In the election of 1853 Joseph Gibbons and J. T. Atkins were candidates for the office. Gibbons received ten more votes than Atkins. Jas. B. Cutler, on behalf of himself and others, contested the election; a court was found to hear the case, Judge Reed presiding, with C. L. Childs and J. D. Jenkins assisting by choice of the parties. A hot contest ensued, no less than twenty-seven witnesses being examined. The case was this:

The trustees of Bloomfield township had changed the place of voting from Moneek to Castalia without giving the required legal notice. Thirteen persons testified that they went to Moneek as usual, to vote, and not hearing of the change were unable to do so. They also said that if they had voted it would have been in favor of J. T. Atkins as County Judge. The lawyers were heard, of course, and the whole case gone over most profoundly. That an informality existed in the vote of the township is quite clear; its effect upon the main vote was the question. We, at this day, would decide promptly, that at most only the vote of Bloomfield township should have been thrown out. The Court decided to set aside the entire election, as to Judge, and declared no one was elected. One of the assistants has explained to me that instead of being satisfied with this, there were some who 'cussed the Court like pizen,' because they did not declare the entire election void. The result was to continue Judge Reed in office for two years more, during which time he built and left as his legacy, the (for the times) splendid court house, which is only now becoming too cramped for public use.

Information with regard to these first officers is not now readily obtainable, and of some of them we can give nothing further than that they were elected and held office as above stated.

Geo. Bachel, the first sheriff, was for years an active, influential citizen of Jackson township, and died much respected, a year or two ago.

Francis Rogers, the first supervisor, was one of the oldest residents of the county, and was noted for the many litigations he had with his neighbors.

Daniel Kuykendahl, the first recorder and treasurer, had his office at his home, which was a log house situated under a bluff near a large spring, about a half a mile out of Freeport, on the Lansing road. The duties of his office at that time were not very arduous, and his mode of keeping the records was somewhat primitive. He had not even a decent desk at which to write. It was his custom to record his deeds, and then pigeon-hole them between the cracks in the logs.

The number of votes cast at these early elections is one of the best indices of the incoming of early settlers, and a few words will give these data. At the first election there were, as has been stated, 82 votes cast; in April following, there were 180; in August, 1852, 150; in April, 1853, 224; in 1854, 280; in 1855, 521; in

1856, 816; in August, 1857, 894; in October, 1858, 1,288; in the Presidential election of 1860, 2,162. The increase since that time is indicated by the fact that in the Presidential election of 1880, 4,086 votes were cast.

As previously noted, there were three points recognized at the very commencement as having claims to prominence in the county. These were Decorah, Lewiston and Moneek. Polls were held for each of these three first elections at these places only, and they were called precincts. It was not until 1854 that even a single name appears on the records to show that any other title than that of precinct was given to them. March 8th, 1852, it was ordered by the county court that elections should be held in the ensuing April, at the following places:

In Precinct No. 1, at house of Wm. Day, Decorah.

In Precinct No. 2, at house of Francis Rogers, Lewiston.
In Precint No. 3, at house of John DeCow, Moneek.

This is our only information as to the first division into what we have since known as townships. Their boundaries we can only infer from subsequent entries. In July, 1852, the division. line between precincts 2 and 3 was changed, and made to run between ranges 7 and 8, thus throwing, as the record says, one more tier of townships into the third precinct. From this I infer that the third precinct originally consisted of what is now known as Bloomfield and Frankville townships, and was six miles wide, east and west, and twelve long. Precinct No. 2 covered three times as much territory, and was eighteen miles wide, and twelve long. This left all the remainder of the county-now comprising twelve organized townships-in precinct No. 1. March 1, 1852, the latter was so divided up as to make what is now Canoe, Bluffton and Orleans townships, with the townships north of them, precinct No. 4. February 5, 1854, what are now Military and Springfield, were divided from Washington (now named for the first time) and created township (not precinct) No. 5.

March 6, 1854, township 98, range 7, was separated from "Decorah Precinct," and was called township No. 6. It is now known as Glenwood.

March 11, 1855, "Burr Oak Precinct" was divided, and the entire tier on the north line of the county was called Burr Oak. The remaining part of the precinct was named Canoe. At the same session of the county court, township 99, range 10, was set off and given the name of Pilot Grove.

On the tax list of 1855, proper names are given to each of those precincts. Precinct No. 1 had become Decorah, Glenwood, Canoe, Burr Oak and Pilot Grove; township No. 2 appears as Bloomfield and Summit (now Frankville), and No. 3 had been divided into Military and Washington; but no record other than I have quoted appears upon the court minutes as to these and subsequent changes. According to the tax lists, in 1856 Pleasant township

took its name and place; in 1858 Summit had become Frankville, and Pilot Grove, Orleans; Springfield had been separated from Military, Calmar and Sumner from Washington, and Hesper and Fremont from Burr Oak. In 1860 Madison was taken from Decorah, and Highland divided from Pleasant; and in 1862 the symmetry of all the townships was completed by the division of Lincoln from Sumner, and Jackson from Washington.

