Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-01-07
AUDUBON COUNTY WAS FORMED BY
THE Act OF THE SD GENERAL
ASSEMBLY. CHAPTER 8. AP-

Il
PROVED JANUARY 10, 1851.
SEC. IS The following shall be the
boundaries of a new county which
shall be called "Audibon, "to-wit: Be-
ginning at the northwest corner of
township 81 north, range 30 west:
thence west on the line between town
ships 81 and 80, to the northwest cor
ner of township 81, range Sc west:
thence south on range line between
ranges 36 and 81, to the southwest
corner of township IS north, range Sc:
thence east on the line between town
ships Il and rs to the southwest cor
ner of township IS, range 30 west;
thence north between ranges 81 and
80 to the place of beginning.
1t was undoubtedly named in honor
of the ornitholigist, John James Au-
dubon, who died about that time.
1T will be observed that this descrip-
tion embraced the west tier of town
ships in the present county of Guthrie.
The boundary was changed a few
days later by a subsequent act of the
Legislature:
CHAPTER 81, 3D. G. A. APPROVED
FEBRUARY 5, 1851.
That the following shall be the
boundaries of the county of Guthrie,
to-wit Beginning at the northwest
corner of township 81 north of range
%, west, thence west on the township
lines dividing townships 81 and 50, to
the northwest corner of township 81,
north, range 33, west; thence south to
the southwest corner of township 7S,
range :'3, west; thence east on the
township lines between townships II
and IS, to the southwest corner of
township is, range %, west; thence
north to the place of beginning.
The cause of this change was some
what remote. To adjust the bounda
rieS OF Polk county in such manner as
to make Des Moines nearer the center
a tier of townships was severed from
the east and attached to Jasper coun-
ty. To compensate for it a tier of
townships was taken from the east
side of Dallas and attached to Polk
county. This was followed by taking
a tier of townships from the east side
of Guthrie and attaching it to Dallas
county. Then tier of townships was
taken from Audubon and attached to
Guthrie county by the act of the leg
islature above quoted.
There was no one living in Audubon
county at the time and the rights and
interests of the county were not pro-
tected. The readjustment should
have continued by adding a tier of
townships to Audubon from Shelby
and the latter county should have
received like territory from Harrison
county, which would have fairly
equaliZed the matter.
The time for correcting the injustice
has long passed. To disturb the coun-
ty boundaries now that the public
records have been made of long stand
ing would work irreparable injury and
damage to the people living where
such changes would be made.
We have since lived to experience
the many permanent disadvantages
which have resulted to the county by
this single act of injustice.
The relative expense of government
must always remain greater in a small
than in a larger county.
In political affairs and in the dis
tribution of state, district and judicial
offices, the rights of a small county
are often disregarded and denied. The
,, people of the county have repeatedly
experienced this prejudice and injus-
tice, and will probably continue to
do so.
Continued Next Week.