The County Court purchased the field notes for $285.74 in 1851. The first issue of grand jury scrip, received for taxes, was in 1853. The second incorporation of the town of Gallatin, November, 7, 1854. The county received patents for swamp and overflowed lands in 1856. The first sale of swamp land (8,0534 acres) was October 1, 1857. The first incorporation of the City of Gallatin, November 21, 1857. The first agricultural and mechanical association was incorporated November, 1857. The law making the office of county surveyor passed, 1858. The first election of officials for the city of Gallatin, May 3, 1858. The smoke-house and kitchen built to stone jail, costing $579, June, 1859. The new townships organized and boundaries changed, June, 1859. The County Court divided the county into seven municipal townships, June, 1859. The first saloon license refused by city and county was November 1, 1860. James J. Minor defaulted $2,590.59 in 1862. The boundary lines of Harrison, Gallatin and Jefferson were changed November 4, 1863. The county judges raised their salaries from three dollars to five dollars, February term, 1865. The first poor-farm was purchased for $2,400, March, 1865. Lincoln, Grant and Civil Bend townships were organized, May, 1866. Folio 313 of book E, county clerk's office, shows 137 names that received the $100 bounty for volunteers for the war, and there is an error in the footing of $400. This was on March 8, 1866. At the May term, 1866, the court organized extra townships, making ten. The burglary of the county safes took place on the night of November, 17th, 1867. The year of the heavy school tax, part paid under protest, was 1867. The capture of John Reno, the safe-burglar, with his trial and sentence of twenty-five years, January 16, 1868. The subscription to the Chillicothe & Omaha Railroad and to the Chicago & Southwestern (C. R. I. & P.) was made April 7, 1868. The office of county recorder was first established March 28, 1868. The deed of Philip Covington to the site of the city of Gallatin, was given and dated in June, 1869. The murder of John W. Sheets and the robbery of the bank was December 7, 1869. The first cars reached Daviess county June 21, 1870. They came via the St. Louis & Omaha Railroad, now called the Wabash line. The robbery of William M. Flint at Kansas City, February, 1871. The first telegraph line over the Chicago & Southwestern Railroad route reached Gallatin at 12 M., Thursday, August 17, 1871. A message was sent to Chicago and answer received the same afternoon. The first through train from Chicago, over the Chicago & Southwestern now Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, passed through Davies: county, September 26, 1871. The first rail laid by the same road inside the limits of Daviess county. was July 22, 1871, the tracklayers crossing the Grundy county line that day The Flint defalcation, 1872. The Twenty-third Judicial District was made by the General Assembly February, 1872. The first judge of the Twenty-third Judicial Circuit was Samuel A. Richardson, elected April, 1872. The office of circuit attorney was discontinued, 1872. The first map of Daviess county was issued in 1876-a small atlas map, with maps of the several townships, each separate, giving townships, range and section lines. The first iron bridge was erected in 1877. The total vote of Daviess county in 1880, was 4,136. This number of votes were cast at the presidential election of that year. Up to this year, 1881, Daviess county has never had a hanging. There are facts given in this history, however, which are likely to convince the reader that a few cases of hanging would have been beneficial. Daviess county was Republican until the election of 1872, since that time it has been Democratic from two to four hundred votes. The largest tree in Daviess county is in the Grand River bottoms on the land owned by Judge Keene. This tree is probably the largest in northwest Missouri. It is known as a yellow cottonwood and has a circumference of twenty-four feet at the butt, and runs straight up for fifty or sixty feet without a limb. For height, it towers above all trees in its neighborhood. CHAPTER XX. UNION TOWNSHIP. Union Township--Topography-Population-Old Settlers-Millport-What HappenedImproving― Railroads — Schools-Valuation—Official List-1873–1874-1875–1876— 1877-1881-Biographical Sketches. UNION TOWNSHIP. Union township can boast of having been the location of the first settlers of Daviess county, although it was not given the name of "Union" until 1869. It was part of Honey Creek, one of the first townships named, as it was also a part of Jackson, another one of the original townships. Its first change of name from Honey Creek was to that of Gallatin, but this was only that portion west and south of Grand River. The portion north and east of the river still retaining the name of Jackson township. In 1869 it was made a municipal township, and its metes and bounds was the congressional township known as number fifty-nine of range twenty-seven, and lies on both sides of the Grand River, its territory being equally divided by that crooked stream. It has considerable rough and broken land on the Grand River and Big Muddy Creek, which runs through the central and eastern part of the township. Being well supplied with water, and containing many valleys with sheltering hills it is one of the best stock-raising townships in the county. TOPOGRAPHY. The surface of the township is very rolling excepting on the south and