The location of these different precincts, and more particularly of the twenty townships of the county after this final division, will be more fully understood by the following diagram, showing the positions of the townships of the county as they now stand, each township being six miles square:

The city of Decorah is a little west of the centre of Decorahı Township, while Freeport is about two and a half miles directly east of Decorah, and also in Decorah Township, about threefourths of a mile from its eastern boundary.

Calmar is near the southeastern part of Calmar Township. Conover being near the centre and Spillville in the western part of the same township.

Fort Atkinson is toward the northwestern part, and Festina a little southeast of the centre of Washington Township.

Ossian is about midway between the centre and northeastern part of Military Township.

Ridgway is nearly two miles east of the centre of Lincoln Township and Kendallville and Plymouth Rock, respectively, toward the southwestern and southeastern parts of Freemont Township. The villages of Bluffton, Burr Oak, Hesper and Frankville are in the several townships of the same name.

The positions of all these places will be seen by reference to a map of the county, but this data is given here as a matter of convenience for reference in connection with the foregoing sketch of divisions of the county.

The second election held in the county after a permanent organization had been effected was April 5, 1852. The total number of votes polled at this election was 180. This election, as the records show, gave the county its first School Fund Commissioner and District Clerk. The successful parties who first bore the honors of these offices were, respectively, N. S. Gilbert and W. F. Kimball. Out of 180 ballots cast for School Fund Commissioner, N. S. Gilbert had 4 majority over his opponent, John D. McKay. There were 156 votes cast for the office of District Clerk, of which number W. F. Kimball received 88, and his opponent, James B. Schenck, 68. Kimball was declared elected by 20 majority. The vote for Coroner stood as follows: J. B. Chase had 66 votes, and his opponent, Wm. Painter, 44. James B. Chase was elected Coroner. At this election, for the first time, the new county helped elect a District Judge, and it showed its steadfast faith and high appreciation of Judge T. S. Wilson, by giving him 162 votes.

At the third election, held in August, 1852, M. B. Derrick was chosen District Clerk by 15 majority.

John D. McKay was elected Prosecuting Attorney by 29 majority; and H. K. Averill was elected Surveyor.

The fourth election was held in April, 1853, the following being the officers elected:

Aaron Newell, District Clerk--his opponents being W. F. Kimball and N. S. Gilbert.

N. S. Gilbert, Treasurer and Recorder.

H. K. Averill, County Surveyor.

J. F. Moore, Drainage Commissioner.

Acles Haven Fannon, Coroner. Mr. Fannon, whose genial, jovial face is well remembered by the people of Decorah, and who was for successive years constable up to the time of his death, not very many months ago, was born in Wythe County, Virginia, April 17th, 1800. He settled at Freeport, Winneshiek County, in 1850, and laid out the town, and for several years engaged in tavern-keeping. He was the first mail contractor to carry the mails to Decorah. He contracted to carry the mails from Hardin to Decorah, from Decorah to Fort Atkinson, and from Lansing to Decorah. He was elected Coroner in 1875.

At the election August 1st, 1853, 175 votes were cast. N. S. Gilbert was elected Recorder and Treasurer, without opposition, if we except three scattering votes.

James F. Moore was declared elected Sheriff, over Lewis Eddy and A. H. Fannon.

Elijah Middlebrook was elected County Surveyor. There was no opposition candidate for Surveyor.

Samuel Kendall was elected Coroner.

The newly elected Sheriff, James F. Moore, failed to qualify, and Judge Reed, therefore, declared the office vacant, and appointed Wm. F. Kimball to fill it.

Soon after the election, N. S. Gilbert suddenly left the country, leaving the county without a Recorder and Treasurer. Judge Reed appointed Thos. I. Hazelett to fill the vacancy until another election. Of Mr. Gilbert, Spark's history, from which we largely gather the following records, till 1860, says:

N. S. Gilbert, the second Recorder and Treasurer of the county, was an estimable young man, possessed of great energy. He was efficient, proud spirited, and decidedly the most shrewd man called upon in early days to administer county affairs; notwithstanding that he was freely accredited, with the possession of all these qualifications, the tongue of scandal, soon after his induction into office, rolled him about as a sweet morsel to its taste. Mr. Gilbert was not a defaulter, nor did he desert his office intentionally, although at the time he left this was the current report. The additional crime of eloping with a Mrs. Moore, the Sheriff's wife, was charged to his account, and it is true that the parties left Decorah together, and afterwards went to St. Louis and lived as man and wife; yet at the time of their leaving Decorah, it is plain that there was no criminal intent or previous arrangement. It was in the spring of the year, and Mr. Gilbert, instead of intentionally deserting his office, went on a journey to St. Louis to purchase goods. Mrs. Moore was on her way to friends in Wisconsin, and had started on the trip with the avowed purpose of leaving her husband. Mrs. Moore defended her course on the ground of ill treatment received at the hands of Mr. Moore. While at Lansing waiting for a steamer, they had occasion to hold a private conference, which was interpreted, by prying parties, as a crimi