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The Courthouse of Livingston County
Pontiac, Illinois
INVENTORY OF THE COUNTY
ARCHIVES OF ILLINOIS
Livingston County (Pontiac)
No. 53
Prepared by
The Illinois Historical Records Survey Project
Division of Professional and Service Projects
Work Projects Adnninistration
CHICAGO. ILLINOIS
JUNE, 1940
The Historical Records Survey Projects
SARGENT B. CHILD. Director
ROYAL S. VAN de WOESTYNE. State Supervisor
Division of Professional and Service Projects
FLORENCE KERR, Assistant Commissioner
ALMA B. KERR, Chief Regional Supervisor
MARY GILLEHE MOON. State Director
WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION
F. C. HARRINGTON. Commissioner
GEORGE FIELD, Regional Director
CHARLES E. MINER, State Administrator
/\ SS2 .<^7y^ mum miDmy mvrr
FOREWORD
The Inventory of the County Archives of Illinois Is one of a number of
bibliographies of historical material prepared throughout the United States
by workers on The Historical Records Survey Projects of the Work Projects
Administration. The publication herewith presented, an Inventory of the
archives of Livingston County, Is number 53 of the Illinois series.
The Historical Records Survey was undertaken In the winter of 1935-36
for the purpose of providing useful employment to needy unemployed historians,
lawyers, teachers, and research and clerical workers. In carrying out this
objective, the project was organized to compile Inventories of historical
materials, particularly the unpublished government documents and records which
are basic In the administration of local government, and which provide Invalu-
able data for students of political, economic, and social history. The archi-
val guide herewith presented Is intended to meet the requirement of day-to-day
administration by the officials of the county, and also the needs of lawyers,
business men, and other citizens who require facts from the public records
for the proper conduct of their affairs. The volume Is so designed that It
can be used by the historian in his research In unprlnted sources In the same
way he uses the library card catalog for printed sources.
The Inventories produced by The Historical Records Survey Projects at-
tempt to do more than give merely a list of records - they attempt further
to sketch In the historical background of the county or other unit of govern-
ment, and to describe precisely and in detail the organization and functions
of the government agencies whose records they list. The county, town and
other local Inventories for the entire country will, when completed, consti-
tute an encyclopedia of local government as well as a bibliography of local
archives.
The successful conclusion of the work of The Historical Records Survey
Projects, even in a single county, would not be possible without the support
of public officials, historical and legal specialists, and many other groups
in the community. Their cooperation is gratefully acknowledged.
The Survey was organized by Luther H. Evans and directed by him until
his resignation in December, 1939, shortly after which he was succeeded by
the present director, Sargent B. Child; it operates as a nation-wide series
of locally sponsored projects in the Division of Professional and Service
Projects, of which Florence Kerr, Assistant Commissioner, is In charge.
F.C. Harrington
Commissioner
1
111
It
PREFACE
The undertaking now officially designated The Historical Records Survey
F>roJects, was Initiated nationally In January, 1936, as part of the Federal
Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration, now the Work Projects
Administration. In Illinois the Survey became an Independent unit In August,
1936, but continued to operate as part of the natlon-wlde project under the
technical supervision of Dr. Luther H. Evans, National Director, and under
the administrative supervision of the Division of Professional and Service
Projects. Dr. Evans resigned In December, 1939, and shortly thereafter was
succeeded by the present director, Sargent B. Child. Alston G. Field and
Howard E. Colgan were the first two state directors, the former serving until
November 1, 1937, and the latter to May 16, 1939. On September 1, 1939, the
Illinois State Library, of which Secretary of State Edward J. Hughes Is State
Librarian and Helene H. Rogers, Superintendent of State Library Divisions,
became the sponsor of The Illinois Historical Records Survey Project. On
Januaryl5, 1940, this sponsorship was assumed by the University of Illinois.
In compiling this Inventory of the archives of Livingston County, the
Survey has sought to locate, describe and classify all extant county records
and to make them more easily accessible to county officials, the general
public, and research workers. It is believed that this Inventory will be use-
ful in the preservation of this valuable material, and as a guide to the
archives wherein may be found so much Important information in the field of
history, sociology, political science, and economics. While some historians
have realized this for many years, the general public has never been made
aware of the intrinsic worth of this material. In the official documents of
Livingston County are found the materials of another chapter in the story of
the coming into the Illinois wilderness of settlers who created a territory
and the rudiments of a simple frontier government, bought and sold land, built
roads, established schools, and later founded a state.
The Illinois Historical Records Survey Project has proved to be of con-
siderable assistance to local and county governments. Records have been re-
arranged and made more accessible, material believed to be lost has been
located, indexing projects have been fostered, and county officials have been
encouraged and Induced to provide new equipment for their offices and better
storage space for the records.
In addition, the program of the Project has been planned to dovetail
with the long-range plans of the State of Illinois for the care of state and
local archives. For example, the first step, the removal of all state records
to a new Archives Building, has been materially aided by the preparation of
preliminary Inventories by survey workers for the various state departments.
Fixrthermore , the program of the state for the preservation of county records.
Including the making of microphotographic copies of all Important historical
documents, obviously presupposes inventories such as The Illinois Historical
Records Survey Project Is now making.
The inventories being compiled by The Historical Records Survey Projects
also make possible for the first time a scientific study of the question of
record destruction. Under Illinois law no records may be destroyed without
specific enabling legislation. This provision, together with the tremendous
increase in the quantity of records in recent years, has made it impossible for
either the state or the counties to take care of the documents adequately.
Hence, a certain amount of record destruction has been inevitable. If, as
seems probable, a study of these inventories should lead to the enactment of
adequate and sensible legislation governing the disposition of public records,
these compilations may prove to be the most importamt contribution of the
Survey .
Preliminary work on the survey in Livingston County, the fifty-third on
the alphabetically arrainged list of one hundred and two counties in Illinois,
was begun September 21, 1936, and completed as far as possible October 17, of
the same year. The first field fonns were then sent to the state office in
Chicago where they were received on March 31, 1937. All forms were returned
to Pontlac on December 1, 1938, for a complete recheck and returned to the
state office January 24, 1940. The Inventory was taken by Cal Atkinson,
William Buck, and Harley E. Dawson. The recheck of county offices was made
by D.E. Plllsbury, R. Piper, and M.W. Sulllns. Abstracting and transcribing
of county board records, upon which much of the historical material of this
Inventory Is based, was begun August 18, 1938, and finished May 3, 1940. This
latter phase of the work was done by Eileen P. Close, Alice M. Judge, D. E.
Plllsbury, R. Piper, Martin D. Robinson, and M. W. Sulllns. All field work
was done under the supervision of Kenneth C. Blood.
The Inventory was prepared for publication by the state editorial staff
of The Illinois Historical Records Survey Project at Chicago, under the super-
vision of Herbert R. Rlfklnd. Preparation of Part B of the Inventory was
under the direction of Martlne O'Connor; Irving E. Barnett supervised the
preparation of the legal essays; the historical sketch was written under the
direction of Kathleen Summltt; and the format was prepared and collated by
Edward J. McDonough. In addition, too much credit cannot be given to the
other members of the editorial, research, and typing staff s for their Intelli-
gent and diligent cooperation In the compilation of this Inventory.
All of the officers of Livingston County cooperated In every way with
the workers, and grateful acknowledgement of their aid Is hereby made. I also
wish to express appreciation for the assistance rendered by the officials of
the Illinois Work Projects Administration and the Illinois Writers' Project.
For the cover design we are Indebted to the Illinois Art Project.
The various units of the Inventory of the County Archives of Illinois
will be available for distribution to governmental offices, libraries, schools,
and historical societies In Illinois, and libraries and governmental agencies
In other states. Requests for Information concerning particular units of the
Inventory should be addressed to the State Supervisor.
Royal S. Van de Woestyne
State Supervisor
The Illinois Historical Records
June 17, 1940 Survey Project
vl
Leslie C. Arends Simon E. Lantz
Congressman, 17th District Senator, 16th District
Callstus A. Bruer
Representative, 16th District
Rollle C. Carpenter William Vicars
Representative, 16th District Representative, 16th District
LIVINGSTON COUNTY OFFICIALS
Circuit Judges Ray Sesler, William C. Radllff, Frank S. Bevan
Acting County Judges Homer W. Hall, W.G. Peacock
County Clerk James 0. Scott
Circuit Clerk and Recorder H.D. Wolff
Treasurer Fred Singer
Sheriff Harold R. Davis
State's Attorney H.H. Edwards
Master In Chancery Nell Ken-
Superintendent of Schools H.W. McCulloch
Superintendent of Highways George Cavlezel
Coroner Dr. H.L. Shafer
Surveyor Sam Bergstrom
Mine Inspector James Champley
Superintendent County Home Paul Bolen
Superintendent Old Age Assistance Harold D. Taylor
Superintendent Tuberculosis Sanitarium Otto L. Bettag
County Nurse Irene E. Kerrlns
Examiner of the Blind Dr. A.B. Mlddleton
Probation Officer Circuit Court . • Charles E. Marquis
Probation Officer County Court Ann F. Lord
Farm Bureau Advisor John L. Stormont
President William F. Bressner
Home Bureau Advisor Jessie Campbell
President Mrs. Clarence Brownsey
Veterinarian Dr. E.J. Hart
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
Henry C. Koopman, Chairman James 0. Scott, Clerk
(Elected by board, June 7, 1940.
vice Wm. A. Robinson, deceased)
Township Name of Supervisor Term Expires
Amity F.H. Rucker, Pontlac, R. 1 1943
Avoca Roy Goold, Falrbury 1941
Belle Prairie. . . . Fred Elliott, Falrbury, R. 5 1943
Broughton Hugh H. McCaughey, Emlngton 1941
(appointed vice Wm. A. Robinson deceased)
Charlotte Henry Sterrenberg, Chatsworth 1943
Chatsworth Clair E. Kohler, Chatsworth 1941
Dwlght Harold West, Dwlght 1941
Eppards Point. . . . N.J. Wagner, Pontlac, R. 4 1943
Esmen William A. Klmber, Odell, R. 3 1941
Fayette Frank J. Kuntz, Strawn 1943
Forrest J.W. Brown, Forrest 1943
Germanvllle Charles B. Schroen, Chatsworth 1943
Indian Grove .... C.A. Purdum, Falrbury 1943
Long Point Charles Loudon, Long Point 1941
Nebraska Henry C. Koopman, Flanagan 1943
Nevada John Pellouchoud, Odell 1941
Newtown Arthur C. Dixon, Streator, R. 8 1941
Odell Fred Mulr, Odell 1941
Owego Francis Kennedy, Pontlac 1943
Pike Fred W. Fischer, Chenoa 1943
vll
Township
Name of Supervisor
Term Expires
Pleassmt Ridge ... J.H. Melvln, Forrest
Pontlac t.A. Murray, Pontlac
F.H. Lester, Pontlac
William F. Bressner,
Reading Andrew Churney, 1418
Streator
Rooks Creek Glenn Antrim, Graymont.
Round Grove Oscar Fraher, Cabery. .
Saunemln E.P. Greenough, Saunemln
Sullivan Samuel Detwller, Cullom
Sunbury W.C. Ruddy, Blackstone.
Union George H. Thomas, Odell
Waldo John Hofer, Grldley . .
Pontlac. . . .
S. Sterling St.
1941
1941
1943
1943
1943
1943
1943
1941
1943
1941
1943
1941
MEMBERSHIP STANDING COMMITTEES FOR 1940
Public Property.
County Heme and Farm
Pauper Claims. .
Fees and Salaries
Finance
Jail Accounts. .
Education. . . .
Judiciary. . . .
Mines and Mining
Errors and Abatements
Auditing County
Clerk's Accounts. .
Auditing Circuit
Clerk's Accounts. .
Auditing County
Treasurer's
Accounts
Auditing Sheriff's
Accounts
Elections, Town and
Town Accounts . . .
Agriculture
Jurors
Rules
Blind
License
Official Bonds . . .
State Aid Roads. . .
Sanitarium . .
Noxious Weeds.
Wagner, Ureenough, Rucker, Kennedy, Hofer, McCaughey,
Fraher
Kohler, Melvln, Klmber, Goold , Ruddy, Thomas, Lester
Sterrenberg, Rucker, Murray, Pellouchoud, Hofer
Bressner, Greenough, Kuntz, Churney, Lester
Brown, Wagner, Bressner, West, Purdum
Hofer, Wagner, sterrenberg, Churney, Ulxon
Dixon, Melvln, Schroen, Fischer, Purdum
Fraher, Bressner, Loudon, Pellouchoud, Goold
Shroen, Antrim, Pellouchoud, Goold, Lester
Kennedy, West, Greenou^, Elliott, Rucker
Thomas, Dixon, Ruddy
Goold, Fraher, Lester
West, Detwller, Purdum
Mulr, Kohler, Churney
Elliott, Kuntz, Klmber, Antrim, Mulr
Klmber, Hofer, Loudon, Kuntz, Ruddy
Detwller, Klmber, Murray, Pellouchoud, Kohler
Fischer, Dixon, Thomas, Kennedy, Brown
Melvln, Ruddy, Murray, Kohler, Brown
Purdum, Kennedy, McCaughey
Greenough, Fischer, Brown
Antrim, Detwller, Elliott, Mulr, Kuntz, Loudon,
Sterrenberg
Rucker, Schroen, McCaughey, Fischer, Murray
McCaughey, Bressner, Wagner
vlll
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. Livingston Coimty and Its Kecoras bystem
Page
1. Historical bketch 3
The county's background: Introduction; location; physical
description; transportation; population; towns and villages;
the French and British In Illinois; American occupation; the
Indians of the Livingston region; pioneer and later Immi-
grants. Administrative history of Livingston: organization
of county; the county as a political and governmental unit;
beginning of county government; the building of the court-
house and Jail; early progress; adoption of township govern-
ment; the county and the beginning of the Industrial era;
public service programs; political cast of Livingston
County; some prominent citizens and their contributions.
Economic development: growth of Industries; agricultural de-
velopment. Social and cultural development: schools; re-
ligious activities; the press.
2. Governmental Organization and Records System 46
Introduction. General administration. Finances: taxation;
fiscal control. Administration of Justice: courts; clerks
of courts; ministerial officers; prosecutions; Inquests; en-
forcement of law. Education. Recordation. Public works:
roads and bridges; public buildings; drainage. Public
services: public health; vital statistics; public assis-
tance. Coordination of functions. Records system.
Chart 62
3. Roster of County Officers 65
4. Housing, Care, and Accessibility of the Records 72
Charts of county offices, showing percentage of records In
depositories 76,77
Charts of depositories, showing location, contents, and
condition 78-81
Floor plans 82-84
5. Abbreviations, Symbols, and Explanatory Notes 85
B, County Offices and Their Records
I. County Board 89
Proceedings of board. Disposition of accounts: county budget
and appropriations; bills and claims; registers of county
orders; cancelled county orders; pension funds and applica-
tions; emergency relief; war bounties. Management of county
properties: contracts; bond Issues; Insurance. Reports to
board. Jury lists.
II. County Clerk 98
Taxation: lists of taxable properties, levies; collections,
abatements; Judgement, sale, redemption, forfeiture. Vital
statistics: births; deaths and stillbirths; marriages;
census. Licenses and registers: registers of officers; pro-
fessional licenses and registers; estrays; marks and brands;
liquor licenses; dog licenses; military records; patents.
Elections. Official appointments, oaths, and bonds. Civil
service rules. Maps and plats. Miscellaneous records.
Fees, receipts and expenditures.
III. Recorder 114
Entry books. General Indexes. Instmraents recorded: general;
deeds; mortgages - real property; mortgages - chattel
property; certificates of levy, sale, and redemptlrn; bonds
of officers; other Instruments. Plats.
IV. County Court 122
Proceedings of court. Dockets: court dockets; Justice dockets.
Fee books. Reports to court. Jury lists. Probation:
Juvenile; mothers' pension; adult. Inheritance tax. Natural-
ization. Office transactions: fee payments; court business.
ix
Table of Contents
Page
V. Probate Court 134
Proceedings of court: general proceedings; wills, bonds,
letters; Inventories and appraisements; widows' relin-
quishment and selection; petitions, reports of sale; re-
ports, current and final accounts. Dockets. Kees. Public
administrator.
VI. Circuit Court 143
Indexes. Proceedings of court. Transcripts. Dockets. Fee
books. Reports to court. Jury lists. Bonds. Probation.
Naturalization. Office transactions: receipts and dis-
bursements; court business.
VII. Sheriff 155
Process. Criminal records: Jail records; reports; stolen
property; Identification, f^es, receipts and expenditures.
Office trsinsactlons.
VIII. Coroner 159
IX. State's Attorney 160
X. Supervisor of Assessments 162
XI. Board of Review 164
XII. Collector 166
Collection. Settlement. Delinquent lists.
XIII. Treasurer 168
Ledgers and Journals. Registers of county orders. Cancel-
led county orders. Special accounts: school; probate;
Inheritance tax; highway; tax anticipation warrants; dog
license; mothers' pension and relief; county Institutions;
vital statistics. Receipts, checks, and bank statements.
Fees.
XIV. Superintendent of Schools . 173
Accounts of school funds. Sales of school lands.
School districts. Teachers' records. Pupil records.
Reports. School treasurers' bonds. Corresoondence.
XV. Superintendent of Highways. 178
Commissioners* records. Construction and maintenance
records: plans, specifications, and contracts; material;
labor. Allotments and claims. Warrants. Surveys. Office
transactions.
XVI. Surveyor 182
XVII. Drainage Commissioners 183
XVIII. Veterinarian 186
XIX. Department of Public Welfare 187
XX. County Nurse 189
XXI. Tuberculosis sanitarium 190
Patient records: case records; treatments. Reports.
Office records: receipts and expenditures; employees;
correspondence.
XXII. County Home 194
XXIII. Examiner of the Blind 196
XXIV. Mine Inspector 197
XXV. Farm Bureau 198
XXVI. Home Bureau 199
Bibliography 201
Chronological Index 219
Subject Index 223
A. Livingston County and Its Records System
(First entry, p. 93)
I. HISTORICAL SKETCH
Th« County's Background
Introduction
The early part of the year 1837, when Livingston County was organized,
was one of the most eventful and Interesting periods In the long and colorful
history of Illinois. The tenth General Assembly, with Lincoln, Douglas, and
many other members who later achieved reputations In the state and nation,
was then In session. It was this assembly which promulgated, In a spirit of
extravagant confidence In the state's future, a publicly financed plan for
Internal Improvements. The ambitious scheme Included a program of construc-
tion of a statewide network of railroads, canals, and roads, and a host of
minor Improvements; although neither the funds nor the technical and admin-
istrative skill and experience was available for an undertaking of such
magnitude, the act, nevertheless, was passed, approved, and hailed with the
robust enthusiasm characteristic of the West.
The scheme proved a conspicuous success as an example of the boundless-
ness of human optimism and Imagination; It was an equally conspicuous failure
In Its practical results - a fact that became clear two years later when, with
but a fraction of the gigantic undertaking completed, the act was repealed,
and the state left with a great burden of debt which It was many years In
repaying.
The previous year (1836), Andrew Jackson, that embodiment of frontier
vitality and democracy, had completed his second term In the presidency, the
first westerner to achieve that high office. His election symbolized the
growing Importance of the robust West In the national government. The same
year saw the beginning of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, which would. It
was hoped, eventually form the political and commercial link connecting East
with West. In that year Chicago was Incorporated as a city and began Its
phenomenal development which was to exert a powerful Influence on the rest of
the state and on the entire Mlddlewest. Immigrants, especially from the
northern and eastern states, were coming In great numbers, a good many of
them with sizable sums of money, and speculation In land, townsltes, and
town lots was Important. Illinois and the rest of the settled West was at
that period fulfilling the ideals and hopes of Jefferson and Jackson for a
country peopled by self-rellcUit farmers and small merchants. - It was In that
atmosphere of confidence and enterprise that the region of the present
Livingston County, with about four hundred and fifty Inhabitants within Its
boundaries, was organized Into a separate, self-governing unit.
Location
Livingston Is located In the northeast quarter of Illinois, partly with-
in the highly fertile Grand Prairie region. Its north boundary Is 102 miles
south of the Wisconsin state line, and Its east boundary 39 miles west of the
Indiana line. The county seat, Pontlac on the Vermilion River, Is 92 miles
southwest of Chicago, lying about midway between that city and Springfield.
The county Is bounded on the north by La Salle and Grundy counties, on the
east by Kankakee and Ford, on the south by McLean and Ford, and on the west
by Woodford and La Salle counties. It measures 36 miles from east to west
and 24 miles from north to south, with an additional rectangle of about 175
square miles constituting the southern portion of the eastern half of the
county. In all Its area Is 1,026 square miles, making It fourth In size In
the state; the counties of La Salle, McLean, and Iroquois, are slightly
larger. It contains twenty-seven full congressional townships, namely:
Amity, Avoca, Broughton, Charlotte, Chatsworth, Dwlght, Eppards Point, Esmen,
Forrest, Indian Grove, Long Point, Nebraska, Nevada, Newtown, Odell, Owego,
Pike, Pleasant Ridge, Pontlac, Reading, Rooks Creek, Round Grove, Saunemln,
Sullivan, Sunbury, Union, Waldo, and three fractional townships. Belle
Prairie, Fayette, and Germanvllle. The forty-first parallel of latitude
Historical Sketch
passes through the second tier of townships In the northern part of the
county . 1
Physical Description
Livingston lies within the geological area known as the early Wisconsin
glaclatlon. An earlier glacier v/hlch covered the county, known as the
Illlnolsan, partly leveled the region by rubbing down the hills and filling
the valleys. The drift deposited by these glaciers consists of blue boulder
clay containing beds of gravel and sand which form the source of the water
supply. The average thickness of the drift Is about 150 feet.^
The soils of the county are divided Into the following five groups:
upland prairie soils, upland timber, terrace, residual soils, and swamp and
bottom-land soils. Brown silt loam covers about 775 squa.re miles or practi-
cally 75 percent of the county; black clay loam occupies over 15 per cent of
the county's area.^
The surface Is gently undulating with broad stretches of level land
particularly In those parts lying south, southwest, and northwest of the
center of the county. North, east, and southeast of the center, the land Is
of a more rolling nature not, however, so broken as to offer serious danger
from erosion. Few hills are found In the county except for bluffs along the
bottom lands of the Vermilion River. The altitude varies from 821 feet to
less than 600. The highest point lies In the Caytiga Ridge In section 5,
township 25 north, range 8 east. Pontlac Is at an altitude of 647 feet.*
The climate Is characterized by a wide range between the extremes of
winter and summer. The lowest temperature recorded was - 26°; the highest,
110°. The length of the growing season Is about 164 days. From 1887 to
1920, the average annual precipitation for the county was 32.18 Inches. The
proportion of total rainfall occurring during each season was 17,9 percent
for the winter, 30.4 percent for the spring, 28 percent for the summer, and
23.6 percent for the autumn.^
The county's main stream Is the Vermilion River, flowing northwestward
Into the Illinois. A local poet, unable to restrain himself from the temp-
tation to Immortalize his native stream, composed this gentle and tactful
piece:
"Vermilion Is no classic stream.
She Is not named in song and story;
No mighty deed or poet's dream
Have placed her on the page of glory ..."
However, "The Rubicon with all Its fame.
When sifted down Is but a sham;
Vermilion Is a longer name,
And quite as wide above the dam.
And as for Caesar riding through It -
• Why, any half-baked fool could do It -
Flow on, Vermilion, gently flow.
And turn the wheels of Williams' Mill;
Still on thy way rejoyclng go -
A river Is a river still.
And all the rivers known to fame
Are made of water Just the same."®
1, Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Livingston County,
ed. Newton Bateman, Paul Selby, Christopher C. Strawn, and Others
(Chicago: Munsell Publishing Company, 1909), II, 619. Hereinafter re-
ferred to as Strawn, History of Livingston County,
2, Livingston County Soils , Soil Report No. 25. L. H. Smith and Others
(Urbana: University of Illinois Agricultural Experimental Station,
1923), p, 13, Hereinafter referred to as Livingston County Soils.
3, Ibid., p. 7.
4, Livingston County Soils, p. 6,
5, Ibid., p. 1,
6, The History of Livingston County. Illinois, complied by 0, F, Pearre,
W, H. Perrln, H. H. Hill, and A, A, Graham (Chicago: W. Le Barron Jr,,
& Co,, 1878), p. 226, Hereinafter referred to as Pearre, History of
Livingston County.
Historical Sketch
The river has Its rise In the extreme southeastern part of the county,
emptying Into the Illinois at La Salle, In La Salle County. At some points,
Pontlac being one, the Vermilion affords water power which was used, as in-
dicated In the poem, for grist and sawmills. It is fed by these tributaries
In the county: South Branch, Indian Creek, Turtle, Wolf, and Mud creeks,
Rooks Creek, Long Point and Scattering Point creeks, most of which have
their rise in the county. These streams are living water fed by springs,
affording ample drainage and water for stock in all parts of the county. In
former years a considerable portion of the county was swampy. That section
has been reclaimed by a thorough system of tile-draining, and now it consti-
tutes valuable agricultural land.
Along the Vermilion and the other streams, and in groves through the
county there were abundant growths of trees in the early years. There were
oak, ash, maple trees from which the settlers made their sugar, black walnut,
hickory, elm, and other varieties. Most of these have been used for building
the cabins of the settlers. Including the first courthouse, for fencing and
fuel until the discovery of coal, for bridges, furniture, and the interiors
of the dwellings. In 1854, when the first railroad came through the county,
and for some years afterward much of Livingston County's timber was used to
feed the engines as well as for ties for the roadbed. Until the late sixties
when coal burning locomotives came into use, Pontlac served as a wooding sta-
tion for every engine along the line of the Chicago, Alton and St, Louis Rail-
road,'''
Animals found in the county are minks, weasels, muskrats, raccoon, opos-
sum, some squirrel and rabbits, and a rather large number of red fox which
are even yet hunted and trapped. In the early years there was an abundance
of deer, prairie chicken, quail, wild geese, ducks, and turkeys. After the
completion of the first railroad, sportsmen from Chicago, St, Louis, and other
large cities descended on the county and soon exterminated the deer and left
only a few of the game birds,
A good quality of coal, readily accessible, underlies the soil of the
southern and western parts of the county. It was first discovered in the
latter fifties, cropping out of the ground in Reading Township, and was sold
by the owner of the land at one dollar a load, regardless of size of load,^
Limestone suitable for building purposes is found on Indian Creek not far
from Falrbury and in some parts along the banks of the Vermilion River,
Stone quarries are located outside Pontlac city limits: some of the stone is
used in crushed form for township roads. In Sunbury Township there Is a
deposit of sandy clay which is especially suitable for making tile and brick.
Geologic and geographic factors have made Livingston County ideally
suited for farming. As an agricultural county, it is one of the richest,
most fertile and productive in the state, having more arable land than any
other county - almost its entire area is tillable. Out of an approximate
land area of 667,520 acres, 644,571 acres are in its 3,575 farms which aver-
age 180 acres each. 9 The average value per farm In 1930 in Livingston was
$30,595 as compared with the average value for farms in the state of $15,553.
The total value per acre of land in the county was $169.46, and in the state,
$108.68,10
The principal crops are corn and oats, with lesser amounts of spring and
winter wheat. In the production of corn the average yield per acre in the
county for the years 1924-1933 was 36.5 bushels, compared with the state's
average of 34,9 bushels, H Within the past few years the soybean has been
Introduced and is gradually becoming established as one of the staple crops
of the county. In recent years, the value of sweet clover has become recog-
nized and this product is rapidly taking its place among the Important for-
age crops of the county.
7, Strawn, History of Livingston County, II, 621.
8, Ibid., p. G17.
9, Information Pertaining to Farm. Home and Community (Urbana: University
of Illinois, 1936), p. 4, 12. Hereinafter referred to as Farm, Home
and Community.
10. Ibid., p. 76.
11. Ibid., p. 28, 30.
Historical Sketch
At one time Livingston was the greatest corn producing county In Illi-
nois. In 1907, not a particularly good year for com because of frost and
too heavy rainfall, the corn yield was 12,000,000 bushels; besides the com
used for home consumption, there was more of the cereal shipped out of
Livingston County In that year than the amount raised In the states and
territories of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah,
New Mexico, Arizona, aind California. 1^
The livestock Interests, Including dairy products, are of considerable
Importance In the county's economy, their value amounting In 1929 to 21.1
percent of the farm Income. The percent of Income derived from crops In
that year was 66.2.
The manufactures of the county, concentrated largely In and around
Pontlac, are those of farm Implements, shoes, auto brakes, and candy. In
1933 there were twenty- two manufacturing establishments In the county with a
total value of products of $1,534,349.13
Transportation
The farmers, merchants, and industrial concerns enjoy excellent trans-
portation facilities In the county with outlets through four main and five
branch lines of railroads and a network of paved roads. The railroads are
the Wabash, Alton, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, and the Toledo, Peoria and
Western main lines, and the Alton branch from Peoria to Dwlght; the Wabash
branch from Streator to Forrest; Illinois Central branch from Kankakee to
Mlnonk; Illinois Central branch from Bloomlngton to Kankakee, and the New
York Central branch, formerly the Indiana, Illinois and Iowa. The concrete
highways are the United States Route 66, and State Routes 116, 23, 47, 24.
and 17. In 1935, the total mileage of state-aid secondary roads was 392.14
Population
The national census of 1930 showed a population In Livingston County of
39,092, almost the same as the preceding census of 1920 when It was 39,070.
The population density In 1930 was 37.5 per square mile, much less than the
average for the state of 136.2. The highest population In the county's
history was In 1900 when It reached 42,035.1^ The loss of population may be
accounted for by the growth of farm tenantry and the consequent lessening of
Individually owned farmsteads, and the emigration of the county's youth to
the large Industrial centers of this and other states In quest of wider op-
portunities.
The first census of the county In 1840 showed the county's population to
be 759. By 1850 It had doubled to 1,552. Between the mid-century and 1870,
the years of Intensive railroad building and growth of Industry which
attracted great numbers of immigrants both from the northern states and from
foreign countries, the county's growth In population was greater than at any
time before or since. From 1,552 in 1850, It reached 11,637 In 1860, and
31,471 In 1370. In the following census It was 38,450, remaining at a stand-
still In 1890 when It was 38,445.16 of the total population in 1930, 17,370,
or 44.4 percent constituted the county's farm population. The balance were
concentrated In Its two cities, one town, and thirteen villages. 1'''
12. Strawn, History of Livingston County, II, p. 620-21.
13. Biennial Census of Manufactures, 1933, Department of Commerce, Bureau
of Census (typed MSS., Illinois State Planning Commission), p. 10.
14. Farm. Home and Community, p. 78.
15. Population Bulletin. First Series. Illinois, Fifteenth Census of the
United States; 1930 T^ashlngton: Governrrent Printing Office, 1930),
p. 8. Hereinafter referred to as Population Bulletin: 1930.
16. Tenth Census of the United States: 1880^ Population. Department of the
Interior, Census Office (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1883),
p. 57; Twelfth Census of the United States; 1900. Population. United
States Census Office (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1901),
p. 16.
17. Farm. Home and Conpiunlty. p. 3.
6
Historical Sketch
Towns and Villages
The largest and oldest center In the coimty Is the city of Pont lac with
a population In 1930 of 8,272, of which 92.7 percent are native white; 5.3
percent are foreign born, and 1 percent are Negroes. The city Is showing a
constant growth, having had a population of 6,664 In 1920, while In 1939 Its
population was estimated at 9,500.18 The public land In Pontlac was donated
to the county by Henry Weed, Lucius W. and Seth M. Young, the proprietors, at
the organization of the county. The deed was entered July 27, 1837.19 in
1851, Jesse W. Fell of McLean County, who had considerable Interests In
Livingston, laid off Fell's addition to Pontlac, donating the public square,
streets, and alleys to the addition. 20 The town of Pontlac was Incorporated
by legislative act on February 12, 1856. That act, however, was found to be
faulty, and on February 10 of the following year, the legislature passed and
approved an act legalizing the Incorporation. 21
A curious transfer of property In Fell's addition was effected a few
years later, when Thomas Croswell and 0. Easton sold two lots In considera-
tion of several barrels of liquors. Including "best Cognac Brandy, Old
Bourbon Whiskey, Old Rye Whiskey, Holland Gin, Jamaica Rum, Common Whiskey",
and designated amounts of camphor, quinine, opium, calomel, linseed oil,
turpentine, and other chemicals and extracts. 22
Pontlac Is situated In the township of the same name In the center of
the county on the Vermilion, ninety-two miles southwest of Chicago. It Is
served by the Alton, Illinois Central, and Wabash railroads, and highways 66,
116, and 118. There are two banks In the city with total deposits of
$2,685,000; In addition, postal savings deposits amount to $423,000.23
Built on a twenty-acre tract within Pontlac are the twenty-six handsome
buildings of the Pontlac branch of the Illinois State Penitentiary. The
buildings, housing 2,068 Inmates In 1939, are surrounded by fine lawns and
shade trees, one of the most attractive spots In the city despite Its grim
function. Originally the institution was established as a reform school for
Juvenile offenders under 16 years of age, by an act of the legislature
approved March 5, 1867,24 and was known as the "State Reform School." By an
act of June 18, 1891,25 the Institution was reorganized, the age admission
was raised to 21 years, and Its legal designation changed to the Illinois
State Reformatory. It continued to function as a reformatory until 1933,
when by an act of the legislature approved Jime 30, It was made a part of the
state penitentiary system and placed under the control of the State Depart-
ment of Public Welfare. 26
The only other city In Livingston Is Falrbury In Indian Grove Township
with a population In 1930 of 2,310. Its main Industry from the beginning has
been coal mining. Because of the general decline of mining In recent years,
the city has been gradually losing part of Its population; In 1920 there were
some 200 more persons than In 1930.27 other Industries and businesses In
Falrbury are the manufacture of women's dresses, the making of beverages,
operation of gravel pits, and extensive trading In grain, livestock, and
poultry. A few miles from Falrbury Is the birthplace of Dr. Francis E. Town-
send, originator of the old age pension plan known as the "Townsend Plan."
The only community In the county designated as a town Is Chatsworth, In
the township of the same name, with a population In 1930 of 981.28 Among
18. Editor and Publisher, the Fourth Estate Market Guide for 1940. James
Wright Brown, President, (New York: The Editor and Publisher C ompany ,
November 25, 1939), v. 72, No. 47, p. 67. Hereinafter referred to as
Editor and Publisher.
19. Deed Record, v. A, p. 64.
20. Ibid., v. D, p. 392.
21. Prlv. L. 1857. p. 362.
22. Deed Record, v. Q, p. 332.
23. Editor and Publisher, p. 67.
24. L.1867. p. 38.
25. L.1891. p. 52.
26. L.1933. p. 780.
27. Population Bulletin; 1930 ^ p. 24.
28. Ibid.
Historical Sketch
Its Industries are the manufacture of tile, brick, and tanks. It was In-
corporated March 8, 1867.
Next to Pont lac In point of population and fame through the state Is the
village of Dwlght In Dwfght Township. Its population in 1930 was 2,534, one
of the few centers In the county showing a gradual Increase In population.
In 1910, It had 2,156 persons, and In 1920, 2,255.29 in the village Is
located the famous Keeley Institute, where since Its establishment In 1879
about 400,000 patients have been cured of alcoholism and drug and cigarette
habits. The Institution and the cure were originated by Dr. Leslie E. Keeley,
who was a practicing physician at IXvlght. His cure proved so great a success
that from the original Institute grew a system which covers the whole United
States and many foreign countries. 30 Two and a half miles from Dwlght, on
160 acres of land Is situated the state reformatory for women. It was
created by an act of June 30, 1927, which carried an appropriation of
$300,000 for the Initial expense of establishment. The Institution, which Is
under control of the State Department of Public Welfsire Includes a clinic, a
hospital, and facilities for educational and vocational instruction. 31 Also
In Dwlght Is located the Veterans Administration Facility Building with a
capacity of 225 patients. The Institution was established for the care and
treatment of disabled wax veterans. Besides the usual retail businesses In
the town, there Is a granite works nearby, and poultry farms occupy much of
area Immediately surrounding.
Dwlght was Incorporated as a town on March 24, 1869;32 it preferred,
however, village status, aind on July 23, 1872, reverted to a village, remain-
ing as such to the present. As the town of IXwlght It was laid off by Richard
P. Morgan Jr., the proprietor of the site, on January 30, 1854. It was sur-
veyed by Amos Edwards, county surveyor. 33
The other villages in the county, with their populations, are Campus,
partly situated In Broughton and partly In Round Grove tcwnshlps, with a
total of 160 Inhabitants; Emlngton In Broughton and Union townships with a
population of 151; Strawn In Fayette Township with 221; Forrest In the Town-
ship of Forrest with 915; Long Point In the township of the same name, 254;
Flanagan In Nebraska Township, 631; Odell in Odell Township, 908; Reddlck
village with 43 Inhabitants In Round Grove Township and 162 In Kankakee
County; Saunemln In the township of the same name with a population 376, and
Cullom Village in Sullivan Township with 489 Inhabitants. 34
Illinois enjoys the distinction of having more instances of abandoned
settlements than any other state In the Union. The state was settled during
the pioneer era more rapidly than any other In the Middle West, and Innumer-
able villages and towns were founded In the hope of becoming population
centers. In Livingston County a number of such towns were laid out, flour-
ished for a time, and then died. One of these Is the town of Richmond, laid
out In 1851 for Henry Jones and Henry Loveless, the proprietors. 35 with
prospects of the Chicago and Alton Railroad going through. It boomed for a
time and became one of the most Important towns In the county. The road,
however, missed It by two miles and that made an end to the career of the
town.
New Michigan, laid out In 1850,36 faded away when coal was discovered
at Streator some six miles to the nortlwest. In the latter fifties the
little town had the only academy In the county. 37 Avoca town expired when
the town of Falrbury was laid out In 1857. The little settlement was started
In the early forties. 38 Another casualty was Sullivan Center which gave up
In face of competition from neighboring towns. The same fate befell the
29. Population Bulletin: 1930. p. 24.
30. Strawn, History of Livingston County. II, 710-13.
31. L.1927. p. 208,209.
32. Prlv. L.1869. IV, 261.
33. Deed Record, v. D. p. 389.
34. Population Bulletin: 1930. p. 24.
35. Deed Record, v. C. p. 174.
36. Ibid., p. 389.
37. Strawn, History of Livingston County, II, 640.
38. Ibid.
Historical Sketch
villages of Murphy Station, Norman, Potosl, Zookvllle, and Wlndtown which
received Its name from a windmill within the village. ^9 One of these settle-
ments, the village of Cardiff In Round Grove Township, still retained a
slender place In the census of 1930 with Its 28 Inhabitants. In 1910 it was
a thriving village with 1,031 populatlon.^^O In 1940, only ten Inhabitants
remained. Abandoned buildings are crumbling, and those that remain stand
doorless and windowless in an unpremeditated welcome to the elements. Its
decline began shortly after the turn of the century with the lessening of
the activities and output of Its mine which was the principle source of Its
income.
The French and British in Illinois
For the better part of a century, dating from the claim made by Daumont
de Saint Lusson at Sault Ste, Marie in 1671, the Illinois country was a pos-
session of France. The explorations of Jean Nicollet, of La Salle, of
Marquette and Jolllet, and men of' lesser fame, opened the territory to the
penetration of white men. Missions for the Indians were established along
the Wabash, the Illinois, and the Mississippi; trading posts of the fur com-
panies were set up, and Fort St. Louis, La Salle's base of operation, was
built near the Starved Rock. A few small colonies, such as Cahokla and
Kaskaskia on the Mississippi, and Vincennes on the Wabash, were founded, and
a seat of government for the district was set up at Fort Chartres. But in
the main, the Interest of France in the great Northwest was In its use as a
resource, through the rich fur trade, rather than in the development of the
land by home-bulldlng colonists. The trapper, the coureur de bols, the
voyageur penetrated the forests and streams In pursuit of their business, and
left the country little changed.
In 1763, by the Treaty of Paris which ended the long struggle for su-
premacy between the French and British In the New World, the entire Missis-
sippi Valley and Canada were ceded to Great Britain. It was not until 1765,
however, that British troops entered Fort Chartres to take formal possession
of the Illinois country, and the French regime was definitely ended. Al-
though some remnants of the French civilization persist In the localities of
the old villages, the century of French rule exerted little Influence on the
basic Institutions controlling the lives of the Americans who later peopled
Illinois.
The authority of the British in this region lasted only eighteen years,
and was constituted in a military government under a succession of five com-
mandants. Their authority was confined to the few fortified points along
the rivers; as far as the rest of the great region was concerned, British
sovereignty was purely nominal. The British colonial policy was so unwelcome
to the Americans in the colonies along the seaboard, that it brought about
the Revolutionary War which resulted in the loss to Britain of the entire
region below the Canadian line.
American Occupation
On the fourth of July, 1778, in the midst of the Revolution, Colonel
George Rogers Clark, with a handful of soldiers from the backwoods of
Virginia, captiu-ed the British fort at Kaskaskia, and won claim to all the
Illinois country, to be added to the domain of Virginia. By an act of the
General Assembly of Virginia In December of the same year, the territory
comprising Illinois and practically all of Indiana, was designated as the
County of Illinois.
In 1784 Virginia ceded all her claims to the territory to the United
States Congress; three years later Congress formulated the celebrated Ordi-
nance of 1787 by which it created, out of the lands ceded by Virginia and
other states, the "Northwest Territory" from which were carved the present
states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and a part of Minne-
sota. A government was set up later In the same year by the appointment by
Congress of General Arthur St. Clair as Governor and Wlnthrop Sargent as
Secretary. St. Clair, however, was unable to reach Illinois until April,
39. Strawn, History of Livingston County, II, 640.
40. Population Bulletin: 1930, p. 24.
Historical Sketch
1790; from this time may be dated the actual functioning of the American
system of government In Illinois. 4^
The Indians of the Livingston Region
The territory of the present Livingston County was In no way Involved
In either the French or British possession of Illinois. Removed from navig-
able waters. It remained undisturbed In the hands of the Klckapoo Indian
tribe until of the arrival of American settlers In the early thirties. Pre-
viously It had been occupied by tribes of the Illinois nation, but a long
and disastrous war with the Iroquois had decimated the ranks of the Illinois
and forced their remaining bands south and westward. The Klckapoos and
Pottawatomles, coming down from the north, moved In upon their lands. 42
When these two tribes divided the land between themselves, the Pottawa-
tomles chose the region around the Fox River, and the Klckapoos retained that
section which Included the present Livingston County. In 1828, they removed
their headquarters - a large village on Salt Creek near the site of the
present town of Le Roy - to within the present bounds of Livingston County.
In the spring of 1830, they erected a large council house at Oliver's Grove
south of Chatsworth, at the time known as Klckapoo Grove, where Martin
Damall with his family first made their settlement. There they put up a
village of wigwams, their colony numbering 630 souls, men, women and child-
ren.43
The relationship between the Livingston settlers and the Indians was
friendly. Besides hunting and fishing the Indians cultivated some com,
beans, potatoes, and tobacco on small, scattered patches of land. From time
to time they gathered In their large council house to transact their tribal
and comnunal affairs.
Father Jesse Walker, a pioneer Methodist minister In that vicinity,
established a mission among them and ordained a member of their tribe as a
minister to hold religious services among his people. For a prayer book they
used a boeird on which they traced symbols or characters. When the Black
Hawk War broke out In 1832, a deputation of settlers from Livingston and
McLean counties visited the camp of the Klckapoos to ascertain their Inten-
tions, being aware that Black Hawk had sent an anlssary to solicit their aid.
At the meeting from this county were Martin Damall, the McDowells, William
Pope Joy, Abner Johnson, Uriah Blue, Isaac Jordan, John Hanneman, and Franklin
Oliver, who acted as chairman. The settlers were courteously treated by the
chiefs who told them that they had declined the Importunities of Black Hawk;
although some of the young braves wanted to go on the warpath, the older men
were endeavoring to discourage them. The meeting was ended In the evening of
May 24, with a religious ceremony enacted by the reds who had been converted
to Christianity. After some singing and exhorting - "an Indian stepped for-
ward and asked to be whipped for his sins he had comnltted during the
week. . . Fourteen stripes were given him by these Indians, with smooth
hickory rods about three feet long. The stripes were received without a
movement to Indicate pain. . . This example was followed by fifty others, who
received fourteen to twenty-eight stripes laid on with such force that any
one of them left a mark. . . When each applicant for stripes had been whipped,
he turned around and shook hands with the men v*io bore the rods. "44
The settlers. In spite of this demonstration, did not feel reassiu^ed,
41. Clark had set up courts for the administration of civil affairs at
Kaskaskla and at Cahokla, but since their connection with the state
government of Virginia was tenuous at best, and after the cession of
the Illinois to Congress was severed completely, they may be disregard-
ed except as Interesting examples of the persistence of the desire for
self-government among an Isolated people. For a discussion of these
courts see St. Clair County. Inventory of the County Archives of 1111-
nolSr No. 88 (Chicago: Historical Recorda Rurvay, Works PmjftctR Ari-
mlnlstratlon, 1939) > p. 29-45. (Mimeographed)
42. See W.D. Strong, Indian Tribes of the Chicago Region. Anthropology
Leaflet No. 24, Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago, 1926).
43. Pearre, History of Livingston County, p. 230.
44. Strawn, History of Livingston County, p. 618.
10
Historical Sketch
and after their return from the meeting they assembled at the McDowell cabin
and decided to return to their former homes In Indiana, since they had only
two rifles between them. On May 29, seven families from the Avoca settle-
ment, numbering about 30 people, left In their ox-drlven wagons for Indiana,
coming back to their Illinois homes In November after the close of hostili-
ties.
By that time the Indians, at least the tribes east of the Mississippi
River, began to understand the binding force of treaties. Hitherto they had
persisted In the view that only those who signed the documents were bound by
them, while those who did not sign might feel free to repudiate the whole
transaction and continue to assert privileges which they formerly enjoyed.
They also grasped the significance of private property after they had watched
the growth of farms and cabins and witnessed the private use made by the
whites of land and other gifts of nature. To them, land, wild game, and run-
ning water were common property the same as air cind sunshine .
In his autobiography dictated after his defeat. Black Hawk expressed the
Indian's feelings about ownership of land In these words: "1^ reason teaches
me that land cannot be sold. The Great Spirit gave It to His children to
live upon and cultivate as far as necessary for their subsistence, and as
long as they occupied and cultivated It they have the right to the soil, but
If they voluntarily leave It, then any other people have a right to settle on
It. Nothing can be sold but such things as can be carried away."'^
By the treaty of Edwardsvllle made In 1818, the Klckapoos ceded their
land In Illinois to the United States Government. 4^ In return, the tribe was
to receive an annuity and undisputed possession of lands west of the Missis-
sippi. Among the last of the tribe to leave Illinois were the band In this
county. In September 1832, they were removed by the government to land
reserved for them west of St. Louis. 47
Some Indian burial mounds at one time existed In the county, but are
nearly all obliterated. A number of village and camp sites have been Identi-
fied. One, especially, known as Rollins Grove, Is still attracting visitors.
Henry J. Mels of Livingston, and J.B. Grotevant, and James Smith have made
Interesting collections of arrows, arrowheads, spades, battle axes, and vari-
ous other Indian Implements found In the county. 48
Pioneers and Later Immigrants
The prairie lands of Illinois, which Included the Livingston region,
were among the last to be settled by the pioneer. Because of the danger of
prairie fires which occurred In the dry season, of the convenience of locat-
ing near building material and fuel supplies, and of the difficulty of plow-
ing the tough and mucky prairie soils with the wooden or cast-iron Implements
then In use. It was a practical necessity for the pioneer to make his settle-
ment negir groves of trees. In addition to that, the prairies were Infested
by the dreaded Pontlac or blue-tailed files - a menace to the farmers and
their animals. After the Invention of the self -scouring steel plow In 1836-
37, and Its broad use after the forties which had an Incalculable effect on
the settlement of the West, the value of the prairies was quickly recognized.
The resulting cultivation Incidentally eliminated the fire hazard and the
diseases of fever and ague.
The first white men to locate In the territory were Valentine M. Darnell,
Frederick Rook, and Isaac Jordan, who came to what later were named Belle
Prairie, Avoca, and Rooks Creek townships In the fall of 1829.49 These men
45. Autobiography of Black Hawk and A General History of the Black Hawk War
of 1832. Dictated by Himself to Antolne Le Clair, U.S. Interpreter, ed.
J.B. Patterson (St. Louis: Continental Printing Co., 1882), p. 72,73.
46. "Treaty with the Klckapoos" In Indian Affairs. Laws and Treaties. ed. Charles
J. Kappler (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1904), II, 129.
47. Strawn, History of Livingston County. II, 619.
48. Livingston County Historical Association, Bulletin No. 1 (Pontlac:
Klwanis Club of Pontlac, March 5, 1925). No paging.
49. Pearre, History of Livingston Cotinty. p. 232. In another history of the
county the name Jordan Is spelled Jourdan (Stravm, History of Livingston
County, II, 626).
11
Historical Sketch
with their families were the only white people In this locality to witness
the long remembered "deep snow" which fell In the winter of 1830-31, and
about which many accounts have been written, some of them highly Imaginative.
During 1830, Garret M. Blue and Andrew McMillan located on Rooks Creek,
and Jacob Moon established himself and his family at Moon's Point,
Two years later William McDowell with his five sons and two daughters
came from Ohio and settled in the present Avoca Township on the Little
Vermilion. The same year John Hanneman, William Pope Joy, and Franklin
Oliver located in the settlement.
With the conclusion of the Black Hawk incident and the removal of the
Kickapoos, settlement became much more rapid in the northern part of the
state. In 1833, Dr. John Davis, the county's first physician came, to make
his home in Livingston. Among other settlers of the same period were Daniel
Rockwood, Henry, E.F., and James Weed, John Recob, John Johnson, the Murray
family. Squire Hayes, John Chew, Daniel Barackman, John Downey, and Joseph
Reynolds and his brothers. ^"^ The names of these settlers are familiar in the
records of the county, since most of the men served at various times in the
early days as officials of the new county.
These pioneers came from states in the north, east, and south where an
independent economic existence had already at that early date become diffi-
cult to attain. In the northern states the best lands had been bought off
soon after the Revolutionary War by a few wealthy families, leaving to the
average homeseeker the choice between the farming of submarginal lands or
employment at long hours and extremely low wages In the many factories that
were springing up there. In the south the best lands had been acquired by
the great plantation owners even before the Revolution, and the small farmer
with energy, hardihood, and a love of freedom and Independence abandoned
certain poverty and semi-slavery and took his chances on the frontier. It
was this common economic background, the common experiences as frontiersmen,
and the inspiring sight of vast, boundless free prairies that has furthered
and reinforced in the West the American tradition of freedom, that remains a
vital factor in our social and political practices. The westerners have done
much political and social pioneering and experimentation with such contribu-
tions to American democracy as the doctrine of equal suffrage regardless of
sex, and such political devices for the control of the government by the
people as direct nominations, the initiative and referendum, the recall, and
the popular election of United States senators.
The early settlers who came to Livingston were largely from the states
of New York, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Tennessee,
North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island - Indiana and Ohio furnishing
the greater number. ^-^ Among the early settlers was a group of Norwegians
from the colony brought over in 1825 by Cling Pearson. Originally, the
fifty-three who came over under his guidance settled in Cling County, New
York. In 1834, he Induced a number of them to remove to La Salle County in
Illinois, to a settlement bordering Livingston. Some of them later made
their homes in Livingston, supplemented by new arrivals from Norway in later
years. 52 jn the late forties began a large immigration of Germans and
Scandinavians who were driven from their homes by political and economic
repression. They were a liberal and intelligent class of people who found it
easy to adapt themselves to the western way of life. In the West, their
assimilation and Americanization was rapid and natural, the frontier melting
all races into a new people. They brought with them new and advanced methods
in education, agriculttu"e, and commerce which have had a substantial and
Invigorating Influence on the country. After the completion of the Illinois
and Michigan Cginal and the beginning of railroad construction, the Irish
began coming in, followed by immigrants from southern and eastern Europe.
In the early sixties, a number of German Mennonites settled in the
southern portion of the county. They professed to be followers of Amah, a
preacher In Germany and a dissenter from the origl'hal Mennonlte body. Some
50. Pearre, History of Livingston County, p. 233,235.
51. Ibid., p. 285,286.
52. Strawn, History' of Livingston County, II, 736.
12
Historical Sketch
of their doctrines and customs were unusual, but they proved to be a frugal
and Industrious people. ^^
By the census of 1860, there were 1.528 foreign-born Inhabitants In the
county In a total population of 11,637.54 in 1870, out of a total popula-
tion of 31,360, there were 6,031 foreign born;55 in 1900 out of 41,532, the
foreign born numbered 7,22856 of whom the majority came from England,
Germany, Ireland, the Scandinavian countries, Switzerland, Hungary, Canada,
and Scotland. 57
Generally, the first settlers were squatters - farmers who made an Im-
provement on a selected piece of land before entering It legally In the Dan-
ville land office, preemption rights giving them the opportunity to secure
It. Land sales through the public land offices In the West In 1836 rose to
unprecedented volume, reaching a total of 20,000,000 acres, whereas In the
previous year 15,000,000 acres had been sold, and In 1834 only about
4,000,000.58 These sales did not Include land purchased with the government
scrip given Revolutionary War soldiers as bounty, bounty warrants of 1812,
canal grant lands, or school lands purchased from the states by settlers.
Speculation In land, lots, and town sites was at Its height In 1836. That
wave of unrestricted speculation was halted after the executive order of
President Jackson issued July 11, 1836, directing receivers of public money
to accept no payment but in specie, except in the case of settlers buying not
over 320 acres of public lands. 59
Log cabins were the only dwellings used by the early settlers. Trees
were chopped down, logs cut and drawn together by oxen around the spot where
the house was to stand. Large trees were cut and split into puncheons for
the floor, and when this was all laid, the men of the entire settlement
gathered together and within the day raised the cabin. The cracks were
chinked and daubed, and a large fireplace, built of rock and common clay with
a chimney made of sticks and mortar mixed with straw, was erected. The door,
made of clapboard or puncheons, was hung with wooden hinges and fastened with
a wooden latch; a string or a piece of rawhide was tide to the latch, and put
through a small hole in the door to unfasten it. The roof was generally made
of clapboards. The only articles not made on the place were the sash and
window glass, when glass Instead of oiled paper was used. These items were
bought in Ottawa or Peoria, whither they had been shipped by boat from
St. Louis.
Prior to 1851 there was not a grist mill In Livingston County, and the
farmers had to travel to Dayton, a few miles beyond Ottawa, to get their
cereals ground. Ottawa was at that time a thriving community, and was the
market place for Livingston County farmers; there they sold or bartered
their produce for salt, sugar, tobacco, powder, lead, and indispensable
manufactured articles. It took four or five days to make the round trip. 60
The pioneer women played fully as Important a part in the stern adven-
ture of wresting a living from an untried land as their mates. The spinning,
carding, weaving, knitting, and sewing were only part of their many tasks,
not the least of which was bearing and rearing large families in that primi-
tive environment, all of which they accepted with a fortitude as heroic as
that of the men.
Some years after the settlement of the state, when an Increase of ease
53. Strawn, History of Livingston County, II, 737.
54. United States Bureau of the Census, Eighth Census of the United States.
I860, Population (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1864), p. 79,83,
102,570.
55. Tenth Census of the United States, 1880, Population (Washington: Govern-
ment Printing Office, 1883), p. 431.
56. Twelfth Census of the United States. 1900. Population (Washington:
Government Printing Office), I, 499.
57. Ibid., p. 745.
58. Frederick L. Paxson, History of the American Frontier 1763-1893 (Boston
and New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1924), p. 319,320.
59. Ibid., p. 321.
60. Strawn, History of Livingston County, II, 625.
13
Historical Sketch
and relaxation had brought leisure for reflection, the pioneers themselves
recognized the drama of their part In the winning of the West. Societies of
early settlers sprang up In many of the state's counties, where the old
timers gathered to reminisce and relate their experiences. An old settlers'
society was organized In Livingston County In 1875, holding Its first meeting
In the new courthousd. Unfortunately, with the passing away of the settlers,
the societies disappeared leaving few written records, and It was not until
many years later that county historical societies began to be organized with
the aim of recovering and preserving historical material of that vital period
In American history. In Livingston a historical society was organized In
1914.
The first postmaster to serve Pontlac after the organization of the
county was Cornelius W. Reynolds. He was succeeded by Jerome Garner. It Is
told of Garner that, upon receiving his appointment, he purchased a bell-
crowned, stovepipe hat In which he kept all mall that arrived at Pontlac. He
was a confirmed fisherman, and when a citizen expected a letter or desired to
mall one, he would betake himself up and down the Vermilion until he found
the official, who would solemnly remove his hat, perform the duties of his
office, and resume his fishing with his private postofflce back In Its accus-
tomed place. 61
The first marriage license Issued by County Clerk A.W. Beard was to
Williamson Spence and Mary Darnall, but In the record the groom was called
plain "Williamson;" the writer of one history of the county surmises that "It
Is not Improbable that the clerk - H.A.W. Beard - was an old bachelor, and
took delight In mutilating marriage licenses; for the next license authorized
Simeon Mad, Instead of Simeon Madden, to marry Elizabeth Rutherford. "^2
Administrative History of Livingston
Organization of County
Toward the end of 1836 there were enough settlers In the Livingston
region to Justify Its creation Into a separate county. In the issue of the
Sangamo Journal for September 3, 1836, appeared an unsigned notice dated
August 6, 1836, that a petition would be presented to the legislature asking
for the formation of a new county out of parts of McLean and La Salle coun-
ties and the attached part of Iroquois, with a boundary which Included the
present area of Livingston and the east half of townships 25 and 26 north. In
range 5 east. The petition led to the passage of the "Act to establish the
County of Livingston" which was approved February 27, 1837.63
At the suggestion of Jesse W. Fell, a well-known figure In the state, a
personal friend of Lincoln's to whom Lincoln wrote his autobiographical let-
ter, and one of the committee sponsoring the organization of Livingston, the
county was named for Edward Livingston. Livingston, a member of an old,
distinguished, and wealthy New York family, and a lawyer by profession,
served as mayor of New York City, Representative in Congress from New York
and later from Louisiana, United States Senator from the latter state.
Minister to France, and Secretary of State under Jackson. 64 According to the
writers of two histories of the county it was in recognition of his reputed
authorship of President Jackson's proclamation to the South Carolina nulli-
flers that he was honored by having the county named after him. 65 if the
story is true it Is a rare insteince of public recognition being given a
ghost writer In his lifetime.
Livingston was the sixty-sixth county in the state to be organized.
61. Pearre, History of Livingston County, p. 242,248.
62. Ibid., p. 243.
63. L.1837. p. 83.
64. Counties of Illinois, Their Origin and Evolution, compiled and published
by Edward J. Hughes, Secretary of State (Springfield: Printed by author-
ity of the State of Illinois, 1934), p. 64. Hereinafter referred to as
Counties of Illinois.
65. Stravm, History of Livingston County, II, 631; Pearre, History of
Livingston County, p. 253^
14
Historical Sketch
In the same year, five other counties were formed: Bureau, Cass, Boone,
De Kalb, and Stephenson. ^^ The boundary of Livingston, as given in the act
of organization, remains unchanged: Beginning at the northwest comer of
township thirty, north of range three east of the third principal meridian;
east on the line between townships thirty and thirty-one north, to the range
line between range eight and nine east, thence south between the last men-
tioned ranges to the southeast comer of section thirteen, of township
twenty-five north of range eight east, thence west through the middle of the
last mentioned township to the range line between the last mentioned ranges
to the township line between townships twenty-six and twenty-seven north;
west between the last mentioned townships to the range line between ranges
numbered two and three east, and thence north between last mentioned ranges
to the place of beginning. 6'
As population Increased a tendency arose to decrease the size of coun-
ties. Transportation and communication facilities were not yet sufficiently
developed to overcome the Inconvenience of long trips from the outer parts
of the county to the seat of Justice to transact county business. The
quickest remedy for the situation was to make smaller counties. Two attempts
were made to decrease the area of Livingston County. In 1852-53, a petition
was presented to the General Assembly for the formation of a new county to be
called Prairie, which would have Included land taken from Livingston and
several neighboring counties. The petition, however, was tabled. ^^ Again In
1859, before the formation of the coimty of Ford, some citizens from McLean
and Woodford petitioned the senate of the twenty-first General Assembly for
the formation of a new coimty out of Woodford, McLean, La Salle, and Living-
ston. When the County of Ford was created In response to this and other
petitions, no part of Livingston was taken. That was the last serious at-
tempt to reduce the territory of this county. 69
The County as a Political and Governmental Unit
A second Influence In the movement to create smaller and more numerous
county units was the less tangible but nonetheless vital factor of partici-
pation In local politics. Before the great development of Industry and its
Influence on state politics, and prior to the growth In number and Influence
of Incorporated cities with Independent Judicial and administrative powers
and political organizations, the county was the most Important political
unit in the state. Besides being the field for the organization of political
parties It was, particularly in the West, the only training ground In the art
of politics and government for those who had the talent and ambition for that
calling. It was - and to an extent still Is - In the counties that the
politicians and officials, through constant, direct, and Intimate contact
with the people, gained the wisdom and experience to face the great complexi-
ties of collective government and to prepare themselves for posts In state
and national bodies. Abraham Lincoln, traveling from county to county In the
wake of the circuit Judges, and meeting and talking with a great many people.
Is an example of the politically minded Individual who in this manner accumu-
lated expert knowledge of mass characteristics and the handling of mass
problems .
Under the Impact of greatly increased population, and especially because
of the disproportionate Influence of capital concentrated In Industry swiftly
developing In the midst of a civilization which was politically, economical-
ly, and socially adjusted to agriculture, much of the political Initiative
has passed from the counties to the cities and other groupings. Under the
Influence of these factors the relationship of the people to their government
In the counties, and the relationship of the county to the state government
have undergone significant changes, as will be shown In these pages from data
drawn from entries In the records of Livingston County, which Is typical of
most counties In the state. Aside from this, there was also a change In
attitude, In both the politicians and the people as a whole, toward the
66. Counties of Illinois, p. 58.
67. L. 1837. p. 83.
68. William Barge, "Genesis of Livingston County" (Mss. In Chicago Histori-
cal Society), p. 15.
69. Ibid., p. 16; Journal of the Senate of the Twenty-first General Assembly
of the State of Illinois (Springfield; Ballhache and Baker, 1859), p. 360.
15
Historical Sketch
philosophy of politics Itself, which In the early years was largely a natter
of personal Issues and Individual theories of government.
Livingston County's first governing body was the county commissioners'
court provided by the Constitution of 1818, composed of three elected members
whose powers and term of service were designated by subsequent acts of the
legislature. "70 They were to hold four sessions each year on the first Monday
In March, June, September, and December. The commissioners' courts were to
have their own seal and appoint their own clerk. The last provision was
changed by an act of February 7, 1837, making the office of clerk elective. "^^
They were authorized to control the revenues of the county, to Issue licenses,
to have control of roads, canals, and bridges, and were granted the power of
punishment for contempt. '^ gy subsequent acts the legislature broadened and
defined the original functions of the coirmlssloners' court, adding limited
Judicial powers such as administration of probate and other specialized
Judicial- matters. "73 T^e principal duties of the court were concerned with
the keeping of vital statistics, the administration of poor relief - this
activity has been of late largely taken over by the state and Federal govern-
ments - the maintenance of schools, the care of highways, the administration
of tax machinery and election procedures, and the ?ecordlng of land titles.
Beginning of County Government
In the act of organization, James Piatt of Macon County, William B.
Peck of Will, and Thompson S. Flint of Tazewell were appointed commissioners
for the purpose of fixing the permanent seat of Justice for the county.
They were to meet "In the house of Andrew McMillan on the first Monday of
June next and proceed to select a proper site provided that It shall be
located on public land If a proper site on such land can be found." But If
the location were made on land belonging to an Individual, the owner was
required to donate to the county a tract of not less than twenty acres on
which the public buildings should be erected, or. In lieu thereof, a sum of
at least three thousand dollars to be applied to the erection of public
buildings.
The act also provided that an election be held In Andrew McMillan's
house on the second Monday of May next (May 8, 1837), for a sheriff, coroner,
recorder, and surveyor, and three county commissioners who would hold their
offices until the next general election, which would be held In August of
1838. The temporary clerk and the Judge of probate were required to give to
the elected commissioners certificates of their election, and an abstract of
the election was to be transmitted to the Secretary of State as required by
law. The county was attached to the first Judicial circuit, and until Its
organization according to the act. It was to continue to form a part of
La Salle and McLean counties In all general elections.
Within ten days after their election, the county commissioners were to
meet as a court and appoint a clerk, lay off the county Into Justices' dis-
tricts, and order an election to be held for Justices of the peace and con-
stables. "74
The first court was held at the house of Andrew McMlllan'^^ on May 18,
1837. Commissioners Jonathan Moore and Daniel Rockwood were present and
sworn In; the third commissioner, Robert Breckenrldge, was absent. The
first act of the court was to appoint Abram W. Beard as clerk, administering
to him the prescribed oath and accepting a bond of $1,000 signed by James
Holman and John Recob as sureties. The court then ordered the clerk to set
up records to be kept as follows: "Book A, the recorded proceedings of the
County Comrs. Court of a common and general nature and Signed by the members
of said Court; Book B, the record of the Court dividing the County Into
70. Constitution of 1818, Schedule, sec. 4.
71. L. 1837. p. 49.
72. L. 1819, p. 33,175.
73. For a more detailed account of the functions of this court see Chapter
I, County Board; Chapter V, Probate Court.
74. L. 1B37. p. 83-35.
75. County Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 1. In the records McMillan Is
spelled with an "a", in the enabling act It Is spelled with an "e".
16
Historical Sketch
Election precincts, Road Districts and Alteration Plats of Roads, the
appointment of Supervisors and to be signed by members of said Board. Book
C, the record and amount of credits allowed to Individuals with the state-
ment of service, number of County orders and amount allowed to each Individ-
ual. Book D, containing the grant of Licence for the sale of goods, wares
and merchandise. Tavern, grocery and all other llscences except that of marri-
age and also all records of permits given by Clerk In vacation which two last
books with any others not signed by members of said Court shall at all times
be subject to their Inspection and to others who are Interested. ""^^
John Recob was appointed treasurer, j)ostlng a bond of $1,000 with
Michael Murray and Nicholas Hesstner sureties. Before adjourning the court
laid a tax (amount not given) on the following property: on all horses over
three years old, sheep over one year old, on all clocks, watches, wagons,
and pleasure carriages.''"''
According to the writers of two histories of Livingston County, this
court functioned without the formality of election. One historian writes,
"The first County Commissioners and the first Sheriff performed the duties of
their offices without any authority from the state, and, as they are all
dead, the manner In which they obtained any authority to act will perhaps
remain a mystery." He based this conclusion on the absence In both the coun-
ty archlvee and records of the Secretary of State, of certificates of their
election."^ The other writer states, "the returns show that the election was
held by precincts (Pontlac, Indian Grove, etc.), on June 6, 1837, and the
total vote as shown by the records Is 110. From the records In the county
court, we find that the first county commissioners' court was held at the
home of McMillan on May 18, 1837. The reason of the discrepancy between the
date of the election and the date of^the holding of the commissioners' court
is not clearly shown by the returns
79
Whether these conclusions as to the extra-legal functioning of the court
are Justified Is not certain. Until Its organization, Livingston was attach-
ed for Judicial purposes to La Salle and McLean counties. It Is not Improb-
able that a special election was held on or before May 18, and the returns
sent to either of those counties. Although according to a provision In the
act of organization, the returns of this election were to be made to the
Secretary of State, failures to make returns and recordings of the first
special elections were not uncommon In new and Inexperienced counties. At
any rate, at the next meeting, held on June 6, the court was composed of the
same personnel and continued Its functions In a normal manner.
