Adams County, Nebraska - Chapter 3: Organization, 1916

Chapter 3: Organization

In October, 1871, the inhabitants of the unorganized County of Adams jietitioned acting Governor AVilliam H. James, of Nebraska, asking that an election be held in the county, and the following month the governor granted the petition bj- issuing the following jiroclamation:

Proclamation

Whereas, a large number of the citizens of the unorganized County of Adams have united in a petition asking that an election be held for the purpose of choosing county officers preliminary to the organization of the county.

Therefore, I, William H. James, acting governor of the State of Nebraska, by virtue of the authority in me vested, do hereby order that an election be held at the dwelling house of Titus Babcock, in said county, on the 12th day of December, 1871, for the purpose of choosing three county conmiissioners, one county clerk, one county treasurer, one sheriff, one probate judge, one county sun^eyor, one county sujJcrintendent of schools, one coroner, three jvidges of election and two clerks of election, and I do hereby designate and appoint Simeon Johnston, E. S. Knapp, and Volney Janes as judges; JNIilton F. Brown and William I. Janes as clerks, to conduct said election in accordance with "an act for the organization of counties," approved June 24, 1867, and the election laws of this state.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and cause to be affixed the great seal of the State of Nebraska, this 7th day of November. A. D. 1871.

While the election was held on December 12, the real work of the organized county did not begin until January 2, 1872. Upon that date the board of commissioners called a meeting to be held in tlie office of the county clerk. No quorum assembled, however, and the meeting was adjourned to January 16, and upon that date the first official business of Adams Comity was transacted.

The first act of the board was to divide the county into three commissioners' districts. District number 1 comprised township 5 in ranges 9, 10, 11 and 12 and the two sonthern tiers of sections in township 6. Mr. Selleck represented this district. District number 2 was defined as that portion of the county lying north of district number 1 and west of the line between ranges 10 and 11. This district was represented by INIr. Allen. District number 3 comprised all the territory of the county lying north of district number 1 and east of the line between ranges 10 and 11. Air. Brass was the representative of this district.

On the same day the commissioners created seven road districts and aj^ijointed the following road supervisors: Eben Wright, Volney Janes. U. G. King. John M. JNIyer, R. K. Daily, Pliny Allen and James H. Sweeting. Road supervisorship came as an unexpected honor to the greater number of the appointees. Later they were to learn that no inconsiderable part of their work was to be done "without exjiense to the county." The location of the roads with the assistance of the county surveyor ^vas the greater part of their duties and also to report to the commissioners where bridges and culvei'ts were needed in their several districts.

Upon the first day of their meeting the commissioners fixed their own salary at $3.00 per day for the time actually employed and legal mileage. The salary of the county clerk was fixed as $loO per year and tliat of the probate judge at seventy-five dollars. No fixed salary was at first accorded the county superintendent except a compensation of $4.00 per day for the time actually served. This rate of compensation was reduced to $3.00 per day by an amended motion before tlie close of the year. Some two weeks after fixing the original salaries the commissioners amended their action raising the salary of the county clerk to $300 per year.

Salaries in the county offices have increased with the develoiJnient of the county. At j^resent the county clerk receives $1,650 per year; the county judge, $1,050; county superintendent, $1,600; county, treasin-er, $2,000; clerk of the district court, $1,600; register of deeds, $1,500; county attorney, $1,300; sheriff, $1,800; county assessor, $700. The county supervisors are now paid $4.00 per day with the provision that no supervisor shall receive more than $650 in one year.

On the second day of their activities the county commissioners ordered that a building for the county offices be put up within ten days. The dimensions specified were: length, 20 feet; breadth, 16 feet; height between joists, 8 feet, and the rafters to come down to the ujjper joists. This building they ordered to be constructed of l^ine lumber; boarded and battened on the outside; shingle roof; four windows; one door; one matched floor and to be ceiled overhead with building paper. The sheriff was ordered to notify the contractors to file their bids for the work "before 5 o'clock this day." x\t that hour bids were opened and it was foimd that the bid of Joseph Stuhl, $30.00, was the lowest and he was awarded the contract. The commissioners furnished the material which they ordered George Henderson to supply under the direction of Commissioner Brass, who was also the superintendent of construction.

