HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY IOWA

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CHAPTER V
"Continued"


The Board resolved at its September session 1864, to submit the question of building a court house. The proclamation read:"Weather the Board of Supervisors shall on or before the first day of June, 1865, order and contract for the erection of a court house within the village of Toledo, the county seat of said county; probably costing over $2000, provided that in no case and under no circumstances shall the said contract for the building and finishing and furnishing of said court house exceed the sum of $20,000. The proposition was defeated at the polls.

The Fifth annual meeting of the Board convened at Toledo on January 2nd 1865, and organized by the election of P. L. Sherman, Chairman, for the ensuing year. The following newly elected members appeared and took their seats, viz
Geneseo… P. L. Sherman
Buckingham… G. Jaqua
Lincoln… A. C. Brockway
Carroll… S. Doolittle
Toledo… W. F. Johnston
York… L. B. Dodd
Salt Creek… S. Pri?
Columbia … J. Ross
Highland…E. M. Poyneer

It was ordered that $5.00 be the bounty paid for wolfscalps.

The war committee made a report at this session stating that "upon a careful examination of the books in the clerk's office we find that there has been paid on relief warrants for the benefit of soldiers families the sum of $9,155.66, for the year ending January 1st, 1865; also that the amount paid during the month of December last is $785 which is less than the average monthly expenditures for the year past from which we infer that this branch of the county expenses has reached its maximum and is gradually on the decrease.

On the 5th of January, 1865, Hon. Jos. Dysart offered the following resolution and moved it's adoption.

Whereas, "The President of the United States, has issued his proclamation calling for 300,000 volunteers to be enlisted before the 15th day of February 1865. Therefore, be it resolved, that each volunteer drafted man or substitute mustered into service of the United States under said call shall be entitled to receive a county warrant of the denomination of $200, payable January 1st 1868, with interest at six percent form the 15th day of February, 1865, provided that no warrant shall be issued until the certificate of the Provost Marshal of this district or that of the Aj't General of Iowa be filed in the office of the Clerk of this Board, showing that the person claiming the same, shall have been credited to some township in Tama county; and provided further that the number of warrants issued to volunteers, drafted men or substitutes of any township, shall not exceed the quota of volunteers, demanded of such township under the above named call, and further be it resolved that a tax of two mills on the dollar, on the taxable property of Tama county shall be levied by the Board of Supervisors of said county at the time of levying taxes in 1866, and every subsequent year thereafter until said warrants with the interest theron are paid.

The power to direct the payment of the whole or any part of the warrants that may thus be issued is reserved by the Board of Supervisors, by giving thirty days notice by publication in some newspaper in Tama county, or posting such notice on the court house door, and all interest thereafter shall cease."

The resolutions were unanimously adopted.

At the June session C. N. Knapp presented his appointment as Supervisor from Spring Creek township; John Ransdell from Richland township, Mr. Anthony, from Oneida, and all qualified and took their seats.

The war committee on the 8th of June, 1865, reported " that the amount now being paid out of the relief fund monthly for the benefit of soldier's families is $748.

At the September session a resolution was passed to the effect that a proposition be submitted to the legal voters of Tama county at the general election held in October, 1865, for the purpose of determining whether or not said county will donate the swamp lands and the proceeds of the swamp lands and the proceeds of said swamp lands belonging to the county or held by the county, to the Iowa Central Railroad Company, provided, said road would build through the county. (See Railroad Chapter.)

At the same term the bond of the county Treasurer was fixed at $460,000.

The railroad matter came up in different form at the same session and was decided that the following question be submitted to the voters of the county; whether the people would donate the sum of $40,000 to the Iowa Central R. R. company to be used in building the same in this county, and a tax of four mills on the dollar be levied in the years, 1866, 1867 and 1868; to pay the same. It carried at the polls.

A resolution was passed about the same time offering a bounty of 10 cents upon each pocket gopher killed. This was presented by Mr. Tompkins.

The war committee consisting of A. M. Poyneer, L. B. Dodd and Wm. Gallagher, again reported this term, but treated of nothing except local matters.

G. G. Mason appeared at the October session and qualified as Supervisor from Oneida township.

The sixth annual session of the Board commenced on January 1st 1866, at the court house in Toledo, and Mr. Johnston was chosen temporary chairman. The following named appeared and qualified as members from their various townships, they being the members-elect:
Geneseo… P. L. Sherman
Clark… Joseph Dysart
Richland… Turner Forker
Perry… James Wilson
Indian Village… A. C. Tenny
Carroll… B. Dickerson
Salt Creek… A. B. Hancox
Howard… W. Gallagher
York… Z. T. Shugart
Oneida… Nathan Harmon
Spring Creek… C. N. Knapp
Otter Creek… J. H. Brooks
Carlton… A. Donaldson
Lincoln… W. C. Thomas

The Board permanently organized by the election of P. L. Sherman chairman for the ensuing year.