At this meeting the clerk's fees were fixed at $1.50 per day's service;
he was allowed $8.25 for the purchase of books, and William Springer and
Thomas Plndell were appointed as trustees of the school section In township
23, 4 east. The county had previously been divided Into three precincts,
Indian Grove, Center, and Bayou. ^'^
On June 24, the court met to accept the report of the locating commis-
sioners, who statea that they had selected the southeast quarter of section
22, township 28 north, range 5 east of the third principal meridian, which
was claimed and occupied by Henry Weed, Lucius W. Young, and Seth M. Young.
The proprietors gave a signed agreement to the locating commissioners in
which they engaged to give to the county, in accordance with the provisions
in the act, $3,000 toward the erection of public buildings, two hundred square
feet of ground, exclusive of streets, at the point of location for a public
square, and one acre of ground In Pontlac not less than twenty, nor more than
thirty rods from the courthouse site for the purpose of erecting thereon a
Jail and stray pen. In addition, the donors undertook to build a public
bridge across the Vermilion at Pontlac within two years. 81
The contract was executed June 22, witnessed by the clerk, Abram W.
76. County Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 1,2.
77. Ibid., p. 2.
78. Pearre, History of Livingston County, p. 243.
79. Strawn, History of Livingston County. II, 631,632.
80. County Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 3,4; Strawn, History of Living-
ston County. II, 632.
81. County Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 6,7.
17
Historical Sketch
Beard, and signed by the donors and by C.H. Perry, who was the first merchant
In the county, James McKee, who had water privileges at Pontlac, and Jesse W/
Fell, as sureties. The donors posted a bond of $5,000 binding them to the
contract. The terms of the bond did not Include mention of the five thousand-
dollar donation. 82 a deed for the land was made on July 27, 1837, according
to which "the streets are slxty-slx feet In width except Hazel Street which
Is 50 feet & the alleys are 20 feet In width; ... at the North East
Comer of the Public Square Is a stone planted from which to make future
surveys. The town to be known and designated as the Town of Pontlac." The
deed was certified by John W. Reynolds, Justice of the peace, and accepted
for the county by the county commissioners.^
Shortly after the establishment of the seat of Justice at Pontlac, an
attempt - not unusual In young counties - to relocate the county seat was
made by rival Interests. The result was an act approved by the legislature
March 1, 1839, directing that an election be held to determine by vote the
permanent placement of the county seat. 84 At a special term held August 2,
1839, the county commissioners examined bonds "for donation for fifty acres
of land each provided the County Seat Is located on certain Specified place."
A bond submitted by Daniel Rockwood, James Weed, and Stephen S. Hubbard was
approved. Bonds by James Holman, John D. Marks, and Joseph Reynolds were not
accepted. At the election of August, 1839, the results were 81 votes In
favor of removing the county seat, and 56 against; for locating on Hubbard's,
Weed 's. and Rockwood "s donation, 78 votes, for locating on Holman's site, 1
vote. 8^ Since the vote did not give the required two-thirds majority for
removal, the coimty seat remained at Pontlac.
On July 11, 1837, the court convened at Pontlac and Issued a license to
Cornelius W. Reynolds to keep a grocery and dry goods store on payment of a
five-dollar license fee for one year. The clerk was ordered to make out a
bill of the amount due each of the county officers for services rendered
since the county's organization. 96
At the meeting on September 4, the court examined the bond of the new
county clerk, Mathlas J. Ross. Treasurer John Recob was allowed $10.50 for
making a list and duplicate of taxable property In the county. The Judges
and clerks of the past election were allowed seventy-five cents each per
day for their services and five cents per mile of travel. The county com-
missioners received compensation at $1.50 for each day's service. 8'^
At the next meeting, on December 4, the clerk was ordered to make out a
statement of the fiscal condition of the coimty and post it in his office for
public examination. On application of Joseph Reynolds, the court appointed
Samuel Boyer and John Bradley to examine Reynold's fence "to determine
whether it is a lawful fence." The following day, James McMillan was
appointed the county's first school commissioner and posted the required
bond. The sheriff having failed to receive his commission, the court ap-
pointed Joseph Reynolds in his place, authorizing him to proceed with the
collection of taxes upon giving satisfactory bond. E.F. Weed submitted a
plat of a state road which the legislature had authorized to be built from
Danville to Ottawa. The court ordered the sheriff to summon grand and petit
Jurors, The grand Jury was composed of Jeremiah Travis, Martin Damall,
James Spence, Francis J. Moore, Isaac Wilson, Nathan Popejoy, Isaac Barket,
Bennett Miller, James Weed, William Hubbard, Garrett M. Blue, James McMillan,
Myric D. Eddlngton, James Campbell, Jacob Moon, Daniel Barackman, Emsley
Pope, Jacob Dickinson, Samuel Boyer, Samuel Norton, Amos Lundy, John Chew and
A.W. Breckenridge. Members of the petit Jury were Hugh Steers, James Cooper,
Richard Moore, Wilson G. Donaho, Charles Brooks, Richard Ball, John Miller,
Caleb Mason, Isaac Wacker, Ellas Brock, Isaac Hare, William Jones, Truman
Rutherford, Thomas N. Reynolds, Phillip Dean, William K. Brown, William
Springer, Elsey Downey, Thomas Morehead, Myram Ames, Thomas Hodgens, Moses
82. County Comniss loners' Record, v. A., p. 8-11.
83. Deed Record, v. A, p, 64.
84. L. 1839. p. 217.
85. County Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 37,38. The legal descriptions
of the sites offered are not given in the record.
86. Ibid., p. 12.
87. Ibid., p. 13,14.
18
Historical Sketch
Allen, Henry Cllne and Samuel Bruce. 88 This Jury, however, was not called
upon to act, since the first circuit court In the county was not held until
October 21, 1839. According to Judge W.G. McDowell, the historian of the
old settlers' society, "the first regular term of circuit court was held In
the spring of 1840, In the Weed log house, and the Jury held Its delibera-
tions on a lot of saw-logs which lay on the banks of the river. . . The
first trial by Jury In the circuit court was between Isaac Wilson and Nathan
Popejoy, In which Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas were attorneys,
after which they spoke on the political Issues of the day. . . They spoke in
the street, or rather open prairie, from the top of a dry-goods box. Judge
David Davis of Bloomlngton was also there as one of the prominent attorneys.
The Judge and all attorneys came across the country from Springfield and
Bloomlngton In buggies and on horse-back. "89
With the meeting of December 6 ended the first year's effort at self-
government of Livingston County. At the last term. In addition to Mathlas J.
Ross, C.H. Perry acted as deputy clerk. Beginning with the middle of 1837,
a financial panic, caused In part by overstretching of the state's credit and
by over-expansion In public building, was on In full force. It was reflected
In tax collections In Livingston County for that year, which, according to
the sheriff's report submitted to the court at Its meeting on March 7, 1838,
amounted to a total of $68.71. This caused the court to order a one-half
percent tax levy on an enlarged list of property which Included town lots,
horses over three years old, all horned cattle over three years, and sheep
over one year old, on wagons, carriages, clocks, watches. Jacks, Jennets,
mules, hogs over one year old, on all stock-in-trade, on all moneys loaned on
Interest, on all farming and mechanics' tools, sawmills, distilleries and
factories, and on all household furnishings excepting cupboard ware and wear-
ing apparel. 90 In place of Mathlas Ross, who removed from the county, the
court appointed James S. Munson as clerk. Ross was allowed $20 for extra
services for nine months, $2 for furnishing stationery and postage, and $2.50
for one day's service at the current term. Sheriff Joseph Reynolds was
allowed $3 for three days' attendance at the March term of court, and $12 for
summoning Jurors. C.H. Perry was allowed $5 for the use of his room to hold
court. 91
The first regular election In the county, held In August^- 1838, resulted
In the choice of a new court composed of Uriah Springer, Albert Moon, and
William Popejoy; Mathlas B. Miller was elected county treasurer. The com-
missioners drew lots to determine their length of service, as provided by
law. William Popejoy drew a year's term, Albert Moon, two years, and Uriah
Springer, three years. ^^
Beginning with 1839 and continuing for many of the formative years, a
great part of the attention of the courts of Livingston County was centered
on the building of roads. At every meeting petitions for roads were present-
ed by citizens and acted on by the county commissioners' court and the county
court. The Instinct for Intercommunication and the understanding of the
VELlue of adequate transportation facilities has been a prominent characteris-
tic In the makeup of the pioneers, and to this Instinct much of the country's
great progress Is owing. When James Duncan was governor, he urged the laying
out of public highways while the state was still unsettled and straight roads
could be constructed between the Important settlements with little difficulty
or expense. 93 The legislature responded In 1834 by granting forty-two state
roads, and the following year forty more were added. In addition, the legis-
lature gave authority to the county commissioners to "alter, change and re-
locate" roads located by state authority, except "the great western mall
route of the Darwin and Charleston turnpike."^*
A comprehensive road law for the state was approved by the legislature
88. County Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 13-19.
89. Strawn, History of Livingston County, II, 633.
90. County Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 19.
91. Ibid., v. A, p. 21-24.
92. Ibid., p. 25-27.
93. Alexander Davidson and Bernard Stuve, A Complete History of Illinois
from 1675 to 1884 (Springfield: H.W. Rokker, 1884), p. 417.
94. L. 1839-40. p. 51,52.
19
Historical Sketch
February 12, 1827, which vested the county commissioners' courts with the
superlntendency of the public roads within their counties. By the provisions
of this law, the county commissioners were to establish road districts and
appoint supervisors at every March term or soon thereafter. The supervisors
had the authority to call upon every ablebodled male person between the ages
of 18 and 50 residing within his district, to perform the necessary labor
upon the roads and bridges and to keep them In repair. A fine of seventy-
five cents a day was Imposed on those refusing road work, and a supervisor
refusing to accept his appointment was to be fined $5.00; for neglect of his
duties he was liable to be Indicted and fined In a sum between $3.00 and
$20.00. His only compensation was exemption from mllltla duty and Jury
service.
Roads were to be not less thain thirty, nor more than fifty feet wide;
bridges need not exceed sixteen feet in width. Roads were to be opened when
petitioned for by at least thirty-five voters, who were required to deposit
with the county clerk a sufficient sum of money to pay the viewers. If the
viewers' report were favorable to establishing the road, the deposit was re-
turned, but if not favorable, the deposit was used to pay the expenses of
viewing. The county commissioners were to appoint three viewers to each road
applied for. 95
At the March term In 1839, C.W. Reynolds presented the plat 'of a state
road leading from Peru, La Salle County, through Livingston to the state line
In the direction of La Fayette, Indiana, which had been authorized by a
legislative act of July 21, 1837. The county's proportionate share of the
cost of the road, $39.50, was appropriated, and an order Issued by the court
to each Individual along the course of the road for his part of this sum.
Supervisors for seven road districts were appointed, and an order Issued to
them that all hands In their district be required to contribute two days'
road work each.^S
The assessment and collection of taxes, a delicate and difficult matter
at any time and especially so In the new West where there was a pronounced
reluctance to submit to a tax, was put on a more efficient basis In the
county at a special term on April 9, 1839. A separate assessor was appoint-
ed for each of the precincts, and a collector, Nicholas Hefner, was appoint-
ed by the court for the ensuing year. The tax rate was Increased to seventy-
five cents on a hundred dollars, and taxable property was expanded to Include
stud horses, "stock In trade and all other description of personal property,
of the stock of Incorporated companies, slaves and servants of color. "97
95. R.L.1827, p. 340-46.
96. County Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 29,33,34.
97. Ibid., p, 31, 32. Slavery was Introduced Into Illinois In 1720 by
Philip Renault, a French settler, who brought with him five hundred
slaves from San Domingo. The Ordinance of 1787 (Art. 6th) expressly
prohibited slavery In the Northwest Territory for the future, but
by a later Interpretation the prohibition was held not to affect
the existing slaves belonging to the French. After the organiza-
tion of the Indiana Territory, of which Illinois was a part, the
territorial legislature permitted a form of slavery known as Indenture
of servants. The Indenture was for an agreed number of years, at the
expiration of which the slaves were freed. The children of the slaves
were to serve their owners until the males reached the age of thirty-
five, and females thirty-two years. In 1810 there were about 168 slaves
m Illinois Territory; In 1820, 917; In 1830, 746. (John Reynolds, V^
Own Times [Chicago: Fergus Printing Co., 1879.], p. 132,133). The
State Constitution of 1818 (Art. VI, sec. 2) prohibited the extension
of slavery; the French, however, were still permitted to hold their
slaves. Two decisions of the Illinois Supreme Court on slave cases.
In 1844 and 1845, one arising In Randolph County, the other In St. Clair,
set the rule of the Ordinance of 1787 that prohibited the Introduction
of slavery Into the Northwest Territory, above the articles of the
Constitution of 1818 which countenanced slavery In limited form (See
Borders vs. Borders, 5 111. 341; Jarrot vs. Jarrot, 7 111. 1). There
Is no record of slave ownership In Livingston County; the Inclusion In
tax assessment lists of the terms "slaves and servants of color" was a
formality in the tax lists of almost all counties In the state. That
20
Historical Sketch
At the December term the treasurer's statement accounted for a total of
$193.22, of which $122 were In county orders, $54 In wolf certificates and
$17,22 In delinquencies. The tax rate was reduced to one-half percent, but
an additional twenty cents on one hundred dollars was Imposed as a state tax.
Half the fees of the assessors were to be paid by the county, the balance by
the auditor of public accounts of the state. 98
The Building of the Courthouse and Jail
The courts were being held at various private houses In Pontlac, includ-
ing those of J. Avery and John Foster, the latter of whom was the first
settler on the site of Pontlac and the operator of the first hotel, ^^ On
September 3, 1839, an agreement was entered Into with Henry Weed and the
Youngs, the proprietors of the site of Pontlac, for the erection of a court-
house on the public square. The agreement was signed by commissioners Uriah
Springer and Albert Moon for the county, and by Henry Weed, Carlton H. Perry,
James McKee, John F. Henry, and Jesse W. Fell for the contractors. Perry and
McKee had the previous year constructed a sawmill at Pontlac and were to saw
the lumber used In the construction of the new building. The agreement call-
ed for a frame structure thirty feet In length from east to west by twenty-
two feet In width from north to south; It was to be two stories high, the
first story ten feet, the second eight feet; the foundation was to consist of
eight pillars two feet below the surface and eighteen Inches above ground,
the spaces between them to be filled up with a stone wall. The first story
was to contain five flfteen-llght and one twenty-four-llght windows and two
three-foot wide doors. The floor should be laid with oak or ash planks one-
fourth Inch thick; the stairway leading to the second story was to be banls-
tered. The second story was to be divided Into three rooms and a hall ac-
cording to an attached plat. The outside of the building to be weather-
boarded with walnut or "lynn" planks neatly "plained", and the whole painted
with two coats of white paint. Brick chimneys were to extend from the Joist
of the second story two feet above the comb of the roof, which would be
shingled with walnut shingles. The building was scheduled to be finished and
ready for occupancy "within the period of twelve months from and after a
sufficient rise In the Vermilion River to enable the proprietors of the Saw
Mill In said Town of Pontlac to put said mill In operation" .100
On completion of the building the county commissioners agreed to sur-
render to the builders the three thousand-dollar obligation which was assum-
ed by them in the agreement of June, 1837, conditioned on their building the
courthouse . 101
At a special term of court held July 23, 1842, county commissioners
Nicholas Hefner and Daniel Barrackman accepted the completed building from
the contractors. In 1848, a two-hundred-forty-foot oak fence and a string
of hitching posts was built around It. For a number of years after Its
completion the Jury rooms, empty between court sessions, were rented out for
$2 or $3 a month. 102 This courthouse was In use until 1856 when a new brick
structure costing $14,000 was built.
there was much antl slavery sentiment In the county Is evidenced by the
fact that there were several stations of the "underground railroad",
for the main line to Canada led through Livingston. James Stout, a
young lawyer of Pontlac, was the conductor of one of the stations.
While assisting a Negro boy to make his escape, he with his brother Dr.
Joseph Stout, John Hossack and C.B. King were arrested for breaking the
Fugitive Slave Law, and were tried In a celebrated case before Judge
Caton at Ottawa. Stout pleaded his own case and was acquitted. Hossack
and the others, upon whom sentence was passed at the Federal Court In
Chicago In September, 1860, were fined $100 and sentenced to ten days
In Jail; Dr. Stout was given a fifty-dollar fine and a ten-day sen-
tence; King was fined ten dollars and given a one-day Jail sentence.
(Strawn, History of Livingston County. II, 746,747,749).
98. County Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 45,53,56.
99. Ibid., p. 40,58; Pearre, History of Livingston County,
p. 241.
100. County Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 46-49.
101. Ibid., p. 49,50.
102. Ibid., V. A, p. 89,116,127,145,168,189,209,211,225.
21
Historical Sketch
At the time the courthouses were erected no plans for a jail were being
made, and Indeed none was built until thirty years after the organization of
the county. Prisoners of the county were taken to Jollet, Ottawa, and
Bloomlngton prisons, Livingston County paying the expense of feeding and
guarding them. Finally, in March, 1866, steps were taken to build a Jail
for the county. The board appointed a special committee composed of John
Dehner, B.F. Hotchklss, J.G. Strong, and R.B. Harrington to take charge of
the plans and erection of the Jail, and passed a resolution appropriating
$8,000 from swamp-land funds - the whole cost of the building not to exceed
$10,000. The plan for the sturdy two-story stone structure was made by W.G.
Thompson, an architect of Jollet. In July, the contract was let to Don
Bogart of Chicago, who made the lowest bid of $16,950. When, however, the
building was completed and accepted on January of the following year, the
total cost came to $17,743.59.103 jt stood unchanged until the winter of
1906-7, when It was remodeled and modernized at considerable cost.
Early Progress
During the first decade of the county's existence, when Its population
grew slowly, the administration of Its affairs was continued by the commis-
sioners' courts In an unhurried and unexciting manner. In 1640, the court
accepted a bridge built by Isaac Whlsher across the Vermilion at Pontlac.
In 1847, another bridge was contracted for, to cost $450. The builders were
Henry Jones, James H. Demoss, and Phillip Rollins. The full revenue for
1841 amounted to $183.09; the Indebtedness of the county In June, 1843, was
$912.66. The treasurer's statement at the March term, 1845, revealed that he
had In his hands a total of twenty cents In silver. He made oath that the
county orders paid to the court at the December term and destroyed by them
were all the funds that had come to him from the previous treasurer. The
court ordered "that rate of Taxation for the year 1845 be five mills on the
dollar unless otherwise ordered by the legislature {In that case as high as
allowed In the new November blll).''!^^ only a few licenses to peddlers and
storekeepers were issued In those years, the charge for which was $5 and $10
per year
105
The poor of the county, who were the old, the Incapacitated, and widows
were cared for by private persons who were paid from the county treasury.
The responsibility of finding homes for them and contracting for their care
was In the hands of the Justices of the peace until 1849, when three over-
seers of the poor to each precinct were appointed by the court. 10°
The court made yearly appointments of three trustees of school lands
for each congressional township In the co\mty. The post of school commis-
sioner was elective beginning with 1841, at which time Samuel Boyer was
chosen. His duty was that of fiscal agent In the sale of school lands and
In the lending out or distribution of school funds to the townships. In
June, 1843, Samuel Boyer made the first report by a school commissioner of
the county: received from the state auditor, $74.21; received In Interest,
$6.00; sale of land In section 16, township 29, purchased by J.W. Reynolds at
$5.00 per acre, $100.00. lO'^
At the June term, 1843, the court made appointments of boards of three
election Judges for each of the three precincts, who were to act also as
Justices of the peace and constables for the ensuing four years. In addi-
tion, four boards of election Judges, each composed of three members, were
appointed to act in all general and special elections In the county. In a
special election In 1845, Samuel C. Ladd was elected clerk of the court,
continuing as a popular county official for' many years. 108
Diorlng the middle forties and later, when the state's credit was re-
103. Court Record, v. 86, p. 403-5,420,449,450. In a history of the county,
the cost of this Jail was given as $32,000 (Strawn, History of Liv-
ingston County, II, 650,651).
104. County Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 60,86,108,143,144,146,209.
105. Ibid., V. A, p. 219,229,254.
106. Ibid., p. 227,245,261,280.
107. Ibid., V. A, p. 67,75,78,107.
108. Ibid., V. A, p. 102,103,153,154.
22
Historical Sketch
established and the status of Illinois as a free state had been definitely
determined, large numbers of settlers began coming In; the Influx was for
the most part from New England and the northern seaboard states, reinforced
by enlightened German and Scandinavian Immigrants.
One of the results of this Ingress of new population was agitation for
a new state constitution more suitable to the time and the people. A con-
stitutional convention was called at Springfield In the summer of 1847 to
draft the Instrument. Livingston County, with Its neighbor McLean, was
represented by Samuel Lander, who served on the committee on the organiza-
tion of departments and offices connected with the executive department of
the state government . 1^9 a statewide election was held In March, 1848, to
vote on adoption or rejection of the proposed constitution and the separate
articles. The result of the vote In Livingston was, for the constitution,
71, against, 25. For the separate article preventing the Immigration of
free persons of color to the state, and the settlement therein of slave-
holders for the purpose of freeing their slaves, 89 assenting votes were
cast, and 12 In opposition. For the two mill tax which was Intended to
retire the state debt, there were 71 votes for and 35 votes against. HO
This second state constitution abolished the county commissioners'
courts and substituted a county court consisting of a county judge and two
associate Justices who should exercise both Judicial and administrative
functions. At the same time, the constitution ordained that the General
Assembly should provide by law for optional township organization modeled on
the New England plan. The law providing for township organization was passed
and approved by the legislature on February 12, 1849.111 In addition, many-
laws have since been passed reenactlng, amending, and recodifying the origi-
nal township law of 1849. H^
Among other provisions in the constitution was one prohibiting the
formation of new counties with areas of less than four hundred square miles,
and the changing of the time of holding elections from the first Monday In
August to the Tuesday after the first Monday In November. This change was
made at the demand of farmers for whom the Interi^iptlon during the harvest-
ing season In August was a serious Inconvenience. 113
For the first eight years under the new constitution, Livingston was
governed under the county court system. The first court, elected November 6,
1849, met on December 31, and was composed of James C. McMillan, county
Judge, with Phillip Rollins and James Bradley associate Justices, and S.C.
Ladd county clerk. At the same election a vote was taken on the question of
township organization; of the total number of persons voting, 164, only 59
voted on the question - 52 for, and 7 against. This not being a majority of
the total, township government, for the time being, was lost. 114
The members of the new court at the December meeting took their oaths of
office which contained, aside from the usual pledge to support the constitu-
tions of the state and the nation, a detailed and Ironbound pledge not to
engage In duelling. The bonds of all the officers were examined, payments
were made to the sheriff, constables. Judges and clerks of the last election,
and a payment of sixty- two and a half cents to John A. Fellows for chopping
wood for the courthouse stove. At the adjournment, the Judge, Justices, and
clerk were allowed $2.50 each for the day's attendance at court. 115 On ac-
count of the death of Judge McMillan, a special election was held September
17, 1850, at which Murrell Breckenrldge was elected to fill his place. His
109. Journal of the Convention Assembled at Springfield. June 7. 1847
(Springfield: Published by Authority of the Convention, 1847), p. 4,116.
110. County Commissioners' Record v. A, p. 223; Strawn, History of Livings-
ton County, II, 634.
111. L.1849, p. 190.
112. See L.1851. p. 216; L. 1871-72. p. 756; R.S.1874. p. 1066; L.1877.
p. 212; L.1B85. p. 251; L.18B9. p. 109; L.1895. p. 319; L.1903. p. 353;
L.1909. p. 470; L.1917. p. 793; L.1921. p. 845; L.1929. p. 774; L.1931.
p. 906; L.1933, p. 1115.
113. Constitution of 1848, Art. VI, sec. 9.
114. County Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 272.
115. Ibid., V. A, p. 273-80.
23
Historical Sketch
bond was for $1,000. The bond of Henry Loveless, sheriff and collector, was
for $6,000,116
At the March term, 1851, the tax rate for the ensuing year was set at
four mills on the dollar. Juries were selected, and Nelson Buck was paid
$5.00 for a plat of Pontlac and was commissioned to make a large map of
Livingston County for which he was to be paid at the rate of $2.00 for each
eight-hour day expended In making the map.H'^
At the June term, bonds of county officers were examined; petitions for
roads and reports of road viewers accepted; payments were made for road work
and other services performed for the county; the treasurer's report and the
quarterly revenue were received; reports of the Justices of the peace and
overseers of the poor were accepted. H^
Proceedings at the September term Included the hearing of a petition to
keep a pauper; payments for various services for the county; reports of
Justices of the peace of fines assessed; selection of Juries; examination
and approval of assessment lists for 1851; appropriation of $600 toward the
construction of a bridge for which the citizens of ^ontlac had petitioned. H^
The largest amount of county business was transacted at the last term of
the year, In December. At the court meeting beginning December 4, treasurer
W.S. Gray reported that he had no money In his hands and had not received any
since his last report In June. Sheriff srnd Collector Henry Loveless turned
over to the court $214.40 In county orders and Jury certificates, a part of
the revenue due for 1850. His report stated that the total revenue for that
year amounted to $868.08; delinquencies and errors, $12,19; his percentage on
collections, $42.79. Clerk Samuel C. Ladd presented his bill against the
county, totalling $80.04 Itemized as follows: for meiklng computation of
taxes for 1851, $26.02; for making a copy of the assessor's book for the
collector, $26.02; for making a poll book at the last election, $3.00; for
ex-offlclo service for one year as clerk of the circuit court, $25. The
sheriff's bill against the county was $1.26 for goods furnished a poor
person, $10.50 for serving summonses on Jurors, $1.00 for cleaning the
courthouse, $2.00 for attending circuit court two days; $0.40 for calling
the Jury four times, and for ex-offlclo services for one year $30, totalling
$45.16. The court paid a bill for keeping a poor person; received money for
fines and reports made by Justices of the peace and constables; examined
bonds of treasurer, school commissioner, county Judge and Justices, clerk.
Justices of the peace and constables, and collector; accepted petitions for
roads and appointed viewers; made payment to witnesses and constables in a
circuit court case; selected Juries for the March term of circuit court, gave
permission to directors of school district number two to hold school in the
courthouse upon payment of $1.50 per month, and ordered payment of $1.00 for
a load of wood for the courthouse stove. The court adjourned after four days
In session; payment to the Judge, and clerk was allowed at $2.50 per day, the
sheriff at $1.00.120
At the September term, 1852, the court appointed Wlllet S. Gray the
county's first drainage commissioner. This appointment was in compliance
with a legislative act of the same year, requiring each county court to
appoint a drainage commissioner who should attend to the sale of swamp and
overflow lands in the county, and arrange contracts for drainage work to be
done. 121 These swamp lands had been granted to the respective states in
which they lay by Congress two years previous. 122 in Illinois the lands thus
granted were put under the Jurisdiction of the county courts, and the stipu-
lation made that the funds realized from their sale be used for the building
of roads and bridges, and for the promotion of education, or for "such other
purposes as may be deemed expedient by the courts. "123 As has been noted.
116.
County Court Record, v. 5, p. 20,23,24,28.
117.
Ibid., p. 35-39.
118.
Ibid., p. 44-51.
119.
County Record, v. 5, p. 52-57.
120.
County Court Record, v. 5, p. 59-73.
121.
L.1852. p. 178.182.
122.
9 U.S.S.L. 519.
123.
L.1352. p. 178: L.1857. p. 122; L.1859. p.
201,202.
24
Historical Sketch
the Livingston County court appropriated a part of Its swamp-land funds to
the building of a Jail.
At the same meeting the county was reapportioned Into seven precincts
named Reading, Bayou, New Michigan, Center, Mud Creek, Indian Grove, and
Avoca. In 1855, the court granted a petition to divide Center precinct, and
named the new portion Dwlght.124
Adoption of Township Government
The last election for a county court took place In 1857; the members
elected were Henry Jones county Judge, and J, P. Morgan and Jacob Angle
associate Justices. Two more precincts were added, Nebraska and Days. In
response to petitions, the question of township organization was again sub-
mitted to a test. The result was a clear triumph for the decentralized
township system. In a total of about 1^000 votes cast, 738 were for township
organization and only 40 were against.^
i^
The coiH-t appointed a committee composed of John Damall, Robert Thomp-
son, and Absalom Hallam to lay out the county Into townships as provided In
the legislative acts of 1849, 1851, and 1857,126 The committee made their
report to the court In January, 1858, having divided the county Into the
following twenty-two townships, the names for which were chosen by the
Inhabitants: Nebraska, Long Point, Reading, Pike, Rooks Creek, Amity, New-
town, Eppards Point, Pontlac, Esmen, Sunbury, Belle Prairie, Worth, Avoca,
Owego, Odell, Nevada, Olivers Grove, Saunemln, Dwlght, Broughtonvllle, Round
Grove. 127 Subsequently, Broughtonvllle was shortened to Broughton; Worth
was changed to Indian Grove, and Olivers Grove to Chatsworth. In 1859
Pleasant Grove was created; two years later the towns of Waldo and Forrest-
vllle were added, and the latter was renamed Forrest In 1865. In 1863, the
town of Sullivan was added; In 1864, Union; In 1865, Charlotte, and In 1869,
Germantown. In 1870, Fayette, the last township, was created, making a total
of the present thirty townships.
In each town there is elected one supervisor, and In the more populous
towns assistant supervisors are also elected - the town of Pontlac Is rep-
resented by one supervisor and two assistants - who together comprise the
county board. Aside from the supervisor, each town elects a town clerk,
assessor, collector, three commissioners of highways, Justices of the peace,
and constables. The supervisor acts as town treasurer, and serves together
with the clerk and Justices of the peace on a board of town auditors. Elec-
tions for township officers are not subject to the primary laws.
The board of supervisors met for the first time on May 10, 1858, with
twenty of the twenty- two supervisors present. On motion of George M.
Bedlnger, Isaac G. Mott was elected temporary chairman, and a committee on
certificates of election was chosen. After adjournment the committee made a
report on the election certificates which was approved and ordered on file.
Isaac G. Mott was later elected permanent chairman, and a set of twenty-two
rules for the conduct of the business of the board was adopted. The chair-
man appointed members for the following committees: Judiciary, finances,
town accounts, equalization of taxes, miscellaneous claims, paupers. Jail
and Jail accounts, public buildings, roads and bridges, and swamp lands.
The committee of finance was ordered to report on the financial condition of
the county, and the committee on public buildings, on the county's building.
The bonds of the Justices of the peace were examined and approved by the
board. 128
The board ordered that the committee on swamp lands - whose duties had
by this time assumed Important proportions - to make a report the following
day and that the committee be allowed to employ counsel. 129 j.r. Woolverton
124. County Record, v. 5, p. 98-101,210.
125. Ibid., p. 434.
126. L.1849. p, 190; L.1851. p. 38; L.1857. p. 183; County Record, v. 5,
p. 466-68.
127. County Record, v. 5, p. 466-68.
128. Court Record, v. 86, p. 18-24.
129. Ibid., p. 22.
26
Historical Sketch
was elected by the board as swamp-land coiimlssloner, and was ordered to give
a bond of $25,000. The money now In the hands of the county Judge, and
future funds to be derived from sales of swamp lands, were ordered to be
distributed In this manner: one half to the school commissioner as a school
fund to be by him distributed the same as the state school fund, the other
half to the county treasurer to be paid out on the order of the board for
roads, bridges, or for general county purposes. For the years 1863 to 1875,
a total of $64,408.06 In swamp- land funds was accounted for. 130
At this session, the method of raising money to defray town expenses
was referred to the committee on town accounts; the committee on Jail and
Jail accounts was Instructed to report a plan for a Jail and the probable
cost of erecting one; an order was issued that no license for the sale of
"Ardent Spirits" In this county shall hereafter be granted; consideration of
a request by the Agricultural Society for a donation was postponed till the
annual meeting; the committee on Judiciary was ordered to select Juries for
the September term of the circuit court; the proceedings of this meeting
were ordered to be published in both newspapers printed In the county; the
committee on mlscellajieous claims reported that for services at this session
there was due to the members of the board and to S.S. Saul, the county clerk,
a total of $118.00. The members were paid at $2.00 per day's service. 131
To test the order of the board regarding nonlssuance of liquor licenses
in the county, John B. Ostrander petitioned the board at the September ses-
sion for a license to sell liquor In Reading. His petition was referred to
a special committee which later decided against the petitioner. 132
The committee on town accounts recommended that the following rates of
taxes be assessed on every $100 of property In these towns: Pontlac, 4
cents; Esmen, 18 cents, 5 for town expenses and 13 for a burial ground;
Dwlght, 7 cents; Avoca, 23 cents; Long Point, 20 cents; Newtown, 4 cents;
Amity, 12 cents; Owego, 25 cents; Belle Prairie, 3 cents; Sunbury, 15 cents,
5 for town expenses and the balance for roads and bridges; Reading, 37 cents,
7 for town expenses and the balance for roads and bridges; Broughtonvllle, 5
cents; Pike, 7 cents; Rooks Creek, 18 cents; Nevada, 3 cents; Saunemln, 6
cents; Indian Grove, 8 cents; Nebraska, 3 cents, and Round Grove 22 cents. 133
A tax of twenty cents on each one hundred dollar valuation was levied for
county purposes for the year 1858.134
The County and the Beginning of the Industrial Era
With the end of the decade 1850-1860 came the end of frontier civiliza-
tion In the state and within Its counties, and a rapid treinsltlon began to a
civilization dominated by the machine and Industry. In politics, govern-
ment, economics, and the conditions of day-by-day life, the transition at
times amounted to complete breaks with the accustomed past. The emergence
of the Republican party In 1857 clarified for the time political Issues and
resulted In the two-party system which has been followed, with a few Isolat-
ed breaks, ever since. The shock of the Civil War centered the attention of
the citizenry on national Instead of domlnantly local Issues, and the out-
come of the war brought about a clearer relationship between the states and
the national government and effectively removed sectionalism from the poli-
tics, and to an extent from the economics, of the nation. But It Is the
great development In Industry and finance that has had the deepest Influ-
ence on the people and their governments.
Under these conditions the second constitution of the young state viae
found to be Inadequate and Insistent demainds began to be heard throughout
the state In the sixties for the adoption of a new charter more suitable to
the times. These demands culminated In the call for delegates to a con-
stitutional convention In Springfield In 1869 and the adoption the following
year of the third constitution, under which the state still functions.
The delegates representing the forty-fourth district, which was compos-
130. Court Record, v, 86, p. 26-28,41; Supervisors' Record, v. C, p. 164,165.
131. Court Record, v. 86, p. 22-24,28.
132. Ibid., p. 39,41.
133. Ibid., p. 40.
134. Ibid., p. 41.
26
Historical Sketch
ed of La Salle and Livingston counties, were Gteorge S. Eldrldge, Joseph Hart,
and Nathaniel J. Plllsbury. Eldrldge, who served on the committee of roads
and Internal navigation, offered two propositions: one, with regard to the
creation of new counties, and the other concerning the collection of fees by
county clerks. Plllsbury offered a resolution suggesting the election in
each county of a Judge of a court of common pleas, the state to be divided
Into Judicial circuits of not less than four counties In each circuit, and
the Judges of the courts of common pleas to constitute a circuit court for
the trial of appeals and writs of error from the Individual courts of common
pleas, Plllsbury also Introduced a resolution - antedating by half a century
the twenty-first amendment to the national constitution - prohibiting the
sale of Intoxicating liquors In the state; this was to be submitted to a vote
as a separate proposition. None of these propositions was Incorporated In
the constitution as presented. They served, however, to bring to the atten-
tion of the people, and to discussion by the delegates these questions of
general Interest.
The Constitution of 1870 had much less effect on the political and ad-
ministrative life of the counties than the two preceding Instruments. Its
em.phasls was mainly economic at a period when an agricultural people was
faced with the colossal problem of adjustment to a new and rapidly expanding
Industrial civilization.
One of the Important administrative measures adopted by this constitu-
tion, with a direct effect on the counties, was that for proportionate rep-
resentation, providing that the General Assembly shall apportion the state
for the election of legislators every ten years beginning with 1871, by
dividing the state's population by fifty-one, the quotient to be the ratio
of representation. 135 Another was the provision that each county was to
elect a county Judge, county clerk, sheriff, treasurer, surveyor, coroner,
and a clerk of the circuit court who was to act also as recorder of deeds In
counties under sixty thousand population. Hitherto all circuit clerks had
been ex-offlclo recorders. 136
A fundamental change was brought about by the Insertion of the clause
which forbids the creation by special act of any corporation other than those
for banking or municipal purposes. This eliminated special legislation and
thereafter the statutes were no longer designated In separate volumes as
"public" and "private. "137
Of great Importance was the provision In regard to railroads and ware-
houses. In the constitution railways are declared public highways for the
use of all persons for the transportation of persons and property under the
regulation of the laws. Reasonable maximum rates were to be established by
the General Assembly, which was empowered to pass laws to correct abuses and
to prevent discrimination and extortion In freight and passenger rates. 138
Provision was made that "all elevators or store houses where grain or other
property Is stored for a compensation, whether the property stored be kept
separate or not are declared to be public warehouses;" the General Assembly
was to pass laws for the Inspection of grain for the protection of producers,
shippers, and consumers . 139
The constitution forbade the General Assembly to Involve the credit of
the state or to make appropriations In favor of railroads or canals. I'^O It
also Instructed the General Assembly to "provide a thorough and efficient
system of free schools, whereby all the children of the state may receive a
good common school education. "1^1
In the first decades of the Industrial stage the farming elements of the
state did not take kindly to the powerful financial and capitalist class
whose Interests were felt to be at variance with the Interests of the state
135. Constitution of 1870, Art, IV, sec. 6.
136. Ibid., Art. X, sec. 8.
137. Ibid., Art. IV, sec. 22.
138. Ibid., Art. XI, sec. 12.
139. Ibid., Art. XIII, sec. 1.
140. Ibid., Art. IV, sec. 20.
141. Ibid., Art. VIII, sec. 1.
27
Historical Sketch
and the people. Entries In the records of Livingston County In those years
lose at times the formality of archival language and reveal with feeling the
experience and attitude of an agricultural people toward business. On the
occasion of the completion of the new courthouse In 1875, the board adopted
a resolution expressing satisfaction with the Integrity of the contractors,
Calwell, Clark and Company which read In part, ". . .they (the builders)
have demonstrated a truth, which In this generation Is rarely proven, that a
public building can be constructed according to principles of honor and
Integrity and according to contract. "142
The suspicion of business interests, based on many costly experiences,
was unequivocally expressed In- a communication from Effingham County read
and endorsed by the board of supervisors of Livingston In February, 1900:
"Whereas, great efforts are being made at present by Interested manufacturers
of bicycles, automobiles and bicycling clubs and others to obtain State Aid
for the purpose of constructing hard roads. . . and Whereas, the farmers of
the State of Illinois have already overburdened themselves with taxes In
order to secure the construction of railroads and other means for the trans-
portation of the products of their farms; therefore be it Resolved that It
Is the sense of the farmers of Effingham County that the whole agitation for
State Aid In construction of hard roads In the Interest of farmers Is a
fraud, a gross falsehood and an Imposition upon the farmers of the State,
and only In the Interests of a few manufacturers. . ."143
Whatever may have become of the antagonism and suspicion toward the
business interests. In the matter of accepting aid from the state, not only
for road building but for a variety of other purposes, there was a complete
change of attitude In Livingston, as well as In every county In the nation
as the twentieth century wore on. The World War, prohibition, crime, and
especially the deep and vast economic crises have precipitated problems with
which the county unit was quite unable to cope. This Is significantly shown
by frequent entries In the records of the county - and Livingston Is typical
In this respect of most counties in the nation - petitioning the state and
national governments for new laws and devices which would aid the county
with Its problems. That was a new note in the heretofore Jealously guarded
self-sufficiency of the county as a governmental unit. On February 15,
1912, the board adopted a resolution requesting the state senators and
representatives from this district to bring about the passage of a law which
would provide public work for those found guilty of nonsupport of legal
dependents . 144 in 1917, the board wired a communication to the chairman of
the Congressional House Agrlcultiiral Committee stating that as one of the
leading agricultural counties In the United States "We want to do all In our
power to bring the present war to speedy yet decisive end, and we believe
that In order to do so our government must take steps to curtail the prices
of food," auid In case this was done, "we demand that the prices of the
necessaries that we must buy should. In fairness, also be controlled. "145 a
foreshadowing of the present parity payments to farmers.
In February, 1924, the board asked the legislature for a law permitting
semiannual tax collections, and for another law empowering boards of super-
visors to pass and enforce measures to regulate the conduct of amusement
places outside of corporate limits of cities. 146 The following year, the
board sent requests to the legislature for laws to suppress crimes and crim-
inals, for laws to provide for state police, and for a law which would com-
pel county collectors and treasurers to deposit county funds In the name of
the county and not In their own names. 147
In 1926, the board adopted a resolution urging Illinois senators and
representatives In Congress to vote for the proposed Dlckerson bill to re-
lieve the depression among the farmers; also a resolution asking the board
of review to adjust land values In the county: "Whereas, we are now passing
one of the greatest agricultural depressions that our country has ever
142. Supervisors' Record, v. C, p. 149.
143. Ibid., v. G, p. 286.
144. Ibid., v. J, p. 125.
146. Ibid., v. K, p. 78.
146. Ibid., V. L, p. 350,369.
147. Ibid., V. M, p. 69,94,101.
28
Historical Sketch
known. . . not temporary but continued over a period of several years,, . ,
Whereas, the fanners have labored long and hard to extricate themselves from
the creeping palsy of low prices for farm products,. . . and Whereas we find
we have been unsuccessful In bettering our condition whether by our own
Individual efforts or by organized efforts to correct these difficulties we
are facing. . . therefore we ask the Board of Review to look Into the assess-
ed value of land In our adjoining counties and so reduce our values as to
compare with like values In our adjoining counties. 148
In 1933, the board recommended to the legislature that the present com-
pulsory school attendance law which provides that children who have completed
the eighth grade before the age of sixteen must attend high school unless
necessarily and lawfully employed, be set aside temporarily for the reason
that "such compulsory attendance has resulted In hardship and dissatisfaction
under the present economic depression. "149 At the same session the board
adopted a resolution urging the state legislature and Congress to act on the
"Beshers plan" to aid agriculture. "Whereas, the fourth year of the world
depression finds agriculture which Is the chief Industry of our country suf-
fering most keenly from the deflation which for ten years has been reducing
markets, limiting production and lowering prices to such an extent that we
have arrived at the place where either we must begin to scale down all debts
or In some manner Increase the Income of the general public, agriculture and
Industry alike, or experience such tax rebellion and repudiation of debts as
are at this time causing grave concern In many parts of these United
States,. . . therefore we urge the Congress of the United States to pass a
law" for the adoption of the "Beshers plan. "150 This plan provided that
petroleum products that might be used as a fuel In Internal combustion engines
should be blended ten percent with ethyl alcohol derived from agricultural
products grown within continental United States.
Thus the county government, originally planned as the local administra-
tive agent for the state, as well as the administrative body for the simple
local affairs, has progressively come to face problems of such formidable
proportions that Its statutory powers and all available local measures have
been found inadequate. It had, perforce, to relinquish part of Its tradi-
tional Initiative and to turn to the state and national governments for help
to solve problems which were no longer local.
Reflecting the growth of population, the development of Industry and
the economic and social changes In the nation. Is the Internal financial
condition of Livingston County. For the year 1850 the total collections of
taxes amounted to $868.08.151 gut two years later, when railroad construc-
tion began and land prices made a sharp rise, the collections came to
$2,817.83, of which the state tax amounted to $1,540.96, the county tax to
$1,021.49, and the road tax to $255.58.152 in 1854, when the first railroad
came through the county and business was booming, the tax levy amounted to
$8,701.63. In that year, for the first time, a comprehensive, businesslike
statement was made by the clerk, G.W. Boyer, of the assessment and property
listing In the county:
Kind of Property Number Valuation
Horses 1,511 $ 83,290
Neat cattle 4,518 61,371
Mules and asses 43 1,745
Sheep 1,577 1,594
Hogs 4,352 5,789
Carriages and wagons 361 15,489
Clocks and watches 380 1,325
Pianos 1 40
Goods and merchandise 8,682
Moneys and credit 30,389
Unenumerated property 22.089
Aggregate $ 251,803
148. Supervisors' Record, v. M, p. 320,378.
149. Ibid., v. 0, p. 19.
150. Ibid.
151. County Record, v. 5, p. 69.
152. Ibid., p. 141.
29
Historical Sketch
Deductions $ 8,131
Total value of taxable personal property 223,672
Total value of lands 699,681
Total value of real and personal property $923,353
State tax at 49 1/3 cents per $100 4,538.74
County tax at 4 mills 3,666
School (special tax) 496.89
Total tax levied $ 8,701.63-'-^
The Civil War brought about the first big change In the county's fi-
nances. In spite of the greatly expanded field for taxation owing to devel-
oped Industry and rise In the value of property, more money had to be found
to meet the emergency expenditures of the war. On February 2, 1865, the
legislature passed a law giving Livingston County authority to levy a special
tax up to three percent for the creation of a fund to pay bounties to Its
soldiers. In addition, another law was passed on February 13 of the same
year authorizing the board of supervisors to levy an extra tax of fifty cents
on the hundred-dollar valuation for war purposes. 154
Livingston, along with most of the counties In the earlier period of the
state's history, had Its usual complement of defaulting officers, 1^5 in spite
of the high bonds required - In 1875. $160,000 was demanded from the collec-
tor and $68,000 from the treasurer. 1^6 jn 1876, the finance committee wrote
In their report that they had come to the conclusion "that from the nature of
their business fraud might be practised In some Instances and the moneys be
diverted from their proper channel, and that It would be Impossible to set up
a barrier that would in all cases answer the purpose for which It was Intend-
ed. "157 This official awareness of untoward situations had the desired ef-
fect, for the following year the committee reported that "The Public In
general will be gratified to know that the accounts of all our County offi-
cers are kept In a manner suggestive of honesty and ability and that all Is
done that can be done by them for the public welfare. "1^8
In 1905, the finance committee fixed the budget of the county at $90,500
proportioned In this manner: for support of paupers and payment of all pauper
claims, $1,200; for aid to townships In building bridges, $9,000; for fees
and salaries of county officers, employees, deputy hire, and Incidental ex-
penses, $8,000; for repairing and Improving county buildings and property,
$10,000; for remodelling, rebuilding and Improving sheriff's residence and
Jail, $20,000; for fees of Jurors, witnesses, constables, and for other court
costs and expenses, $10,000; for purchasing supplies for county officers and
employees, $4,000; for boarding prisoners and for supplies for the Jail,
$3,500; for election expenses, $2,000; for support of the blind, $1,000; for
legal expenses, $1,000; for county amd miscellaneous expenses, $10,000. To
meet this budget, the committee recommended that an assessment not to exceed
fifty cents on the hundred-dollar valuation be levied on all the real, per-
sonal, railroad and telegraph and telephone properties In the county. 159
A resolution was adopted by the board In 1907, that owing to the pro-
gressive Increase of petitions for the rebate of taxes, and since It Is good
business sense and the duty of every taxpayer to look after the proper
assessment of his property, therefore, the board will thereafter consider
only those petitions asking for rebate on the ground of clerical error. l^O
The budget of 1910 was fixed at $94,000, and the tax rate not to exceed
twenty-five cents on $100. The 1915 levy was for $108,200; tax rate, thirty-five
153. County Record, v. 5, p. 202.
154. Prlv. L.1865. p. 102,134.
155. Supervisors' Record, v. C, p. 219,263,358,390,405.
156. Ibid., p. 55.
157. Ibid., p. 167,168.
158. Ibid., p. 335.
159. Ibid., V. H, p. 552,
160. Ibid., V. I, p. 223.
30
Historical Sketch
cents on $100.1^1 The total assessed valuation of property In the county In
1923 was $46,762,567, For the following year the budget was fixed at
$304,000 which Included expenditures for the tuberculosis sanitarium,
mothers' pension fund, and maintenance of state-aid roads. Delinquencies for
that year were very low, amounting to only $834.58 In personal tax, and $9.54
In real estate forfeitures. 1*^2
The following table of abstracts of locally assessed real estate, per-
sonalty and railroad property In Livingston County for the year 1935 Illus-
trates In figures the development of the county and the Increased complexity
of Its administration In the comparatively brief period of a hundred years:
Personalty Number Assessed Valuation
Passenger automobiles 6,416 $ 367,300
Trucks and busses 1,223 57,940
Cattle 25,373 465,469
Horses and Mules 13,793 523,808
Sheep and Goats 4,335 9,275
Swine 12,441 82,794
Household furniture 599,322
Office and store furniture 66,730
Personal effects 72,330
Machinery and equipment 658,979
Merchandise, goods In process 640,339
Money - cash and bank deposits .... 201,768
Net credits 91,635
Taxable stocks and bonds 109,315
Mortgages and notes 237,098
All other personalty 368,240
Capital stock (domestic) 89,565
Net receipts - fire Insurance 9,981
Public utility personalty 1,019,313
Penalties 6,910
Total personalty $5,678,111
Real Estate Total Acres Assessed Valuation
Unimproved lands
Improved lands $24,284,140
Improvements 3,581,940
Total lands 653,070 $27,866,080
Unimproved lots 256,450
Improved lots 1,152,700
Improvements 3,994,100
Total lots 5,403,250
Total real estate $33,269,330
Railroad Property Locally Assessed
Land (Class D)
Lots (Class D) 400
Personal property (Class C) . . 2,900
Total railroad property $3,300
Total property locally assessed. . $38, 950, 741 -'■'^'S
The total assessed value of railroads In the county was $4,546,226 of which
$3,300 was assessed locally. In addition to this figure, the assessed value
of buildings on the railroad right of way amounted to $58,699,164
161.
162.
163.
164.
Supervisors' Record, v. J, p. 30, 469.
IMd., V. L, p. 207; v. M, p. 238.
Seventeenth and Eighteenth Annual Report of the Illinois Tax Commis-
sion AsseEsrnent Years 1935 and 1936 (Printed by Authority of the State
of Illinois), p. 109.
Ibid., p. 215.
31
Historical Sketch
Public Service Programs
One of the standard Items on the county's budget from the earliest has
been the care of the Indigent and the adoption of other welfare measures as
the need arose. Prior to the elghteen-flftles the method of caring for
paupers was essentially the same In all counties of the state as It was In
Livingston - farming them out to private bidders by the sheriff or Justices
of the peace. The great Increase of population, however, made this method
undesirable from the point of economy and unwleldlness, and a general move
throughout the state began for centralized housing, care, and supervision of
the Indigent. In 1859, Livingston County purchased a farm of 160 acres In
Eppards Point Township, four miles southwest of Pontlac, for housing and
caring for the poor and Insane of the county. A building was erected Im-
mediately, and this was replaced by a larger one the same year. 165 Yhe com-
mittee on poor farm and poorhouse reported in 1876 that the expense of man-
agement of the farm during the past year was $2,973.33, the number of Inmates
given care was forty-four, and that "each additional year Increases the num-
ber of paupers to be taken care of by the County. There being now nineteen
In charge, which will no doubt be Increased to twenty-five before the winter
Is over, . . . many applicants have been refused admission, but not until
your committee have thoroughly Investigated their condition and are satisfied
that they are not entitled to admission. The paupers now In charge are most-
ly old people and Infirm, but few of them able to work. Yet from these few
much work has been obtained. "1^6 Those curably Insane were by this time sent
to state asylums, but the Incurables were still housed and cared for at the
poorhouse. The need for separate housing for them became Imperative, and the
poor farm committee recommended to the board In 1877 the building of separate
quarters. The following year a building was constructedl67 which was used
until 1908, when all the Insane In the county were transferred to state
Institutions. 168
In an exhibit of the products and management of almshouses shown at the
National Conference of Charities held In Pittsburg In 1917, Livingston County
tied In the scoring with an Indiana Institution for third place. 1°^ ^.t pres-
ent there Is a hospital In connection with the farm which Is, however, for
the use of the Inmates of the county farm only. Livingston does not have a
county hospital.
With the passing of time which brought a broader understanding and
tolerance for those unfortunate enough to need public aid, and which also
brought about a far more widespread need for assistance, much of the odium
formerly attached to that circumstances has disappeared, this alteration In
attitude Is reflected In the changes of the name of the Institution. Origi-
nally It was called the poor farm and the Inmates, paupers. Later It was
changed to the county farm and home, and the county fgirm, and the Inmates
referred to as poor persons. Now It Is known as the Livingston County Home
and Hospital and the Inmates are referred to as the aged and Infirm.
After the financial crash of October, 1929, which brought about an un-
precedented, nationwide depression In all phases of economic life, the county
unit found Itself quite unable to cope with the widespread need for help. The
national government. In Its traditional amd essentially American manner, took
over the greater part of the burden, as It has done on similar occasions In
the nation's history. 1*70 Various measures of relief for the needy were
Instituted during 1932 and are still In operation. During the month of
November, 1934, the number of famlles In Livingston County receiving unem-
ployment relief from all public funds was 768, or 8.8 percent of the county's
1930 population. For the six-month period from June through November of that
165. Strawn, History of Livingston County, II, 715,716.
166. Supervisors' Record, v. C, p. 180,181.
167. Ibid., p. 313,314,344,540.
168. Ibid., V. I, p. 235,277.
169. Ibid., V. K, p. 135.
170. The homesteadlng rights, parity payments and other benefits to farmers,
land grants to builders of roads, canals, and railroads, monetary sub-
sidles to industries, and bounties to soldiers in the form of land
grants or cash bonuses are some fizrther examples of government assis-
tance .
32
Historical Sketch
year the total relief expenditures amounted to $150,306.64, of which
$116,263.02 were Federal funds, $30,540.26 state funds and $3,503.36
local. I'^l In 1937, the county levied a seventeen-and-a-half percent relief
tax on the assessed valuation of the county's property valuation of
$42,880,132, which netted the sum of $71,653.20.1 ''2 xhe responsibility of
administration of relief In Livingston rests with the township supervisors;
the Illinois Emergency Relief Commission acts as a statistical and allocat-
ing agency.
One of the methods of taking up the slack of unemployment In industry,
agriculture and the professions Is the Work Projects Administration. In
Livingston County a list of some of the work accomplished by this agency In
the four-and-a-half-year period ending December 31, 1939, Includes the con-
struction and repair of over 360 miles of streets and roads, repairs to 150
bridges and viaducts, the building of 103 new culverts and the reconstruction
of 230 others, erection of three new buildings, among which Is the armory
built for the Illinois National Guard, and the reconstruction of four other
buildings, the installation of sewers. Improvement of levees and retaining
walls, library work, Braille projects, and the operation of dental and medi-
cal clinics. In addition, workers are employed on such cultural projects as
the Illinois Writers and the Historical Records Survey, which are centraliz-
ed outside the county. The writers collect and prepare Interesting material
for local and state guide books. The Historical Records Survey makes a
study of such records of the lives of a people as collections of manuscripts,
early imprints, church records. Federal, state, and municipal archives, and
the records of county government such as are contained In this volume, with a
view not only toward the preservation of this invaluable material, but toward
an exposition of the working of American democracy through its various cul-
tural and governmental agencies. ^'^2
In the latter part of the eventful decade 1930-1940, it was beginning to
be widely recognized that measures for social security, along with relief,
were a national need. As a result, laws were passed establishing unemploy-
ment insurance, old age pensions, and limitations of work hours in some
industries as a partial solution of the technological unemployment problem.
It is not impossible that the old age pension system, together with some of
the public health measures, will eventually make county farms unnecessary;
they will at least greatly decrease their necessity. For the year 1937, a
total of 678 persons received old age assistance in Livingston in a total
sum of $10, 742. l"^"* p^om February, 1915 to February, 1940, 175 persons
received mothers' pensions, which is a coimty responsibility, amounting in
all to $279,715.75. Blind pensions were paid by the county beginning with
June, 1904. Up to February, 1940, 186 persons received this pension. In
the years immediately preceding 1940 payments averaged about $25,000 a
year
175
Sometime previous to 1913, a group of people in the county organized
themselves to combat the spread of tuberculosis. They called the organiza-
tion the Anti-Tuberculosis Society. In that year Doctors Piper, Mlddleton,
and Marshall and the Reverend Ryan appeared before the board of supervisors
as representatives of the society regarding the establishment of a county
sanitarium for tubercular patients. The following year, the board made an
appropriation of $750 for the employment of a visiting nurse to give instruc-
tion In the care and prevention of the disease. In 1916, Dr. Piper, Miss
Spath, and W.D. Tharber from the society again appeared before the board to
confer on the advisability of circulating a petition for the establishment by
171 . Biennial Report of the Illinois Emergency Relief Commission through
November 30. 1954 (Published by authority of the State of Illinois).
p. 8,12.
172. Biennial Report of the Illinois anergency Relief Commission, July 1.
1936 through June 30, 1938, p. 152.
173. Official Report. Work Projects Administration, District #4, Decatur,
Illinois, March 1940.
174. Social Security Board, Bureau of Research and Statistics, Btu-eau
Report No. 1. Tabular Summary of Statistics of Public Assistance under
the Social Security Act for 1957 (Washington; Government Printing
Office, 1938), p. 21.
175. County Treasurer's Ledger, p. 300-325, 376-381,592,395.
55
Historical Sketch
the county of a sanitarium as provided by a legislative act of June, 1915.176
To this proposition the board gave Its consent. In 1917, the board granted
$1,500 to the society for the care of patients In tents, which were lent to
the society by citizens. In September of the following year the board deeded
real estate to provide grounds for the sanitarium and appropriated that year
$25,000 towards the sanitarium fund; the following year $60,000 was allocated
and In 1920, $96,000. In June, 1924, the annual report of the Livingston
County Sanitarium Board accounted for an expenditure of $18,266.15 between
August, 1923, and May, 1924; the total number of patients cared for In the
hospital was 44, In the dispensary, 212. The visiting nurse made 931 calls
and examined 60 schools. The dispensary expenses are met by a Christmas
seal fund. 177
A development from the original society Is the present Livingston Coun-
ty Tuberculosis Association organized In 1939. The association has repre-
sentatives In each township In the county. A full-time executive secretary,
who Is also a certified public health nurse. Is employed. Her responsibili-
ties Include a county-wide educational program, follow-work on known cases
of tuberculosis for private physicians and for the county sanitarium, and a
project for finding new cases In the county. This work Is supported entire-
ly by the sale of Christmas seals.
One of the outstanding private Institutions in the county Is the
St. James Hospital In Pontlac. In 1904, a number of doctors of the county
signed a resolution emphasizing the need of a hospital In the county, and
Invited the Franciscan Sisters of the Roman Catholic Church to establish such
an Institution. The county board expressed hearty sympathy with the proposi-
tion and called upon citizens to give the project their full support. 178 The
Right Reverend J.L. Spalding, Bishop of Peoria, took an Interest In the move-
ment and commissioned the Reverend James A. Dollard, a Pontlac pastor to take
charge of the organization. A site with an old mansion on East Water Street
was chosen for which $12,500 was paid. In January, 1907, the hospital was
opened by the Franciscan Sisters. 179 The original building was destroyed by
fire In 1919. In 1921, a new four-floor building, the present hospital, was
constructed.
Political Cast of Livingston County
With a few notable exceptions the political habits and character of the
county have been rather even through Its hundred years' history. The first
two state and national elections In 1838 and 1840 resulted In slight Whig
majorities. From 1842 until the organization of the Republican party the coun-
ty voted approximately two to one Democratic. 180 in 1856, James Stout an
Abolitionist and rising young attorney of Pontlac, became one of the leaders
In organizing the Republican party In the county. In that year, Owen Love-
Joy, running for Congress In the third congressional district, of which
Livingston was a part, was given the county vote. 1^1
In 1872, an unprecedented political movement took form In Livingston
County and In many parts of the state. The year had been especially good In
the production of corn, the county's most Important crop. With the excep-
tional yield the prices fell and the farmers felt that the railroads should.
In Justice, reduce their freight rates to absorb at least part of the losses
the farmers were facing. It took two bushels of corn to pay the freight on
one to the seaboard. About this time the legislature had passed an act
requiring all railroads and warehouses to reduce their rates; the railroads,
however, openly defied the law. The desperation and anger of the farmers
176. Supervisors' Record, v. J, p. 244,324,532.
177. Ibid., V. K, p. 68,207,359; v. L, p. 397.
178. Ibid., V. H, p. 401.
179. Strawn, History of Livingston County, II, 713,714.
180. Illinois Election Returns 1818-1845T v. I, Statistical Series In
V. XVIII, Collections of the Illinois Historical Library, ed. Theodore
Calvin Pease, (Springfield: Illinois State Historical Library, 1923),
p. 109,112,115,118,127,130,145,150,156,161,165,178,334,366,381,393,420,
452; The Whig Almanac and United States Register for 1849 (New York:
Greeley and McElrath), p. 48,57.
181. Strawn, History of Livingston County. II, 655.
34
Historical Sketch
expressed Itself In the call of a convention In Pontlac on January 6, 1873,
at which the Livingston County Farmers' Association was organized, Granges
of the Patrons of Husbandry were formed, and many cooperative stores started.
At the November election. In 1873, the Anti-monopoly party carried the county
by a majority of 1,400, electing R.R. Wallace county Judge, George W. Lang-
ford county clerk, Joseph Stltt county treasurer, and M. Trambaugh county
superintendent of schools. This party gradually grew Into the Greenback
party. In the presidential election In 1876, they polled. In Livingston
County, 1,170 votes for Peter Cooper for President, the largest vote cast
for that ticket In any county In the United States. ^^2
With that exception the county gave clear majorities to the Republican
party In all state and national elections from 1856 to 1912.1^3 in that
year of a split in Republican ranks, the county gave a plurality to the
Democratic candidate for President, Woodrow Wilson, although the combined
vote of the Republican and Progressive parties was 2,340 higher than the
3,334 given to Wilson. IQ"^ From 1914, the county was once more In the
Republican column by large majorities until the presidential election of
1932, when for the first time since the Civil War party allegiance was
largely abandoned throughout the nation and the people were voting for a
leader they hoped would find a solution for the country's critical economic
position. The county gave Franklin D. Roosevelt 10,024 votes against 6,403
for Herbert Hoover, which was. Incidentally, the largest combined vote In
the county's history up to that time. 18^ In the 1936 presidential elections
the county returned to Its Republican traditions, although In the total vote
of 19,991, the Republican candidate, Alfred E. Landon received only 1,611
votes more than Roosevelt. 186 in the primary elections In April, 1940,
Livingston Is again showing a decided preference for the Republican candi-
dates on the state and national ticket. 187
In 1940, Livingston County was a part of the seventeenth congressional
district, the sixteenth senatorial and the eleventh circuit district. 188
Henry C. Koopman Is chairman of the board of supervisors elected to fill the
vacancy caused by the death of William A. Robinson and James 0. Scott Is county
clerk. The board Is composed of the following: John Hofer representing
Waldo Township; Henry C. Koopman, Nebraska; Charles Loudon, Long Point;
Andrew Churney, Reading; Fred W. Fisher, Pike; Glen Antrim, Rooks Creek;
F.H, Rucker, Amity; Arthur C. Dixon, Newtown; N.J. Wagner, Eppards Point;
E.A. Murray, F.H. Lester, and William Bressner, Pontlac; William A. Klmber,
Esmen; W.C. Ruddy, Sunbury; Fred Elliott, Belle Prairie; C.A. Purdum, Indian
Grove; Roy Goold, Avoca; Francis Kennedy, Owego; Fred Mulr, Odell; John
Pellouchoud, Nevada; Frank H. Kuntz, Fayette; J.W. Brown, Forrest; J.R.
Melvln, Pleasant Ridge; E.P. Greenough, Saunemln; George H. Thomas, Union;
Harold West, Dwlght; Charles R. Schroen, Germanvllle; Clair E. Kohler,
Chatsworth; Henry Sterrenberg, Charlotte; Samuel Detwller, Sullivan; Hugh H.
McCaughey, Broughton, and Oscar Fraher, Round Grove Township. The standing
committees In 1939-1940, were those on public property, county home and farm,
pauper claims, fees and salaries, finance. Jail accounts, education. Judici-
ary, mines and mining, errors and abatements, auditing of county clerk's ac-
counts, auditing of circuit clerk's accounts, auditing county treasurer's
accounts, auditing of sheriff's accounts, elections, towns and town accounts,
agriculture. Jurors, rules, blind pensions, licenses, official bonds, state-
aid roads, sanitarium, and noxious weeds.
Some Proninent Citizens and Their Contributions
Among the prominent men and women of Livingston County In the past atid
182. Strawn, History of Llvlng'ston County. II, 662.
183. Tribune Almanac and Political Register (New York: Greeley and McElrath) ,
for years 1856,1860,1862,1864,1866,1868,1672,1876,1878,1880; The Dally
News Almanac and Political Record (The Chicago Dally News), for years
1884,1886,1888,1890,1892,1894,1896,1898,1900,1902,1904,1906,1908,1910,
1912.
184. The Chicago Dally News Almanac and Year Book. 1912. p. 360.
185. Ibid., 1934, p. 250.
186. Blue Book of the State of Illinois 1937-1938, complied by Edward J.
Hughes, Secretary of State (Printed by Authority of the State of
Illinois), p. 674. Hereinafter referred to as Blue Book.
187. "Vote by Counties on Presidential Candidates" In Chicago Dally Tribune.
April 11, 1940.
188. Blue Book, p. 659,661,662.
35
Historical Sketch
those now living are Col. Richard P. Morgan, former member of the board, a
widely known civil engineer and friend of Lincoln's to whose memory the
board paid a fine tribute at a session In June 1910;189 Dr. J.M. Mitchell,
member of the original board of directors of the tuberculosis sanitarium,
later president of the board, mentioned with respect In the county rec-
ords;190 Mary J. Dowrle, for many years probation officer of the county and
recognized throughout the state as a leading probation officer; 191 Judge
Nathaniel J. Plllsbury who served with distinction for eighteen years on the
circuit and appellate court benches; Christopher C. Strawn and Otho F.
Pearre, both prominent lawyers and each the author of a history of the
county; and Colonel Frank L. Smith, noted politician, banker, and realtor.
To preserve the legacies, tangible and Intangible, of past generations
for the use and enjoyment of generations yet to come, and to encourage
Interest In local history, the Livingston County Historical Society was
organized In 1931 with the Reverend John H. Ryan president, W.W. McCullock
vice-president, H.J. Mels secretary, G.C. Armstrong treasurer, and Joe S.
Reed custodian. The officers and directors In 1940 are J.H. Ryan, president,
and G.C. Armstrong, secretary and treasurer; the directors are L.W. Tuesburg,
C.E. Stratton, C.T. Bennett, Norton Rice Porter, L. Burton Orr, and Mrs. J.C.
Dawson.
The County's Military Record
Out of a population of 15,576 In 1860, the county sent Into the Union
Army 1,444 soldiers who, through the long years, took part in most of the
fa-nous battles. 192
A full company of Livingston men participated In the brief Spanish-
American War. The company was originally organized as the Pontlac Cadets In
1892 with A.J. Renoe as captain. It became a National Guard unit In 1896,
and two years later the company was ordered to Springfield to be mustered
Into the United States Army for service In the war. It participated In the
capture of Arrogo, Patlllas, Machete and Guyama, and In operations against
the Spanish forces In the Cagey Mountains. 192a
As a memorial to the men of Livingston County who served In these wars,
a soldiers' and sailors' monument, bearing the figure of a soldier at ease
mounted on a pedestal of classical design, was erected by the county. It
was dedicated June 3, 1903, by President Theodore Roosevelt. 193
In the World War, the county participated with 1,291 soldiers, sailors,
and marines, many of whom enlisted at the beginning of the war. Of this
nvunber 98 lost their lives In service. 194
Economic Development
Growth of Industries
By the time rail transportation came to Livingston County and provided
an outlet to and from the greart seaboard and gulf markets, those towns In
the state which were situated on navigable waters had already developed
Industries both for local needs and for export, by the Great Lakes route to
the east and by the Mississippi River to the southern markets. This factor,
the slow growth of population up to 1850, and the suitability of the land to
profitable farming, precluded the possibility of the development of Important
Industrial centers In Livingston. The businesses which were started In the
county In the early years were calculated to answer the needs of the local
189. Supervisors' Record, v. J, p. 20.
190. Ibid., V. N, p. 612.
191. Ibid., V. U, p. 217.
192. Strawn, History of Livingston County. II, 671-75,
192a. Ibid., p. 675,676; from records of John A. Sutherland, Past Commander
United Spanish War Veterans.
