Linn County, Missouri - Elections the Glory of Free Institutions, 1882

Elections the Glory of Free Institutions

The Firsf Election - The Result - Duncan Township - First Defalcation - Liberty Totvngfijp - First Money Borrowed by the County - Town Lot Fund - Bridges - Pleasant Hill Toiimship - Defalcation of J. W. Minnis Settled in Full - County Treasurer Makes a Final Settlement and all 0. K - The Year 1842 Ban Behind - Highland County- Its Organization as to Metes and Bounds, but Still under Linn County's Municipal Control - Minor Sale of Linneus Town Lots, 1844 - A Transfiguration - The Reorganization of Linn County in 1845, after Sulliran Was Taken off - Toivnships and Their Metes and Bounds.

Thomas Barbee resigned, and the court appointed Augustus W. Flournoy to the office of treasurer of Linn county, May Y, 1838. In May, 1839, the court met at the house of John Holland. This was the first meeting of the new judges elected at the election of 1838. The following table of that election will be found interesting, the highest number of votes being cast for assessor.'

The next township organized was on the 24th dav of June, 1839, and it was given the name of Duncan, and the voting precinct was located at the house of Jacob Holland. There was an election ordered for one justice of the peace, but the date of that election was not recorded, but in August Robert W. Holland was elected a justice of the peace, of what township was not stated, but proves to have been Duncan.

School Lands

The first school lands sold by order of the county was on the fourth Monday of December, 1S39. The sixteenth sections of township fifty-eight, of range eighteen west, and of township fifty-eight of range twenty west, were sold in eighty acre tracts. These sections were in what is now Locust Creek and the north part of Bucklin townships.

This sale laid the foundation of the school fund of Linn county, which has been so faithfully ke]>t all these succeeding years, the educational facilities having kept pace with the growth of the county.

In 1841 at the August term, Liberty township was organized north of Duncan township. This township's southern line was township line between sixty-two and sixty-three, what is now Sullivan county. The first election was held at the house of Jury Todhunter. Isaac Robert, Jr., Law- yer Drake, and Thomas Woods were the election judges. At tlie same term a deed from John Holland of an acre of ground for a cemetery was received and recorded.

Defalcation

The first defalcation was that of John W. Minnis, the first sherifi" of Linn county. In August the County Court ordered suit to be commenced in the Circuit Court for balance due the county. This balance is rather a big error if figures don't lie. On pages ninety-two and ninety-three, Book A, the figures are badly mixed, and the indebtedness which should have been $684.24 was made $784.25. After this came a credit of $485.22 and $9.04, leaving a correct debt against him of $189.98 while the balance against him was reported at $289.99. In November Mr. Minnis was charged up with $25 for a fine collected by him.

In November, 1841, Liberty township, the territory of which now lies within Sullivan county, was organized and the first election ordered held on the first Monday in December.

The County Court also decided tliat grand jurors in serving as such were only performing a patriotic duty and were therefore not salaried officers, and the court declined to pay for any such service already performed or that might thereafter be. This action of the County Court prevented that hankering after oflacial life so prevalent at this day. On a settlement with David Prewitt, treasurer, the school funds in his hands were found to amount to $1,054 and the treasurer had loaned at ten per cent interest $1,036 of thissum.

The first bridge ordered built in the county was across Locust Creek near William Bowyer's, on the State road leading from Palmyra to Plattsburg, and at the same time two others were ordered to be constructed across the east and west forks of Yellow Creek, Thomas H. Pearson being designated to superintend the construction of the two last mentioned, and was to draw plans and submit to the court on the 22d of November. The bridge across- Locust Creek near William Bowyer's was to be superintended by him and he was to submit a plan of the same.

