Johnson County, Missouri - Chapter 5: - Organization and Officers, 1918

Territory. - That portion of "The District of Louisiana." composed of the country ceded by France to the United States, lying north of the 33rd degree of north latitude, was organized as a territory of the United States by an Act of Congress approved March 24, 1804, and put under the jurisdiction of Louisiana Territory for governmental purposes. The "District of Louisiana" was changed to the "Territory of Louisiana" by Act of Congress approved March 3, 1805. The name of 'T^ouisiana Territory" was changed to "Missouri Territory" by Act of Congress approved June 4, 1812. This act also provided for the government of said territory and established the seat of territorial government at St. Louis.

State. - The state of Missouri was created by act of Congress, with certain conditions. These conditions were approved by the I^egislature of Missouri Territory, June 26, 1821, and August 10. 1821. President Monroe issued proclamation announcing the admission of Missouri to be completed.

County. - Johnson county was organized by act of the Ceneral Assembly, December 13, 1834, out of Lafayette count}-, which at that time included all of what is now Lafa^^ette, Johnson and Henry counties, the northwest half of St. Clair, and a narrow strip on the east side of Bates and Cass counties, al)out 1,600,000 acres. Johnson countv Ixnm- (laries were as at present.

.\t the organization of a county, il was cusiomai-y tor the governor to ,-ip])oint a county court of three judges and a sheritt, and the count\- court would then aiiiioint the other officers. In lohu'^on cotintv's case, Governor Dunklin had a preliminary election held to recommend persons for county judges and sheriff. The polls were at Columbus and Gallaher's Mill (on Clear Fork). About sixty votes were polled at Columbus and thirty at Gallaher's Mill, and Amos Horn, Robert W . Rankin and Uriel Murray were recommended as judges and Joseph Cockrell as sheriff". These men were then appointed by the governor.

The first county court was held at the residence of Mrs. Rachel Houx, near Columbus, on April 13, 1835. Amos Horn was made president of the court; John H. Townsend, appointed clerk pro tempore: James Carmichael, appointed assessor, and court then "adjourned until court in course." which was the following May.

Townships. - At the second court on IMay 4. 1835, Richard Hancock was appointed collector for the county, and the county was divided into four townships, Jackson. Washington, Jeff"erson and Madison.

Jackson township extended fifteen miles east and twelve miles south from the northwest corner of the county, and included all of congressional townships 46 and 47. in ranges 17. 1%, and east three miles of 29. The site of Centerview town was in the southeast corner.

Madison township lay exactly south of Jackson, and included townships 44 and 45. in the same ranges, being twelve miles north and south and fifteen miles east and west. The site of Chilhowee town was near the southwest corner.

Jefferson township embraced the southeast part of the county immediately east of Madison, and aLso ran three miles further north, ft included townships 44 and 45 and the south half of 46. in ranges 24, 25 and 26. It included the present site of W'arrensburg and nearly all of Knob Xoster. It was fifteen miles north and south by eighteen miles east and west.

Washington township was the balance of the county, containing the north half of township 46. all of 47 and the south two miles of 48, in ranges 24. 25 and 26. It was eleven miles north and south by eighteen miles east and west.

\\'. E. Cocke was appointed constable of Jackson township, and W. H. Anderson, constable of ^^'ashington township. S. Wliitsett was appointed surveyor.

County Court Business. - The first regular petition to the court was by J. B. Morrow to organize township 47, range 27, into a school district. This was granted by the court, July 16, 1835, and the township was incorporated as Franklin school district No. 1. Robert Craig, Samuel Wilson and William Kincaid were appointed trustees.

June 8, 1835, Prince L. Hudgins deposited in the clerk's office "the sum of five dollars, in order to obtain at the next county court a grocer's license for the purpose of retailing spirituous liquors in said county."

P. L. Hudgins was also appointed commissioner to sell school lands, and August 4, 1835, his petition to sell section 16, township 47, range 26, was granted.

llie first road overseer in the county was Joseph Di.xon, appointed in December, 1835. He was succeeded by William Flannery, William K. Reeves, James Borthick, and J. H. Evans.

1835, to succeed John H. Townsend, who resigned. William Flannery was appointed constable of Jefferson township to succeed James McWilliams, who resigned November 2, 1835. James Carmichael was allowed $1.50 a day for thirty-two days' work as assessor and Richard Hancock presented his delinquent tax list amounting to $17.10.

The first general election was held in August, 1836, when there was an election of governor, lieutenant governor. Legislature, members of Congress, sheriff and coroner.

Judge Harvey Harrison, who came here in 1831, and died in 1890, gave the following account of the county seat location to Mr. W. E. Crissey in 1889:

"In 1835 the county court appointed commissioners to select a site for the future county seat. The commissioners first selected a place about a mile west of where Judge William McMahan now lives. Some people had moved into the county and settled near Shanghai (or Cornelia) and these bitterly opposed the site selected because it was on one side of the center of the county. This commission reconsidered its work and selected the original site of the town of \\^arrensburg as being as near the geographical center of the county as it was possible to get it. The county then bought the land of the owners and laid out the town of Warrensburg, now known as Old Town and appointed James Carmichael, commissioner to sell the lots."

In the campaign to move the county seat to Centerview, a newspaper was published in Holden especially to promote the move, and on August 14, 1872, the records of the county court show the following: George Washington, Elhanan Roop, and others ifiled 'the5r petition praying the court to submit to the voters at the next general election, November 5, 1872, the proposition "for the removal of the seat of justice of the county of Johnson from the town of AVarrensburg to the town of Centerview." It was taken under advisement till 1 p. m. Later in the day "George Washington, on behalf of the petitioners, withdrew the petition."

From 1873 to 1877, the township system was in force and officers elected by the township did much of the work done by county officers, especially in the assessment, collection and disbursement of the revenue. But the county system was re-established and seems to be much preferred.

Assessor, fees about $3,300 gross: circuit clerk, $2,000; collector, fees about $5,000 gross; county clerk, fees ecjual $3,750 gross; county judges, $5 a day; probate judge, fees about $3,000 gross; prosecuting attorney, $2,500; public administrator, fees about $500; recorder, fees about $3,000 gross; representative, $5 a day. about $350; school superintendent, $1,500; sheriff, fees al)Out $1,600 net; surveyor, fees about $400; treasurer, $1,500. Out of above "gross" fees all officers must pay their deputies or clerks.

The county also participates in the election of the following officers (in addition to the regular state administration) ; Circuit judge. $3,200; state senator. $5 a day, about $350 for two years; United States representative, $7,500; United States senator, $7,500.