Door County, Wisconsin - Chapter 13: Political Organization of Door County with Lists of County Officers and Members of the Legislature, 1917

Chapter 13: Political Organization of Door County with Lists of County Officers and Members of the Legislature

The first event in Door County's political history took place on Rock Island, June 20, 1850. On that day, in the house of H. D. Miner, the Town of Washington was organized. Capt. Amos Saunders was elected chairman, H. D. Miner, clerk, and John Boone, justice of the peace. As taxes at that time were considered an unnecessary evil no assessor or treasurer was elected.

This was the first attempt to establish law and order in Door County. Up to that time the whole peninsula, including the present Kewaunee County, had been a sort of a nameless no man's country, where squatters came and went as they chose, yielding taxes as tribute to no one.

The Town of Washington at that time was a part of Brown County which embraced a large part of the state including all of the Door County peninsula. February 11, 1851, the Legislature set aside the present Door County into a separate county and the county / seat was located at Baileys Harbor under the name of Gibraltar. This was done through the efforts of a Milwaukee business man by the name of Alanson Sweet who had purchased some land within the present Village of Baileys Harbor and who hoped to increase the value of this real estate by making it the county seat. There were only a few fishermen in the county at this time and most of these did not even know of the county organization as no steps were taken to set up a county government. The few real estate transfers that at this time or before were made were all recorded in Brown or Manitowoe counties which both claimed the peninsula.

The next step in Door County's political history was an act passed by the Legislature in the winter of 1855 organizing Sturgeon Bay into an election precinct. In November of that year a very curious election for governor of the state was held in the village as is described in the chapter on Sturgeon Bay, page 304, but no general elec- tion was held. In July, 1856, a town election was held and O. P. Graham was elected chairman. In November of that year A. G. Warren was elected chairman. There was now quite a demand that the county board of the new county should meet and levy taxes for the needed improvements. As Mr. Warren did not know where the county seat of Door County was, he struck a bee line through the woods to Green Bay to consult John Last, the district attorney of Brown County. Mr. Last gave a written opinion that the county seat was Gibraltar, supposed to be located in section 20, town 30, range 28, where now lies the Village of Baileys Harbor. He also authorized A. G. Warren and W. H. Warren and John Garland, justices of the peace elect, to constitute the board for the canvass of returns. Not only did they constitute themselves a board of canvassers, but they also, in some manner which they could not later explain, constituted themselves into a "county board of supervisors." In November, 1856, these three men thereupon set out afoot through the swamps and along the lake shore to discover "Gibraltar," Door County's legal county seat. They were not sure just which piece of timber constituted the capital of the county as the shore looked pretty much the same to them. Finally, however, they identified it by the ruins of certain shanties erected by Mr. Sweet's men some years previously but which were now deserted. Here on some fallen logs the self-appointed county fathers sat in state awaiting the arrival of J. Nolan, the chairman of Washington. However, Mr. Nolan as chairman of the only properly organized town in the county considered himself the whole thing and was too busy with his fishing to come. Some ducks were killed and eaten but still no signs appeared of Mr. Nolan. The board of canvassers thereupon declared the following men elected November 4th, prox, to be the properly elected officers of Door County and went home: Ezra B. Stevens, member of assembly; Joseph Harris, register of deeds and clerk of the board; Robert Graham, county treasurer; H. Schuyler, county surveyor; H. S. Schuyler, county coroner.

As there was great doubt about the legality of these proceedings and the status of the town, the Town of Sturgeon Bay was again and formally organized in 1857 under the name of Otumba. It embraced all of Door County except the Town of Washington, which had the same limits then as now. Henry Schuyler, Sr., was elected chairman and Joseph Harris clerk.