193. strewn. History of Livingston County, II, p. 677,678.
194. From Burnell R. Phillips, Past Commander of Aarvlg-Campbell I'ost,
American Legion.
36
Historical Sketch
people, and have developed to the extent that their products or services
could be marketed In the vicinity. Grist and sawmills, needed by every
settler and newcomer, were the first enterprises started In the county.
Garrett M. Blue erected a horse-driven sawmill In Rooks Creek Township about
the time the county was organized. In 1838, C.H. Perry and James McKee built
a sawmill In Pontlac and some years later a gristmill was attached. Mr.
Perry opened the first general store In Pontlac. He was the local capitalist,
owning the only piano, "store bought" carpet and looking-glass In the vicin-
ity. John Foster kept the first hotel In the town v;here he entertained
Douglas, Lincoln, and other distinguished lawyers and Judges. 19^
The Chicago and Mississippi, now the Chicago and Alton, was the first
railroad constructed through the county, coming in 1853-54. Soon afterward
the Illinois Central was built, and In 1858-59, the Toledo, Peoria and Warsaw
came through the county. 1^6 The railroads brought about a general stimula-
tion of business, and by the census of 1860, there were twenty-four manufac-
turing establishments in the county with a total production value of
$141,418, of which milling with four establishments and a production value of
$113,382 was by far the most Important industry. The other enterprises were
blacksml thing, three establishments; boots and shoes, three; carriages, four;
coal, four; lumber, two; and tin, copper and sheet-iron ware, two manufac-
turies.19''' In 1880, there were seventy-eight manufacturing establishments in
the county, employing on the average 266 workers: the wages paid amounted to
$71,403, and the value of products to $473,240.1^8 -phe census report at the
beginning of the new century shows a considerable gain in the county's indus-
trial development over the previous years. The number of establishments rose
to 200 and the number of employees to 709; $271,867 was paid in wages, and
the value of products was $1,248,837. The total capitalization of all the
enterprises was $856,332,199
Statistics for the year 1929 show an interesting trend in the county's
business life which, on a reduced scale, reflected the same development
throughout the nation. Since the World War there had been an ever greater
tendency in the country's institutions of finance, commerce, and Industry
for centralization in the hands of fewer, but more powerful corporate group-
ings. In Livingston County this development was evidenced by a drop of from
200 separate industrial establishments In 1900 to 39 in 1929. In every
other respect, however, figures contradict the drop in the number of enter-
prises. The value of products for the latter year was almost three times
that of the former, reaching the sum of $3,535,499. The number of wage
earners was 1,649, a little more than double the number in 1900, and the
amount of wages paid was $1,048,432,200
After the financial crash in 1929 and the resulting nationwide business
depression, the county's industries took a sharp drop from the peak of the
boom yeairs. In 1933, there were 22 establishments in the county; the number
of wage earners dropped to 797, or 51.7 percent of the 1929 number; wages
earned amounted to $414,338, or 57.7 percent of 1929, and value of products
was $1,534,349, 56.6 percent of the 1929 figure. 201 since 1933, there has
been a distinct Improvement in business conditions in Livingston County.
There is no evidence, however, that the trend toward centralization has been
reversed, and its full effects on the economic as well as social life in the
nation, bound to be considerable, have not as yet been fully realized.
The development of Industry in the county was facilitated by easy ac-
cess to coal which was mined on a commercial scale in the early sixties.
Henry L. Marsh is credited with being the pioneer in coal mining In the
county, through his discovery in 1860 of a vein of coal on his tract of land
near Falrbury.202 However, five years previous to that, the legislature
195. Pearre, History of Livingston County, p. 241,244.
196. Ibid., p. 280.
197. Eighth Census of the United States. 1860. v. Ill, Manufactures, p. 96.
198. Tenth Census of the United States. 1880. v. III. Manufactures, p. 108.
199. Tvjelfth Census of the United States. 1900. v. VIII, Manufactures,
p. 168,169.
200. Biennial Census of Mafiufactures, 1933 (Typed MSS. in Illinois State
Planning Commission, Chicago), p. 10.
201. Ibid.
202. Pearre, History of Livingston County, p. 227.
37
Historical Sketch
approved an act Incorporating the Pontlac Coal Company In the names of Henry
Perkins, and Kersey H. and Jesse W. Fell, with a capital stock of $25,000,203
But It was Marsh's success that Inspired others In the enterprise, and In
1865 a shaft was sunk at Pontlac. The legislature passed acts the same year
Incorporating three coal mining enterprises In the county, the Empire, the
Kankakee, and the Pontlac coal companies. 204 j^ i865 and 1867, the legisla-
ture passed acts enabling the Inhabitants of the towns of Pontlac and Dwlght
to levy a tax for the purpose of making experimental openings for coal and
other minerals. 205 x^e experiment In Pontlac proved successful and as a
result mines were started there; In Dwlght, however, no coal was found.
The year 1867 was an active one In that business In the county. The
legislature passed two more acts Incorporating the Vermilion River and the
Central coal companies. The latter was granted the right to engage In the
mining of coal. Iron, salt and other minerals in La Salle and Livingston
counties, and to connect their works with the Illinois and Michigan Canal and
the Illinois River. 206 More shafts were sunk at Falrbury In 1868, near
Streator In 1872, at Cornell In 1875, and at Cayuga In 1878.207 j^iq peak of
production was reached In 1393 when 542,516 tons were mined In fourteen
mines. 208 since then, there has been a yearly decrease In production; only
15,381 tons were taken from the county's ten mines In 1938.209 in part this
precipitate decline may be attributed to the discovery and exploitation of
mines nearer to Industrial centers, and to the substitution In recent years
of other fuels for coal.
In 1939, there were ten active mines In Livingston, six being shaft euid
slope mines, the rest small strip mines. The most productive of the nines Is
at Falrbury, the others are at Streator. The totaO. production of the mines
In that year was 13,352 tons, all of which was sold to local trade. A total
of sixty men were employed, working In all 4,374 man days. 210
The Inhabitants of Livingston County are served (1940) by fifteen banks,
a number Indicative of the enterprise and energy of the county's business
elements. The banks are the Farmers State Bank, and First National Bank of
Cullom, Campus State Bank, Citizens Bank of Chatsworth, Bank of Dwlght and
First National Bank of Dwlght, Taylor State Bank of Qnlngton, Flanagan State
Bank, First State Bank of Forrest, Farmers National Bank and First National
Bank In Falrbury, State Bank of Graymond, Pontlac National Bank and Illinois
State Savings Bank of Pontlac, and the State Bank of Saunenln.
Agricultural Development
Although Livingston County land is now considered some of the most pro-
ductive In the state, the county was one of the last in this section to be
settled. Prior to the invention of the self-scouring steel plow in 1837 and Its
general use In the forties, there were sufficient practical reasons for
settlers to avoid prairie lands. One of the principal ones was the difficul-
ty of plowing prairie soils with the mold-board, cast-iron-tipped plow then
in use, to which the prairie muck stuck fast. It required tvio or three yoke
of oxen to draw a plow through the tough soil. In the case of Livingston
County, there was a more specific reason for its being settled more slowly
than the adjoining counties. Much of the county is flat and not as easily
drained as rolling land. That portion was classed as swamp and overflow
land, too wet for cultivation. Also, the lack of navigable streams for ship-
ment of farm produce and the Importation of merchandise in exchange was a
serious impediment to settlement prior to rail transportation. After the
building of railroads in the county and the introduction of tile drainage
203. L.1855. p. 590,591.
204. Pearre, History of Livingston County, p. 227; Prlv. L. 1865, p. 59,74,83.
205. Prlv. L.1865. p. 337; Prlv. L.ie67. p. 126.
206. Prlv. L.1867 p. 389,438.
207. Pearre, History of LlvinFSton County, p. 227,228.
208. Statistics of Coal in Illinois in 1^93. Twelfth Annual Report of the
State Bureau of Labor Statistics (Springfield: H. //. Rokker, State
Printer, 1894), p. 15.
209. Fifty-seventh Coal Report of Illinois. 1938, Department of Mines and
Minerals (Printed by Authority of the State of Illinois), p. 118,119.
210. Letter from Steve L. Faletto, State Mine Inspector, February 21, 1940.
38
Historical Sketch
about 1878, these rich lands began to be developed as farms. Not only did
settlement become very rapid but land values In Livingston Increased far
above the average for the state. In 1910, the average value of an Illinois
farm was $15,505, while for that section of the state which Includes Living-
ston It was $20,720,211
Census figures for 1850, about twenty years after the first settlement
was made, show only 185 farms In Livingston County, with an aggregate of
13,334 acres of Improved lands and a total value of the farms amounting to
$181,125,212 The Increase In the number of farms and In land values In the
following thirty years was remarkable even when measured against the tremen-
dous development of Illinois In that era. The number of farms in 1880 reach-
ed 5,261, the aggregate acreage of Improved lands, 619,479; the total value
of farms Increased to $19,262,892, exclusive of the value of farm Implements
which amounted to $677,122,213
Com, wheat, rye, and oats were the principal crops In the county In the
early years. Progressively, corn took Its place as the most Important single
crop, much of It being used for feeding the large number of dairy and meat
cattle. In the average trend In acreage In Livingston for the years 1924-
1933, corn occupied 286,677 acres; oats, 213,230 acres; hay, 19,880, spring
wheat, 5.852; winter wheat, 6,008; barley, 3,022, and soybeans, 2,772
acres. 214
The calculation of farm Income derived from the various sources In 1929
shows that corn yielded 66.2 percent, livestock 13.2 percent, livestock
products, 12.9 percent, and forest products, .1 percent. Of this Income the
producer and his family used 7.6 percent as contrasted with the average for
the state of 10.7 percent. 215
Revolutionary changes have taken place In the experiences of the three
generations of Livingston County farmers. From the almost biblical simplic-
ity of the art of husbandry In 1837, farming has advanced by great strides
to the complexities of the present era. The present-day farmer must not only
have a capacity for hard work, but he must of necessity be a good business
man with a knowledge of both domestic and foreign markets; he must have a
knowledge of mechanics to care for his machinery, a knowledge of chemistry
and bookkeeping. And with all of that he runs yearly risks of losses through
economic factors far removed from his control, even of the ultimate loss of
his land and the fate of becoming a tenant farmer. Thus the paradoxical
situation exists that, although the productivity and the value of the farms
of Livingston County are far above the average for the state, as Is shown In
the following table, no less than 76.4 percent of the county's land Is
operated by tenant farmers, and the mortgage Indebtedness In the county Is
over 100 percent of that for the state as a whole on the owner-operated
farms.
Total value per farm April, 1930216 ....
Land only
Buildings
Dwellings
Total value per acre
Land only
Crop yield Index, ten year average 1924-1933
Percent of owner operated farms mortgaged
In 1930
Average mortgage debt per farm
Average mortgage debt per acre
211. Ernest Ludlow Bogart and John M. Mathev
1895-1918 . V. 5, Centennial History of Illinois. (Springfield: Illinois
Centennial Commission, 1920), p. 69.
212. Seventh Census of the United States. 1850. Agriculture, p. 220-24.
213. Tenth Census of the United States. 1880, Agriculture, v. 2, p. 46,47.
214. Farm. Home and Community, p. 33,34,37,39,41,43,45,47.
215. Ibid., p. 73.
216. Ibid., p. 4,30,73,75-78.
39
Livingston County
Illinois
$30,595
$15,553
25,496
11,912
5,099
3,641
2,295
1,803
169.46
108.68
141.22
83.24
100.6%
100.2%
49.9%
41.3%
$12,721
$ 6,182
78
51
NB, The Modern Comm
lonwealth
Historical Sketch
Livingston County
Illinois
$ 1.71
$ 1.15
3,963
1,158
2,101
3,575
180
Average tax on land and buildings per
acre In 1929
Number of farm automobiles In 1930. . . .
Number of motor trucks
Number of farm tractors
Number of farms In 1935
Acres per farm
In the counties lying In the same section of the state as Livingston,
the percentage of tenancy Is approximately as high as that of Livingston
County, whereas In the southern counties where the land Is less fertile the
percentage Is much lower. One reason Is that because of the high value of
the northern feirms, farmers were able to raise larger sums by mortgage and
foreclosures were more frequent than on the less valuable southern farms. 217
Those settlers who meant to work on and live by the land began to face
difficulties In the early years of settlement when they were forced to com-
bat land speculators and claim Jumpers, whom they considered more dangerous
than the Indians. Against them the farmers formed organizations which made
up In persuasiveness what they lacked In finesse. Andrew Jackson's famous
Specie Circular Issued In 1836 and directed against the speculators, was the
first concrete measure undertaken by the Federal government to help the farm-
ing element. Since that time the farmers' problems have become increasingly
more numerous and complex, and In the same ratio less responsive to individ-
ual and local efforts at regulation, and the government, responding to strong
pressure from farmers' organizations, has taken an Increasingly active
Interest In the condition of the nation's farmers. The national government's
part In agricultural affairs has been especially significant In the turbulent
years since 1929, with measures of unprecedented scope taken to help the
farmers Individually and through their organizations to overcome some of
these difficulties. The end of the 1930-1940 decade finds the conditions of
farmers Improved over what they were In the first several years after the
financial crash of 1929, though not yet at the point of stabilization that
gives the farmer more than transient secxirlty. Unlike the World War of 1914-
18, the current conflict In Europe has not provided the farmers of the United
States with Increased markets, owing to the fact that the warring nations
have Instituted rigid rationing of their domestic food supplies since the
out-break of hostilities.
Cooperating with the Federal and state departments of agriculture and
with the extension department of the University of Illinois Is the Farm
Bureau of this and other counties; the county agents have also come to play
a highly Important role in farm life. In Livingston, the Bureau was first
organized In 1912 under the name of the Livingston County Soil and Crop
Improvement Association, with W.H. Bentley president, J.W. Porter vice-presi-
dent, C.A. Rollins secretary, and Herbert Powell treasurer. In 1920, the
name was changed to the Livingston County Farm Bureau. The officers In 1937
were, Charles Laurltzen president, William F. Bressner vice-president, and
Reld R. Tombaugh secretary-treasurer; the board of directors was composed of
M.E. Fitzgerald, Donald Allen, Edd Shafer, Fred Oltman, Joe Srschen, A.B.
Hlrsteln, Ed.Ganzert, L.A. Pearson, William Householder, A.S. Thompson, Guy
K. Gee, Earl E. Gourley, Bertlon Shane, L.H. Follmer, William Rlngler,
Clarence Ely, Charles Mortlmore (deceased), and S.A. Allbrecht. A glance at
a partial list of activities of the Farm Bureau will give an Indication of
the great strides made In the agricultural life of the county since the time
of the grandfathers of the present generation; rural electrification, rural
recreation and sports, rural sociology, development of cooperative production
of grain, livestock, and livestock production, development of cooperative
distribution, promotion of farm accounting and management, agricultural eco-
217. The percentage of farm tenancy In McLean County Is 75.3; in Champaign,
75; m DeWltt, 75.1; In Douglas, 71.3; in Ford, 79.7; in Grundy, 73.5;
in Iroquois, 72.8; in Piatt, 74.5. (Farm. Home and Community, p. 75).
In the southern county of Johnson it is 25.1 percent; in Jefferson,
23.8; In Clay, 25; In Massac, 25; in Effingham, 26.7; in Franklin,
21.8 (Fifteenth Census of the United States. 1930.
570 , 571,573).
2 part 1, p. 569,
40
Historical Sketch
noinics, soil conservation, Insurance, and petroleum service, the encourage-
ment of a rural youth movement, and a number of other activities which were
undreamed of less than a century ago. 218
Social and Cultural Development
Schools
In the promulgation of cultural achievement through such Institutions as
schools and libraries, Livingston County has been consistently progressive.
One evidence of this is the almost complete nonexistence of Illiteracy; only
1.1 percent of the population In 1930 was unable to read and write. Soon
after the pioneers achieved a measure of security In their new and harsh
surroundings they began giving serious attention to education for their young.
This was especially true In the upstate counties where the strongest cultural
Influence was from the northern states. Much substantial encouragement to
education was given by the pioneer preachers who come here with the first
settlers, some of them able and far-seeing men.
In the frontier stage, education In Illinois was a primitive and hap-
hazard affair. Until the appearance of teachers after the settlements grew
thicker, the children received elemental^ Instruction from some member of the
family or from an Itinerant preacher - provided, of course, that they were
literate. When the settlements became more populous, a self-designated
schoolmaster appeared and set up a subscription school In the cabin of a
settler, charging, for each pupil two or three dollars per term In money or
produce. This was the type of school that Lincoln attended. About them he
wrote to Jesse W. Fell, "There were some schools, so-called but no qualifica-
tion was ever required of a teacher beyond 'readln', 'wrltln', and 'clpherln'
to the rule of three. If a straggler, supposed to understand Latin, happened
to sojourn In the neighborhood, he was looked upon as a wizard. "219
The national government gave practical encouragement to the furtherance
of education In the newly acquired northwestern territory, when Congress
passed an ordinance on May 20, 1785, providing that one section of each con-
gressional township In the public lands of the territory be reserved for the
use of schools. 220 This act was confirmed by the Ordinance of 1787, and the
enabling act under which Illinois was admitted Into the Union set aside sec-
tion 16 of every congressional township for the benefit of schools. 221
In the spirit of the Ordinance of 1787 which declared that "Religion,
morality and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness
of mankind, schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged,"
the state legislature approved an act on January 15, 1825, submitted by James
Duncan, providing for the establishment of free schools In the state by means
of a tax. The act read In part, "To enjoy our rights and liberties, we must
understand them; their security and protection ought to be the first object
of a free people . . . and believing that the advancement of literature al-
ways has been and ever will be the means of developing more fully the rights
of man, that the mind of every citizen In a republic Is the common property
of society, and constitutes the basis of Its strength and happiness; It Is
therefore considered the peculiar duty of a free government, like ours, to
encourage and extend the Improvement and cultivation of the Intellectual
energies of the whole. "222 These brave words did not save the act In the
face of the pioneer dislike for, and Incapacity to pay taxes, and two years
later the section dealing with the method of financing the schools suffered
an amendment which made the Intent of the original act Inoperative for prac-
218. Annual Report Livingston County Farm Bureau, 1957, Pontlac, Illinois,
p. 1,2,4.
219. The Complete Works of Abraham Lincoln, ed. John G. Nlcolay and John
Hay (New York: F.D. Tandy Co., 1905-6), V, 286-69.
220. Journal of the American Congress, v. V, chap, IV, p. 520,521; also re-
prlnted In Howard Cromwell, The Educational Significance of the Early
Federal Land Ordinances (New York: Teachers College, Columbia Unlver-
slty, 1922), Appendix A, p. 129.
221. Ordinance of 1787, Art. 3rd; 3 U.S. Stat. L. 428.
222. L.1825, p. 121.
41
Historical Sketch
tlcal purposes. 223 Later laws provided for the sale of the seminary lands
that had been secured to the state by Congress at the time of admission, and
of sections 16 for the support of schools, for an annual vote by the Inhabi-
tants of school districts to determine their willingness to submit to a
school tax, and for a school commissioner In each county to administer the
sales of school lands and the funds derived therefrom. 224 it was not, how-
ever, until the free-school act of 1855 was put Into operation that common
school education In the state began Its true progress. This law provided
for the support of schools by a tax, and for their supervision by a state
superintendent of public Instruction; teachers were required to present
certificates of their qualifications and to keep records of attendance and
promotion. 225
In the atmosphere of greater enlightenment which prevailed in the
fifties, and an existence more eased from the pioneer struggles, an attempt
was made In Livingston County to provide for higher than the elementary
school education then available. In 1856, a number of citizens In the
county sponsored the establishment of the New Michigan Academy under the
presidency of E.B. Nevell. The original school was In operation for only
one year and not having sustained attendance and financial help. It was dis-
continued for two years but was reopened In 1859 with Otho F. Pearxe as
president. Under his leadership It was fairly successful for a period of
three years, but after his withdrawal and removal to Pontlac, the school
declined. Poor location and lack of financial support were against Its suc-
cessful continuance, and after a few yeeirs It was abandoned altogether. 226
Meanwhile, public school education was developing rapidly In the county,
thanks to the practical financial provisions In the law of 1855. The tax
money was considerably augmented by funds derived from the sale of swamp
lands, and administered under the leadership of several able county superin-
tendents of schools. The early school laws left to the ability. Imagination,
or whim of the local officials much of the procedure In the administration of
schools. In 1891, County Superintendent Henry A. Foster undertook to Initi-
ate some Important reforms In school management for which there were no pro-
visions In the law. Before he did so, he went before the voters at a township
meeting asking for and receiving their approval. The reform embodied a uni-
form system of textbooks monthly and term reports from teachers, and monthly
and term examinations In districts schools, the Introduction of a course of
study. Instruction of teachers In the use of the course of study and the
conducting of examinations, annual Issuance of county diplomas, and the hold-
ing of graduation exercises for the county schools. 227
In point of financial support. Increased educational facilities, expan-
sion of curricula and enrollment, the schools of the county made long ad-
vances, as the following figures for 1937, a hundred years after the organi-
zation of Livingston, will show: total value of school property, $2,284,220;
number of libraries 256, number of volumes In the libraries, 49,774; total
enrollment In elementary schools, 5,451 In secondary schools, 1,924; total
number of elementary school teachers, 341, of high school teachers 103;
average annual salaries of male teachers, $1,322.55, of female teachers,
$810.56. Among all the county's children between the ages of 12 and 21,
there were only eight who were unable to read and write, of whom seven were
boys and one girl. 228 p^yg of the county's schools have vocational courses
In agriculture. During the ten years period 1923-1932, the county sent an
annual average of 69 students to the University of Illinois, besides an
undetermined number to other colleges and universities within the state and
elsewhere. 229
A well trained and experienced public health nurse employed by the
223. R.L.1827. p. 364,365.
224. R.L.1827. p. 366-68; R.L.1829. p. 150,158; L.1845, p. 51-74.
225. L.1855. p. 51ff.
226. Strawn, History of Livingston County. II, 680.
227. Ibid., p. 683.
228. John A. Wleland, Statistical Report of the Superintendent of Public
Instruction State of Illinois for the Year Ending June 30. 1937.
(Printed by authority of the State of Illinois) p. 7,9,17,29,39,43,123.
229. Farm, Home and Community, p. 89.
42
Historical Sketch
board of supervisors and attached to the office of the county superintendent
of schools. Is in charge of the county school health program. In her work,
she cooperates with teachers, school authorities, parents and the medical and
dental professions. Periodic Inspections of school children, to which the
parents are Invited, are made, and Immunization programs and dental Inspec-
tions are organized In communities desiring them.
Among the many good schools In the county are three Roman Catholic
schools; St. Patrick's School of C3iatsworth was dedicated In 1883 and given
in charge to the Sisters of Providence, of St. Mary's of the Woods, Indiana.
In 1899, the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Indiana, took charge of
the teaching duties. In 1916, a new school of four rooms was built. The
enrollment In 1939 was about 50.
St. Paul's Parochial School has both a grade and high school which Is
fully accredited. The original building was erected In 1895 by Father
Selva; It was remodeled by Father Barry In 1914. The teachers are the
Sisters of the Order of St. Dominic of whom there are nine In both the grade
and high school; with an enrollment In 1940 of 90 In the grades and 86 In
high school. St. Mary's Parochial School In Pontlac, a modern two story
brick and stone building was erected In 1902. The classes are In charge of
five Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin, teaching up to and Including
the eighth grade. The present enrollment Is 185.
Religious Activities
The early church In Illinois enjoyed an exceptional Influence, not only
in Its exclusive field of religion, but In the social and political life of
the state and the communities as well. This well deserved position was
earned by the sincerity and unselfish devotion of their calling of the
ministers who brought an understandable religious doctrine, spiritual com-
forts, and Interest In education to the settlements and homes of the pioneers.
The early preachers, whether they were educated men such as John Mason Peck,
or those of limited learning but of abundant will and devotion, led the same
life as the people to whom they preached, sharing the hardships of the
frontier with the doughtiest of the pioneers. In return, they received from
the people unlimited confidence and devotion and, later, substantial practi-
cal help In establishing churches. In the deed records of Livingston County,
as well as the records of other counties, are found numerous entries of
grants of land by the settlers to various denominations soon after the first
difficulties of the frontier were overcome. 230
Eleven denominations are engaged In the religious work of the county.
They have fifty churches In operation with a combined membership of 9,051,
plus the unlisted membership of the eleven Roman Catholic and two Christian
Science churches. The Methodists, who were the first to Initiate religious
activity In Livingston, beginning In the present Avoca Township In 1833, had
in 1939 twelve churches with a total membership of 4,934.231 The Presby-
terians began their work in Dwlght In 1856; In 1939 they had one church with
599 members. 232 The Disciples of Christ first started their work In Pontlac
in 1859. In 1938, the total membership In the six churches In the county
230. A deed for a piece of land In Pontlac was given by James Taylor to the
American Bible Society for the consideration of $1.00 (Deed Record, v. S,
p. 477); a quitclaim deed to five acres In township 29 was executed by
John Hampton and his wife V/elghty In favor of the trustees of the
Methodist Episcopal Church (Ibld., p. 546); a deed to two lots In Chats-
worth was executed by William H. Osborn and wife In favor of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church (Ibid., p. 599); Chanute and Cropsey made a
warrantee deed for a one-dollar consideration to the trustees of the
New School Presbyterian Church In Falrbury (Ibid., v. Q, p. 371).
231. Journal and Year Book of the 116th Session of the Illinois Annual Con-
ference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. September 12-18, 1939 (Deca-
tur, Illinois: Huston-Patterson Corp., 1939), p. 852.
232. Pearre, History of Livingston County, p. 128,490; Minutes of the Gen-
eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church In the U.S.A. (Philadelphia:
Presbyterian Board of Publication. 1857), p. 410; Minutes of the Synod
of Illinois of the Presbyterian Church In the U.S.A. June 13-15. 1939
(Galesburg, Illinois: The Wagoner Printing Co., 1939), p. 183-
43
Historical Sketch
was 921.233 The work of the Roman Catholic church began In CJiatsworth In
1864; In 1935 there were eleven churches with an unlisted membership. 234 The
Congregational lets first organized In Dwlght in 1865; in 1938 they had three
churches with 411 members. 235 The Evangelical Lutherans begun In EXvlght In
1867; they had. In 1939, three churches with 415 members. 236 Next In point
of time came the Baptists who began their work In Chatswocth In 1871; the
combined membership In the five churches In the county In 1939 was 825.237
The Evangelical Church first organized a congregation In Dwlght before 1878;
their 1939 mo.nbershlp In the five churches was 451.238 The United Lutherans
begsin their work In Pontlac In 1907; In 1939 their membership In the one
church In the county was 359.239 The Episcopalians have one church In
Pontlac with 136 members. 240 There are two Christian Science churches In
Pontlac and Dwlght with unlisted memberships. 241
The Press
In the matter of newspaper publication, development did not begin in
Livingston until the fifties, when the county's great wealth In soil finally
found recognition and Immigration began at a greatly accelerated pace. From
then on, there began a parade of Journalistic ventures which Included no
less than forty-six publications, some of them expiring after one or two
Issues.
To start a paper In pioneer days all one needed was a few cases of type,
a bundle of paper, a Washington hand press, and a "devil." The product,
compared with the modem newspaper, was a primitive as the flail compared to
the combine. Local fights, articles on political and religious subjects, or
a good Joke on some prominent citizen were treated at length. When Lincoln
lectured In Pontlac the notice of his being there and comment on the lecture
was treated In about a quarter of a column. 242 But whatever did go Into the
paper and however crude the writing, It was strictly the opinions. Ideas,
and doctrines of that publication. Syndicated Jokes, cartoons, news, and
political, economic, and soclologlc philosophies were unheard of In those
days.
The Reverend Thomas Cotton, a Methodist minister, brought out the first
paper in the county In 1353, the Vernilllon Herald, published In New Michigan.
Not having sufficient funds and backing. It lived through only one Issue.
In 1855, the Livingston County News made Its appearance In Pontlac, with J.S.
France as editor and proprietor. In less than three months it too expired
233. Nathaniel S. Haynes, History of the Disciples of Christ In Illinois.
1819-1914 (Cincinnati: The Standard Publishing Co., 1915), p. 262-64;
1938 Year Book. July 1, 1937 - June 30. 1938. of International Conven-
tion of Disciples of Christ (Indianapolis: Year Book Publishing
Committee, n.d.), p. 354.
234. Pearre, History of Livingston County, p. 395; The Official Catholic
Directory for the Year of Our Lord 1935 (New York: P.J. Kenedy & Sons,
1935), p. 446-49.
236. Pearre, History of Livingston County, p. 493; The Year Book of the Con-
gregational and Christian Churches, Statistics for 1958 (New York:
Executive Committee), p. 103,110.
236. Pearre, History of Livingston County, p. 493; Statistical Year Book
of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri. Ohio and Other States
for the Year 1938 (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1939),
p. 93-97.
237. Pearre, History of Livingston County, p. 393-95; Illinois Baptist
State Convention, Report of the 95th Annual Session of the Illinois
Baptist State Convention. October 17-19. 1939. p. 93.
238. Pearre, History of Livingston County, p. 493; Official Proceedings of
the 95th Annual Session of the Illinois Conference of the Evangelical
Church. April 18-23. 1939. p. 76.
239. Minutes of the 20th Annual Convention of the Illinois Synod of the
United Lutheran Church In America. May 8-11. 1939. p. 80.
240. The Llvlnc; Church Annual, the Year Book of the Episcopal Church 1940
(New York and Milwaukee: Morehouse-Gorham Co., 1939), p. 212,330.
241. The Christian Science Journal (Boston; The Christian Science Publishing
Society) LVIII (April, 1940), 13,14.
242. Strawn, History of Livingston County, II, 697.
44
Historical Sketch
for lack of money. A few months later, two good newspapermen, M.A. Rence
and Philip Cook, arrived and encouraged by local businessmen resurrected the
News. In 1857, Cook withdrew to engage with William Gagan In the publica-
tion of the Sentinel. The News was sold to a Bloomlngton printer and It con-
tinued for a few years as a strongly Democratic, antiwar paper; this unpopu-
lar policy lost It the support of most of Its subscribers. The Pont 1 ac
Sentinel, coming out In 1857 as a strong Republican paper made a success; In
1860, Editor Cook was elected county treasurer, and Michael E. Collins be-
came editor. In 1867, Henry C. Jones and M.A. Rence commenced the publica-
tion of the Free Press In opposition to the Sentinel. This paper and the
Sentinel were merged In 1869, Issuing under the name of the Sentinel and
Press. A short time later the publication was renamed the Sentlnel.'^^^;^
Some of the other papers founded during the Civil War period and the
era of Industrial expansion when great political and economic questions were
begging for expression were the Constitution In 1864; the Pont lac Republican
In 1865; the National Union In 1866; the Democrat In 1868; the Peoples
Advocate, a prohibition paper. In 1870; the Free Trader In 1871; the Pont lac
Herald In the same year; Ford's Livingston County Democrat In 1878; the
Pontlac Gazette In 1880; the Pont lac Observer In 1881 - all published In
Pontlac. In Falrbury, the Intelligencer started In 1863, the Journal In
1866, the Independent In 1871, the Blade In 1876. In Dwlght, the Weekly
Courier and the Star were started In 1864, the Dwlght Star and Herald In
1889, the Dally Messenger In 1890. In Chatsworth the Palladium was first
published In 1873, and later renamed the Plalndealer. The Cornell Journal
of Cornell came out In 1890, the Chronicle of Cullom In 1898, the Saunemln
Gazette In 1888, the Joker of Einlngton In 1903, the Home Times of Flanagan
and the Rambler of Forrest, In 1863. the Independent of Odell In 1869, and
the Advocate of Long Point In 1883.^44
The thirteen newspapers published In Livingston In 1940, their editors
and political leanings are the Journal of Cornell, a weekly Independent,
A.E. Tiffany, editor; the Chronicle-Headlight of Cullom, also a weekly
Independent, edited by Louis A. Van Alstyne; the Plalndealer of Chatsworth a
weekly Republican sheet, edited by S.J. Porterfleld; the Banner , a bimonthly
published by the Sons of Veterans, and the Star and Herald, a weekly Repub-
lican, both published at Dwlght by Dustln and Holbrook, publishers; the
Joker of Emlngton, a weekly Independent, edited by R.J. Shultz; the Home
Times of Flanagan, a weekly independent Issued by the Home Times publishers;
the Corn-Belt News a weekly Democrat of Forrest, edited by A.D. Fansler; the
Blade of Falrbury a weekly Republican edited by J. A. Patterson, and the
Local Record also of Falrbury, a weekly Independent Democrat edited by M.A.
Anderson; the Advocate of Long Point, a weekly Independent edited by A.E.
Tiffany, and the News of Odell, a weekly Independent edited by Charles E.
Ward. Pontlac has two newspapers, the News Review, a weekly Independent,
edited by W.P. Sanford, and the Leader , Independent Republican, begun In 1896
as the first dally In the county and still continued as a dally evening
paper. The editor Is L.V. Pearre.245
243. Strawn, History of Livingston County. II, 697,698.
244. Ibid., p. 698,699.
245. Directory of Newspapers and Periodicals. 1939. ed. J. Percy, H. John-
son (Philadelphia: N.W. Ayer and Son, Inc.), p. 200,220,221,223-226,
234,241,244.
45
(First entry, p. 93)
2. GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION AND RECORDS SYSTEM
Introduction
The county In Illinois Is a corporate bodyl and an administrative unit
of the state; Its governmental organization Is at all times largely an ex-
pression of this dual nature.
The growth of the county as a body politic Is reflecteu, In each of the
state's three constitutional periods. In a progressive expansion of the
powers which may by law be exercised by the county board, and In the creation
of new, and the extension of existing, county offices. The latter phase of
growth In Livingston County and In others similarly organized at present, has
also been affected by the adoption of township organization, which for the
first time constituted the civil towns as an additional level of government.
An analogous development appears In the state's Invasion of new fields
of government and the extension of the county's role as Its agent. Original-
ly, the county performed but a single Important function for the state, that
of collecting Its share of the taxes levied within the county. Since then,
however, education, public health, registration of vital statistics, public
assistance, and many similar If less Important matters have entered the
province of state control or supervision. To effect this control, new
governmental units, subcounty districts of various types, have come Into
existence or have been converted to new purposes; the county, because of Its
Intermediate position, has become more Important as a medium of that control.
Thus the complete operation of county government In Illinois brings Into
play a number of partly distinct authorities. Their relationships, at any
time, are complex. The changing governmental organization of Livingston
County, therefore. Is easiest traced from the viewpoint of the major func-
tions of county government.
General Administration
General administrative Jurisdiction over county business has always
been vested In the county board. Under the first constitution, for all
counties, the county commissioners' court acted as the county board. 2 it
was expressly declared to have no original or appellate Jurisdiction In civil
or criminal actions, but had all power necessary to the exercise of Its
Jurisdiction In cases concerning the public affairs of the county collective-
ly."^ The commissioners were constitutional off leers, ^ and elected;^ the
court existed solely by statutory provision.^ Attached to It In a ministeri-
al capacity was the Independent statutory office of clerk of the county com-
missioners' court,''' at first filled at the appointment of the court, ^ later
by election.^
Under the second constitution, the newly created county court succeeded
to the position of the county commissioners' court. ^^ as an administrative
body, 11 It was composed of the county Judge, an elected, constitutional of-
ficer,12 and two Justices of the peace, elected at large. 13 Another new of-
fice, that of clerk of the county court, was created to provide It with a
1. R.L.1827. p. 107; R. 3. 1845. p. 130; R.S.1874. p. 306.
2. Constitution of 1818, Schedule, sec. 4; L.iei9. p. 175,176.
3. L.1819. p. 176.
4. Constitution of 181B, Schedule, sec. 4.
5. L.1P19. p. 99; L.l^Sl. p. 80; L.1B37. p. 103,104.
6. L.1R19. p. 175.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. R.L.1837. p. 49; L.1845. p. 28.
10. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 19; L.1849. p. 65.
11. The county court was also a court of law. For Its Jurisdiction as
such, see Administration of Justice, Courts, p. 50.
12. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 17.
13. Ibid., Art. V, sec. 19; L.1849. p. 65,66.
46
Governmental Organization
and Records System
ministerial officer; the clerk also was elected. 14
The Constitution of 1848 also made provision, for the first time, for an
optional form of county government. 1^ The subsequent enabling actsl6 provid-
ed that whenever the voters of a county might so determine, that county
should adopt tuvvnshlp organization; one of the principal results of such a
change was to alter the form of the county board. ^"^ Livingston County so
elected In 1857, and In 1858 the county court was succeeded by a board of
supervisors, composed of members elected, one In each of the several town-
ships. 18 The clerk of the county court was required by law to act as the
ministerial officer of the new county board. 19 Tn 1872, however, that clerk
was replaced by a new officer, the county clerk, whose office had been
created and made elective, by the third constitution, 20 and who was required
by law to act as ministerial officer for the county board. ^1 Another signif-
icant change In the form of the county board has been the addition to Its
membership of assistant supervisors, elected from the various towns on the
basis of populatlon;22 the assistant supervisors have no powers or duties as
town officers, but are members of the county board and as such enjoy the
same powers and rights as other members. 23
The Constitution of 1870 also provided a new form of county board In
counties not under township organization. This board was to be composed of
three officers, styled commissioners, who would transact all county business
as provided by law. 24 subsequent legislation granted to the board of county
commissioners all powers and duties formerly exercised by the county court
when acting In Its administrative capacity .25 These laws were Ineffective
in Livingston since this county has retained township organization since its
institution in 1858.
Concurrent with the changing organization of the county board is an
expansion of its functions without, however, considerable extension beyond
the original Jurisdiction conferred upon the county commissioners' court.
The authority of that body extended to the imposition and regulation of
taxes, 26 a limited but increasing management of county property 27 and a
growing fiscal control, stringent in regard to tax collections, 28 sporadic
in its check on the expenditures of other county offices. 2^ The court addi-
tionally had power to appoint Judges of election, 30 select Juries, 31 and,
with limitations, to provide for the constmctlon and maintenance of roads.
14. Constitution of 1848,- Art. V, sec. 19; L.1849. p. 63.
15. Constitution of 1848, Art. VII, sec. 6.
16. The original enabling act of 1849 (L.1849, p. 190-224) was repealed two
years later by a more comprehensive but essentially similar law (L.1851,
p. 35-78).
17. Other effects of the change, within the sphere of county government
proper, appear with regard to the taxation procedure. See Finances,
p. 48.
18. Constitution of 1848, Art. VII, sec. 6; L.1851. p. 38,50-52; Constitu-
tion of 1870, Art. X, sec. 5.
19. L.1849. p. 203; L.1851. p. 52.
20. Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 8.
21. R.S.1874. p. 322. _ ,^
22. Ibid., p. 1080; L.1925. p. 605; L.1929. p. 774; L.1951. p. 905-10;
L.1933. p. 1115,1116.
23. R.S.1874. p. 1080.
24. Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 6.
25. L. 1873-74. p. 79.
26. L.1819, p. 175.
27. Ibid., p. 237,238; L. 1842-43. p. 128.
28. L.1819. p. 238,318; L.1823. p. 208; R.L.1827. p. 373,375; R.L.1829.
p. 121; L. 1842-43. p. 112; L.1845. p. 11,12.
29. R.L.1827, p. 366; L.1831. p. 175.
30. L.1819. p. 90.
31. Ibid., p. 255; L.1823, p. 182.
47
Governmental Organization
and Records System
and bridges. 32 poor rellef33 and a tentative supervision of educatlon34
also fell within Its general administrative Jurisdiction.
The effect of subsequent legislation, in the main, has only been to
broaden that Jurisdiction. The county board has been given full power to
purchase, contract for, dispose of, and make regulations concerning all real
and personal property of the county. 35 it is now required also to audit all
claims against the county and the accounts of such offices as were not pro-
vided for by law. 36 otherwise, the changes In form of the county board in
Livingston County have not materially affected the general administrative
Jurisdiction of that body. 37
Finances
In Illinois counties, there has always been a close relationship between
the taxation processes and fiscal control. This circumstance, as well as
frequent evidence of the county board's ultimate control in such matters, ap-
pears In a resume of the legal status and duties of the officers Involved.
Taxation
The assessment function In taxation was delegated by the first General
Assembly to the county treasurer, a statutory officer appointed by the county
comn-Llssl oners' court. 38 The adralnl strati ve body, within statutory limits,
fixed the amount of the levy, while the value of many categories of real and
personal property was fixed by law; however, a limited discretion was left to
the assessing officer. 39 in 1825 assessments were made by the county asses-
sor, also an appointee of the county commissioners' court. ^0 This duty re-
verted to the county treasurer In 1827^^ and continued to be vested In that
office until 1839, when the General Assembly provided for the appointment by
the county commissioners' court of district assessors, not to exceed one In
every Justice's district. 42 The earlier system was reestablished In 1844,
with the treasurer, however, now having the status of ex-offlclo county as-
sessor.43 since 1858, the date of the Institution of township organization
In Livingston County, the assessment function has been perfonr.ed on the lower
governmental level by town assessors, elected one In each township. 44 Today,
the principal duties of the assessing officers, taken together, are to bring
up to date each year the periodic assessment of real property, to take cur-
rent lists of, and appraise personal property and special categories of other
property. 45 The treasurer now has the status of ex-offlclo supervisor of
assessments. 46
Before the creation of a board of review, the functions which today fall
32. Either by calling on the able-bodied men of the county for labor, or
by raising bond Issues by subscription (L.1819, p. 333,334,336,337,343;
L.1821. p. 167; L.1825. p. 130-33).
33. L.1619. r. 127; L.1839. p. 138,139.
34. R.S.1845. p. 500,501.
35. L.1849. p. 202; L.1851. p. 50.51; L.1861. p. 255.236; R.S.1874. p. 306,
307; L.1911. p. 245,246; L.1925. p. 304,305; L.1937. p. 453,454.
36. L.1849. p. 202; L.1851. p. 51; R.S.1874. p. 307; L.1923. p. 99.
37. Cf . this runnlnp summary with R.S. 1874. p. 306,307, and R. 3. 1937.
p. 910-12.
38. L.1819. p. 315.
39. Ibid., p. 313,319; L.1825. p. 173; L.1839. p. 4-6; L.1840. p. 4;
L.1845. p. 6.
40. L.1825. p. 173.
41. R.L.1827. p. 330.
42. L.183P. p. 4.
43. L.1843. p. 231. Effective In 1844.
44. L.1849. p. 192; L.1851. p. 38; L. 1871 -72. p. 20-24.
45. L.1855, p. 16,17; L.1S71-72. p. 11,14,15,19,23; L.1873. p. 51; L.1879.
p. 241-45; L.1881. p. 133,134; L.1885. p. 234; L.1895. p. 300,301;
L.1905. p. 360; L.1915. p. 568; L.1923. p. 495,500; L. 1931 -32. First
Sp. Sess., p. 69.
46. L.1898. p. 36-44.
46
Governmental Organization
and Records System
within Its scope were performed, In substance, by various officers. In the
first constitutional period. It was left to Interested Individuals or
parties to report property omitted from assessment; the county commissioners'
court could hear appeals from assessments, but there was no provision for
their equalization by districts. 47 in 1849 It was provided that appeals were
to be made to the county court. 48 After the Institution of township organi-
zation In 1858, town boards were empowered to review the assessments within
their own Jurisdiction, and the county board was required to meet annually to
assess omitted property, review assessments upon complaint, and equalize
valuations between towns. 49 in 1898 this authority of the county board was
transferred to the newly created board of review, composed of the chairman of
the county board as ex-officlo chairman, the county clerk as ex-officio clerk,
and an additional member appointed by the county Judge. 50 in 1923 the county
clerk was replaced by another member appointed by the county Judge; 51 the
board of review now appoints its own clerk. 52
The collection function was originally performed in all counties by the
sheriff, an elected constitutional officer. 53 its nature has changed little
since that time. Essentially, the collecting officer collects taxes accord-
ing to information originating outside his Jurisdiction, pays over such sums
to authorities designated by statute to receive them, and reports on payments
of taxes and delinquencies. 54 in 1839, by a development analogous to that
which occurred with regard to assessments, the county board extended its
control to appoint a regular county collector. 55 Soon after, the law revert-
ed to the earlier situation, with the sheriff acting as ex-offlcio collec-
tor.56 This situation continued until the institution of township organiza-
tion when town collectors were elected, one in each township, 57 and the
county treasurer became ex-officlo county collector. 58 The town officers
paid over their collections directly to the county officer, and supplied the
basic information for the latter's summary report of collections in the
county. 59 in 1917 the town office of collector was abolished In counties
the size of Livingston, and the county collector became ex-offlcio town col-
lector, assuming all duties previously assigned to the latter officer. ^0
Coordination of the taxation processes has always been effected by the
county clerk or his predecessors. The assessment books are made out by the
clerk, and returned to him by the assessor; similarly, the collector reports
on collections on delinquent property; finally, the treasurer's receipts to
the collector for taxes paid come into his possession, and the centraliza-
tion of records concerning the basic taxation procedure is completed. ^1
Fiscal Control
The fiduciary function in county finances is performed by the county
47. L.1819. p. 316; R.L.1827, p. 3S0; U1839, p. 7; L.1845, p. 8.
48. L.1849, p. 65.
49. L.1851. p. 56,57; L. 1871-72. p. 21,22,24,25.
50. L.1898. p. 46.
51. L.1923. p. 496; L.1932. First Sp. Sess., p. 71,72.
52. L.1923. p. 496,497.
53. Constitution of 1818, Art. Ill, sec. 11; L.1819. p. 316.
54. L.1819. p. 316-18; L.1821. p. 182,183; R.L.1827. p. 332,333; R.L.1829.
p. 121-23; L.1831. p. 125; L.1837. p. 581,582; L.1839. p. 7-12; L.1B43.
p. 234; L.1B45. p. 11; L.1847. p. 81; L. 1871-72. p. 55,57,58.
55. L.ie3P-39. p. 7.
56. L.ie43. p. 234.
57. L.1849. p. 192; L.1851. p. 38. Livingston county electorate adopted
township organization in 1857, but the change was not effective until
1858.
58. L.1853. p. 67.
59. L. 1871-72. 41,56,57.
60. L.1917. p. 793.
61. L.1819. p. 317; R.L.1827. p. 373; L.1837. p. 582; L.1839. p. 8-12;
L.1840. p. 3; L.ia45. p. 9,11; L.1853. p. 71,111; L. 1871 -72, p. 32,
34,35,46,56-58; L. 1873-74. p. 51; L.1911. p. 485; L.1917. p. 654;
L.1919. p. 765; L.1931. p. 747.
49
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treasurer alone. The duties of the office have remained substantially the
same since Its creation; namely, to receive, principally from the collectors
of taxes, the revenue of the county; to have custody of Its funds; and to
disburse funds only on specific authorization by law, or In accordance with
the order of the county board. ^ Through this last requlrenent, and that of
the treasurer to report periodically to the board on the transactions of his
office. In addition to his regular settlement with it, the lines of financial
authority once more lead to the county board. ^
Adainittration of Juttic*
Courts
Justice, In Illinois counties, has been administered by a constantly
Increasing number of bodies. The Constitution of 1818 vested the Judicial
powers of the state In a Supreme Court and such Inferior courts as the
General Assembly should ordain and establish; required the Supreme Court
Justices to hold circuit courts In the several counties; and provided for
the appointment. In such mahher and with such powers and duties as the
General Assembly should direct, of a competent number of Justices of the
peace In each county.^
Federal statutes already allowed circuit courts. In all states. Juris-
diction over the naturalization of allens;65 the first state legislature ad-
ditionally conferred Jurisdiction over all causes at common law and chancery
and over all cases of treason, felony, and other crimes and misdemeanors.^^
The legislature further required that two terms of a circuit court be held
In each county annually by one of the Supreme Court Justices, 67 but In 1824
provision was made for the holding of circuit courts by separate circuit
court Judges, to be appointed, as were the Supreme Court Justices, by both
branches of the General Assembly, and to hold office during good behavior. 68
In 1827 the General Assembly repealed the 1824 law, and again provided for
circuit courts to be held by Supreme Court Justices. 69 At the next session
of the legislature, when a new circuit was established, provision was made
for the appointment of a circuit Judge to act therein. 70 At that time,
therefore, the circuit courts were held by Supreme Court Justices In four
Judicial circuits and by a circuit Judge In the fifth. 71 a change was nada
again In 1836, when power to hold circuit courts was taken away from the
Supreme Court Justices and provision was made for the appointment of five
circuit Judges, In addition to the one already authorized, to hold circuit
courts. 72 Ttie six Judicial circuits existing at that time were supplemented
during the next few years by the creation of new circuits,''^ so that they
numbered nine in 1841 when the office of circuit Judge was again abolished
and the Supreme Court Justices, also Increased to nine, were required to
hold circuit courts. 74
The authority of Justices of the peace was limited by law to Jurlsdlc-
62. L.iei9. p. 315,316; p.S.1845, p. 138; L.1861. p. 239; R.S.1874, p. 323,
324.
63. L.1819. p. 318; L.1837. p. 582,583; L.1845. p. 33; R. 3. 1845. p. 138,
139; L.1861. p. 239,240; R. 3.1874. p. 323,324.
64. Constitution of 1818, Art. IV, sec. 1,4,8.
65. 2. U.S.S.L. 153-55.
66. L.1819. p. 380.
67. Ibid., p. 378.
68. L.1824. p. 41. The Constitution of 1818, which had required that
Supreme Court Justices be appointed by the General Assembly, further
provided that they should not, after the first session of the legisla-
ture subsequent to January 1, 1824, hold circuit courts unless required
to do so by law (Art. IV, sec. 4).
69. R.L.1827. p. 118,119.
70. R.L.1829, p. 38.
71. Ibid., p. 42,48.
72. L.1835. p. 150.
73. L.1837. p. 113; L. 1838-39. p. 155.
74. L.1841. p. 173.
50
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tlon m specified civil cases and In misdemeanors, with appeals allowed from
their Judgments to the circuit court. "^5 The power of appointment, the
legislature at first reserved to Itself;'^^ ^n 1827, however, Justices of the
peace were required to be elected, two In each of such districts as should
be determined within statutory limits by the county commissioners' court. ''"^
Jurisdiction over probate matters was at the outset delegated to the
county commissioners' court. "78 By act of the next General Assembly, It was
transferred to the court of probate, "79 consisting In each county of one
Judge appointed by the General Assembly. ^0 as a result of the substitution
In 1837 of probate Justices of the peace for the Judges of probate, 81 Juris-
diction over probate matters for the first time was placed In the hands of
elected officers. 82
The county court was the creation of the second const 1 tut Ion, 83 which
also made circuit Judges elected officers. 84 with regard to the new court.
It was further provided by law that It should be held In each county by a
single elected officer, the county Judge. 85 its authority was extended to
Jurisdiction In all probate matters, and to such Jurisdiction In civil and
criminal cases as might be conferred by the General Assembly. 86 in pursu-
ance of this latter provision, the county court was first given the same
civil and criminal Jurisdiction as Justices of the peace;87 at the session
of the General Assembly, however. It was declared that county Judges when
exercising this Jurisdiction, acted only In the capacity of Justices of the
peace. 88 Until the next constitutional period, the county court, as such,
was given Jurisdiction only In a limited number of special actlons;89 it was
however, considered entitled to equal Jurisdiction with the circuit court
over naturalization. 90 in this same period, provision was made for increas-
ing, on the basis of population, the number of Justices of the peace to be
elected in each district. In Livingston County, and others similarly organ-
ized, one additional Justice of the peace is now elected for every one thou-
sand inhabitants exceeding two thousand inhabitants in each town. 91
Provision was first made by the Constitution of 1370 for the establish-
ment by the General Assembly of an Independent probate court in each county
having a population of more than fifty thousand inhabitants. 92 as first
established by statute, the new courts were to be formed in counties of one
hundred thousand or more inhabitants. 93 This population requirement was
75. L.1819. p. 185,192,195.
76. Ibid., p. 22.
77. R.L.1B27. p. 255,256. Since 1821, however, the county commissioners'
court had been required to establish such districts, which also con-
stituted general election precincts (L.1821, p. 74). For changes in
the statutory limitations of this power of the court, see R.L.1827.
p. 255, and R.L.1829. p. 93.
78. L.1819, p. 223-33.
79. L.1821. p. 121.
80. Ibid., p. 119. The Constitution of 1818 (Art, IV, sec. 4) had also
designated this manner of election for Judges of all inferior courts.
81. L.1837. p. 176,177.
82. The Constitution of 1818 (Art. IV, sec. 8) had reserved to the General
Assembly the right to prescribe the manner of appointment of Justices
of the peace.
83. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 1,16.
84. Ibid., sec. 7,15.
85. Ibid., sec. 17.
86. Ibid., sec. 18.
87. L.1849. p. 65.
88. Ibid., Second Sess., p. 15.
89. L.1849. p. 65,66; L.1653. p. 103; L.1861. p. 171,172.
90. 2 U.S.S.L. 155.
91. L.1854. p. 30. No more than five Justices, however, may be elected
from any town or election precinct.
92. Constitution of 1870, Art. VI, sec. 20.
93. L.1877. p. 79,80.
51
Governmfental Organization
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lowered to seventy thousand In 1881.94 The population of Livingston County
not having reached this flCTire, Jurisdiction over probate matters has con-
tinued to be vested In the county court In accordance with constitutional
provision to that effect. 95 The county court, early In this period, was
given concurrent Jurisdiction with the circuit court In appeals from Justices
of the peace;96 its original Jurisdiction was extended to be equal with that
of the circuit court In all that class of cases cognizable by Justices of the
peace9'7 and Involving In controversy sums not exceeding $500.98 in 1906,
however. It lost Its naturalization Jurisdiction since It failed to meet the
additional requirement of Federal legislation that It possess Jurisdiction at
law without limitation upon amounts In controversy. 99 The present constitu-
tion, also, for the first time, directed the manner In which the General
Assembly should establish Judicial circuits, requiring that circuits be form-
ed of contiguous counties and that they should not exceed In number one cir-
cuit for every one hundred thousand of population of the state. l'^ At pres-
ent there are eighteen circuits In Illinois, and Livingston County Is attach-
ed to the eleventh circuit. 101
Clerks of Courts
The clerk of the circuit court under the Constitution of 1818, was to be '
appointed by a majority of the Justices of that court. 102 since 1849, how-
ever, by provisions of the constitutions of 1848 and 1870, the office has
been filled by election. 103 The office of clerk of the county court, which
was an independent elective office under the second constitution, 104 is now
filled In an ex-offlclo capacity by the county clerkl05 who Is also required
by constitutional provision to be elected. 106 The county commissioners'
court, which for a brief period held Jurisdiction over probate matters, had
its own clerk who was at that time appointed by the court. 107 probate Judges
and Justices of the peace who subsequently held probate Jurisdiction, were
required to act as their own clerks. 108 with the transfer of probate Juris-
diction to the county court, the clerk of the county court was required to
keep, separately, records of probate proceedings and business. 109 in
Livingston County where the county court still retains probate Jurisdiction,
the county clerk serves It In these matters in his capacity as ex-officlo
clerk of the county court. HO justices of the peace have always been requir-
ed to keep their records In person. m
94. L.1881. p. 72. In 1933, the act of 1877 was further amended to make
the establishment of an independent probate court mandatory In counties
having a population of elchty-flve thousand or more, and optional in
counties having a population of between seventy thousand and eighty-
five thousand (L.195S. p. 458).
95. Constitution of 1870, Art. VI, sec. 18; L.ie77. p. 80; L.1881. p. 72.
96. R. 3. 1874. p. 340; L.1877. p. 77; L.1895. p. 212,223.
97. The Jurisdiction of Justices has also been progressively increased
during this period. See L. 1871-72. p. 524; L.1895. p. 189,190; L.1917.
p. 562,563; L.1929. p. 541,542.
98. L. 1871-72. p. 325.
99. 34 U.S.S.L. 596.
100. Constitution of 1870, Art. VI, sec. 13.
101. L.1953. p. 436.
102. Constitution of 1818, Art. IV, sec. 6.
103. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 21,29; Constitution of 1870, Art. X,
sec. 8.
104. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 19.
105. R.S.1874, p. 260.
106. Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 8.
107. L.1819, p. 175.
108. L.1821, p. 119,120; L.1837, p. 177,178.
109. L.1849. p. 66.
110. R.S. 1874. p. 260.
111. L.1819. p. 185-97 (no specific record-keeping requirement listed
among general duties of Justices), 326 (establishing fees to be paid
justices for keeping records); R.L.1627. p. 260 (becomes definite pro-
vision for Justices to keep own records) ; L.1895. p. 221,222.
52
Governmental Organization
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Ministerial Officers
The principal ministerial officer of all courts of record In Illinois
counties Is the sheriff. The first constitution provided that the sheriff
should be elected. 112 Later, In 1827, statutory provision was made for the
appointment of deputies by the principal offlcer;113 since 1870, the number
of deputies that the sheriff may appoint Is determined by rule of the cir-
cuit court. 114 The ministerial duties of the sheriff have undergone little
change In more than one hundred years. Essentially he Is to attend, In
person or by deputy, all courts of record In the county, obeying the orders
and directions of the court, and to serve, execute, and return all writs,
warrants, process, orders, and decrees legally directed to him. 115
The coroner was originally given equal power with the sheriff as a
ministerial officer of the courts. H^ He was also required to serve all
process In any suit In which the sheriff was an Interested partyll7 and to
perform all the duties of the sheriff when that office was vacant, 118 The
last two functions are still Incumbent upon the coroner. 119
Justices of the peace are served similarly In a ministerial capacity by
constables. Not until 1870 was the office of constable given constitutional
recognltlon;120 at Its creation by the first General Assembly, the county
commissioners' court was empowered to appoint one or more constables In each
township; 121 in 1827 It was provided that two constables should be elected in
each Justice of the peace district. 122 since that date, subsequent legisla-
tion has grouped Justices of the peace and constables In all provisions
regarding their election. 123 Constables, like sheriffs and coroners, have
always been required to serve and execute all process legally directed to
them;124 process issuing from a Justice of the peace court, however, may be
directed only to some constable of the same county. 125
Prosecutions
The duty of the present state's attorney to prosecute and defend all
actions, civil or criminal. Involving the county, the people, or officers of
the state or county, 126 was incumbent originally upon the circuit attor-
ney. 127 In 1827 this officer was replaced by the state's attorney. 128 Also
in effect from an early date is the officer's other major duty, apart from
the enforcement of law, 129 of giving opinions on any questions of law relat-
112. Constitution of 1818, Art. Ill, sec. 11.
113. R.L.1827. p. 373.
114. Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 9.
115. L.1819. p. Ill; R.S.1874. p. 990,991.
116. L.1819. p. 111.
117. L.1821. p. 20-33.
118. R.L.1827, p. 372,373.
119. Despite the absence from the present law of statutory provision for
the coroner to serve process originally directed to him (R.S.1B74,
p. 281,282), the courts have held that he may so do, an emergency
being presumed to exist without need for the process to recite reason
for its Issuance to the coroner (20 111. 185; 57 111. 268).
120. Constitution of 1870, Art. VI, sec. 21.
121. L.1819. p. 162.
122. R.L.1827. p. 258.
123. See Courts, p. 50.
124. L.1819. p. 162,163; R.S.1874, p. 400.
125. L.1819. p. 186; R.S.1845, p. 317; L. 1871 -72. p. 525; L.1895, p. 191,
193; L.1937. p. 900. Similarly, process Issuing from courts of record
Is required to be directed to the sheriff or, under certain conditions
noted (footnotes 116-118), to the coroner (R.S. 1845. p. 413; L. 1871-72.
p. 338; L.1907, p. 444,445; L.1933. p. 786; L.1937, p. 989).
126. R.S.1874. p. 173,174.
127. L.1P19, p. 204; L.1825. p. 178,179.
128. R.L.1827. p. 79,80.
129. See Enforcement of Law, p. 54.
53
Governmental Organization
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Ing to criminal or other matters In which the people of the county may be
concerned . 130
The offices of circuit attorney and early state's attorney, which exist-
ed solely by statutory provision, 131 were appointive by the Governor until
1835,132 and thereafter by the General Assembly. 133 The second constitution
provided for an elected state's attorney;134 since each Judicial circuit was
an elective district for this purpose, the territorial Jurisdiction of the
new officer remained the same as that of the former officer. 135 Not until
the adoption of the present constitution was provision made for the election
of a separate state's attorney In each county. 136
Inquests
The holding of Inquests, one of the duties of the coroner In Illinois
counties. Is also a part of the administration of Justice. The office of
coroner was created by the first constitution and required to be filled by
election; 137 the statutory provisions concerning the Inquest function have
not changed substantially since their enactment by the second General
Assembly. 138 The coroner, when Informed of the body of any person being
found dead, supposedly by violence, casualty, or undue means. Is required to
summon a Jury to Inquire how. In what manner, and by whom or what, death was
caused; testimony of witnesses Is taken; witnesses whose evidence Implicates
any person as the unlawful slayer of the deceased axe bound over to the cir-
cuit court; the verdict of the Jury Is returned to the clerk of that
court. 139
The verdict of the coroner's Jury, however. Is not generally admissible
In evidence; 140 additionally. It Is not held to be prima facie proof of mat-
ters stated therein with regard to the cause and manner of death;141 its es-
sential nature, therefore. Is that of a finding of facts upon the basis of
which the coroner may be led to discharge his collateral duty to apprehend
and commit to Jail any person Implicated by the Inquest as the unlawful
slayer of the deceased. 142 to this extent, the coroner's Inquest duties
overlap his function as an officer for the enforcement of law.
Enforcement of Law
Sheriffs, coroners, and constables have always been charged equally with
keeping the peace and apprehending all offenders against the law. 143 The
state's attorney's powers as an officer for the enforcement of law originally
derive by Implication from another duty;144 the gathering of evidence and the
apprehension of offenders Is necessarily involved In commencing and prosecut-
130. R.S.1845. p. 76; R.S.1874. p. 174.
131. L.1819. p. 204-6.
132. Ibid., p. 204.
133. L.1835, p. 44.
134. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 21. The new title, however, had
already come Into occasional use In the Interim (R.L.1827. p. 79,80;
L.ie35. p. 44; L.1B47. p. 18,19).
135. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 28.
136. Constitution of 1870, Art. VI, sec, 22.
137. Constitution of 1818, Art. Ill, sec. 11.
138. Cf . L.1821, p. 22-24, R.S.1845, p. 517,518; R.S.1874. p. 282-84;
R. 3. 1937. p. 780-82.
139. L.1821. p. 24,25; R.3.1845. p. 518; R.S.1874^ p. 284; L.1879. p. 82;
L.1907. p. 213; L.1919. p. 403,404; L.1931. p. 388,389.
140. 46 N.W. 872. It Is, however, held to be proper practice to offer.
In cross-examining witnesses sought to be impeached, excerpts from
transcripts of testimony taken at the Inquest (189 111. App. 556; 211
111. App. 474).
141. 201 111. App. 287.
142. L.1821. p. 25; R.S.1845, p. 518; R. 3. 1874. p. 283,284.
143. L.1819. p. 111,162,163; R.S.1845. p. 515; R.S.1874. p. 400.
144. See Prosecutions, p. 53.
54
Governmental Organization
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Ing actions In which the people of the state or county are concerned.!^ In
relatively recent years, however, the state's attorney has been given more
specific statutory powers to enforce laws and to Investigate violations and
secure necessary evidence thereof. 146 gut at any time the effective spheres
of authority of law enforcement officers have been determined less by statu-
tory provisions than by local conditions and Individual circumstances.
Education
The act of Congress providing for the creation and admission of the
State of Illinois to the Union set aside section sixteen of every township
for the use of schools. 147 T^e first state legislation on the subject was
concerned only with the establishment of school districts and the sale or
leasing of school land to provide necessary funds, for which purposes three
trustees of school lands were appointed In each township by the county com-
missioners' court. 148
In 1825, however, with a common school system In operation, provision
was made for its educational as well as financial administration. Three
elected officers, known as township school trustees, were charged In each
township with superintending schools, examining and employing teachers,
leasing all land belonging to the district, and reporting annually to the
county commissioners' court; this report, however, was limited to such mat-
ters as were concerned In the financial administration of the schools. 149
In 1827 the county commissioners' court was again empowered to appoint
trustees of school lands, but despite the use of the earlier, more limited
title, these officers were charged with all the duties of the former town-
ship school trustees. 150 The creation of office of county school commis-
sioner In 1829 brought a new element Into the complex situation. The com-
missioner was at first given limited duties with regard to the sale of school
lands and the management of school funds;151 his subsequent gains In this
respect at the expense of the township trustees foreshadowed the demarcation
of spheres of authority that was made In 1847.152 in the Interim, the school
commissioner, who had first been appointed by the county commissioners'
court, 153 became an elected offlcer;154 in such townships as elected to In-
corporate for the purpose of organizing and supporting schools, township
trustees also became elected officers and were there denominated trustees of
schools. 155
The situation created by the legislation of 1847 In certain respects has
not since been substantially altered. In all counties, township trustees be-
came, and are still, elected officers, styled township school trustees. 156
The relative authority of the officer of the countyl57 and of officers of
the township with regard to financial administration was fixed essentially
as at present. 158 Moreover, township trustees lost practically all their
145. L.1819. p. 204; R.S.1845. p. 76.
146. L.1885. p. 3; L.1907. p. 268; L.1913, p. 395; L.1915-, p. 368; L.1927,
P. 33.
147. 3 U.S.S.L. 428.
148. L.1819. p. 107,108.
149. L.1825. p. 121,122.
150. R.L.1827. p. 366-70.
151. R.L.1829. p. 150-54.
152. Cf. L.1831, p. 176; L.1841. p. 275-79.
153. R.L.1829. p. 150.
154. L.1841. p. 261,262.
155. Ibid., p. 275,274. In unincorporated townships, trustees continued
to be appointed by the county commissioners' court (ibid., p. 259,260).
156. L.1847. p. 126; L.1909, p. 350.
157. The subsequent substitution of an Independent elected superintendent
of schools for the school commissioner who had additionally been ex-
offlclo superintendent (see footnotes 160-162), was only a change
In the legal status of the officer of the county and had no further
Import.
158. L.1847. p. 123,124,128,129; L.1909, p. 351-54; L.1927. p. 794,795.
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Governmental Organization
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former duties with regaird to matters purely educational as a result of a
development that occurred In 1845.
It was at that time that the county first entered Into the actual ad-
ministration of education with the creation of the office of superintendent
of schools. 159 Filled at first by the school commissioner In an ex-offlclo
capacity, 160 it quickly absorbed most of the functions of township trustees
with regard to the advancement of education;!^! later, the office came to be
filled by electlonl62 and completely absorbed that of school commissioner. 1^3
In the new field of county administration of education, the superintendent's
duties remained constant through his change In legal status, requiring him
to visit all the townships In his county and Inquire Into the condition and
manner of conducting their schools, to examine persons proposing to teach
school, to grant certificates to persons qualified to teach In schools, and
to report to the county board on all his acts relating to the management of
school funds and lands. 1^4 subsequent legislation has enlarged the scope of
this phase of the superintendent's functions, but It Is In his role as an
agent of state supervision that he has been charged with numerous duties of
a new character. 165
The authority of the state with regard to education, first manifested
In 1845, has, like that of the county, been extended beyond Its original
bounds. Originally the county superintendent was required only to communi-
cate to the State Superintendent of Common Schoolsl^o information concerning
the schools In his county. 167 Today, as a consequence of the state's In-
creasing Intervention In matters of public health and safety, the county
superintendent Is required to Inspect, with regard to specifications, plans
submitted to him for the heating, ventilation, lighting, etc., of public
school rooms and buildings; to visit and notice such public school buildings
which appear to him to be unsafe. Insanitary, or otherwise unfit for occu-
pancy; and to request the Department of Public Health, 168 the state fire
marshal, or the state architect to Inspect such buildings and Issue reports
upon which condemnation proceedings can be based. 169
Recordation
For the function of making legal record of written Instruments, the
first General Assembly established the office of recorder. 1*70 Originally
appointed by the Governor, 1*71 the recorder was required to be elected after
1835.172 The second constitution made the clerk of the circuit courtl73 ex-
159. R. 3. 1845. p. 498.
160. Ibid.
161. Ibid., p. 497-503. Cf. L.1825. p. 121,122; R.L.1827. p. 366-70; L.1831.
p. 173; L.1841. p. 270,275,276,279. The only duty of this category
that was left to township trustees In the laws of 1847 concerned the
examination of prospective teachers and the Issuance of certificates
where merited (L.1847. p. 130).
