.1873-1874 ..1874-1880 ...1880-1882 Amos Fristoe, re-elected.... Bacon Montgomery, appointed. E. P. Kent, elected.... Henry Lamm (vice Kent, resigned), appointed.. Benton Ingram.. JUDGES OF COMMON PLEAS COURT. With probate jurisdiction: established, 1867; abolished, 1873. R. G. Dunham, appointed.. COUNTY ATTORNEYS. George Heard, appointed. .1867-1870 ..1870-1874 ..1874-1874 (Established 1873.) The probate judge is ex-officio clerk of his court. (Prior to the election of 1866, circuit court clerks performed the duties of recorders. Florence Crandall, elected.. .1866-1870 John W. Conner, (vice-Richey, deceased, 1 year). .1882-1882 Introduction-First Records-Habits of First County Officers-The Missing Records-The Assessors from 1838-1844 and their Salaries-An Exhibit of County Revenue of 1837— Licenses of 1850-Treasurer's Report of 1850-State School Fund-Rate of Taxation of 1854-Railroad Bonds-Assessment of 1881 and 1882. The financial history of any county bears a direct relation to its wealth and resources, and gives a correct view of its prosperity. In the earlier days of the history of Pettis county there was but little trouble with county finances. The county had no bonds or debts and the citizens' annual taxes were comparatively a small sum to what are now imposed upon the inhabitants. Then but few books were required to keep the financial records of the county. The financial work of the county for the first few years after its organization in 1833 covered so little ground that it took but little effort to keep the books in proper shape. In the first years of the county's existence, assessors were appointed by the county court and paid per diem for their services. One man could easily take hold of this work and perform it well in about one mouth. The greatest difficulty was riding horseback over the wide prairies from one residence to the other. In the same way the county collector was appointed and required to call upon all tax-payers of the county at their residence in order to collect the assessments. In those days but few sought office for the mere salary, since the remuneration was by no means adequate to the toils required. Then honest men alone were put in office, to work more for the interests of the people than for themselves. It was reserved for a later and another generation to seek office for its spoils, and Pettis county has shared the common fate of many of her sister counties in this respect. However, there is, perhaps, no county in the state of Missouri, which has preserved its records in better chirography. In former years, political contests, while excited so far as regards state and national issues, had nothing common with local elections. Personal vituperation and insidious attacks by politicians upon character were not then so prevalent as now. Now politics is carried from the highest to the most menial offices of the land. Then persons were sought to fill offices. The civil war in this county did not make men dishonest, but only developed what was in the men. The men who have used the public, funds for private ends have been forever silenced when they apply to the majesty of the people for their suffrages. During the early history of the county, revenues were light. However, the rate of taxation was very little, if any, less than at present. For the first few years of the county's existence the expenses ranged from three hundred to one thousand dollars per annum. The books were not kept in a very systematic manner, and it is difficult now, even as it must have been then, to be able to determine accurately the condition of the county finances. In those days the people were honest enough to do much of their work orally. They managed to keep the machinery of the county in motion and contract no large debts. In this treatise it is our object to give a brief, clear and concise report of the financial operations of the county, before and after the civil war, that the reader may have an insight into some of the more salient features of the Pettis county finances. To many of the older settlers these reports will appear homelike, while to the immigrant they will be interesting because of their novelty. By turning the leaves of the financial records, the historian finds that the county during the first twenty years of its existence had but little need of revenue except for the erection of public buildings, and the pay of its officers. At a glance the observer will perceive that for more than a score of years prior to the civil war, the county affairs were economically managed, and the taxes, not every year light, were considerable less. than at present, and the valuation of all kinds of property was many times smaller than now. The county court records are missing from Jan. 26, 1833, to Nov. 6, 1837, about four years. Those who remember, say these records were kept in a small book quite well worn when last noticed. The first session of county court as now appears on record, bears date Nov. 6, 1837, with Jesse Pemberton, president of the court, Thomas Jopling and James McCormick, associate justices, Wm. R. Kemp, sheriff, and Amos Fristoe, clerk. In 1839, the assessor, Willis P. Ellis, assessed the county in twentynine days, receiving for his services two dollars per diem, making a salary of fifty-eight dollars. In 1840, John R Phillips, assessor, was allowed for assessing county for state purposes, thirty-four dollars, and the same amount for county purposes, amounting to sixty-four dollars, making a salary augmented by six dollars over the previous year. In 1841, Nathaniel A. Newbill, assessor, assessed the county in thirtyfive days, receiving for his services one dollar per diem from the state and the same wages from the county, amounting to seventy dollars. In 1842, Alexander M. Christian, assessor, assessed the county in forty days, receiving eighty dollars for his services. In 1843, Nathaniel A. Newbill, assessor, assessed the county in fortysix days, at two dollars per diem, amounting to ninety-two dollars for the entire work. In 1844, Nathaniel A. Newbill, assessor, assessed the county in forty days, for which he was paid the sum of eighty dollars. The revenue of the county was quite small until the prairie farms began to be opened, which was about 1850. Since then work of the county assessors has been greatly increased, so that at present the office is elective, and requires an active, intelligent assessor, and several deputies to perform the labor within the limited time assigned him by the law. His salary now amounts to about $600, very fair pay since it does not require more than about one-third of the year to attend to his legal official duties. At present Mr. J. W. Walker is the efficient county assessor, a gentleman who attends well to his office. In 1850, James Kemp, sheriff, collected the following licenses for the county: |