geon Bay, or Graham, as the village was then named, on November 10,1857. Mr. Nolan, however, did not come. As no quorum could be had without the presence of Mr. Nolan who constituted half of the board, the meeting was adjourned until December 5, 1857, to meet on Washington Island. Mr. Harris describes this journey as follows: "Mr. J. Nolan, who was chairman of the Town of Washington, refused to come to Sturgeon Bay to hold the meeting, and Squire Henry Schuyler, who was chairman of Otumba, and myself agreed to go to Washington Island for that purpose. It was late in November when we started on foot through the woods to Fish Creek, that being the nearest place where a sailboat could be got. There were no roads in any part of the county at that time, and no trail north of Sturgeon Bay. We started in Jacob St. Ore's large sailboat, or sloop, with another man to help sail it and arrived at the island the same day. The next day the first meeting of a county board in Door County was held. Squire Schuyler was chosen chairman, and myself clerk of the board. The tax levy was made and Door County was set upon its legs. The next evening we started back to Fish Creek. While attempting to cross Death's Door, a heavy squall came up, which prevented us from reaching the mainland. We ran before the wind until about midnight, when, seeing lights ahead, we let go anchor. When daylight came we found ourselves at Flat Rock (near Escanaba), where we had been driven by the storm. During the night the wind changed to the north; raining, snowing, and freezing so that the deck and rigging was a mass of ice, but we reached Fish Creek that afternoon, having a fine breeze from over the after quarter of the boat. At Fish Creek we borrowed a smaller sailboat and started for Sturgeon Bay, which was reached late that night to find the bay frozen over nearly down to Laurie's place. where with difficulty we landed. We hauled the boat ashore and footed it home." *

The business done at this meeting was as follows: "Taxes were levied and assessments equalized, the value of lands being fixed at $3 per acre for improved land, $2.50 for unimproved, and $6 for pine lands. The Town of Gibraltar was set off embracing all of the peninsula north of the present Town of Sevastopol and the islands west of it. The Town of Forestville was set off embracing the present towns of Forestville and Clay Banks; all the rest of the peninsula was included in the Town of Otumba. Henry Schuyler, Sr., was appointed county surveyor. A bounty of $2.50 per head was adopted for the destruction of wolves. County orders were issued amountmg to about $320. The meeting was then adjourned to meet again on Washington Island on February 10, 1858. At this meeting the "Town of Brussels was set off, consisting of the present towns of Brussels, Union and Gardner.

The first meeting of the county board to be held in Sturgeon Bay was held August 30, 1858. Those present at this meeting were Ezra B. Stevens, of Otumba, chairman, John S. Torrey, of Gibraltar, and Abel Crawford, of Forestville. The meeting was short, consisting chiefly of voting an appropriation of $130 to be expended in opening the Green Bay and Sturgeon Bay State Road. In the November meeting of the same year the Town of Chambers Island was set off from Gibraltar. The next February, 1859, the towns of Liberty Grove and Clay Banks were set off. In November, 1859, the towns of Nasewaupee and Sevastopol were set off. Egg Harbor and Baileys Harbor were detached from Gibraltar and set off as separate towns July 9, 1861. Gardner was detached from Brussels and set off June 10, 1862. Union was set off in November, 1865. Jacksonport, the last organized town, was not set off by the county board but was detached from Baileys Harbor and Egg Harbor by a special act of the Legislature passed in the session of 1869 through the efforts of Col. Charles L. Harris.

By this time, in fact in 1857, the county seat was by an act of the Legislature changed from Gibraltar (now Baileys Harbor) to Graham (now Sturgeon Bay). To accomplish this it was necessary for Joseph Harris, the county clerk, and the Warren brothers to make several journeys along the lake shore to Baileys Harbor in all kinds of weather for the purpose of posting notices as required by law. An election was then held in the county to enable the voters to indicate their choice of location of the county seat. To facilitate this election it is asserted that a cigar box was carried around to the voters who were asked to drop their ballot into the same.

In 1861 the Legislature passed a law providing that the county board should meet July 8, 1861, for the purpose of dividing the county into three districts. Each district was thereafter to elect one supervisor. The county board divided the county as follows:

'This system of county government by three commissioners proved very unsatisfactory and obnoxious. It permitted grave injustice in the equalization of taxes, and numerous forms of graft. One of the most common was for the three men to vote large appropriations for road improvements and then appoint themselves road commissioners. The law was repealed in 1869.

