Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-03-13
Glimpses at the Past.


In 1857, when the writer came to
New Oregon, the postoff1ce was locat-
ed on farm one mile south of the vii
lage, and the county seat was at How
ard Center. A statement of the vii
lage, its business and its needs, sent
to Gen. Jones, senator from Dubuque,
only required two weeks to remove
the postoff1ce to New Oregon, with
John S. LAWYER as postmaster.
But to get the county seat away
from Howard Center was not so easy.
Both Vernon Springs and New Oregon
were aspirants for county seat honors.
Asa compromise, it was agreed by and
between the representative citizens
of the two towns, that location mid
way between the two towns would be
satisfactory.
Geo. Bronson, of Chickasaw county,
G.. n. Holbrook, of Mitchell county
and Judge M. V. Burdick, of Whine.
sheik, we're appointed commissioners
tolocate the county seat. The writer,
then ignorant of county lines, was Sc.
lsc.ed 10 take the commissioners from
Chickasaw and Mitchell counties and
show to them where was the center of
population in the county. They were
taken to Howard Center where dinner
was obtained of John L. Thayer, OF
the Howard Center House. After dim
ner we drove west onto rise of ground
near the residence of John Reilly,
from which we could see across the
broad stretch of prairie extending
nearly across the county without q
single habitation in sight. Thence
we drove northeast across the open
prairie, striking what was known as
the Norwegian trail near the present
location of Bonair: following that
through where Cresco now is and east
past the S. w. Murray and the Libby
farms to near John Shea's place, just
west Of Ridgeway, taking IN the set
Element near there; thence going
southwest, crossing the Turkey river
and comirg into New Oregon from
the south. 1t is unnecessary to ado
that the commissioners were ready tc
locate the county seat at the point
agreed upon midway between the twc
villages, and it was some months
thereafter before the writer learned
that he had shown the two commits
sioners he had been driving about Tie
country the settlements in Orleans
and Lincoln townships in " innesheiA
county.
The next move was the erection q
a place suitable for holding court ant
keeping the county records. This wal
provided by the people of Vernon
Springs and New Oregon in the cree
ton Of one story building 22x30 feet
Edmond Gillett was clerk of the
courts; James Carpenter, sheriff: James
G. Upton, county judge; FL. A. Cook
recorder and treasurer, the Judge
and Recorder recognizing Howard
Cinter as the county seat and. The
Clerk taxing up with the new cour;
house on the bluff.
| But when the time came for tern
of court the circus commenced. Judge
Murdoch went to Howard Center. the
sheriff and the clerk with the court re
cords we're at the new court house or
the bluff. After about two days thu
sheriff, whose duty it was to provide {
place for holding the court, went tt
Howard Center, when Judge Murdocl
sent him with requisition for the
clerk and the records to be brought tt
the center.
Then began legal battle before the
the court, whose opinion of the result
was foregone conclusion, with s. f
Gilcrest and S. A. Upper on one side
and j. o. Crosby on the other. After
this was settled the regular business
of the term occupied one day and 9
half.
To settle the county seat contrc
versy special election was ordered