This little building brought thus hurriedly into being was the home of the county offices until about 6 o'clock in the evening of Sei^tember 27, 1878, when the seat of county government was removed from Juniata to Hastings. The building was paid for by county order, issued when it was completed and accepted and to draw 10 per cent interest until paid. The building was insured for $250 with an additional $500 on the contents.

July 13, 1872, the commissioners levied the first taxes, declaring the total valuation of the taxable propei'ty of the county to be $957,153. For county purposes they levied for the general fund including the support of the poor, 5 mills; road and land fund, $4.00 on each quarter section; bridge fund, 5 mills; poll tax, $2.00 on each poll. The levy for state purposes was 5-'4 mills. At the same time school taxes were levied as follows: on district number one, $905.75; two, $144.00; nine, $300.00; twelve, $870.00; sixteen, $650.00: seventeen, $175.00. The next year, February 25, 1873. personal property was graded for taxation as follows:

It was the duty of the county conunissioners to divide the county into such divisions as were authorized by law for the carrying on of the local government. On ]March 14, 1872, they divided Adams County into two precincts. All the territorj^ north of an east and west line from the southeast corner of section 12, township 6 north, range 9 west, to the northwest corner of section 7, township 6, range 12, was called Precinct 1. Precinct 2 comprised all the territory south of such line. April 2, 1872, the commissioners named Precinct 1, Juniata, and Precinct 2, Little Blue. By this arrangement Little Blue Precinct comprised all of the present townships of Logan, Silver I^ake, Zero and Little Blue and the south two-thirds of Cottonwood, Roseland. Ayr and Hanover. Juniata Precinct contained all the remainder of the county. On the day that the division was made the commissioners appointed Charles H. Chapman assessor of Juniata Precinct, and Bigger H. Scott assessor of Little Blue.

October 9, 1872, the conmiissioners canned additional precincts out of Juniata and Little Blue. The territory of Juniata Precinct was subdivided into Kenesaw, Denver and Juniata precincts and Silver Lake was formed out of Little Blue. Kenesaw Precinct as formed at that time comprised all of the territory now Kenesaw and Wanda townships, the west tier of sections of the present Verona and Juniata townships and the north tier of sections of the present Cottonwood.

Denver Precinct as formed in 1872 comprised all of the present Blaine and West Blue to^\iiships, the north tier of sections in Hanover, sections 1 and 2 in Ayr and the two eastern tiers of the present Denver and Highland townships. The original Silver Lake Precinct comprised the west half of the present Zero and Ayr to^mships, except the north tier of sections in xVyr, all of the present Logan and Silver Lake townships and all of Roseland and Cottonwood except the north tier of sections. The residue in Juniata after the formation of the new precincts was Juniata Precinct and Little Blue was the remainder south of the original dividing line of the county. Cottonwood was formed out of Silver Lake September 7, 1874. In 1876 Pawnee Precinct was formed out of territory which in 1878 was absorbed by Denver Precinct and abutting divisions. West Blue, though not with the boundaries of the present West Blue township, was also created at this time.

The first commissioners encountered something of a tangle arising from the collection of taxes in one county by another county. When counties were originally formed by the legislature they often embraced territory lying outside the counties as they were composed when actually organized. Thus when Adams County was first formed its northern boundary was the Platte River. February 16, 1872, Commissioner Selleck announced that Hamilton Covuity had collected in Adams County in taxes $3,370.11. The taxes were said to have been collected in the years 1867 to 1870, inclusive. A. H. Bo wen, on some sort of agreement with the commissioners had talked the matter over with the Hamilton County officials and on February 16 the commissioners directed the sheriff to notify Hamilton County that Adams County "holds it responsible for a deficiency of $883.43 that A. H. Bowen refuses to pay over." Subsequently it was decided that Mr. Bowen had been authorized by Deputy Clerk Babcock to collect from Hamilton County.

