The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-03-02
CHAPTER NINE.

. 0NA ~ $1,000
provision was made for the organiza-
ton of the counties of Keokuk and
Mahaska. This act provided that the
inhabitants of all territory ranging
north and west from the last organ.
lied county should be under the juris-
diction of said county for all judicial
and other legal purposes. For this
reason Mahaska county records show
that its county commits sioners con-
trolled the scattered inhabitants of
the territory as far west and includ.
ing that on which the city of Des
Moines. is now located. Mahaska
county territory was a part of the
original Des Moines county. William
Edmundson was appointed sheriff,
and Micajah T. Williams was appoint.
ed clerk. Upon these two officials,
according to law, devolved the duty
of perfecting the organization. AS
there was no official in the commun-
ity authorized to administer oaths.
William Edmundson was also appoint
ed justice of the peace by Governor
Chambers, March 10, 1914.
M. T. Williams was a young attor.
ney who had recently come into the
new community from Mount Pleas.
ant. The writer knew him as an &C.
curate, painstaking and reliable bus
mess man. No selection could have
been more fortunate than Mr.. Will
liams for the task or making accu.
rate records for the new county. He
continued to serve as clerk of the
court until 1854. He also served two
terms in the state legislature and
filed other important Offices in the
county. !
VIM. Edmundson, the first sheriff
of the county, served from 1914 to
1850. He was also elected to- that Of
fee in 1856 to fill a vacancy, serving
until 1859. He was a good executive
officer. The first sheriff of Mahaska
county had quite an Interesting ex-
perience in the pioneer life of the
west. Born in Harrison county, Ken
lucky, on Oct. T., 1906, where he
spent his boyhood and received a
good common school education. At
twenty-five years of age he went with
his fathers family to- Putnam county,
Indiana, From that state in 1S32-he
enlisted in the Black Hawk war. His
company, reached the frontier. but
were not actively engaged, as the war
was of short duration. He made a
trip to New Orleans with a boat load
of provisions and was in Texas at the
time it was passing through its rev.
olution. After his fathers death in
1886 the entire family moved to Des
Moines county, Iowa, where he en-
gagged in farming. While here he
served for several years as justice
OF the peace and one year On the
board of county commissioners.
These experiences were valuable to
him in view of his subsequent histo-
ry. In 1843 Mr.. Edmundson came to
the New Purchase, locating on a
claim near Six Mile. While there ne
received appointment as sheriff, and
also as justice of the peace. He rep
resented this county in the state leg
islature during the sessions of 1S47-
8. In 1850 he went with a company
Of hemigrants to California, where he
remained until 1855, since which time
his home continued to be at Oska-
loosa, until the time of his death in
1862.
These two gentlemen had no easy
task before them. Their first duty
was to divide the new county into
election precincts. There was no
map or outline Of the county. Indian
trails were the only highways. No
bridges or well known fords in the
rivers. 1t sometimes required hours
Of search to find a settlers cabin
hidden away in some sheltering
grove. Having divided the county
and its adjacent western territory in
to election precincts, they called to
their assistance John w. Jones and
VIM. A. Delashmutt to aid them in
finding and appointing a sufficient
number of election officers for hold
ing the first election. which took
place on the first Monday in April,
1914. The elections were held at
some settlers cabin having a central
location. Nine election precincts
wefe named, each having a board OF
FIVE members. except Jackson. They
were as follows:
Harrison Britain Edwards, John
Newell, Jacob Hamilton, Ephraim
Munsell and Col. Vance.
Spring Creek-Jonathan Williams,
Isaac N. Sewers, d. Bowers, George
w. Sewers and VIM. Pilgrim.
DIR. d. A. Hoffman has among his
relics and curios the box used in re
ceiving the ballots at this first cleo.
ton in Spring Greek. The election
was held at the home of Poultney
Loughridge.
Jefferson-A. C. Sharp, Allen Lowe,
Thomas Long, Thomas Stanley and
John Long.