McDonald County, Missouri - Chapter 4: Organization After the War, 1897

Chapter 4: Organization After the War

From 1861 to 1865 no elections were held in McDonald county. In 1864 the vote for this county was cast at Newtonia. Burton McGhee was elected member of the legislature and 26 votes were cast for Fletcher for governor. Soon after the war the county government was again resumed, the officers being appointed by the governor. Benjamin F. Hopkins, Enoch G. Williams and Isaac A. Harmon were appointed judges, John V. Hargrove, sheriff; J. P. La- Mance, treasurer. The first meeting of this court was November 6, 1866. On the next day, November 7, Henry H. Fox was appointed assessor of the county, and Hugh "L. Testerman, coroner. On Nov. 8, Daniel Harmon was appointed public administrator; A. W. Chenoweth, county treasurer; Abner M. Tatum school commissioner; John M. Boyd, road commissioner. At this term of court, the following:: Justices of the peace were appointed: E. G. Williams, Pineville township; D. C. Hopkins, Elk River township; T. R. Hopkins and Thomas Davenport White Rock township. In December following D. C. Fox was appointed Justice of the peace for

Buffalo township, David Davenport, for White Rock, Jehu Jones for Rutledge township. In February 1866 Ransom Plumlee was appointed justice for Richwood township, and John F. Lewis for Elk Horn. I. N. Williams was appointed treasurer. At this time the county court had jurisdiction of probate matters and the principal part of the records of the court pertain to affairs of administration, appointment of officers and locating roads.

At this time the office of public administrator was certainly a lucrative one as the records show that in 1866 he had charge of the following estates: Samuel R. Cotter, John Stearns, James Williams, Benjamin Gooden, George W. Martin, Anderson Carter, Tierney J. Cook, G. C. Culp, Solomon Lankford, David Brock, William Burgess, Basil Lewis, Nathaniel Meador, Samuel B. Keeler, John D. Hendry, William G. Morris, Martin Stafford , Harrison Ray, Robert Walker, Hugh Carroll, Alfred Martin, Mrs. Delilah McGhee, D. Y. Lauderdale, Joseph Morrow, Jacob Carter, James T. Davenport, G. W. Nutting, W. Hamblin, John M. Harmon, Wilson Gonce, S. H. Carroll, J. B. King, Smith Elkins, Thomas Woolsey , H. Carroll, Moses Pendergraf t J. T. Haskins, R. F. Walker, Samuel B. Keele, Si\, James, N. Appleby, John H. Hastings, John D. Henry, Francis A. Carter, J. W. Cole, J.

"Wimpey, William Skinner, Matilda Mitchell, John Hevalison, Carroll Kirk, U. S. Young, Sr. , and Samuel Brown. It appears from the records that Benjamin Ross was public administrator previous to the appointment of Daniel Harmon, but how or when he became posessed of that office there is no record to show.

In the records of the county court, May 8, 1866 is the following order : Ordered by the court that municipal townships of this county be and are bounded as follows: All territory included in ranges 29 and 30 shall constitute a municipal township and be known as Fox township. Also, all territory included in ranges 31 and 32 shall constitute a municipal township known as Pineville township. Also, all territory included in -ranges 33 and 34 which shall be known as Elk township.

The next order following establishes the voting places in each of the three townships respectively at the residence of H. H. Fox, in Fox township at Pineville, in Pineville township and at the residence of B. F. Hopkins in Elk township. It was also ordered that each justice of the peace be furnished with a copy of the order giving metes and bounds of their respective townships. Why this arrangement was effec ted and what disposition was made of the various Justices of the Peace does not appear. It evidently did hot give satisfaction as in the following August and November various changes were made and several precincts established, a more full account of which will be given in the chapter on townships.

Among the interesting orders made about this time were those to cancel notes given for loans of the various public funds. One signed by A. S. McGhee, dated September, 1854, for $185.98; One signed by T. A. B. Pearson and Joseph Pearson May 17, 1854 for $100; one by M. A. Laughlin, Aug. 11, 1857 for $50. These notes were canceled by reason of their being void by -limitation.

Warrants were drawn on the county treasurer in't1866-7 to pay for wolf scalps, at the rate of one dollar each scalp, to Gilbert Bolen, E. F. Burns, Eleven Caulk, William Mooney, Isaac Martin and Wyatt Edmonds. The party producing the scalp was required to prove that the wolf had been killed within the borders of the county, to entitle him to the bounty.

Allotting Justices

There are numerous orders on record during this time making the appointment for allotting justices for the various townships. As this practice has long since become obsolete, it will likely be an item of interest as well as curiosity to know what an allotting justice was. Under the road laws in those days an overseer was appointed by the county court for a certain road or, in more thickly settled counties, for a road district. This county being very sparsely settled, the overseers were appointed for a certain road designated in the order of appointment. In each township one of the justices of the peace was appointed by the county court to allot, or parcel out, the road hands in his township and designate under what road overseer they should work. This was called the allotting justice. He also had jurisdiction over cases where parties failed or refused to work their time.