "Ordered by the Court, that Julius C. Robidoux be licensed to keep a ferry on the Missouri River, in the county of Buchanan, at Robidoux's Landing, for the term of one year from this date, and that he pay a -tax therefor the sum of four dollars for state purposes, and four dollars for county purposes, and fix the rates of ferriage as follows :

Ellington be licensed to keep a ferry on the Nodaway River, at the Potawattamie crossing, for t?ie term of one year from this date, and that he pay a tax therefor of two dollars and fifty cents for state purposes, and the same amount for county purposes, and that he be allowed to charge the following rates of ferriage, to wit :

There were other ferries licensed in various parts of the county which were of great service to the settlers and emigrants passing through, and at the same time they were a source of some little revenue to the county, and repaid the owners of them liberal rewards for the labor of operating them and the capital invested.