The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-04-19
SCRAPS OF LOCAL HISTORY.
INTERESTING FACTS DISCLOSED BY OLD
VAN buren, COUNTY RECORDS.


sists of the minutes of the first meeting
of its first board of supervisors, OF which
the following is verbatim copy:
"The supervisors of the towns OF Van
Buren, county met at the village OF Paw
Paw on the 9th day of May, A. ID. 1887, and
organized by appointing ID. .. Dodge
clerk, the business of said meeting being
for locating the place for the circuit
courts of said county.
"Whereupon it is decided that the
courts of said county be held at the
schoolhouse in the village of Paw Paw
I'D. o. Dodge, clerk"
The first regular annual meeting OF
the board was held at the schoolhouse
i'm Paw Paw, October l3, 1887, the follow
ing supervisors being present: w. IL.
Keller of Covington (now Keeler ana
Hamilton. j. r. Haynes OF Lawrence (then
comprising Lawrence, Hartford and
Arlington), Silas Breed of South Haven
then composed of the present townships OF
South Haven, Covert, Geneva, Bangor
aud Columba), ID. o. Dodge of Lafayette
(now Paw Paw, Junia Warner of Clinch
(now Pine Grove, Almena, Waverly and
Bloomingdale), Andrew Longstreet OF
Antwerp and George Freese of Decatur
comprising Decatur and Porter
Bills were allowed at this session to
the amount of S40870. OF thissum 1902
was allowed to j. H. Simmons, register
ofdeeds. for transcribing deeds from CasS
county records to Van Buren, county,
and S62 was allowed for the travel and
per diem of members Of the board.
Two mills on dollar were voted for
township expenses, the same for county
use and one-half that amount for state
tax.
The only other business transacted
at the session was to vote bounty OF
five dollars per head for each wolf and
each panther killed in the county.
The first term of the circuit court for
the county was held at Paw Paw, June E,
1887, of which the following is verba-
tim copy of the entire official record:
estate of Michigan, Van Buren, County, SIS;
"Be it remembered that at session OF
the circuit court of the state of Michigan
within and for the county of Van Buren,,
begun and held pursuant to law at the
court in Lafayette in said county on
Monday (being the sixth day of June, in
the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and thirty -seyen): Present Hon.
Epaphroditas RANSOM cir. Judge: VOL
colt H. Keller and Jay r. Monroe, Esqur's,
associate judges.
"The grand jury being called the
following persons appeared and answered
to their names to-wit: Peter Gremps,
Jeremiah IL. Simmons, Joseph Wood
man, Rodney Hinckley, Joshua Bangs,
Edwin Barnum, John Reynolds, John d.
Freeman, George S. Reynolds, Dexter
Gibbs, Joseph Luce, Asa G. Hinckley
and Enosh l.. Barrett.
Peter Gremps was appointed by the
court foreman of this grand jury and
authorized to issue subpoenas for and
administer oaths to witnesses. The grand
jury having been sworn and having re
ceived the charge of the court, retired to
consider the business before them.
"The grand jury having been short
time absent came into court and in
formed the court that they had no
business before them and knew of none
for their consideration; wherefore they
were discharged from further attendance
on the present term of court.
"Rule-Ordered by the court that in
all cases now pending in this court and
not at issue, declaration shall be filed
within forty days from the present term
and pleas within forty days from the
time united for filing declaration, and al
causes appealed from the judgment oil
justices of the peace shall be deemed al
issue at the first term after the appeal SC
taken, unless otherwise ordered by the
court in particular cases.
"NATHANIE b. STARKwEATHER, clerk
"Read, corrected and signed in open
court, this sixth day of June, 1897.
"EPAPHRo. RANSOM.
Presiding Judge.
The next term of the circuit court was
held ut the court room in Lafayette
December 4, 1897, Judge Ransom
presiding.
The grand jury again reported "nC
business" and the only cause that came
before the court was the case of Robert
Nesbtt vs. George S. Reynolds, appealed
from justice court.
This case was tried by jury, the first
sisting of the following persons, viz
Philotus Hayden, Zebina Stearns Aaror
Barney, Simon o. Keller, Hale Wake
field, George Ransom, Wells Gray, Joe
Tomlinson. Daniel A. Alexander, JOSEPH
Butler, Jacob S. Currier and Levi:
johnson.
"Verdct and judgment was rendered
in favor of the plaintiff and against The
defendant for s16.42 damages with costs
of suit to be taxed"
At the first election held in the county
on the first Monday of April, A. ID. 1887
in pursuance of an act of the legislator,
approved March Is, A, ID. 1887, the follow
ing county officers were duly elected:
Wolcott III. Keller and Jay r. Monroe
associate judges: Jeremiah H. Simmo
Judge OF probate; Samuel Gunton, sheriff
Daniel O.. Dodge, county treasurer
Nathaniel b. Starkweather, county clerk
Jeremiah III. Simmons, register of deeds