Hamilton County, Illinois Genealogy - 1887 County History 3

	Hamilton County 1887 County History

The following is a transcription of the Hamilton County history section of The History of Gallatin, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin, and Williamson Counties, Illinois (Chicago: Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1887).

<pg. 275>

THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' COURT.

This court met for the first time April 9, 1821. Following is the record of the proceedings of this first day:

Pursuant to an act of the Legislature of the State of Illinois establishing a new county called Hamilton, Townsend Tarleton, one of the county commissioners of said county, called a special meeting, pursuant to law, by giving five days' notice to the other commissioners to meet at the house of John Anderson, in that county, on Monday at 12 o'clock, the 9th day of April, 1821. The commissioners, severally appeared and produced their certificates signed by the judges of election, which certificates certified that they were duly elected county commissioners of Hamilton County; whereupon Jesse E. Lockwood, clerk of the circuit court of Hamilton County, administered to them severally the oaths required by law, whereupon a court was held in and for said county.
Present the Honorables
	WILLIAM WHEELER, LITTLE PAGE PROCTOR, TOWNSEND TARLTON, County Commissioners.

The court then proceeded to the appointment of a clerk. Jesse C. Lockwood was nominated and elected, and soon afterward appeared and took the several oaths required by law. His securities or sureties were Samuel D. Lockwood, Enos T. Allen and George McKenzie. A report was then received from the commissioners appointed by the General Assembly to fix upon the location of the seat of justice for Hamilton County. That report was in the following language:

We, the undersigned commissioners, appointed by the General Assembly of the State of Illinois do certify that we have fixed the seat of justice of said county on the land of William B. McLean on the northwest quarter of Section No. 15, in Township No. 5, Range No. 6, and that we have marked a black oak tree with the letter C, which is the center of the donation of twenty acres proposed to be given by said McLean to the said county, to be laid off in a square form, the lines to run north and south, east and west. Given under our hands and seals this 4th day of April, 1821.

SAMUEL LEACH.
JAMES RATCLIFF.
JOEL PACE.

The commissioners were then paid for their services in fixing the location of the county seat, as follows: James Ratcliff, $8; Joel Pace, $10, and Samuel Leach, $12. The court then ap- <pg. 276> pointed Enos T. Allen magistrate in the place of Robert Wilson who refused to qualify. William Watson, William Hardister and John Stone were then appointed trustees of Section 16, Township 7, Range 7; Hiram Greathouse and Christopher Hardister, overseers of the poor, Township 7, Range 7, and Frederick Mayberry, Sr., and Daniel Powell were appointed fence viewers for the same township and range. William W. Lane was appointed constable. William Wheeler was recommended to the General Assembly as a proper person to be appointed justice of the peace for the county and Richard W. Smith was appointed treasurer of the county.

(More to come later)

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