The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-04-28
MISCELL ECU s.
The County Seat.


number of the Times in reference to the County
Seat Of our Co., and I now propose, through
the col; mns Of your valuable PAPER. to spread
before the people of Cayt ton Co. few thoughts
be dorfe by the people IN rclaIfon to the County
Seat =? All thinking men are now agreed
that the time for boys play is past, and
that our citizens throughout every part Of the
county ought to unite rpon some Plan to settle
the question-not for year or two, but finally.
1t is burning shame aud dis grace that a large
and wealthy county like Clayton should have
no Court House, Jail, nor Vault even. to pre-
serve the Records Of the county. The dis
truc,ion of the Records of Clayton County
would be more disastrous TO the whole PEOPLE
Of the county, than would be the burning Of
every House in every would.5e county seat
Town in it. And yet these Records. the
only security for the homes and fresides Of
our citizens, are now permitted to lie in build
ing called Court House, where the torch Of
the incendiary, Or the merest accident would
at any moment destroy them and thus forever
wipe out of existence the best, and in most in
stances, the only evidence Of our titles. Will
not the farmers and others who have no direct
pecuniary interest in the success Of any particu-
lar County Seat Town, think of these things
and apply the appropriate remedy
1t seems now settled that the County Seat
will remain one year longer at Gutenberg
But all agree that it cannot and ought not to re-
main there permanently. The better part of
the citizens there do not think themselves fairly
entitled 10 the County Seat and do not think
they can keep it. In view Of this state of
things, it behooves every thinking man to
coolly and dispassionately survey the whole
ground as county man. to select the Place
most accessible and convenient to the whole
county, and not Of q mere section. That place
in my opinion is GARNAvlLLo. No other llace
combines SO many advantages for County
Seat. The Town is situated on Section l9, T.
93, r. 3 West. about miles east of the Geo.
graphical centre of the county it is exactly
central North and South, and whilst it is 4
miles east Of the Geographical centre, it is
nevertheless the nearest Town to the centre OF
population, and in all probability will ever re-
main so. Draw line from north to south,
through the town, and more than one half of
the people of the county are now and will for
ever be East Of that line-and it is a safe CAL
culation to say that two thirds of the business
in our courts will always arise east of that line.
Draw q line from north to south through Elka-
der, and not more than a of the population Of
the county now are or ever will be West of that
line, and certainly very small proportion OF
the business in orr courts can ever arise west
of that line. Good roads from all parts of the
county lead TO Earnavillo. and from the impor,
tant River Towns; from the entire north and
west the roads leading TO the Town are now
good or may be made SO with very slight
| expense. The Town is in the centre of a rich
agricultural district, is beautiful and healthy
site, and in every way well fitted for a County
Seat.
Perhaps il may be interesting TO some o
your readers to know how the County Sea-
cane to be located at that Town, and something
Of the history Of County Seat affairs Of tn.
cOuhtvs hHce itS ioc1Ao" u1c1e' IL TIC yea
l643. the Legislature, in accordance with tht
prayer of the petition of majority Of the citi
zens then living in the county. appointed three
commissioners to relocate the County Seat o
Clayton County. neither Of whom lived in III
county, and all OF whom were disinterestcd -
One of whom, Ovid Moreland Of Delawar
County, is know to many of the citizens OF thi
county as one Of the rAost successful farmer
and business men in Northern Iowa. Thes
the county, set the stake at Ga:nav;llo Ohel
named Jacksonville by the commissioners an
l often think how singularly the prediction
: made in my pres noe fifteen years ago by Nj
Moreland, has been verified, which was, that IN