Harrison County, Missouri - Chapter 12: Organization of County, 1921

BOUNDARIES OF HARRISON COUNTY - LOCATION - CREATED IN 1S45 - DESCRIBEDSTATE LINE IN DISPUTE - SURVEYED AND MARKED - COUNTY NAMED IN HONOR OF HON. ALBERT G. HARRISON - A PART OF THE FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT - FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT - COUNTY SEAT COMMISSIONERS - COUNTY SEAT LOCATED - PLATTED - FIRST NAME OF COUNTY SEATLATER CHANGED - FIRST COUNTY OFFICERS SELECTED.

Harrison County is one of the northern tier of counties, joining Iowa on the north, Mercer and Grundy Counties on the east, Daviess County on the south and Gentry and Worth Counties on the west. In the tier it is the sixth county west of the Mississippi River, the fourth county east and north of the Missouri River and the second county east of the Platte Purchase. It is centrally located in the celebrated Grand River country. The territory embraced within the limits of Harrison County originally formed a part of Daviess County and remained such until created a separate jurisdiction by an act of the General Assembly approved March 28, 1845.

That act in section 18 described the boundaries of Harrison County as follows: "Beginning at the northeast comer of Daviess County, thence north on the range line between ranges 25 and 26 twenty-four miles, thence due west to the range line between ranges 29 and 30, thence south on said range line to the northwest comer of Daviess County; thence east along the northern boundary line of Daviess County to the beginning." The northern boundary line of Daviess County is described in section 14 of the same act as follows: from "The northeast corner of section 36 in township 62 in range 26, thence west on said section line to the northwest corner of section 31 of township 62 of range 29.

The state line between the states of Missouri and Iowa was then in dispute and the district north of township 65 for a distance of about twelve miles was then called the "disputed territory." The state line was settled and permanently located in 1850 and iron stakes six inches square and six feet long were planted along the line at intervals of ten miles.

On March 1, 1851, the territory between the former county limits and the state line was added to the county, it becoming then a little over thirty miles long and twenty-four miles wide, the area of the county being a little more than 720 square miles. But as the state line does not run exactly with the section line, but bears a little southward, running west, the true area of the county is about 456,000 acres of land.

The county was named in honor of Hon. Albert G. Harrison, of Callaway County, Missouri, who was a representative in Congress from the second congressional district of Missouri from 1834 to 1839, dying in the latter year.

The county when organized became a part of the Fourth Congressional District, and of the Fifth Judicial Circuit, provision being then made for the holding of terms of the circuit court in the county on the Thursday after the third Monday in April and October of each year.

Shortly after the organization of the county Edward Smith, of De- Kalb County, and John Gibson and Ebenezer Wood, of Gentry County, were appointed commissioners to select the site for the county seat.

These gentlemen spent some time in viewing the country and selected the place where Bethany now is for the county seat. This was on the banks of Big Creek and it would seem that they were governed in the selection by consideration of the convenience of wood, water and stone, as well as the fact that it was near the then geographical center of the county.

At the May term, 1845, of the county court an order was made allowmg each of these commissioners for eight days' service at $2.00 per day, $16.00 for each commissioner, which were the first warrants issued by the county court.

The county court at this term appointed John S. Allen county seat commissioner to have the brush cleared off the site for the county seat and to have some lots laid off. John Plaster, then the county surveyor of Gentry County, was employed by Mr. Allen to lay off the town and fifteen blocks were laid off by him, being five blocks east and west and three blocks north and south, the court house square being in the center. The streets running north and south were four rods wide and the streets running east and west were three rods wide.

The plat of the first survey of the county seat (then called Dallas) was reported to the county court at the June term, 1845 thereot, and it was then approved and adopted and the county seat commissioner was authorized and directed to sell lots.

At that term the account of John S. Allen for $30,371/2 for expenses of having the brush cleared off the ground for the survey was presented and allowed.

The settlers did not like the name of the county seat to be Dallas and at the November term, 1845, the county officers took a vote on the naming of the town which resulted in the choice of Bethany, and the name was thus changed accordingly.

The first meeting of the settlers to select county officers was held at Phil Harris's mill, at which about fifty voters were present and the persons selected by them were recommended to the governor for appointment. Lewis Charlton, Asaph Butler and Samuel Edmiston were selected for county court justices, John W. Brown was chosen sheriflF and Thomas Flint circuit and county clerk, all of whom were duly commissioned by the governor. They met pursuant to appointment on May 5, 1845, for the purpose of formally organizing the county and putting in motion its machinery.