Since 1870 the county board has been made up of one representative (the chairman) from each town and incorporated village, and one representative from each ward in the City of Sturgeon Bay. In the early years the personnel of the county board underwent great changes each year, more than half of the members of each county board being new oflicials. This seriously impaired the efficiency of the county board and greatly added to its expense. Not being familiar with their duties it was difficult for the board members to manage the business of the county and from six to ten adjourned meetings per year were common. The county board elected in 1866 held seventeen meetings from November, 1866, to June, 1868. This was partly due to its attempt to oust the county treasurer, Joseph Harris, Sr., from his office. The county board in its regular session in November, 1866, had neglected to fix the amount of the treasurer's bond. He filled out a bond for $10,000, the amount of bonds required by the former county board. At this time Mr. Harris was state senator and had political enemies who wanted his job as treasurer. They persuaded the county board to meet in February, 1867, and fix the treasurer's bond at $20,000. Before Mr. Harris had time to provide the new bond the board met again, February 20th, and declared the county treasurer's office vacant and appointed G. W. Allen, the attorney who juggled the case for them, county treasurer, There was great disgust at this action of the county board and Mr. Harris in the Advocate of February 28, 1867, comes out with spirited defense declaring he would not surrender the office. He also openly charged James Gillispie, one of the members of the board, with graft.

'The county board, finding that their proceedings were irregular, met again March 9, 1867, and renewed their appointment of G. W. Allen, charging that Harris' bond was insufficiently signed. Mr. Harris' bond was signed, however, by twenty of the most representative men of the county, while Mr. Allen's was signed by ten. With this to fall back upon, Mr. Harris again refused to give up the office.

The question of who was county treasurer now remained in a deadlock for several months. In the meantime both sides appealed to the public for support. Mr. Allen was a Confederate sympathizer and was therefore unpopular. In the preceding election he had run for district attorney and received only ten votes in his own town, Sturgeon Bay, and but few more in the whole county. Finding that the people of the county were almost unanimously on the side of Harris, the new county board which met in November, 1867, rescinded the resolutions against Harris and accepted his bond.

Another matter which caused great controversy in the county was a foolish resolution passed in the November, 1871, meeting of the 'county board. 'This resolution was directed to the member of the State Assembly from Door County, asking that he "procure the passage of a law requiring owners or occupants of improved lands to have same enclosed with a legal fence * * * as a prerequisite to the recovery of all damages for injury done by animals of any other persons trespassing on such lands." A very spirited discussion followed in the county paper in which the farmers of the county energetically protested against being compelled to fence their lands for the benefit of those whose cattle roamed at large. This attitude óf the Door County farmers was later sustained by the Legislature.

"Lhe county tax voted by these early county boards was excessively high considering the small resources of the county. For instance, the county tax in 1871 was $8,200 levied against an assessed valuation of $724,000. This makes a rate of $1.13 per $100 of valuation. As a comparison may be taken our last county tax levy, in 1916, of $55,000 against an assessed valuation of almost $21,000,000. This makes a county tax of 26 cents per $100, or less than onefourth of the tax rate paid in 1871.

Not content with that, however, the county board of 1872 more than doubled the county tax, voting a tax of $18,019, making a tax of about $2 per $100, or about eight times the present county tax rate. Nine thousand dollars of this was a special highway tax and the county board of 1872 elected three of their own number as commissioners to spend it. These road bills were openly charged by the Advocate to be false and fraudulent and there was great disgust at the irresponsible actions of the county board. The proceedings of the board were not printed, which gave further cause for criticism to the opposition. They were hazed in the press all through the winter. On one occasion the Advocate characterized the board as follows: "The members of the county board of Waupaca County have had their pedigrees printed in one of the county papers. Some of our county supervisors have too long ears to have a very illustrious pedigree." In spring almost every member of the county board was defeated for re-election.