It was resolved that each Supervisor constitute a committee of one in their respective townships, for the purpose of seeing that none of the families of soldiers suffered.

Nothing of especial interest transpired during this year.

The Board convened at its Seventh Annual session on the 7th of January 1867. A. Donaldson took the chair pro tem and upon the roll being called the following named gentlemen were found to be present representing their townships:
Otter Creek… James Brooks
Columbia… William Cory
Oneida… B. Dickerson
Clark… Joseph Dysart
Carlton… A. Donaldson
Richland… T. Forker
Crystal… C. C. Guilford
Howard… William Gallagher
Toledo… W. F. Johnston
Buckingham… W. T. V. Ladd
Lincoln… Greenwood Prescott
Carroll… Joseph Powell
Highland… A. N. Poyneer
Geneseo… P. L. Sherman
Indian Village… A. C. Tenny, Jr.
Perry… James Wilson

The record states of York, Salt Creek and Spring Creek "no representatives." The matter of electing a permanent chairman was then taken up and resulted in the re-election of P. L. Sherman, over James Wilson and A. Donaldson.

The matter of erecting a court house received attention at the September session 1867, when the following resolution was presented and read by Mr. Johnston, and adopted by the Board.

Resolved, "By the Toledo court house Association that for the consideration here-inafter expressed, the said Association do hereby release to Tama county the "One Hundred Dollars" heretofore contracted to be paid as rent for said house by said county and agree to furnish said building according to the plans and specifications as soon as said building can be reasonably completed, and then to give the full control of said building and grounds to said county so long as said county shall use the same for county purposes. Provided said county shall appropriate the sum of $5,000 to help finish said building. ***
W. F. Johnston, President,
A. J. Free, Secretary.

The sum of $5,000 was then appropriated in compliance with the resolution of the Association, and the court house became county property.

At the October session 1867, the county officers were authorized to move into the court house as soon as possible.

For 1868 the Board commenced their year's labor on the 6th of January. Mr. Tompkins was chosen temporary chairman and the following new members sworn in:
Geneseo… P. L. Sherman
Oneida… Martin Leavens
Spring Creek… H. P. Willard
Howard… Wm. Gallagher
Clark… Joseph Dysart
Otter Creek… A. Tompkins
Carlton… C. Bratt
Indian Village… A. C. Tenny, Jr.
Salt Creek… James A. Willey
Perry… W. Rogers

P. L. Sherman was unanimously elected chairman for the ensuing year.

At the June session R. J. Hall appeared and qualified as Supervisor from Crystal township, in place of Mr. Guilford who had removed from the township.

The township of Grant was created on the 2nd of June, 1868, the resolution reading as follows:
Resolved, "That this Board do grant the prayer of the petition of John W. Fleming and others asking that the congressional township described as township 86, range 15, be set off from Buckingham township and be organized into a civil township to be known as "Grant." That the Clerk of this Board be directed to record the boundaries of said township as required by law. That he issue a warrant for holding the next general election."

At the same session the Board passed a resolution encouraging the cultivation of shade trees.

During September the Board decided that at the next general election the question should be submitted to the legal voters of Tama county whether the Board of Supervisors should be authorized to offer and cause to be paid a bounty for the extermination of pocket gophers in Tama county.

On the ninth of September 1868, Mr. Willard offered the following resolution to the board, moving its adoption. It explains itself:"Resolved, That whereas, a child be longing to Mr. Healy, of Spring Creek, Tama county, Iowa, was lost or kidnapped on or about the 2nd day of September, A. d., 1868, and whereas, report is being circulated that said child was kidnapped. Therefore resolved that the Clerk of this board be authorized to offer a reward of five hundred dollars for the arrest of the kidnapped and return of the child, and that said reward be published in the three county papers, for three consecutive weeks." (See chapter "Miscellaneous.")

At the September session Mr. Dysart moved to change the name of "Tama city township" to "Tama township." It was carried.

The ninth annual session of the board commenced January 4, 1869. A. Tompkins was chosen as temporary chairman. The members who were present are recorded as being Messrs. C. Bratt, E. S. Beckley, Jos. Dysart, T. Forker, A. N. Poyneer, Martin Leavens, B. A. Hall, G. Jaqua, Jos. Powell, W. Rodgers, P. L. Sherman, A. Tompkins, Tenney, H. T. Willard, Jacob Loutzenheiser, J. S. Townsend, Jno. Flemming, C. H. Baldwin, H. L. Smith A. Wilkinson. P. L. Sherman from Geneseo, was duly elected chairman, for the ensuing year.

At this session it was,
"Resolved, That in the opinion of this board the time has come to purchase a farm to be know as the "Poor Farm of Tama county.

During the same session J. R. Stewart, the county Superintendent presented a lengthy paper to the board, showing the condition of educational matters.

During this year the name of Thomas S. Free as Clerk of the board drops from sight, but reappears on the records as "Auditor."

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