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Taylor County, Iowa History 1881 by Lyman
Evans
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(transcribed by Linda Kestner:
lfkestner3@msn.com)
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ORIGIN OF TAYLOR COUNTY
(Page 386)
The act defining Taylor county passed the general assembly and
received the signature of the governor of the State in January, 1851.
The appointment of Elisha Parker as organizing sheriff was the next
step in order. Before entering upon the duties of this office
it was necessary that he be qualified in due form of law. The
nearest point where this important preliminary could be compassed was
Clarinda, in Page county, and thither Mr. Parker went. Notices
to the resident voters were properly posted in the three voting precincts
that had been indicated. The precincts were then named for the
three original townships in the county; namely, Jackson, Benton, and
Polk, though none but Jackson then existed as a township. At the
election which ensued only fifty-three men did the onus organization,
the expenses incident thereto and consequent thereupon, fall.
But they wished for a separate existence, a name in the young Commonwealth
of Iowa, and have it they would at any cost. The election was
held in February, and resulted in the election of Jacob Ross, Levi L.
Hayden, and Daniel Smith, as county commissioners; John Hayden, clerk;
Hampton Bennington, probate judge; John Hayden, recorder and treasurer;
James B. Campbell, sheriff; Jacob Miller, inspector of weights and measures;
John W. Miller and Saymore Coffman as justices of the peace; and Preston
B. McGuire, constable. The organization was not perfected, of
course, until these persons were qualified. On February 26th,
1851, the first commissioner's court was held at the residence of Judge
Jacob Ross, a special session by the way, and the persons elect, above
named, gave "bond with their respective securities." The remaining
persons elected failed to appear and give the necessary bonds.
This seems to have been the sole business of this special session, which
having been performed, the next court was appointed "to be held at Judge
Ross's on the first Monday in April, 1851." "The business of the
county was not great at first, and the commissioners held court at intervals
of about three months. The next term was held on Monday, April
7th, 1851, pursuant to the adjournment from the February term.
The business at that session consisted in "appointing" and commissioning
Wm. B. Warmsley, a justice of the peace; and Preston B. McGuire, constable
of Polk township." These appointments were followed by those of
John W. Miller, justice of the peace; and James K. Miller, constable
of Benton township. These appointments meant simply that the above
named precincts had been erected into townships, and as such should
have separate and independent offices, and this constituted the only
need of (page 387) their first organization.
After transacting this business the court "adjourned to the first Monday
in July, to meet at Jacob Ross's."
On the day appointed for third session of the county court, the
various members promptly assembled at the house of Judge Ross, and proceeded
with business. The first thing done was to pay James B. Campbell,
the assessor, "one dollar per day time employed in assessing to which
he were four days in assessing Taylor county, $4.00." The entire
tax assessed….was but $62.37, and to the assessor was paid one
fifteenth of the whole amount assessed; and it is possible there was
a less amount than the assessment actually paid into the county treasury.
Following this the court took up for consideration Elisha Parker's charges
on the county for his services in organizing the county of Taylor: Traveling
to and from Page county to be qualified as organizing sheriff, 25 miles
at 4 cents per mile, $2.00, writing and posting up 9 advertisements
for three precincts, $3.125, Filing returns of election, $.50, certificates
for three county commissioners, $.75, certificates for commissioners'
clerk, clerk District Court, sheriff and recorder, $.25 (each), and
so on through the list of all the officers, the total sum claimed and
allowed amount to $9.875.
At this session were also fixed the rates of taxation, as follows:
Poll tax 50 cents on each tythe; for State purposes 2 mills to
the dollar; county purposes 3 mills to the dollar; school-fund half
mill to the dollar.
It appears, also, that the tax for all these purposes was 5-1/2
mills and that the amount for the year on the taxable property in the
county was $35.87, and there were fifty-three tithes amounting to $26.50.
This makes the total of $62.37:
TOTAL $6,522
State Tax, 2 mills to the dollar, $13.04.4
County tax, 3 mills to the dollar, $19.36.6
School tax, 1/2 mill to the dollar, $3.26.1
Poll tax, 50 cents each tythe, $26.50.0
Total Amount $62.37.1
(Page 388)
…Thirteen dollars and four cents were paid to the State
as the price of the first year's existence as an independent body politic
in the State of Iowa. In the August election, 1851, held on the
4th, the following persons received the majority suffrage of the voters
of the county: James B. Campbell, sheriff, James K. Miller, recorder
and Treasurer, Jacob Miller, inspector of weights and measures, John
Hayden, district and county clerk. This was the first regular
election ever held in the county, and with it the county may be said
to have been finally organized. The first census roll was received
at a special session of the county court, held August 18, 1851, and
with the following entries: Males over twenty-one, 69, females over
twenty-one, 70; whole number of males, 134; whole number of females,
120; total population, 393.
The county had now launched upon individual existence as a part
of the commonwealth of Iowa, and assumed the importance such a position
warranted. From that time to the present progress has been marked,
though somewhat slow. There has been a gradual and permanent growth
in material wealth, and all that leads to the highest type of refined
civilization.
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