162. L.1865. p. 112.
163. Ibid., p. 112,113.
164. R.S.1845, p. 498-501. Cf. L.1847. p. 121-25; L.1857. p. 261-65, 278,
279,296,297; L.1861. p. 190,191; L.1865. p. 114,119-21.
165. L.1909. p. 347-50; L.1915. p. 636-38.
166. The Secretary of State In ex-offlclo capacity (L.1845, p. 52). In
1854 the office became Independent, filled by election, and known as
that of Superintendent of Public Instruction (L.1854, p. 13), which Is
Its present status (L.1909, p. 343) .
167. L.1845. p. 54.
168. Prior to 1917, the rights, powers, and duties of this department were
vested In the State Board of Health, abolished In that year (L.1917.
p. 4,17,27,28).
169. L.1915. p. 637-40.
170. L.iei9. p. 18-20.
171. Ibid., p. 19.
172. L.1835. p. 166.
173. An* elected officer; see Clerks of Courts, p. 52.
56
Governmental Organization
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officio recorder In all counties ;1'74 the present constitution continued the
earlier provision In counties of under sixty thousand population and provided
for the election of a recorder In counties of that population or more.-"-'^ As
Livingston County never met the population requirement the clerk of the cir-
cuit court has continued to fulfill the duties of recorder.
The basic duty of the recorder, to record at length and in the order of
their receipt all instruments in writing, has remained essentially unchanged;
legislation has been directed toward the extension of categories of instru-
ments entitled to be recorded. 176 Conveyances of title to land, a major
category of such records, frequently involve another county officer, the
surveyor. Established by the second General Assembly, the office of surveyor
was at first filled by appointment by that body,!^^ later by el.ectlon. ■'-''»
In 1936 the surveyor again became an appointed officer, with the power of ap-
pointment delegated to the county board. 179 His duty to perfonn all surveys
he may be called on to make within his county has undergone only minor change,
but its importance has declined; the acts of any surveyor, properly acknow-
ledged and certified, have equal standing before the law with those of the
county surveyor: no maps or plats have any legal effect unless recorded by
the recorder. 180
Public Works
Roads and Bridges
Public roads and bridges were first under the superintendence of the
county commissioners' court which was authorized to locate new roads and
alter or vacate existing roads. 181 The act providing for such superintend-
ence empowered the commissioners to appoint freeholders in each township to
act as supervisors, each appointment to be for a one-year period. New roads
were to be opened by the county commissioners' court upon petition of
residents of the county and a favorable report from the road viewers and
surveyor. A few years later the county commissioners were authorized to
divide the county into road districts and to appoint annually one supervisor
to serve in each district. 182 with a change in the county administrative
body under the second constitution, the county court was granted supervision
and control over public roads, 183 but the care and superintendence of roads
and bridges In counties electing the township form of government were granted
to the commissioners of highways, elected annually in each town. 184 The com-
missioners divided the town Into road districts, and overseers of highways in
each district were to repair the roads and csirry out orders of the commis-
sioners. In counties not electing the township form, the system of road dis-
tricts was continued. 185 The supervision, control and maintenance of roads,
highways and bridges in Livingston County were vested in the county court and
the road district supervisors from 1849 to 1858, when township organization
was instituted in this county. 186 in 1913 the State Highway Department was
established, and provision was made for the appointment by the county board
of a county superintendent of highways. 187 The entire system was centralized
174. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 19; L.1849. p. 64.
175. Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 8; R.S.1874. p. 833.
176. L.1819. p. 18-20; R.L.1829. p. 117,118; R.L.1833. p. 511; R.S.1845.
p. 305,431,432,606; L.1851. p. 80; L.1859. p. 124; L.1869. p. 2;
R.S.ie74. p. 833,834; L.1921. p. 756,757; L.1925. p. 520-22.
177. L.1821. p. 62.
178. L.1835. p. 166.
179. L.1933. p. 1104. Provision effective in 1936,
180. R.L.1829. p. 173; R.L.1833. p. 511; L.1845. p. 201; L.1869. p. 241,242;
R.S.1874, p. 1050,1051; L.1901. p. 307,308; L.1915, p. 575.
181. L.1819, p. 333.
182. L.1825. p. 130.
183. L.1849. p. 65; L.1851, p. 179.
184. L.1849. p. 212.
185. L.1R47. p. 111-13; L.1849. p. 65,212,213; L.1851. p. 64,179.
186. Livlnrston County adopted township organization In 1057, but which was
not effective until 1858.
187. L.1913. p. 521-25,537-46.
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Governmental Organization
and Records System
by subjecting the county superintendent to the rules and regulations of the
state highway commissioner and by requiring candidates for county superin-
tendent to be approved by the state commissioner before appointment by the
county board. The term of office of the county superintendent was set at
six years, and his salary was to be fixed by the county board. A board of
highway commissioners was set up In each township to superintend matters
relating to roads and bridges. Although the county superintendent was to
act on behalf of the county In regard to roads and bridges, and although he
was subject to removal by the county board, he was regarded as a deputy of
the state highway engineer, subject to his directions. This Indicates the
Intention of the legislature to unify the entire state system of roads and
bridges. In 1917 the Department of Public Works and Buildings assumed the
rights, powers, and duties vested In the State Midway Department, 188 but
the county organization has remained essentially the same since 1913.
Public Buildings
The county Is given the power to hold, own, and convey real estate for
county purposes. 189 Thjg power Is exercised by the county board which Is
charged with the care and custody of all the real and personal property owned
by the coimty. Throughout the period of statehood It has been provided that
a courthouse and Jail be erected In each county, 190 and that the sheriff of
each county be charged with custody of such buildings. 191 The county Is
further empowered to erect buildings for a county hospital, workhouse, tuber-
culosis sanitarium, and other county needs. 192
The county superintendent of schools Is charged with the Inspection of
plans and specifications for public school rooms and buildings; and the ap-
proval of only those which comply with the specifications prepared by the
State Superintendent of Public Instruction. 193 He Is also to request the
Department of Public Health, 194 the state fire marshal, or the state archi-
tect to Inspect public school buildings which appear to be unsafe. Insani-
tary, or unfit for occupancy. Upon receipt of an unfavorable report from
these officials, the county superintendent Is to condemn the building and
notify the board of directors or board of education, and the board of school
trustees.
Drainage
In 1850 an act of Congress provided for the granting of swamp and over-
flowed lands to various states. 195 The land so granted to Illinois was
turned over to the counties In 1852 to be reclaimed by drainage and used for
county purposes. 196 Such lands were to be under the care and superintend-
ence of the county court which was to appoint a "Drainage Commissioner" to
conduct the sales of such lands. The county surveyor was to prepare plata
of the swamp lands and return such plats to the clerk of the county court,
whereupon the court fixed the valuation upon each tract. The purchasers of
these tracts were given a certificate by the drainage commissioner, and a
deed was later executed by the county court. The court was to sell only
enough swamp lands to Insure reclamation of all such land, any balance to be
granted to the several townships to be used for educational purposes. At
the discretion of the county, such balance could also be used for the con-
struction of roads or bridges, or for other public works.
In 1865 the commissioners of highways In each town became ex-offlclo
168. L.1915.P. 524,525,538,542-44; L.1917, p. 24; L.1921. p. 780-86; L.1933.
p. 961.
189. R.S.1874. p. 306.
190. L.1819. p. 237,238; R.S.1845. p. 135; R.S.1874. p. 307,308.
191. R.L.1827. p. 246,247,372; R.S.1874. p. 990.
192. R.S.1874. p. 307; L.1909. p. 163; L.1911. p. 246.
193. L.1915. p. 637-40.
194. Created In 1917 to supplant the State Board of Health abbllehed In
that year (L.1917. p. 4,17,27).
195. 9 U.S.S.L. 519.
196. L.1852. p. 178.
56
Governmental Organization
and Records System
boards of drainage coininlssloners.19'7 Where a proposed drain ran through more
than one town the copimlssloners of all the towns affected made up the board
of drainage commissioners. 198 In 1879 drainage constnactlon by special
assessment was handled by the drainage commissioners, a body corporate and
politic composed of commissioners of highways. 199
Provision was first made for the organization of drainage districts for
agricultural, sanitary, and mining purposes In 1879. Petitions were to be
filed with the county clerk and hearings on the same were to be had before
the county court. When the court found In favor of the petitioners. It ap-
pointed three disinterested persons as commissioners to lay out and construct
the work. Petitions for the construction of drains to cost less than $5,000
were to be presented to justices of the peace. If the petitioners so elected,
and the commissioners of highways were to perform the duties of drainage com-
missioners In such cases. 200 jn 1935 this law was amended to Include drains
costing less than $2,000 and provided for the appointment of three residents
as commissi oners. 201
Public Services
Public Health
The State Department of Public Health, created In 1917,202 is charged
with general supervision of the health and lives of the people of the state.
In conformance with this legislative order It Is empowered to supervise, aid,
direct, and assist local health authorities or agencies In the administration
of the health laws. Public health districts may be organized along subcounty
lines with a board of health In each. The names of such districts are to be
filed with the county clerk to complete their organization. Annually, each
board of health certifies to the county clerk the rate of a public health tax
to be levied In each district, the clerk being responsible for setting out
the proper taxes upon the warrant books and transmitting them to the collec-
tor as provided for In regard to other taxes. 203
Control of the state health department over lodging houses, boarding
houses, taverns. Inns, and hotels Is effected through the county clerk, the
proprietors of such establishments being required to file with the clerk an
annual statement containing details as to sleeping accommodations for
guests. 204 The clerk Is also required to report annually to the state health
department the names and addresses of township off lclals.205
Mosquito abatement districts are organized, upon petition to the county
Judge of the county In which such territory lies, such petitions being filed
with the county clerk. If, after hearing, the county Judge determines that
the organization of a district Is necessary, the question Is submitted to the
residents of the territory at a special election. The Judges of election
make return to the county Judge, and the results are entered upon the records
of the county court. A majority of the votes favoring It, a mosquito abate-
ment district Is thereupon organized. 206
County officials also enter Into the state's control of public swimming
pools. When a representative of the State Department of Public Health finds
conditions that warrant the closing of such a pool, the owner of the pool
and the sheriff and state's attorney of the county are notified to that ef-
fect, It being the duty of these officers to enforce such not Ices. 207
197. L.1865. p. 50.
198. L.1867. p. 91,92.
199. L.1879, p. 142.
200. Ibid., p. 120.
201. L.1885, p. 130,131.
202. L.1917. p. 4.
203. Ibid., p. 27,28,763,765,767,768.
204. L.1901. p. 305.
205. L.1923. p. 480.
206. L.1927. p. 694.
207. L.1931. p. 735,736.
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Governmental Organization
and Records System
Vital Statistics
The State Department of Public Health has charge of the registration of
births, stillbirths, and deaths throughout the state. 208 to effect proper
control of this matter the state Is divided Into vital statistics registra-
tion districts which. In Livingston County, are Identical with the townships.
The township clerk acts as the local registrar in these districts and
receives certificates of births and deaths occurring in the district. Burial
permits are Issued by the registrar and are later returned to him for filing.
The local registrar is required to deposit monthly with the county clerk
a complete set of records of births, stillbirths, and deaths registered dur-
ing the month, and the clerk is charged with binding and indexing, or record-
ing, and safekeeping of such records. The original certificates are sent
monthly by the local registrars to the state health department which certi-
fies annually to the county clerk the number of births, stillbirths, and
deaths registered in the county.
Since 1937 the county clerk has been required to keep a record of appli-
cations for marriage licenses, together with certificates showing that per-
sons desiring to marry are free from venereal diseases. 209
When a marriage has been performed the certificate of marriage together
with the license is returned to the county clerk, who is required to keep a
registry of marriages, showing the date, names of the parties and name and
title of the official performing the ceremony. 210
The county bosird is to appropriate money for the payment of the local
registrars' fees. Such amounts are charges against the county, and the
county clerk is required to issue warrants on the county treasurer for the
amount of the fees payable to the registrars.
The county also enters into the enforcement phase of this matter. The
state health department reports cases of violations of any provisions of the
act relating to registration to the state's attorney who is to initiate and
follow up court proceedings against violators.
Public Assistance
Public assistance is administered through the services of the county
department of public welfare, the county home, the blind examiner, the proba-
tion officers, the county clerk, and the county board.
The county department of public welfare Is headed by a superintendent
appointed by the county board after approval by the State Department of
Public Welfare. 211 He assists the state department in the operation of wel-
fare plans and policies within the county and has charge of the administra-
tion of old age assistance. 212 in this latter regard the county department
acts merely as the agent of the state department, investigating applicants
and reporting results.
The county home Is an establishment for the maintenance and care of
indigents. Its management and finances are provided by the county board. 213
Blind assistEince is administered in the county through appropriations by the
county board together with state funds. An examiner of the blind, appointed
by the county board, examines all applicants referred to him by the county
clerk. 214 The county court has Jurisdiction in the administration of the
Hiothers' pension fund. A probation officer, an appointee of the court for
208. L.1915. p. 660-70.
209. L.1957, p. 908-11.
210. R.S.1874. p. 696.
211. L.1937, p. 461,452.
212. L. 1935-36. First Sp. Sess., p. 54-61,72; L.1937. p. 265-70,452.
213. L.1955. p. 1057.
214. L.1903. p. 138; L.1915. p. 256,257; L.1935, p. 264,265.
60
Governmental Organization
gind Records System
this purpose, Investigates and visits cases of indigent mothers who are
entitled to bene fit, 215
Coordination of Functions
From the foregoing discussion of functions of the county government it
is apparent that the county plays a dual role, that of a body politic and
that of an agent of the state. In Its first capacity the county, through its
officials, Is capable of suing and being sued, purchasing, holding, and sell-
ing property, making contracts, and rising revenue for Its proper operation.
As a state agent it fits into a state-wide program on various matters of
public concern, acting under the supervision and control of the state and co-
ordinating the activities of subcounty agencies and officials.
Coordination of county activities is effected chiefly through the county
clerk. 'An illustration of this is the part this official plays in the elec-
tion procedure. He notifies the Judges and clerks of elections of their ap-
pointment, supplies them with blanks and poll books, receives copies of
registers of voters, issues notices of election, receives and preserves
returns, canvasses votes with the assistance of two Justices of the peace and
retains the abstracts, transmits copies of election returns and abstracts of
votes to the Secretary of State, and issues certificates of election.
Records System
County records in the State of Illinois have suffered from the lack of
an adequate program of legislation designed to secure uniformity In recorda-
tion and to insure the proper care of those documents which have permanent
value. However, from the inception of statehood, some effort has been made
to coordinate the records systems of the several counties and to preserve
their archives.
In attempting to establish state-wide uniformity among counties, the
General Assembly has at times provided detailed descriptions of required
records and in many Instances has supplied the very forms to be used. Laws
relating to the duties and powers of county officers usually contained some
such provisions. Thus, in 1819, the recorder of the county was ordered to
supply "parchment or good large books, of royal or other large paper, well
bound and covered" wherein to record all deeds and conveyances brought to him
for that purpose. He was also to keep a fair book in which to enter every
deed or writing to be recorded, noting the date, the parties, and the place
where the lands were situated, such entries to be made according to priority
of time. 216 in 1833 he was required to keep an alphabetical index to each
book, 217 and by 1874 the General Assembly had prescribed a complete list of
books to be kept in the office of the recorder, with a description of the
contents of each, which list has been continued, substantially unchanged, to
the present ,218
In like manner, legislation was enacted prescribing records to be kept
by the county clerk and his predecessors, acting in their several capaci-
ties,219 the clerk of the circuit court, 220 the Judge221 and Justlce222 of
215. L.1913, p. 127-30; L.1915, p. 243-45; L.1921. p. 162-64; L.1935.
p. 256-59.
216. L.1819. p. 18,20.
217. R.L.1833. p. 511.
218. R.S.1874. p. 834.
219. L.1849. p. 66,203; L.1359. p. 92,94; L.1865. p. 93; R.S.1874.
p. 261-65, 332; L.1933. p. 293-95.
220. R.L.1833. p. 152; R.S.1845. p. 147; L.1847. p. 70; L.1849. p. 9;
L.1865. p. 93; R.S.1874, p. 262,263; L.1933. p. 293,294.
221. R.L.1329. p. 231.
222. R.S.1845. p. 427,428.
61
Governmental Organization
and Records System
the probate court, the coroner, 223 the county superintendent of schools, 224
the county surveyor, 225 and the county treasurer. 226
Description of records and forms to be used are frequently found In
legislation pertaining to the holding of elections, 227 assessments and the
collection of revenue, 228 the organization and maintenance of common
schools, 229 the registration of marriages, 230 and the recording of vital
statistics. 231
While there has been enacted much legislation prescribing the kind of
records to be kept, only a few laws deal with the safeguarding and preserva-
tion of county archives. In 1819 the General Assembly directed the clerks
of the circuit and county commissioners' courts to provide "a safe press or
presses with locks and keys for the safe-keeping of the archives of their
offices. . ."232 In 1843 the county commissioners' courts were authorized,
and required whenever the finances of the county would Justify the expendi-
ture, to erect a fireproof recorder's office at the county seat, or if the
commissioners were of the opinion that any unappropriated room in their
courthouses could be made fireproof, to make it so and house the office and
records of the recorder there. At the discretion of the county commis-
sioners' court, the provisions of this act might be deemed to apply to the
offices of the clerks of the circuit and county commissioners' courts. 233
Similar in content but slightly different in wording is a later enactment in
which the county commissioners' courts were authorized "erect, build, and
provide permanent fireproof rooms, houses or vaults, for the purpose of plac-
ing therein and preserving from injury, damage, loss, or destruction by fire,
the records and documents of their respective counties. "234 The preservation
of county archives has been greatly aided by an act to provide for the copy-
ing of old, worn-out records, 235 and by a law authorizing the transfer of
county records having historic value to the Illinois State Historical Libra-
ry, Division of the Illinois State Library, or to the State University Libra-
ry at Urbana.236 provision is made in this act for the substitution of ac-
curate copies of these documents If such action be deemed necessary. In 1907
the act was amended to include among the Institutions to which old records
might be sent, any historical society incorporated and located within a par-
ticular county. 237 Laws have also been enacted which provide for the resto-
ration of certain classes of records destroyed by fire or other means. 238 jn
1935 the General Assembly appropriated money for the construction of a fire-
proof building at Springfield for the purpose of storing therein the archives
and records of the state. 239 The erection of this structure, the State
Archives Building, has helped to make possible the inauguration of an intel-
ligent, farsighted program for the preservation of papers and documents of
historic value.
223. R.L.1833. p. 574; L.1869, p. 104,105; R.S.1874, p. 283.
224. L.1B49. p. 155,156; L.1865, p. 120; L.1909. p. 346,348,349.
225. R.L.1829. p. 173; R.S.1845. p. 524.
226. R.S.1845. p. 138; R.S.1874. p. 323,324.
227. L.1819, p. 92,94; R.L.1827, p. 291,292; R.L.1829, p. 59,60; L.1845.
p. 41,42; L.1849. p. 73,74; L.1865. p. 54,55; L. 1871-72. p. 386-89,
391; L.1885. p. 143,148,173,176; L.1937. p. 522-29, 531-48.
228. R.L.1827. p. 329-33; L. 1838-39. p. 4,5,7,8,12,13,17; L.1845. p. 6-9,
12,14,15; L.1849, p. 37,38,124-26; L.1851. p. 53,55,56; L.1853, p.
17,24,50,55,77,78,111,112; L. 1871-72. p. 19,23,32,48,49,54.
229. L.1825. p. 127; R.L.1353. p. 563; L.1841. p. 263,270-72; L.1845. p. 53,
54,65-68; L.1847. p. 121-23,142-44; R.S.1874. p. 950,957,958,964.
230. L.1819. p. 27; R.L.1827. p. 288,289; R.S.1874. p. 694,695.
231. L. 1842-43, p. 210-12; L.1877, p. 209; L.1901, p. 301-4; L.1903.
p. 315-18; L.1915. p. 666,667.
232. L.1819. p. 332.
233. L. 1842-43, p. 210.
234. L.ie45. p. 46.
235. L. 1871-72, p. 648,649.
236. L.1807. p. 205, L.1939. p. 693.
237. L.1907. p. 375.
238. L. 1871-72. p. 649,650,652.
239. L.1935, p. 138.
63
Governmental Organization ,
and Records System
There are still serious omissions In legislation pertaining to recorda-
tion. For instance, Illinois has no law prescribing the kinds of Inks to be
used In keeping records. And, although laws have been enacted authorizing
the provision of fireproof accommodations for county docximents, they are per-
missive rather than mandatory In character. 240 Legislation enabling the
destruction of worthless archives apparently Is nonexistent with the excep-
tion of laws relating to certain election papers. 241 The enactment of legis-
lation which would remedy these defects In the laws and continue the trend
toward state-wide uniformity among counties would result In an Intelligent,
economical records system for the State of Illinois.
240. L. 1842-43. p. 210; L.1845. p. 46.
241. L.1861. p. 269; L. 1871-72. p. 389; L.1885. p. 146,193; L.1891. p. 118,
119; L.1917. p. 438,443.
64
(First entry, p. 93)
3. ROSTER OF COUNTY OFFICERS*
(Date after name of officer refers to
date of commission, unless otherwise stated)
County Commissioners' Court**
(The first county administrative body, from 1837 to 1849,
which consisted of three elected commissioners)
Jonathan Moore, Daniel Rockwood,
May 18, 18371
Robert Breckenrldge,
June 6, 18372
William Popejoy, Albert Moon,
Uriah Springer, September 3, IBSS^
Lemuel White,
September 2, 18394
Andrew McMillan, Nicholas Hefner,
September 14, 18405
Daniel Barrlckman (Barackman),
September 6, i84l6
Wm. Popejoy,
August 1, 1842 (elected)
Charles Jones,
September 4, 1843"^
Andrew McDowell,
August 2, 1844 (elected)
Murrell Breckenrldge,
August 4, 1845 (elected)
Charles Jones, 8
September 7, 1846 (elected)
Isaac Hodgson,
August 2, 1847 (elected)
Henry Jones,
September 4, 18489
M.B. Patty, L.E. Rhodes,
June 4, I849IO
* This Hat was compiled from the following sources:
A. Secretary of State. Index Department, Election Returns.
Returns from County Clerk to Secretary of State. 1809-47, 78
volumes (1-78), third tier, bay 1; 1848—, 53 file drawers (2-54),
third tier, bay 2, State Archives Building, Springfield.
B. Secretary of State. Executive Department.
Certificates of Qualification. 1819—, 22 file drawers (1-22),
fourth tier, bay 5, State Archives Building, Springfield.
C. (1) Secretary of State. Executive Department Official Records.
List of Commissions Issued to County Officers. 1809-1918, 5 vol-
umes, fovirth tier, bay 6, State Archives Building, Springfield,
(2) Secretary of State. Executive Department Official Records.
List of Commissions Issued to County Officers. 1869 — , 4 volumes,
room 208, second floor. Secretary of State's Office, Executive
Department, State Capitol Building, Springfield.
Where state records are Incomplete or missing, data are secured from
county records; secondary sources are used only when state and county
records are deficient or not available.
♦* By a law passed In 1837, the three commissioners elected at the biennial
election In 1838 were to draw lots marked one, two, and three years to
determine length of term. Thereafter until 1849, one commissioner was to
be regularly elected each year to serve a three-year term. For length of
term of other county board officers, see County Board; for length of term
of all other officers, see Individual office essays.
1. Took oath as commissioners (County Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 1).
2. Recorded as commissioner (Ibid., p. 3), serving with Moore and RockwoC
3. Recorded as commissioner, drawing the one-, two-, and three-year terms
respectively" (Ibid., p. 25.27).
4. Took oath as commissioner (ibid., p. 39).
5. Took oath as commissioners (Ibid., p. 58).
6. Took oath as commissioner (Ibid., p. 74).
7. Took seat as commissioner (Ibid., p. 110).
8. Recorded as having been re-elected county commissioner (ibid., p. 181).
State records show Isaac Burglt elected county commissioner August 3,
1846. County records do not show Burglt serving as commissioner.
9. Recorded as commissioner (ibid., p. 229).
10. Took oath as commissioners (ibid., p. 244) and shown with Charles
Jones as the three commissioners present at last meeting of county
commissioners' court, October 23, 1849 (ibid., p. 269).
65
Roster of County Officers
County Court
(From 1849 until Institution of tovmshlp form of government In 1858,
county business was administered by county Judge and two
associate Justices acting as county board)
James C. McMillan, county Judge,
November 23, 1849,
Phillip Rollins, James Bradley,
associate Justices,
December 31, 1849,11
Murrell Breckenrldge, county Judge,
September 17, 1850 (to fill vacancy)
B.P. Babcock, county Judge,
December 7, 1853,
E. Myer, John Darnell. (Darnall),
associate Justices,
December 7, 1853,
Chas. M. Lee, county Judge
(vice Babcock, resigned),
November 21, 1856,
Henry Jones, county Judge,
November 21, 1857,
Jacob Angle, associate Justice,
November 19, 1857,
James P. Morgan, associate Justice,
December 3, 1857
County Board of Suporvlsors
The several township supervisors, one elected from each township, to-
gether with any additional and assistant supervisors elected upon propor-
tional representation, make up the membership of the county board of super-
visors. Because these supervisors, severally, are township officials and
only as a group constitute the county board, they are not commissioned by
the state as county officers, and no data concerning them, from which a list
could be complied, are kept by the state. For the same reason, county rec-
ords, too, are Inadequate for the compilation of a complete and accurate list
of supervisors. Therefore, due to these and other limitations, only those
members mentioned In county records In connection with the first meeting of
the first board of supervisors are Included In this roster.
The voters of Livingston County approved township organization at the
regular election on November 3, 1857. iS At the following December tenn of
the county court, John Darnall, Robert Thompson, and Absalom Hallam were
appointed commissioners to divide the county Into towns. 13 Their report,
filed February 13, 1858, bound and named twenty-two towns, as follows :14
Nebraska
Newtown
Worth
Olivers Grove
Longpolnt
Eppards Point
Avoca
Sauneraln
Reading
Pontlac
Owe go
Dwlght
Pike
Esmen
Odell
Brou^tonvllle
Rooks Creek
Sunbury
Nevada
Roimd Grove
Amity
Belle Prairie
The first meeting of the board of supervisors was held May 10, 1858.
following supervisors were present :1°
The
Reuben Macey, Nebraska
J. P. Morgan, Long Point
J.S.R. Overholt, Reading
Geo. M. Bedlnger, Pike
Wm. T. Gamer, Rooks Creek
Reason McDouglass, Amity
Eben Norton, Newtown
Ell Meyer, Eppards Point
Wm. T. Russell, Pontlac
Wm. R. Babcock, Esmen
J.O. Corey, Sunbury
V.M. Darnall, Belle Prairie
John Crumpton, Worth
Aaron Wleder, Avoca
Daniel Rockwood, Owego
S.S. Morgan, Odell
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Recorded as associate Justices at first meeting of county court (County
Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 272). Duplicate recording In County
Record, v. 5, p. 1.
County Record, v. 5, p. 434.
Ibid., p. 446.
Ibid., p. 466-68.
Court Record, v. 86, p. 18; the name of township each supervisor repre-
sented was obtained from files "Officers Elected", see entry 68.
66
Roster of County Officers
County Board of Supervisors—Continued
Stephen H. Kyle, Nevada
J. P. Hart, Olivers Grove
Isaac Wilson, Saunemln
Isaac G.
Isaac G. Mott, Dwlght
Wm. Broughton, Broughtonvllle
R. Eldred, Round Grove
Mott was elected chairman
County Judges
James C. McMillan,
November 23, 1849
Murrell Breckenrldge (to fill vacancy),
September 17, 1850
B.P. Babcock,
December 7, 1853
Chas. M. Lee (vice Babcock, resigned),
November 21, 1856
Henry Jones,
November 21, 1857
Woodford G. McDowell (vice Jones),
May 6, 1859
Jonathan Duff,
November 27, 1861
Joseph F. Culver,
November 21, 1865
Louis E. Payson,
November 22, 1869
Robert R. Wallace,
November 21, 1873,
December 1, 1877,
December 1, 1882,
December 6, 1886,
November 29, 1890
Charles M. Barlckinan,
November 30, 1894,
November 29, 1898
Frederick G. White (vice
Barlckman, resigned),
December 13, 1901
Charles F.H. Carrlthers,
November 26, 1902
U.W. Lauderback,
November 26, 1906
W.C. Graves,
November 29, 1910
Phillip A. Gibbons (vice
Graves, resigned),
December 12, 1913
R.R. Thompson,
November 27, 1914
Ray Sesler,
November 19, 1918,
November 27, 1922,
November 19, 1926,
November 15, 1930,
November 17, 1934.
November 29, 193816
Probate Justices of the Peace
(Succeeded by the county Judge, as ex-offlclo
Judge of the probate court. In 1849)
No state or county records, 1837
Mathlas P. Rosa
February 25, 1838
Freeman Rutherford,
August 31, 1839,
August 22, 1843
Andrew McMillan,
December 4, 1843
James C. McMillan,
August 27, 1847
County Clerks
(Clerks of the county commissioners' court, county
court, and county board of supervisors)
Abram W. Beard,
May 18, 183717
Mathlas J. Ross,
September 4, 183718
James S. Munson,
June 5, 1838,19
August 6, 1838 (elected)
Cornelius W. Reynolds,
September 2, 1839^0
Daniel Ebersol,
June 11, 1842,21
August 1, 1842 (elected),
August 7, 1843 (elected)
16. Resigned Jxine 20, 1939.
17. Appointed (County Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 1),
18. Took oath (ibid., p. 13).
19. Appointed vice Ross, removed from office on account of not residing In
county seat (ibid., p. 22).
20. Took oath (Ibid., p. 41).
21. Appointed clerk pro tern vice Reynolds, resigned (ibid., p. 87).
67
Roster of County Officers
County Clerks — Continued
S.C. Ladd,
August 4, 1845 (elected),
August 2, 1847 (elected)
November 23, 1849
George W. Boyer,
January 4, 1854
Samuel S. Saul,
November 19, 1857
Robert B. Harrington,
November 16, 1861,
November 21, 1865
Byron Phelps,
December 3, 1869
George W. Langford,
November 25, 1873
Alvln Walt,
December 1, 1877,
December 1, 1882,
December 6, 1886
John C. George
November 29, 1890
Fred Duckett,
November 30, 1894,
December 2, 1898,
November 26, 1902
William W. Kenny,
November 26, 1906,
November 29, 1910,
November 27, 1914
Joe S. Reed,
November 25, 1918,
November 23, 1922,
November 19, 1926,
January 5, 1931,
November 24, 1934
James 0. Scott,
November 29, 1938
Recorders
(In 1649 the circuit clerk became ex-offlclo recorder)
No state or county records, 1837
James S. Munson, Daniel S. Ebersol,
August 29, 1838 August 23, 1842,
Cornelius W. Reynolds, August 22, 1843,
August 17, 1839 August 4, 1845 (elected)
S.C. Ladd,
August 9, 1847
Circuit Court Clerks
(Prior to 1848, circuit clerk appointed by circuit Judge)
Samuel C. Ladd,
September 4, 1848 (elected)
George W. Boyer,
November 23, 1852
Benjamin W. Gray,
November 17, 1856
James W. Remlck,
November 26, 1860,
November 26, 1864
James E. Morrow,
November 17, 1868
John A. Fellows,
November 30, 1872
William H. Jenkins,
November 29, 1876
Zeph Winters,
December 1, 1880
James A. Hoover,
November 21, 1884,
December 3, 1888
Hugh Thompson,
December 3, 1892
Erastus Hoobler,
December 7, 1896,
November 30, 1900
R. Gordon Sinclair,
November 26, 1904
Jersey G. Whltson,
November 24, 1908,
November 27, 1912,
December 1, 1916,
November 17, 1920,
November 17, 1924
Henry D. Wolff,
November 22, 1928,
November 29, 1932,
November 30, 1936
Sheriffs
(Collectors to 1839 and 1844 to 1858)
Joseph Reynolds,
December 5, 1837,22
January 10, 1838
Nicholas Hefner,
August 29,
Garret M. Blue,
September 21,
Janueiry 24,
Robert P. Breckenrldge,
September 3, 1844,
August 27, 1846
Murrell Breckenrldge,
August 23, 1848
Henry Loveless,
November 20,
Jeremiah Mathls,
November 23, 1852
1838
1840,
1843
1850
William B. Lyon,
November 22, 1854
James W. Remlck,
November 17, 1856
William T, Russell,
November 13, 1858
Edwin R. Maples,
November 20, 1860
Jacob R. Dye,
November 20, 1862
Amos Haxt,
November 26, 1864
James H. Gaff,
November 19, 1866
George H. Wents,
November 17, 1868
John W. Hoover,
November 16,
Ben E. Robinson,
November 15,
November 13,
November 24,
James A. Hxinter,
December 2,
December 1,
Silas n. Whltt,
December 1,
John T. Wilson,
December 6,
T.W. Coe,
November 29,
Edward 0. Reed,
November 28,
1870
1872,
1874,
1876
1878,
1880
1882
1886
1890
1894
22. Recorded as sheriff (County Comnlssloners' Record, v. A, p. 16).
68
Roster of County Officers
Sher i ttt — Cont i nued
William L. Talbott,
November 29, 1898
Chas. H. Hoke,
November 28, 1902
Jamies W. Morris,
November 26, 1906
William A. Patterson,
November 29, 1910
J.R. Ives,
November 27, 1914
Robert T. Gorman,
November 25, 1918
L.M. Shugart,
November 28, 1922
J.R. Scarratt,
November 19, 1926
George A. Heckman
November 26, 1930
Edward Kammerman,
November 28, 1934
Harold R. Davis,
November 29, 1938
Coroners
No state or county records
Simeon Mead,
August 29, 1838
Moses Allen,
September 21, 1840
James Cooper,
August 23, 1842
John Blue,
September 3, 1844
S.S. Mead,
August 20, 1845
John Blue,
August 27, 1846,
August 23, 1848
James D. Garner (to
fill vacancy),
November 23, 1849
Joseph Springer,
November 20, 1850
Jerome P. Gamer,
November 23, 1852
Laben Frakes,
November 22, 1854
Thomas Croswell,
November 17, 1856,
November 13, 1858,
November 6, 1860,
November 4, 1862
, 1837
E.W. Capron,
November 26, 1864
M.K. Wright,
November 19, 1868
John J. Wright,
November 30, 1870
M.K. Wright (vice
John J. Wright),
November 15, 1871
Merwln K. Wright,
November 5, 1872
Samuel Stewart (vice
Wright),
June 13, 1873
Everett G. Johnson,
November 21, 1874
Darius Johnson,
November 24, 1876
Horace Gaylord (vice
Johnson, deceased) ,
December 15, 1877
H.E.W. Barnes,
December 2, 1878
C.H. Long,
December 1, 1880
Chas. True,
December 1, 1882
Chas. H. Long,
November 4, 1884
(elected)
John A. Fellows,
December 3, 1888
George F. Kline (vice
Fellows, deceased),
February 9, 1892
John Zimmerman,
December 1, 1892
W.E. Slyder,
December 7, 1896,
November 30, 1900,
January 6, 1905,
November 24, 1908
Walter 0. layers,
November 27, 1912
Raleigh G. Harris,
November 25, 1916,
November 23, 1920
Elmo L. Knlck
November 17, 1924,
November 30, 1928
John A. Keeley,
November 30, 1932
Dr. H.L. Shafer,
November 21, 1936
State's Attorneys
(Appointed by the General Assembly 1837 to 1848; elected
by the circuit district electorate to 1872)
Burton C. Cook,
September 4, 1848
D.F. Jenkins,
November 2, 1852
Washington Bushnell,
November 4, 1856
Chas. H. Wood,
November 6, 1860
Wm. T. Ament,
November 8, 1864
James Piper,
November 3, 1868
James H. Funk,
November 16, 1872
David L. Murdock,
November 24, 1876
Robert S. Mcllduff,
December 3, 1880
C.F.H. Carrlthers,
November 16, 1884
H.H. McDowell,
December 3, 1888
Edgar P. Holly,
December 1, 1892
Ray Blasdell,
December 7, 1896
Asher C. Ball,
November 30, 1900,
November 26, 1904
Bert W. Adslt,
November 24, 1908
Frank A. Ortman,
November 27, 1912
John H. McFadden,
November 25, 1916,
November 17, 1920
Nell Kerr,
November 17, 1924
Robert M. Nlven,
November 22, 1928,
November 29, 1932
Hubert H. Edwards,
November 23, 1936
69
Roster of County Officers
Trtaturert
(Eic-offlclo assessors to 1839 and 1844 to 1858; supervisors
of assessments 1898 to date; collectors 1858 to date)
John Recob,
May 18, 183723
Mathlas B. Miller,
September 3, 183824
James McKee,
March 2, 184025
Thurman Rutherford,
August 1, 1842
(elected),
August 7, 1843
(elected)
Andrew McMlllam,
November 20, 1843
(elected),
August 2, 1847
(elected)
Wlllett S. Gray,
November 6, 1849
(elected),
November 4, 1851
Walter Cornell,
November 8, 1853
Joseph Wolverton,
November 24, 1857
Philip Cook,
December 1, 1859
Samuel Maxvyell,
November 5, 1861
M.E. Collins,
December 15, 1863
Hugh Thompson,
November 21, 1865
William B. Fyfe,
December 4, 1867
Aaron Welder,
December 3, 1869,
February 19, 1872
Joseph H. Stltt,
November 28, 1873,
December 1, 1875
Israel Krack,
December 1, 1877
Arnold Thornton,
December 1, 1879
Augustus W. Cowan,
December 1, 1882
Alexander McKay,
December 6, 1886
William E. Baker
November 29, 1890
James B. Parsons,
November 28, 1894
Edward 0. Reed,
December 5, 1898
Will L. Talbett
(Talbott),
November 29, 1902
Albert F. Mette,
November 26, 1906
Lewis S. Henderson,
November 29, 1910
W.A. Patterson,
November 27, 1914
A.B. Carrlthers,
November 25, 1918
James Lard,
November 22, 1922
Theodore Ryerson,
December 3, 1926
Joseph Eymann,
December 3, 1930
George A. Heckman,
December 1, 1934
Fred Singer,
November 29, 1938
Superintendents of Schools
(School commissioners to 1865)
James McMillan,
December 5, 183726
Robert Smith (vice
McMillan, resigned),
June 3, 183927
Wm. G. Hubbard,
March 2, 184028
John W. Reynolds,
December term, 184029
Samuel Boyer,
December 6, 184130
August 7 1843
(elected;
Augustus Fellows,
August 4. 1845
(elected;
Isaac McMillan,
August 2. 1847
(elected;
Walter Cornell,
November 6. 1849
(elected)
James Bradley,
November 4, 1851
H.H. Hennman,
January 4, 1854
James R. Haggerty,
November 24, 1857
Isaac T. Whlttemore,
December 1, 1859
John W. Smith,
December 5, 1861
Otho F. Pearree (Pearre),
December 15, 1863
H.H. Hill,
November 7, 1865,
November 2, 1869
M. Tombaugh,
December 1, 1873
Math las Tombaugh,
December 1, 1877
George W, Ferris,
December 1, 1882,
December 6, 1886
Henry A. Foster,
November 29, 1890
Chas. R, Tombaugh,
November 28, 1894,
December 5, 1898
William E. Herbert (vice
Tombaugh, resigned),
September 25, 1901,
November 25, 1902,
November 26, 1906,
November 29, 1910,
November 27, 1914
W.W. Mcculloch,
November 25, 1918,
October 1, 1923,
September 8, 1927
H.W. McCulloch (vlceW.W.
McCulloch , deceased )
September 22, 1931,
September 20, 1935,
November 29, 1938,
August 3, 1939
23. Appointed (County Commissioners' Record, v. A, p. 2)
24. Appointed (Ibid., p. 25).
26. Appointed (Ibid., p. 52).
26. Appointed (Ibid., p. 15).
27. Appointed (Ibid., p. 34).
28. Appointed (Ibid., p. 52).
29. Appointed (Ibid., p. 62).
30. Filed bond (Ibid., p. 78).
70
Roster of County Officers
Surveyors
(Beginning September, 1936, surveyor appointed
by county board of supervisors)
No state or county records, 1837
Isaac Whltaker,
August 29, 1838
Franklin Oliver,
August 17, 1839
Amos Edwards,
August 22, 1843
Orrln Phelps,
August 19, 1847
Franklin Oliver,
November 23, 1849
Amos Edwards,
November 18, 1851
James Stout,
November 8, 1853
Thomas R. Norton,
February 19, 1855
Isaac R. Clark,
November 23, 1855
Nelson Buck,
November 24, 1857
Ebner W. Carver,
December 1, 1859
Nelson Buck,
November 16, 1861,
December 15, 1863
Alfred Huetson,
November 21, 1865,
December 28, 1867,
May 11, 1870,
March 11, 1872
B.F. Hotchklss,
December 7, 1875
D.J. Stanford (to fill vacancy),
December 1, 1879,
November 4, 1884 (elected),
December 3, 1888,
December 1, 1892,
November 3, 1896 (elected),
December 15, 1900,
November 8, 1904 (elected),
November 3, 1908 (elected)
Ernest J. Allen,
November 5, 1912 (elected)
John C. Wade,
November 7, 1916 (elected)
G.D. Butzer,
November 2, 1920 (elected)
Glen D. Butzer,
November 4, 1924 (elected),
November 6, 1928 (elected)
John Whalen,
November 8, 1932 (elected)
Charles PhilllpsSl
Sam Bergstrom32
31. Official List of State and County Officers of Illinois, compiled by
Edward J. Hughes, Secretary of State (no date, received In 1938), p. 30.
32. Ibid., July 1, 1939, p. 30.
71
(First entry, p. 93)
4. HOUSING, CARE. AND ACCESSIBILITY OF THE RECORDS
The first meeting of the county commissioners' court of Livingston
County was held on May 18, 1837, the third month after the county was created.
In the home of Andrew McMillan.! Though county board records afford little
clew to the location of all subsequent meetings prior to the completion of
the first courthouse, It Is established that meetings were also held In the
homes of J. Avery and John Foster. 2 it was not until near the close of 1839,
that efforts were made to constinict a courthouse In Livingston. On September
3, of that year, the county contracted to build a courthouse on the public
square In Pontlac.3 Construction was slow; by January 15, 1841, the commis-
sioners' court allowed an extension to the first day of May for the comple-
tion of the courthouse, 4 but It was not until July 23, of the following year,
that the courthouse was formally accepted by the county. 5
This first courthouse In Pontlac was a two-story frame building 30 feet
In length from east to west and 22 feet In width from north to south. The
first floor was reserved for a courtroom with a ralled-off Judge's stand and
Jury bench. A stairway led to the second floor which was divided Into three
rooms and a hall or entry. 6 Unlike most counties, Livingston's courthouse
was financed by private enterprise. When the site for the county seat was
chosen on land claimed and occupied by Henry Weed, Lucius W. Young, and Seth
M. Young, the latter pledged themselves to give $3,000 to the county for the
purpose of "being appropriated toward the courthouse or the construction
thereof," and a "Public Square of two hundred feet square. "? This agreement
was carried out In the terms of the contract as recorded on December 3,
1839.8 No further sum Is mentioned In the records which would give a clue to
the true cost of this courthouse. 9
This courthouse was used by the county without Interruption until 1856
when the second one was erected. 10 The need for a new courthouse usually Is
expressed some time prior to decision to build - records In Livingston speak
nothing of this - but on December 4, 1855, the court ordered "that the con-
tract for building a courthouse according to the proposals, plans and speci-
fications made by P.M. Comyges and L. Card. . . on file In the clerk's office
be entered lnto,"ll and on the following April 24, a site on the public
square was selected, with the front of the new courthouse "facing north, and
the rear. . . to be within ten feet of the south line. . ."12 Construction
work was completed In due course, and on December 6, 1856, the new courthouse
was accepted by the county. 13 it was built of brick, two stories high, hav-
ing offices for the circuit clerk, county clerk, sheriff, and treasurer on
the first floor, while the courtroom and Juryroom were on the second floor. 14
The cost was $14,000.15 The old courthouse was sold February 3, 1857, to
1. County Commissioners' Court Record, v. A, p. 1.
2. Ibid., p. 40,58.
3. Ibid., p. 46.
4. Ibid., p. 65.
5. Ibid., p. 89.
6. Ibid,, p. 47,48.
7. Ibid., p. 7. .
8. Ibid., p. 49,50.
9. John Foster was the builder of this courthouse, and the price agreed
upon was $800. Strawn, History of Livingston County II, 647.
10. Repairs of the first courthouse, ordered during the March term, 1853
(County Record, v. 5, p. 131), Included closing the doors In the tower
story, which presupposes that at some earlier date a tower had been
erected on the courthouse though no mention of this Is made in the
county board records.
11. County Record, v. 5, p. 261.
12. Ibid., p. 289.
13. Ibid., p. 342.
14. Pearre, History of Livingston County, p. 242.
15. Strawn, History of Livingston County . II, 647. The county board record
for the period Indicates $12,000 was paid for the construction In three
Installments the first In county orders for $2,000 on June 5, 1856, the
second for $5,000 In orders on the treasurer payable March 1, 1857, and
the third for $5,000 also In orders on the treasurer payable May 1,
1858. County Record, v. 5, p. 342, Additional work done to the court-
house In 1859-60, which cost slightly over $2,000, may have been Includ-
ed In the figure given by Strawn.
72
Housing, Care, and Accessi-
bility of the Records
Jacob Streamer and Erastus Corey for $240,16 one of the conditions of the
sale was Its removal from the public square.
Within a few years after the courthouse was completed, the county board
was forced to order some major repairs the cost of which amounted to
$2,005.45. Included In this was rebuilding the cupola, building a new gable,
and repairing the roof .1''' This work was contracted for on December 27, 1859,
the building committee reporting on the progress of this work September 12,
1860. Due to a report of a special committee to examine the vaults and rec-
ords In the circuit and county clerk's offices, it was decided, on February
9, 1871,18 to construct fireproof vaults In an addition to be built to the
courthouse. This addition, approximately 40 feet by 16 feet and two stories
high, was erected on the east side of the courthouse. 19 The work done by
Heafer and McGregor, of Bloomlngton, Illinois, at a cost of $5,262.20
The county did not have the use of the Improvement very long, before the
co\irthouse was destroyed by fire on July 4, 1874, which fire also consumed
the neighboring Union Block and the Phoenix Hotel. 21 The vaults, though,
saved the records from damage. Pending the construction of a new courthouse,
court was held In the basement of the Methodist church, Dehner's hall, and
the Odd Fellows' hall on South Mill Street. 22 a specially appointed commit-
tee on public buildings visited courthouses In Bloomlngton and Freeport,
Illinois, and Plymouth, Indiana, on a tour of Inspection to gather Ideas In
regard to size and construction. After the tour, a notice to architects was
placed In the Chicago Times, soliciting plans for a courthouse. Eighteen
different plans were submitted calling for construction costs ranging from
$55,000 to $80,000.23 On August 12, 1874, the plans submitted by J.C.
Cochrane, of Chicago, were accepted by the county board, 24 and on October 2,
the contract for the erection of the courthouse was awarded to Colwell, Clark
and Company, of Ottawa, who had to post a $100,000 bond, required as a guar-
antee for the completion of the edifice according to specif Icatlons. 25 Work
was begun shortly after the contract was awarded and, except for the winter
months, progressed without Interruption so that on November 4, 1875, the
building committee was able to report the structure ready for acceptance. 26
According to this report the original contract specified $62,000 but addi-
tional expenses brought the amount up to $63,466. Then, too, the architect's
fee was $3,173.30, bringing the total to $66,639.30.27 The following day,
November 3, the board voted to accept the courthouse, and ordered that the
old vaults, which had been repaired after the fire, be disposed of as soon as
they were vacated. 28 on February 9, 1876, the building committee reported
that A.H. Andrews and Company, of Chicago, whose bid was $3,485, had been
awarded the contract for furnishings but after this company refused to com-
plete their contract, the next lowest bidder, the Toby Furniture Company, was
given the Job for $4,176.72.29 The Ruttan Heating and Ventilating Company,
of Bloomlngton, was awarded the contract for heating the building for
16. County Record, v. 5, p. 366. This old building was used for many years
as a school house and, in the late 60's was used as a city hall and
headquarters of the volunteer fire department. Still later the Metho-
dist church bought the property and It was transformed into a dwelling.
Yesirs later it was again sold and removed to a site in the northeast
part of the city on Hazel Street. Strawn, History of Livingston County.
II, 647.
17. County Record, v. 5, p. 126-28.
18. Supervisors' Record, v. B, p. 134.
19. Ibid., p. 154,180,186,221.
20. Ibid., p. 221.
21. Pearre, History of Livingston County, p. 242.
22. Strawn, History of Livingston County, II, 648.
23. Supervisors' Record, v. B, p. 468.
24. Ibid., p. 475.
25. Ibid., p. 528,529,538.
26. Ibid., V. C, p. 144-47.
27. Ibid.
28. Ibid., p. 148-50.
29. Ibid., V. B, p. 468.
73
Housing, Care, and Accessi-
bility of the Records
$2,100.20 The lighting contract was given to the Coleman Gas Company who
were to provide a machine with a capacity of 200 burners for $1,100, but on
being tried out with 160 burners the machine did not seem to have the stated
capacity of 200 and so $260 was withheld on the contract. Furthermore, the
committee reported that It obtained gas fixtures for $700 from H.M. Wllmzirth
Bros., of Chicago. 31 Finally, the Hall Safe and Lock Company placed a safe
In the county treasurer's office at a cost of $1,225, but $400 had been
allowed on the old safe, so the cost of the new one was reduced to $775.32
Built at a total cost slightly In excess of $75,000, the new courthouse
was financed by an Issue of bonds to the amount of $68,000 In series of
$17,000, each payable In two, three, four, and five years. 33 The remainder
was raised by taxation. 34 a levy of three cents on each $100 valuation of
all taxable property In the county was made to pay Interest on the bonds. 35
The new courthouse was built, like the two previous ones, on the public
square bounded by Main, Madison, Mill, and Washington streets. The length of
the building, facing east and west. Is 145 feet and the depth 93 feet. The
height from the basement to the eaves Is 55 feet, and the tower Is 70 feet
high. Six feet of the basement Is of stone; above that to the eaves Is
pressed brick with cut stone corners and window trimmings, the brick work
being painted and tuckpolnted. The roof Is of slate. Each of the four
corners of the building Is topped by small towers with mansard roofs In the
center of which cluster Is a large clock tower, also with a mansard roof.
At each of the four entrances are porticos with slender columns and wide
entrances.
The new courthouse has proved substantial In every way. Improvements
have been added In accordance with progress of the times. Thus, sewers were
constructed In 1885 at a cost of $533;36 stone sidewalks placed around the
entire public square In 1890 In cooperation with the City of Pontlac, the
county's share being $500;37 electricity Installed In 1891, at a cost of
$480;38 steam heating Installed the same year at a cost of $2,940.39 The
clock "ower was not furnished with clock or bell at the time the courthouse
was built. These were Installed In the autumn of 1892 by the E. Howard
Watch and Clock Company, of Chicago, for the sum of $1,040.'**^ In 1893, new
closets, drinking fountains, plumbing, and sewerage were Installed by F.D.
Ferguson, of Streator, Illinois, for $1,234. 60. "^^ New steel furniture was
placed In the circuit clerk's office In 1899 at a cost of $2,600,42 and In
the county clerk's In 1900 for $2,650.43
The county board of Livingston County, always desirous of maintaining
the courthouse in the best of condition, appropriated annual sums for repairs
and Improvements. Thus, In 1911 they appropriated $2,000 for repairs and
$2,000 for Improvements, 44 reduced the amounts to $1,500 each In 1913,45 and
then raised the amounts to $3,000 for repairs and $5,000 for Improvements In
1919.46 por many years afterwards, the board appropriated amoimts ranging
30.
Supervisors' Record, v. B, p. 468
31.
Ibid.
p.
171,172.
32.
Ibid.
P.
173.
33.
Ibid.
P.
530.
34.
Ibid.
V.
C, p. 57.
35.
Ibid.
V.
B, p. 530.
36.
Ibid.
V.
E, p. 41.
37.
Ibid.
P.
360,
38.
Ibid.
P.
470.
39.
Ibid.
P.
502,521.
40.
Ibid.
P.
536,589,601.
41.
Ibid.
V.
F, p. 37.
42.
Ibid.
V.
0, p. 205,206.
43.
Ibid.
p.
280,328.
44.
Ibid.
V.
J, p. 29.
45.
Ibid.
p.
256.
46.
Ibid.
, p.
358.
74
Housing, Care, and Accessi-
bility of the Records
from $2,000 In 1922,4V to $6,000 In 1936,48 and $1,000 In 1939.49 However,
In 1936, though $6,000 was budgeted for repairs and $500 for supplies and
equipment, $24,865,81 was actually spent on the former and $2,006,74 on the
latter. 50 As a public relief measure, the county received the aid of a
Federal project In building a two-story addition to the courthouse during
that year. In 1937, $4,458.24 was spent on additional repairs and $2,243.99
for equipment. 51
The courthouse, with Its present floor layout Is well adapted for
governmental needs with ample room for further expansion. Offices are well
arranged for efficient use. (For detailed floor plans of courthouse and
arrangement of county offices, see pages 82-84).
Besides the offices and depositories listed as being In the courthouse,
there are: the Livingston County Jail, 314 West Water Street, where the
Jailor's office is located; the coroner's office, located in the H.L.
Schaffer Building, Cornell; the superintendent's office. In the Livingston
County Tuberculosis Sanitarium, one mile south of the courthouse on Torrence
Avenue, R.F.D. 7, Pontlac; the office of the examiner of the blind, and the
public administrator's vault, located In the Sterry Block, 124 West Washing-
ton Street; and the county home superintendent's office in the Livingston
County Home, four miles southwest of Pontlac, on Route 66.
The distribution of records in offices and vaults indicates that only
comparatively recent records are housed in the individual offices. About
fifty-one percent of record volumes, numbering 3,314 volumes, and ninety-two
percent of files, totaling 2,134 containers, are located in the vaults. More
than ninety-nine percent of miscellaneous records are stored In vaults. (For
allocation of records In the depositories, according to offices, as well as
percentages of records stored therein, see charts on pages 76,77; for
detailed information on the individual depositories, with a description of
facilities for the housing of records, see charts on pages 78-81,
Provisions for careful maintenance of records, with a view toward their
best preservation, have been always carried out. A fireproof vault was
erected in 1871 because a special committee reported that it found the cir-
cuit and county clerk's offices "In an unsafe and crowded condition," and
"that the record books accumulated at the rate of about twelve volumes per
year. "52 ^11 records were salvaged Intact from the fire which destroyed the
courthouse in 1874.53 jn cases where records were in bad condition, the
board instructed the custodian of the records in question to see to their
repair, 54 Binding and repair of record volumes are under the direct super-
vision of the county board. TJie system of Indexing and filing records fol-
lows those practices generally adopted and employed In most other counties in
Illinois.
47. Supervisors' Record, v. L, p. 107.
48. Ibid., V. P, p. 13.
49. Ibid., p. 384.
50. Ibid,, p. 13.
51. Ibid., p. 221.
52. Ibid,, V, B, p. 134,
53. Strawn, History of Livingston County, II, 648.
54. Supervisors' Record, v. E, p. 35.
76
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BZ
County Judge
Office
States
Attorney
County
and
Probate
Court Roorrt
1
oow-n
Closet
k
States
Attorney
Closet
County Clerk's
and
County Clerk s
Probate Clerk's
and
Vault
Probate Clerk's
Office
Probation
and
Mother's Pension
Offi.
,on ■ Closet
I Jijver
.. .
Juvenile Probation
and
Mother's Pension
Office
Treasurer
and
Collector
Treasurer
and
Collector
Vault
i
k\
'5
Treasurer's and
Collector's
Office
Circuit I
Clerk', I
Clerk''
West
Vault
Circuit Clerk's
and
Recorder's Office
Circuit Clerk's
and
Recorder's Office
LIVINGSTON COUNTY COURTHOUSIO
FIRST FLOOR
Circuit Clerk's
East
Vault
83
Sher,ff
I
Sheriff
HF
4
Supervisor's
Room
Wash Roorr,
m
Jury
Toilet
Crcvit Court Ro
July
Sleepmg
Quarters
^"»^
Ladies I
Rest Room
Superintendent
of ^Vault
Sc/)oo/s
Lawyer!
Room
down
SuperinterxJent
of
\-
ScAoo/s
Superintendent
of
Schools
r
Slam
to
Circuit Judge
Office
LIMNGSTON COUNTY COURTHUISK
SECOND FLOOR
Supervis
Circuit Judge
Ofhce
64
(First entry, p. 93)
5. ABBREVIATIONS, SYMBOLS, AND EXPLANATORY NOTES
alph alphabet ical(ly)
app appendix
arr arranged, arrangement
Art Article
assr assessor
atty attorney
aud auditor
bd board
bdl bundle (s)
bldg building
bsmt basement
cf confer, compare
ch chapter (s)
chron chronological (ly)
clr circuit
elk clerk
CO county
coll collector
cont continued
cor coroner
ct court
dept department
ed edited, edition
f.b file box{es)
f.d file drawer(s)
f., ff and following (page, pages)
fl floor
fm form
ft feet
hdgs headings
hdw handwritten
hwys highways
ibid Ibidem (In the same place)
l.e Id est (that Is)
111 Illinois Reports (Supreme Court)
111. App Illinois Appellate Court (Reports)
111. S.A Illinois Statutes Annotated
in inch(es)
L Law (of Illinois)
loc. cit loco citato (in the place cited)
ml mile(s)
n footnote (s)
no ( s ) number ( s )
N.W Northwestern Reporter
off office
op. clt opere citato (in the work cited)
p page(s)
pr printed
prlv. L Private Laws (of Illinois)
pro probate
rec recorder
R.L Revised Laws (of Illinois)
nn room
R.S Revised Statutes (of Illinois)
sch school(s)
sec sectlon(s)
sep separate
Sess Session
Bh sheriff
Sp Special
stnn storeroom
supt superintendent
surv surveyor
treas treasurer
twp(s) townshlp(s)
U.S. R.S United States Revised Statutes
85
Abbreviations, Symbols,
and Explanatory Notes
U.S.S.L United States Statutes at Large
V voluine(s)
vet veterinarian
vice In place of
vlt vault
— current
1. Despite Inaccuracies In spelling and punctuation, titles of records
are shovm In the Inventory proper exactly as on volumes and file boxes. The
current or most recent title Is used as the title of the entry,
2. Explanatory additions to Inadequate titles and corrections of er-
roneous titles are enclosed In parentheses and have Initial capitals.
3. In the absence of titles, supplied titles are capitalized and
enclosed In parentheses.
4. In the title set-up, letters or numbers In parentheses Indicate the
exact labeling on volumes or file boxes. If the volumes or file boxes are
unlabeled, no labeling Is Indicated.
5. Title line cross references are used to complete series for records
kept separately for a period of time, and In other records for different
periods of time, as In entry 4, "1858— In (Supervisors' Files) entry 1."
They are also used In all artificial entries - records which must be shown
separately under their own proper office or section heading even though they
are kept In files or records appearing elsewhere In the Inventory, as in
entry 151, "1854-1926 In Probate Cases, entry 189; 1927— In People's (Cases),
entry 148." In both Instances, the description of the master entry shows the
title and entry number of the record from which the cross reference Is made,
as In entry 1, "Also contains Road Petitions, 1858--, entry 4." Dates snown
In the description of the master entry are only for the part or parts of the
record contained therein, and are shown only when they vary from those of
the master entry.
6. Separate third paragraph cross references from entry to entry, and
"see also" references under subject headings, are used to show prior, subse-
quent, or related records which are not part of the same series.
7. Where no explanation of the beginning or for the discontinuance of
a record Is given, and where no cross references appears, the Information
explaining such beginning or discontinuance could not be ascertained.
8. Unless the Index Is self-contained, an entry for the Index Immedi-
ately follows Its record entry. Cross references are given for exceptions
to this rule.
9. Records may be assumed to be In good condition unless otherwise
Indicated.
10. On maps and plat records, the names of authors, engraver, and pub-
lisher, and Information on scale have been omitted only when these data were
not ascertainable.
11. Unless otherwise specified, all records are located In the county
courthouse .
66
B. County Offices and Their Records
(First entry, p. 93)
I. COUNTY BOARD
In Illinois, the county board Is that body which exercises the corporate
or politic power of the county. 1 In Livingston County since 18372 three
bodies have successively acted as a county board; the county commissioners'
court, the county court, and the board of supervisors.
The Constitution of 1818 provided that there should be elected In each
county, for the purpose of transacting all county business, three commis-
sioners whose term of service, powers, and duties should be regulated and
defined by law.^ The first General Assembly denominated the commissioners a
court of record, styled the county commissioners' court. 4 Four annual ses-
sions were required to be held for six days each, unless the business should
be completed sooner; additionally, any one of the commissioners had power,
upon giving five days' notice to the remaining commissioners and the clerk of
the court, to call a special court which had the same authority as at a regu-
lar session. 5 The first commissioners were elected for an Irregular term;o
subsequently. It was provided that they should be elected at each biennial
general election;'^ and In 1837, the term was lengthened to three years and
staggered, with one new commissioner elected annually. ^ Thereafter, the com-
missioner who was longest In office was to be recognized as the presiding of-
ficer of the court. 9 Compensation, originally set at the sum of $2.50 for
each day's attendance In holding court, 10 later was reduced to $1.50.11 jn
1821 provision was made for the removal of commissioners for malfeasance or
nonfeasance of duties, with proceedings as In criminal cases;12 when the
first criminal code was enacted In 1827, the penalty was modified to a fine
of not more than $200, with removal from office only upon recommendation of
the Jury. 13 Vacancies resulting from any cause were filled by special elec-
tion upon order of the clerk of the court to the district Judges of elec-
tion.14
In 1848 when the State of Illinois adopted a new constitution, the coun-
ty commissioners' court was discontinued. In Its place, the constitution
provided for an administrative body to be composed of an elected officer, the
county Judge, and such number of Justices of the peace as should be required
by law. 15 in the following legislative session, the General Assembly provid-
ed for the election of two Justices of the peace to sit with the county Judge
to transact county business. 16 Their term of office, like that of the county
Judge, was set at four years. 1''' This body, styled the county court, was
1. R.L.1827. p. 107; R.S.1845. p. 130; R.S.1874. p. 306.
2. Livingston County was created In 1837 (L.1837. p. 83).
3. Constitution of 1818, Schedule, sec. 4.
4. L.1819. p. 175.
5. Ibid., p. 175,176.
6. Ibid., p. 100. The commissioners were to continue In office from the
election held on the fourth Monday In April, 1819, until the first
Wednesday In August, 1820, and until their successors were elected and
qualified. Not until 1821 was provision made for the election of such
successors (L.1821. p. 80). In Livingston County, the first commis-
sioners held office from May 18, 1837 to August 1838, the next occur-
rence of a regular biennial election.
7. L.1821. p. 80.
8. In 1838, to Initiate the new procedure, three commissioners were elect-
ed; by lot, they held office respectively for one, two, and three
years (L.1837. p. 103,104).
9. Ibid., p. 104.
10. L.1819. p. 176.
11. R.L.1B27. p. 205.
12. L.1821. p. 20. Conviction further carried disqualification from hold-
ing office for one year.
13. R.L.1827. p. 145.
14. L.1837. p. 104. No election was required to be held If the term of the
commissioner vacatlngof f Ice would have expired within six months from
the date of vacancy.
15. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 16,17,19.
16. L.1849. p. 65,66.
17. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 17; L.1849. p. 62,65,66.
89
County Board
required to hold four sessions annually and when so sitting, had all power.
Jurisdiction, and authority formerly conferred upon the county commissioners'
court. 18 The compensation of the county Judge was originally set at $2.50
for every day of holding court. 1^ in 1855 the amount was Increased to
$3.00.20
The new constitution also directed the General Assembly to provide, by
general law, for a township organization under which any county might organ-
ize whenever a majority of the voters In the county should so determine. 21
By provision of the subsequent enabling acts, 22 a board of supervisors, whose
members were to be elected one In each township annually, 23 was created to
transact all county business In counties adopting township organization. 24
The board of supervisors was to meet for one regular session a year with the
provision that special meetings might be held when convenient. 25 The board
members were compensated at the rate of $1.50 a day, 26 and a fine was provid-
ed In the sum of $250.00 for refusal to perform, or neglect of, duties. 27
Livingston County was governed by the county court from 1849 to 1858,
when township organization was Instituted. 28 in 1870 Illinois adopted a new
constitution, which continued the provision for township organization In
counties so electing, 29 and provided for a different form of county board to
supplant the county court as an administrative body. This board was to con-
sist of three officers, styled county commissioners, and by subsequent legis-
lation, was given all powers. Jurisdiction, and authority formerly vested In
the county court when acting In its administrative capacity. 30 Livingston
was never affected by these laws as It has retained township organization
from 1858 to date.
Since 1874 population has been a factor In local representation on the
board of supervisors. In that year, each town or city besides Its regular
supervisor, became entitled to one assistant supervisor If It had four thou-
sand or more Inhabitants, two If sixty-five hundred, and one more for every
additional twenty-five hundred. 31 in 1931, these population requirements
were made to affect only those counties having less than one hundred thou-
sand Inhabitants. 32 The differentiating figure was reduced In 1933 to ninety
thousand;33 however. In counties having a population of ninety thousand or
more, each town or city was allowed one additional supervisor for every five
thousand Inhabitants, or major fraction thereof. 34 Livingston, with its
18. L.1B49. p. 65.
19. Ibid., p. 63.
20. L.1855. p. 181.
21. Constitution of 1848, Art. VII, sec. 6.
22. L.1849, p. 190-224; L.1851. p. 35-78. The later law repealed and was
a complete substitute for the earlier, but so far as their effect on
the sphere of county government Is concerned, there was almost no dif-
ference between the two.
23. L.1849, p. 192; L.1851, p. 38.
24. L.1649, p. 202-4; L.1851, p. 50-52.
25. L.1849. p. 202; L.1851. p. 51. In 1861 It was provided that special
meetings could be called upon request of one third of the members of
the board (L.1861. p. 236). Since 1899 the board has been required
to hold two regular meetings (L.1899, p. 363).
26. L.1849, p. 203; L.1851. p. 52. In 1861 compensation was Increased
to $2.00 a day (L.1861. p. 238).
27. L.1849. p. 203,204. This fine was reduced In 1851 to $200 (L.1851.
p. 52) . Subsequent legislation reduced It still further and added the
more frequent penalty for misfeasance, disqualification for office
(R.S.1874, p. 1080).
28. Livingston Coimty adopted township organization In 1857 which became
effective In 1858.
29. Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 5.
30. Ibid., sec. 6; L. 1873-74. p. 79,80.
31. R.S.1874. p. 1075.
32. L.1931. p. 908.
33. L.1933. p. 1116.
34. Ibid.; L.1959. p. 1205,1206.
90
County Board
population of 39,092 according to the 1930 census was not affected at either
time. 35 The assistant supervisors, whose terms run concurrently with those
of regular supervisors, 36 have no power or duties as town officers, but are
members of the county board and enjoy the same powers and rights as other
members. 37 At present Its bo^rd of supervisors has thirty-two members. The
term of office of supervisors, lengthened In 1889 to two years, 38 was further
extended In 1929 to four years. 39 Compensation was Increased from $1.50 to
$5.00 a day In 1919,40 lowered to $4.00 In 1933,41 and raised again to $5.00
In 1937,42 with an allowance of five cents per mile for necessary travel.