Mr. R. W. Foster reported only $707.10 on hand November 8, 1841, and money was needed to complete the court-house, etc. This state of affairs caused the following order to be placed on record as the first money sought to be borrowed by Linn county up to that date. The order reads:

"Ordered that treasurer of Linn county be, and he is hereby authorized to borrow the sum of two hundred dollars, at any per cent per annum not to exceed ten per cent per annum interest thereon, for a term of not less than six months nor more than twelve months, to be paid (if borrowed) out

The principal business of the County Court during the year 1841 was laying out roads or appointing reviewers, overseers, and commissioners; and these gentlemen made the road and canal fund grow small and beautifully less quite rajndly. It seemed that a raid on that fund was the chief object in life that year. There was a cheerful disposition prevalent that one township was not to be allowed to get the start of another in depleting this fund, and so road-making was a lively business. Still, as if that would not altogether close it out, the bridges abov^e mentioned were brought to the front; and if there was any one thing in those early days that could get away with the road and canal fund faster than a wooden bridge, it was never discovered, and it was not necessary, for the wooden bridges did the work thoroughly. The pillars placed firmly on a sandy foundation, a few braces left out where they would do the most good, and a freshet, were all that was needed to send a four hundred to a thousand dollar bridge on a voyage of discovery upon the muddy waters of the creeks and streams they once had spanned. These bridges were let to contract in January, 1842, upon the condition that one-third of the cost was to be paid when the work was half done, and the other two-thirds when the bridges were completed. The bridge across the west main fork of Yellow Creek was let to Stephen McCollum at $325, and he was allowed an extra compensation of $10. The east fork bridge was let to John R. Baker, who received $292 for the work.

The temporary court-house, so-called, was completed in February, 1842, and Su})erintendent Hines requested to place the key of the same in the hands of Jeremiah Phillips, sheriff, who, by order of the court, was placed in charge of this fine building. The plans had been considerably altered, four extra windows, brick chimneys and weatherboarding having been added to the original contract. Eight wooden benches were placed" in position, furnished by Goodsby Quinn, at a cost of $66.54, which added to the convenience if not to the beauty of the court-room.

After the completion of the court-room the next thing in order was a county seal, and it was concluded to purchase one for both the Circuit as well as the County Court. The device was to be an eagle engraved in the center of each seal, and the words, State of Missouri. On one the " Linn Circuit Court," over the other the "Linn County Court." These seals were accordingly furnished, and the business of the respective courts conducted upon business principles, with the seal attached.

The next township organized was that of Pleasant Hill, May 3, 1842, and this township was, also, located in Sullivan, or what is now Sullivan, county. An election was ordered, and Matthew Kidd's house was designated the voting precinct. Linneus Davis was appointed road-districting justice for the township.

The Bowyer bridge across Locust Creek was completed after nearly seven months' time, by the contractor, Jacob Randolph. He received $700 on the contract, and was paid $60 for extra work, this bridge costing $760 in all.

On a previous page reference was made to the defalcation of John W. Minnis as collector, the sum being small. He, however, settled in full by paying over to Jeremiah Phillips, some time after, the bum of one hundred and fifty-seven dollars, the amount in which he was actually in default after credit had been given him. The original amount charged of $289.99 was an error, as was shown in a previous page of this history, and the final sum in which Sheriff Minnis was in arrear for the years 1840 and 1841. In 1842 Mr. Minnis paid the amount to his successor, as stated above, and the amount was accounted for to the State by Collector Phillips.

The first and only slave property found mentioned in Linn county up to 1845, was in settling the estate of Captain Daniel Flournoy, in December, 1842, when the following order is found of record:

"It is ordered by the court that Kobert C. Combs, William Burt, and James Carson be, and they are hereby appointed commissioners to divide estate ol the late Captain Daniel Flournoy,deceased, consisting of four slaves named as follows: Fiank, Phil, Anna, and Edith, as is coming to a part of said legatees, to-wit, Virginia Ann Williams, formerly Virginia Ann Flournoy. And it is further ordered that the clerk deliver a copy of this order to John G. Flournoy, agent for the guardian of the said Virginia Ann Williams."

