Supervisor of 1st District, John P. Hanna; 2d, Albert Jagger; 3d, John F. Willard; 4th, John C. Ward; 5th, Neely Withrow. Here was a great extent of country for a hundred voters or thereabouts to supply with roads. Those now living in the localities mentioned can perceive at a glance the probable character of the roads then constructed. The sparseness of the population, however, made it unnecessary to go in direct lines as we do now, and advantage was taken of the lay of the ground, and thus ridges were followed and sloughs headed, which rendered the construction of many bridges, now needed, unnecessary. It must not be understood that road-viewers and surveyors laid out the roads on such circuitous routes. The truth is, the roads were "run" more directly from point to point, but the "travel" had to make the circuit in order to avoid. the sloughs that no labor which could then be spared could make passable, and thus the proverb "the longest way round is the shortest way there," was literally verified. The first road ordered surveyed by the county was from Andover to Geneseo, thence to Rock River road at or near Joshua Browning's. C. K. Bartlett, A. M. Seymour and Joshua Browning were appointed viewers, and the road was to be laid without cost to the county. That rule was observed till June 6, 1838, when an order for the location of a road from Andover Mills in the direction of Peoria, was made at the expense of the county. The first appropriation for building was $50, to apply in part on a bridge across Green River, on road from Cleveland via Dayton to Andover, and in part on a bridge across same stream on the road from Geneseo to the junction of "Big Slough" with Rock River; this was made March 5, 1838. The second appropriation was made June 4, 1838, of $10, for a bridge on Camp Creek on the road from Andover to Cleveland. The first road from Andover to Wethersfield was declared to be such, June 4, 1838. It is probable that most persons acquainted with the streams mentioned will know how such small sums could be of essential service in constructing bridges over them; it is very doubtful if such small appropriations were really economical. Larger expenditures would undoubtedly have secured more durable structures; but the problem was, Where was the money to come from? The justices' districts and the election precincts were each. five in number, and the limits the same as the road districts. The increase of population, however, soon required alteration in all of them. By order of the court, on the second day of the first term, 28th June, the town of Dayton was designated as the place for holding elections in first district. From this it is to be supposed that the house of George Brandenburg was the town of Dayton. In the second district the Company House was selected for holding elections; in the third the house of Henry G. Little; in the fourth the house of John C. Ward; and in the fifth the house of Joshua Browning. Before adjourning, the court ordered that the courts be held in the town of Dayton until the permanent seat of justice could be located, and proper buildings erected therein. for their accommodation. In accordance with the Militia Law of the state, an election was held on the 12th of August, 1837, for the choice of an officer to take command of the Henry County battalion. James M. Allan was elected Major, and commissioned accordingly by the governor. At the regular term of the court, Sept. 4, 1837, after the qualifying of the clerk and treasurer, an order was passed authorizing the clerk to employ the surveyor to run the line between Henry and Rock Island counties, to ascertain if a certain man who had perished of cold near the line of the counties in March, 1837, had really died in Rock Island County or in Henry. The man had some money and no known heirs, and Rock Island County claimed jurisdiction in the case and appropriated the money. The man really died in Henry County. A lengthy litigation ensued, but all efforts to compel Rock Island to refund the money proved unavailing. The first writ of ad quod damnum-damages for locating a dam-was issued in behalf of Charles Oakley, through Joshua Harper, to enable said Oakley to build a dam across Green River on E. N. E. 12, 17, 1, later known as Green River Mills, and burned in 1874. The second writ of ad quod damnum was also issued at this term of the court. It was to enable Ithamar Pillsbury to build a dam across the south fork of Edwards River on N. W. 18, 14, 3. A sawmill was soon after erected there. These were not the first mills in the county: those at Andover were in operation a couple of years before. It was at the close of this session of the court the first jurors were selected. But as there was no circuit court till the Spring of 1839, there was some change made in the list, and, indeed, upon examining the records of the circuit court, it was found that very few of those selected by the county court were empaneled. COUNTY SEAT. When the County of Henry was to have a seat of justice located, those possessing eligible points for such location did not fail to urge the great