The functions of the Illinois county board. In contrast to Its legal
status, have undergone little change since the beginning of statehood, the
development being merely one of accretion and Increasing complexity of duties
within a well-defined and nearly static sphere of authority and Jurisdiction.
The law establishing the court of county commissioners conferred upon It
Jurisdiction In all matters concerning county revenue. 43 of this basic pro-
vision, nearly all other statutory powers of the court can be considered
extensions; some, enunciated In the same law, already show such a legislative
viewpoint. The court was given power to regulate and Impose the county tax,
and to grant such licenses as might also bring In a revenue; additionally. It
was given authority over all public roads, canals, turnpike roads, and toll
bridges. 44 other legislation by the first General Assembly gave the court
power to buy and sell lots whereon to erect county buildings and to contract
for their constructlon;45 later, in the case of the courthouse at least, the
court was declared to have the care and custody of the property and the right
to make certain disposition of it. 46 Care of the indigent was also made a
function of the court; It was required to make appropriations, to be levied
and collected in the same manner as other county revenue, for their support.
As an extension of this fiscal function, it was required to appoint an over-
seer of the poor in every township and establish a county poorhouse if neces-
sary.47 Fiscal control over school lands was exercised at first solely
through the court's power of appointment of the trustees of school lands;48
after the creation of the office of county school commissioner, 49 firmer
control was effected through the medium of reports which the commissioner
was required to submit to the court, 50 The court also had authority to
examine the full accounts of the commissioner. 51 other functions of the
court were its duties in relation to elections and Juries. It had authority
to establish precincts, 52 to appoint Judges of elections, 53 and to allow
compensation to officials for services and stationery. 54 Two panels each of
petit and grand Jurors were required to be selected. The former were enroll-
35. Population Bulletin, p. 8.
36. L.1933. p. 1115.
37. R.S.1874. p. 1078,1080; L.1925. p. 605; L.1929. p. 774; L.1931. p. 905,
907; L.1933. p. 1115.
38. L.1889. p. 109; L.1917. p. 793; L.1925. p. 605.
39. L.1929. p. 774,775; L.1931. p. 906.
40. L.1849. p. 203; L.1857. p. 186; L. 1871-72. p. 444; L.1919, p. 569,
41. L.1933. p. 615.
42. L.1937. p. 601.
43. L.1819. p. 175.
44. Ibid.
45. Ibid., p. 237,238.
46. L.1843. p. 128.
47. L.iai9. p, 127; L.1B39. p. 138,139.
48. R.L.1827. p. 366.
49. R.L.1829. p. 150.
50. L.I80I. p. 175; R.S.1845. p. 500,501.
51. L.1831. p. 175.
52. L.1621. p. 74. There was in this law and in many of those following,
a limit to the number of precincts which could be established. See
L.1825. p. 168; R.L.1827, p. 256; R.L.1829, p. 54; L.1835. p. 141.
Prior to 1821, each tcwnship was declared by statute to constitute an
election district (L.1819. p. 90).
53. L.1819. p. 90.
54. Ibid., p. 99.
91
County Board
ed on the list of taxable Inhabitants; the latter only to be freeholders or
householders.^
The substitution of the county court for the county commissioners'
court produced no Important changes In the sphere of government; neither the
second constitution nor the enabling legislation made any original pronounce-
ments with regard to the powers or duties of the former .56
The revised law on township organization. In the main, only made more
Inclusive and definite the powers of the board. 5''' The board was given
authority to purchase eind hold any land within the county for the use of Its
Inhabitants; It was also given authority to make such contracts, and to
purchase and hold surh personal property as might be necessary to the exer-
cise of Its powers; moreover. It could make such orders for the disposition,
regulation, or use of the corporate property as might seem to be to the
Interest of the Inhabitants. 58 Explicit also, was the authority to audit all
claims against the county, and the accounts of such officers as were not
otherwise provided for by law. 59 The board was also given power to appropri-
ate funds for the construction of roads and bridges In any part of the coun-
ty whenever a majority of the whole board might deem It proper and expedi-
ent. 60
From the enabling legislation of the present constitutional period Is
drawn the following brief statement of the principal functions of the county
board:
1. The purchase, sale, and custody of the real and personal
property of the county.
2. The examination and settlement of accounts against the county.
3. The Issuance of orders on the county treasury In pursuance of
Its fiscal administration.
4. The examination of accounts concerning the receipts and ex-
penditures of county officers. ^1
5. The supervision of elections; 62 the selection of Jurles;63 the
construction and maintenance of roads and brldges;64 the csire
of the Indigent, Infirm, and disabled. 65
6. The appropriation of funds necessary to the effecting of Its
functlons;66 the raising of such sums through taxation; and In
general, the management of county funds and county business. 67
At all times the county board has had a clerk who has served it In a
ministerial capacity. The law creating the county commissioners' court pro-
vided that It should have such an officer, and gave It the power to appoint
him. 68 This appointive power was rescinded In 1837 by an act which made the
office elective. 69
When the county court supplanted the county commissioners' court, the
office of clerk of the latter body ceased to exist. A new office was created
by statute, that of clerk of the county court. 70 When the court sat for the
transaction of county business. Its clerk was In effect a clerk of a county
55. L. 1819, p. 255; L.1823. p. 182.
56. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 19; L.1849, p. 65.
57. The Act of February 17, 1851, previously cited (L.1851. p. 35-78).
58. Ibid., p. 50.
59. Ibid., p. 51.
60. Ibid.
61. R.S.1874. p. 306,307.
62. Ibid., p. 456,468.
63. Ibid., p. 630.
64. Ibid., p. 310.
65. Ibid., p. 757,758.
66. Ibid., p. 307.
67. Ibid., p. 306,307.
68. L.1819, p. 175.
69. L.ie37, p. 49.
70. L.1649. p. 63.
92
County Board - Proceedings of Board (1-4)
board; legal recognition of this distinction was given In the provision that
the clerk should keep his records of the court's administrative actions
separate from those of Its Judicial actions. For this purpose two sets of
books were to be kept."^!
In 1870 the new constitution established the office of county clerk;'^^
subsequently, the General Assembly provided that the county clerk should act
as clerk of the county board'^3 as well as clerk of the county court. "74 From
that time to the present, the county board has been served In a ministerial
capacity by this officer. The major record kept by the clerk for the county
board Is the minutes of Its proceedings. This record Includes orders to
Issue warrants on the county treasury; the board's action on committee
reports on roads and bridges. Indigent and Infirm relief, schools, taxation,
etc.; and Its orders In regard to Juries, licenses, and other matters within
Its Jurisdiction. '''5
The clerk also keeps, separately, a register of orders Issued on the
county treasurer and lists of Jury venire. He files and preserves all bills
of accounts acted on by the board, and has custody of reports required to be
made to the board by the county treasurer, various school bodies, and a
number of other county officers. '76 An obligation to preserve a multiplicity
of other records Is clearly set forth In the general provision requiring the
clerk to have the care and custody of all papers appertaining to, as well as
filed in, his of flee. 77
Proceedings of Board
(See also entry 381)
1. (SUPERVISORS' FILES), 1837—. 84 cartons (1837-1937); 60 f,b.
(1870—).
Documents of the board of supervisors' proceedings Including petitions, reso-
lutions, bills and claims, financial statements, tax levies, communications,
minutes of meetings, county budgets, roll calls. Jury lists, committee
reports, and tax complaints. Also contains Road Petitions, 1858 — , entry 4,
and (Reports of Justices of the Peace), 1931 — , entry 168. Arr. by date of
session. No index. Hdw., typed, and hdw. and typed on pr. fm. Carton
5 X 11 X 25; f.b. 10 x 5 x 14. 84 cartons, 1837-1937, corridor, bsmt.; 60
f.b., 1870—, CO. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
2. RESIGNATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS, 1837—. 2 f.b.
Resignations and appointments of township officers, showing names of office
and resigning or appointed officer, and dates of resignation or appointment
by board; also Includes notice to county clerk of withdrawal of candidates
for county Judge, 1926-30, and resignation of members of board of review,
1931. Arr. by date of resignation or appointment. No index. 1837-52, hdw,;
1853-97, hdw., and hdw. on pr. fm.; 1898 — , hdw., typed, and hdw. on pr. fm.
11 X 5 X 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
3. RAILROAD BOND ELECTION, 1869, 1870. 1 f.b.
Election papers of referendum for $25,000 bond subscription to the Fairbury,
Pontlac and Northwestern Railroad, Including poll books, tally sheets, and
certifications of Judges and clerks. Arr. by date of election. No index.
Hdw. 11 X 5 X 14. Corridor, bsmt.
4. ROAD PETITIONS, 1848-57. 1 f.b. 1858— in (Supervisors' Files),
entry 1.
Petitions to county board for new roads and changes and improvements in old
71. L.184^ p. 66.
72. Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 8.
73. R.S.1874. p. 322.
74. Ibid., p. 260.
75. L.1819. p. 6,28,77,127,334,335,352; R.L.1329, p. 151-53; L.1B31. p. 89,
90; L.1835. p. 131,132,136; L.1839. p. 71,72; R.S.1845. p. 287,342,403,
437; L.1849. p. 66; L.1361. p. 234-37; R.S.1874. p. 322.
76. R.L.1827. p. 366; L.1845. p. 169; R.S.1845. p. 136; L.1861, p. 237.
77. R.S.1874. p. 322.
95
County Board - Disposition (5-10)
of Accounts
roads with corresponding plats, showing names of tax payers In road district,
report of road viewers, and dates of report and filing. No obvious arr. No
Index. Hdw. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
5. SUPERVISORS' RECORD, 1837--. 18 V. (A, 5, 86, B-P). Title varies:
County Commissioners' Record, v. A, 1837-49; County Record, v. 5,
1850-58; Court Record, v. 86, 1859-69.
Record of proceedings of county board of supervisors; Including semiannual
and annual reports of county and township officers, resolutions, roll calls,
appointments of officers; petitions, proposals, bids and contracts for con-
struction of county buildings, bills and claims, clerk's reports on tax
books, elections returns, officers' bonds, payrolls, tax levies, county bud-
gets, road maps, and tavern and ferry licenses. Arr. by date of proceedings.
No index. 1837-1909, hdw.; 1910—, typed. 280 - 646 p. 12 x 18 x 2 - 18 x
13 x 3. V. A, 5, 1837-58, CO. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; v. 86, B-P, 1859—, co.
clk.'s vlt., 1st n.
Oltposition of Accounts
(See also entries 1, 5)
County Budget and Appro-
priations (See also entry 334)
6. BUDGET RECORD, 1933—. 2 v.
Ledger of appropriations for the various county funds, expenditures, and of-
fices, showing date and amount of appropriation, and name of account. Arr.
by date of appropriation. Indexed alph. by name of account. Hdw. on pr. fm.
300 p. 13 X 13 X 3. Co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
Bills and Claims (See
also entries 349, 350)
7. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS (Unpresented Claims), 1938—. 1 f.b.
Claims to board of supervisors as yet unpresented, showing date, amount, and
nature of claim, and name of claimant. Arr. by date of claim. No index.
Hdw. and typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
6. MOTOR FUEL TAX CLAIMS, 1932—. 1 f.b.
Claims against motor fuel tax fund for highway labor and materials, showing
date, number, purpose, and amount of claim, and name of claimant. Arr. by
claim no. No Index. Hdw. and typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s
vlt., 1st fl.
Registers of County Orders (See
also entries 334, 335, 344)
9. REGISTER OF COUNTY ORDERS, 1837—. 7 v. (2 not labeled. A, B, 1
not labeled, 2, 3). Missing: 1862-66, 1903-29. Title varies:
Order Book, 1 v. not labeled, 1837-53; Entry Book, 1 v. not labeled,
1854-61.
Register of county orders Issued, showing date, number, and amount of order,
and names of recipient and fund from which drawn. Arr. by date of order. No
index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 450 p. 18 x 12 x 2. 2 v. not labeled, 1837-61,
V. A, B, 1 not labeled, 1867-1902, co. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; v. 2, 3, .1930— ,
CO. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
10. (COUNTY HIGHWAY WARRANT REGISTER), 1932—. 4 v. (1 not numbered,
1, 2, 1 not numbered).
Register of county wgirrants issued for highway department expenses, showing
date, number, purpose, and amount of warrant, name of recipient, total amount
of warrants, and name of fund on which drawn. Arr. by warrant no. No Index.
Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 150 p. 15 x 13 x 2. 1 v. not numbered, 1932, co.
clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.; V. 1, 2, 1 not numbered, 1933—, co. clk.'s off., 1st
fl.
94
County Board - Disposition (11-20)
of Accounts
Cancelled County
Orders (See also entry 336)
11. CANCELLED COUNTY WARRANTS, 1908--. 28 f.b.
Cancelled county warrants and Jury certificates. Including coroner's certifi-
cates-, foreign witness certificates, and fox and crow bounty warrants, show-
ing date, number, amount, and purpose of warrant, name of recipient, and date
of cancellation. Arr. by date of warrant. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x
5 X 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
12. BOUNTY CERTIFICATES, 1892-1937 4 f.b.
Cancelled bounty certificates Issued for destroying crows, crows' eggs,
foxes, ground hogs, and English sparrows, showing date, number, and amount of
payment, and name of recipient. Arr. by certificate no. No Index. Hdw. on
pr. fm. 11 X 5 X 14. Co. clk.'s vlt,, 1st fl.
13. COUNTY ORDERS - WARRANTS, 1887—. 23 v. Missing: 1868-1919.
Stubs of county orders and warrants Issued, showing date, number, purpose,
and amount of warrant, and name of recipient. Arr. by order or warrant no.
No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 100 p. 16 x 11 x i. 1 v,, 1387, co. clk.'s vlt.,
bsmt.; 18 v., 1920-33, co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.; 4 v., 1934—, co. clk.'s
off., 1st fl.
14. JURY CERTIFICATES, 1899—. 5 v. Missing: 1926-29.
Stubs of certificates issued to Jurors in payment of services, showing num-
ber, date, and amount of certificate, and name of Juror. Arr. by certificate
no. No index. Hdw. on pr, fm. 150 p. 16 x 11 x 1. 1 v., 1899-1901, co.
clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; 2 v., 1902-25, co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl,; 2 v., 1930—,
CO. clk.'s off,, 1st fl.
15. BIRTH AND DEATH CERTIFICATE WARRANTS, 1902—. 3 v.
Stubs of warrants Issued in payment of birth and death reports, showing date,
number, and amount of warrant, and naine of recipient. Arr. by warrant no.
No index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 125 p. 13 x 12 x i. 2 v., 1902, 1903, co. clk.'s
vlt., bsmt.; 1 v., 1904—, co. clk.'s off,, 1st fl.
16. GROUND HOG COUNTY WARRANTS, 1908—. 1 V. Last entry 1937.
Stubs of warrants Issued in payment for killing ground hogs, showing number,
date, and amount of warrant, and name of recipient. Arr. by warrant no. No
Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 100 p. 13 x 15 x 1. Co. clk.'s off,, 1st fl.
17. (MOTHERS' AND BLIND PENSION CERTIFICATES), 1922—, 4 cardboard
boxes.
Cancelled certificates of mothers' pension and blind relief payments, showing
date, number, purpose, and amount of certificate, name of recipient, and date
of cancellation. No obvious arr. No index, Hdw, or pr, fm. 10 x 10 x 22.
Corridor, bsmt.
18. CROW BOUNTY WARRANTS, 1931—. 1 v. Last entry 1937.
Stubs of w£Lrrants issued in payment for destruction of crows and crows' eggs,
showing date, number, and amount of warrant, name of recipient, and certifi-
cation of township clerk. Arr. by warrant no. No index. Hdw. on pr. fm.
200 p. 17 X 14 x i. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
19. SPARROW WARRANTS, 1901, 1902. 1 v.
Stubs of warrants Issued In payment for killing of English sparrows, showing
number, date, and amount of warrant, and name of recipient. Arr. by warrant
no. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 200 p. 17 x 14 x 1. Co. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.
Pension Funds and Applica-
tions (See also entries 17,
176, 177, 347, 452, 453)
20. MOTHERS' AND BLIND PENSION RECORD, 1931—. 1 v. (2).
Ledger of mothers' and blind relief pension accounts, showing names of
mother and dependent children or blind person, date and amount of decree
ordering payment, date, amount, method, and period of all pension payments,
95
County Board - Management of (21-27)
County Properties
and date, amount, and period of each pension payment. (Mothers') Pension
Account Record, entry 21, and Register of Applications of Blind Persons for
Relief, entry 22, formerly kept separately. Arr. by date of decree ordering
payment. Indexed alph. by name of pensioner. Hdw, under pr. hdgs. 400 p.
18 X 13 X 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
21. (Mothers') PENSION ACCOUNT RECORD, 1915-30. 1 v. (1). 1931— in
Mothers' and Blind Pension Record, entry 20.
Ledger of mothers' pension accounts, showing names of mother and dependent
children, date and amount of decree ordering payment, date, amount, method,
and period of total pension payments, and date, amount, and period of each
pension payment. Arr. by date of decree ordering payment. Indexed alph. by
name of pensioner. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 292 p. 18 x 14 x 2. Co. clk.'s
vlt., 1st fl.
22. REGISTER OF APPLICATIONS OF BLIND PERSONS FOR RELIEF, 1903-30,
2 V. (1 not numbered, 2). 1931— In Mothers' and Blind Pension
Record, entry 20.
Register of applications for blind relief, including ledger of blind pension
accounts, showing date and number of application, name and address of appli-
cant, report of examiner, order of board allowing pension, date, number, and
amount of warrant, and name of pensioner. Arr. by case no. No index. Hdw.
under pr. hdgs. 40 p. 18 x 12 x i. 1 v. not numbered, 1903-17, co. clk.'s
vlt., 1st fl.; V. 2, 1918-30, corridor, bsmt.
Einergency Relief (See
also entry 348)
23. LIVINGSTON COUNTY EMERGENCY RELIEF, 1930-32. 5 cardboard boxes.
Duplicates of purchase orders issued by Livingston County Emergency Relief
Commission, showing date, amount, and purpose of order, and name of recipi-
ent. Arr. by date of order. No index, Hdw. on pr. fm. 18 x 14 x 2.
Corridor, bsmt.
War Bounties
24. WAR BOUNTY RECORD, 1861-68. 1 V.
Record of bounty paid to Civil War volunteers, showing names of soldiers,
township, company, and officers, and date and amount of bounty payment. Arr.
by date of payment. No index. Hdw, 100 p. 12 x 8 x 1. Co. clk.'s vlt.,
1st fl.
Management of County Properties
(See also entries 5, 333, 349, 350, 382)
Contracts
25. (COUNTY FARM CONTRACTS), 1874—. 1 f.b.
Contracts of superintendents of county farm with board of supervisors, show-
ing date of contact, name of supei itendent, term of employment, duties,
compensation, and signatures of board members. No obvious arr. No index.
Hdw. on pr. fm. and typed. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Bond Issues
26. TOWNSHIP BOND REGISTER, 1905--. 1 v. (1).
Register of bonds Issued by townships for hard road, 1915-37, bridge, 1917,
school district, 1905--, sewage disposal plant, 1916, drainage, 1925-30,
community high school, 1935-37, and gravel road, 1937, construction purposes,
showing name of township, date, amount, and purpose of bond issue. Arr.
alph. by name of twp. No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 200 p. 17 x 33 x li.
Co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
Insurance
27. INSURANCE POLICIES, 1936—. 2 f.b.
Insurance policies covering county property, showing name of insurance com-
96
County Board - Reports (28-34)
to Board;
Jury Lists
pany, description of Insured property, amounts of policy and premium, gind
dates of Issue and expiration. Arr. by date of Issue. No Index. Typed on
pr. fm. 11 X 5 X 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Reports to Board
(See also entries 1, 5, 381, 437)
28. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, 1919--. 4 f.b.
Copies of treasurer's published financial statements, showing date of state-
ment. Itemized amounts received from general tax, special assessments, and
delinquent taxes, itemized ainounts of disbursements, balance due county, and
acknowledgment. Arr. by date of statement. No Index. Typed. 11 x 5 x 14.
Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
29. AUDITOR'S REPORT ON LIVINGSTON COUNTY, ILLINOIS, 1933—.
7 V. (1-7).
Report of audit of county clerk's accounts, showing date of audit, names of
auditor and county clerk, and total amounts of receipts, disbursements, and '
balance on hand in each fund. Arr. by date of audit. No index. Typed, and
typed under pr. hdgs. 32 p. 12 x 9 x i. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
30. (OIL INSPECTORS' REPORTS AND BONDS), 1912-28. 1 f.b.
Reports and bonds of county oil inspectors, showing date of report, name of
inspector, number of tank cars inspected, names of sureties, date, amount,
and terms of bond, and date of filing. Arr. by date of filing. No index.
Hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
31. SALE OF SCHOOL LANDS, 1855-83. 1 f.b.
Reports by school commissioner to county board on sales of school lands,
showing date and amount of sale, legal description of land, acreage, name of
buyer, and date of report. No obvious arr. No index. Hdw. 11 x 5 x 14.
Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
32. SWAMP LANDS, 1857-70. 1 f.b.
Reports of swamp land sales, showing date and amount of sale, name of pur-
chaser, total amount of receipts from sales, commission for collecting,
balance on hand, and signature of swamp land commissioner. Arr. by date of
sale. No index. Hdw. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
33. QUARTERMASTER PAPERS, 1862-64. 1 bdl.
Reports of militia quartermasters for supplies Issued to soldiers, property
received and transferred, stores expended, articles lost and destroyed, and
purchase and distribution of supplies. No obvious arr. No index. Hdw, on
pr. fm. 12 X 10 x 7. Corridor, bsmt.
Jury Lists
(See also entries 1, 171, 280)
34. LIST OF JURORS, 1855--. 5 v. (3 not numbered, 2, 1 not numbered).
Missing: 1867-71; 1919-21.
Register of Jurors, showing names and addresses of Jurors, term date, number
of days of service, and amount of fees. Arr. alph. by name of Juror. No
index. 1855-1933, hdw. under pr. hdgs.; 1934—, typed. 170 p. 15 x 12 x 1.
2 v. not numbered, 1855-66, co. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; 1 v. not numbered, v. 2,
1 not numbered, 1872 — , co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
97
(Next entry 35, p. 101)
I I . COUNTY CLERK
Forerunner of the present county clerk was the clerk of the county com-
missioners' court. This court was the administrative body In Livingston
County from 1837, the date of organization of the county, to 1849.1 The
Constitution of 1848 and laws of 1849 created a new Judicial branch of county
government presided over by the county Judge and entitled the "county court"
and provided for the quadrennial election of a "clerk of the county court. "2
In addition to his duties as clerk of the Judicial court, the Incumbent was
also to act as clerk of the administrative branch of government which con-
sisted of the county Judge and two Justices of the peace. 3 in 1857 Livings-
ton County adopted the township form of government necessitating the election
of a board of supervisors to supplant the county court as the county adminis-
trative body. 4 Accordingly, the clerk of the county court became ex-offlclo
• clerk of the board of supervisors. 5
The above-mentioned clerks all performed the duties of county clerk as
well as those of clerks of a Judicial or administrative body. In fact,
legislation frequently referred to those Incumbents as "county clerks" when
defining duties relating to county business as distinct from their duties In
other capacities. The Constitution of 1870 specifically provided for a coun-
ty clerko who has continued to act to the present In this capacity, and also
as clerk of the county board''' and clerk of the county court. 8 The revis-
ed statutes of 1874 adopted the use of a distinction of titles for each of
his ex-offlclo capacities, applying the title "county clerk" only when
referring to his duties as such.^ It Is the performance of those duties that
give rise to the records dealt with In this section.
The first clerk of the county commissioners' court of Livingston Coimty
was elected In 1837 with a four -year term, 10 which was reduced to a two-yegir
term In 1847.11 ^ bond of $1,000 was required. 12 The clerk of the county
court served for a four-year term and was bonded In the sum of $3,000.13 x^e
Constitution of 1870 and the revised statutes of 1874, establishing the of-
fice of county clerk, provided for his election for a quadrennial term, and
that the amount of his bond be set by county board. 1* The bond Is entered
upon the records of his office, and deposited with the clerk of the circuit
court. He Is required to take oath, and Is commissioned by the Governor. 15
The county seal Is kept by the clerk and Is used by him when required.
In general, the county clerk's performance of his functions results In
records relating to the following: taxation, vital statistics, licenses,
and bonds. Various officials and agencies having authority over these mat-
ters report to, or deposit records with, the county clerk who In this manner
acts as a coordinating factor In the execution of local and state affairs.
In regard to other of these matters, the clerk Is required to perform duties
on his own behalf and retain the records resulting from such performance.
Illustrations of both of these procedures may be found by examining the
various duties and records relating to taxation. The county clerk must pro-
cure all books and blanks used in the assessment and collection of taxes, and
1. Constitution of 1818, Schedule, sec. 4; L.ISIQ, p. 175.
2. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 16,18,19; L.1849, p. 62,63.
3. L.1849, p. 65,66.
4. Constitution of 1848, Art. VII, sec. 6; L.1851, p. 38,45,50.
5. L.1851. p. 52; L.1861. p. 237.
6. Constitution of 1870, Art. VI, sec. 18 and Art. X, sec. 8.
7. R.S.1874. p. 322.
8. Ibid., p. 260.
9. Ibid., p. 260,322.
10. L.18o7, p. 49.
11. L.1845, p. 28. Effective In 1847.
12. L.1819, p. 176,177; R.L.1833, p. 143; R. 3. 1845. p. 131.
13. L.1849. p. 63,64.
14. Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 8; R.S.1874. p. 321.
15. R.S.1874. p. 321.
98
County Clerk
list In such books the lands and lots subject to taxation, 16 they are then
turned over to the supervisor of assessments who has the township assessors
enter the valuations against each piece of property listed. The supervisor
completes revisions and corrections upon complaint of property owners and
returns the books In duplicate to the county clerk. 1'7 Personal property
assessments are handled In essentially the same manner. The board of review
then makes adjustments on complaints and equalizes assessments between dis-
tricts, certifying corrections and revisions to the county clerk. ^^ The
county clerk then reports the entire assessment list to the State Tax Com-
mission for equalization; the equalized list Is afterwards used by the county
clerk In ascertaining tax rates and extending taxes. 19
The State Tax Commission also certifies to the county clerk the assess-
ments on the capital stock of corporations and railroad and telegraph com-
panies. It being the duty of the clerk to extend these taxes and retain the
books after use by the collector. 20
The books are next turned over to the county collector who, after col-
lection, returns lists of collections together with lists of uncollected
real and personal property taxes. 21 The county clerk attends all tax sales,
prepares a list of all sales and Issues duplicate reports thereof, records
affidavits of purchases of property for taxes, and keeps a record known as
the "tax Judgment, sale, redemption, and forfeiture record. "22
An extensive group of records of vital statistics Is kept by the county
clerk. Including records relating to births and deaths, marriages, physi-
cians, and mldwlves. The first legislation In regard to the keeping of vital
statistics was Included In the act for the establishment of medical socie-
ties.23 One section of this act made It the duty of every physician to keep
a record of births, deaths, and diseases occurring within the vicinity of his
practice, and to transmit such record to his medical society whereupon the
record was to be published In the newspapers. In 1842 It was provided that a
parent could appear before the clerk of the county commissioners' court and
make affidavit as to the birth of a child, and the eldest next of kin of a
deceased person could similarly appear and make affidavit as to death. 24 it
Is probable that the tenor of the above-mentioned laws explains the fact that
no birth or death records existed In Livingston County prior to 1877, the
first law, 1819, requiring no public record to be kept, and that of 1842
providing that affidavits "may" be made. The act of 1877 creating the State
Board of Health required that all births and deaths In the county be reported
to the county clerk by the attending physicians or accoucheurs. 25 Teeth were
put Into this and subsequent laws by providing penalties for noncompliance.
In 1901 death certificates Issued by physicians, mldwlves, or coroners were
to be presented to town clerks who as the local registrars Issued burial
permits and forwarded the certificates to the county clerk. 26 in 1903 cer-
16. L.1867. p. 106; L. 1871-72. p. 19,20,32; L.1903. p. 297. During the
period of the first constitution such books and lists were prepared by
the auditor of public accounts and turned over to the clerk of the
county commissioners' court (L.1B25. p. 173; R.L.1827. p. 329; L.1839.
p. 3,4; L.1847. p. 79).
17. The first assessment officer was the county treasurer (R.L.1827,
p. 328-36). In 1839 this function was performed by the district assess-
ors, who received from the county clerk copies of the auditor's trans-
cripts (U1839, p. 3,4). The treasurer resumed these duties In 1844
(L.1843. p. 231), retaining them until the Institution of township
organization In 1858 resulted In township assessors acting In each town-
ship (L.1851, p. 38). The treasurer now acts as ex-offlclo supervisor
of assessments (L.1898f p. 36-44).
18. L.1898, p. 36-44.
19. L.1919, p. 723.
20. L. 1871-72. p. 11,13,16; L.1937. p. 1011, 1012.
21. L.1849. p. 124,125; L. 1871-72. p. 55; L.1931, p. 759.
22. L.1838. p. 3; L. 1871-72. p. 40; L.1879. p. 250.
23. L.1819. p. 233.
24. L. 1842-43. p. 210-12.
25. L.1877, p. 209.
26. L.1901f p. 302, 303.
99
County Clerk
tlflcates of death were to be turned over to the State Board of Health, which
then delivered to the county clerk all certificates so received. 2V Later It
was provided that the township clerks should annually deposit with the county
clerk a complete set of the records of births, stillbirths, and deaths regis-
tered with them. The county clerk was charged with binding and Indexing, or
recording, and safe-keeping of such records. 28 From the earliest date, the
legislation In regard to these matters provided that the clerk retain the
abstracts and certificates, keep a record of births and deaths, maintain
alphabetical indexes, and Issue certified copies of certificates upon request.
The clerk has also been required to prepare a register of all physicians and
accoucheurs in the county. ^^
Since the organization of Livingston County In 1837 the county clerk, or
clerk of the county commissioners' court, has been required to file marriage
certificates and certificates of parents' consent to the marriage of
minors. 30 The clerk was also required to keep a separate register of marri-
ages in addition to his file of certificates. 31 Before 1877 persons desiring
to marry were required to secure licenses from the county clerk only when
they had not previously published such Intention, but In that year the secur-
ing of a license was made mandatory. 32 Although a record of applications for
marriage licenses has been kept by the clerk In this county since 1877, an
act of 1937 appears to be the first legislation requiring the maintenance of
such a record. 33 The same act provides that persons desiring to marry shall
present to the county clerk a certificate setting forth that such persons are
free from venereal diseases, such certificates to be filed with the applica-
tion for license to marry. 34 Marriage records have been kept In Livingston
County since 1838.
The county clerk Is charged with a number of duties relating to elec-
tions: preparing and Issuing blank ballots, 35 poll books, 36 and certificates
of election, 37 and keeping a record of registers of elections, 38 peti-
tions,39 and marked ballots, 40 tally sheets, 41 and election returns which are
transmitted to him by the Judges of election. 42 Abstracts of returns were
formerly prepared by the clerk, but these are now originated by the election
commissioners or Judges of election and deposited with the clerk. Returned
ballots are destroyed by the clerk six months after election, provided no
contest In which the ballots are needed is In progress. 43 in 1889, when
returns of elections for school trustees were made to the county clerk, he
was charged with furnishing to the county superintendent of schools a list of
all such trustees. 44 Now the clerk does not enter Into the procedure, the
school trustees canvassing the returns and certifying directly to the super-
intendent of schools. 45
The bonds of a number of officials are required to be transmitted to the
clerk for filing and entering In a book maintained for that purpose. Jus-
tices' of the peace and constables' oaths, bonds, and securities are approved
27. L.1903. p. 315-18.
E8. L.1915, p. 667.
29. L.1877. p. 209.
30. L.1819, p. 27; R. 3. 1845. p. 354; R. 3. 1874. p. 694.
31. R.L.1827, p. 289.
32. L.1877, p. 130.
33. L.1937. p. 909.
34. Ibid., p. 910.
35. L.1891, p. 113; L.1911, p. 311.
36. L. 1871-72. p. 386.
37. L.iei9. p. 96; L.1821. p. 79; L.1823, p. 64; L.1885. p. 176.
38. L.1865. p. 59; L. 1871-72. p. 386.
39. L.1911. p. 310,311; L.1929. p. 422.
40. L.1891. p. 118.
41. L.1885. p. 143.
42. L.1819. p. 86; L.1821. p. 77; L.1823. p. 64; L. 1871-72. p. 389.
43. L.1917. p. 444.
44. L.1889. p. 271,322.
45. L.1909. p. 352.
46. R. 3. 1845. p. 396,397; L.1861. p. 237,238; R. 3. 1874. p. 325; L,1895,
p. 188.
100
County Clerk - Taxation (35, 37)
by the clerk and entered In a separate book In accordance with statutory
requirement. This book shows the date on which each Justice of the peace and
constable was sworn Into office and the date of commission by the Governor.
Resignations from these offices are made to the county clerk who enters such
fact In the Justices' and constables' record. 47
The clerk Is also charged with Issuing licenses to taverns, 48 ferries, 49
et cetera, and keeping records of the same. Other recordations made are:
records relating to estrays;50 registers of professionals. Including physi-
cians,^! mldwlves,^^ dentists, ^3 chiropodists, ^4 g^rid veterlnarlans;55 list of
county officers; list of town officers which Is furnished annually by the
town clerk;56 record of notaries public;^''' and book of state civil service
rules. 5Q Referring to his list of town officers, the county clerk reports
annually to the State Department of Public Health the names and addresses of
the supervisor, assessor, and clerk of each township, and the dates of the
expiration of their terms of office. 59
Included In the provision that the county clerk be charged with the care
and custody of all records, books, and papers appertaining to, and filed or
deposited In, his offlce^O are those duties as clerk of the county board,
wherein he Is required to record the proceedings of the board and to file all
their books, records, and accounts. 61 Also Included are his record-keeping
duties as ex-offlclo clerk of the county court, with Its resulting duties In
relation to probate matters. 62 The clerk Is also required to keep Jiury
llsts63 and a book In which he enters details as to orders upon the treasurer.
He Is further required to maintain alphabetical Indexes of all records and
papers In his office, and to supply copies of these records or papers to any
person upon request and payment of the required fee. 64
Taxation
(See also entries 1, 5, 142, 157, 317-330, 352, 353, 401)
Lists of Taxable Properties.
Levies
35. TAX LEVIES, 1358—. 66 f.b.
Certificates of tax levies, showing date, amount, and purpose of levy, name
of taxing body, and date of filing. Arr. alph. by name of twp. Hdw., typed,
and hdw. and typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
36. DOCKET OF AMOUNT WANTED, 1876, 1877.
Dockets of certificates of levy and amounts wanted filed by townships and
taxing bodies, showing name of township or taxing body and amount wanted by
each, valuation of property within each township or taxing district, rate of
taxation, and date of filing of certificate. Arr. alph. by name of twp. No
Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 288 p. 15 x 13 x 2. Corridor, bsmt.
47. L.1895, p. 188.
46. L.1819, p. 77-79; L. 1955-54. Second Sp. Sess., p. 64-66.
49. R.L.1827. p. 221; R.S.1874. p. 530.
50. L.1819. p. 206,207; R.S.1874. p. 483.
51. L.1877, p. 209; U1899, p. 275; L.1925. p. 441,442.
52. Ibid.
53. LJJ81, p. 79; L.1899. p. 273; L.1909. p. 279; L.1933, p. 711,
54. L.1899. p. 280; L.1935, p. 995.
55. L.1917. p. 591.
56. L.1861. p. 226; R.S.1874. p. 1077.
57. L. 1871-72, p. 575; R.S.1874. p. 721; L.1875. p. 88.
58. L.1905. p. 115.
59. L.1923. p. 480.
60. R.S.1874, p. 322.
61. L.1861, p. 239; R.S.1874, p. 322.
62. R.S.1874. p. 260.
63. Ibid., p. 630.
64. Ibid., p. 321.
101
County Clerk - Taxation (37-39)
37. ASSESSOR'S BOOK, 1849--. 2294 V.
(Livingston County as a whole, 1849-57. 11 v. Missing: 1851.
Amity Township, 1858—. 78 v. Missing: 1858-73, 1884, 1893.
Avoca Township, 1858—. 60 v. Missing: 1858-75, 1877-92, 1909.
Belle Prairie Township, 1858—. 70 v. Missing: 1858-73, 1876,
1881-83, 1893.
Broughton Township, 1858—. 71 v. Missing: 1858-73, 1876-78, 1894.
Charlotte Township, 1865—. 75 v. Missing: 1865-75, 1892.
Chatsworth Township, 1858—. 79 v. Missing: 1858-71, 1873.
Dwlght Township, 1858—. 78 v. Missing: 1858-73, 1875.
Eppards Point Township, 1858—. 93 v. Missing: 1858, 1864.
Esmen Township, 1858—. 77 v. Missing: 1858-63, 1865-73, 1883,
1896.
Fayette Township, 1370—. 76 v. Missing: 1870-73, 1895, 1898.
Forrest Township, 1861—. 65 v. Missing: 1861-74, 1876, 1881-90.
Germanvllle Township, 1868—. 81 v. Missing: 1868.
Indian Grove Township, 1858—. 59 v. Missing: 1858.
Long Point Township, 1858—. 79 v. Missing: 1858-72.
Nebraska Township, 1858—. 73 v. Missing: 1858-72, 1880-82, 1886,
1888, 1890.
Nevada Township, 1858—. 79 v. Missing: 1858-73.
Newtown Township, 1858—. 76 v. Missing: 1858-73, 1875, 1895.
Odell Township, 1858—. 73 v. Missing: 1858-72, 1887, 1888, 1892,
1894, 1895, 1898.
Owego Township, 1858—. 78 v. Missing: 1858-73.
Pike Township, 1858—. 78 v. Missing: 1858-73.
Pleasant Ridge Township, 1861—. 78 v. Missing: 1861-68, 1870-73,
1384, 1885.
Pontlac Township, 1858—. 87 v. Missing: 1858-70, 1897, 1903.
Reading Township, 1858—. 74 v. Missing: 1858-73, 1881, 1884,
1894, 1896.
Rooks Creek Township, 1858~. 76 v. Missing: 1858-73, 1880, 1881,
1893.
Round Grove Township, 1858—. 78 v. Missing: 1858-73.
Saunemln Township, 1858—. 72 v. Missing: 1858-70, 1873, 1874,
1881, 1884-88, 1890.
Sullivan Township, 1864—. 77 v. Missing: 1864-70, 1872, 1873,
1880, 1882.
Sunbury Township, 1858—. 90 v. Missing: 1858, 1860, 1863, 1872.
Union Township, 1864—. 75 v. Missing: 1864-72, 1880, 1884, 1887,
1889.
Waldo Township, 1861—. 78 v. Missing: 1861-73, 1898.
Lists of taxable real and personal property, showing date, names of owner and
township, description of property, tax spread, and total amount of tax. Real
estate arr. by sec, twp., and range nos.; personal property arr. alph. by
name of owner. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 50 - 100 p. 14i x 9 x i -
17 X 15 X 1. 1440 v., 1849-1914, CO. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; 550 v., 1915-30,
corridor, bsmt.; 304 v., 1931—, co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
38. ABSTRACT OF TAXES, 1861—. 7 v. (1 not labeled. A, B, 1-4).
Missing: 1864-71, 1876, 1907-18.
Abstracts of taxes In assessor's books, showing totals of each column of each
page and book, grand totals of all the books, and date of assessment. Arr.
by date of assessment. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 300 p. 16 x 17 x 2.
1 V. not labeled, 1861-63; v. B, 1, 1877-1906, corridor, bsmt.; v. A, 1872-
75, V. 2-4, 1919—, CO. clk.'s vlt. no. 2, 1st fl.
39. RAILROAD TAX BOOK, 1868—. 10 v. (5 not numbered, 1868-88; 2-6,
1876—).
Lists of taxable railroad property, showing name of company, legal descrip-
tion of property, valuation of rolling stock and Improvements, tax rate, and
dates and amounts of assessment and payment. Arr. by date of assessment.
No index. Hdw, under pr. hdgs. 150 p. 17i x 15 x li. 2 v. not numbered,
V. 3, 1868-80, CO. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; 3 v. not numbered, 1873-88, v. 2, 4,
1876-1918, corridor, bsmt.; v. 5, 1919-31, CO. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.; v. 6,
1932 — , CO. clk.'s vlt. no. 2, 1st fl.
102
County Clerk - Taxation (40-44)
40. TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH TAX BOOK, 1892—. 6 v. {3 not numbered,
2-4). rasslng: 1911-20.
Lists of taxable telephone and telegraph company property, showing date of
assessment, name of company, legal description of property, valuation, tax
rate, and date and total amount of payments. Arr. by date of assessment.
Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 300 p. 18 x 16 x 2. 3 v. not numbered, 1892-1920,
corridor, bsmt.; v. 2-4, 1921 — , co. clk.'s vlt. no. 2, 1st fl.
41. LAND AND PERSONAL ROAD TAX LIST, 1897-1913. 17 f.b.
Township highway comrilssloners' lists of taxable real estate and personal
property in the various road districts, showing name or number of road dis-
trict and township, nature of Improvement, name of property owner, descrip-
tion and valuation of property, date and amount of assessment, and date of
payment. Arr. alph. by name of twp. or by road district no. No Index. Hdw.
under pr. hdgs. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
42. SCHEDULE OF AGRICULTURE STATISTICS, 1880, 1881. 1 v.
Lists of agricultural statistics, showing acreage devoted to pastures and
various crops, and quantity of livestock In each township. Arr. alph. by
name of twp. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 50 p. 16 x 12 x i. Corridor,
bsmt,
43. ENTRIES OF CONVEYANCE, 1871-76. 1 v.
Entry book of conveyances of lands and lots, kept by county clerk for taxa-
tion purposes, showing names of grantor and grantee, type of Instrument,
legal description of property, and date of conveyance. Arr, by twp. and
range nos. Indexed alph. by name of twp. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 464 p. 18 x
13 X 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Collections, Abatement
44. COLLECTOR'S BOOKS, 1849--. 821 V.
(Livingston County, all townships, 1849-57, 1880, 1906-21, 55 v.
Missing: 1850-52, 1856.
Amity Township, 1358-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Avoca Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Belle Prairie Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Broughton Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—, 25 v,
Charlotte Township, 1866-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 24 v.
Chatsworth Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Dwlght Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Eppards Point Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Esmen Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Fayette Township, 1870-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 23 v.
Forrest Township, 1862-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Germanvllle Township, 1869-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Indian Grove Township, 1358-79, 1881-1905, 1922—, 25 v.
Long Point Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v,
Nebraska Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—, 25 v.
Nevada Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Newtown Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Odell Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v,
Owego Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Pike Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Pleasant Ridge Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Pontlac Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 44 v. Missing:
1893, 1895.
Reading Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—, 25 v.
Rooks Creek Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Round Grove Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—, 25 v,
Saunemln Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Sullivan Township, 1864-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Sunbury Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Union Township, 1864-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Waldo Township, 1858-79, 1881-1905, 1922—. 25 v.
Collector's lists of taxable real estate and personal property, showing name
of owner, description of property, assessed and equalized valuations, amounts
of current and back taxes, total due, amount of collection, and date of pay-
103
County Clerk - Taxation (45-48)
ment; Includes columnar footings on each page. Real estate, arr. by sec,
twp., and range; personal property, arr. alph. by name of owner. For partial
Index, 1932--, see entry 45. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 70 - 300 p. 17 x 16 x 1 -
17 X 16 X 3. 7 v., 1849-57, 1880, CO., clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; 320 v., 1858-79,
1881-1921, CO. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.; 279 v., 1922-30, corridor, bsmt.; 155 v.,
1931-35, CO. clk.'s off., 1st fl.; 60 v., 1936--, treas.'s off., 1st fl.
45. RADIUM QUICK REFERENCE INDEX, 1932—. 3 v.
Index to real property In towns of Pontlac, Dwlght, Chatsworth, Forrest,
Odell, Reading, and Flanagan, as listed In Collector's Books, entry 44, shoe-
ing name of property owner, name and year of collector's book, page and line
of book where owner's name appeau's, and legal description of property assess-
ed against said owner. Arr. alph. by name of owner. Hdw. under pr. hdgs.
200 p. 15 x 10 X 2. Treas.'s off., 1st fl.
46. COLLECTOR'S BOOK (Special Assessments), 1920-23. 2 v.
Lists of real estate In the City of Pontlac taxed with special assessment for
local Improvements, showing name and address of owner, legal description of
property, and dates and amounts of assessment and collection. Arr. by lot
no. Indexed alph. by name of taxpayer. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 100 p. 14 x 9
X li. Corridor, bsmt.
47. TREASURER'S (Collector's) REPORTS, 1857—. 7 f.b.
Collector's statements to county clerk requesting credits In his accounts.
Including lists of errors, delinquencies, and forfeitures In telephone and
telegraph and real and personal property assessments with statements of
amounts of collections, delinquencies, and forfeitures, and request for
credits. No obvious arr. No Index. Hdw., typed, and typed on pr. fm. 11 x
5 X 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
48. DELINQUENT TAX BOOKS, 1845-1918. 729 v.
(Livingston County, as a whole, 1845-78, 11 v. [1, 2, 9 not
numbered] .
Amity Township, 1879-1918. 26 v. Missing: 1889-92, 1900-1905,
1915-17.
Avoca Township, 1879-1918. 24 v. Missing: 1879, 1880, 1889-92,
1900-1905, 1915-17.
Belle Prairie Township, 1879-1918. 24 v. Missing: 1879, 1880,
1889-92, 1900-1905, 1915-17.
Broughton Township, 1879-1918. 26 v. Missing: 1889-92, 1900-
1905, 1915-17.
Charlotte Township, 1879-1918. 26 v. Missing: 1889-92, 1900-
1905, 1915-17.
Chatsworth Township, 1879-1918. 26 v. Missing: 1889-92, 1900-
1905, 1915-17.
Dwlght Township, 1879-1918. 26 v. Missing: 1879, 1880, 1889-92,
1900-1905, 1915-17.
Eppards Point Township, 1879-1918. 24 v. Missing: 1879, 1880,
1889-92, 1900-1905, 1915-17.
Esmen Township, 1879-1918. 24 v. Missing: 1879, 1880, 1889-92,
1900-1905, 1915-17.
Fayette Township, 1879-1918. 24 v. Missing: 1879, 1880, 1889-92,
1900-1905, 1915-17.
Forrest Township, 1879-1918. 26 v. Missing: 1889-92, 1900-1905,
1915-17.
GermanvUle Township, 1879-1918. 26 v. Missing: 1889-92, 1900-
1905, 1915-17.
Indian Grove Township, 1879-1918. 26 v. Missing: 1839-92, 1900-
1905, 1915-17.
Long Point Township, 1879-1918. 24 v. Missing: 1879, 1880, 1889-
92 1900-1905 1915-17.
Nebraska Township, 1879-1913. 20 v. Missing: 1879-83, 1889-92,
1900-1905, 1915-17.
Nevada Township, 1879-1918. 20 v. Missing: 1879-83, 1889-92,
1900-1905, 1915-17.
Newtown Township, 1879-1918. 24 v. Missing: 1879, 1880, 1889-92,
1900-1905, 1915-17.
104
County Clerk - Taxation (49-51)
Odell Township, 1879-1918. 24 v. Missing: 1879, 1880, 1889-92,
1900-1905, 1915-17.
Owego Township, 1879-1918. 20 v. Missing: 1879-83, 1889-92, 1900-
1905, 1915-17.
Pike Township, 1879-1918. 24 v. Missing: 1879, 1880, 1889-92,
1900-1905, 1915-17.
Pleasant Ridge Township, 1879-1918. 28 v. Missing: 1889-92, 1900-
1905, 1915-17.
Pontlac Township, 1879-1918. 25 v. Missing: 1879, 1889-92, 1900-
1905, 1915-17.
Reading Township, 1879-1918. 26 v. Missing: 1889-92, 1900-1905,
1915-17.
Rooks Creek Township, 1879-1918. 22 v. Missing: 1879-81, 1889-92,
1900-1905, 1915-17.
Round Grove Township, 1879-1918. 24 v. Missing: 1879, 1880, 1889-
92, 1900-1905, 1915-17.
Sauneir.in Township, 1879-1918. 19 v. Missing: 1879-84, 1889-92,
1900-1905, 1915-17.
Sullivan Township, 1879-1918. 22 v. Missing: 1879-81, 1889-92,
1900-1905, 1915-17.
Sunbury Township, 1879-1918. 20 v. Missing: 1879-83, 1889-92,
1900-1905, 1915-17.
Union Township, 1879-1918, 24 v. Missing: 1879, 1880, 1889-92,
1900-1905, 1915-17.
Waldo Township, 1879-1918. 24 v. Missing: 1879, 1880, 1889-92,
1900-1905, 1915-17.
List of tax delinquent real estate, showing date of tax, name of owner and
legal description of property, tax spread, total amounts of delinquent taxes,
costs, and penalties, and date of payment. Arr, by sec, twp., and range.
No index, Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 50 - 540 p. 17 x 15 x 1 - 16 x 12 x 5. V,
1, 2, 5 not numbered, 1845-70, 718 v, not numbered, 1879-1918, corridor,
bsmt,; 4 V, not numbered, 1871-78, co, clk.'s vlt,, bsmt.
49. CORRECTION OF BACK TAXES, 1872-79. 1 v.
Lists of real estate upon which back taxes have been corrected, showing name
of township, legal description of property, years and amounts of current and
back taxes, and amounts of interest and costs. Arr. by date of assessment.
No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 175 p. 17 x 15 x li. Co. clk.'s vlt,, 1st
fl.
For subsequent list of corrected taxes, see entry 321.
Judgment, Sale, Redemption,
Forfeiture
50. TAX JUDGMENT, SALE, REDEMPTION, AND FORFEITURE RECORD, 1880—.
15 V, (10 not numbered, 10-13, 1 not numbered).
Lists of tax delinquent property on which tax Judgments for sale, and sale,
redemption, or forfeiture proceedings have been entered, showing names of
owner and redeemer or purchaser, legal description and valuation of property,
amounts of delinquency, costs, and penalties, dates of Judgment, sale,
redemption or forfeiture, or issuance of tax deed, and certification of
county clerk; includes separate listing of land sold at tax sale, 1927 — .
Tax Judgment Record, entry 51; Tax Sale (and Redemption) Record, entry 52;
and Tax Forfeiture Record, entry 53, formerly kept separately. Arr. by sec,
twp., and range. No index. Hdw, under pr, hdgs, 200 - 250 p. 16 x 12 x 3 -
17 X 23 X 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
51. TAX JUDGMENT RECORD, 1842-79. 7 v. (1 not labeled, 1-3, C, D, 1
not labeled). Title varies: Record for Judgment for Taxes, 1 v.
not labeled, 1842-53. 1880— in Tax Judgment, Sale, Redemption,
and Forfeiture Record, entry 50.
Lists of tax delinquent lands and lots on which tax Judgments for sale have
been petitioned and entered, showing date of petition for Judgment, value
and legal description of property, amount of taxes and costs due, and order
for sale. Also contains Tax Forfeiture Record, 1854-72, entry 53. Arr. by
sec, twp., and range. No index, Hdw. 184 - 350 p. 13 x 10 x li - 16 x 12
X 3. 1 V. not labeled, 1842-53, co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.; v. 1-3, C, D, 1
not labeled, 1854-79, corridor, bsmt.
105
County Clerk - Vital (52-59)
Statistics
52. TAX SALE (and Redemption) RECORD, 1854-79. 4 v. (1-4). 1880— In
Tax Judgment, Sale, Redemption, and Forfeiture Record, entry 50.
Lists of lands and lots sold at tax sales. Including lands and lots redeemed
from tax sale, showing names of owner and purchaser or redeemer, legal
description of property, date and amount of sale or redemption, and acknow-
ledgment. Arr. by sec, twp., and range. No Index. Hdw. 350 p. 16 x 10 x
2. V. 1-3, 1854-75, CO. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.; v. 4, 1876-79, corridor, bsmt.
53. TAX FORFEITURE RECORD, 1873-79. 2 v. (A, 1 not lettered). 1854-72
In Tax Judgment Record, entry 51; 1880 — In Tax Judgment, Sale, Re-
demption, and Forfeiture Record, entry 50.
Lists of lands and town lots forfeited to state, showing name of owner, value
and legal description of property, amounts of taixes and costs due, date of
forfeit, and marginal remarks of redemption. Arr. by sec, twp., and range.
No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 150 p. 17 x 14 x 1. Co. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.
54. TAX PAPERS (Affidavits for Tax Deeds), I860—. 11 f.b.
Affidavits for tax deeds and certificates of purchase, showing names of
purchaser and delinquent taxpayer, legal description of property, date and
amount of sale, amounts of delinquent taxes, penalties, and costs, and dates
of certificate, affidavit, and filing. Arr. by date of affidavit. No Index.
1860-97, hdw. on pr. fm.; 1895 — , hdw. and typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14.
Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
55. TAX CERTIFICATE, 1916—. 1 f.b.
Certificates of purchase at tax sales, showing name of purchaser, date and
amount of sale, legal description of property, total amounts of taxes,
special assessments. Interest, costs, and penalties, date of certificate, and
signatures of county clerk and treasurer. Arr. by date of certificate. No
Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
For other certificates of piorchase, see entry 54.
56. AFFIDAVIT FOR TAX DEED, 1876-1907. 1 v. (2). 1908— in Miscel-
laneous Record, entry 100.
Copies of affidavits for tax deeds, showing date, amount, and place of sale,
names of purchaser and owner, legal description of property, total amounts of
taxes, costs, and penalties, signatures of collector and county clerk, and
date of affidavit. Arr. by date of affidavit. Indexed alph. by name of
purchaser. Hdw. on pr. fm. 285 p. 18 x 13 x li. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Vital Statistics
Births
57. CERTIFICATES OF BIRTH, 1878—. 14 f.b. (1878-1915), 17 V. (8-24,
1916—). Title varies: Birth Certificates, 14 f.b., 1878-1915.
Birth certificates showing date and number of certificate, name, sex, and
color of child, date and place of birth, names and occupations of parents,
signature of attending physician or midwife, and date of filing. Subsequent
to 1915, kept in bound form. Arr. by date of certificate. 1878-1915, no
index; for index, 1916 — , see entry 58. 1878-1915, hdw. on pr. fm.; 1916—,
hdw. and typed on pr. fm. F.b. 11 x 5 x 14; v. 1000 p. 9x7x5. Co.
clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
58. BIRTH INDEX, 1916--. 2 V. (1, 2).
Index to Certificates of Birth, entry 57, showing name of child, date of
birth, certificate number, and book and page of entry. Arr. alph. by sur-
name of child. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 500 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Co. clk.'s vlt.,
1st fl.
59. RECORD OF BIRTHS, 1877-1919. 8 V. (1-8). Title varies: Register
of Births, V. 1-5, 1877-1909.
Record of birth certificates, showing date and number of certificate, name of
child, personal and statistical particulars, date and place of birth, name
and address of attending physician, and date of filing. Prior to 1910, kept
In register form. 1877-1909, arr. alph. by name of child; 1910-19, arr. by
106
County Clerk - Vital (60-66)
Statistics
date of certificate. 1877-1909, no Index; 1910-19, Indexed alph. by name of
child. 1877-1909, hdw. under pr. hdgs.; 1910-19, hdw. on pr. fm. 530 p. 18
X 13 X 3. Co. elk. '8 vlt., 1st fl.
Deaths and Stillbirths
60. CERTIFICATE OF DEATHS AND STILLBIRTHS, 1878--. 7 f.b. (1878-1915),
10 V. (6, 7, 10-17, 1916--). Title varies: Death Certificates,
7 f.b., 1878-1915.
Death and stillbirth certificates, showing date and number of certificate,
name of deceased, date, place, and cause of death, date and place of burial,
personal and occupational statistics, marital status, certifications of
attending physician, undertaker, and county clerk, and date of filing. Sub-
sequent to 1915 kept in bound form. 1878-1915, arr. by date of filing;
1916--, arr. by certificate number. 1878-1915, no index; for index, 1916--,
see entry 61. 1878-1915, hdw. on pr. fm.; 1916 — , hdw. and typed on pr. fm.
F.b. 11 X 5 X 14; V. 1000 p. 9x7x5. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
61. DEATH INDEX, 1916—. 2 v. (1, 2).
Index to Certificate of Deaths and Stillbirths, entry 60, showing name of
deceased, date of death, certificate number, and book and page of entry.
Arr. £.lph. by name of deceased. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 500 p. 18 x 13 x 3.
Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
62. RECORDS OF DEATHS, 1878-1915. 5 v. (1-5) Title varies: Register
of Deaths, v. 1, 2, 1878-1903.
Record of death and stillbirth certificates, showing date and number of
certificate, names of deceased, physician, and undertaker, date, place, and
cause of death, personal and occupational statistics, date and place of
burial, signature of county clerk, and date of filing. Prior to 1904, kept
In register form. 1878-1903, arr. alph. by name of deceased; 1904-15, arr.
by date of certificate. 1878-1903, hdw. under pr, hdgs,; 1904-15, hdw. on
pr. fm. 530 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Marriages
63. MARRIAGE LICENSES (Returns), 1837—. 58 f.b.
Karrlage license returns, showing date of return, date and place of marriage,
names of bride, groom, witnesses, and county clerk, name and title of offici-
ating person, and personal and statistical particulars of bride and groom.
Arr. by date of return. No index. 1837-49, hdw.; 1850 — , hdw. on pr. fm.
11 X 5 X 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
64. (Record of) MARRIAGES, 1837—. 19 v. (A-M, 1-6). Title varies:
Marriage Record, v. A-F, 1837-1875;. Marriage Register, v. G, 1876,1877,
V. J-M, 1890-1915; Register of Marriages, v. H, t 1878-89;
Certificate of Marriage, v. 1, 1916-34.
Copies of marriage licenses, showing date and number of license, names, ages,
and residences of bride and groom, personal and occupational particulars,
names and residences of parents, date and place of marriage, signatures of
witnesses and officiating person, and dates of return and registration. Also
contains Application For Marriage License, 1934 — , entry 66. Arr. alph. by
name of groom. 1837-66, no index; 1867-1914, indexed alph. by name of groom;
for Index, 1915—, see entry 65. 1837-66, hdw.; 1867—, hdw. on pr. fm.
100 - 600 p. 8 X 8 X 1 - 11 X 10 X 7. V. A-M, 1, 1837-1934, CO. clk.'s vlt.,
1st fl.; v. 2-6, 1935—, co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
65. INDEX TO MARRIAGE RECORD, 1915—. 1 V. (1).
Index to (Record of) Marriages, entry 64, showing names of bride and groom,
license number, and book and page of entry. Arr. alph. by name of groom.
Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 600 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
66. APPLICATION FOR MARRIAGE LICENSE, 1877-1933. 29 v. (1, 1 not
labeled, D. E, 25 not labeled). Missing: 1885. 1934— in
(Record of) Marriages, entry 64.
Copies of applications for marriage licenses, showing names, ages, and
residences of applicants, relationship, date and number of application,
107
County Clerk - Licenses (67-72)
and Registers
signatures of applicants, and date of Issue. Arr. alph. by name of groom.
No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 300 - 500 p. 14 x 9 x 2 - 18 x 13 x 3. V. 1, D,
E, 15 not labeled, 1877-1910, co. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; 11 v. not labeled,
1911-35, CO. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Census
67. CENSUS RECORD, 1930. 1 f.b.
Copy of fifteenth census of Livingston County, showing statement of popula-
tion of villages, towns, townships, and precincts, number of farms In each
township, and total population and number of farms as compared with 1920
census; includes preliminary guinouncement of number of unemployed persons by
village, town, township, and precinct, and total unemployed in county. Arr.
by district and town nos. No Index. Typed and typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x
14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Licenses and Registers
Registers of Officers
68. OFFICERS ELECTED, 1858--. 5 f.b.
Lists of elected town officers and certificates of election, showing name and
address of officer elected, name of township, title of officer, date of elec-
tion, and certification and signatures of members of canvassing board. Arr.
by date of election. No Index. 1858-77, hdw., and hdw. on pr. fm.; 1878 — ,
hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
69. REGISTER OF COUNTY OFFICERS AND NOTARIES, 1842--. 3 V. (2 not
numbered, 2). Title varies: Record of Election and Commission of
Justices and Constables, 1 v. not numbered, 1842-54; Register of
County Officers, 1 v. not numbered, 1855-1915.
Register of elected and appointed township and county officers and notaries,
showing name of office, dates of election or appointment and expiration of
commission, name and address of officer, date, amount, and terms of bond, and
names of sureties. Arr. by name of office. No Index. 1842-54, hdw.; 1855 — ,
hdw. under pr. hdgs. 100 - 220 p. 12 x 9 x i - 16 x 12 x 2. 2 v. not
numbered, 1842-1915, co. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; v. 2, 1916 — , co. clk.'s off.,
1st fl.
Professional Licenses and
Registers
70. REGISTER OF DENTISTS, PHYSICIANS, NURSES, OPTOMETRISTS, AND MIS-
CELLANEOUS, 1877--. 2 V. (1, 3). Title varies: Register of
Physicians and Accoucheurs, v. 1, 1877-1920.
Register of certificates of physicians, accoucheurs, nurses, dentists,
osteopaths, chiropractors, veterlnaries, and pharmacists, showing dates of
certificate and registration, name, age, residence, nativity, school of
training, and years of practice of practitioner. Arr. alph. by name of
practitioner. No index. Typed and hdw. under pr. hdgs. 300 p. 18 x 13 x 3.
Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
71. PHYSICIANS' (Record) REGISTER OF CERTIFICATES, 1877-1920.
2 V. (1, 2). Title varies: Record of Physicians' Certificates,
V. 1, 1877-1914.
Copies of certificates of physicians, accoucheurs, dentists, osteopaths, and
veterinarians, showing dates of certificate and diploma, name of practitioner
and school of training, number of years of practice, and signatures of mem-
bers of state board of health. Arr. by date of certificate. Indexed alph.
by name of practitioner. Hdw. on pr. fm. 300 p. 18 x 13 x 2. Co. clk.'s
vlt., 1st fl.
72. ARCHITECT RECORD, 1897—. 1 v. (1). Last entry 1909.
Record of architects' certificates, showing name and address of architect,
dates of ^certificate and recording, and signatures of state board of exam-
iners. Arr. by date of recording. Indexed alph. by name of architect. Hdw.
108
County Clerk - Licenses (73-81)
and Registers
on pr. fm. 300 p. 18 x 13 x 2. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
73. RECORD OF REGISTERED NURSES CERTIFICATES, 1909—. 1 v. Last entry
1917.
Copies of certificates of registered nurses, showing nsone and residence of
nurse, dates of certificate and recording, and signatures of members of state
board of examiners. Arr. by date of recording. Indexed alph. by name of
nurse. Hdw. on pr. fm. 136 p. 18 x 13 x li. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
74. OPTOMETRY REGISTER, 1915—. 1 V. (1). Last entry 1917.
Register of certificates of optometrists, showing number, date, and class ^f
certificate, name of optometrist, and date of registration. Arr. alph. by
name of optometrist. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 250 p. 18 x 13 x 3.
Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Estrays
75. ESTRAY REPORTS, 1847-1911. 2 f.b.
Reports of estrays, showing date of report, name and affidavit of person tak-
ing up estray. Justice's appointment of appraiser, amount of appraisement,
and disposition of animal. Arr. by date of report. No Index. Hdw. 11 x 5
X 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
76. ESTRAY RECORD, 1849--. 2 V. (1 not lettered, C). Last entry 1920.
Record of certificates filed by Justices of the peace with the county clerk
reporting estrays, showing by whom taken up, description and appraised value
of animal, and dates of finding and filing. Arr. by date of filing. No
Index. 1849-62, hdw.; 1863--, hdw. on pr. fm. 100 p. 13 x 8 x 1. Co.
clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Marks and Brands
77. (RECORD OF MARKS AND BRANDS), 1837-74. 1 v.
Record of marks and brands, showing name and address of owner, description of
mark or brand, and date of recording. Arr. by date of recording. No Index.
Hdw. 100 p. 7 X 6 X i. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Liquor Licenses (See
also entries 5, 107)
78. BEVERAGE LICENSES, 1934—. 1 f.b.
Applications for licenses to sell alcoholic liquor, showing name and age of
applicant, date and amount of bond, location of business, and dates of ap-
plication and granting or refusal of license. Arr. by date of application.
No index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Dog Licenses (See
also entry 346)
79. TAX ASSESSORS' LIST OF DOGS, 1918-23. 1 f.b.
Township assessors' annual list of dog owners In Pontlac Township, showing
name of owner, and number of dogs. No obvious arr. No Index. Hdw. under
pr. hdgs. 11 X 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Military Records (See
also entries 24, 32)
80. MILITIA ROLL CALL RECORD, 1861-63. 1 V.
List of Livingston County residents subject to military duty in Civil War,
showing name of person, date of enlistment, and class of service. Arr. by
date of enlistment. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 500 p. 16 x 12 x 2.
Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Patents
81. PATENT RECORD, 1868-70. 1 V. Patents now registered only with
United States Patent Office, Washington, D.C.
Copies of applications for patents, showing name and address of applicant,
109
County Clerk - Elections; (82-88)
Official Appointments,
Oaths, and Bonds
description of Invention, date of petition to commissioner of patents, amount
of fee, and date of granting of patent. Arr. by date of petition. Indexed
alph. by name of patentee. Hdw. on pr. fm. 575 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Corridor,
bsmt.
Elections
(See also entry 99 [1])
82. ABSTRACT OF VOTES, 1837—. 3 f.b.
Abstracts of votes cast In various elections, showing date and kind of elec-
tion, name of township or precinct number, names of candidates and officers,
totals of votes cast for each, and certification and signatures of members
of canvassing board. Arr. by date of election. No Index. 1837-1928, hdw.,
and hdw, under pr. hdgs.; 1929 — , hdw., and typed under pr. hdgs. 11 x 5 x
14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
83. ELECTIONS, PETITIONS, CALLS, 1906—. 11 f.b.
Petitions of candidates for listing on primary ballot, showing date of peti-
tion, names of candidate, office, and petitioners, and notarial seal; also
Includes calls of state central committee for conventions, showing name of
party, date, place, and purpose of convention, number of delegates, signa-
tures of chairman and acting secretary, and date of notice. Arr. by date of
petition or notice. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. and typed. 11 x 5 x 14.
Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Official AppointM«nts, Oaths, and Bonds
(See also entries 2, 5, 69, 115 [111, xl], 130, 131, 233, 379, 402)
84. COUNTY OFFICERS' BONDS, 1837—. 2 f.b.
Bonds of coroner, 1854-1936; county treasurer, 1837-1934; supervisor of
assessments, 1853—; sheriff, 1854-1934; mine Inspector, 1877-81; circuit
court probation officer, 1924; county superintendent of schools, 1838-1935;
truant officer, 1921-35; public administrator, 1885 — , and county collector,
1918 — , showing names of principal and sureties, date, amount, and terms of
bond, and certification by notary public. Arr. by date of bond. No Index.
Hdw. and typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
85. RECORD OF COUNTY OFFICERS' BONDS AND APPOINTMENTS, 1873-1905. 3 V.
(1 not numbered, 1, 2). 1906 — In Miscellaneous Record, entry 100.
Copies of bonds of county clerk, circuit clerk, state's attorney, county
superintendent of schools, treasurer, and sheriff, showing names of principal
and sureties, date, amount, and terms of bond, certification by county clerk,
and date of filing; Includes record of appointments of deputies In each of-
fice, and town officers to fill vacancies. Also contains Record of Deputy
(Sheriff) Appointments, 1873-98, entry 94. Arr. by date of filing. No
Index. Hdw. 240 p. 16 x 12 x li. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
86. JUSTICES' BONDS, 1837— . 4 f.b.
Bonds of Justices of the peace, showing names of Justice, township, and
sureties, date, amount, and terms of bond, certification by county clerk,
and date of filing. Arr. by date of filing. No Index. 1837-64, hdw.; 1865-
72, hdw., and hdw. on pr. fm.; 1873 — , hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Co.
clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
87. JUSTICE OF THE PEACE BOND RECORD, 1873-1921. 2 v. (1, 2).
Copies of bonds of Justices of the peace, showing names of Justices, sure-
ties, date, amount, and terms of bond, notarial acknowledgment, and date of
filing. Arr. by date of filing. Indexed alph. by name of Justice. Hdw. on
pr. fm. 400 p. 16 x 14 x 3. Corridor, bsmt.