Isaac W. Stark now brought a charge of embezzlement against iNIr. Bowen and Mr. Bowen contributed an article to the Adams County Gazette roundly criticising the commissioners as intriguers and incompetents. Shortly afterward the commissioners adopted the motion of INIr. Brass that no further steps should be taken in the prosecution of ]\Ir. Bowen. Thus ended the first disturbance in the internal l^ohtics of Adams County.

In the report that Commissioner Selleck made on the tax situation he declared that at least $8,000.00 was due Adams County from Saline County. By the next motion the commissioners resolved themselves into a committee to collect and it was ordered that an attorney be emjjloyed to collect from Saline. At about the same time O. A. Abbott, agent of Hall County, presented the claims of his county to the money received by Adams County from Hamilton. This claim was ])ut u])on the ground that this money represented taxes collected by Hamilton from that part of Adams County lately set off to Hall County. The board immediately carried the motion of Mr. Brass that the commissioners get the best counsel in the state to look into Hall County's claims. On April 2, 1872, the commissioners ordered the clerk to notify Hall County that Adams was not indebted to it and therefore would not pay. In tiu'n Adams County levied some taxes in the unorganized County of Kearney. The tax tangle lasted a number of years, but collections were trifling on these early claims.

February 1.5, 1872, Justice of the Peace H. H. Ballon, who was also overseer of the poor, reported to the board that Peter Fowhe was a charge. INIr. Fowlie had frozen his foot and the foot had been amputated by Dr. J. R. Laine. Doctor Laine presented a claim of $1 jO to the commissioners for his service. Commissioner Allen moved that the claim be allowed at $50.00. JMn Brass amended the motion to allow $75.00, and the amended motion carried. The next day it was ordered that each of the commissioners resolve himself into a committee to select a site for a poor farm, and February 17th, the motion of INIr. Brass that $25.00 be set aside for assistance to the poor was carried.

The commissioners charged themselves with locating a poor farm and ascertaining whether a quarter section might be i^reempted for that i^urpose. They traveled over the county on several different occasions and on April 4th, selected section 2, lying immediately west of the jjresent jjoor farm. On July 13th they reconsidered the selection and ordered the pin-chase of the present poor farm from the Burlington Railroad. The farm comprises 320 acres, which is the soutli lialf of section 1. township 6, range 11. The amount paid for it was $3,173.86 with the taxes accruing from 1872 to July 9, 1883, upon which date the railroad executed a deed to Adams County.

The first house erected upon the jjoor farm was built in the fall of 1872. Ira G. Dillon was the contractor and the price was $1,400. The building Avas 16 feet by 24 feet and a story and one-half high. In August, Peter Fowlie had been appointed overseer of the poor at a salary of $25.00 per month. On November 1st, the overseer reported tliat there were six county charges and on November 4th he assembled tliem in the new poorhouse. The following rules were imposed by the commissioners upon the poor- farm dwellers : rise at 6 ; breakfast at 7; dinner at 12; supper at 6. No smoking in sitting rooms or bedrooms or near haystacks. No profane language or card playing.

Peter Fowlie continued to be poormaster until February 11, 1874, wlien the farm was rented to ^I. B. Kelley for $2.25 an acre for fifty acres, Mr. Kelley to receive $4.00 ])er week each for caring for the ))oor. In the meantime Mr. Fowlie had ajjplied to the commissioners for an artificial foot and the subject was discussed in many meetings in 1872 until early in 1873 when accepting the counsel of James Laird, who had been appointed county attorney, the board were dissuaded from their good intentions. Peter Fowlie became deputy county treasurer under ISIr. Thorne.

