The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-11-02
County Seats in Lee County
THE MANY CONTESTS

u
A recent question and answer pub
lished in The Gate City concerning
the two apparent county seats in Lee
county, created some interets In the
matter. and as the permanent estab.
lishment Of these two distinctive
points. each with courts OF current
jurisdiction, followed several county
seat contests, forming an interesting
chapter in the history Of the county,
IT Is thought that the chaper pertain
Ing to It had as we'll be written now,
while the people are in the frame OF
mind to receive some entertainment
in the reading Of It.
An act OF the Wisconsin territorial
legislature, approved December 26,
1885, entitled, an act to amend the
several acts hereinafter mentioned.
Section two of the amended act pro-
vided for "the election OF one town
4 ship clerk In each county who should
perform the duties OF the board Of
supervisors" In accordance with this
act at the first term Of the district
court, March 81, Judge Irwin presid.
Ing. It was ordered that John II.
Lines be and is hereby appointed to
be clerk Of the court Joshua Owens
had been appointed sheriff.
A., The. first election for county or
town officers in Lee county was held
t at Fort Madison, on Monday, April 8,
1897.
In commenting on this first election
a recent Iowa historian says: "a
careful examination of the acts pass
ed by the first legislative council Of
Wisconsin territory failed to find any
election law, and hence we are left
j to the conclusion that this election
was conducted under the provisions
4 OF laws passed and in force while the
country was under the jurisdiction OF
Michigan territory"
4 A further search by this writer
made no additional discovery on the
subject. The election was held, how.
ever, and no successful protest was
4 ever fled against the officers then
elected or their successors. Section s
Of the act already quoted, provided
that the district court should be held
n the town of Fort Madison.
An act to establish the boundaries
j of the counties Of Lee, Van Buren,
Des Moines. Henry, Louisa, Muscatine
and Slaughter, now Washington, coun
4 ties passed by the, second session OF
/ the legislative assembly Of Wise ensin
J territory and approved January 1S
1888, declared the seat of justice to bt
i established at the town OF Fort
Madison"
4 AS the country grew In population
and extended back into the int ioi
of the county, rival interests sprane
up and the people showed a spirit o
VI dissatisfaction, and more centra
location for a county seat came to b.
& agitated. Under this restless DISPOSE
ton, influences were brought to bea
upon the second legislature of tht
territory of Iowa of 1839-40, resulting
in the passage of an act approves
January a., 1910, appointing Samue
G. Reed of Van Buren, county, Jane!
l.. Scott Of Jefferson county, and ont
other whose name and place of resi-
dence is lost, three commissioners, t
carry out the purpose of the enact
/ ment. The law provided that the com
missioners should meet at Fort Madi
son on the first Monday in March
1910. and that after beng duly sworn
by any Judge or justice of the peace
to faithfully and impartially discharge
the duties imposed, they should pro
coed to examine the conditions OF thu
county. to consider the future as wei
! as the population at that date ant
also to pay strict regard to the geo
graphical center, and to locate thu
seat Of justice as near the center a.
an eligible site could be obtained
and that as soon as they had come t.
determination they should name thu
) place as they might see proper, etc
Pursuant to these requirements, tn
two commissioners named above me
at Fort Madison on the day name'
and they selected Franklin, the Ian
!, being donated by John Brown, Them
as Douglass and John G. Chapman
] With this proviso: THAT when tn
! town was laid off, the board of count
J commissioners were to have the mrs
choice of said lots, and the donor
: the second choice. and SO on until a
the lots were chosen"
h The commissioners accepted the K
cation, we are told, in good faith an
made all lawful preparations to carr
/ out the purpose Of the act unde