of
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume I, 1911, pages 53-54
SUBDIVISION OF OLD DES MOINES. Act No. 21 was the next important bill (after the one locating the seat of government) passed by the legislature, so far as the county of Des Moines was concerned. It is here given in full. An Act Dividing the County of Des Moines into several new counties:
Section 1. Be it enacted by the council and house of representatives of the territory of Wisconsin, That the country included within the following limits, to wit: Beginning at the most southern outlet of Skunk river on the Mississippi: thence a northern direction, passing through the grove on the head of the northern branch of Lost creek; thence to a point corresponding with the range line dividing ranges seven and eight; thence south with said line to the Des Moines river; thence down the middle of the same to the Mississippi, and thence up the Mississippi to the place of beginning, be and the same is hereby set off into a separate county, by the name of Lee.
Section 2. Be it further enacted, That the country included in the following boundaries, to wit: Beginning at the northeast corner of Lee; thence south with the west line of said county, to the river Des Moines; thence up the same to where the Missouri line strikes the same; thence west with the said Missouri boundary line to the Indian boundary line; thence north with the said boundary line twenty-four miles; thence east to the beginning, be and the same is hereby set off into a separate county, by the name of Van Buren.
Section 3. Be it further enacted, That the country included within the following limits, to wit: Beginning on the Mississippi river at the northeast corner of Lee; thence up said river to a point fifteen miles above the town of Burlington, on the bank of said river; thence on a westerly direction to a point on the dividing ridge between the Iowa river and Flint creek, being twenty miles on a due west line from the Mississippi river; thence a southerly direction so as to intersect the northern line of the county of Lee at a point twenty miles on a straight line from the Mississippi river; thence east with the northerly line of the said county of Lee to the beginning, be and the same is hereby set off into a separate county, by the name of Des Moines.
Section 4. Be it further enacted, That the country included within the following limits, to wit: Beginning at the southwest corner of Des Moines; thence northwest with the line of said county of Van Buren, to the Indian boundary line; thence north with the boundary line, twenty-four miles; thence southeast to the northwest corner of the county of Des Moines; thence south with the west line of the county of Des Moines to the beginning, be and the same is hereby set off into a separate county, by the name of Henry.
Section 5. Be it further enacted, That the country included within the following limits, to wit: Beginning at the Mississippi river, at the northeast corner of Des Moines; thence up the said river twelve miles above the mouth of Iowa; thence west to the Indian boundary line; thence with said boundary line to the northwest corner of Henry; and with the line of the same to the northwest corner of the county of Des Moines; thence east with the line of the same county of Des Moines to the beginning, be and the same is hereby set off into a separate county, by the name of Louisa.
Section 6. Be it further enacted, That the country included within the following boundaries, to wit: Beginning on the Mississippi river at the northeast corner of the county of Louisa; thence up said river twenty-five miles on a straight line; thence west to the Indian boundary line; thence with said boundary line south to the northwest corner of the county of Louisa; thence east with the line of said county of Louisa to the beginning, be and the same is hereby set off into a separate county, by the name of Musquitine.
Section 7. Be it further enacted, That the country included within the following boundaries, to wit: Beginning on the Mississippi river at the northeast corner of the county of Musquitine; thence up said river to the southeast corner of Du Buque; thence with the line of the said county of Du Buque to the Indian boundary line: thence with said line south to the northwest corner of the county of Musquitine; thence east with the said line of the said county of Musquitine to the beginning, be and the same is hereby set off into a separate county, by the name of Cook.
Section 8. Be it further enacted, That the district court shall be held at the town of Madison, in the county of Lee, on the last Monday in March and on the last Monday in August in each year; in the town of Farmington, in the county of Van Buren, on the second Monday in April and the second Monday in September of each year; in the town of Mount Pleasant, in the county of Henry, on the first Friday after the second Monday in April, and September in each year; in the town of Wapello, in the county of Louisa, on the first Thursday after the third Monday in April and September in each year; in the town of Bloomington, in the county of Musquitine, on the fourth Monday in April and September in each year.
Section 9. Be it further enacted, That the county of Cook be and the same is hereby attached to the county of Musquitine for all judicial purposes.
Section 10. And be it further enacted, That the proper authority of the several counties hereby established, so soon as the said counties shall be organized, shall liquidate and pay so much of the debt now due and uppaid by the present county of Des Moines, as may be their legal and equitable proportion of the same, according to the assessment value of the taxable property which shall be made therein.
Section 11. This act to be in force from and after its passage, and until the end of the next annual session of the legislative assembly, and no longer.
P. H. Engle,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
HENRY S. BAIRD,
Approved December 7, 1836. President of the Council.
H. DODGE.
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