Drew County, In Its Early Years - To 1880 by Mrs. J. D. McCloy, Sr. Published in the Advance Monticellonian, February 19, 1942 The first court, however met on March 22nd, 1847, in the home of A. W. Rawles, presided over by W. H. Wells, County Judge, Thos. S. Newman and C. T. Reynolds, Associate Judges. Also present were Hiram Bryant, P. H. Baldy and Jefferson Thurman, Justices of the Peace. The following presented their official bonds as the county's first officers: Wm. Guice, Treasurer Thos. Hales, Coroner David D. Greer, Sheriff Y. R. Royal, Clerk of Circuit Court and Ex-officio Recorder E. G. Howard, Surveyor, presenting bond later Wm. D. Ford, Constable for Marion Township Joseph Renfro and Josiah B. Royal, Deputy Sheriffs, at the request of the Sheriff for help. Assessors for each township were appointed in 1850; Henry Crook was appointed for Marion township. Patrols for each township were also necessary to assist in keeping order, in looking after run-away slaves, those strolling at nights over the country and getting into various kinds of trouble; for Marion Township, Rodgers, E. Smith, John S. Royal, John O'Neill, Thos. Wells, William Greer, David Cotham and William Maroney were appointed. Many of us recall this little ditty that was sung by some of our ancestors, "Run, nigger run, the patterole 'll git you; Run, nigger, run, hit's almos' day." So numerous were wolves that $5.00 was offered as a reward by the Court to anyone killing a wolf in the county and exhibiting its scalp before any Justice of the Peace. Peddlers must have begun to be numerous, or probably more money was needed, for Court decided to place a tax upon all hawkers and peddlers; if on horseback, a tax of $5.00; if in a wagon, $10.00 tax; and if selling clocks in the county, $20.00. In 1855 it was remade with higher taxes. Perhaps the lightning rod agent had not made his advent that early or he surely would have been included. Some of the peddlers really proved a blessing to housewives, by bringing things right to the door. One of those was Ben Martin who peddled dry goods when there were but few stores in the town of Monticello. It must have continued a custom for several have told me of one such in the seventies, a Dock Hendon, who drove a big brindled steer named Dixie hitched to a buggy. His wife was a very aristocratic society lady of Virginian birth. A petition to sell liquor was also granted to Jesse Newton at this first Court, and it was decreed its next meeting be moved to Rawles Meeting House, possibly this was the "old Baptist Church" existing there, and it is stated that they met in the "old Baptist Church" in July 1850. Prior to the latter date however Court had met in Rodger's school house, and in April, 1850 in B. C. Hyatt's tavern. This Mr. Hyatt was a physician, minister, contractor and hotel manager. He and his wife moved to Independence in 1846 from South Carolina. Isaiah Holcomb, J. Milton Carr, and John Sanders had early been appointed Commissioners to find an appropriate county seat. There seems to have been many crimes and murders around Rough and Ready, and this may have been the reason that a change was thought the best. At any rate in June 1849, Fountain C. and Polly Austin, living three miles west of the present town and in whose yard was the first post office, in the log storehouse of a Carney O'Neill, which was called Montongo post office, after the Masonic Lodge here at the time, donated 88.02 acres to these Commissioners for the county seat. This was surveyed and platted in July and on August 1, 1849, reported to Court. The contract for building a temporary courthouse was let to Wm. D. Ford for $174.00 and in October 1850 was first used for this purpose. $460.00 was allowed by Court for building material, to be paid for by sale of town lots. The original plat of lots consisted of 35 blocks, the one left un-numbered, being the town square proper. For it 170 feet square was allowed, for all streets bordering the square 50 feet width was allowed; all others were to be 40 feet in width. Those running east and west, bordering town square were named Main (as it is today) and Academy. The one on the north was North Street, and on the south was Jefferson Street (now Gaines Avenue). Lot No. 1 on the plat was the residence lot of Mr. Robert Knox, Sr., for many years. The boundary lines of the town as laid out on the original plat run due west to John Kimbro place, due south to fifty seven feet beyond where the railroad now is, then due east to a line running just about where Ridgeway Hotel now is, thence north to and including No. 1 lot. End of article __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/