88. CONSTABLES' BONDS, 1837—. 2 f.b.
Bonds of constables, showing names of constable, township, and sureties,
date, amount, and terms of bond, certification of county clerk, and date of
filing. Arr. by date of filing. No Index. 1837-72, hdw.; 1873—, hdw. on
110
County Clerk - Civil (89-96)
Service Rules;
Maps and Plats
pr. fm. 11 X 5 X 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
89. POLICE MAGISTRATE BONDS, 1886--. 1 f .b.
Bonds of police magistrates, showing names of police magistrate, township,
and sureties, date, amount, and terms of bond, certification by county clerk,
and date of filing. Arr. by date of filing. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 11
X 5 X 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
90. ASSESSORS' BONDS, 1899—. 2 f.b.
Bonds of township assessors, showing names of assessor, township, and sure-
ties, date, amount, and terms of bond, certification by county clerk, and
date of filing. Arr. by date of filing. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5
X 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
91. ASSESSORS' BOND RECORD, 1899-1931. 2 v. (A, B).
Copies of bonds of township assessors, showing names of assessor and sure-
ties, date, amount, and terms of bond, certification of county clerk, and
date of filing. Arr. by date of filing. Indexed alph. by name of assessor.
Hdw. on pr. fm. 296 p. 18 x 13 x H. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
92. COLLECTORS' BONDS, 1877-1918. 4 f.b.
Bonds of township collectors, showing names of collector, township, and sure-
ties, date, amount, and terms of bond, certification by county clerk, and
date of filing. Arr. by date of filing. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5
X 14. Co. clk.'s vlt.., 1st fl.
93. (SPECIAL DEPUTY OATHS), 1926-38. 1 f.b.
Appointments, oaths, and bonds of special bank deputies and deputy coroners,
showing date of appointment, names of principal and sureties, date, amount,
and obligations of bond, and dates of oath and filing. Arr. by date of fil-
ing. No Index. Typed and typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt.,
1st fl.
94. RECORD OF DEPUTY (Sheriff) APPOINTMENTS, 1899—. 3 v. (2-4).
1873-98 In Record of County Officers' Bonds and Appointments,
entry 85.
Record of appointments of deputy sheriffs, showing name of deputy, date,
nature, and duration of appointment, oath of appointee, signatures of ap-
pointee, sheriff, and county clerk, and date of filing. Arr. by date of
filing. 1899-1932, Indexed alph. by name of deputy; 1933—, no Index. Hdw.
on pr. fm. 300 p. 18 x 13 x 2. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Civil Serv ice Rules
95. CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION, 1905-35. 1 v. (1, 1905-14), 1 f.b.
(1932-35). Missing: 1915-31.
Copies of rules and amendments governing examinations and appointments by
state civil service commission In Illinois. Subsequent to 1931, kept In In-
bound form. 1905-14, no obvious arr.; 1932-35, arr. by date of Issue. 1905-
14, Indexed alph. by subject; 1932-35, no Index. 1905-14, hdw.; 132, pr.;
1933-35, typed. V. 300 p. 18 x 13 x li; f.b. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt.,
1st fl.
Maps and Plats
(See also entries 4, 5)
96. PLATS, 1854—. 5 f.b. (1854-75, 1896—), 1 v, (120, 1876-95).
Title varies: 1 v., 1876-95, School Plat Record.
Plats of school district boundary changes, showing legal description, bound-
aries, and numbers of old and new school districts, names of president and
secretary of board of trustees, and date of filing. 1 In. to 1 ml. 1854-75,
1896—, arr. by date of filing; 1876-95, arr. by sec, twp., and range. Hdw.
and hand-drawn. F.b. 11 x 5 x 14; v. 125 p. 18 x 14 x 1. Co. clk.'s vlt.,
1st fl.
Ill
County Clerk - Miscellaneous (97-101)
Records; Fees, Receipts
and Expenditures
97. PLAT BOOK, 1880-1909. 1 v.
Maps showing description and location of highways, with township and range
numbers, li In. to 1 ml. Arr. by twp. no. No Index. Hand-drawn. 230 p.
17 X 15 X li. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
98. PLAT BOOK, 1858. 1 V.
Plats of state and county roads prior to township organization, showing town-
ship and rajige numbers, and legal description and location of road, li In.
to 1 ml. Arr. by twp. and range nos. No Index. Hdw. and hand-drawn. 120
p. 17 X 14 X 1. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Miscellaneous Records
99. COUNTY CLERK'S PAPERS, 1876—. 3 f.b.
File of miscellaneous papers In county clerk's office. Including:
1. Lists of election Judges as selected by board of supervisors,
1876—, showing name and address of election Judge, name and
number of town or precinct, and date of election.
11. Receipts of sheriff for prisoners delivered to Institutions, 1876-
1918, showing names of Institution, prisoner, sheriff, and warden,
and date of receipt.
111. Reports of sheriff to county court of escaped hospital Inmates In
his custody, 1876-1918, showing date of court term, names of In-
mate, Institution, and sheriff, court order for return to Insti-
tution, amounts of fees and costs, ajid date of return.
No obvious arr. No Index. Hdw., and hdw. and typed under pr. hdgs. 11 x 5
X 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
100. MISCELLANEOUS RECORD, 1900—. 11 v. (A-H, J, K, M) .
County clerk's record of miscellaneous documents and proceedings Including;
1. Amendment to charter of Oswego Township Mutual Fire Insurance
Company, 1910, showing name of company, date and provisions of
amendment, tally of stockholders' votes, signatures of president
and secretary, and date of filing.
11. Bonds of public administrators, 1900—, and guardians and con-
servators, 1906, showing names of principal and sureties, date,
amount, and terms of bond, approval of Judge, and date of filing,
ill. Decrees for sale of real estate, 1910, showing names of estate and
administrative person, legal description of property, order for
sale, and date of order.
Iv. Orders for release of feeble-minded children from institution,
1919—, showing names of child, custodian, and institution, order
for release, and date of order.
V. Wills, 1910, showing names of testator, heirs, executor, and wit-
nesses, provisions, and dates of testament and filing.
Also contains Affidavit for Tax Deed, 1908—, entry 56; Record of County
Officers' Bonds and Appointments, 1906—, entry 85; Adoption Record, 1930—,
entry 146; Insolvent Record, 1906—, entry 194; Testamentary Trust Record,
1912—, entry 205; Co-partnership Inventory and Appraisement Record, 1932—,
entry 210; and Real Estate Sale Record (Minor), 1932—, entry 215. Arr. by
date of filing. Indexed alph. by subject or numerically by case no. 1900-
1917, hdw.; 1918—, typed. 500 p. 13 x 13 x 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Fees, Receipts and Expenditures
101. ACCOUNTS RECORD - BIRTH AND DEATH, 1902—. 1 v. (A, 1902-15),
2 f.b. (1916—).
Ledger of county clerk's account with physicians and town clerks for birth
and death reports, showing name of physician or town clerk, number of births
and deaths reported, date of report and certification, and date and amount of
payment. Arr. by date of payment. 1902-15, Indexed alph. by name of physi-
cian or town clerk; 1916--, no index. 1902-15, hdw. under pr. hdgs.; 1916—,
hdw. and typed. V. 544 p. 18 x 13 x 3; f.b. 12 x 3 x 10. V. A. 1902-15, co.
clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.; 2 f.b., 1916—, co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
112
County Clerk - Fees, (102-107)
Receipts and Expenditures
102. (CERTIFICATES OF FEES DUE REGISTRARS), 1917—. 1 f.b.
Certificates Issued by State Board of Health to county clerk certifying fees
due to local registrars for reporting births and deaths, showing date and
number of certificate, name and address of registrar, and amount of fees due
registrar for vital statistics reports. Arr, by date of certification. No
Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
103. CASH BOOK, 1855—. 9 v. (7 not numbered, 4, 5). Missing: 1871-
76, 1882-1914.
County clerk's cash book showing dates, sources, distribution, purposes, and
amounts of receipts and disbursements, and names of payer and payee. Arr.
by date of transaction. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdg. 280 p. 19 x 17 x 3.
1 V. not numbered, 1855-65, co. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; 2 v. not numbered, 1866-
70, 1877-81, corridor, bsmt.; 4 v. not numbered, 1915-29, co. clk.'s vlt.,
1st fl.; v. 4, 5, 1930—, co. clk.'s vlt. no. 2, 1st fl.
104. RECORD OF FEES, 1919—. 2 v.
Record of fees received and distributed by county clerk for other than offi-
cial purposes, showing case number, date, amount, and purpose of fee, and
date and amount distributed. Arr. alph. by name of payee. No Index. Hdw.
under pr. hdgs. 200 p. 14 x 10 x 2, Co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
105. (COUNTY CLERK'S CANCELLED CHECKS), 1927—. 4 f.b.
Bank statement and cancelled checks showing date, number, and amount of
check, name of payee, signature of official signing check, dates of state-
ment and cancellation, and dally and monthly balances in account. Arr. by
date of statement. No Index. Hdw. and typed. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s
vlt., 1st fl.
106. REGISTER OF FEES, 1884-1906. 2 v.
Journal of all fees earned and received by county clerk, showing date,
amount, and nature of fee, name of payer, and date of receipt. Arr. by date
of receipt. No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 300 p. 14 x 9 x li. Co. clk.'s
vlt., 1st fl.
107. COUNTY LICENSE, 1837-53. 1 v.
Journal of receipts and disbursements of liquor license fund, showing dates
and nature 9/ receipts or disbursements, and name of payer and payee. Arr.
by date of transaction. No index. Hdw. 40 p. 12 x 8 x i. Co. clk.'s
vlt., bsmt.
113
(Next entry 108, p, 115)
III. RECORDER
In 1837, the year In which Livingston County was organized, the recorder
was elected for a four-year terrn.l A two-year term became effective In
1847.2 xhe amount of his bond was set at $500. ^ With the adoption of the
second constitution the office of recorder was abolished, the duties of that
office being delegated to the circuit court clerk In an ex-offlclo capacity.'*
The present constitution reestablished the office of recorder In counties
having a population of sixty thousand or more but continued the provision of
the prior constitution for other counties.^ As the population of Livingston
County never reached the minimum set by the constitution, ^ the circuit court
clerk In this county has retained his ex-offlclo duties as recorder. The
amount of the recorder's bond was fixed at $5,000 In 1872, and was to be
approved by the county Judge. "^ This amount was raised In 1874 to $10,000 for
counties having the population of Livingston. A copy of the bond Is entered
upon the records of the county court. 8
Assistants and deputies are appointed by the recorder In a. number as
determined by rule of the circuit court and as entered upon the court rec-
ord.9 The compensation of the assistants and deputies Is set by the county
board. 10 Written oaths of deputies are filed with the Secretary of State. 1^
In accordance with the duty of the recorder to record at length all
written Instruments, the following records are required to be kept:
1. An entry book in which data relating to date and order of
receipt of instruments to be recorded or filed, and the
names of parties and location of property, with a brief
description of the premises, are entered. Each of such
Instruments Is numbered by the recorder with the corre-
sponding number of the entry. The entry book serves as a
table of contents, with descriptive memoranda, for all
Instruments recorded at length or filed In the recorder's
office.
2. Well-bound books for recording at length any Instrument
In writing entitled to be recorded, In the order of time
of Its reception. Separate books are allowed to be kept
for the recording of different classes of Instruments and
two distinct series of document numbers may be used In
recording documents received for recordation. One series
preceded by the letter "B" Is for the recordation of
bills of sales of personal property, chattel mortgages,
releases, extensions, and assignments thereof. The other
series of document numbers Is for all other Instruments
received for recordation.
3. Grantor and gramtee Indexes. In the grantor Index are
listed the names of the grantors In alphabetical order
and the names of the grantees. The grantee Index shows
the names of the grantees In alphabetical order and the
names of the grantors. Each Index also shows the date of
1. L.1835. p. 166. Between 1819 and 1835 the recorder was appointed by
the Governor with the advice and consent of the senate. (L.1819, p. 19;
R.L.1829. p. 117).
2. L.1845. p. 28.
3. R.L.1829, p. 117.
4. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 19; L.1849. p. 64.
5. Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 8; R. 3.1874. p. 833.
6. Census shows population of Livingston 39,070 In 1920 and 39,092 In 1930.
Population Bulletin, p. 8.
7. L.1Q71-72. p. 645.
8. R.S.1874. p. 833.
9. Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 9; R. 3. 1874. p. 833.
10. Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 9.
11. R.S.1874. p. 833.
114
Recorder - Entry Books; (108-110)
General Indexes
the Instrument, time of receipt, kind of Instrument, con-
sideration, book and page of recordation, or the number
under which It is filed, and a brief description of the
premises.
4. Indexes to each book of record In which are entered In
alphabetical order, the names of each grantor and
grantee and page on which the Instrument Is recorded.
This series Indexes Instruments such as powers of attor-
ney, chattel mortgages, and those recorded by corpora-
tions.
5. An Index to recorded maps and plats, based on location of
property, sometimes arranged by section, township, and
range.
6. An abstract book, In effect Indexing records by showing
for each tract every conveyance or Incumbrance recorded,
its execution and filing date, and the book and page of
Its recordation. Series optional with county board.
7. A separate book to record certificates of honorable dis-
charge from military, aviation, and naval service. 12
The recorder, In recording at length any Instrument In writing. Is per-
mitted to make a handwritten or typewritten trajiscrlptlon, a photographic or
photostatic reproduction, or use a combination of these methods. 13 in addi-
tion to the Instruments received for recordation, the recorder is required,
upon receipt, to file any mortgage, trust deed, or conveyance of personal
property having the effect of a mortgage or lien upon such property which Is
endorsed with the words, "This Instrument to be filed, but not recorded."
The recorder marks such Instruments "filed" and enters the time of their
receipt and files them In his office. 1^
Entry Books
108. ENTRY BOOK, 1839—. 30 v. (1, 1-29). Missing: 1854-58.
Register of Instruments filed for recordation, showing date, number, and
type of Instrument, names of grantor and grantee, legal description of prop-
erty, consideration, book and page of entry, names of persons receiving In-
strument for filing and calling for Instrument after recordation, and date
of filing. Arr. by date of filing. No Index. 1839-58, hdw,; 1859--, hdw.
under pr, hdgs. 400 p. 18 x 13 x 3. V. 1, 1-23, 1839-1924, clr. elk. 's west
vlt., 1st fl.; V. 24-29, 1925—, Clr. elk. 's east vlt., 1st fl.
109. ORIGINAL ENTRY BOOK, 1835-67. 2 v. (1, 1835-67; 1 not numbered,
1835-51). Title varies: Entry of Land Book, 1 v. not numbered,
1835-51.
Lists of original land entries, showing date of entry, name of purchaser,
legal description of land, and number of acres. The volume, 1835-51, Is a
transcription of volume 1. Arr. by sec, twp., and range. No Index. Hdw.
70 - 300 p. 18 X lU x 1 - 18 X 13 x 2. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
General indexes
110. LOT INDEX (Property), 1638—. 8 v. (A, A, A, B, 1838—; A-C, C, 1838—).
Index to Plat Book, entry 138; and plats recorded In Deed Record, entry 114,
12. L.iai9. p. 8,20,21; R.L.1328. p. 116,117; L.1847. p. 69; L.1855. p. 254.
L.1867. p. 148; L.1869. p. 2; L. 1371-72. p. 645,646; L.1873. p. 144;
R.S.1874. p. 834-46; L.1917. p. 652; L.1925. p. 521; L. 1935-34. Third
Sp. Sess., p. 214.
13. L. 1933-34. Third Sp. Sess., p. 214.
14. L.1925. p. 521; L.1929. p. 592-94.
U5
Recorder - Instruments (111-115)
Recorded
Warranty Deed Record, entry 117, Quitclaim Deed (Record), entry 118, and
Mortgage Record, entry 119, showing name of city, village, or town, lot and
block numbers, and book and page of entry In record. Volumes A, A, A, B,
1838 — , are transcripts of volumes A-C, C, 1838 — . Arr. alph. by name of
city, village, or town. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 676 p. 18 x 12 x 3. V. A-C,
C, 1838--, clr. elk. '8 east vlt., 1st fl.; v. A, A, A, B, 1838--, clr. clk.'s
west vlt., 1st fl.
111. SECTIONAL INDEX, 1838—. 6 v. (1, 2, 1838-93; 1-4, 1838--).
Index to Plat Book, entry 138, and plats recorded In Deed Record, entry 114,
Warranty Deed Record, entry 117, Quitclaim Deed (Record), entry 118, and
Mortgage Record, entry 119, showing section, township, and range numbers, and
book and page of entry in record. Volumes 1, 2, 1838-93, are transcribed
Into volumes 1, 2 of series 1-4, 1838 — . Arr. by sec, twp., and range.
Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 400 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., Ist fl.
112. GENERAL INDEX, GRANTOR-GRANTEE, 1853--. 30 v. (1-15 grantor;
1-15 grantee).
Index to Deed Record, entry 114; Warranty Deed Record, entry 117; Quitclaim
Deed (Record), entry 118; Mortgage Record, entry 119; and Release Record,
entry 121, showing names of grantor and grantee, kind of Instrument, con-
sideration, legal description of property, and book and page of entry. Arr.
alph. by names of grantor and grantee. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 300 p. 18 x 13
x 3. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
113. GENERAL INDEX TO PLATS, 1877—. 1 v.
Index to Sub-dlvlslon Record Plat Book, entry 136; Surveyor's Record, entry
137; Plat Book, entry 138; and plats recorded In Deed Record, entry 114,
Miscellaneous Record, entry 115; Warranty Deed Record, entry 117, Quitclaim
Deed (Record), entry 118, Mortgage Record, entry 119, Master's and Sheriff's
Certificates of Sales, entry 128, and Master's Certificate of Sale, entry
129, showing township, range, and section numbers, and book and page of entry
in record. Arr. by twp. and range nos. Typed. 200 p. 18 x 13 x 2. Clr.
clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
Instrufflentt Recorded
General
114. DEED RECORD, 1836—. 89 V. (A, B, 1836-49; A-E, G-I, L-Q, S, T,
V-X, 26-216 not consecutive, 1836—).
Recordation of cemetery deeds, 1862 — ; administrators' deeds, 1857 — ; execu-
tors' deeds, 1861 — ; guardians' deeds, 1841 — ; sheriff's deeds, 1841 — ; tax
sale deeds, 1856 — , showing names of grantor and grantee, legal description
of property, consideration, and dates of deed and filing. Also Includes
miscellaneous documents filed In recorder's office, Including powers of
attorney, 1838-78; oil and gas leases, 1865-69; property leases, 1857-86;
right-of-way contracts, 1853-84; village and city ordinances, 1863, 1884;
land patents, 1846-84; Invention patent rights, 1859-85; certificates of
election of directors of organizations, 1858-83; revocations of powers of
attorney, 1869-89; bonds for deed, 1839-1900; articles of partnership, 1887-
1901; commissions of notaries public, 1872-94; affidavits, 1865-84; tran-
scripts of recorded documents from foreign counties, 1861-83; certificates
of election of trustees of organizations, 1858-67; articles of agreement,
1853-87; and corresponding plats. Also contains Warranty Deed Record, 1836-
53, entry 117; Quitclaim Deed (Record), 1837-66, entry 118; Mortgage Record,
1839-56, entry 119; Release Record, 1849-68, entry 121; and Chattel Mortgage
Record, 1845-56, entry 124. Arr, by date of filing. For index, see entry
112; for indexes to plats, see entries 110, 111, and 113. 1836-1904, hdw.;
1905—, hdw. and typed, and hdw. and typed on pr. fm. 600 p. 18 x 13 x 3.
Co. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
For subsequent recordation and description of documents not carried In
this series currently, see Miscellaneous Records, entry 115.
115. MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS, 1858—. 34 v. (1-34),
Recordatioh of miscellaneous documents and corresponding plats filed in re-
116
Recorder - Instruments
Recorded
corder's office Including:
1. Affidavits of witnesses, 1885 — , showing name of affiant, nature
of affidavit, and dates of Issue and filing.
11. Appointments of bank receivers, 1933 — , showing date, names of
bank and receiver, and signature of state auditor of public
accounts.
111. Appointments of deputy circuit clerks, 1905—, showing names of
circuit clerk and deputy, oath of deputy, and dates of appoint-
ment and filing.
Iv. Articles of agreement, 1888 — , showing names of parties, provi-
sions of agreement, and dates of acknowledgment and filing.
V. Articles of association, 1885 — , showing names of association,
secretary, and subscribers, number and valuation of shares per
subscriber, and dates of Instrument and filing,
vl. Articles of Incorporation, 1873 — , showing date, name, and pur-
pose of Incorporation, names of Incorporators, amount of capital
stock, number and value of shares, and date of filing,
vll. Articles of partnership, 1902 — , showing names of partners, kinds
of business, amount of Interest of each partner, and dates of
Instrument and filing,
vlll. Bbnd for deed, 1901 — , showing date, amount, and conditions of
bond, names of grantee, grantor, and sureties, legal descrip-
tion of property, amounts of payment and balance, and dates of
Instrument and filing.
Ix. Bonds of township collectors, 1858-78, showing names of town-
ship, collector, and sureties, date, amount, and terms of bond,
affidavits of collector and sureties, signature of county clerk,
and date of filing.
X. By-laws of companies, 1887 — , showing name of company, approval
of stock holders, and dates of Instrument and filing.
xl. Certificates of bank stock trsinsfers, 1885 — , showing name and
address of bank, from and to whom transferred, number of shares,
signatures of bank president and cashier, and dates of transfer
and filing,
xll. Certificates of burial, 1934--, showing name of deceased, date
and place of burial, signature of funeral director, and dates of
death and filing of certificate,
xlll. Certificates of election of organization directors, 1884 — ,
showing names of directors, secretary, and organization, term of
office, and dates of election and filing.
xlv. Certificates of election of trustees of organizations, 1868 — ,
showing names of trustees, term of office, certifications of
president and secretary, and dates of election and filing.
XV. Commissions of notaries public, 1895 — , showing name and resi-
dence of notary, dates of issuance and expiration of commission,
state seal, signature of Secretary of State, and date of filing.
xvl. Contracts for right of ways, 1885 — , showing names of grantor
and grantee, legal description of property, consideration, and
dates of Instrument and filing,
xvil. Easements, 1893--, showing names of grantee and grantor, descrip-
tion of property, consideration, and dates of filing and instru-
ment.
xvlll. Grants of land for pipe line, 1929 — , showing names of grantee
and grantor, provisions of grant, legal description of property,
consideration, affidavit of grantor, and dates of instrument and
filing.
xlx. Leases for oil and gas rights, 1870--, showing names of lessee
and lessor, legal description of property, provisions of lease,
affidavit of lessor, and dates of filing and lease.
XX. Leases for property, 1877 — , showing names of lessee and lessor,
description of property, provisions and date of lease, affidavit
of lessor, and date of filing.
xxi. Ordinances of cities amd villages, 1885 — , showing name of city,
town, or village, purpose and description of ordinance, names of
city or village officials, and dates of ordinamce and filing.
xxll. Patent rights for inventions, 1886-1902, showing name of paten-
tee, description and number of invention, consideration, and
117
Recorder - Instruments (116-120)
Recorded
location of territory for sale of same.
xxlll. Patent grants for lands, 1885 — , showing name of grantee, legal
description of property, acreage, consideration, signatures of
President of United States, recorder of patents, and Secretary
of State, and dates of issuance and filing.
xxlv. Powers of attorney, 1879 — , showing names and addresses of
grantor and person appointed, amount of liability, and dates of
Issuance and filing.
XXV, Revocations of power of attorney, 1890 — , showing names of ap-
pointee and person making appointment, purpose of appointment,
dates of recall and revocation, and date of filing.
xxvl. Vacations of property, 1894 — , showing date and proof of filing
plat, names of property owners and assignors, and dates of vaca-
tion and filing.
Arr. by date of recordation. For Index, see entry 116; for Index to plats
1877—, see entry 113. 1858-1907, hdw.; 1908--, typed. 640 p. 18 x 13 x 3.
Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
116. INDEX TO MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS, 1858--. 4 V. (1 and 2, 3-5).
Title varies: Power of Attorney, v. 1 and 2, 3, 4, 1858-1935.
Index to Miscellaneous Records, entry 115, showing name of principal party or
subject and book and page of entry. Arr. alph. by name of subject or princi-
pal party. No Index. Hdw. 300 p. 18 x 13 x 2. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st
fl.
Deeds
117. WARRANTY DEED RECORD, 1854--. 84 v. (F, K, R, U, Y, Z, 28-215
not consecutive). Title varies: Deed Record, v. F-Z, 28-106 not
consecutive, 1854-94; v. 120-122, 1899-1900; v. 141, 1905-23;
v. 149-178, 1906-27. 1836-53 In Deed Record, entry 114.
Recordation of warranty deeds. Including plats of properties concerned, show-
ing names of grantor and grantee, legal description of property, considera-
tion, kind and date of Instrument, and date of filing. Arr. by date of fil-
ing. For index, see entry 112; for indexes to plats, see entries 110, 111,
and 113. 1854-1904, hdw. on pr. fm.; 1905—, hdw. and typed on pr. fm.
600 p. 18 X 13 X 3. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
118. QUITCLAIM DEED (Record), 1867—. 9 v. (37, 48, 110, 137, 166,
185, 195, 202, 209). 1837-66 in Deed Record, entry 114.
Recordation of quitclaim deeds, including plats of properties concerned,
showing names of grantor and grantee, consideration, kind of instrument,
legal description of property, and dates of instrument and filing. Arr. by
date of filing. For index, see entry 112; for indexes to plats see entries
110, 111, and 113. 1867-1904, hdw. on pr. fm.; 1905—, hdw. and typed on
pr. fm. 600 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
Mortgages - Real Property
119. MORTGAGE RECORD, 1357—. 134 V. (A-I, K-Z, 26-134). 1839-56 in
.Deed Record, entry 114.
Recordation of real estate mortgages, marginal releases, assignments, and
trust deeds, including plats of properties concerned, showing names of
mortgagor and mortgagee, date, amount, and terms of mortgage, legal descrip-
tion of property, and dates of maturity and filing. Arr. by date of filing.
1857-66, Indexed alph. by name of mortgagor; for sep. index, 1857-66, see
entry 112, and 1867—, see entry 120; for Indexes to plats, see entries 110,
111, and 113. 1857-1902, hdw. on pr. fm.; 1903-24, hdw., and typed on pr.
fm.; 1925—, typed, and typed on pr. fm. 496 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Clr. clk.'s
east vlt. , 1st fl.
120. GENERAL INDEX, MORTGAGOR - MDRTGAOEE, 1867—. 12 v. (1-6 mortga-
gor; 1-6 mortgagee).
Index to Mortgage Record, entry 119, showing names of mortgaigor and mortga-
gee, date and number of instrument, consideration, legal description of
property, book and page of entry, and date of filing. Arr. alph. by names
of mortgagor and mortgagee. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 300 p. 18 x 13 x 3.
116
Recorder - Instruments (121-127)
Recorded
V. 1-3, 5-6 mortgagor, V. 1-3, 5-6 mortgagee , 1867-1900, 1913--, clr. clk.'s
west vlt., Ist fl.; v. 4 mortgagor, v. 4 mortgagee, 1901-12, clr. elk. east
vlt., 1st fl.
121. RELEASE RECORD, 1869--. 37 v. (43, 49, 55, 58, 68, 71, 77, 81,
83, 85, 89, 94, 98, 101, 106, 109, 112, 119, 121, 125, 127, 131,
134, 140, 148, 156, 158, 163, 168, 172, 176, 183, 188, 192, 204,
212, 217;. Title varies: Deed Record, v. 43, 49, 55, 58, 1869-
76; V. 163, 1910-16. 1849-68 In Deed Record, entry 114.
Recordation of mortgage releases, showing names of mortgagor and mortgagee,
dates of mortgage, release, and filing, book and page of entry of original
mortgage, and acknowledgment. Arr. by date of filing. For Index, see entry
112. 1869-1904, hdw.; 1905—, hdw. and typed on pr. fm. 600 p. 18 x 13 x 3.
Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
Mortgages - Chattel Prop-
erty (See also entry 162)
122. CHATTEL INDEX MORTGAGOR - ^DRTGAGEE, 1889—. 6 v. (1-3 mortgagor;
1-3 mortgagee).
Index to Chattel Mortgages (Files), entry 123, and Chattel Mortgage Record,
entry 124, showing file number, names of plaintiff and defendant, and book
and page of entry. Arr. alph. by name of mortgagor, Hdw. under pr. hdgs.
412 p. 18 X 13 X 3. Clr. clk.'s east vlt,, 1st fl.
123. CHATTEL MORTGAGES (Files), 1921—. 1 bdl., 14 f.b.
Chattel mortgages filed but not recorded, showing dates of mortgage and fil-
ing, names of mortgagor and mortgagee, description of property, and amount
and terms of mortgage. Arr. by date of filing, 1921-33, no Index; for
Index, 1934—, see entry 122. Typed on pr. fm. Bdl. 20 x 21 x 15; f.b.
11 X 5 X 14. 1 bdl., 1929-33, clr. clk.'s west vlt,, 1st fl.; 14 f.b.,
1934—, clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
124. CHATTEL MORTGAGE RECORD, 1857—. 73 v. (A-I, L, N-W, Y, 26-29,
31-35, 39-45, 47-82). 1845-56 In Deed Record, entry 114.
Recordation of chattel mortgages, showing names of mortgagor and mortgagee,
consideration, description of property, and dates of Instrument and filing.
Also contains Extension of Chattel Mortgage Record, 1857-86, 1932—, entry
125. Arr, by date of filing. 1857-81, indexed alph. by name of mortgagor;
for sep. Index, 1882—, see entry 122. 1857-1903, hdw, on pr. fm.; 1909—,
typed. 640 p. 18 x 13 x 3. V. A-H, 1857-70, L, N, P-Y, 26-62, 1875-1924,
corridor, bsmt.; v, I, 0, 1871-76, clr. clk.'s vlt., bsmt,; v. 63-82, 1925—,
clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
125. EXTENSION OF CHATTEL MORTGAGE RECORD, 1887-1931, 1 v. 1857-86,
1932— In Chattel Mortgage Record, entry 124.
Recordation of extensions of chattel mortgages, showing names of mortgagor
and mortgagee, book and page of entry and amount of original mortgage, dates
of recordation, maturity, and extension, and reason for extension. Arr. by
date of recordation. Indexed alph, by name of mortgagor, Hdw. and typed.
320 p. 18 X 13 X 2. Clr. clk.'s west vlt,, 1st fl.
Certificates of Levy, Sale,
and Redemption
126. MASTER'S CERTIFICATE OF SALE (Files), 1897—, 2 f.b. Missing:
1908-28.
Master's certificates of sale, showing dates of order and decree of court,
names of plaintiff, defendant, master, and purchaser, legal description of
property, date and amount of sale, and period of redemption. Arr. by date
of order. No Index, Typed and hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14, 1 f.b., 1897-
1907, clr, clk,'s west vlt., 1st fl.; 1 f.b., 1929—, clr. clk.'s east vlt.,
1st fl.
127. CERTIFICATES OF LEVY, 1906—. 1 bdl., 1 f.b.
Sheriff's certificates of levy, showing names of plaintiff, defendant, and
sheriff, legal description of property, amount of Judgment, and dates of
119
Recorder - Instruments (128-13&)
Recorded
execution, return, and filing. Arr. by date of filing. No Index. Hdw. and
typed on pr. fm. Bdl. 16 x 12 x 8; f.b. 11 x 5 x 14. 1 bdl., 1906-32, clr.
clk.'s vlt., bsmt,; 1 f.b., 1933—, clr. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
128. MASTERS' AND SHERIFFS' CERTIFICATE OF SALE, 1855—. 5 v. (1-5).
Title varies: Levy and Sale Record, v. 1-4, 1855-1927.
Recordation of sheriff's certificates of levy, sale, and redemption. Includ-
ing plats of properties concerned, showing names of owner, purchaser, and
sheriff, legal description of property, dates and amounts of levy, sale, and
redemption, and dates of court decree and filing. Also contains Master's
Certificate of Sale, 1855-72, 1928—, entry 129. Arr. by date of filing.
Indexed alph. by name of plaintiff; for sep. index, 1857-73, see entry 241;
for Index to plats, 1877—, see entry 113. 1855-1906, hdw.; 1907—, typed.
560 p. 18 X 13 x 3. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
129. MASTER'S CERTIFICATE OF SALE, 1873-1927. 1 V. (A). 1855-72,
1928 — In Masters' and Sheriffs' Certificate of Sale, entry 128.
Recordation of master's certificates of sale and redemption. Including plats
of properties concerned, showing names of plaintiff, defendant, and master
In chancery, legal description of property, dates and amounts of sale and
redemption, and date of filing. Arr. by date of filing. Indexed alph. by
name of plaintiff; for Index to plats, 1877-1927, see entry 113. Hdw. on
pr. fm. 420 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
Bonds of Officers (See
also entries 92, 379)
130. TOWNSHIP TREASURERS' BOND RECORD, 1890-1918. 1 v.
Copies of township treasurers' bonds, showing names of township, treasurer,
and sureties, date, amount, and terms of bond, and dates of approval and
filing. Arr. by date of filing. Indexed alph. by name of treasurer. Hdw.
on pr. fm. 275 p. 18 x 11 x li. Clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
131. COLLECTORS' BONDS, 1868-1914. 2 v. (A, B).
Copies of township collectors' bonds, showing names of collector, sureties,
and township, date, terms, and amount of bond, acknowledgment, and date of
filing. Arr. by date of filing. Indexed alph. by name of township. Hdw. on
pr. fm. 578 p. 18 x 13 x 3. V. A, 1868-95, corridor, bsmt.; v. B, 1896-
1914, clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
Other Instruments
132. FEDERAL TAX LIEN, NOTICE, AND DISCHARGE, 1937—. 1 f .d.
Federal tax lien notices, showing name, residence, and place of business of
taxpayer, date, amoiuit, and nature of tax, and date of filing; also Includes
discharges of tax liens. Arr. by date of filing. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm.
12 X 14 X 6. Clr. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
133. SOLDIERS' DISCHARGE RECORD, 1865—. 4 v. (A-D).
Copies of soldiers' and sailors' discharges, showing name of person dis-
charged, dates of enlistment and discharge, personal statistics, enlistment
record, name of commanding officer, and date of recordation. Arr. by date of
recordation. Indexed alph. by name of discharged person. Hdw. on pr. fm.
480 p. 18 X 13 X 3. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
134. REGISTER OF FARM NAMES, 1915—. 1 v.
Record of registered farm land names, showing names of owner and farm, legal
description and acreage of property, and dates of registration and filing.
No obvious arr. Indexed alph, by name of farm. Hdw. on pr. fm. 320 p.
18 X 13 X 2. Clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
135. STALLION REGISTRATION RECORD, 1911-18. 4 v. (1-4).
Record of stallion certificates and renewals, showing certificate and regis-
tration numbers, names of owner, examiner, and breeder, name, description,
and date of foaling of stallion, dates of expiration and renewal of license,
and date and time of filing. Arr. by date of filing. Indexed alph. by name
of owner. Hdw. on pr. fm. 325 p. 18 x 13 x 2. Corridor, bsmt.
120
Recorder - Plats (136-140)
Plats
136. SUB-DIVISION RECORD PLAT BOOK, 1837—. 6 v. (1 not numbered,
1-5). Missing: 1852-53. Title varies: Land Subdivision, 1 v. not
numbered, 1837-51.
Copies of plats and maps of real estate additions and subdivisions, showing
legal description of property, names and locations of roads, streets, and
cemeteries, names of property and owner, and date of recordation. Arr. by
date of recordation. 1837-51, no Index; 1854 — , Indexed alph. by name of
owner; for sep. Index, 1877 — , see entry 113. Hdw. and hand-drawn. 640 p.,
18 X 13 X 3 - 30 X 24 X 4, Clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
137. SURVEYOR'S RECORD, 1843--. 3 v. (A-C).
Record of surveys made by county surveyor, showing date of survey, name of
owner, legal description and location of property, and locations of roads,
creeks, rivers, and railroads crossing property. Also contains Plat Book,
1843-76, entry 138. Arr. by sec, twp., and range. 1843-1885, no Index;
1886 — , Indexed by twp. and range; for sep. index, 1877 — , see entry 113.
Hdw. and hand-drawn. 572 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
138. PLAT BOOK, 1877—. 2 v. (2, 5). 1843-76 In Surveyor's Record,
entry 137.
Plats of towns, cities, villages, additions, subdivisions, and cemeteries,
showing name, location, and legal description of survey of property, name of
surveyor, and dates of survey and filing. No obvious arr. For indexes, see
entries 110, 111, and 113. Hdw. and hand-drawn. 1 in. to 30 ft. - 1 in. to
150 ft. 150 p. 25 X 23 X 3. Clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
139. STATE HIGHWAY PLATS, 1918—. 1 v. (1). Last entry 1930.
Plans of highway construction details, showing surveys of routes and right of
way, descriptions and locations of roads, detailed profiles of roads, dates
of survey and filing, and book and page of entry of related documents In
deed record. No obvious arr. No index. Blueprint. 1 in. to 200 ft. - 1
In. to 400 ft. 100 p. 12i X 22 x 2i. Clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
140. ORIGINAL GOVERNMENT SURVEY, 1875. 1 v.
Record of plats and descriptions of townships In Livingston County made by
United States Surveyor General, showing township and range numbers, descrip-
tion of county and township boundaries, and area of each in acres. Arr. by
twp. and range no. No index. Hdw. and hand-drawn. 1 In. to 40 chains. 91 p.
21 X 16 X 2i. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
121
(Next entry 141, p. 127)
IV. COUNTY COURT
The county court serves as the Judicial branch of county government.
This court Is administered by the county Judge who Is elected for a four-year
term by the county electorate. Before entering upon the duties of his of-
fice, the county Judge Is required to take and subscribe to an oath which he
files with the Secretary of State, The compensation of the Livingston county
Judge was originally set at $2.50 per diem for holding court, which was paid
quarterly out of the county treasury. 1 Today, the Judge In this county
receives $3,240 per annum. ^ The court hears and determines matters In which
It has original or concurrent Jurisdiction. Including appeals from the Jus-
tices of the peace and police magistrates. 3
At the time of the organization of Livingston County, the powers of the
Judiciary In all counties were administered only by the Justices of the
peace, 4 the probate Justice, ^ and the circuit court. 6 Later, a civil and
criminal court with Jurisdiction coextensive with the county lines was
established under the provisions of the Constitution of 1848 and legislation
of 1849. "7 The court created was the county court. This unit of county
government was established with a partial reversion to the dual function,
administrative and Judicial, of the local Judiciary In Illinois under the
Territorial Laws prior to 1616. The court was different from the territorial
courts In that Its composition varied for each of the two functions. The
Judicial court was administered by the county Judge, who was elected by the
county electorate and commissioned by the Governor. 8 His original four-year
tenure of office has remained effective to the present. As the administra-
tive body, the court was made up of the county Judge and two Justices of the
peace. 9
Under the second constitution complete separation of county business
powers from the Judicial could be had with the acceptance by the county
electorate of an Independent administrative body, the board of supervisors,
established under township organization. 10 This plan of government was not
selected Immediately, and Livingston was governed by the dual county court
until 1858 when the county board of supervisors became successor to the
county court In Its Jurisdiction over county affairs and business. From that
date on, the county court has served only as a Judicial court In Livingston
County.
The county court as established In 1849 was vested with the same civil
and criminal Jurisdiction as the Justices of the peace. The county Judge was
made a conservator of the peace. He was given the same power and authority
as the circuit Judge In preserving order In the court and punishing contempts
offered the court while In session. H Suits for the sale of delinquent lands
for taxes of 1848, and prior years, could be brought and presented In either
the circuit or county court, but for taxes of subsequent years, the county
court was given exclusive original Jurisdiction. 12 The court also exercised
Jurisdiction equal with that of the circuit court over naturalization. 13
In addition to Its civil and criminal Jurisdiction, the court was vested
with all the powers and Jurisdiction In probate matters which were vested
1. L.1B49. p. 62,63.
2. L.1953. p. 616.
3. L.1881. p. 70.
4. Constitution of 1818, Art. IV, sec. 8; L.iei9. p. 192.
5. L.1837. p. 176,177.
6. L.1B19. p. 380.
7. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 1, 16; L.1849. p. 62.
8. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 17; L.1849. p. 62,66; R. 3. 1874.
p. 339; L.1933. p. 451.
9. L.ia49, p. 65.
10. Constitution of 1848, Art. VII, sec. 6; L.1849. p. 192,202-4; L.1851.
p. 38,50-52.
11. L.1849. p. 65.
12. Ibid., p. 126.
13. 2 U.3.S.L. 155.
122
Coimty Court
prior to this date In the court of the probate Justice. The court was given
concurrent Jurisdiction with the circuit court In hearing and determining ap-
plications for the sale of real estate of deceased persons and for the pay-
ment of debts of the estate. 14 in Livingston County the county Judge has
served to the present day In his ex-offlclo capacity as Judge of the probate
court. 15
The law Jurisdiction of the county court In Livingston County Is con-
current with that of the circuit court In that class of cases wherein the
Justices of the peace have Jurisdiction where the value of the amount in
controversy does not exceed $2,000,1° i^ all cases of appeals from Justices
of the peace and police magistrates, aiid In all criminal offenses and mis-
demeanors where the punishment Is not Imprisonment In the penitentiary or
death. 1''' The county court also has original Jurisdiction In matters relating
to Indigent mothers, 1^ and Jurisdiction over Insane persons not charged with
crime. 19
The county and circuit courts have original Jurisdiction In cases of
Juvenile offenders. This Jurisdiction Is over matters dealing with depend-
ent, neglected, and delinquent children. The authority Includes provision
for the treatment, control, maintenance, adoption, and guardianship of such
children. 20
In 1899 provision was made for the appointment by the court of a Juve-
nile probation officer to serve without compensation from the public treas-
ury and at the pleasure of the court. 21 in 1907 an amendment to this act
authorized the court to allow compensation to such officers In a sum to be
set by the county board, but the power of the court to appoint probation of-
ficers to serve without pay was In no way abridged by this legislation. 22
An amendment of 1925 provided that If more than one probation officer were
appointed, one was to be designated as chief probation officer. To be
eligible for the position of chief probation officer, the candidate was
required to have had experience In social welfare work equivalent to one year
spent In active practical welfare work. Minimum rates, based upon popula-
tion, were established for the compensation of these officers, the county
board to fix the amount. Where a county had only one probation officer, the
salary rates were made to apply to that Individual. The court, however, re-
tains the power to appoint probation officers to serve without pay. 23 For
Livingston County, and others with a population of more than twenty-five
thousand, but not exceeding fifty thousand, 24 the rate is set at a sum not
less than $100 a month.
The officer under consideration makes investigation on order of the
court and takes charge of the child before and after trial. He is required
to be present at the court hearings In order that he may represent the
Interest of the child. This officer also furnishes information and assist-
14. L.1849, p. 65.
15. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 16,18; L.1849, p. 65; Constitution
of 1870, Art. VI, sec. 18; R.S.1874. p. 339,340; L.1933. p. 449,458.
16. Under the laws of 1872 and the revised statutes of 1874, the Jurisdic-
tion was in cases wherein the amount involved did not exceed $500
(L. 1871-72. r. 325; R.S.1874. p. 339,340). Legislation enacted in 1933
extended the Jurisdiction to $2,000 (L.1933. p. 452), but a later amend-
ment of the same session, passed June 21, 1935, placed the Jurisdiction
in cases where the amount involved is not over $1,000 (ibid., p. 449).
In 1939 Jurisdiction was again extended to $2,000 (L.1939, p. 492).
17. R.S.1874. p. 340; L.1877. p. 77; L.1895. p. 212.223; L.1933. p. 449-51.
18. L.1915. p. 127; L.1915. p. 243; L.1921. p. 162-64; L.1935. p. 256-59.
19. L.1869. p. 366; R.S.1874. p. 685.
20. L.ie99, p. 131-37; L.1901. p. 141-44; L.1905. p. 152-56; L.1907. p. 70-
78.
21. L.1899. p. 133.
22. L.1907. p. 69,70.
23. L.1925. r. 187,188.
24. In 1930 the population of Llvlnp:ston County was listed as 39,092,
Population Bulletin, p. 8.
123
County Court
ance as required by the court. 25
Upon petition filed with the clerk of the court for the removal of a
neglected or dependent child from the custody of Its parents or guardian,
process Is Issued for appearance. The summons may be served by the sherirf
or the duly appointed probation officer. 26
At any time after the filing of the petition and pending the final dis-
position, the court may allow the child to remain In the possession of its
custodian, or In Its home subject to the visitation of the probation officer;
or the child may be ordered In custody of the probation officer. 27 if upon
hearing the case the court finds the child to be dependent or neglected, the
court may commit the child to an association or Institution, or allow the
child to remain In his home subject to the visitation of the probation of-
ficer.28 In a similar fashion the probation officer for adults, an appointee
of the circuit court, assists the county court In the administration of Jus-
tice among adult violators. 29
In cases of delinquency, If the court finds any child to be delinquent,
the court may commit the child to an institution or to the custody of the
probation officer. The court may upon its discretion, send Juvenile offend-
ers and vagrants to the state reform school rather than to the county Jail. 30
Another probation officer, an appointee of the county court, assists the
court In mothers' pension cases. The state and county funds for Indigent
mothers and their children are administered by the county court. Its appoint-
ed probation officers, the county board with the assistance of the county
clerk, the county treasurer, and the State Department of Public Welfare. The
county court, however, Is given original Jiu^lsdlctlon In these matters,
il
A mother whose husband Is dead or Incapacitated, or who Is abandoned by
her husband. Is entitled to the benefits of the mothers' pension fund when
she Is in need. Such mother may file an application with the county court
for relief. The case of the applicant Is then Investigated by the probation
officer under the direction of the court. 32 a report and recommendation of
the approval or disapproval of such application Is then made by this officer
of the court. If the application Is approved, the probation officer or other
person may file with the clerk of the court a written petition verified by
affidavit setting forth the facts giving the court Jurisdiction and other
facts upon which an order for relief Is entered. Upon receipt of the peti-
tion, a summons Is Issued to the mother and the county board for appearance.
The usual procedure Is for the board to make a written appearance. Upon the
hearing In court, the court may make an order upon the county board to pay
monthly such money as may be necessary for the care of the mother and her
child or children In accordance with the provisions of law. 33
To carry out this procedure, the county court appoints the probation
officer who serves during the pleasure of the court and Is compensated for
his services by the county In such amount as determined by the county board.
As noted above, this officer Is required to Investigate all applications for
relief sind make a written report to the court. In addition to this duty, the
probation officer makes quarterly visits and supervises, under the direction
of the court, the families to which such assistance has been granted. 34
The county board annually levies a tax on all taxable property to pro-
25.
L.1899. p.
133; L.1925. p. 187,188.
26.
L.189P. p.
132.133: L.1905. p. 153.154; L.1907. p. 72.73.
27.
L.1907. p.
74.
28.
L.l^Ss! P.
180,181.
29.
L.1911. r.
280-82.
30.
L.1907. p.
75.
31.
L,1913, r.
p. 256-59.
127-30: L.1918. D. 243-45: L.1921. p. 162-64: L.1935.
32.
L.1P13. D.
127-30: L.1915. P. 244: L.1935. c. 256-59.
33.
L.191S. t>.
127-30: L.1935. p. 257-59.
34.
L.iei3. r.
129.130: L.1935. p. 258.
124
County Court
vide for the mothers' pension fund. The levy Is made not In excess of two-
fifths of one mill on a dollar In Livingston County. 35 in addition, the
General Assembly, from time to time, makes appropriations to the State Depart-
ment of Public Welfare, the funds. In turn, being distributed to the several
counties to supplement the pension fund. To become entitled to the state
appropriations, the county must meet the standards of administration set by
the state agency. The county treasurer certifies to the state department an
Itemized statement, attested by the county clerk, of the money paid out dur-
ing each quarter In accordance with the legislative provisions for this pen-
sion and also certifies annually the total assessed valuation and amount of
money raised by tax levy for the mothers' pension fund. 36
Jurisdiction In the election procedure Is vested variously In the county
board, the county court, and the county clerk. In the event that any city,
village, or Incorporated town adopts the City Election Act the county Judge
appoints a board of three election commissioners to have charge of elections
In that political unit. Only one such board, however, is appointed In each
county. This bosird has Jurisdiction over elections In all cities, villages,
or Incorporated towns which may adopt the act. 37 otherwise. Jurisdiction Is
vested In the county board, county court, and county clerk. The county court
has original Jurisdiction In election contests for certain county, district,
and township offices. 38
Aiding In the settlement of questions arising In the course of the elec-
tion procedure is the county officers electoral board. This body consists of
the county Judge as chairman, the county clerk, and the state's attorney. 39
The several nomination papers for county offices are filed with the
county clerk and are considered valid unless objections are made within five
days after the last day for filing such papers. Objections to nominations
are made to the county officers electoral board for any office of the county,
park district, or other division coterminous with or less than the county and
other than a city, village, incorporated town, or township. 40 The objector's
petition is filed with the county clerk who presents the same, together with
the nomination papers or certificate before the electoral board. 41 The peti-
tion contains the objector's name and residence, the nature of the objection,
the Interest of the objector, and the relief sought of the board. 42 a notice
of the hearing is sent to the candidate. Upon hearing the objections, the
board renders a final decision by majority vote. In the event the candidate
whose nomination is protested is a member of the electoral board, the circuit
Judge is required to fill his place. 43
Jurisdiction is vested in the county court to hear and determine all
questions relative to taxes on gifts, legacies and inheritance. 44 The act
granting this Jurisdiction is generally known as the "Inheritance Tax Law."
Originally, the state's attorney was charged with the duty of enforcing the
provisions of this law, 45 however, since 1913 these duties have been perform-
ed by the Attorney General. 46 Under that law the county Judge and the county
clerk are required every three months to make a statement In writing to the
county treasurer of the property from which or the party from whom he has
reason to believe a tax under this act is due and unpaid. 47 The county
35. L.1919, p. 780,781; L.1927. p. 196,197; L.1928. First Sp. Sess., p. 3,4;
L.19o3. p. 194,195.
36. L.1955. p. 259.
37. L.lfl85. p. 147-49; L.1899. p. 163-65; L.1917. p. 445,446; L.1929. p. 339;
L.1935. p. 534; L. 1955-36. Fourth Sp. Sess., p. 35.
38. L. 1871 -72, p. 396.
39. L.1891. p. 110,111; L.1933. p. 552.
40. L.1891. p. 110,111; L.1929. p. 394.
41. L.ieOl. p. Ill; L.1929. p. 394; L.1953. p. 552.
42. L.1929, p. 394,395.
43. L.1933. p. 552.
44. L.1895. p. 306; L.1909. p. 318.
45. L.1895. p. 306; L.1909. r. 319.
46. L.1913. p. 615,616; L.l':35. p. 1179,1180.
47. L.1895. p. 306; L.1909. p. 319; L.1913. p. 516.
125
County Court
treasurer Is required to collect and pay to the State Treasurer all taxes
that may be due and payable under It. 48
Under an act of 1933, housing corporations may be organized In Illinois
for the express purpose of Improving housing conditions. 49 Such corporations
are subject to the supervision and control of the State Housing Board. This
state agency has authority, after Investigations and public hearings, to ap-
prove the acquisition of property and construction of housing projects. If
the State Housing Board approves a project over the objections of ten percent
of the property owners within a mile, but not Included In the project. It
must then file an application with the clerk of the county court to be sub-
mitted to the county Judge for the confirmation of Its approval. Such appli-
cation Is to contain copies of the findings and order of the board, tran-
script of testimony, description of the project and public spaces, statement
of location, and reasons for approval by the board. The objectors to the
project may file objections In the county court to the confirmation of such
a project. The county Judge then examines the application, objections, and
any additional evidence before rendering a decision of "approved" or "not
approved" on the appllcation.50
Appeals from the Judgments and decisions of the county court may be
taken to the circuit court. 51 To the Appellate Court or Supreme Court may be
taken and prosecuted appeals and writs of error In proceedings for the sale
of lands for taxes and special assessments. In all common law and attachment
cases, and In cases of forcible detainer and forcible entry and detainer.
Such appeals and writs of error are, when not otherwise provided, taken and
prosecuted In the same manner as appeals and writs of error from the circuit
court. 52
The records of the county court are kept by Its clerk. In Livingston
County the county clerk Is ex-offlclo clerk of the county court. In addition
to the statutory records described below the clerk necessarily maintains
others In effecting the court's orders. 53
For the court the clerk keeps the following records:
1. Books of record of the proceedings and Judgments of the court
with alphabetical Indexes by names of parties. Proceedings are
recorded at length only In cases designated by law or when the
court, at the motion and assumption of expenses by one of the
parties, so orders. In practice, the court record has been
broken down from an early date Into segregated types of pro-
ceedings Eind Judgments.
2. "Plaintiff-Defendant Index to Court Records" and "Defendant-
Plaintiff Index to Court Records," Intended to be separate
records, but frequently combined In a single volume with the
two Indexes segregated In each volume.
3. A general docket In which all suits are entered In the order
they are commenced.
4. A Judgment and execution docket containing a column for the
entry of satisfaction or other disposition. In practice, an
execution docket Is frequently set up Independently.
5. Additional dockets, designated as the clerk's. Judge's, and
bar docket. In practice, the bar docket has tended to drop
out of use. 54
48. L.1895. p. 307; L.1909. p. 319; L.1913. p. 516.
49. L.1933. p. 396-415; L. 1933-34. Third Sp. Sess., p. 167-74.
50. Ibid.
51. L.1933. p. 396.
52. R.S.1874. p. 339; L.1877. p. 77; L.1881. p. 66.
53. The form which such records take Is generally determined by court order
(L.1849. p. 66; R.S.1374. p. 262,263).
54. The Civil Practice Act of 1933 grants authority to county courts, sub-
ject to rules promulgated by the Supreme Court and not Inconsistent with
statutory requirements, to make such rules as they may deem expedient,
re©ilatlng dockets and calendars of said court (L.1933. p. 786).
126
County Court - Proceedings (141-145)
of Court
6. A fee book In which costs and fees are to be entered under the
proper title of the cause. In practice, separate series of
volumes are maintained under these titles of causes.
7. Transcripts of proceedings In appeals from Justices' courts,
dockets thereof, and transcripts of Judgment for liens, etc.,
from Justices' courts.
8. Naturalization records Including petitions, proceedings, final
certificates, etc. The county courts In Illinois prior to 1906
met the requirement of Federal statutes to exercise naturaliza-
tion Jurisdiction. 55
9. Original documents used In court hearings and determinations;
of particular Importance In the large number of cases where
complete proceedings are not spread on court record. 56
10. Monthly reports of the warden of the county Jail containing a
list of all prisoners In his custody and showing the cause of
commitment and names of persons by whom coimnltted.57
Proceedings of Court
(See also entry 100 [Iv])
141. (COURT SUMMONS), 1874—. 3 f.b.
Court summonses showing name of person summoned, nature of case, and dates of
summons, service, and return. No obvious arr. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm.
11 X 5 X 14. Co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
142. COMMON LAW (Cases), 1855--, 78 f.b.
Documents In common law cases. Including subpoenas, pleas, summonses, writs,
warrants, affidavits, appeals, appeal bonds, transcripts from Justices' and
police magistrates' courts, confessions. Judgments, executions. Jury verdicts,
probation officer's Investigation reports, and court decrees; also Includes
special assessment rolls, 1899 — , and documents In adoption cases, 1872 — .
Arr. by case no. No Index. Hdw., typed, and hdw. and typed on pr. fm.
11 x 5 X 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
143. (COUNTY AND CIRCUIT COURT CASES - TRANSCRIPTIONS), 1874-1936.
5 bdl.
Transcripts of testimony In county and circuit court cases. Including attor-
neys' questions and objections, witnesses' answers, and Judges' remarks,
showing date, number, and title of case, and name of court. No obvious arr.
No Index. 1874-34, hdw.; 1885-1936, typed. 13 x 12 x 8. Corridor, bsmt.
144. COUNTY COURT RECORD - COMMON LAW, 1853—. 8 v. (1-4, 6-9).
Record of proceedings In common law cases. Including Judgments by default,
showing date, number, and nature of case, names of plaintiff, defendant, and
attorneys, and court proceedings and orders; also contains transcripts of
common law case proceedings from foreign. Justice, and magistrate courts;
applications for certificates of good moral character, 1912 — ; drainage
petitions, 1895-1918; Confession Record, 1853-60, entry 145; and Volimtary
Insolvent Record, 1898—, entry 147. Arr. by date of proceedings. Indexed
alph. by name of plaintiff. 1853-1915, hdw.; 1916—, typed. 500 p. 18 x 13
x 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
145. CONFESSION RECORD, 1861—. 3 v. (1 not numbered, 4, 5). 1853-60
in County Court Record - Common Law, entry 144.
Record of Judgments by confession, showing case number, names of plaintiff,
defendant, and attorneys, amounts of debts and court costs, orders of court,
and date of Judgment. Arr. by case no. 1861-1920, Indexed alph. by name of
plaintiff; 1921—, Indexed alph. by name of defendant. Hdw. on pr. fm. 550 p.
18 x 13 x 3. 1 V. not labeled, 18Cl-8b, corridor, bsint.; v. 4, in05-1920,
55. 2 U.S.S.L. 153; U.S.R.S. 1789-1874. p. 378.
56. R. 3.1845, p. 323,324,414,418,419; L.1365. p. 79,80; L. 1871-72. p. 325;
R.S. 1374. p. 262,263; U.S.R.S. 1789-1874. p. 378-80; 34 U.S.S.L. 596-
607; 44 U.S.S.L. 709,710.
57. R.S. 1874, p. 617; L.1933. p. 678.
127
County Court - Proceedings (146-153)
of Court
CO. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.; V. 5, 1921--, co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
146. ADOPTION RECJORD, 1876-1929-. 2 V. (A, 2). 1872-75 In Probate
Journal, entry 193; 1930 — In Miscellaneous Record, entry 100.
Record of proceedings In adoption cases, showing case number, names of peti-
tioner, parents or guardian, child, and Judge, Investigator's report, court
proceedings and orders, and date of filing. Arr. by date of filing. Indexed
alph. by name of child. Hdw. on pr. fm. 220 p. 18 x 13 x 2. Co. clk.'s
vlt., 1st fl.
Also runs concurrently with 1905, In entry 100.
147. VOLUNTARY INSOLVENT RECORD, 1878-97, 1 v. (A). 1898— In County
Court Record - Common Law, entry 144.
Record of cases of voluntary assignments of property to pay debts by Insol-
vent persons, showing date of case, and names of estate and assignee; In-
cludes Inventory and appraisement of real and personal property, appraiser's
oath and bond, appraisement bill, reports to court, and court orders. Arr.
by date of case. Indexed alph. by name of Insolvent debtor. Hdw. 416 p. 18
X 13 X 2. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
148. PEOPLE'S (Cases), 1872—. 46 f.b.
Documents In criminal, and dependent and delinquent cases. Including sum-
monses, warrants, writs, pleas. Indictments, affidavits; recognizance, ball,
and appeal bonds; appeals and transcripts from Justice courts. Jury verdicts,
and court orders. Also contains (Insanity Papers), 1927 — , entry 151. Arr.
by case no. No index. 1872-93, hdw., and hdw, on pr. fm.; 1894 — , typed,
and hdw. and typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
149. COUNTY COURT RECORD - CRIMINAL, 1853--. 6 V. (1, 2, 5, 8-10).
Record of proceedings In criminal cases. Including dependent and delinquent
children and probation cases, 1872 — , showing date, number, and nature of
case, names of defendant and attorney, and dates and nature of proceedings,
and court orders. Also contains transcripts of criminal proceedings In
foreign. Justice, and magistrate courts; and Ball Bond Record, 1853-81, entry
150. Arr. by date of case. Indexed alph. by name of defendant. 1853-1915,
hdw.; 1916--, typed. 500 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Co, clk,'s vlt., 1st fl.
150. BAIL BOND RECORD, 1882—. 3 V. (1, 1, 2). Title varies: Recogni-
zance Record, v. 1, 1882-1917. 1853-81 in County Court Record -
Criminal, entry 149.
Copies of ball bonds and recognizances, showing names of defendant, attorney,
and sureties, date, amount, and terms of bond, nature of case, and date of
filing. Arr. by date of filing. Indexed alph. by name of defendant. Hdw.
on pr. fm. 160 - 275 p. ,18 x 13 x 2. V. 1, 1882-1917, co. clk.'s vlt., 1st
fl.; V. 1, 2, 1918—, CO. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
151. (INSANITY PAPERS), 1854—. 1854-1926 In Probate Cases, entry 189;
1927— In People's (Cases), entry 148.
Original documents In Insanity cases. Including petitions. Investigation
reports, physicians' reports, court orders, and Jury verdicts. Arr. by date
of case. Hdw., and typed on pr. fm.
152. INSANITY RECORD (Jury), 1874—. 5 v. (1-5). Last entry 1931.
1853-73 In Probate Journal, entry 193.
Proceedings In Insanity cases tried by Jury, showing names of petitioner,
witnesses, patient, and Jurors, reason for petition, findings of Jury, date
of hearing, court orders, and date and place of conmltment. Arr. by date of
hearing. Indexed alph. by name of patient. Hdw, on pr. fm. 320 p. 18 x 12
X 2. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
153. INSANITY RECORD (Commission), 1894—. 4 v. (3-6)
Proceedings In Insanity cases tried before commission of physicians, showing
names of petitioner, witnesses, patient, and commissioners, reason for peti-
tion, findings of commission, date of hearing, court orders, and date and
place of commitment. Arr. by date of hearing. Indexed alph. by name of
patient* Hdw. on pr. fm. 320 p. 18 x 12 x 2. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
128
■County Court - Dockets (154-161)
Dockets
Court Dockets
154. GENERAL COURT DOCKET, 1855--. 2 v. (1 not numbered, 1).
Docket of county court cases, showing date, number, and nature of case, names
of plaintiff, defendant, and attorneys, and court orders. Also contains
People's Docket (Criminal), 1355-1925, entry 159. Arr. by date of case. No
index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 320 p. 18 x 13 x 2, 1 v. not numbered, 1855-
1906, corridor, bsint.; v. 1, 1907—, co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
155. JUDGl^NT AND EXECUTION DOCKET, 1855—. 4 v. (A-D). Title varies:
Docket of Judgment, V. A, 1855-80; Judgment Docket, v. B, 1881-
1906.
Docket of Judgments and executions, showing case number, names of plaintiff
and defendant, date and nature of Judgment, amounts of debt, damages, and
costs or fees, dates of execution and sheriff's return. Arr. alph. by name
of person against v^hom Judgment is entered. No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs.
400 p. 18 x 13 x 2. V. A-C, 1855-1920, CO. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; v. D, 1921—,
CO. clk.'s Off., 1st fl.
156. JUDGE'S DOCKET, 1872—. 13 v. (2 not lettered, C-I, H, 3 not
lettered) .
Judge's docket of county court cases, showing case number, names of plain-
tiff, defendant, attorneys, and petitioner, nature of case, orders of court,
and date of filing. Also contains County Judge's Docket - Insane, 1872-1903,
1909—, entry 160. Arr. by case no. No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 300 p.
14 X 12 X 2. 2 V. not lettered, v. C-I, H, 1372-1907, corridor, bsmt.; 2 v.
not lettered, 1908-25, co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.; 1 v. not lettered, 1926—,
CO. ct. rin., 1st fl.
157. JUDGl-ENT AND DOCKET OF SPECIAL TAXES, 1899—. 1 v, (1). Last
entry 1934.
Docket of special assessments, showing names and addresses of land owners,
type of Improvement, legal description of property, amounts of assessment
and each Installment, and dates of assessment and payment; includes Judgments
and executions on special tax delinquent property. Arr. by date of assess-
ment. Indexed alph. by name of assessed person. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 260
p. 18 x 13 X 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
158. DOCKET OF PROCEEDINGS - FEEBLE-MINDED, 1916—. 1 v. (A).
Docket of proceedings in cases of feeble-minded persons, showing case number,
names of petitioner, alleged feeble-minded person, witnesses, and physician,
history of case, dates of sumrnons, hearing, and decree, and orders of court.
Arr. by date of hearing. Indexed alph. by name of alleged feeble-minded.
Hdw. on pr. fm. 150 p. 18 x 13 x 2. Co. ct. rm., 1st fl.
159. PEOPLE'S DOCKET (Criminal), 1926—. 2 v. (1, 2). 1855-1925 in
General Court Docket, entry 154.
Clerk's docket of criminal cases, showing date, number, and nature of case,
names of defendant and attorneys, and orders of court. Arr. by date of case.
No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 150 p. 18 x 13 x 2. Co. clk.'s off., 1st
fl.
160. COUNTY JUDGE'S DOCKET - INSANE, 1904-8. 1 v. 1872-1903, 1909—
in Judge's Docket, entry 156.
Docket of insanity cases, showing date and number of case, names of peti-
tioner, alleged insane, and examining commission or Jurors, dates of peti-
tion, summons, and examination, and orders of court. Arr. by date of case.
No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 160 p. 14 x 9 x li. Corridor, bsmt.
161. CLERK'S DOCKET, 1869-72. 1 v.
Clerk's docket of criminal and common law cases, showing date and number of
case, names of plaintiff, defendant, and attorneys, nature of case, and
orders of court. Arr. by date of case. No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs.
145 p. 14 X 10 X li. Co. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.
129
County Court - Fee Books; (162-168)
Reports to Court
Justice Dockets
162. JUSTICE OF THE PEACE DOCKETS, 1839-1933. 60 V. (57 not numbered,
1839-1933; 3-5, 1875-83). Missing: 1853-66.
Dockets of Justice of peace courts delivered to county clerk after death or
resignation of Justice, showing names of plaintiff, defendant, witnesses, and
Justices, kind of action, description of fees, and court orders. Also In-
cludes record of chattel mortgages, 1872-1933, filed In Justice of peace
courts, Arr. by case no. No Index. 1839-52, hdw.; 1867 — , hdw. on pr. fm.
300 p. 14 X 9 X 2. 10 V. not numbered, v. 3-5, 1839-1907, co. clk.'s vlt.,
bsmt.; 40 v. not numbered, 1893-1933, corridor, bsmt.; 7 v. not numbered,
1913-22, CO. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
Fee Books
163. FEE BOOK - COMMON AND CRIMINAL, 1899--. 7 V. (15-21).
Record of fees charged and collected In corurion law and criminal cases; Includ-
ing drainage cases; and Insanity cases, 1909 — , showing date and number of
case, court tenn, names of plaintiff, defendant, and attorneys, natiu'e and
amount of fees, and total amount of fees and payment. Also contains Witness
Fees, 1899-1905, 1918—, entry 166. Fee Book - Criminal, entry 164, and Fee
Book - Comjfion, entry 165, formerly kept separately. Arr. by date of case.
Common law cases indexed alph. by name of plaintiff; criminal cases Indexed
alph. by name of defendant. Hdw. on pr. fra. 500 p. 18 x 14 x 3. V. 15-20,
1899-1932, CO. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.; v. 21, 1933--, co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
164. FEK BOOK - CRIMINAL, 1855-98. 3 v. (2 not numbered, 5). 1899—
in Fee Book - Common and Criminal, entry 163.
Record of fees charged and collected in criminal cases, including witness
fees, showing date and number of case, court term, names of defendant and
attorneys, nature and amount of fees, and to^tal amount of payment. Arr. by
date of case. Indexed alph. by name of defe'ndant. Hdw. on pr. fm. 500 p.
18 X 14 x 3. Co. clk.'s vlt. 1st fl.
165. FEt; BOOK - COIliKDN, 1367-98. 2 v. (2, 4). 1899— in Fee Book -
Coi.imon and Criminal, entry 163.
Record of fees charged and collected in common law cases, including witness
fees and drainage case fees, 1895-98, showing date, and number of case, ten.i,
names of plaintiff, defendant, and attorneys, nature and aiiount of fees and
payment, kind of action, and total amounts of fees. Arr. by date of case.