southwest. The prairies are high with an undulating surface giving them a natural drainage, and on the Grand River will be found many bold and rocky bluffs which look down upon its turbid waters from the height of from 100 to 300 feet. The banks of the Big Muddy are somewhat broken and uneven, but there are none of these prominent bluffs to be seen that gave the name to its larger neighbor and to which it is contributory. The township is nearly, if not quite, three-fourths timber, and such timber as makes the saw-mills laugh with glee and the saws sing in joyful tones as they cut their way from end to end of the food furnished. "Oh! yes, I will board you, I will raise a dust around you, you slab-sided son of the forest," and there is plenty of that kind of work in Union township, and its wealth from its timber can hardly be computed. There is no clearing done and log heaps burned in the county now. The timber is too valuable, and timber-land is cleared as fast only as wood and lumber are sold. Almost every variety of timber is found, and the soil of the township is rich, deep and The first session of the County Court was held at Gallatin, September, 1838. The first defalcation in the county was that of Thomas W. Jacobs, in the sum of $581.51, and recorded December, 1838. The records of the county treasurer's office were destroyed by the Mormons, October, 1838. The commission of James Miller as a justice of the peace is the first of record, January 5, 1839. The order for the holding of the Circuit and County Court at Gallatin, was made April, 1839. The first term of the Circuit Court was held at the house of Elisha B. Creekmore. The first Court of Appeals was held at Gallatin, August 24, 1839. Sugar Creek township was organized in September, 1839, and the first election was held at the house of Reuben Macy, October 5, 1839. Big Creek township was organized in September, 1839, and the first election was held at the house of Alexander Liggett, October 5, 1839. The taxbook showed 280 taxable inhabitants in Daviess county, March, 1840. The contract to build the court-house was let to James L. Nelson in May, 1840. Harrison township was organized in June, 1840, and the first election was held at the house of Green Bowers, Jr., on the first Monday in August, 1840. Names of the original townships changed at the June term of court, 1840. The first census of Daviess county was taken in 1840. The jail was two and a half years in building. John B. Comer was the contractor. It was completed March, 1841, and cost $560. The first police force of Gallatin was organized in April, 1841. Hickory township was organized, April, 1841. The first bridge built in the county was across the Muddy, in 1841. Court-house completed in May, 1843. Cost $8,094.55. Robert Wilson was the first janitor of the court-house. Madison township was organized June, 1844. First attorneys admitted to the Daviess county bar were Theodore Pen iston, George W. Poage and G. M. Keene, March, 1845. Jacob Stollings was the first coroner, and was in office in 1847. The first enumeration of school children took place in July, 1847. The treasurer's bond in 1848 was placed at $20,000. The first incorporation of the town of Gallatin, February, 1851. The County Court purchased the field notes for $285.74 in 1851. The first issue of grand jury scrip, received for taxes, was in 1853. The second incorporation of the town of Gallatin, November, 7, 1854. The county received patents for swamp and overflowed lands in 1856. The first sale of swamp land (8,053 acres) was October 1, 1857. The first incorporation of the City of Gallatin, November 21, 1857. The first agricultural and mechanical association was incorporated November, 1857. The law making the office of county surveyor passed, 1858. The first election of officials for the city of Gallatin, May 3, 1858. The smoke-house and kitchen built to stone jail, costing $579, June, 1859. The new townships organized and boundaries changed, June, 1859. The County Court divided the county into seven municipal townships, June, 1859. The first saloon license refused by city and county was November 1, 1860. James J. Minor defaulted $2,590.59 in 1862. The boundary lines of Harrison, Gallatin and Jefferson were changed November 4, 1863. The county judges raised their salaries from three dollars to five dollars, February term, 1865. The first poor-farm was purchased for $2,400, March, 1865. Lincoln, Grant and Civil Bend townships were organized, May, 1866. Folio 313 of book E, county clerk's office, shows 137 names that received the $100 bounty for volunteers for the war, and there is an error in the footing of $400. This was on March 8, 1866. At the May term, 1866, the court organized extra townships, making ten. The burglary of the county safes took place on the night of November, 17th, 1867. The year of the heavy school tax, part paid under protest, was 1867. The capture of John Reno, the safe-burglar, with his trial and sentence of twenty-five years, January 16, 1868. The subscription to the Chillicothe & Omaha Railroad and to the Chicago & Southwestern (C. R. I. & P.) was made April 7, 1868. The office of county recorder was first established March 28, 1868. The deed of Philip Covington to the site of the city of Gallatin, was given and dated in June, 1869. The murder of John W. Sheets and the robbery of the bank was December 7, 1869. The first cars reached Daviess county June 21, 1870. They came via the St. Louis & Omaha Railroad, now called the Wabash line. |