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         COUNTY GOVERNMENT. On the 7th day of December, 1836, by an act of the Territorial Council of Wisconsin, passed and approved that day, the county of Louisa was created. The origin of the name is somewhat in doubt, though the most probable view of the case is that it was named after Louisa County, Va., the name being given by William L. Toole, who was a native of that State and a member of the territorial Legislature when the act was passed to establish a county. It is said by some that it was named after Louisa Massey, who performed a heroic deed by avenging the death of her brother.

From a historical sketch of the county, published in the Columbus Safeguard in 1872, it is learned that the county was organized by the election of William Milligan, Jeremiah Smith and John Reynolds as County Commissioners. Their first meeting, according to that account, was held at Wapello, April 22, 1837, when they appointed Z. C. Inghram as Clerk of the Commissioner’s Court. Samuel Smith was the first Sheriff and William H. Creighton the first Assessor and Collector of the county. No record can be found of the meeting of this board, the first record being under date of April 2, 1838, when William L. Toole, William Milligan and E. B. Hamilton appeared as Commissioners. Their first act was the appointment of William H. R. Thomas, as Clerk of the Board, who gave bonds for the faithful performance of the duties of the office. Z. C. Inghram was appointed Treasurer, pro tem, and the first bill allowed was to Mr. Inghram for books and other supplies for county purposes.

The county was divided into five precincts, and Judges of Election were appointed for each as follows:

Under Wapello—Hiram Smith, Thomas England, Abram Wigant. Florence—James Bedwell, T. G. Clark, Craig Black. Grand View—R. Childers, William Fowler, George Humphrey. Black Hawk—Israel Trask, Jonathan Parsons, James Guest. For a seal the commissioners adopted the quarter dollar of the United States Government.

The seat of justice for Louisa County was first located by the Legislature on a tract of land just south of the present city of Wapello, where a town was laid out and the first court-house built, which was of cottonwood logs. The court was held in one end of the building, with the Sheriff’s dwelling in the other.

In March, 1839, an election was held for the location of the county seat, Fredonia and Wapello each trying to secure the prize. Wapello had fifty-six majority. At the same election Thomas Milligan, Wright Williams and Israel L. Clark were elected commissioners, and C. M. McDaniels, Sheriff.

On the 3d of April, 1839, the Commissioners received proposals for the erection of a court-house . . .

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. . . and jail, the former to be of brick, 20x40 feet, and the latter of hewed timber. The contracts were let May 20, 1839, to Samuel M. Kirkpatrick for the erection of both buildings, the court-house at $1,300 and the jail at $1,000. The jail, however, was never built. The court-house was erected according to contract and used until 1852, when the present court-house was built.

Until 1851 the legislative business of the county was transacted by a Board of County Commissioners, consisting of three members. As a rule they were the best men in the county, and to the satisfaction of the people. To do the work in a satisfactory manner was just as hard in the early days as at present. The county had no roads, no public buildings, and no improvements of any kind. Roads were to be located, and in such a way as to serve the best interests of all, and not alone of the few. Public buildings were to be erected, bridges built, and a thousand and one things were to be considered, all of which cost money, and the pioneers were not possessed of large wealth, but in general were in very limited circumstances. For years the Commissioners superintended improvements, expending a considerable sum of money, while at the same time endeavoring to keep the county free from debt.

In the fall of 1851, by an act of the Legislature, the County Judge system succeeded the commissioners’ system, the legislative business being transacted by the County Judge. This was continued until the year 1861.

In the winter of 1859-60 the Legislature passed an act providing for a Board of Supervisors and abolishing the County Court. The board was to consist of one member from each township in the county. The first board was elected in the fall of 1860, and convened in January, 1861. For the next four years it had much to do with questions growing out of the war, looking after the families of soldiers, providing for the bounties, and devising ways and means for the prosecution of the work of enlistment. That their work was arduous will be admitted by all.

In the winter of 1869-70 the General Assembly again changed the law by reducing the number of Supervisors, leaving it optional with the counties whether the number should be three or five. Louisa County adopted the smaller number. Since that time there has been no change made, and the plan seems to be satisfactory to the people.