School district number two was organized September 16, 1843, being congressional township fifty-nine, range twenty, and district number one, was organized June 24, 1843, being township fifty-eight, range twenty, while district number three, township fifty-seven, range twenty, was not organized until June, 1844, on the third Saturday of that month.

A General Settlement

There was a general overhauling of county aflfairs at the May term, 1843, and the financial condition of the county was looked after, and the balances on the different funds reported due, or the amount short ascertained.

Road And Canal Fund

The territory north of Linn county to the Iowa line was attached to Linn for all civil and military purposes, and had no particular name until 1843. At the session of the General Assembly of the winter of 1842-43, an act was passed defining the territorial limits of a county of the territory above mentioned, which includes the present county of Sullivan. The county was Highland county, but was not organized into a district municipal government until two years afterward. The act reads as follows: " £e it enacted hy the General Assemhly of the State of Missouri

" Section 1. All that portion of territory now attached to Linn countj^ included in the following boundaries; to-wit, beginning at the northeast corner of Linn county, where the same adjoins Adair county, thence with the line of Linn county west to the northwest corner of said county of Linn; thence due north, in the middle of range twenty-two, with the east line of Grundy county, to the line dividing townships sixty-four and sixtyfive, to include all of township sixty-four; thence east with the line dividing townships sixty-four and sixty-five to the line dividing ranges seventeen and eighteen to include all of range eighteen; thence due south with said line dividing seventeen and eighteen to the place of beginning, shall be included in a new county, to be hereafter organized and known by the name of Highland county.

"Section 3. The revenue levied and collected by the county of Linn, for county purposes, within the aforesaid county of Linn, after deducting the expenses of assessing and collecting the same, and all the expenses which may arise from criminal prosecutions, originating in the county of Highland, shall be reserved for the use of Highland count}'-, and shall be paid over to said county by the County Court of Linn county whenever the said county of Highland may be organized. This to take eftect from its passage.

The first charge recorded for assessing the territory attached to Linn county was at the June term of the County Court held on the 29th. The county of Highland, so called until organized as Sullivan county, was charged $33.50 for the assessment of 1844; the county of Linn proper had the amount of $37.75 charged to its expense account.

Minor

"It is ordered by the court that Frederick Hester be and he is hereby appointed guardian for Daniel Franklin Clary, minor and heir of Henderson Clary, and that the said guardian bind the said minor to Levi Moore upon the following conditions; to-wit, the said Moore is to school said minor to read and write, and in arithmetic to understand the 'rule of three,' to clothe said minor with sufticient clothing, lodging, and diet until he shall become twenty-one years of age, at which time the said Moore is to furnish said minor two suits of common clothing, and one suit of fine cloth, which is to be worth twenty dollars, and a horse, saddle, and bridle to be worth sixty dollars.'' and Wharton R. Barton was ordered to do the work, for which he received ^75. What the population of the county was, however, is not of record.

On December 23d, ISii, the remainder of the town lots of Linneus was ordered to be sold by the county commissioner, Charles A. Fore, who had the county seat propert}'' in charge. Commissioners had been appointed to appraise all the remaining lots, and the price must equal the appraisement; if not, they were not to be sold, but Commissioner Fore was authorized to sell them at private sale at their appraised valuation. The terms of sale was two equal installments at twelve and twenty-four months from date of sale, drawing ten per cent until paid, with security. Deed to be given when first installment and interest were paid in full. The lots were sold on the ground and not at the court-house door. This was done, undoubtedly, to locate the lot, and the purchaser to know exactly the ground he bought. The report of the sale was filed February 7, 1845.

The first contested election case which occurred in the county was in Pleasant Hill township, in February, 1844. William J. Cornett contested the election of John Spencer as justice of the peace for said township, and the court decided in favor of said Cornett, he receiving his commission with full authority to be designated as " Squire'' Cornett thereafter.