Little by little the members of the county board learned to get their "long ears" (reminiscent of asinine progenitors) down to the ground and hearken to the wishes of the people. By so doing the county board of Door County has now become a very efficient body of public officials. This was helped by the realization of the electors that a new body of officials is not in position to handle the affairs of the county with discretion. It has therefore become the custom to return the same member to the county board for a long series of years. Among the longest records are those of N. J. Delfosse who served on the county board representing the Town of Union for twenty-three years until he died. Frank Wellever comes next with a record of twenty-one years as representative of Egg Harbor. John Fetzer of Forestville and Roger Eatough of Baileys Harbor each served twenty years. Mr. Fetzer died in office. Mr. Eatough was chairman of the county board for twenty years. Kearn Bowe of the Town of Sturgeon Bay has a unique record of representing his town for fifteen consecutive years.

The first meeting place of the county board, as told above, was on some fallen logs where now stands the Village of Baileys Harbor. The second was on Washington Island. About 1860 a small courthouse was built on Main Street, opposite the present office of the Sturgeon Bay Advocate. This little building did service until 1878 when the present commodious courthouse was built.

One peculiar characteristic of the county government for many years was the chronic state of bankruptcy of the county treasury. The reason for this was that the county was generally a year behind its bills. The finance committee, familiar with this state of things, usually recommended a budget which would enable the county to do a cash business. However, this budget was uniformly cut in two upon the recommendation of certain members from the southern part of the county who wanted to go home and tell their voters how they "had saved the county big taxes." As a matter of fact their false economy placed a heavy burden upon the county. Each year the county board went through the ridiculous form of instructing the clerk to purchase needed articles where he could buy them cheapest. However, as no pay could be promised for a year or so, he was obliged to purchase everything from certain jobbers who

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Year Total Number. For Sturgeon Money County - Aldfrom Expenses for of Miles Maintenance, Automobila Bay (Chy) Washington Spent Appropriations State New Roads Constructed Machinery, ete. - Fund were willing to wait so long and therefore in return charged twentyfive to one hundred per cent more for their goods than where a cash deal was involved.

When Eli Thompson entered upon his duties as county treasurer on the first day of January, 1883, he gave bonds in the sum of $30,000, for the safe keeping of moneys intrusted to his hands. When he opened the people's strong box he found himself the custodian of just thirty-two cents! Not only this but he found that the' county was at that time about eight thousand dollars in debt, and that no provision whatever had been made by the county board to cancel its obligations. 'The witnesses at the ensuing term of the circuit court were obliged to go home without any compensation and so were the officers of the court. The jurors fared a little better, Mr. Higgins personally paying them out of his own pocket. This state of things was customary year after year. The result was that the credit of the county was ruined and county orders were classed with Confederate money. Certain dissatisfied recipients even made spitballs of them.

Certain enterprising brokers saw in this state of things an opportunity for making easy money. They bought up the orders at fifty cents on the dollar, locked them up in their safes for a year or two until the "economical" members of the county board tardily levied the taxes necessary to meet them and then cashed in at full value.

Another characteristic of the past was the domination exercised over the county board by certain rival business interests. For many years the county board's allegiance was divided between "the Leathem & Smith Crowd" and "the A. W. Lawrence crowd." These two factors fought each other in many questions such as the bridge, the railroad, county newspapers and state politics. While neither faction was pre-eminent in either vice or virtue they strove hard for mastery in county matters and the county board was therefore constantly divided on questions of publie policy.

'These conditions have happily ceased. After having for many years crawled snail fashion along the road of public progress, retarded by false motives of economy, and after having been misled and checkmated by rival interests, the county board has now shaken off all fetters and attends to its business with such intelligence and enterprise that it has won from the Capitol the verdict: "An excellent county board."

THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR THE YEARS 1857 TO 1869 INCLUSIVE (The name of the chairman of the board is printed in italics)

THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS POR THE YEARS 1870 TO 1917 INCLUSIVE (The name of the chairman of the board is printed in italies)

"Served on the county board instead of the chairman, David Graham, who died, 4Served on the county board instead of the chairman, J. C. Messenger.