In 1885 the county supervisors submitted to the electors a proposition to sell the poor farm. The vote resulted in 744 for selling and 705 against. The proposition failed, not getting the legally necessary two-thirds majority. At the same election it was voted to purchase a building for the farm. At present the house on the poor farm con- tains fourteen rooms. Furnace heat and a water pressure system were installed in 1913 and this year, 1916, a new barn, 44 feet by 64 feet is being built. The average niumber of dependents at the farm is about six. The present overseer of the poor farm is J. Riley Baugh. Others who have served in that capacity are Frank Crozier, A. K. Deffenbaugh and Charles W. Hall. ]Mr. Hall was the overseer for twelve years.

The office of county treasurer did not seem alluring in 1872. John S. Chandler who was elected December 12, 1871, resigned January 29, 1872, the day set for the approval of his bond. Commissioner Brass acted as temporary treasurer until George Henderson qualified February 1.5th, receiving into his custody $1,222.49. Henderson resigned July 3d, and Ira G. Dillon was appointed the same day, his bond being fixed at $8,000.00. October 22d. the treasui-er's bond was fixed at $1.>,000.00. At present it is $100,000.

Until Hastings was incorjiorated April 21, 1874, licpior licenses in the county were issued by the commissioners. February 29, 1872, license was fixed at $200.00 per year; JNIay 21st it was raised to $400.00. JNIarch 15, 1873, license Avas issued to Charles Kohl to operate a sample room in Hastings, tlie license fee being $200.00 for six months. This was the first license issued for Hastings, but two had pi-eviously been issued for Juniata.

July 23. 1872, the commissioners took steps towards the development of industries in the young county. This was by granting the petition of S. L. Brass, A. H. Bowen and others to submit to the voters of Juniata Precinct the i^roposition of voting $6,000.00 in precinct bonds for the erection of a steam grist mill in Juniata. On November 26th, fiftj'-seven votes were cast for the bonds and ten against. The provisions were that the mill was to be located in Juniata and completed by October 1, 1873. The mill to have three runs of stone and to cost not less than $12,000.00. The operator must give bond in the sum of $10,000.00 to grind all the grain delivered to the extent of cajjacity for a term of twenty years at a toll not to exceed one-sixth of a bushel for each bushel groimd. It was provided that the bonds operate as lien for twenty years to insure faithful compliance.

On October 11th George W. INIoore, of Illinois, acce2)ted the proposition. He was not able to complete the mill in the required time and the ]:)recinct voted to extend the time one year. The mill was eventually built. Litigation grew out of the venture, but milling was established in Juniata and continues to this day.

the supervisors contend witli at the present time. It was also a part of the perjilexities confronting the early commissioners. The first movement toward bridge construction in Adams County was made October 11, 1872, when the commissioners let the contract to H. T. Clark for two bridges; one across Thirty-two IVlile Creek and the other across the Little Blue River. On October 22d, the location of the Thirty-two ]Mile Bridge was determined as the point where the quarter line running north and south through section 1, township 6, range 11, crosses the creek. On November 8th, the Little Blue Bridge was ordered to be built on the line between sections 25 and 26, township 6, range 10, at the point where the line crosses the river. This bridge was to have a span of fifty feet. The contract for both bridges was let for $1,79.5.

The commissioners fixed bounties for the killing of wolves and wild cats in 1872 and for the first several years they recorded payingsuch bounties.

The making of road districts the records of the commissioners show was iJushed rapidly. Twenty-three districts were defined at one meeting earlj^ in 1873, which brought the total in the county up to thirty-five districts. Of the sixty-four districts in the county at the present time only four retain their original number; these are districts 5.) to 58, inclusive, in Logan Township. There are 1,152 miles of road in Adams County. The aggregate tax levy for roads and bridges in 1913. reduced to the basis of dollars raised per mile in that year and comprehending both the county levy and the township special levy was $43.10. Of this sum $19.30 was for bridges. The aggregate amount contemplated by the levy for that year was $49,651.20. The average per mile levied in Nebraska that year Avas $40.20.