Indexed alph. by name of plaintiff. Hdw. on pr. fm. 300 p. 18 x 14 x 2.
Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
166. WITNESS FEES, 1906-17. 1 v. 1899-1905, 1918— in Fee Book -
Coimnon and Criminal, entry 163.
Record of cominon law and criminal case witness fees, showing case nuiiber,
na^Tie of witness, description of service, and date and amount of payi.ient.
Arr. by date of case. Indexed alph. by name of witness. Hdw. on pr. fm.
200 p. 18 X 13 X 3. Co. clk.'s vlt,, 1st fl.
Reports to Court
(See also entries 99 [ill], 178)
167. (CEMETERY REPORTS), 1929—. 1 f.b.
Reports by secretary of cemetery association to county court of receipts and
disbursements, showing date of report, name and location of cemetery, totals
of receipts and dlsburseiients, and balance on hand. No obvious arr. No
index. Typed, and hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14, Co. clk.'s vlt,, 1st fl.
168. (REPORTS OF JUSTICES OF THE PEACE), 1891-1930. 3 f.b. 1931—
in (Supervisors' Files), entry 1.
Reports of Justices of the peace of fine collections, showing date and aiiount
of fine, name of person fined, nature of case, and date of report. No
obvious arr. No index. Hdw. on pr. fm, 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st
fl.
130
County Court - Jury (169-176)
Lists; Probation
169. REPORT OF FINES, 1894-1900. 1 V.
Copies of reports of Justices of the peace to county court of fine collec-
tions, showing name of defendant, cause of action, amounts of fine assessed
and collected, total amount of fine collections, and date of report. Arr. by
date of report. No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 480 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Cor-
ridor, bsmt.
170. DOCKET OF FINES, 1869-1918. 2 v.
Record of state's attorney's reports to county court of fine collections, show-
ing name of defendant, reason for Indictment, dates of arrest. Indictment,
and Judgment, book and page of entry of case In record and fee books, amounts
of fine and costs, date and amount of payment, sheriff's return, and date of
receipt of fine and costs by state's attorney. Arr. by date of Judgment. No
Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 160 p. 18 x 13 x 2. 1 v., 1869-95, co. clk.'s
vlt., bsmt.; 1 v., 1896-1918, CO. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Jury Lists
(See also entries 1, 34)
171. (VENIRE OF JURORS), 1919—. 1 f.b.
Lists of Jurors, showing names and addresses of Jurors, date of call, mile-
age, and amount of fees. No obvious arr. No index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x
5 X 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Probation
(See also entry 142)
Juvenile
172. DELINQUENT CHILDREN, 1918—. 1 f.b.
Probation officer's open delinquent case file, showing case number, name,
address, and personal and physical statistics of child, names of actual or
foster parents, relatives, and attorneys, reason for delinquency, court order
declaring child delinquent and releasing him to probation officer, and dates
of probation, reports, and release. Arr. alph. by name of child. No index.
Typed. 10 x 14 x 24. Off. of Juvenile probation officer, 1st fl.
173. DEPENDENT CHILDREN, 1918—. 1 f.b.
Probation officer's open dependent case file, showing case number, name, age,
address, and personal statistics of child, names and addresses of actual or
foster parents, family history, causes for dependency, name of agency to
which committed, and date of commitment. Arr. alph. by name of child. No
Index. Typed. 10 x 14 x 24. Off. of Juvenile probation officer, 1st fl.
174. DELINQUENT AND DEPENDENT, 1918—. 4 f.b.
Probation officer's closed dependent and delinquent case files, showing case
number, name, address, and history of child, names and addresses of parents,
cause of delinquency or dependency, court orders, reports, and date of
release. Arr. alph. by name of child. No Index. Typed. 10 x 14 x 24. Off.
of Juvenile probation officer, 1st fl.
175. CORRESPONDENCE (Dependent and Delinquent Children), 1918--.
1 f.b.
Probation officer's file of correspondence In regard to dependent and delin-
quent cases In his care. Arr. alph. by name of child. No index. Hdw. and
typed. 10 X 14 X 24. Off. of Juvenile probation officer, 1st fl.
Mothers' Pension (See
also entries 7,20,21,347)
176. MOTHERS' PENSION RECORD, 1915—. 1 f.b.
Card record of mothers' pension cases, showing dates of petition and hearing,
name of mother, number of dependent children, amount of pension payment, and
date and amount of periodic payment. Arr. alph. by name of mother. No index.
Typed on pr. fm. 14 x 5 x 24. Off. of Juvenile probation officer, 1st fl.
131
County Court - Inheritance (177-183)
Tax; Naturalization
177. MOTHERS' PE34SION, 1915—, 1 f.b.
Documents In mothers' pension cases. Including petitions for mothers' pen-
sions, transcripts of evidence at hearing, and probation officer's report to
court. Arr. alph. by name of petitioner. No Index. Typed on pr. fm. 10 x
14 X 24. Off. of Juvenile probation officer, 1st fl.
Adult
178. REGULAR REPORT OF PROBATION OFFICER, 1934--. 1 file envelope.
Monthly reports of probationer, showing date, name and address of probationer,
name of employer, type of work, amounts of earnings, savings, and payment on
costs, account of spare time, place of report, and signature of probationer.
Arr. by date of report. No Index. Hdw. 12 x 10 x 1. Probation officer's
residence.
Inheritance Tax
(See also entry 340)
179. (INHERITANCE TAX PAPERS), 1914—. In Probate Cases, entry 189.
Inheritance tax papers including estate appraisements, schedules, and orders,
showing names of estate and beneficiaries, legal description of property,
appraised valuation, tax rate, amount of tax and exemption. Judge's order for
payment, and date of filing. Arr. by case number. For Indexes, 1914-22, see
entries 191, 192; for Index, 1923—, see entry 190. Typed on pr. fm.
180. INHERITANCE TAX RECORD, 1911—. 3 v.
Record of inheritance tax assessments, showing names of estates, beneficia-
ries, and attorneys, legal description and appraised valuation of property,
cash and taxable values, exemptions, tax rate, total amount of assessment,
and date of filing. Arr. by date of assessment. Indexed alph. by name of
estate. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 300 p. 15 x 14 x 2. 1 v., 1911-14, corridor,
bsmt.; 1 v., 1915-32, co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.; 1 v., 1933—, co. clk.'s vlt.
No. 2, 1st f.
Natural ization
(See also entries 284-288)
181. NATURALIZATION PAPERS, 1859-1906. 8 f.b.
Documents In naturalization cases. Including petitions, declarations of
Intention, oaths of allegiance, court orders, and final certificates. Arr.
by date of filing. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s
vlt., 1st fl.
182. NATURALIZATION RECORD - ADULT, 1859-1906. 5 v. (70, 2, 5, 8, 10).
Title varies: Naturalization Record, Final, v. 70, 1859-65, v. 5,
1830-1899; Naturalization Record Final Certificate, v. 2, 1866-
79; Final Certification of Naturalization, v. 8, 1900-1902.
Record of final certificates of adults, showing name, age, birthplace, and
residence of alien, oath of renunciation, and dates of petition and final
certificate. Also contains Naturalization Record - Intention (Adults), 1905,
1906, entry 183, and Naturalization Record - Minor, 1867, 1868, 1905, 1906,
entry 184. Arr. by date of certificate. Indexed alph. by name of alien.
Hdw. on pr. fm. 250 p. 18 x 12 x 2, Co. clk.'s vlt,, 1st fl.
183. NATURALIZATION RECORD - INTENTION (Adults), 1856-1904. 4 V. (70,
70, 4, 6). Title varies: Naturalization Record, v. 70, 1856-58.
1905, 1906 in Naturalization Record - Adult, entry 182.
Record of declarations of intention and petitions for naturalization, showing
name, age, race, birthplace, present address, and marital status of alien,
length of residence in the United States, renunciation of allegiance to
foreign power, and dates of declaration and petition. Arr. by date of decla-
ration. Indexed alph. by name of alien. 1856-58, hdw.; 1859-1904, hdw. on
pr. fm. 250 p. 18 x 12 x 2. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
132
County Court - Office (184-188)
Transactions
164. NATURALIZATION RECORD - MINOR, 1871-1904, 3 V. (3, 7, 9). Title
varies: Naturalization Record. Petition, Oath, and Certificate of
Minor, V. 3, 1871-92; Naturalization Record Intention - Minors,
V. 7, 1893-1903. 1867, 1863, 1905, 1906 In Naturalization Record -
Adult, entry 182.
Record of declarations of Intention, petitions, and final certificates of
naturalization of minors, showing narne, age, and birthplace of minor, names
and address of parents, oath of allegiance to the United States and renuncia-
tion of allegiance to foreign power, and dates of declaration, petition, and
final certificate; also Includes petitions, oaths, and final certificates of
discharged soldiers, 1865-92. Arr. by date of declaration. Indexed alph.
by name of alien. Hdw. on pr. fm. 250 p. 18 x 12 x 2. Co. clk.'s vlt.,
1st fl.
IBS. NATURALIZATION DOCKET, 1874-1906. 2 v. (A, 1).
Docket of naturalization cases, showing name and residence of petitioner,
date of order for final certificate, and name of Judge. Arr. by date of
case. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 150 p. 16 x 11 x li. Co. clk.'s
vlt., 1st fl.
Office Transactions
Fee Payments
186. COmmr CLERK'S EARNING JOURNAL, 1915-31. 3 v. (1-3).
Journal of court fees showing date, amount, and type of fees, name of payer,
reference to book and page of entry In fee books, and date of payment. Arr.
by date of payment. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 500 p. 18 x 14 x 2.
Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Court Business (See
also entry 99 [11] )
187. SHERIFF'S RECEIPTS, 1913--. 23 v.
Duplicate receipts for court papers Issued to sheriff for service, showing
type of document, names of sheriff or deputy and attorneys, and date of
receipt. Arr. by date of receipt. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 175 p. 14 x
8i X 1. 9 v., 1913-24, corridor, bsmt.; 14 v., 1925—, co. clk.'s off., 1st
fl.
188. ATTORNEYS' RECEIPTS, 1865-1919. 3 v. (1 not numbered, 1, 2).
Missing: 1868-98.
Receipts given by attorneys for court documents, showing title of case, names
of plaintiff, defendant, and attorney, and dates of receipt and return. Arr.
by case no. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 200 p. 16 x 12 x 1. 1 v. not
numbered, 1865-67, corridor, bsmt.; v, 1, 2, 1899-1919, co. clk.'s vlt., 1st
fl.
133
(Next entry ia9, p. 136)
V. PROBATE COURT
Jurisdiction In probate ;natters In Livingston County was vested In a
separate probate court from the organization of the county. In 1337 until
1849. From 1837 to 1349 probate court was held by a probate Justice of the
peace who was elected by the county electorate for a two-yeeir term, with a
four-year term effective In 1839.1 The term was reduced In 1347 to two
years. 2 The Jurisdiction of the probate court was transferred to the newly
created county court In 1349.3 The Livingston county court has retained
probate Jurisdiction from that date to the present. 4
As enunciated by the present constitution and subsequent legislation,
the Jurisdiction of the court extends to all probate matters, the settlement
of estates of deceased persons, the appointment of guardians and conservators
and settlement of their accounts, all matters relating to apprentices, and
cases of sales of real estate of deceased persons for payment of debts. 5
Aiding the court In Its Jurisdiction over the administration of inte-
state estates and the guardianship of minors, are the public adanlnlstrator
and the public guardian. Each officer Is appointed quadrennially by the
Governor with the advice and consent of the senate. The public administrator
and public guardian are required to enter Into bonds set and approved by the
court In sums not less than $5,000.6 Their duties are performed under the
direction and orders of the court. The records that result from their pre-
scribed duties appear among the records of the court with those of other
administrators, executors, and guardians.
When there Is no relative or creditor who will administer an Intestate
estate, the court commits the administration to the public administrator upon
application of any person Interested in the estate. ' If a widow, next of
kin, or creditor of the deceased appears within six months after the adminis-
tration is granted to the public administrator, the court then revokes its
grant of administration to the public administrator and orders letters of
administration granted to such person interested in the estate. If, after
all debts and charges against the estate which have been presented within tv/o
years after the adir.inlstratlon of the estate was committed to such public
adirdnlstrator are fully paid, any balance of intestate estate renains, the
adrfiinistrator causes a notice to be published requiring persons still having
claims against the estate to present them to the county court within six
months. If no claims are presented, the balance is paid into the county
treasury upon the expiration of the six-month period, the county remaining
answerable to any future claims. 3
As already noted, the court has authority to appoint guardians of minor
heirs of deceased persons. In cases where the minor is under fourteen years
of a-re the court appoints his guardian. When the minor Is over fourteen he
may noir.inate his own guardian, subject to the approval of the court. 9 Under
the direction of the court, the guardian is responsible for the custody,
nurture, and tuition of his ward and the care and management of his estate.
The court may assign the guardianship of the estate to one guardian and the
custody and tuition of the ward to another. 10 v/ithln sixty days after his
appointment, the guardian ret'oms to the court a complete Inventory of the
real and personal estate of the ward in the fonn prescribed by law.H At the
1. L. 1836-57. p. 176. From 1821 to 1837 probate court was held by a pro-
bate Judge (L.1821. p. 119).
2. L.1845. p. 26. Effective in 1847.
3. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 16,18; L.1849. p. 65.
4. R.S.1074. p. 339,340; L.1933, p. 449,458.
5. Constitution of 1870, Art. VI, sec. 20; L.1877. p. 80.
6. L.1825. r. 70,72; R.L.1829^ p. 208; R.L.1833, p. 627,628; R.S.1B45.
p. 54R; L. 1871 -72. p. 89; L.18?l, n. 3; L.1839. p. 165.
7. R.L.1P33. p. 628; R.S. 1*^45. p. 548; L. 1871-72. p. 89.
8. R. 3.1845. p. 549; L. 1071-72. p. 89,90.
9. L.1831. p. 100; L.1835, p. 36; R.S.1B45. r. 265,266; L. 1873-74. p. 107;
L.191C. p. 583; L.1931. p. 610; L.1937. p. 660.
10. L. 1871 -72. p. 469; L.ie77, p. 114.
11. L.igi9. p. 582; L.1953. p. 644.
134
Probate Court
end of the first year of his appointment, and every three years thereafter,
he makes a settlement of his accounts. When his trust Is completed or upon
the death of the ward, the guardian makes final settlement and delivers over
to persons entitled to them the property and papers In his hands as guardi-
an.12 Upon failure of a guardian appointed by the court to act within three
months In this capacity, the court commits the guardianship of the minor to
the public guardian. 13 The latter's records appear with those of other
guardians.
The probate Justice of the peace 1837 to 1849, performed the ministerial
function of the probate clerk. 14 From the establishment of the county court
In 1849. until the present, the county clerk has served as ex-offlclo probate
clerk. 15
The clerk is required to attend the sessions of court. Issue all proc-
ess, preserve all files and papers, make, keep, and preserve complete records
of all the proceedings and determinations of the court, and perform all other
duties pertaining to his office as required by law or the rules and orders of
his court. He is required to enter of record all Judgments, decrees, and
orders of the court. 16
ing:
The major records of the probate court kept by the clerk are the follow-
1. Journal of all Judicial proceedings and determinations of the
Judge.
2. A Judgment docket with a direct and an indirect Index: former,
by name of claimant against estate; latter, by estate. In
practice, the requirement of two indexes often leads to two
dockets.
3. Books for recordation of bonds and letters of administrators,
executors, guardians, and conservators; appraisement and sale
bills; widows' relinquishment and selection of property; wills
and the probate thereof; annual and final reports of adminis-
trators, executors, guardians, and conservators. Generally,
each category of these probate business matters is recorded
separately, but the segregation is not always carefully main-
tained.
4. Separate dockets of unsettled estates and claims against
estates, and a ledger of the accounts of executors, adminis-
trators, and guardians. Note that the dockets of probate
business matters are separated from dockets of court proceed-
ings Just as are the books of recordation of the two categories;
the intention of the law to make this distinction is further
shown in Its granting the clerk, during vacation of the court,
power to receive petitions, accept bonds, grant letters testa-
mentary, etc.
5. Files of original documents not subject to recordation; Indexes
to such; records of office transactions in pursuance of the
court's orders to the clerk, necessary In the latter's settle-
ment with that body. 17
12. L. 1871-72. p. 471: L.li^lQ, p. 583; L.1929. p. 506.
13. L.ieag, p. i65.
14. L . 1857 . p. 177,178; The probate Judge was required to act as his own
clerk (U1821, p. 119,120).
15. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 16,18; L.1849. p. 63-65; R.S.1874.
p. 339,340.
16. L.1877. p. 82.
17. L.1821. p. 110.120; R.L.1829. p. 215,231; R.L.1837, p. 429; R.S.1845,
p. 427,428; L.1851. p. 193; L.1859. p. 92-94; R.S.1874. p. 260-65;
L.1877. p. 63; L.1933. p. 293.
135
Probate Court - Proceedings (189-196)
of Court
Proceedings of Court
General Proceedings
189. PROBATE CASES, 1838—. 588 f.b.
Files of probate papers, Including petitions, oaths, bonds, and letters of
administrator, executor, guardian, and conservator, proofs of will and heir-
ship, estate Inventories and appraisements, current and final accounts,
reports of financial condition of estate, sale bills, widows' selections, and
claims against estates. Also contains (Insanity Papers), 1854-1926, entry
151, £Lnd (Inheritance Tax Papers), 1914 — , entry 179. Arr. by case no. For
Indexes, 1838-1922, see entries 191, 192; for Index, 1923 — , see entry 190.
1838-58, hdw.; 1859--, hdw. and typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s
vlt., 1st fl.
190. PROBATE INDEX, 1923--. 1 v.
Index to Probate Cases, entry 189, showing case number, names of estate and
administrator, executor, guardian, or conservator, and reference to book and
page of probate fee book. Index - Administrator and Executor, entry 191, and
Index - Guardians and Conservators, entry 192, formerly kept separately.
Arr. alph. by name of estate. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 300 p. 18 x 15 x 3. Co.
clk.'s off., 1st fl.
191. INDEX - ADMINISTRATOR AND EXECUTOR, 1838-1922. 1 V. 1923— in
Probate Index, entry 190.
Index to administrators' and executors' cases in Probate Cases, entry 189,
showing case number, and names of estate and administrator or executor; in-
cludes book and page reference to probate estate docket and probate fee book.
Arr. alph. by name of estate. Hdw, under pr. hdgs. 350 p. 18 x 16 x 4. Co.
clk.'s off., 1st fl.
192. INDEX - GUARDIANS AND CONSERVATORS, 1838-1922. 1 V. 1923— in
Probate Index, entry 190.
Index to guardians' and conservators' cases In Probate Cases, entry 189,
showing case number, names of estate and guardian or conservator; Includes
book and page reference to probate estate docket and probate fee book. Arr.
alph. by name of waird. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 350 p. 18 x 16 x 4. Co. clk.'s
off., 1st fl.
193. PROBATE JOURNAL, 1838—. 40 v. (3 not labeled, J-Z, 27-46).
Title varies: Probate Record, 3 v., 1838-60.
Notation of proceedings In all estate cases, showing names of estate, heirs,
administrative officers, and sureties; date, amount, and obligations of bond;
dates and summaries of petitions, oaths, and letters of adi.ilnistrators,
guardians, conservators, and executors; summaries of inventories, appraise-
ments, sales, widows' relinquishments and selections; and final reports of
administrative officers. Also contains Adoption Record, 1872-75, entry 146,
and Insanity Record (Jury), 1853-73, entry 152. Arr. by date of entry.
Indexed alph. by name of estate. 1838-1915, hdw.; 1916—, typed. 100 - 584
p. 12 X 8 X 1 - 18 X 13 X 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
194. INSOLVENT RECORD, 1875-1905. 1 v. (A). 1906— in Miscellaneous
Record, entry 100.
Record of Insolvent estates, showing Inventory and appraisement of estate,
date of hearing, names of deceased, estate, and widow, amount of allowance
to widow, and court order declaring estate Insolvent. Arr. by date of hear-
ing. Indexed alph. by name of estate. Hdw. on pr. fm. 288 p. 18 x 13 x li.
Co. elk. 's vlt., 1st fl.
195. AFFIDAVIT OF NOTICE OF CREDITORS TO APPEAR, 1870-93. 1 v.
Record of affidavits of notice for creditors to appear, showing date of
notice, names of estate and administrator or executor, and copy of notice.
Arr. by date of affidavit. No index, Hdw. on pr. fm. 612 p. 18 x 13 x 3.
Corridor, bsmt.
196. PROBATE MEMORANDUM BOOK, 1874-80. 1 v.
Probate Judge's memoranda of cases, showing names of estates, administrators,
136
Probate Court - Proceedings (197-203)
of Court
and executors, and dates reports are due In court. Arr. by date of report.
No Index. Hdw. 100 p. 12 x 9 x 2. Co. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.
Wills, Bonds, Letters (See also
entries 100 [11, v], 189, 193)
197. WILL RECORD, 1867—. 16 v. (A-P).
Copies of wills, showing date of will, names of deceased, heirs or beneficia-
ries, and executor, order admitting will to probate, proof of death, descrip-
tion and valuation of estate. Instructions for disposal, and date of filing.
Arr. by date of filing. Indexed alph. by name of deceased. 1867-1932, hdw.
on pr. fm.; 1933--, hdw. and typed on pr. fm. 500 p. 18 x 13 x 3. V. A-0,
1867-1935, CO. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.; v. P, 1936--, co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
198. ADKINISTRATORS' RECORD, 1850—. 15 v. (G, H, J-V) . Title varies:
Letters and Bonds - Administrator and Guardian, v. G., 1850-61.
Copies of administrators' petitions, oaths, bonds, and letters, showing dates
of petition, oath, and letters, names of estate, administrator, and sureties,
date, amount, and terms of bond, and date of filing; includes conservators'
petitions, oaths, bonds, and letters, 1850-58. Also contains Guardians'
Record, 1850-57, entry 199, and Executors' Record, 1850-62, entry 200. Arr.
by date of filing. 1850-57, no index; 1858 — , Indexed alph. by name of
estate. 1850-57, hdw.; 1858—, hdw. on pr. fm. 278-300 p. 15 x 10 x 2 -
18 X 13 X 3. V. G, 1850-57, co. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; v. H, J-V, 1858—, co.
clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
199. GUARDIANS' RECORD, 1858—. 9 v. (A-I). 1850-57 in Administrators'
Record, entry 198.
Copies of guardians' petitions, oaths, bonds, and letters, showing names of
estate, guardian, minor heirs, and sureties, amount, date, and obligations of
bond, and date of filing. Arr. by date of filing. Indexed alph. by name of
minor. Hdw. on pr. fm. 300 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
200. EXECUTORS' RECORD, 1863—. 11 v. (A-K). 1850-62 in Administra-
tors' Record, entry 198.
Copies of executors' petitions, oaths, bonds, and letters, showing names of
estate, heirs, executor, and sureties, amount, date, and terms of bond, date
of letters testamentary, and date of filing. Arr. by date of filing. Index-
ed alph. by name of estate. Hdw. on pr. fm. 285 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Co. clk.'s
vlt., 1st fl.
201. CONSERVATORS' RECORD, 1888—. 5 v. (B-F).
Copies of conservators' petitions, oaths, bonds, and letters, showing names
of estate, conservator, sureties, and Insane, feeble-minded, or Incompetent
person, date, amount, and obligations of bond, and date of filing. Arr, by
date of filing. Indexed alph. by name of ward. Hdw. on pr. fm. 200 p. 18 x
13 x 2. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
For other conservators' records, see entries 198, 206.
202. ADMINISTRATOR WITH WILL ANNEXED RECORD, 1885-1903, 1916—. 3 v.
(B, A, B). Title varies: Administrator With Will Record, v. B,
1885-1903; v. A, 1916-36.
Record of bonds, oaths, and letters of administrator with will annexed, show-
ing names of estate, administrator and sureties, date, amount, and obliga-
tions of bond, date of letters, and date of filing. Also contains Miscel-
laneous Administrators' Record, 1885-1903, entry 203, including Administrator
De Bonis Non With Will Annexed Record, entry 204. Arr. by date of bond.
Indexed alph. by name of estate. Hdw. on pr. fm. 260 - 295 p. 18 x 12 x 2 -
18 X 13 X 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
203. MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATORS' RECORD, 1904—. 1 v. (A).
Record of bonds, oaths, and letters of administrator de bonis non, showing
names of estate, administrator, and sureties, date, amount, and terms of
bond, and dates of letters and filing. Also contains Administrator De Bonis
With Will Annexed Record, 1904-25, entry 204. Arr. by date of filing.
Indexed alph. by name of estate. Hdw. on pr. fm. 300 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Co.
clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
137
P>robate Court - Proceedings (204-210)
of Court
204. ADMINISTRATOR DE BONIS NON WITH WILL ANtraCED RECORD, 1926—. 1 v.
(B). 1835-1903 In Administrator with Will Annexed Record, entry
202; 1904-25 In Miscellaneous Administrators' Record, entry 203.
Record of bonds, oaths, and letters of administrator de bonis non with will
annexed, showing names of estate, administrator, and sureties; date, amount,
and obligations of bond; and dates of letters and filing. Arr. by date of
filing. Indexed alph. by name of estate. Hdw. on pr. fm. 200 p. 18 x 13 x
2. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
205. TESTAMENTARY TRUST RECORD, 1909-1911. 1 V. 1912— In Miscel-
laneous Record, entry 100.
Record of petitions for letters of trusteeship, showing date of petition,
names of estate, petitioner, trustee, and sureties; date, amount, and tenns
of bond; description of real and personal property as shown In will from
which trust fund Is to be derived; and date of filing. Arr. by date of fil-
ing. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 215 p. 18 x 13 x 2. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st
fl.
206. PROBATE BOND RECORD (Miscellaneous), 1650-1904. 5 v. (4 not
lettered, 1350-77; A, 1375-1904).
Copies of bonds of administrator with will annexed, administrator de bonis
non, executor, administrator, guardian and conservator, showing names of
estate, administrator, executor, guardian, or conservator, and sureties, and
date, amount, and conditions of bond. Arr. by date of bond. Indexed alph.
by name of estate. 1350-66, hdw,; 1867-1904, hdw. on pr. fm. 485 p. 18 x
13 X 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Inventories and Appraise-
ments (See also entries 189, 193)
207. INVENTORY RECORD, 1347—. 24 V. (3 not lettered, A-P, R-V).
Title varies: Inventory and Sale Record, 3 v. not lettered,
1347-58.
Record of Inventories of real and personal property of estates, showing
names of estate and administrator. Itemized list of chattels, legal descrip-
tion and value of real estate, and dates of Inventory and filing. Also con-
tains Real Estate Sale Record, 1347-69, entry 212, and Public Sale Record,
1847-69, entry 213, Including Private Sale Record, entry 214. Arr. by date
of filing. Indexed alph. by name of estate. 1847-1934, hdw. under pr.
hdgs.; 1935—, typed on pr. fm. 300 - 435 p. 18 x 13 x 3 - 16 x 12 x 3. Co.
clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
208. APPRAISEMENT RECORD, 1359—. 11 v. (A-K).
Record of appraisement of estates, showing names of estate, widow, minor
heirs, and appraiser; court order appointing appraiser; legal description and
value of property; amount of allowance to widow and minor heirs; appraiser's
oath, warrant, and bill; and date of filing. Arr. by date of filing. Index-
ed alph. by name of estate. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 300 p. 13 x 13 x 3. Co.
clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
209. CONSERVATORS' INVENTORY REPORT, 1393—. 3 v. (G-I).
Record of Inventories of real and personal property of estates under conser-
vatorship, showing date, names of estate, ward, and conservator. Itemized
list and value of chattels, legal description of real estate, amounts of
bonds, notes, and annuities, court order of approval, and date of-flllng.
Arr. by date of report. Indexed alph. by name of ward. Hdw. under pr. hdgs.
160 p. 18 X 13 X 2. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
210. CO-PARTNERSHIP INVEfCTORY AT.'D APPRAISOIENT RECORD, 1877-1931.
2 v. (1, 2). 1932— In Mlscelljineous Record, entry 100.
Record of Inventories and appraisements of co-partnership estates, showing
naxiies of deceased, surviving partners, attorneys, and appraisers; Itemized
list of chattels; legal description of real estate; amounts of notes and
accounts; appraisers' oaths, warrants, and bills, and date of filing. Arr.
by date of filing. Indexed alph. by name of estate. Hdw. under pr. hdgs.
288 p. 18 X 13 x 2. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
138
.Probate Court - Proceedings (211-217)
of Court
Widows' Relinquishment and Selec-
tion (See also entries 189, 193)
211. WIDOWS' RELINQUISHMENT AND SELECTION RECORD, 1870—. 8 v. (A-H),
Record of property selected or relinquished by widows, showing date, names of
estate and widow, list and total value of Items of relinquishment or selec-
tion, amount awarded widow, and date of filing. Arr. by date of filing.
Indexed alph. by name of estate. Hdw. on pr. fm. 250 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Co.
clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Petitions, Reports of Sale (See also
entry 100 [ill])
212. REAL ESTATE SALE RECORD, 1870—. 6 v. (A-C, E-G). 1847-69 In
Inventory Record, entry 207.
Record of sales of real estate in settlement of estates. Including petitions,
court decrees, and reports of sale of real estate, showing date, names of
estate, heirs, adnilnlstratlve person, and purchaser, legal description of
property, dates of decree, sale, and report, and amount of sale. Arr. by
date of report. Indexed alph. by name of estate. Hdw. on pr. fm. 230 p.
18 X 13 X 2i. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
213. PUBLIC SALE RECORD, 1870—. 3 v. (B, D, H). 1847-69 In Inventory
Record, entry 207.
Record of reports of public sale of personal property of estates, showing
case number, date of report, names of estate, administrator, and purchaser,
description of articles sold, and date and amount of sale. Also contains
Private Sale Record, 1870-90, entry 214. Arr. by date of report. Indexed
alph. by name of estate. Hdw. on pr. fm. 300 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Co. clk.'s
vlt., 1st fl.
214. PRIVATE SALE RECORD, 1891—. 5 v. (E-l). 1847-69 In Inventory
Record, entry 207; 1870-90 In Public Sale Record, entry 213.
Record of reports of private sale of personal property of estates, showing
case niunber, names of estate, administrator or executor, and purchaser,
description of articles sold, date and amount of sale, and date of report.
Arr. by date of report. Indexed alph. by name of estate. Hdw. on pr. fm.
300 p. 18 X 13 X 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
215. REAL ESTATE SALE RECORD (Minor), 1873-1931. 4 v. (A, B, D, E).
1932 — In Miscellaneous Record, entry 100.
Copies of guardians' petitions and bonds for sale of real estate, and re-
ports of sale, showing names of estate, minor heirs, guardian, and sureties;
date, amount, and obligations of bond; notice of sale; legal description of
property; date and amount of sale; name of purchaser, and dates of report and
filing. Arr. by date of filing. Indexed alph. by name of estate. Hdw. on
pr. fm. 500 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
216. MISCELLANEOUS PROBATE RECORD, 1860-72. 1 v. (K).
Record of miscellaneous inventories, appraisements, widows' relinquishments,
and sales,- showing names of estate and administration officer, oaths of
appraisers, amount of sale, and dates. The majority of the entries In this
volume are sale bills. Arr, by date of filing. Indexed alph. by name of
estate. Hdw. 590 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Reports, Current and Final
Accounts (See also entries 189, 193)
217. CURRENT REPORT RECORD, 1870--. 9 v. (A-C, F, H, K, R-T).
Record of reports submitted by administrators and executors, showing names
of estate and administrator or executor, amounts of receipts and disburse-
ments, balance on hand, and dates of report and filing. Also contains Final
Report Record, 1870-84, entry 220. Arr. by date of report. Indexed alph.
by name of estate, Hdw. on pr, fm. 300 p. 18 x 13 x 3, V. A-C, F, H, K, R,
1870-1926, CO. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; v. S, T, 1927—, co. clk.'s vlt., 1st
fl.
139f
Probate Court - (218-225)
Dockets
218. GUARDIANS' REPORT RECORD, 1881—. 8 V. (E, F, I, M, T-W).
Record of current reports submitted by guardians, showing names of estate,
minor heirs, and guardian, amounts of receipts and expenditures, balance due
estate, court orders of approval, and dates of report and filing. Arr. by
date of report. Indexed alph. by name of minor. Hdw. on pr. fm. 450 p.
18 X 13 X 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
219. CONSERVATORS' REPORT RECORD, 1885—. 6 V. (A, B, Q-T).
Current reports of conseinrators In estate cases, showing names of estate,
ward, and conservator, amount of receipts and expenditures, balance due
estate, and dates of report and filing. Arr. by date of filing. Indexed
alph. by name of estate. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 300 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Co.
clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
220. FINAL REPORT RECORD, 1885—. 22 v. (D, G, H, J, L, N-P, S, U-Z,
1-7). 1870-84 In Current Report Record, entry 217.
Record of final reports by administrator, executor, guardian, or conservator,
showing names of estate and administrative officer, statement of receipts
and disbursements, balance on hand, court order discharging administrator or
executor, and dates of report and filing. Arr. by date of filing. Indexed
alph. by name of estate. Hdw. on pr. fm. 300 p. 18 x 13 x 3. V, D, G, H,
J, L, N-P, S, U-Z, 1885-1926, CO. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; v. 1-7, 1927—, co.
clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
221. ACCOUNTS CURRENT RECORD, 1849-1906. 4 v. (A-D).
Administrators' and guardians' current accounts of estate funds, showing date,
names of estate, administrator or guardian, description, amount of claim,
name of payee, and amount of all receipts and disbursements. Arr. by date of
report. Indexed alph. by name of estate. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 320 p. 16 x
12 X 2. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Dockets
222. JUDGE'S PROBATE DOCKET, 1855—. 70 v. (5 not labeled, D, E, G, H,
J-Z, 1, AA-HH, 35-64, 5 not labeled). Missing: 1858-65, 1881.
Docket of closed probate cases, showing case number, term date, names of
estate and administrative officer, date of application for letters, abstract
of proceedings, and orders of court. Arr. by date of application. 1855-
1916, 1927—, no Index; for Index, 1917-26, see entry 223. Hdw. under pr,
hdgs. 200 p. 14 X 10 x 2. 4 v. not labeled, 1855-74, v. D, E, G, H, J-U,
1876-1900, V. W-Z, 1902-4, v. 37-59, 1911-24, corridor, bsmt.; 1 v. not
labeled, 1875, v. V, 1901, v. AA-HH, 35, 36, 1906-10, co. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.;
V. 1, 1905, CO. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.; v. 60-64, 5 not labeled, 1925—, co.
ct. rm., 1st fl.
223. INDEX TO PROBATE DOCKETS, 1917-26. 3 v.
Index to Judge's Probate Docket entry 222, showing names of estate, adminis-
trator, executor, guardian, or conservator, and book and page of entry.
Arr. alph. by name of estate. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 50 p. 13 x 8 x 1. 1 v.,
1917, 1918, corridor, bsmt.; 2 v., 1919-26, co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
224. JUDGE'S PROBATE DOCKET - GUARDIAN AND CONSERVATOR (Pending Cases),
1920—. 1 V.
Probate Judge's docket of guardians' and conservators' pending or unsettled
cases, showing case number, names of estate and guardian or conservator, date
of application for letters, and court orders. Arr. by case no. No Index.
Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 200 p. 14 x 12 x 3. Co. clk.'s vlt. no. 2, 1st fl.
225. JUDGE'S PROBATE DOCKET - ADMINISTRATOR AND EXECUTOR (Pending
Cases), 1928—. 2 v.
Probate Judge's docket of administrators' and executors' pending or un-
settled cases, showing case number, names of estate, administrator or execu-
tor, date of application for letters, and court orders. Arr. by case no.
No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 200 p. 14 x 12 x 3. Co. clk.'s vlt. no. 2,
1st fl.
140
Probate Court - Fees; (226-233)
Public Administrator
226. PROBATE CLERK'S DOCKET - ADMINISTRATOR AND EXECUTOR, 1923—.
2 V. 1848-1922 In Probate Estate Docket, entry 228.
Docket of probate cases, showing case number, names of estate, administrator
or executor, attorneys, and sureties, orders of court appointing administra-
tor or executor, and book and page of entry In fee book. Arr. by case
number. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 600 p. 15 x 14 x 5. Co. clk.'s
off., 1st fl,
227. PROBATE CLERK'S DOCKET - GUARDIAN AND CONSERVATOR, 1923--. 2 v.
1848-1922 In Probate Estate Docket, entry 228.
Docket of probate cases, showing case number, names of estate, guardian or
conservator, attorneys, and sureties, orders of court appointing guardian or
conservator, and number and page of fee book. Arr. by case number. No Index.
Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 600 p. 15 x 14 x 5. Co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
228. PROBATE ESTATE DOCKET, 1848-1922. 8 v. (A, B, B-G).
Clerk's docket of probate cases, showing case number, names of estate, heirs,
administrator, executor, guardian, or conservator, and sureties; date of
appointment, date, amount, and terms of bond; and date of discharge by court.
Probate Clerk's Docket - Administrator and Executor, entry 226, and Probate
Clerk's Docket - Guardian and Conservator, entry 227, subsequently kept
separately. Arr. by case no. Indexed alph. by name of estate. Hdw. under
pr. hdgs. 588 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
229. GUARDIANS' ESTATE DOCKET (Special Record), 1868-70, 1902-23. 2 v.
(A, 1).
Special record of estates under guardianship, showing names of estate, guard-
Ian, and sureties; names and ages of minor heirs; date of letters; date and
amount of bond; date and amount of Inventory; dates of current and final
reports; and book and page of entry In record and fee books. Arr. by date of
hearing. Indexed alph. by name of estate. Hdw. on pr. fm. 290 p. 18 x 13
X 3. V. A, 1868-70, corridor, bsmt.; v. 1, 1902-23, co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
230. PROBATE JUDGMENT DOCKET, 1859-61. 1 v. (A).
Probate Judgment docket showing names of estate and claimant, number, class,
nature, and amount of claim, and dates of hearing. Judgment, and filing.
Arr. by date of hearing. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 300 p. 18 x 13 x
3. Corridor, bsmt.
Foes
231. PROBATE FEE BOOK, 1849—. 29 v. (2 not labeled, A-P, l-ll).
County clerk's record of fees received In probate cases, showing date and
number of case, names of estate, administrator, executor, guardian, or con-
servator, and description and amount of fees; Includes list of claims filed
and allowed against estates. Arr. by date of receipt. Indexed alph. by
name of estate. Hdw. on pr. fm. 590 p. 18 x 13 x 3. 2 v. not labeled, v.
A-P, 1849-1922, corridor, bsmt.: v. 1-6, 1923-30, co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.;
V. 7-11, 1931—, CO. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
232. (RECORD OF FEES), 1936—. 1 v., 1 bdl.
Record of fee payments to county clerk In probate cases for witness, sheriff,
stenographer, appraiser, guardlan-ad-lltem, and notice of publication costs,
showing date, nature, and amount of fee, name of recipient, and date of pay-
ment. Arr. by date of payment. Indexed alph. by name of recipient. Hdw.
on pr. fm. V. 200 p. 16 x 12 x 2; bdl. 16 x 12 x 8. Co. clk.'s off., Ist
fl.
Publ ic Administrator
(See also entry 84)
233. BOND OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR, 1934—. 1 f.b.
Copies of public administrator's bonds, showing date, amount, and terms of
bond, and names of estate, public administrator, and sureties. Arr. alph. by
name of estate. No Index. Typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Public admlnls-
141
Probate Court - Public (234-237)
Administrator
trator's vlt., 1st fl., Sterry Block.
234. LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION, 1934—. 1 f .b.
Public adialnlstrator's letters of administration, showing name of deceased,
date and place of death, dates of letters and appointment of public adminis-
trator, and reason for appointment. Arr. alph. by name of estate. No
Index. Typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Public administrator's vlt., 1st fl.,
Sterry Block.
235. PUBLIC VOUCHER, VETERAInIS ADMINISTRATOR, 1934--. 1 f.b.
Vouchers from Veterans' Administration to public administrator, showing
administration and Identification numbers, amount of Judgments and Insurance
due Incompetent beneficiary, number of monthly Installments paid and unpaid,
number due, commuted value of remaining unpaid installments, and date of last
check. Arr. alph. by name of estate. No Index. Typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x
14. Public administrator's vlt., 1st fl., Sterry Block.
236. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR'S CHECK BOOK, 1934—. 4 v.
Check books of public administrator, showing names of estate and bank, date,
amount, and purpose of payment, and name of payee. Arr. alph. by name of
estate. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 100 p. 10 x 3 x i. Public administra-
tor's vlt., 1st fl., Sterry Block.
237. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR BANK BOOK, 1934—. 4 v.
Public administrator's bank deposit books showing names of bank and estate,
and date and amount of each deposit. Arr. alph. by name of estate. No
index. Hdw. and typed under pr. hdgs. 50 p. 5 x 4 x 1/4. Public adminis-
trator's vlt., 1st fl., Sterry Block.
142
(Next entry 238, p. 146)
VI. CIRCUIT COURT
The circuit court has original Jurisdiction of all causes In law and
equity and acts as a court of appeals In probate matters and causes cogniz-
able by the county court and Justices of the peace. 1 In addition. It Is one
of the courts capable of having naturalization Jurisdiction according to
Federal statutes. 2
The circuit court was held In Livingston County by a circuit Judge ap-
pointed by the General Assembly from 1837 to 1841.3 in 1841 additional as-
sociate Justices of the Supreme Court were appointed by Joint ballot of the
General Assembly, which Justices, together with the other Justices of the
Supreme Court, held the circuit courts. 4 Then In 1849 another change was
made In accordance with the second constitution which provided for the elec-
tion of circuit Judges by the Judicial district electorate. 5 The Constitu-
tion of 1870 altered the circuit districts and established population
requirements for counties that may comprise a circuit. ^ From 1849 to the
present the circuit Judges have been elected officers of the Judicial dis-
trict electorate. The eleventh circuit Is made up of five counties, one of
which Is Livingston.'^
Three circuit Judges who serve for six-year terms are elected for the
district. Before entering upon the duties of his office, each circuit Judge
is required to subscribe to an oath which he files with the Secretary of
State. 8 The salary for those circuit court Judges elected after the first
Monday of June, 1933 was set at $7,200, and for those elected after the first
Monday of June, 1939 the amount was increased to $8,000. The salaries are
paid from the state treasury. 9
The hearings of several of the election contests are held before this
court. Jurisdiction is granted to the court to hear and determine contests
of the election of Judges of the Supreme Court, Judges of the circuit court,
and members of the State Board of Equalization; but no Judge of the circuit
court is allowed to sit upon the hearing of any case in which he is a
party. 10 The circuit court also hears and determines the election contests
of some of the local and county offices. These include contests of Judge of
the county court, mayors of cities, president of the county board, presidents
of villages, elections in reference to removal of county seats and in refer-
ence to any other subject which may be submitted to the vote of the people of
the county. The circuit court has concurrent Jurisdiction with the county
court in cases of contested elections under the latter' s Jurisdiction. H
Included under the Jurisdiction of the circuit court are also appeals
from the Illinois Commerce Commission's rules, regulations, orders, or deci-
sions. Such appeals may be taken to the circuit court serving Livingston
1. Constitution of 1870, Art. VI, sec. 12; L. 1871-72. p. 109; R.S.1874.
p. 344; L.1895. p. 189; L.1933. p. 688; L.1935, p. 1.
2. 2 U.S.S.L. 155; U.S.R.S. 1789-1874. p. 378-80; 34 U.S.S.L. 596; 37
U.S.S.L. 737; 44 U.S.S.L. 709. Circuit courts still retain naturali-
zation, but do not exercise it where U.S. District Courts are conveni-
ent.
3. L.1835. p. 150,151.
4. L.1841. p. 173; R.S.l'845. p. 143.
5. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 7,15.
6. Constitution of 1870, Art. VI, sec. 13.
7. L.1933. p. 436.
8. Constitution of 1870, Art. VI, sec. 12; L.1933. p. 436.
9. L.1933. p. 621; L.1937, p. 189,606. In 1835 the salary of the circuit
Judge .was $750 per annum (L.1835. p. 167). The Constitution of 1870
set the salary at $3,000 until otherwise provided by law (Constitution
of 1870, Art. VI, sec. 16). A few of the other changes were: from
1919 to 1925 for Judges elected during this period, $6,500; for the
period 1925 to 1933, those elected received $8,000 per year (L.1919.
p. 553,554; L.1925. p. 400; L.1931. p. 148).
10. L.1899. p. 1521
11. L.1S71-72, p. 396; L.1895. p. 170.
143
circuit Court
County when the subject matter of the hearing Is situated In this county.
The appeal may be heard for the purpose of having the reasonableness or law-
fulness of the rule, regulation, order, or decision Inquired Into and deter-
mined.12
To expedite the handling of litigation, a branch circuit court may be
held at the same time that the main or regular circuit court for Livingston
County Is In session. A branch court Is held by any circuit Judge of this
circuit or by a Judge of any other circuit called In for the purpose of hear-
ing and deciding motions and settling the issues In any or all causes pending
In the circuit court, and for the purpose of hearing chancery causes and
cases at law which are pending In such court for that term. The presiding
Judge of the main circuit court assigns to the branch court as many of the
law and chancery cases as the presiding Judge of the branch court will pos-
sibly have time to hear. 13
Also, to aid In the speedy administration of Justice, the Judges, or a
majority of them, may by an order entered of record In the office of the
clerk of the circuit court, dispense with either or both the grand and petit
Juries for any term or part of term of the circuit court, and may designate
what term of portion thereof shall be devoted to criminal business, and what
term or portion thereof to civil business. 1*
Each of the three Judges of the circuit court is authorized to appoint
one official shorthand reporter. This appointee Is required to be skilled In
verbatim reporting and Is not allowed to hold more than one such official ap-
pointment. The appointment Is In writing and Is required to be' filed In the
office of the auditor of public accounts. The reporter holds office until
his appointment Is revoked by the appointing Judge or until the tennlnatlon
of the Judge's term. When the official reporter Is absent or disabled, the
presiding Judge may appoint any other competent reporter to act during such
absence or disability. The substitute Is paid for his services by the offi-
cial reporter. The reporter causes full stenographic notes of the evidence
In all trials before the court to be taken down and transcript of the same to
be correctly made If desired by either party to the suit, their attorneys, or
the Judge of the court. Each of the reporters receives and Is paid out of
the state treasury an annual salary of $3,240. The salaries are paid out
monthly on the warrant of the auditor of public accovints.15
The probation officer for adult probationers Is an appointee of the
circuit court. 16 His services extend throughout the county. Courts exercis-
ing criminal or quasl-crlmlnal Jurisdiction are given power to release on
probation, adult or Juvenile offenders found guilty of committing certain
specified offenses. 1' In the performance of his prescribed duties, the pro-
bation officer principally serves the county and circuit courts. He Is
required to give bond as determined by the circuit court In a sum not exceed-
ing $5,000 and Is subject to the rules of and removal by the appointing
court, 12 Livingston County has one probation officer under the law of 1915
providing for one such officer for each fifty thousand, or fraction thereof,
of population. 19
The probation officer Is compensated at a rate determined by the county
board. In the performance of his duties, he Is required to Investigate the
cases of defendants requesting probation; notify the court of previous con-
viction or probation; make reports to the respective courts; keep a set of
records as described below; take charge of, and watch over, all persons plac-
ed on probation In his county, and all probationers moving from another coun-
ty Into his county. He Is also required to notify probation officers In
12. L.1921. p. 742,743.
13. L. 1875-74. p. 82,83; L.1905. p. 146.
14. L.1835. p. 167,168; L.1933, p. 441,442.
15. L.1933. p. 463,464.
16. L.1911. p. 280.
17. Ibid., p. 277.
18. Ibid., p. 280,281; L.1915. p. 380,381.
19. L.1915. p. 380. School census to be basis for determining population.
144
circuit Court
other counties of any probationers under his supervision who may move Into
those counties. 20
The reports made by the probation officer to the courts are kept by the
clerk In the respective cases. The courts' probation records Include orders
granting or refusing release on probation, probationers' bonds, the reports
of probation officers noted above, and discharge of probationers.
The probation officer Is required to keep complete accurate records of
Investigated persons, the action of the court, and the subsequent history of
probationers. These are not public records but are open to Inspection by any
Judge or any probation officer pursuant to a court order. 21
Unlike the Judges of the circuit court who are elected by the Judicial
district electorate, the clerk of this court Is elected by the county elec-
torate.22 This official performs the ministerial duties of the circuit court
of Livingston County and files and preserves Its records as well as those of
the branch circuit courts. 23 He Is commissioned by the Governor and before
entering upon the duties of his office, gives bond with sureties which are
approved by any two of the Judges of the court. His bond Is given In the sum
of not less than $5,000 as agreed upon by the Judges. The oath to which he
subscribes Is filed with the Secretary of State. 24 if a vacancy occurs In
this office and the unexpired term does not exceed one year, the court Is
required to fill such vacancy by appointment of a clerk pro tempore. The ap-
pointee Is then required to qualify for office In the same manner as the
regularly elected clerk of the circuit court. When the appointment Is made,
the court notifies the Governor of the filled vacancy. The Governor In turn,
as soon as practicable, Issues a writ of election for the circuit court
clerk. 25
The clerk of the circuit court was first appointed by the circuit Judge
in Livingston County. 26 He kept a record of all the oaths that he adminis-
tered and certified a copy annually to the Secretary of State. 27 The clerk
preserved a complete record of all proceedings and determinations of the
court of which he was clerk. 2B At each term of the circuit court, the clerk
Inquired into the condition and the treatment of prisoners and was required
to see that all prisoners were humanely treated. 29 This authority was in
later years, and Is at present, delegated to the circuit court. 30 one of the
early requisites of this office was for the clerk of the circuit court to
reside near the county seat in order that he could attend to his duties
dally. In the event that it were not possible for him to be in daily attend-
ance, the presiding Judge was to fill such vacancy. 31 The Constitution of
1848 made the clerk of the circuit court an elective officer of the county
with a four-year term. This arrangement has continued until the present. 32
The clerk is able to perform the several duties of his office with the
aid of his staff which consists of assistants and deputy clerks who are ap-
pointed by him in a number determined by rule of the circuit court. 33 This
order is entered as of record and the compensation of such assistants and
deputies is set by the county board. 34
20. L.1911. p. 281,282; L.1915. p. 331,382.
21. L.1911, p. 277-84; L.1915, p. 378-84.
22. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 7,21,29; Constitution of 1870, Art.
X, sec. 8.
23. L.1905. p. 147.
24. R.S.1874. p. 260.
25 L 1873—74 D 95
26'. Constitution of 1818, Art. IV, sec. 6; R.L.1333. p. 152; R.S.1845, p. 146.
27 L 1819 D 349
28! r!l.1c23.'p. 44; R.L.1833, p. 152; R.S.1845. p. 147.
29. R.L.1827. p. 243.
30. R.S.1374. p. 616; L.1923. p. 424.
31. R.L.1329. p. 35.
32. Constitution Of 1848, Art. V, sec. 29; Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 9.
33. L.1831, p. 49; Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 9.
34. Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 9.
. 145
circuit Court - Indexes (238, 239)
Among the records kept by the clerk for the circuit court are the fol-
lowlng:35
1. Books of record of the proceedings and Judgments of the court
with alphabetical Indexes by parties. Proceedings are record-
ed at length only In cases designated by law, or when the
cov.rt at the motion and assiunptlon of expense by one of the
parties, so orders. In practice, from an early date the court
record has been broken down into segregated types of proceed-
ings and Judgments.
2. "Plaintiff-Defendant Index to Court Records" and "Defendant-
Plaintiff Index to Court Records," Intended to be separate
records, but frequently combined In a single volume with the
two indexes segregated In each volume.
3. A general docket In which all suits are entered In the order
they are commenced,
4. A Judgment and execution docket containing a column for the
entry of satisfaction or other disposition. In practice, an
execution docket Is frequently set up Independently.
5. Additional dockets, designated as the clerk's. Judge's, and bar
docket. In practice, the bar docket has tended to drop out of use.
6. A fee book In which costs and fees are to be entered under the
proper title of the case. In practice, separate series of
volumes are maintained under such titles of causes,
7. Transcripts of proceedings In appeals from Justices', city,
and foreign courts, dockets thereof, and transcripts of Judg-
ments for liens, etc., from the former. Separate well-bound
books are required to be kept for each city court. These
books are to contain an alphabetical docket of all Judgment
decrees rendered In the city court. They also provide for
entry of data relating to the filing of the transcript with
the corresponding number of the transcript. 36
8. Naturalization proceedings from petitions to final certifi-
cates; Federal statutes allow the circuit court to exercise
Jurisdiction.
9. Reports to the court from Its designated masters In chancery,
the state's attorney, and the coroner's Inquest Juries.
10. Jury venires, summonses, certificates, etc.
11. Original documents used in court hearings and determinations.
These documents are of particular Importance because In a
large number of cases the complete proceedings are not spread
on court record.
12. Monthly reports of the warden of the county Jail, containing a
list of all prisoners In his custody, showing causes of com-
mitment and names of persons by whom committed. 37
Index*!
238. INDEXES TO BOXES, 1851--. 1 V. (1).
Index to Court Briefs, entry 242; Common Law Case Files, entry 244; Chancery
Court Papers, entry 248; and Criminal Case Files, entry 250, showing file
box number, names of plaintiff and defendant, and nature of case. Arr. alph.
by name of defendant. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 200 p. 18 x 13 x 2, Clr. clk.'s
east vault, Ist fl.
239. PLAINTIFF AND DEFENDANT INDEX TO LAW AND CHANCERY, 1937--. 2 v.
(1 not labeled, plaintiff; 1 not labeled, defendant).
Index to Circuit Court Record (Common Law), entry 245; Circuit Court Record
35. The Civil Practice Act of 1933 grants authority to the circuit court,
subject to rules promulgated by the Supreme Court and not Inconsistent
with statutory requirements, to make such rules as they may deem expedi-
ent, regulating dockets and calendars of said court (L.1933. p. 786).
36. R.S,1874. p. 347; L.1901. p. 136,137.
37. R.L.1827. p. 217; R.S,1845. p. 323-26, 414,418,419,518; L,1865. p. 79,
80; R,S.1874. p. 262,263,339,616; L.1895. p. 217; L.1933. p. 442,678;
2 U.S.S.L. 153-55; U.S.R.S. 1789-1874. p. 378-80; 34 U.S.S.L. 596-607,
709,710; 45 U.S.S.L. 1514, 1515.
146
circuit Court - (240-245)
Proceedings of Court
(Chancery), entry 249; Fee Book (Common Law), entry 270; and Fee Book (Chan-
cery), entry 271, showing case number, names of plaintiff and defendant, type
of action, and book and page of entry. Arr, alph. by names of plaintiff and
defendant. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 200 p. 18 x 14 x 2, Clr. clk.'s off., 1st
fl.
240. PLAINTIFF - DEFENDANT INDEX - COMMON LAW, 1906-11. 2 v.
Index to Circuit Court Record (Common Law), entry 245; Circuit Court Record
(Confession), entry 246; Judgment and Execution Docket, entry 263; and Fee
Book (Comirion Law), entry 270, showing case number, names of plaintiff and
defendant, nature of case, date of Judgment, and book and page of entry.
Arr. alph. by names of plaintiff and defendant. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 200 p.
15 X 15 X 2. Corridor, bsmt.
241. INDEX TO COURT RECORDS, 1857-89. 7 v. (90, 1, 2, plaintiff; 91,
1, 2, 2, defendant). Missing: 1880-87.
Index to Masters' and Sheriffs' Certificate of Sale, 1857-73, entry 128;
Circuit Court Record (Common Law), entry 245; Circuit Court Record (Confes-
sion), entry 246- Circuit Court Record (Chancery), entry 249; Circuit Court
Record (Criminal), entry 251; Common Law, Chancery, and Criminal Record,
entry 254; Judgment and Execution Docket, entry 263; Fee Book (Common Law
and Chancery), entry 272; Fee Book (Common Law, Chancery, and Criminal),
entry 273; Fee Book (Confession), entry 274; and Fee Book (Assumpsit), entry
275, showing names of plaintiff and defendant, nature of case, and book and
page of entry. Arr. alph. by names of plaintiff and defendant. Hdw. under
pr. hdgs. 300 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Corridor, bsmt.
Proceedings of Court
242. COURT BRIEFS, 1901—. 28 f.b. (46-73).
Briefs of evidence In common law, chancery, and criminal cases, showing num-
ber and title of case, names of plaintiff, defendant, attorneys, and wit-
nesses, questions and answers, court orders, and date of court term. Also
contains Master's Term Report, 1902-30, entry 278. Arr. by date of court
term. For Index, see entry 238. Typed. 10 x 5 x 16. Clr. clk.'s east vlt.,
1st fl.
243. COURT CASE PAPERS, 1936--. 48 f.b.
Original documents In pending common law, criminal, and chancery cases In-
cluding petitions, warrants. Indictments, summonses, subpoenas, executions.
Judgments, cross bills, fee bills, divorce bills, answers, demurrers, repli-
cations, foreclosures, appeals, transcripts of evidence, confessions, plead-
ings, appeal, recognizance, and ball bonds, and partitions. Arr. by case
number. No Index. Hdw., typed, and hdw, and typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14.
Clr. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
244. COMMON LAW CASE FILES, 1851—. 312 f.b. (1-312).
Original documents in closed common law cases including petitions, suinmonses,
complaints, subpoenas, appeals, bonds, executions. Judgments, fee bills,
pleadings, and court orders. Arr. by case nujnber. For Index see entry 238.
Hdw., typed, and hdw. and typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Clr. clk.'s east
vlt., 1st fl.
245. CIRCUIT COURT RECORD (Common Law), 1863—. 26 v. (6-31). 1839-62
In Common Law, Chancery, and Criminal Record, entry 254.
Record of proceedings in common law cases, showing date and number of case,
names of plaintiff, defendant, attorneys, and witnesses, kind of action, no-
tation of proceedings, and orders of court. Also contains Circuit Court
Record (Confession), 1863-84, entry 246; Circuit Court Record - Default,
1880-93, 1896—, entry 247; Recognizance Record, 1863-67, entry 252; and
Circuit Court Record (Criminal), 1863-69, entry 251, Including Indictment
Record, 1863-69, entry 253. Arr. by date of proceedings. Indexed alph. by
name of plaintiff; for separate indexes: 1363-89, see entry 241; 1906-11,
see entry 240; and 1937—, see entry 239. 1863-1902, hdw.; 1903—, typed.
575 p. 18 X 13 x 3. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
147
circuit Court - Proceedings (246-252)
of Court
246. CIRCUIT COURT RECORD (Confession), 1885—. 4 v. (19, 25, 29, 30).
1^339-62 In Common Law, Chancery, and Criminal Record, entry 254;
1863-84 In Circuit Court Record (Common Law), entry 245.
Record of confessions of Judgment, showing date and number of case, names of
plaintiff, defendant, and attorneys, nature of case, and date and amount of
Judgment awarded by court. Arr. by date of Judgment. Indexed alph. by names
of plaintiff and defendant; for separate Indexes, 1885-89, see entry 241, and
1906-11, see entry 240. Hdw. on pr. fm. 600 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Clr. clk.'s
east vlt. , 1st fl.
247. COURT RECORD - DEFAULT, 1858-79, 1894-95. 2 v. (3, 4). 1839-57
In Common Law, Chancery, and Criminal Record, entry 254; 1880-93,
1896 — In Circuit Court Record (Common Law), entry 245.
Record of Judgments by default, showing term of court, case number, names of
plaintiff, defendant, and attorneys, date and amount of Judgment, and orders
of court. Arr. by date of Judgment. Indexed alph. by name of plaintiff.
Hdw. on pr. fm. 300 - 635 p. 18 x 13 x li - 18 x 13 x 3. Corridor, bsint.
248. CHANCERY COURT PAPERS, 1858--. 462 f.b. (1-462).
Original documents In closed chancery cases Including foreclosures, parti-
tions, master's reports of evidence, master's sales, answers of defendant,
orders of reversals, stipulations, summonses, certificates of evidence,
divorce bills, witness affidavits, executions, fee bills, court orders, and
decrees. Arr. by case no. For Index, see entry 238. Hdw., typed, and hdw.
and typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
249. CIRCUIT COURT RECORD (Chancery), 1863~. 52 v. (1-52). 1839-62
In Common Law, Chancery, and Criminal Record, entry 254.
Record of proceedings In chancery cases, showing date and number of case,
names of plaintiff, defendant, and attorneys, kind of action, orders of
court, and date and notation of proceedings. Arr. by date of proceedings.
Indexed alph. by name of plaintiff; for separate Indexes, 1863-89, see entry
241, and 1937—, see entry 239. 1863-1905, hdw.; 1906—, typed. 600 p, 18 x
13 X 3. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl. '
250. CRIMINAL CASE FILES, 1851—. 64 f.b. (1-64).
Original documents In closed criminal cases Including warrants, summonses,
petitions. Indictments, writs, subpoenas, complaints, depositions, commit-
ments, affidavits of witnesses; ball, recognizance, and appeal bonds; and
court orders. Also contains (Board of Pardons), 1900-, entry 282. Arr. by
case no. For Index, see entry 238. Hdw., typed, and hdw. and typed on pr.
fm. 11 X 5 X 14. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
251. CIRCUIT COURT RECORD (Criminal), 1870—. 17 v. (6-22), 1839-62
In Common Law, Chancery, and Criminal Record, entry 254; 1863-69
In Circuit Court Record (Common Law), entry 245.
Record of proceedings In criminal cases, showing date and number of case,
names of plaintiff, defendant, and attorneys, nature of charge, court orders,
and Jury verdicts. Also contains Indictment Record, 1870-77, entry 253.
Arr. by date of proceedings. Indexed alph. by name of defendant; for sepa-
rate Index, 1857-89, see entry 241. 1870-1905, hdw.; 1906—, typed. 600 p.
18 X 13 X 3. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
252. RECOGNIZANCE RECORD, 1868—. 2 v. (A, B). 1839-62 In Common
Law, Chancery, and Criminal Record, entry 254; 1863-67 In Circuit
Court Record (Common Law), entry 245.
Record of recognizances, showing date and number of case, names of plaintiff,
defendant, attorneys, and sureties, nature of charge, amount and tenns of
bond, date set for defendant's appearance, and date of filing. Arr. by date
of filing. Indexed alph. by name of defendant. Hdw. on pr. fm. 575 p. 18 x
13 X 3. V. A, 1868-85, corridor, bsmt.; v. B, 1886—, clr. clk.'s east vlt.,
1st fl.
148
circuit Court - (253-261)
Transcripts
253. INDICTMENT RECORD, 1878—. 1 v. (1). 1839-62 In Common Law,
Chancery, and Criminal Record, entry 254; 1863-69 In Circuit Court
Record (Common Law), entry 245; 1870-77 In Circuit Court Record
(Criminal), entry 251.
Record of Indictments, showing term of court, names of plaintiff, defendant,
and witnesses, nature of Indictment, report of grand Jury, and date and
orders of court. Arr. by date of court order. Indexed alph. by name of
defendant. 1878-1923, hdw. on pr. fm. 1924—, typed on pr. fm. 575 p. 18 x
13 X 2i, Clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
254. COMMON LAW, CHANCERY, AND CRIMINAL RECORD, 1839-62. 3 v. (1-3).
Record of proceedings In common law, chancery, and criminal cases, showing
date and number of case, names of plaintiff, defendant, attorneys, witnesses,
and Jurors, type of action, date and notation of proceedings, and court
orders. Subsequently kept as Circuit Court Record (Chancery), entry 249; and
Circuit Court Record (Common Law), entry 245, Including Circuit Court Record
(Confession), entry 246, Circuit Court Record - Default, entry 247, Recogni-
zance Record, entry 252, and Circuit Court Record (Criminal), entry 251, which
In turn Includes Indictment Record, entry 253. Arr. by date of proceedings.
Indexed alph. by name of plaintiff or defendant; for separate Index, 1857-62,
see entry 241. Hdw. 450 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
255. LIENS, 1896—. 2 f.b.
Mechanics' liens showing date and number of claim, names of claimant, owner,
and attorneys. Itemized account and amount of claim, and date of filing.
Arr. by date of filing. No Index. Typed. 11 x 5 x 14. 1 f.b,, 1896-1906,
clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.; 1 f.b., 1907—, clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st
fl.
256. LIEN DOCKET, 1889—. 1 v. (1).
Record of liens, showing date of filing, amount of lien, names of plaintiff
and defendant, description of property against which lien Is filed, and date
of final payment. Arr. by date of filing. Indexed alph. by name of defend-
ant. Hdw. on pr. fm. 317 p. 14 x 13 x 2. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
257. APPLICATIONS FOR ADMITTANCE TO BAR, 1898—. 1 f.b.
Applications for admittance to bar and for certificate of good moral charac-
ter, showing date of court term, names of applicant and sponsoring attorney,
court orders, and signature of presiding Judge. Arr. by date of court term.
No Index. Hdw. and typed. 11 x 5 x 14. Clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
258. MEMORIAL TO BAR MEMBERS, 1900—. 1 f.b. Last entry 1938.
Memorials for deceased member of Livingston County Bar Association, showing
name, date of death, and history of deceased, signatures of committee members,
and date of memorial. Arr. by date of memorial. No Index. Typed. 11 x 5 x
14. Clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
259. PRAECIPE FXDR EXECUTION, 1865—. 8 v.
Record of orders to circuit clerk for Issuance and execution of suminonses for
witnesses, showing date of court term, case number, names of plaintiff,
defendant, attorneys, and sheriff, and dates of Issuance and execution. Arr.
by date of issuance. No index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 100 p. 15 x 10 x 1. 5 v.,
1865-69, 1873-87, 1907-28, corridor, bsmt.; 2 v., 1870-72, 1888-1906, clr.
clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; 1 v., 1929—, clr. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
260. CLERK'S COURT NOTES, 1896-98. 1 v.
Clerk's memoranda of court cases, showing case number, and dates and nota-
tions of court proceedings. Arr. by date of proceedings. No index. Hdw.
75 p. 12 x 7i x i. Clr. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.
Transcripts
261. JUSTICE OF PEACE TRANSCRIPT, 1906—. 1 bdl., 1 f.b.
Transcripts of proceedings from Justice of the peace courts, showing names of
Justice, plaintiff, defendant, and officers of the court, date and nature of
complaint, kind of action, amounts of court costs, notations of court orders,
149
circuit Court - Dockets; (262-269)
Fee Books
and date of filing. Arr. by date of filing. No Index. Hdw. and typed on
pr. fm. Bdl. 16 x 12 x 8; f.b. 11 x 5 x 14. 1 bdl., 1906-35, clr. clk.'s
vlt., bsmt.; 1 f.b., 1936--, clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
262. TRANSCRIPT OF JUDGMENT, 1852--. 7 v. (1-7). Title varies:
Transcript Record, v. 1, 1852-75.
Record of transcripts of proceedings In Justice of peace and foreign courts,
showing names of plaintiff, defendant, witnesses, and court, kind of action,
date of summons, amounts of costs and fees, orders of the court, and date of
filing. Arr. by date of filing. Indexed alph. by name of plaintiff. 1852-
75, hdvy.; 1876-1926, hdw. on pr. fm.; 1927—, typed on pr. fm. 400-450 p.
16 X 11 X 2 - 18 x 13 x 2i. V. 1, 1852-75, clr. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; v. 2-7,
1876--, clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
Dockets
263. JUDGMENT AND EXECUTION DOCKET, 1839--. 15 v. (4 not lettered, E,
G, H, J-Q). Title varies: Judgment Docket, 3 v. not lettered,
1839-57.
Docket of Judgments and executions, showing case number, names of plaintiff,
defendant, and attorneys, cause for action, date and amount of Judgment,
dates of Issue and return of execution, and remarks. Arr. alph. by name of
person against whom Judgment Is entered. 1839-54, 1856, no Index; 1858 — ,
Indexed alph. by name of defendant; for separate Indexes: 1855, see entry
264; 1857-89, see entry 241; and 1906-11, see entry 240. Hdw. under pr. hdgs.