Members Of The State Assembly

Below is given a list of all members in the legislative assembly representing Door County beginning with the year 1851 when Door County was organized. Until 1876 Door County was a part of an assembly district including several other counties. Although Door County is very largely an agricultural county, it has been represented by farmers in only two legislatures. The other members of the assembly from Door County may be classified as follows: Merchants, 9: attorneys, 6; bankers, 3; millers, 2; hotelkeepers, 2; insurance agents, 2; teachers, 2; cheesemaker, 1; dealer in seeds, 1.

Thirty-first 'session, 1878. Edward S. Minor, Fish Creek. Merchant. Came to Door County in 1857. Born in New York, 1840. Was first lieutenant in union army.

Thirty-second session, 1879. Charles August Masse (republican), Sturgeon Bay. Merchant. Native of Holland. Forty years of age. Twenty-eight years in state.

'Thirty-fifth session, 1882. Adelbert C. Thorpe (republican), Sturgeon Bay. Farmer. Native of New York. Thirty-eight years of age. Came to Wisconsin in 1848.

Thirty-sixth session, 1883. Christopher Leonhardt (republican), Sturgeon Bay. Hotelkeeper. Native of Germany. Forty-five years of age. Came to Wisconsin in 1843.

Thirty-ninth session, 1889. Hans Johnson (republican), Newport. Merchant. Native of Denmark. Forty-three years of age. Came to Wisconsin in 1869.

Fortieth session, 1891. Charles Mitchell Whiteside (democrat) , Sawyer. Miller. Native of Ohio. Thirty-seven years of age. Came to Wisconsin in 1880.

Forty-first session, 1893. James Keogh (republican), Sturgeon Bay. Mayor of city and banker. Native of Ireland. Forty-three years of age. Came to Wisconsin in 1855.

Forty-second session, 1895. James Hanson (republican), Ephraim. Merchant. Native of Norway. Forty-three years of age. Came to Wisconsin in 1854.

Forty-third session, 1897. Henry Overbeck, Jr. (republican), Sturgeon Bay. Telegraph operator and insurance agent. Native of New York. Forty-four years of age. Came to Wisconsin in 1854.

Forty-sixth session, 1903. Charles Reynolds (republican), Sturgeon Bay. Lumber and real estate. Native of Ireland. Sixty-four years of age. Came to Wisconsin in 1860. Was assistant adjutantgeneral in Civil war.

Forty-eighth session, 1907. Thomas Reynolds (republican), Jacksonport. Farmer. Native of Ireland. Sixty-seven years of age. Came to Wisconsin in 1866.

Fiftieth session, 1911. Lewis L. Johnson (republican), Clay Banks. Schoolteacher and lawyer. Native of Kewaunee County. Thirty-one years of age.

Fifty-second session, 1915. Fred S. Hanson (republican), Sturgeon Bay. Cheesemaker. Native of Denmark. Fifty years of age. Came to Wisconsin in 1893. ,

Part, The Number Of The District, The Counties Composing The District And Year

Door County has had only one representative in Congress. Hon. K. S. Minor of Sturgeon Bay was elected to the fifty-fourth Congress in 1895. He was re-elected five times, serving until 1907. Door County has always been a very strong republican county. In 1884 when there was quite a landslide to the democratic party, the democratic vote was the largest in proportion to the total. Even then it was only a little more than one-third of the total vote, Blaine receiving 1,838 and Cleveland receiving 1,117.

LIST OF SALARIED COUNTY OFFICERS FROM 1856 TO 1917 1856 - Jos. Harris, Sr., county clerk; Robt. Graham, treasurer; Joe Harris, Sr., register of deeds; A. M. Iverson, county superintendent of schools; Henry Schuyler, surveyor.

1858 - Henry Avery, county clerk; Robt. Graham, treasurer; Joe Harris, Sr., register of deeds; L. H. D. Sheppard, surveyor; J. B. A. Maples, clerk of court; Lorenzo Brown, sheriff; J. F. Loy, district attorney.