Adams County Avas under the commissioner form of government from December 12. 1871. to November 21, 1883. A statute passed by the Nebraska Legislatm-e in 1877 provided for township organization in counties. The proposition was voted in Adams County in the November election, 1877; there were 732 votes for to^^^lship organization and 56 against. Late in 1877 the Supreme Court held in a case coming up from Lancaster County that the law was unconstitutional. In 1883 the Legislature again provided for township organization and in the November election, Adams County adopted township organization by a vote of 1,523 for and 146 against. Under the law providing for the change in county government there was one supervisor for each precinct, but precincts having more than 3,000 inhabitants were entitled to one additional supervisor; more than 5,000, two additonal and thereafter one additional supervisor for every additional 2,000 inhabitants. For a time Adams County had twenty-three supervisors. In 1891 tliis law was amended to provide tliat each city or village of 1,000 or over should be entitled to one supervisor and one additional supervisor for each additional 4,000 inhabitants.

January 11. 1884, the county was divided by the supervisors into eight townships. West Blue was defined within the boundaries now containing Highland and West Blue; Denver contained the present Denver and Blaine, except Hastings; Ayr, Ayr and Zero; Silver Lake, Silver Lake and Logan; Cottonwood, Cottonwood and Roseland ; Juniata, Verona and Juniata ; Kenesaw, Kenesaw and Wanda. June 6, 1884, the eight precincts were each divided into two, forming the present townships.

During 189.3 the county was divided into seven supervisor districts which now exist. The law provided that if at that time there were more than one supervisor in a district they sliould determine by lot who should be the sujiervisor. At the November, 189.5, election, one supervisor was elected in each district. Those elected in odd numbered districts held office one year: those in even numbered, two years. The law now in force provided that those elected in odd numbered districts in 1914 shall hold office for foin- years and those elected in even nmnbered districts in 1916 shall hold office for four years.

The districts as formed in 189;5 with regard to territory are made up as follows: District No. 1 - West Blue, Highland, Denver and Blaine. District 2 - Juniata, Hanover and Ayr. District 3 - Verona, Kenesaw, Wanda and Cottonwood. District 4 - Roseland, Logan, Silver Lake, Zero and Little Blue. Districts .3. 6 and 7, the City of Hastings.

When the tliree commissioners were first elected one was elected for one year; one for two years and one for three years. Thereafter each commissioner was elected for three years. The following were elected :

William ]M. Vastine, A. C. JNIoore, J. C. Kay, Jacob Wooster, W. M. Lownian, F. M. Alexander, A. H. Cramer, Henry Stammer, B. F. :Munson, A. A. Sayre, F. C. Phillips, W. B. Browii, B. B. Snodgrass, S. G. Johnson, J. F. Fernow, Aaron F. Powers, W. H. Waldron, Edward Creager, Thomas Carter, J. C. Woodworth, Frank P. Harmon and Adam Reader.

A. C. ]Moore, James Rooney, R. V. Shockey, E. Johnson, Lester Wormuth. W. J. Willars, Harvey E. Rose, C. H. Shufflebarger. John Gordon, S. JM. Da^is, F. J. Taylor, Thomas J. Cooperrider and D. H. Ballard.

W. H. Waldron, Dayton H. Ballard, H. G. Knights, R. V. Shockey, F. C. Kruger, E. Johnson, A. T. Shattuck, E. L. Dutton, Jacob Wooster, John Gordon, Thomas J. Cooperrider, JM. A. Cruse and C. B. Bigelow.

Supervisors Elected For 1916

Benedict. In the 1916 election J. L. Hynes and P. H. Gartner tied in the fourth district, each receiving 229 votes. JNIr. Hynes won in the drawing.

In the cases in the foregoing table where even numbered districts elect supervisors in the same years as the odd numbered, or vice versa, it is to fill a vacancy caused by the death or resignation of a supervisor.