The Ocala banner., 1906-10-19
The Cornerstone Of the New Court House Laid
With Impressive Ceremonies--Rains Threat
en-, But Refused to Mar the Occasion.
Large Number in Aendance-Two Thousand Gather the
Dinner Table and All are Fed Though Under Difficulty.
Bd and Mr. Beard Listened for Ts
Speakers and Were Literally Aauded

~AS IA1SAo any 1AkPiooSS0s
cred the following interesting address
of welcome:
Ladies, Gentlemen and Brethren ol
the Mystic Tie:
In my address of welcome on this
majestic occasion, it seems 10 be
eminently proper to give a brief his
tory of the formation of Marion coun
ty-its metes and bounds; the selec
tion of Marion county as the site
and a list of the names of its first
county officers, together with the
Iates and costs of the several court
houses that have been built therein
Marion county was created by sta.
utory law, March IA, 1874, and bound.
ed as follows:
Beginning on the north bank of the
big Withlacoochee river at the range
.ine dividing ranges IL and Is. run
north to township line dividing town.
ships IL and II. thence east along
said line to Orange Lake, thence down
said lake to orange creek thence
down said creek to it's conjunction
With the Ocklawaha river. thence
town said river to the range line di-
giding range lines 26 and 27, thence
south along said line to township
line dividing townships 21 and
q, thence ives. to the head of the
little Withlacoochee river, thence
down said river to it's junction with
the big Withlacoochee river, thence
down said last mentioned river TO the
place of beginning.
According to my map the north
east corner of the county was three
miles east of the st. Johns river. now
in Putnam county. Its southern por-
| ton embraced nearly all of the ter
ritory that now comprises Sumter
and Lake counties. The boundaries
we're changed by the legislatures of
1916, 1853, 1859. 1877 and 1887, re-
ducing its area to its present status.
The following named persons were
Marion county's first officers, viz,
Judge of probate, John NJ. Mcintosh,
commissioned July 2e. 1S45; clerf.
circuit court, John G. Reardon, COM
missioned October 81, 1S45; s. F.
Halliday, commissioned November 4,
1916; sheriff, E. d. Howse, commits
stoned October 81, 1S45; assessor OF
taxes. Samuel Mattair, commissioned
fully 26, 1915; county surveyor, A. j.
Lyon, commissioned January IA, 1916,
cornty commissioners, Abraham 'Gei-
ger, commissioned October 81, 1S45,
John Morrison, commissioned Octo-
Der 81, 1S45, 1nomas Barnes. COM
missioned October 81, 1S45; Solomon
F. Halliday, commissioned October
81, 1885,; Cotton Rawls, commission
ed October 81, 1S45.
Justices of the peace-Dist. No. 5,
William d. Branch, commissioned
September 10, 1s45; Dist. No. 8, AL
len Studivant, commissioned Septem-
ber 10, 1S45; Dist. No. G, Daniel A.
McDavid, commissioned September
| 10, 1916; Dist. No. 6, John McNeal,
commissioned September 10, 1S45,
Dist. No. 6, John Munroe, commission
! ed September 10, 1915; Dist. No. Z.
James Clark, commissioned Septem-
Der 10. 1S45; Dist. No. 7, Robert III.
Williams, commissioned September
10, 1875; Dist. No. -. Benjamin Gran
ham, October 81, 1S45; Dist No. /,
}. Hemingway, commissioned Octo-
Der 81, 1916; Dist. No. 2, John j.
Fucker, commissioned November 4,
1916; Dist. No. 2, j. C. Stewart, com
nissioned November 4, 1876.
Coroner-John A. Rice, commits
stoned January IA, 1876.
Marion Rangers-Joseph B. Brown,
.aptain, commissioned September Is,
lS45; William s. Murphy, 1st lieu
tenant commissioned September Is.
lS45; Chas. l.. Powell, End lieutenant
commissioned September Is, 1S45.
John G. Reardon, clerk of the cir
Icuit court was appointed county treas.
urer, February 20. 1886, and s. F.
Halliday was appointed clerk of the
circuit court, and Cotton Rawls drop
ped out of the records as county com
missioner.
The county commissioners of Mar
ion county, Florida, at regular meet
ing held at Ft. King, February 20
1916, took such official action as was
necessary to authorize John G. Rear
don, county treasurer. to enter from
the government of the United States
the east half of the northeast quar-
ter. and the east half of the south
east quarter of section IS. and frac