1866 - John Garland, county clerk; Joe Harris, treasurer; Jos. Colignon, register of deeds; Wm. H. Warren, county superintendent of schools; Wm. K. Warren, surveyor; D. H. Rice, county judge; Jno. McKinney, clerk of court; Jesse Kimber, sheriff; D. A. Reed, district attorney.

1868 - John Garland, county clerk; Joe Colignon, treasurer; Peter Zinners, register of deeds; R. M. Wright, county superintendent of schools; J. C. Pinney, surveyor; D. H. Rice, county judge; Henry Harris, clerk of court; J. R. Mann, sheriff; Wm. K. Dresser, district attorney.

1872 - C. A. Masse, county clerk; Joe Colignon, treasurer; Peter Zinners, register of deeds; Chris. Daniels, county superintendent of schools; J. C. Pinney, surveyor; R. M. Wright, county judge; Chris. Daniels, clerk of court; David Houle, sheriff; D. A. Reed, district attorney.

1874 - C. A. Masse, county clerk; Chris. Leonhardt, treasurer; Jas. Keogh, Jr., register of deeds; Chris. Daniels, county superintendent of schools; Henry Schuyler, surveyor; R. M. Wright, county

1876 - A. D. Thorpe, county clerk; C. A. Masse, treasurer; Jas. Keogh, Jr., register of deeds; Chris. Daniels, county superintendent. of schools; W. H. Warren, surveyor; R. M. Wright, county judge; Chris. Daniels, clerk of court; David Houle, sheriff; D. A. Reed, district attorney.

1878 - A. D. Thorpe, county clerk; Chris. Leonhardt, treasurer; Jas. Keogh, Jr., register of deeds; Jas. Keogh, Jr., county superintendent of schools; Jas. Pinney, surveyor; R. M. Wright, county judge; C. A. Masse, clerk of court; Thos. Scott, sheriff ; G. W. Allen, district attorney.

1880 - Geo. Nelson, county clerk; Chris. Leonhardt, treasurer; Jas. Keogh, Jr., register of deeds; Chris. Daniels, county superintendent of schools; A. G. Warren, surveyor; R. M. Wright, county judge; H. C. Graham, clerk of court; Arnold Wagener, sheriff; G. W. Allen, district attorney.

1884 - Mich. McDonald, county clerk; Eli Thompson, treasurer; Jas. Keogh, Jr., register of deeds; J. W. Kinsell, county superintendent of schools; J. C. Pinney, surveyor; F. J. Hamilton, county judge; Allen Higgins, clerk of court; Thos. Scott, sheriff; O. E. Dreutzer, district attorney; Mart. Hayes, coroner.

1886 - Mich. McDonald, county clerk; Eli Thompson, treasurer; Jas. Keogh, Jr., register of deeds; J. W. Kinsell, county superintendent of schools; J. C. Pinney, surveyor; H. M. MeNally, county judge; Allen Higgins, clerk of court; Thos. Scott, sheriff; R. P. Cody, district attorney ; Mart. Hayes, coroner.

1888 - L. L. Bacchus, county clerk; Eli Thompson, treasurer: Jacob Dehos, register of deeds; W. L. Damkoehler. county superintendent of schools; C. O. Guenther, surveyor; F. J. Hamilton, county judge; Allen Higgins, clerk of court; Arnold Wagener, sheriff; R. P. Cody, district attorney; Alex Lawson, coroner.

1892 - Clem Killman, county clerk; L. D. Mowry, treasurer; Jacob Dehos, register of deeds; W. L. Damkoehler, county superintendent of schools; A. G. Warren, surveyor; C. A. Masse, county judge; Allen Higgins, clerk of court; Adelbert Thorpe, sheriff; Y. V. Dreutzer, district attorney; Hercules Adamson, coroner.

1894 - L. D. Mowry, county clerk; Adelbert Thorpe, treasurer; Nicholas Nelson, register of deeds; W. L. Damkoehler, county superintendent of schools; A. G. Warren, surveyor; C. A. Masse, county judge; Allen Higgins, clerk of court; Clem Killman, sheriff; Y. V. Dreutzer, district attorney; Wm. Jackson, coroner.

