CHAPTER VII
THE OFFICIAL ORGANIZATION - JOHNSON AND RIVES COUNTIES ORGANIZED - THE FIRST OFFICERS - THE FIRST SHERIFF - ACTS OF THE COUNTY COURT
In reality the official history of Henry County as a county separate from that of Lillard or Lafayette may be said to begin with the year 1834; for on the thirteenth day of May in that year the Legislature passed an act organizing the counties of Johnson and Rives. Rives, later called Henry County, was named for the Hon. William C. Rives of Virginia. Its organization was officially recognized on the fourth day of May, 1835, by the convening of the county court consisting of two members. The commissioners named in a preceding chapter were appointed to select a county seat for Johnson County and a county seat for Rives County. At the same session of the General Assembly, the boundary line of St. Clair County was more defined, but as there were not enough settlers in St. Clair County to justify it being set apart as a distinct organization for civil and military purposes it was attached to the County of Rives.
At the first session of the County Court, which met on Monday, the fourth of May, 1835, at the house of Henry Avery, only two judges - Thomas Arbuckle and William Goff - appeared. Jonathan D. Berry was appointed clerk by the judges present. The record shows that Henry Avery was the justice of the peace of Tebo township of Lafayette County and William B. Price was constable. These gentlemen appeared at this first session of the County Court of Rives County and presented their resignations. The Court appointed George P. Woodson assessor and John G. Castleman constable. On the second morning the Court proceeded to lay off the County of Rives into municipal townships, dividing it into four and naming them Big Creek, Tebo, Springfield and Grand River.
The northeast quarter of the county was called Tebo township; the northwest quarter Big Creek; the southeast quarter Springfield and the southwest quarter Grand River. Tebo township comprised the present municipal townships of Windsor and Tebo; the eastern half of Shawnee, the northern half of Springfield and Deer Creek and the northeastern quarter of Fields Creek. Big Creek township was composed of the western half of Shawnee, the northwest quarter of Fields Creek, the north half of Honey Creek and White Oak and all of Big Creek and Bogard. Springfield township was east of the line which divided Fairview, Clinton and Fields Creek townships, while Grand River township was west of it.
The County Court also accepted the resignation of Mr. Avery on the second day of this term, appointed Colby T. Stevenson to succeed him, named the County of St. Clair, which was under the jurisdiction of Rives County, the tovraship of St. Clair, and adjourned.
At the second meeting of the County Court Joseph Montgomery, who had received his commission from Governor Daniel Dunklin, appeared to sit with the other two judges. In passing it may be well to pay tribute to the memory of Governor Daniel Dunklin, for it was he who was the father of the present free school system of the State. To no man is more honor due than to the statesman who can realize the fact that upon public education depends the welfare of any State, and who can, through practical application of his idea, bring such education home to all the children of a commonwealth.
At the second session of the County Court held at the home of William Goff also appeared Joseph Fields, with his commission as sheriff. His bond was approved by Charles H. Allen, judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, and was recorded by the Court. A record of the first three years of the Circuit Court has been lost, but Judge Allen was at Goff's house on the twenty-first of September, 1835, and signed his name as judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit. The Court levied, at an adjourned meeting held on the twenty-third of December, ten cents on the one hundred dollar valuation as the tax rate for that year. Merchants' licenses were fixed at $12.00 for six months. Peddlers were to pay a license of $20.00 and taverns $18.00 per year. The poll tax was thirty-one and a fourth cents. Mr. Woodson received for his services as assessor for the year 1835 the sum of $54.50. The election in 1835 of township officers resulted in the choice of Abraham Banty as constable of Springfield township.
Chesley Jones of Tebo township and Phillips Cecil as justice of the peace of Springfield township. On November 28, 1835, Sheriff Joseph Fields appointed Nathan A. Fields as his deputy, while Fielding A. Pinel had been appointed as circuit clerk pro tempore.
The first sale of school lands was the 16th section of township 42, range 26. These were sold on the first of February, 1836. In this year also the first road was laid out in the county and was the one which started at the Johnson County line "near or at the high point of Post Oaks" and thence to a point designed as the county seat of Rives county, thence south through the County of St. Clair, etc.
In 1836, Phillips Cecil, justice of the peace, died. This is the first death of record whose will is recorded. His wife, Polly Cecil, was administratrix. Peyton Parks was appointed assessor for the year 1836 and the same tax levy was made. Joseph Fields died early in 1836, leaving Nathan Fields, his son and deputy, as acting sheriff until after the election of that year, when Robert Allen was elected. Jonathan Berry, who had been appointed county clerk, resigned at the August term and Fielding A. Pinel, formerly circuit clerk, now became county clerk.