advantages of their several positions. The county seat of Henry County has been thrice located, and not once was there an approximation to unanimity of views and feelings in regard to the site. Twice were Commissioners appointed to locate a seat of justice, and once, upon petition, the legislature designated the point. The first location was unquestionably a tolerably wise one, if prospective considerations were to prevail in the decision. If the limits of the county were to be preserved intact, and the "swamp lands" were to be drained so as to make them inhabitable, the Commissioners could not resist the conclusion that the site selected would be but little north of the center of population after a lapse of from twenty-five to fifty years. It was not far from the geographical center. The second location was made by a larger bonus being given by the owners of the town to the county than was offered at any other point. That selection was within six miles of the west line of the county, and but three miles from Rock River, the northwestern boundary of the county. The third point selected was designated by the legislature on petition of a majority of the voters of the county; it is about four miles south and one mile west of the first location. As has been stated, the enabling act to organize the county appointed Commissioners to locate the county seat. The oath qualifying them to act, was administered October 3, 1837, by William McMurtry, of Henderson, Knox County, an acting Justice of the Peace and afterwards Lieutenant Governor of the state. Andover had just sprung into vigorous existence under the auspices of capitalists in New York, and was a prominent candidate. Geneseo, having claims as to position, delightful situation and well-to-do citizens, was also in the field. Morristown, situated in a beautiful prairie, and having backing in the shape of wealth, put in her claim. A little place on Spring Creek, southeast from Geneseo a few miles, known as Ford Town, asked to be noticed in the race for distinction. In the Summer of 1836, James M. Allan, being wide awake, saw at a glance that there must not only be a county seat, but that it ought to be located no great distance from the center. To ascertain how nearly in the center an eligible situation could be obtained, he rode down to an established " corner," designated by a government tree in Spring Creek, and from that point, guided by a pocket compass, rode due west and counted the steps of his horse as he proceeded till he reached, as he supposed, section 17, 16, 3, some four or five miles from the starting point, in the midst of as beautiful prairie as nature has furnished. His figures did not deceive him. He afterwards bought S. E. 17, staked out a town, named it Richmond, and entered the lists for the seat of justice. The The law required the Commissioners to meet at the house of Dr. Baker and thence proceed to select a site. Another requirement of the law was that government land should be selected if equally eligible. At that time four-fifths of the land in the county was in the hands of the government. The Commissioners met as required, accompanied by a delegation from Andover. At Brandenburg's they met Major Allan who accompanied them to Geneseo. His point was well considered, the arguments pro and con. heard, and the party went out into the open prairie to Richmond, on nearly the highest ground in the vicinity, with no house within five miles or a tree within three miles. site commanded an extended view of a splendid though nearly entirely unoccupied country. Upon examining a map of the county this point was seen, as before stated, near the geographical center, and what was there in the nature of the soil of the county to prevent its becoming the center of population? Nothing, except the swamps in the northern part, and they would be drained and populated with inhabitants other than frogs in the course of fifty years. Allan offered 120 acres of the site to the county, and Richmond was the county seat. This decision of the Commissioners disappointed the calculations of Geneseo and Andover more perhaps than those of the other towns, for those places had been fairly under way, and it was supposed would soon have a heavy settlement around them. Andover certainly had no claims on the score of position, as it is just seven miles from the west line of the county, and but ten miles from the south line. Geneseo was more favorably situated as to geographical position, as the town is centrally located from east to west, though but nine miles from the northern boundary and six from Rock River, but it was clear if the county was to remain intact, she would be considerably north, not only of the geographical center, but of the center of population. This latter fact probably determined the action of the Commissioners. In all counties not bounding upon navigable streams it was usually supposed, at that early day, that the county town had a far better prospect for population and wealth than other towns. Hence the great struggle for location. But since the introduction of railroads eligible ΙΟ |