1896 - Jas. L. Halstead, county clerk; Jos. G. Dalemont, treasurer; Nicholas Nelson, register of deeds; Win. T. Anderson, county superintendent of schools; F. R. Stradling, surveyor; C. A. Masse, county judge; Allen Higgins, clerk of court; A. A. Minor, sheriff; Y. V. Dreutzer, district attorney; Alex Lawson, coroner.

1898 - Jas. L. Halstead, county clerk; Jos. G. Dalemont, treasurer; Nicholas Nelson, register of deeds; Wm. 'T. Anderson, county superintendent of schools; C. O. Guenther, surveyor; C. A. Masse, county judge; Allen Higgins, clerk of court; Edson W. Washburn, sheriff; Y. V. Dreutzer, distriet attorney; Alex Lawson, coroner.

1900 - Jas. L. Halstead, county clerk; Chas. Plinske, treasurer; Nicholas Nelson, register of deeds; Wm. T. Anderson, county superintendent of schools; Frank McCullough, surveyor; C. A. Masse,

1902 - Jas. L. Halstead, county clerk; Chas. Plinske, treasurer; Andrew Nelson, register of deeds; J. A. Eichinger, county superintendent of schools; Frank McCullough, surveyor; Jacob Dehos, county judge; Allen Higgins, clerk of court; Herman Fritzler, sheriff; Y. V. Dreutzer, district attorney; Phillip Riley, coroner.

1904 - Jas. L. Halstead, county clerk; Jos. G. Dalemont, treasurer; Andrew Nelson, register of deeds; J. A. Eichinger, county superintendent of schools; Frank McCullough, surveyor; Jacob Dehos, county judge; Allen, Higgins, clerk of court; A. A. Minor, sheriff; Y. V. Dreutzer, district attorney; Wm. Darling, coroner.

1906 - Jas. L. Halstead, county clerk; Jos. G. Dalemont, treasurer; Andrew Nelson, register of deeds; A. J. Smith, county superintendent of schools; Frank Marshek, surveyor; Jacob Dehos, county

1908 - Jas. L. Halstead, county clerk; Chas. Plinske, treasurer; Andrew Nelson, register of deeds; A. J. Smith, county superintendent of schools; A. C. Greaves, surveyor; Jacob Dehos, county judge; Allen Higgins, clerk of court; H. A. Wagener, sheriff; Henry Graass, district attorney; Wm. Darling, coroner.

1910 - E. M. La Plant, county clerk; Chas. Plinske, treasurer; Otto Nelson, register of deeds; G. A. Bassford, county superintendent of schools; A. C. Greaves, surveyor; Jacob Dehos, county judge; Allen Higgins, clerk of court; Al. Osmuson, sheriff; Henry Graass, district attorney; Henry Hahn, coroner.

1912 - E. M. La Plant, county clerk; Emil Miller, treasurer; Otto Nelson, register of deeds; G. A. Bassford, county superintendent of schools; Jos. Bouche, surveyor; Jacob Dehos, county judge; Frank Wellever, clerk of court; Ben Miller, sheriff: Henry Graass, district attorney; Henry Hahn, coroner.

1914 - Ralph Herlache, county clerk; Emil Miller, treasurer; Otto Nelson, register of deeds; Millard Tufts, county superintendent of schools; Rich. Rasmusson, surveyor; Jacob Dehos, county judge; Frank Wellever, clerk of court; Al. Osmuson, sheriff; T. A. Sanderson, district attorney; Henry Hahn, coroner.

1916 - Ralph Herlache, county clerk; Emil Miller, treasurer; Bert Carmody, register of deeds; Millard "Tufts, county superintendent of schools; Rich. Rasmusson, surveyor; Jacob Dehos, county judge; Frank Wellever, clerk of court; Eli Stegman, sheriff; W. E. Gaede, district attorney; Henry Hahn, coroner.