Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Tax Levy for 1840 Township Organization Vote Ordered

July 7, 1840, it was "Ordered, that a tax of four-tenths of one per cent be levied on all the taxable property in the county, and a poll-tax of 50 cents on each person liable by law to pay said poll tax."

The Clerk was also directed to give notice that a vote would be taken at the next general election to be held in the county to test the matter whether or not the county should be organized into townships.

At the same meeting of the Board, it was

Ordered, That Blue Point Precinct shall embrace Township 73 north, Range 10 west, and Township 73 north, Range 11 west (Black Hawk and Polk).

From a subsequent entry, under date of January 5, 1841, it seems that a majority of the voters cast their ballots in favor of township organization, for on that day it was ordered that the following should be the boundaries of the different townships:

That Township Seventy-one, Range Eight west, shall constitute a township for township purposes, to be known as Round Prairie Township. The election to be held at the town of Glasgow.
That Township Seventy-two, Range Eight west, and the east half of Township Seventy-nine west (sic - T72, R9w?), shall constitute a township, to be known as Lockridge Township. The election to be held at the house of David Keltner.
That Township Seventy-three, Range Eight west, shall constitute a township, to be known as Walnut Township. The election to be held at the house of John Pheasant.
That Township Seventy-one, Range Nine west, shall constitute a township, to be known as Cedar Township. The election to be held at the house of Joseph Parker.
That Township Seventy-three, Range Nine west, shall constitute a township, to be known as Penn Township. The election to be held at the house of Joseph Dillon.
That Township Seventy-one, Range Ten west, shall constitute a township, to be known as Liberty Township. The election to be held at the house of Seaton L. Harness.
That the west half of Township Seventy-two, Range Nine west, and two-thirds of the east of Township Seventy-two, Range Ten west, shall constitute a township, to be called Fairfield Township. The election to be held at the Court House.
That Township Seventy-two, Range Eleven west, and the west one-third of Township Seventy-two, Range Ten west, shall constitute a township, to be known as Locust Grove Township. The election to be held at the house of William Vincent.
That Township Seventy-three, Range Ten, and Township Seventy-three, Range Eleven west, shall be known as Black Hawk Township. The election to be held at the house of Jesse Reigles.
That Township Seventy-one, Range Eleven west, shall constitute a township, to be known as Des Moines Township. The election to be held at the house of Messrs. Cutting and Gordon.

At a special session of the Board of County Commissioners, held on the 28th day of January, 1856, it was

Ordered, That Township Seventy-three, Range Eleven west, shall constitute a township, to be known as the township of Polk. The election to be held at the house of George Emerick.

Town 72, Range 9 west, was set off from Fairfield and Lockridge in 1856, and organized as an independent township, and called Buchanan.