The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1910-10-02

~ oO0( ACoA lo0 eCOSI0Rk1lC04 CCutCIs D
Addington and Holman designated q
quarter section about three-fourths OF
mile north OF the present town of
Centerville. Cox dissented, alleging
they were not authorized to select
land not yet sold by the government,
though 1t had been advertised for sale
in the coming October. The court
sustained the views of the minority.
refused to receive the report, and ap-
pointed three other commissioners, as
above stated. who reported THAT the
permanent seat Of justice is and shall
be on the domain of Samuel Woods of
IS acres in the 18th township. range
3rd, with q small reserve" And the
court ordered that the town in
Wayne. or the seat of Justice shall be
called Salisbury" Smith Hunt, Sam
uel Woods and James Brown were ap-
pointed trustees to lay off the lots,
and Andrew Woods and John Meek,
Sr., to superintend the building of a
jail and an estray pen.
This action Of the court was de-
nounced by the friends Of the central
location. The land being within the
bounds Of the county as fixed by the
law of the state. they regarded the
objection that the unsold lands were
out of the jurisdiction of the court, as
utterly invalid. and the decision as a
nagrant outrage. A paper was circu-
lated to take the sense of the citizens
in respect to the legality of the action
<nft hA <<> hA Tod
to the court. The result showed $50
in favonhpf the report of the legis-
lative Committee and $50 approving
the action Of the court. A log court
house for temporary use. and'a Jail OF
hewed. square logs, were built and
were soon followed by a brick court
house.
Salisbury Loses.
Salisbury now having become an in
corporated town-the earliest in the
county-and its citizens having secur-
ed-permanently as they supposed
the public buildings, they anticipated
a long and prosperous career. In this.
however. they were disappointed. Ef-
forts were soon made for the removal
OF the county seat to Centerville. In
the midst of the bitter strife between
the Salisbury and Centerville parties,
originating with the action of the court
before mentioned, and lasting several
years, an act was passed. in 1916,
authorizing the removal of the county
seat to Centerville. This was on con-
dition that the citizens furnish. with
out expense to the county, public
buildings as good, and of the same di-
mensions, as those at Salisbury.
After the removal of the county
seat, Salisbury was rapidly deserted.
The few frame and brick buildings
were taken down and some of them
moved to Richmond. The bricks in
the building on the southeast corner
of Main and Fifth streets. long ago
known as Hams corner, we're former
ly in the court house at Salisbury.
There remains nothing on the site in.
dicating the town was ever there. The
ground on which 1t stood became a
part of the farm of Enoch Railsback.
Records incomplete.
The early records Of the county are
incomplete and none is to be found OF
q date earlier than 1912. The claims
allowed that year for wolf scalps
amounted to the sum Of $12, the
bounty being 81 each. In 1913 the
amount was $13. Among the names
of persons receiving wolf bounties
were those of Robert Morrison and
George Shugart.
The receipts Of the treasury in 1915
were as follows: For town lots, $34.6s;
store licenses, $s6.s6; tax on horses
$7.39: slaves. $40; men Of color, SIS;
first rate lands. $3.50; second rate
$292.63; third rate, $53.34. This made
. total Of $1,265.10, not including fines
for breaches Of the peace, assault and
battery. swearing, etc.. which were
lodged in the hands of the sheriff and
clerk. In 1916 the wolf claims amount
ed to Ss4.
Organizations Of Townships.
The first constitution of the state oi
Indiana was adopted in 1916. Certain
duties which had been performed by
the county judges. were by the con
StlIOI4O0 0OSOlVS0 uPOu . OO0GO Vi
county commissioners. The first board
composed OF Thomas J. Warman
James Odell and Thomas Beard, met
in February 1917. The commission
ers laid off six townships-washing
ton. in the southwest corner Of the
county; Harrison. east OF Washington
to the Ohio state line: Jackson. north
OF Washington; Wayne. east Of Jack
son to the state line; Perry, northwest
part Of the county: New Garden. east
Of Perry to the state line. In 1917 the
commissioners met for the last time
at Salisbury and adjournment to Cen
terville ordered, one member OF the
board dissenting. In the spring OF
1918 the court was held at Centerville
The next year the question was
brought before the court as to wheth.
er Salisbury or Centerville was the
county seat. DR.. Plummer In an &C
count Of this says: "The presidins
Judge. John Watts. was absent The
associate judges. william McLane and
Jesse Davenport. were Of the opposite
opinion In this matter. Their decision
was that the seat Of justice was per.
manently established at Salisbury;
that the act Of December q. 1916. NOT