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Early Years in Pella

THE FIRST ELECTION OF TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS HELD IN PELLA

Soon after the settlement of the colony it was deemed necessary to organize some kind of government for judicial purposes, in accordance with the state and general government. As but a few of the Hollanders could speak or understand English, it was indispensable that at least a majority of the township officials should be chosen from among them. In order to make this possible, Rev. Scholte appealed to the General Assembly, and a special enactment resulted, enabling the colonists to elect their own officers as soon as they should take the oath of allegiance, indicating their intention of becoming citizens.

Immediately following this, L. W. Babbit, clerk of the District Court, administered the required oath, and on the first Monday in April, 1848, an election was held in the old log house in the Garden Square. The following men were elected:

Justices of the Peace
Green T. Clark	H. P. Scholte

Constables
Stelman Elwell	Cornelus v. d. Berg

Trustees
G. Awtry	P. Welle	A. J. Betten

Township Clerk
Isaac Overkamp

School Inspector
H. P. Scholte

Treasurer
J. Roziersz

Overseers of the Poor
Corn's den Hartog	H. Barendreght

Road Supervisors
Wellington Nossaman	Cornelus 't Lam
Wm. van Asch	P. van Meveren
G. van der Wilt	Dirk Synhorst

Fence Viewers
A. de Visser	Jan Toom

During the first two years the peace officers had very little to do. The settlers were too busy erecting their homes, fencing their garden plots and farm lands, breaking sod and otherwise providing for the present and future production of the necessities of life, to indulge in lawlessness or litigation.

A. P. Koelman and his son, Philippus Koelman, laid out the beautiful English garden for Rev. Scholte, north of the Scholte residence, which became a show

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