A Transfiguration

-' It is ordered by the court that Linn county be divided into seven (7) municipal townships, and it is further ordered that Hiram E. llurlbut, Joseph W. McCormack, Thompson K. Neal, Stephen McCollum, and Samuel Baker, be, and are hereby appointed as commissioners to lay off said county into seven municipal townships, and that the said commissioners shall meet at the court-house in the town of Linneus, on the second Monday of July next in order tonnake said townships, and that said commissioners designate the townships' boundaries by water-courses, range lines, township lines and sectional lines. Beferred to acts of 26th of January, 1845, and that they make reports to this court at the next regular term thereof, and that the sheriff notify them of their appointment."

The Commissioners failed to report in July, but on the 5th day of November, 1845, they brought in the following report of the boundary lines of the seven townships designated below. These townships were all in Linn county, proper, the county of Sullivan having been organized February 16, 1845, out of the territory of Linn county, called Highland county previous to its organization, and the name of Sullivan given to it. The report was approved by the court.

Metes And Bounds

" Yelloio Creek township - Commencing at the southeast corner of township fifty-seven, of range eighteen west, thence west with said line to the section line dividing thirty-four and thirty-five, township fifty-seven, of range nineteen; thence north with said line to the line dividing sections fifteen and twenty-two, in township fifty-eight, of range nineteen; thence west with said line to the line dividing sections twenty-one and twenty, township fifty-eight, of range nineteen; thence north to the township line dividing townships fifty-eight and fifty-nine; thence east on said line to the county line between Linn and Macon counties; thence south along said line to the beginning.

^^ Baker townshij) - Commencing at the southeast corner of township fifty-nine, of range eighteen; thence west to the section line dividing thirtytwo and thirty-three, in township fifty-nine, of range nineteen; thence north to the county line between Linn and Sullivan counties; thence east to the county line between Linn and Macon counties; thence south along said line to the beginning.

''''Benton toivnship - Commencing at the southeast corner of section eight, in township fifty-nine, of range nineteen; thence west along said line to the middle of the channel of the main Locust Creek; thence up said creek to the mouth of the west fork of said creek; thence up the said west fork in the middle of said channel thereof north to the county line between Linn and Sullivan counties; thence east along said line to the section line dividing sections eight and nine, township sixty, range nineteen; thence south along said line to the beginning.

" Jackson township - Commencing in the middle of the channel of main Locust Creek where the township line divides townships fifty-eight and fifty-nine, of range twenty-one; thence west along said line to the county line between Linn and Livingston counties; thence north to the county line dividing Linn and Sullivan counties; thence east along said line to the middle of the channel of the west fork of Locust Creek; thence down the same to the main Locust Creek to the beginning.

''''Parson Greek township - Commencing in the middle of the channel of main Locust Creek on the county line between Linn and Chariton counties; thence west to the southwest corner of Linn county; thence north along the county line between Linn and Livingston counties to the township line dividing townships fifty-eight and fifty-nine; thence east along said line to the middle of the channel of main Locust Creek; thence down the same to the place of beginning.

thirty-tour, of township iif'ty-seven, of range nineteen; thence west along the county line to tiie middle of the channel of the main Locust Creek; thence up the middle of the channel of said creek to the section line dividing sections fourteen and twenty-three, in township fifty-eight, of range twenty-one; thence east along said line to the section line between sections twenty two and twenty-three, in township fifty-eight, of range nineteen; thence south along said Hue to the place of beginning.

^''Locust Creek township - Commencing at the southeast corner of section seventeen, in township fifty-eight, of range nineteen; thence west along said line to the middle of the channel uf the main Locust Creek; thence up the same in the middle of the channel to the section line dividing sections eleven and fourteen, in township fifty-nine, of range twentyone; thence east along said line to the northeast corner of section seventeen, of township fifty-nine, of range nineteen; thence south to the place of beginning."