Cass County, Missouri - Chapter 15: Organization of County, 1917

CASS PROBABLY FIRST INCLUDED IN ARKANSAS COUNTY - INCLUDED IN HOWARD - COOPER - LILLARD - JACKSON - VAN BUREN - BECAME CASS IN 1849- BOUNDARIES - COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED TO LOCATE COUNTY SEATLOCATED AT PRESENT SITE OF H ARRISONVILLE.

By Act of Congress, approved April 29, 1816, St. Louis was fixed as the place of meeting of the General Assembly, and the time of meet¬ ing was fixed as "the first Monday in December unless they shall by law appoint a different day," subject, however, to be convened by proc¬ lamation of the Governor. It is an open question as to whether the southwestern part of Missouri Territory was not included in Arkansas County. It is also questionable whether or not the boundary lines of St. Louis County, made by act of the Territorial Legislature, approved December 31, 1813, did not include Cass County. It depends on where the "Osage boundary" really was (laws 1804-1824, page 293). Be that as it may, we do find by act of the Legislature, approved January 23, 1816, (laws 1804-1824, page 460), the county of Howard was organized with boundaries including our county. By said territorial laws, page 594, section 1, we find Cooper County was organized from part of How¬ ard County by act approved December 17, 1818, so as to include this county.

By act of the General Assembly approved the 16th day of Novem¬ ber, 1820, Lillard County was organized so as to include Cass County (same laws, page 646, section 1). By an act of the General Assembly approved February 16, 1825, Jackson County was organized so as to include the present Cass County. A provision in this act left Cass County "to be attached to and form a part of Lafayette County for civil and military purposes" (laws of Missouri, 1825, page 242, section 30).

This act also provided "the laws relating to Lillard County should apply to the new county of Lafayette." By section 47, Revised Statutes of 1835, page 140, Van Buren County was organized out of Jackson County and included the present county of Cass. Section 93, R. S. 1845, page 284, and act of 1840-1, page 46, changed the boundary lines of the county.

About this time Martin Van Buren, after whom our county was named, displeased his former political adherents. So by the act of the General Assembly, approved February 19, 1849, at page 30, section 1, the name of our county was changed from Van Buren to Cass. What a change from address to Martin Van Buren. Act 1841, page 331. The name Cass coming from Lewis Cass, then Senator from Michigan.

By an act of the Missouri General Assembly approved February 17, 1851, at page 188, the boundary lines of Cass County were changed by the cutting off of Bates County on the south. By the act of said legis¬ lative body of the state, approved February 22, 1855, at pages 11 and 12, some changes in the south line of Cass County were made. This was necessitated by the organization of Vernon County formerly en¬ acted, having been by the Supreme Court of the State declared uncon¬ stitutional. (See State ex. rel. &c. vs. Scott, 17 Mo., page 521.) R. S. 1855, page 473, section 51, established the boundary lines of Cass County, Missouri, as they are to this day, viz. : Beginning in the middle of the main channel of Grand River where the range line between ranges twenty-eight and twenty-nine intersects the same; thence north to the northeast corner of section thirty-six of township forty-four, range twenty-nine west; thence west with the subdivisional lines to the south¬ west corner of section twenty-seven of township forty-four, range twenty-nine west; thence north with the subdivisional lines to the north¬ west corner of section three of township forty-six, range twenty-nine west; thence west with the township line, between townships forty-six and forty-seven, to the western boundary line of the State; thence south with said boundary line of the State to where the line between town¬ ships forty-two and forty-three intersects the same; thence east with said township line to the middle of the main channel of Grand River; thence down said river, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the place of beginning.

Samuel Hink and William Brown, of Jackson County, be appointed as commissioners to select the permanent seat of justice, and directed the same be selected near the geographical center of the county, not exceed¬ ing five miles from the center thereof. (See act approved May 3, 1835). It is stated in the history of Cass County, Missouri, issued in 1883, at page 171, that by the act of the Legislature during the winter of 1836, Francis Prine, Welcome Scott and Enoch Rice were appointed to locate the county seat. The first commission may have failed to act. We are unable to determine which is correct. Be that as it may, the seat of justice was located at the present site of Harrisonville. It is located on the northwest quarter of section four in township forty-four of range thirty-one. The patent was issued to Fleming Harris, commissioner of the seat of justice. The town site was located in the year 1837, on lane} preempted by James Lackey. Lackey, at the time of the location, had constructed a small cabin in the western part of the original town, where he had enclosed and cleared a field. After the location the streets and alleys, lots and blocks were surveyed off by Martin Rice. On June 12, 1837, the county court made an order to sell lots. The record itself reads: "On motion of the county court it is ordered that the town com¬ missioners of the town of Harrisonville shall go on this day selling lots as follows: sell all front lots facing on the public square at twenty dol¬ lars each; if not sold at that price to be retained by the county; all other lots to be sold for ten dollars each, or reserved by the county."