350 p. 18 X 13 X 3. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
264. JUDGMENT INDEX, 1855. 1 v.
Index to Judgment and Execution Docket, entry 263, showing case number, names
of plaintiff and defendant, and book and page of entry. Arr. alph. by name
of defendant. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 600 p. 18 x 13 x 3. Corridor, bsmt.
265. CLERK'S DOCKET, 1854--. 96 V.
Clerk's docket of chancery, common law, and criminal cases, showing date ani
number of case, names of plaintiff, defendant, and attorneys, kind of action,
and orders of court. Arr. by case no. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 250-
1200 p. 14 X 15 X 2 - 14 X 15 X 7. 92 v., 1354-1907, corridor, bsmt.; 4 v.,
1908--, clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
266. JUDGE'S DOCKET, 1859—. 43 v. Missing: 1872, 1890.
Docket of common law, chancery, and criminal cases, showing case number, date
of court term, names of plaintiff, defendant, and attorneys, nature of action,
orders of previous term, abstract of proceedings, and orders of court. Arr.
by case no. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 150-500 p. 15 x 15 x li - 15 x
15 X 3. 36 v., 1859-1902, corridor, bsmt.; 1 v., 1903-8, clr. clk.'s west
vlt., 1st fl.; 6 v., 1909—, clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
267. GENERAL COURT DOCKET, 1861—. 11 v. (2 not numbered, 4, 4, 4-8,
1, 5). Missing: 1866-92.
Docket of common law, criminal, and chancery cases, showing number and date
of case, names of plaintiff, defendant, and attorneys, and nature of action.
Arr. by case no. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 300 p. 18 x 13 x 2. 2 v.
not numbered, 1861-65, corridor, bsmt.; v. 4, 4, 4-8, 1,5, 1893—, clr, clk.'s
west vlt., 1st fl.
268. BAR DOCKET, 1938. 1 V.
Annual bar docket, showing date, number, and nature of case, names of plain-
tiff and defendant, court officers, and attorneys, and date of appearance.
Arr. by case no. No Index. Printed. 20 p. 8 x 4 x i. Clr. clk.'s off.,
1st fl.
F*» Books
269. FEE BOOK (Criminal), 1878—. 6 v. (11, 12, 14, 15, 6, 8).
1839-77 In Fee Book (Common Law, Chancery, and Criminal), entry 273.
Record of fees charged and collected In crlmlnail cases, showing date, number,
150
circuit Court - Fee Books (270-274)
and nature of case, names of defendant and attorneys, amounts of clerk's
sheriff's, and witness fees, total amount of fees, and date of payment.
Arr. by date of case. Indexed alph. by name of defendant; for separate
Index, 1878-89, see entry 241. Hdw. on pr. fm. 600 p. 18 x 13 x 3. V. 11,
12, 14, 15, 1878-1900, clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.; v. 6, 8, 1901--, clr.
clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
270. FEE BOOK (Common Law), 1892—. 15 v. (21-23, 25, 27, 29, 30, 32,
34, 35, 37, 38, 40, 41. 43). 1839-77 In Fee Book (Common Law,
Chancery, and Criminal), entry 273; 1878-91 In Fee Book (Common
Law and Chancery), entry 272.
Record of fees charged and collected In common law cases, showing date, num-
ber, and nature of case, term of court, names of plaintiff, defendant, and
attorney's, amounts of clerk's, sheriff's, and witness fees, total amount of
fees, and date of payment. Also contains Fee Book (Confession), 1900 — ,
entry 274, and Fee Book (Assumpsit), 1892 — , entry 275. Arr. by date of
case. Indexed alph. by name of plaintiff; for separate index, 1906-11, see
entry 240, and 1937—, see entry 239. Hdw. on pr. fm. 600 p. 18 x 13 x 3.
V. 21-23, 25, 1892-1906, clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.; v. 27, 29, 30, 32,
34, 35, 37, 38, 40, 41, 43, 1907—, Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
271. FEE BOOK (Chancery), 1892—. 9 v. (20, 24, 26, 28, 31, 33, 36,
39, 42). 1839-77 in Fee Book (Common Law, Chancery, and Criminal),
entry 273; 1878-91 In Fee Book (Common Law and Chancery), entry
272.
Record of fees charged and collected In chancery cases, showing date, number,
and nature of case, term of court, names of plaintiff, defendant, and attor-
neys, amounts of clerk's, sheriff's and witness fees, total fees, and date
of payment. Arr. by date of case. Indexed alph. by name of plaintiff; for
sep. index, 1937—, see entry 239. Hdw. on pr, fm. 600 p. 18 x 13 x 3.
V. 20, 24, 26, 1892-1911, Clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl,; v. 28, 31, 33, 36,
39, 42, 1912—, cir. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
272. FEE BOOK (Common Law and Chancery), 1878-91. 4 v. (13, 16-18).
1839-77 in Fee Book (Common Law, Chancery, and Criminal), entry
273.
Record of fees charged and collected in common law and chancery cases, show-
ing date, number, and nature of case, names of plaintiff, defendant, and
attorneys, amounts of clerk's, sheriff's, and witness fees, total amount of
fees, and date of payment. Fee Book (Chancery), entry 271; and Fee Book
(Common Law), entry 270, including Fee Book (Assumpsit), entry 275, subse-
quently kept separately, Arr, by date of case. Indexed alph. by name of
plaintiff; for sep. index, 1878-89, see entry 241. Hdw. on pr. fm. 600 p.
IB x 13 x 3, V, 13, 1878, Clr, clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; v. 16, 1879-82, corridor,
bsmt.; v. 17, 18, 1883-91, clr. clk.'s west vlt,, 1st fl.
273. FEE BOOK (Common Law, Chancery, and Criminal), 1839-77, 6 v.
(2 not numbered, 4, 7, 8, 1839-77; 10, 1874-76).
Record of fees charged and collected in circuit court cases, showing date,
number, and nature of case, names of plaintiff, defendant, and attorneys,
amounts of clerk's, sheriff's, and witness fees, total amount of fees, and
date of payment. Also contains Fee Book (Criminal), entry 269; Fee Book
(Confession), 1839-59, entry 274; and Fee Book (Common Law and Chancery),
entry 272, including Fee Book (Assumpsit), entry 275. Arr. by date of case.
Indexed alph. by name of plaintiff; for sep. index, 1857-77, see entry 241.
1839-66, hdw,; 1867-77, hdw, on pr, fm. 600 p. 18 x 13 x 3, 2 v, not num-
bered, V. 4, 1839-67, V. 8, 1870-77, cir, clk.'s vlt,, bsmt.; v. 7, 1868,
1869, V. 10, 1874-76, corridor, bsmt.
274. FEE BOOK (Confession), 1860-99. 2 v. (5. 19), 1839-59 In Fee
Book (Common Law, Chancery, and Criminal), entry 273; 1900 — in
Fee Book (Common Law), entry 270.
Record of fees charged and collected in confession of Judgment cases, show-
ing date and number of case, term of court, names of plaintiff, defendant,
and attorneys, amount of fees, and date of payment. Arr. by date of case.
Indexed alph. by name of plaintiff; for sep. Index, 1860-89, see entry 241.
1860-85, hdw,; 1886-99, hdw, on pr. fm, 600 p. 18 x 13 x 3. V, 5, 1860-85,
cir, clk,'s vlt,, bsmt,; v. 19, 1886-99, cir. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
151
circuit Court - Reports (275-281)
to Court; Jury Lists;
Bonds
275. FEE BOOK (Assumpsit), 1858-74. 3 v. (3, 6, 9). 1839-57, 1875-77
In Fee Book (Common Law, Chancery, and Criminal), entry 273; 1878-
91 In Fee Book (Common Law and Chancery), entry 272; 1892 — In
Fee Book (Common Law), entry 270.
Record of fees In assumpsit cases, showing case number, term of court, names
of plaintiff and defendant, date, number, and nature of case, amount of fees,
and date of payment. Arr. by date of case. Indexed alph. by name of plain-
tiff; for sep. Index, see entry 241. 1858-66, hdw.; 1867-74 hdw. on pr. fn.
600 p. 18 X 13 X 3. V. 3, 1858-66, corridor, bsmt.; v. 6, 9, 1867-74, clT.
clk.'s vlt., bsmt.
Reports to Court
(See also entries 248, 299)
276. INQUESTS, 1897--. 27 f.b. Mlsslng: 1929-30.
Coroner's reports of Inquests to circuit court, showing names of deceased,
witnesses, and Jurors, date, place, and cause of death, date and place of
Inquest, and Jurors' verdict. Arr. by date of Inquest, No Index. 1897-
1936, hdw. on pr. fm.; 1937--, typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. 25 f.b., 1897-
1935, clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.; 2 f.b., 1936--, clr, clk.'s east vlt.,
1st fl.
277. REPORT OF PRISONERS IN JAIL, 1908--. 3 f.b.
Report of sheriff to grand Jury on prisoners In county Jail, showing name of
prisoner, nature of charge, and dates of commitment and report. Arr. by date
of report. No Index. Typed under pr. hdgs. 11 x 5 x 14. 2 f.b., 1908-18,
clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.; 1 f.b., 1919—, clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st
fl.
278. MASTER'S TERM REPORT, 1931-34. 1 f.b. 1902-30 In Court Briefs,
entry 242.
Reports of master In chancery to circuit Judge, showing date, number, and
nature of case, Itemized list of amounts, nature and location of assets,
certification, and date of report. Arr. by date of report. No Index.
Typed. 11 x 5 x 14. Clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
279. STATE'S ATTORNEYS' REPORTS, 1877—. 3 v. (1-3), Missing: 1894-
1904.
Record of reports of state's attorney to circuit court on fee, fine, and
forfeiture collections, showing term of court, names of defendant. Judge, and
state's attorney, number and nature of case, amount of collection, and date
of report. Arr. by date of report. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 320 p.
18 X 13 X 2. V. 1, 1877-93, corridor, bsmt.; v. 2, 3, 1905--, clr. clk.'s
west vlt., 1st fl.
Jury Lists
(See also entries 1, 34)
280. JURY VENIRES, 1930—. 1 f.b.
Venires for grand and petit Juries, showing name and address of Juror, dates
of drawing and Impanelling, sheriff's return, and amount of fees. Arr. by
date of drawing. No Index. Typed under pr. hdgs. 10 x 5 x 14, Clr. clk.'s
east vlt., 1st fl.
Bonds
(See also entries 243, 244, 250)
281. BONDS (Files), 1901—. 12 f.b. (1901-25); 2 f.b. (1910—).
Bonds filed with circuit court clerk. Including Industrial commission, 1916-
21, replevin, cost, probation, ball, appeal, master In chancery, special
master In chancery, recognizance, attachment. Injunction, receiver, and
trustee bonds, showing names of principal and sureties, date, amount and
purpose of bond, and date of filing. 1901-25, arr. by date of filing; 1910--,
152
circuit Court - Probation; (282-288)
Naturalization
arr. by case no. No index. 1901-9, hdw. on pr. fm.; 1910--, hdw. and typed
on pr. fm. 5 x 5 x 11 - 18 x 14 x 23. 12 f.b,, 1901-25, clr. clk.'s west
vlt., 1st fl.; 2 f.b., 1910--, clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
Probation
282. (BOARD OF PARDONS), 1896-99. 1 f.b, 1900— In Criminal Case
Files, entry 250.
Recommendations by state board of pardons for final release of parolee, show-
ing date of recommendation, name and number of parolee, nature of crime, name
of Institution of commitment, date, terms, and period of parole, and signature
of chairman of board. Arr. by date of recommendation. No Index. Hdw. on pr.
fm. 11 X 5 X 14. Clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
283. PAROLE RECORD, 1899. 1 v.
Record of applications for parole, showing date of application, name of
prisoner, nature of case, and notation of court order granting parole. Arr.
by date of application. Indexed alph. by name of applicant, Hdw. on pr. fm.
350 p. 18 X 13 X 2. Corridor, bsmt.
Natural ization
(See also entries 181-185)
284. INDEX TO NATURALIZATION, 1853-1934. 1 v.
Index to Petition and Record, entry 285; Declaration of Intention, entry 286;
and Naturalization Record - Minor, entry 287, showing name of alien, and book
and page of entry. Arr. alph. by surname of alien. Hdw. under pr. hdgs.
264 p. 16 X 11 X li. Clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
285. PETITION AND RECORD, 1853-1934. 7 v. (A, B, 2-6).
Copies of petitions and final certificates of naturalization of adults. In-
cluding minors, 1907-34, showing name, age, date and place of birth, race,
and marital status of alien, oath of renunciation, court order granting final
certificate, and dates of petition, final certificate, and filing. Also con-
tains Declaration of Intention, 1853-56, entry 286. Arr. by date of filing.
For Index, see entry 284. 1853-1906, hdw. on pr. fm. ; 1907—, typed on pr.
fm. 300 p. 16 X 10 x 2. Clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
286. DECLARATION OF INTENTION, 1857-1934. 4 v. (B, 2-4). 1853-56 In
Petition and Record, entry 285.
Record of declarations of Intention of adults. Including minors, 1907-34,
showing date of filing, name, age, race, and date and place of birth of alien,
marital status, and oath of renunciation to foreign country, and dates of
declaration and filing. Arr. by date of filing. For Index, see entry 284.
1857-1906, hdw. on pr. fm.; 1907-34, typed on pr. fm. 300 p. 16 x 10 x 2.
Clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
287. NATURALIZATION RECORD - MINOR, 1876-1906. 3 v. (C, E, 2).
Copies of petitions, declarations of Intention, and final certificates of
naturalization of minor aliens, showing name, age, race, date and place of
birth of alien, oath of renunciation, dates of petition, declaration, final
certificate, filing, and court order granting citizenship. Arr. by date of
filing. For index, see entry 284. Hdw. on pr. fm. 292 p. 16 x 10 x 2.
Clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.
For subsequent petitions and final certificates of minors, see entry 285;
for subsequent declarations of Intentions of minors, see entry 286.
288. NATURALIZATION DOCKET, 1869-80. 1 v. (A).
Docket of naturalization cases, showing name and residence of petitioner,
dates of petition and final certificate, and name of Judge. Arr. by date of
petition. No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 150 p. 16 x 11 x li. Clr. clk.'s
vlt., bsmt.
153
circuit Court - Office (289-293)
Transactions
Office Transactions
Receipts and Disbursements
289. REGISTER OF FEES, 1873--. 4 v. Missing: 1884-99.
Register of fees charged and collected, showing case number, date, amount, and
purpose of fee, name of payer, and book and page of entry In fee books. Arr.
by date of charge. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 320 p. 17 x 15 x li.
2 v., 1873-83, clr. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; 1 v., 1900-1919, corridor, bsmt., 1
v., 1920 — , clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.
290. ACCOUNT BOOK, 1928—. 1 v.
Ledger of circuit clerk's charge accounts, showing names of firms, persons,
and banks, and dates and amounts of debits and credits. Arr. by date of
transaction. No Index. Hdw. 150 p. 11 x 12 x li. Clr. clk.'s east vlt.,
1st fl.
291. DAY BOOK, 1932—. 2 v.
Dally record of circuit court receipts and expenditures, showing dates,
amounts, and purposes of receipts and expenditures, and names of payer and
recipient. Arr. by date of transaction. No Index. Hdw. 100 p. 10 x 16 x
1. 1 v., 1932-36, clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.; 1 v., 1937—, clr. clk.'s
off., 1st fl.
292. (RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS), 1939. 1 v.
Ledger of receipts and disbursements, showing names of payer and recipient,
dates and amounts of receipts and disbursements, and monthly totals. Arr.
by date of transaction. No index. Hdw. 152 p. 18 x 12 x 1. Clr. clk.'s
east vlt., 1st fl.
Court Business
293. RECEIPTS, 1932—. 4 v.
Duplicate receipts signed by sheriff for court papers, showing case number,
names of plaintiff and defendant, sheriff's signature, and date of receipt.
Arr. by date of receipt. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 150 p. 14 x 9 x 1.
3 v., 1932-38, clr. clk.'s west vlt., 1st fl.; 1 v., 1939—, clr. clk.'s
off.. 1st fl.
154
(Next entry 294, p. 156)
VII. SHERIFF
The sheriff, by constitutional provision, has been an elected officer In
Livingston Coimty from the org;anl:^atlon of the county. In 1837, to the
present.! The term of his office, originally set at two years, 2 is now four
years. 3 In 1880 It was provided, by constitutional amendment, that no person
elected to the office of sheriff should be eligible for reelection to that
office until four yesirs after the expiration of his term of office. 4 His
bond In this county Is required In the sum of $10,000 and must be approved by
the county Judge. 5 Memoranda of this bond are entered at large upon the
records of the county court, and the bond Is filed In the office of the coun-
ty clerk. 6 One or more deputies are appointed by the sheriff In accordance
with the number allowed by rule of the circuit court. Compensation of the
deputies Is determined by the county board. '^ The sheriff Is warden of the
county Jail and has custody and regulation of the same and of all prisoners. 8
To assist him In this administration, he appoints a superintendent of the
county Jail for whose conduct he Is responsible, and whom he may remove at
pleasure. 9
Essentially without change for over one hundred years, the principal
duties of the sheriff are the following:
1. To act as conservator of the peace, with power to arrest
offenders on vlew.^O
2. To attend, In person or by deputy, all courts of record (city,
county, probate, circuit, and appellate courts) In his county,
and to obey the orders and directions of the courts. ^1
3. To serve, execute, and return all writs, warrants, process,
orders, and decrees legally directed to him. 12
4. To sell real or personal property by virtue of execution or
other process. 13
5. To send fingerprints of criminals to the State Bureau of
Criminal Identification and Investigation. 14
In the course of the sheriff's many detailed duties Included In these
broad provisions, the following records may be kept but do not appear In
Livingston County:
1. Receipts of deliveries of prisoners In changes of venue. 15
1. Constitution of 1818, Art. Ill, sec. 11; Constitution of 1848, Art.
VII, sec. 7; Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 8; second amendment
November 22, 1880, to the Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 8, also
L.1819. p. 109,110; R.S.1874. p. 989.
2. Constitution of 1818, Art, III, sec. 11; Constitution of 1848, Art. VII,
sec, 7.
3. Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 8.
4. Ibid., as amended November, 1880,
5. R,S.1874, p. 989. Cf. R.L.1827. p. 371. Prior to the organization of
the county court, the sheriff's bond and securities were approved by
the circuit court.
6. R.S.1845. p. 514; R.S,1874. p, 989.
7. R.L.1827. p. 373; R.S.1845. p. 515; L.1869, p. 399; Consltutlon of
1870 Art. X sec. 9
8. L.iejg. p. 111,112; R.L.1827. p. 247-50; L.1831. p. 103,104,106;
R.L.1833. p. 574,575; L.1845. p. 8,10,19; R.S.1845, p. 133,134,515-17;
R.S.1874. p. 616,989-91; L.1901, p. 137,138; L.1923. p. 423-26, The
Citations also Include references to duties not Included in the general
outline noted above,
9. L.1923. p, 423.
10. R.L.1827. p. 372; R.S.1845. p. 515; R,S.1874, p. 990.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. R.L.1827. p. 334; L. 1838-59. p. 14-18,20; R.S.1845. p. 302,306,307;
L.ld71-72. p. 505-7; R.S.1874, p. 622,623,627-29.
14. L.1951. p. 465.
15. R.S.1074, p. 1096.
155
Sheriff - Process; (294-298)
Criminal Records
2. Copies of reports to the county court and circuit court. 16
3. Reports of pawnbrokers on loans and articles pawned. 1'^
4. Data of Identification of criminals and stolen property. 18
The following records may be kept and do appear:
1. Register of prisoners. 19
2. "Book of Accounts," including records of fees and disburse-
ments.20
3. Docket of executions.
4. Process docket.
5. Finger print file. Data on prisoners.
6. Automobiles stolen and recovered.
Process
294. EXECUTION DOCKET, 1839—. 11 v, (1 not labeled, 2, B-J).
Missing: 1857-71.
Docket of executions, showing case number, names of court, plaintiff, and
defendant, type of action, amounts of Judgment, costs, and fees, and dates of
execution and return. Arr. by date of Issue. 1839-56, 1877-1908, 1916--,
indexed alph. by name of plaintiff; 1872-76, 1909-15, no Index. Hdw. under
pr. hdgs. 295 p. 18 x 13 x 3. 1 v. not labeled, v. 2, B-E, 1839-1902, cor-
ridor, bsmt.; V. F-J, 1903--, sh.'s off., 2nd fl.
295. SHERIFF'S PROCESS DOCKET AND EARNING JOURNAL, 1869—. 9 v. (1
not lettered, B-F, 3 not lettered). Missing: 1872-79.
Docket of process served by sheriff, showing date and number of case, names
of plaintiff and defendant, type of action, and dates of service and return;
Includes Journal entries of all fees received. Also contains Sheriff's
Register of Fees, 1915—, entry 308, and Sheriff's Register of Fees (Crimi-
nal), 1917—, entry 309. Arr. by date of process. 1869-1915, Indexed alph.
by name of plaintiff; 1916 — , no Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 250 p. 18 x
13 X 3. 1 V. not lettered, v. B-F, 1869-1915, corridor, bsmt.; 3 v. not
lettered, 1916—, sh.'s off., 2nd fl.
Crinlnal Records
Jail Records
296. PRISONERS JAIL RECORD (Card File), 1938—. 1 f.b.
Jailer's card record of county prisoners, showing name and residence of
prisoner, personal and statistical particulars, nature of crime, period of
sentence, and dates of arrest, commitment, and discharge. Arr. alph. by
name of prisoner. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 10 x 8 x 8. Jailer's off.,
1st fl., CO. Jail.
297. JAIL REGISTER, 1873—. 3 v. (1-3).
Register of prisoners In county Jail, showing case number, name, age, sex,
and residence of prisoners, personal particulars, date of commitment, nature
of offense, sentence, and date and mode of discharge. Arr. by date of com-
mitment. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 500 p. 17 x 15 x 2. Sh.'s off.,
2nd fl.
293. VISITOR'S REGISTER, 1938—. 1 v.
Jailer's register of visitors, showing date of visit, and names of visitor
and prisoner. Arr. by date of visit. No index. Hdw. 100 p. 12 x 10 x 1.
Jailer's off., 1st fl., co. Jail.
16. R.S. 1874. p. 617; L.1923. p. 424; L.1933. p. 678.
17. L.1909. p. 301.
18. L.1931. p. 465.
19. R.S. 1874. p. 617; L.1923. p. 424.
20. L. 1871-72. p. 450,451; L. 1875-74, p. 104,105.
156
Sheriff - Fees, (299-307)
Receipts and
Expenditures
Reports (See also
entry 277)
299. REPORTS TO COURT, 1938—, 1 f .b.
Copies of sheriff's quarterly reports to circuit court, showing name of
prisoner, date and place of commitment, term of sentence, and dates of
release and report. Arr. by date of report. No Index. Typed. 11 x 5 x 14.
Sh.'s off., 2nd fl.
300. CRIME REPORT TO FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, 1938—. 1 f.b.
Copies of sheriff's monthly reports to Federal Bureau of Investigation, show-
ing date of report of crime to sheriff's office, and nature of clearance.
Arr. by date of report. No Index. Typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Sh.'s
off., 2nd fl.
301. REPORTS OF FEDERAL AND STATE BUREAUS OF INVESTIGATIONS, 1938—.
1 f.b.
Reports from Federal or state bureaus of criminal Investigation, showing date
of report, name of prisoner, and previous criminal record. Arr. by date of
report. Indexed alph. by name of prisoner. Typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14.
Sh.'s off., 2nd fl.
Stolen Property
302. AUTOMOBILES STOLEN AND RECOVERED, 1938—. 1 f.b.
Sheriff's card record of stolen and recovered automobiles, showing date of
report, name of owner, make of car, serial and license numbers, date of
recovery, and final disposition of case. Arr. by date of report. No index.
Hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Sh.'s off., 2nd fl.
303. RECORD OF STOLEN AND ABANDONED CARS, 1929-32. 1 V.
Sheriff's personal record of stolen and abandoned cars, showing date of
report, name of owner, description of car, and final disposition of case.
Arr. by date of report. Indexed alph. by name of car. Hdw. on pr. fm. 160 p.
14 X 9i X 1. Sh.'s off., 2nd fl.
Identification
304. FINGER PRINT FILE, 1938—. 1 f .d.
Finger print cards, showing name, aliases, residence, and general statistics
regarding prisoner, finger print classification, photograph, date of arrest,
charge, criminal history, disposition of case, and date photograph was made.
Arr. alph. by name of prisoner. For index, see entry 305. Hdw. on pr. fm.
12 X 10 X 12. Jailer's off., 1st fl., co. Jail.
305. CARD INDEX, 1938—. 1 f.d.
Card index to Finger Print File, entry 304, showing name of prisoner, charge,
finger print classification, and date prints were taken. Arr. alph. by name
of prisoner.- Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 5x5x5. Jailer's off., 1st fl., co.
Jail.
Feet, Receipts and Expenditures
306. SHERIFF'S CASH BOOK, 1915—. 2 v, (1 not numbered, 2).
Record of receipts and expenditures, showing name of payer or recipient, date,
amount, and purpose of receipt or expenditure, and bank account record. Also
contains Sheriff's Expense Record, 1919 — , entry 307. Arr. by date of entry.
No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 200 p. 13 x 17 x 2. Sh.'s off., 2nd fl.
307. SHERIFF'S EXPENSE RECORD, 1911-18. 2 v. 1919— in Sheriff's
Cash Book, entry 306.
Sheriff's daily expense record showing date, amount, and purpose of expendi-
ture, and name of recipient. Arr. by date of expenditure. No Index. Hdw.
under pr. hdgs. 185 p. 14 x 9 x 1. Corridor, bsmt.
157
Sheriff - Office (308-311)
Transactions
308. SHERIFF'S REGISTER OF FEES, 1876-1914. 8 v. (B, D, G, J-M, 3).
1915 — In Sheriff's Process Docket and Earning Journal, entry 295.
Record of court fees received by sheriff, showing date and number of case,
name of payer, title of case, kind of service, amount of fee, and totals of
earnings and receipts. Also contains Sheriff's Refclster of Fees (Criminal),
1876-30, entry 309. Arr. by date of case. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs.
400 p. 17 X 16 X 3. Corridor, bsmt.
309. SHERIFF'S REGISTER OF FEES (Criminal), 1881-1916. 5 v. (C, E, F,
H, 3). 1376-80 m Sheriff's Register of Fees, entry 308; 1917—
In Sheriff's Process Docket and Earning Journal, entry 295.
Record of court fees received by sheriff In criminal cases, showing date and
number of case, name of payer, and amount of fee. Arr. by date of case. No
Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 400 p. 17 x 16 x 3. Corridor, bsmt.
Office Transactions
310. INCOMING CORRESPONDENCE, 1881—. 1 V. '(1881-84); 19 f.b.
(1890—). Missing: 1885-89, 1921-37.
Miscellaneous correspondence relative to duties of sheriff. The volume,
1881-84, consists of copies of sheriff's correspondence on tissue sheets.
Arr. by date of correspondence. No Index. 1881-84, hdw.; 1889 — , hdw. and
typed. V. 500 p. 9 x 12 x 1; f.b. 11 x 5 x 14. 1 v. , 1881-84, 17 f.b.,
1890-1920, corridor, bsmt.; 2 f.b., 1938—, sh.'s off., 2nd fl.
311. DUPLICATE RECEIPTS, 1929—. 6 v.
Sheriff's record of duplicate receipts for fees received, showing date,
amount, and purpose of fee, and name of payee. Arr. by date of receipt. No
Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 150 p. 17 x 11 x 1. Sh.'s off., 2nd fl.
158
(312)
VIM. CORONER
The coroner's office In Livingston County has continued In existence
from the organization of the county. In 1837, to the present,! The coroner
Is elected by the county electorate for a four-year term. 2 After certifica-
tion of his election by the county clerk, filing of his bond, and taking oath
of office, he receives his commission from the Governor. 3 The coroner's bond
In this county Is required In the sum of $5,000 and must be approved by the
county Judge. 4 The Inquest duties of this official have changed little over
a period of more than a century. The coroner acts as a conservator of the
peace with powers equal to those of sheriff In this respect and serves as a
ministerial officer of the courts In the absence or disqualification of the
sheriff: he also performs all the duties of the latter when the office Is
vacant. 5
The most Important function of the coroner Is to hold Inquests over the
bodies of persons supposed to have come to their death by violence, casualty,
or other undue means. When notification of such death Is received, the
coroner proceeds to the body, takes charge of It, and summons a Jury composed
of six men from the vicinity In which the body was found. The Jury Is
Instructed to assemble at a stated time and place, to view the body and to
Inquire Into the cause and manner of the death. If the Inquest Is continued
and a vacancy should occur on the Jury, the coroner Is allowed to fill such
vacancy. 6
To the custody of the clerk of the circuit court are returned the ver-
dict of the Jury, and such recognizances as may be given the coroner by wit-
nesses whose testimony Implicates any person as the unlawful slayer of the
deceased. "7 in his office, the coroner files and preserves the record of such
testimony, 8 The coroner also keeps one record which he originates, the
"Inquest record." This record recapitulates all the data Involved In the
entire Inquest procedure and Includes an Inventory and accounting of the
personal property and money of the deceased.
Deputy coroners appointed by this official assist him In the perform-
ance of the duties of his office. The number of deputies Is set by rule of
the circuit court, and their compensation Is determined by the county board
of supervisors. The bond or securities of these assistants are taken by the
coroner and the oath to which each subscribes Is filed in the county clerk's
office. 9
For reports of coroner's Inquests to circuit court, see entry 277.
312. CORONER'S RECORD, 1877—, 5 v, (A-E).
Record of coroner's Inquests, showing names of deceased, witnesses, and
Jurors, date, place, and cause of death, occupation, residence, and physical
description of deceased, place of Inquest, verdict of Jury, and Inventory and
disposition of personal effects. Also shows coroner's record of fees and
expenses for holding Inquest and summoning Jury, and Jury fees and expenses.
Arr. by date of Inquest. Indexed alph. by name of deceased. Hdw. on pr. fm.
300 p. 18 X 13 x 3. V. A-D, 1877-1933, clr. clk.'s east vlt., 1st fl.; v. E,
1934 — , coroner's residence.
1. Constitution of 1818, Art. Ill, sec. 11; L.1849. Second Sess., p. 7;
Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 8.
2. The office Is constitutional and elective (Constitution of 1818, Art.
Ill, sec. 11; Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 8). The terms, for-
merly two years. Is now four years (second amendment, November 22, 1880,
to Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 8).
3. R.S.1845. p. 514; R.S.1874. p. 281.
4. R.S.1874. p. 281.
5. L.1819. p. 111,160; L.1821, p. 20-23; L.1825, p. 63,64; R.L.1827.
p. 246-50, 372,373-75; R.S.1845. p. 515,517; R.S.1874. p. 281,282.
6. L.1821. p. 22-24; R.S.1845, p. 517,518; R.S.1874, p. 282-84; L.1879.
p. 82; L.1907. p. 213; L.1919. p. 403,404; L.1931. p. 388,389.
7. L.1821, p. 24,25; R.S.1845, p. 518; R.S.1874. p. 283.
8. L.1B69, p. 104,105; R.L.1874, p. 283; L.1907, p. 213,214; L.1919.
p. 293,294.
9. Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 9; L.18ai. p. 63.
159
(Next entry 313, p. 161)
IX. STATE'S ATTORNEY
In Livingston County, since Its organization In 1837, the state's attor-
ney has commenced and prosecuted In courts of record all actions In which the
people of the state or county were concerned.! This officer was appointed by
the Governor until 1835, when he became an appointee of the General Assem-
bly.2 This latter provision remained effective until 1848, when the state's
attorney became an elective officer of the circuit district electorate. 3 At
this time his services also were expanded to Include the newly created county
court. Finally, the present constitution made the office elective In and for
each county. 4 Bond In the sum of $5,000 has been required since 1872.5 From
the creation of this office In the state until the present, the state's at-
torney has continued to receive his commission from the Governor for the
tenure of his office. 6 in 1827 his appointment was set at a four-year term;'''
In 1835 his term was reduced to two years. 8 Then, In 1849, the state's at-
torney's office became elective by the district electorate for a four-year
term, the first term, however, being only for three years and ending In
1852.9 In Livingston County the state's attorney receives an annual salary
of $4,500, with an additional $400 paid by the state. Statutory fee rates
are allowed him for convictions on specified offenses and crimes before Jus-
tices of the peace, police magistrates, county and circuit courts. Also,
rates are established for preliminary examinations of defendants, for attend-
ance at trials, and for appeals. These several fees and rates make up a
county fund from which Is paid his salary. ^0
The duties of the state's attorney are the following:
1. To commence and prosecute all actions, suits, indictments, and
prosecutions, civil or criminal. In any court of record In his
county In which the people of the state or county may be con-
cerned.
2. To prosecute all forfeited bonds and recpgnlzances and all
actions and proceedings for the recovery of debts, revenues,
moneys, fines, penalties, and forfeitures accruing to the state
or his county, or to any school district In his county; also to
prosecute all suits In his county against railroads or trans-
portation companies, which may be prosecuted In the name of the
people of the State of Illinois.
3. To commence and prosecute all actions and proceedings brought
up by any county officer In his official capacity.
4. To defend all actions and proceedings brought against his coun-
ty or against any county or state officer, in his official
capacity. In his county.
5. To attend the examination of all persons brought before any
Judge on habeas corpus when the prosecution Is In his county.
6. To attend before Justices of the peace and prosecute charges of
felony or misdemeanor for which the offender Is required to be
recognized and to appear before a court of record when It Is
within his power to do so.
7. To give his opinion without fee or reward, to any county
officer or Justice of the peace In his county upon any question
of law relating to any criminal or other matter In which the
1. R.L.1827. p. 79,80; L.1835. p. 44; R.S.1845. p. 76; R.S.1874. p. 173,
174.
2. L.1835, p. 44.
3. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 21.
4. Constitution of 1870, Art. VI, sec. 22; R. 3. 1874. p. 172.
5. L. 1871-72. p. 189.
6. R.L.18o3. p. 98; L.1835. p. 44; Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 28;
Constitution of 1870, Art. VI, sec. 22; R.S.1874. p. 172.
7. R.L.1827. p. 79,80.
8. L.1835. p. 44.
9. Constitution of 1848, Art. V, sec. 21; Constitution of 1870, Art. VI,
sec. 22.
10. L. 1871-72. p. 422; L. 1873-74. p. 104,105; L.1909. p. 231-33; L.1929.
p. 474-76; L.1937. p. 607.
160
state's Attorney (313-316)
people of the state or county may be concerned.
8. To assist the Attorney General whenever It may be necessary,
and In cases of appeal or writ of error from his county to the
Supreme Court, to which It Is the duty of the Attorney General
to attend, he shall, a reasonable time before the trial of
such appeal or writ of error, furnish the Attorney General
with a brief, showing the nature of the case and the questions
Involved,
t 9. To pay all moneys received by him In trust, without delay, to
the officer who by law is entitled to their custody.
10. To perform such other and further duties as may from time to
time be enjoined upon him by law.
11. To appear In all proceedings by collectors of taxes against
delinquent taxpayers for Judgment to sell real estate, and to
see that all the necessary preliminary steps have been legal-
ly taken to make the Judgment legal and binding. ^1
12. To enforce the collection of all fines, forfeitures, and
penalties Imposed or Incurred in the courts of record In his
county; and to report to the circuit court on the collection
of these moneys. 1^
For state's attorney's reports to courts, see entries 170, 279.
313. STATE'S ATTORNEY FILES, 1936—. 1 f.b.
Files of people's cases In circuit, county, police magistrate, and Justice
courts, showing date, case number, names of plaintiff and defendant, type of
case, and action of court. Arr. alph. by name of defendant. No index. Hdw.
and typed. 16 x 14 x 24. State's atty.'s off., 1st fl.
314. DAILY REGISTER, 1936—. 1 v.
State's attorney's dally record of business transacted, showing name and
address of person making complaint, and nature of case. Arr. by date of
entry. No Index. Hdw. 100 p. 10 x 6 x i. State's atty.'s off., 1st fl.
316. JUSTICE OF PEACE (Transcripts), 1932—. 2 v.
Record of people's cases In Justice courts, showing name of defendant, and
date, type, and disposition of case. Arr. by date of case. Indexed alph. by
name of defendant. Hdw. 200 p. 12 x 10 x 2. State's atty.'s off., 1st fl.
316. RECORD OF FINES AND FEES, 1936—. 1 V.
Record of fines, fees, and forfeitures collected by state's attorney, showing
date, names of plaintiff and defendant, case number, amount collected, amount
turned over to county treasurer, and date of receipt. Arr. by date of
receipt. No Index. Hdw. 150 p. 18 x 13 x 3. State's atty.'s off., 1st fl.
11. R.S.1845. p. 76; R.S.1874. p. 172-74.
12. L.1909. p. 406; L. 1911-12, p. 89; L.1929, p. 475.
161
(317-319)
X. SUPERVISOR OF ASSESSMENTS
The county supervisor of assessments, with the aid of the township
assessors In Livingston County, la responsible for the assessment of property
upon which the township, district, county, state, and other taxes are levied.
Principally, these officers annually revise the assessment of property, cor-
rect the same upon complaint, and quadrennially assess real and personal
property.! Many statutory provisions have regulated this function In Living-
ston County. Early laws fixed the value of the several categories of real
and personal property, leaving to the assessing officer only limited discre-
tion.2
Property assessments In Livingston County were first made by the county
treasurer, an appointee of the coiinty commissioners' court. -^ The treasurer
continued to act In this capacity until 1839 when the legislature provided
for the appointment by the county commissioners' court of district asses-
sors.'* The duty of property assessment reverted to the county treasurer
again In 1844^ and continued to be vested In that office until 1858 when
township organization was Instituted In this county, 6 and assessments were
made by township assessors, elected one In each township annually."^
Between 1849 and 1898, the assessing officers In Livingston County
received their assessment lists from, and reported assessments to, the county
clerk. Q In the latter year, the legislature provided that the county treas-
urer should be ex-offlclo supervisor of assessments. 9 From that date until
the present, the township assessors have worked under the direction of, and
reported the assessment of property to, the county treasiu'er, acting In this
ex-offlclo capacity. Every assessor Is bonded In the sum of $500. Bond for
the supervisor of assessments Is $2,000 or such larger sum as the county
board may determine. 10
For other taxation records, see entries 1, 5, 35-56, 142, 157, 321-330,
352, 353, 401.
317. RAILROAD SCHEDULES, 1896—, 10 f.b.
Schedules of taxable railroad company property, showing name and address of
company, description of chattel and real properties, valuations as fixed by
company and assessor, and date of filing. Arr. by date of filing. No Index.
Hdw. and typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
318. BOARD OF REVIEW (Schedules), 1932—. 1 f.b.
Schedules of taxable earnings of local agencies of foreign marine and Inland
navigation Insurance companies, showing date of filing, name of company, name
and address of agent, and amounts of net receipts, expenses, and deductions.
Arr. by date of filing. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 14 x 5 x 16i. Treas.'s
vlt., 1st fl,
319. TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH TAX SCHEDULES, 1937—. 32 f.b.
Schedules of taxable chattel property of telephone and telegraph companies,
1. L, 1871-72. p. 20-22; L.1879. p. 243; L.1881. p. 134; L.1891. p. 187;
L.189n. p. 37,40,44; L.1903. p. 295,296; L,1923. p. 491,492,504,505;
L.1927. p. 713,714; L.1928. Sp. Sess., p. 106; L, 1931 -32. First Sp.
Sess., p. 66.
2. L.1019. p. 313-19; L.1825. p. 173; L.1639, p. 4-6; L.1840. p. 4;
L.1845. p. 6.
3. R.L.1827. p. 330.
4. L.1839. p. 4.
5. L.1843, p. 231,237. Effective In 1844.
6. Livingston County adopted township organization In 1857, but the change
was not effective until 1858.
7. L.1851. p. 38,54-57; L.1853. p. 14,15; L.1B55, p. 35,37; L. 1871 -72.
p. 20-24.
8. L.1849, p. 121,128; ibid.. Second Sess., p. 38; L.1853. p. 14,17,47,
49,50; L. 1871-72. p. 19,20,22,23.
9. L.189P. p. 36,37.
10. L.lSeO. p. 38,39; L.1923. p. 493,494; L.1927. p. 743,744.
162
Supervisor of Assessments (320)
showing name and address of company, legal description of property, valua-
tions as fixed by company and assessors, and date of filing. Arr. by date of
filing. No Index, Typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Treas.'s off., 1st fl.
320. SCHEDULES OF PERSONAL PROPERTY, 1937--. 54 f.b.
Personal property tax schedules showing date of filing, name of owner,
description of property, owner's and assessor's valuations, and signatures of
owner and assessor. Arr. alph. by name of twp. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm.
14 X 5 X 16i. Treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
163
(Next entry 321, p. 165)
XI. BOARD OF REVIEW
The authority to assess, equalize and review or revise the assessment of
property, an Important aspect of the revenue procedure. Is exercised by the
board of review. 1 Early legislation provided for appeals from assessments to
the county commissioners' court. The court was empowered to review and
revise assessments on real and personal property. 2 in 1849, when the county
court succeeded the county commissioners' court In Livingston County, appeals
were made to that body. 3 When township organization was Instituted In 1858*
this Jurisdiction was given In each town to a board composed of the township
supervisor, clerk, and assessor.^ The boaird of supervisors In their annual
meeting examined the assessment rolls In the several towns to ascertain
whether the valuations In one town bore Just relation to the valuations In
all other towns In the county, and were empowered to Increase or diminish the
aggregate valuation of real estate In any town accordingly. They could make
whatever alterations In the description of the lands of nonresidents they
deemed necessary, and were required to assess the value of any lands omitted
by the assessor. o In 1872 the duties of the board of supervisors with regard
to assessments were the following:
1. To assess omitted property.
2. To review assessments upon complaint.
3. To hear and determine the application of any person assessed
on property claimed to be exempt from taxation.
4. To ascertain whether the valuation In one town or district bore
Just relation to the valuation In all towns or districts In the
county and adjust the assessment. "7
In 1898 this authority was transferred to the newly created board of
review, composed of the chairman of the county board who became ex-offlclo
chairman of the board of review, the county clerk, and one citizen appointed
by the county Judge. 8 Since 1923 the board has consisted of the chairman of
the county board as ex-offlclo chairman of the board of review, and two
citizens appointed by the county Judge. The members of the board select
their own clerk. The two citizen members are appointed alternately for a
two-year term. 9
Today, the board of review In Livingston County Is required to assess
taxable property omitted from the regular assessment, to review and correct
assessments on property claimed to be Incorrectly assessed, to Increase or
reduce the entire assessment If, In their opinion. It has not been made upon
the proper basis, to hear and determine the application of any person asses-
sed on property claimed to be exempt from taxation, and to correct errors or
mistakes, except errors of Judgment, as to the valuation of any property, any
time before Judgment. 10
For other taxation records, see entries 1, 5, 35-56, 142, 157, 317-320,
324-330, 352, 353, 401.
1. L.1898. p. 46-49; L.1915. p. 566-70; L.1919. p. 727; L.1923. p. 496-502;
L.1930. Sp. Sess., p. 85-90; L. 1951-32, First Sp. Sess., p. 71,75-78;
L.1955. p. 1163-66.
2. L.1839. p. 7; L.1843. p. 237; L.1845. p. 8; R.S.1845, p. 441.
3. L.1849, p. 65.
4. Livingston County adopted township organization In 1857, but the change
was not effective until 1858.
5. L.1B51. p. 56; L. 1871-72, p. 21,22,24,25.
6. L.1851. p. 57,58; L. 1871-72. p. 24,25.
7. L. 1871 -72. p. 24,25.
8. L.1898. p. 46.
9. L.1923. p. 496,497; L. 1931-32. First Sp. Sess., p. 71,72.
10. L.1898. p. 46-49; L.1915. p. 566-70; L.1919. p. 727; L.1923. p. 496-502;
L.1930. Sp. Sess., p. 85-90; L. 1931 -32. First Sp. Sess., p. 70,71,75-78;
L.1935. p. 1163-66.
164
Board of Review .(321-323)
321. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS OF COUNTY BOARD OF REVIEW, 1899—. 5 v,
(1-5).
Record of proceedings of meetings of board of review, showing date and place
of meeting, names of members and clerk, name and address of complainant,
cause and number of complaint, and action taken; includes lists of corrected
back taxes. Arr. by date of meeting. Indexed alph. by name of complainant.
Hdw. 295 p. 18 X 13 X 2. V. 1, 2, corridor, bsmt.; v. 3-5, co. clk.'s off.,
1st fl.
322. COMPLAINT DOCKET BOARD OF REVIEW, 1899—. 3 V. (1-3).
Docket of tax complaints, showing date, number, and nature of complaint, name
of complainant, legal description of property, assessor's valuation, and
action of board. Arr. by complaint no. 1899-1912, Indexed alph. by name of
complainant; 1913 — , no Index. Hdw. under pr, hdgs. 300 p. 18 x 13 x 3.
V. 1, 1899-1912, corridor, bsmt.; v. 2, 3, 1913—, co. clk.'s vlt. no. 2, 1st
fl.
323. BOARD OF REVIEW ASSESSORS' MORTGAGE MATURITY RECORD, 1892-1918.
1 V.
Record of trust deeds and mortgages kept by board of review, showing names of
mortgagor and mortgagee, dates of Issue, maturity, and release of mortgage,
legal description of property, and amount and terms of mortgage. Arr. by
name and no. of twp. No Index. Hdw. 400 p. 18 x 13 x 3i. Corridor, bsmt.
165
(Next entry 324, p. 167)
XII. COLLECTOR
Tax collections In LlvlnRston County were first made by the sheriff act-
ing as ex-offlclo county collector. 1 With the exception of the period from
1839 to 1844, when there existed a separate office of county collector filled
by appointment by the county commissioners' court, 2 the sheriff continued to
act In this capacity until 1858; in that year township organization was
Instituted In this county, 3 and tax collections became the Joint responsibil-
ity of the townships and the county, with the county treasurer acting as ex-
offlclo county collector. 4
Under this plan, town collectors, elected one In each township,^ made
collections of resident property taxes, 6 while nonresident and delinquent
taxes were collected by the county treasurer.' By the terms of an act of
1855, the town collectors were required to return their tax lists or books to
the county collector who delivered them to the county clerk. 8 This provision
was changed In 1872 by an act of the General Assembly which provided that the
county collector should make an annual sworn statement to the county clerk,
showing the total amount of each kind of tax collected, the amount received
from each town collector, and the amount collected by himself .^
The collection procedure In Livingston County was altered In 1917 when
the legislature provided for the abolishment of the office of town collector
In counties with fewer than one hundred thousand Inhabitants, the county col-
lector to be ex-offlclo town collector In such counties. 10 as Livingston
County never attained this population minimum, 11 the county collector has
since 1917 made collections for the townships as well as for the county. 12
The county collector Is bonded In an amount determined by the county
board In addition to that bond required of him as county treasurer. 13 under
statutory provisions, he collects taxes for the state, county, and other
governmental agencies, and pays to the proper authorities the amount In his
hands payable to their.. 14 He also settles annually with the county board. 15
He prepares an annual list of delinquent property and files It with the coun-
ty clerk, 16 advertises his Intention of applying for Judgment for sale of
delinquent lands and lots, 17 and Is required to attend. In person or by
deputy, all tax sales resulting from this action. 18 The county clerk. In
person or by deputy. Is also required to attend all tax sales. 19 At such
sales, the clerk and collector note and make entry of all tax sales and
1. R.L.1827. p. 370,374.
2. L. 1838-39. p. 7.
3. L.1843. p. 234; L.1853. p. 99. Livingston County adopted township
organization In 1857, but the change was not effective until 1858.
4. L.1851. p. 38,59-64; L.1853. p. 67.
5. L.1851. p. 38.
6. Ibid., p. 59.
7. Ibid., p. 53.
8. L.1855. p. 37.
9. L. 1871-72. p. 56,57; L. 1873-74. p. 56; L.1930. Sp. Sess., p. 6P,67;
L.1931. p. 756; L. 1931 -32. First Sp. Sess., p. 112; L.1935. p. 873,
921; L.1950-34. Third Sp. Sess., p. 220; L.1935. p. 1156,1213;
L. 1935-36. Fourth Sp. Sess., p. 69,70.
10. L.1917. p. 793.
11. The population of Llvlnrston County was 40,465 In 1910; 39,070 In 1920;
and 39,092 In 1930 (Population Bulletin, p. 8).
12. L.1925. p. 605; L.1929. p. 774,775; L.1951. p. 905-8; L.1933. p. 1115,
1116.
13. L. 1871 -72. p. 36; L.1931. p. 748; L. 1931-32. First Sp. Sess., p. 85,
86; L. 1935-34. Third Sp. Sess., p. 225,226.
14. L. 1871 -72. p. 56-59; L.1955. p. 9E2; L.1935. p. 1156,1213; L. 1955-36.
Fourth Sp. Sess., p. 68,69.
15. L. 1871-72. p. 55; L.1955. p. 1155,1156.
16. Lil89i*, p. 51; L.1951. p. 759.
17. L. 1871-72. p. 44; L.1957. p. 1010.
18. L.l§71-72, p. 48; L.1930. First Sp. Sess., p. 64.
19. L. 1871-72, p. 48.
166
Collector - Collection; (324-330)
Settlement; Delinquent Lists
forfeitures to the state. 20
The county collector is required to keep his records as collector of
taxes separate from his records as county treasurer. 21 The records of the
collector's office Include duplicates of receipts Issued to taxpayers, state
auditor's and county clerk's certifications of the collector's settlements
with them, duplicates of the collector's reports, delinquent property records,
and tax sale and forfeiture records.
For other taxation records, see entries 1, 5, 35-56, 142, 157, 317-323,
352, 353, 401.
Col lection
324. BAM LEDGER AND ESTATE TRUST FUND RECORD, 1923-24, 1 v.
Record of taxes received from deputy collectors, showing names of deputy col-
lector and township, date and amount of collection, amount of assessment,
name of bank, date and amount of deposit, and account of collectors' expen-
ses and earnings. Arr. by date of receipt. Indexed alph. by subject. Hdw.
400 p. 10 x 14 X 3. Corridor, bsmt.
325. COLLECTOR'S CASH BOOK, 1904—. 2 v. 1872-1903 In Ledger, entry
333.
County collector's Journal of dally tax collections, showing date and amount
of payment, name of payer, and dally balance. Arr. by date of entry. No
Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 295 p. 18 x 13 x 2. Treas.'s off., 1st fl.
326. (MEMORANDA OF TAXES), 1939. 1 v.
Treasurer's account of dally collections, showing date, name of township,
amounts of various taxes, and total dally collections. Arr. by date of col-
lection. Indexed alph. by name of twp. Hdw. under pr. hdgs, 100 p. 12 x
12 x 1. Treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Settlement
327. COUNTY COLLECTOR'S SETTLEMENT OF ACCOUNTS WITH TOWNS, 1858—.
13 v. (A, 2 not labeled, 2-11). Missing: 1869-74,
County collector's account with township officers, showing date of settlement,
names of township and officer, tax spread, amounts of assessment, abatement,
collection, and payment to township, and amounts due collector and treasurer.
Arr. by date of settlement. No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 300 p. 16 x 13
X 3. V. A, 2 not labeled, 2-6, 1858-1921, corridor, bsmt.; v. 7-11, 1922—,
treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
328. TREASURERS' SETTLEMENT, 1868—. 14 v. (6 not numbered, 2-9).
Title varies: Treasurers' Receipts, 6 v. not numbered, 1868-85.
Record of receipts Issued to collector for tax settlement with various taxing
bodies, showing names of taxing body, treasurer, and collector, tax spread,
total amount of tax, and date of receipt. Arr. by date of receipt. No
Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 150-300 p., 14 x 9 x 1. 6 v. not numbered, 1868-
85, v. 5-8, 1905-31, corridor, bsmt.; v. 2-4, 1886-1904, co. clk.'s vlt.,
bsmt.; V. 9, 1932 — , treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Del inquent Lists
329. ABATEMENT RECORDS, 1911—. 5 v. (1-5).
Lists of delinquent personal and real property taxes, showing name of owner,
description of property, valuation, tax spread, cause for delinquency,
amounts of forfeitures, errors in assessments, and errors in footings of tax
books, and dates of delinquency or abatements. Arr. by date of delinquency.
No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 325 p. 16 x 12 x 3. V. 1, 1911-23, corridor,
bsmt.; v. 2-5, 1924 — , treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
330. FORFEITED TAX RECORD, 1925—. 3 v. (1, 2 not numbered).
County collector's record of forfeited taxes, showing date, name of owner,
legal description of property, amount of forfeiture, and total amount of tax.
Arr. by name of twp., city, village, or subdivision. No Index. Hdw. under
pr. hdgs. 200-600 p. 18 x 16 x 2 - 28 x 23 x 8. Treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
20. L. 1871-72. p. 48; L.1933. p. 886.
21. L.1917. p. 664,665; L.1930, Sp. Sess., p. 60-62; L.1935, p. 1149-58.
167
(331,332)
XI ir. TREASURER
In Livingston County the treasurer has been an elective official since
Its organization In 1837.1 He Is commissioned by the Governor for a four-
year term. 2 in 1880, by amendment to the Constitution of 1870, It was pro-
vided that no treasurer be eligible for reelection to the office until four
years after the expiration of his term of office. 3 The penal sum of th»
treasurer's bond and his securities are determined by the county board.*
Upon request of the treasurer, the board designates the bank in which the
public funds are to be deposited.
In the performance of his duties, the treasurer receives the county
revenue, has custody of Its funds, and disburses them In accordance with
orders of the county board or specific authorization by law. He Is required
to keep books of accounts of all funds received and disbursed by him, to
maintain a register of county orders countersigned and paid, to report an-
nually to the county board on the financial transactions of his office, and
to settle his accounts with the board semiannually.^ The last two require-
ments give rise to a number of segregated records of accounts beyond strict
statutory requirements. In addition, reports are made to the treasurer by
other county, district, public, and semlpubllc authorities In the process of
transacting business with him; and, finally, a large number of records arise
from the requirement for collectors of taxes to settle their accounts with
the treasurer. 6
The treasurer acts as ex-offlclo treasurer of the special drainage dis-
trict.'''
Ledgers and Journals
331. TREASURER'S CASH ACCOUNT, 1854--. 14 v. (5 not numbered, 3-11).
Missing: 1862-73.
Treasurer's dally Journal of receipts and disbursements of county funds,
showing name of fund, date, amount, and purpose of receipt or disbursement,
and cash balance available In each fund. Arr. by date of entry. No Index.
Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 100 p. 10x8x1. 3v. not numbered, 1854-76, co.
clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; 2 v. not numbered, v. 3-7, 1877-1923, corridor, bsmt.;
V. 8-11, 1924— , treas.'s off., 1st fl.
332. CASH BOOK, 1858--. 10 v. (A, 1, 4-11). Missing: 1861-1902.
Journal of treasurer's cash receipts, showing date and amount of receipts,
names of payer and fund to which credited, and amounts of dally bank deposits
and balances and cash on hand. Arr. by date of receipt. No Index. Hdw.
under pr. hdgs. 240 p. 17 x 15 x 2. V. A, 1858-60, co. clk.'s vlt., 1st
fl.; V. 1, 1903, CO. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; v. 4-7, 1904-21, corridor, bsmt.; v.
8-11, 1922--, treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
1. L.1837. p. 49,274; L.1845. p. 28; R. 3.1845. p. 137; L.1B51, p. 144;
Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 8. From 1827 to 1837, the county
treasurer was appointed by the county ccmmlss loners' court (R.L.1827.
p. 329,330; R.L.1B33. p. 515,516).
2. The term was set at four years In 1837 (L.1837 ^ p. 274); It was later
reduced to two years (L.1845. p. 28; L.1851. p. 144). The office was
made constitutional In 1870 without chanp;e of term (Constitution of
1870, Art. X, sec. 8). Then In 1880, the term was lengthened to four
years (Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 8 as amended November, 1880).
3. Constitution of 1870, Art. X, sec. 8, as amended November, 1880.
4. R.L.1827, p. 329; R.S.1874. p. 323. The bond Is required to be filed
In the office of the county clerk.
5. L.1837. p. 582,583; L.1845. p. 151; R.S.1845. p. 137-39; L.1861.
p. 239,240; R.S.1874, p. 32o,324.
6. R.L.1827. p. 3:--.0-5o; L.1859. p. 0-10; L.1845. p. 11; L.1895, p. 304;
L.1913. r. 516; L.1955. p. 898.
7. L.18G5, r. 78,104.
168
Treasurer - Registers of (333-338)
County Orders; Cancelled
County Orders; Special
Accounts
333. LEDGER, 1872—. 6 V. (1 not labeled. A, B, 1-3). Title varies:
Treasurer's Account, County Funds, 1 v. not labeled, v. A, B,
1872-1917.
Treasurer's account of all county funds. Including town collectors' fund,
1872-1918; court house Interest fund, 1875-79; court house bond fund, 1875-
81; refunding fund, 1875; and swamp land school fund, 1872-87, showing dates,
amounts, and purposes of receipts and expenditures, name of fund, and balance
on hand In each fund. Also contains Collector's Cash Book, 1872-1903, entry
325, and Inheritance Tax Record, 1902-14, entry 340. Arr. by date of entry.
Indexed alph. by title of fund, 1872-1917, hdw. under pr. hdgs.; 1918—,
hdw. and hdw. under pr. hdgs. 400 - 800 p. 15 x 13 x 3 - 18 x 13 x 4. 1 v.
not labeled, v.. A, B, 1872-1917, corridor, bsmt.; v. 1-3, 1918—, treas.'s
vlt., 1st fl.
Registers of County Orders
(See also entries 9, 10)
334. LIVINGoTON COUNTY BUDGET RECORD, 1931—. 1 v.
Ledger of appropriations, and county orders and Jury certificates Issued
against appropriations, showing amount of appropriation, date, number, and
amount of order or certificate, name of recipient, and balance on hand. Also
contains Register of County Orders and Jury Certificates, 1933 — , entry 335,
Including County Highway Warrant Register, entry 344. Arr. by date of order.
No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 200 p. 15 x 18 x li. Treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
335. REGISTER OF COUNTY ORDERS AND JURY CERTIFICATES, 1862-1932. 9 v.
(A, 2 not labeled, 2-7). 1933— In Livingston County Budget Rec-
ord, entry 334.
Register of county orders and jury certificates, showing date, number, and
amount of order, names of recipient and fund, and date of payment. Also con-
tains County Highway Warrant Register, 1924-32, entry 344. Arr. by date of
payment. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 450 p. 16 x 12 x 2. V, A, 1862-
76, CO. clk.'s vlt., bsmt.; 2 v. not labeled, v. 2, 3, 1877-1914, corridor,
bsmt.; V. 4-7, 1915-32, treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Cancelled County Orders
336. CANCELLED CHECKS AND COUNTY ORDERS, 1923—. 11 bdl., 1 f.b.
Cancelled checks and county orders, showing date, number, and amount of order
or check, and name of recipient. Arr. by date of order. No Index. Hdw. on
pr. fm. Bdl. 14 x 14 x 6; f.b. 11 x 5 x 14. Treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Special Accounts
School (See also entries
331, 357-3^9)
337. INSTITUTE FUND, 1936—. 1 f.b.
Reports by county superintendent of schools on Institute fund, showing names
of teachers, amount paid for registration, orders to disburse said fund, and
dates of receipt and disbursement. Arr. by date of entry. No Index. Typed
on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
338. REGISTER OF NON-HIGH SCHOOL FUND, 1918. 1 v.
Register of non-high school funds, showing date, amount, and purpose of
receipt or expenditure, names of payer and recipient, date, amount, and num-
ber of order, total receipts and expenditures, and balance available. Arr.
by date of entry. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 315 p. 18 x 13 x 2.
Corridor, bsmt.
169
Treasurer - Special (339-346)
Accounts
Probate
339. SPECIAL DEPOSITS - C»URT ORDERS, 1911—. 2 f.b.
Special deposits made with treasurer by order of probate court for unlocated
heirs or heirs who refuse to take amount given by court, showing case number,
date, names of estate, heirs, and estate officer, copy of treasurer's receipt
for deposit, and copy of receipt to treasurer upon disbursement. Arr. by
case no. No Index. Hdw. and typed, 14 x 5 x 16i. Treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Inheritance Tax (See
also entries 179, 180)
340. INHERITANCE TAX RECORD, 1915—. 2 v. (1, 2). 1902-14 In Ledger,
entry 333.
Account of Inheritance taxes, showing case number, names of estate, heirs or
legatees, and appraiser, date and amount of appraisement, tax value, rate,
and Interest, and court order fixing tax. Arr. by case no. Indexed alph. by
name of estate. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 200 p. 18 x 13 x 2. Treas.'s vlt.,
1st fl.
Highway (See also
entries 8, 10, 387-395)
341. MOTOR FUEL FUNDS, 1931—. 3 f.b.
County clerk's warrants to county treasurer to pay claims of county highway
department, showing date, number, amount, and purpose of warrant, and name of
recipient. Arr. by warrant no. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14.
1 f.b., 1931-33, corridor, bsmt.; 2 f.b., 1934—, treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
342. STATE-AID ROAD, 1933—. 1 box, 2 f.b.
Orders to county treasurer to pay claims on state-aid road fund, showing
date, number, amount, and purpose of order, and name of recipient. Arr. by
order no. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. Box 24 x 12 x 12; f.b. 11 x 5 x 14.
1 box, 1933-36, corridor, bsmt.; 2 f.b., 1937—, treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
343. COUNTY MOTOR FUEL TAX, 1933—. 1 v.
Ledger of motor fuel tax allotments, showing dates and amounts of receipts
and disbursements, and amount on hand. Arr. by date of entry. No Index.
Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 125 p. 10 x 15 x 2. Treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
344. COUNTY HIGHWAY WARRANT REGISTER, 1923. 1 v. 1924-32 In Register
of County Orders and Jury Certificates, entry 335; 1933— In
Livingston County Budget Record, entry 334.
Register of highway warrants, showing date, number, and amount of warrant,
purpose of payment, and name of recipient. Arr. by warrant no. No Index.
Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 200 p. 14 x 13 x li. Corridor, bsmt.
Tax Anticipation Warrants
345. RECORD OF INTEREST BEARING WARRAOTS, 1911-19. 1 v.
Record of anticipation warrants issued by board of supervisors, showing date,
number, and amount of warrant, name of recipient, and dates of consignment
and redemption. Arr. by warrant no. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 100 p. 16 x
12 x li. Treas.'s vlt,, 1st fl.
Dog License (See also
entry 79 )
346. SHEEP CLAIMS, 1920—. 3 f.b.
ClalifS presented to and allowed by board of supervisors for sheep killed,
showing date, number, and amount of claim, names of claimant and town super-
visor, affidavit of appraiser, number of sheep killed, and amount allowed.
Arr. by date of claim. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Treas.'s
vlt., 1st fl.
170
Treasurer - Receipts, (347-354;
Checks, and Bank
Statanents
Mothers' Pension and Relief (See
also entries 17, 20, 21, 23)
347. MOTHERS' PENSION, 1923—. 2 boxes, 2 f.b.
Orders to pay mothers' pensions, showing date, number, and amount of order,
and name of payee. Arr. by order no. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. Boxes
24 X 12 X 12; f.b., 11 x 5 x 14. 2 boxes, 1923-36, corridor, bsmt.; 2 f.b.,
193V—, treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
348. LIVINGSTON COUNTY EMERGENCY RELIEF COMMITTEE, MOTOR FUEL TAX
FUNDS, 1933. 1 f.b.
Statements of special relief committee of board of supervisors, showing date
and amount of payment, name of person receiving relief. These payments were
approved and charged to motor fuel tax fund. Discontinued upon being taken
over by Illinois Emergency Relief Commission. Arr. by date of payment. No
Index. Hdw. and typed on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
County Institutions
349. LIVINGSTON COUNTY HOME (Claims), 1923—. 3 boxes, 2 f.b.
Orders of board of supervisors to county treasurer to pay claims of Livingston
County Home and Hospital, showing date, number, amount, and nature of claim,
and name of claimant. Arr. by order no. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. Boxes
24 X 12 X 12; f.b. 11 x 5 x 14. 3 boxes, 1923-36, corridor, bsmt.; 2 f.b.,
1937—, treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
350. T. B. SANITARIUM, 1923—. 2 boxes, 2 f.b.
Orders to county treasurer to pay claims of Livingston County Tuberculosis
Sanitarium, showing date, number, amount, and purpose of order, and name of
claimant. Arr. by order no. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. Boxes 24 x 12 x 12;
f.b. 11 X 5 X 14. 2 boxes, 1923-35, corridor, bsmt.; 2 f.b. 1936—,
treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Vital Statistics (See
also entries 101, 102)
351. ACCOUNT BOOK BIRTHS AND DEATHS, 1902. 1 v. (A).
Account of payments made for birth and death reports, showing date and
amount of payment, name of recipient, and number of births and deaths report-
ed. Arr. by date of payment. No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 235 p. 16 x
13 X li. Corridor, bsmt.
Receipts, Checks, and Bank Statements
352. TAX RECEIPTS, 1925—. 356 bdl.
Duplicate tax receipts showing date, name of owner, legal description of
property, amount of tax, amount each Installment, and date and amount of pay-
ment. Arr. by date of receipt. No Index. Typed on pr. fm. 8x8x6. 296
bdl., 1925-37, corridor, bsmt.; 60 bdl., 1938—, treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
353. NOTICE OF COUNTY CLERK, 1933—. 3 f.b.
County clerk's notice to treasurer authorizing acceptance of delinquent tax
money due county, showing date and amount of payment, and names of account
and payer. Arr. by date of payment. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x
14. Treas.'s vlt., 1st fl.
354. (COUNTY TREASURER'S CHECK BOOK), 1902—. 2 v., 8 boxes, 1 bdl.,
1 V. Missing: 1904.
Stubs of checks Issued, showing date, amount, and number of check, and names
of fund and recipient. Arr. by check no. No index. Hdw. on pr. fm. V. 100
p. 9 x 11 X i; boxes 24 x 12 x 12; bdl. 12 x 12 x 12. 2 v., 1902-6, 8 boxes,
1906-38, corridor, bsmt.; 1 bdl., 1939, treas. vlt., 1st fl.; 1 v., 1939—,
treas.'s off., 1st fl.
171
Treasurer - (355, 356)
Fees
355. TREASURER'S BANK LEDGER, 1890~. 10 v. Title varies: Dally Cash
Deposits, 9 v., 1890-1929.
Ledger of dally bank deposits, showing date, name of bank, amount deposited,
and balance on hand. Arr. by date of deposit. No Index. 1890-1929, hdw.
under pr. hdgs.; 1930—, hdw. 100 - 150 p. 15 x 6 x i - 14 x 12 x li. 9 v.,
1890-1929, corridor, bsmt.; 1 v., 1930--, treas.'s off., 1st fl.
Feet
356. REGISTER OF FEES EARNED AND RECEIVED, 1902-27. 2 v.
Treasurer's register of fees earned and received, showing date and amount of
tax collections from each township, and amount of commission. Arr. by date
of collection. No Index. Hdw. under pr, hdgs. 135 p. 17 x 5 x i. Corri-
dor, bsmt.
172
(Next entry 357, p. 174)
XIV. SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
The first county school official In Livingston County was the county
school commissioner.! The principal duties of this officer, an appointee of
the county commissioners' court, centered around the sale of school lands.
His reports of these sales were made to the county commissioners' court and
recorded by their clerk in a well-bound book kept for that purpose. 2 The
school commissioner also reported to the county commissioners' court on his
other transactions in regard to the school fund. 3 Beginning with the year
1841, the school commissioner was elected for a two-year term. 4 in 1845 the
office of county superintendent of schools was created as an ex-offlclo of-
fice of the county school commissioner. 5 For his ex-officio duties as
superintendent of schools, the commissioner received additional compensation
for the days actually engaged in the performance of these duties. 6 In 1865
the office of county superintendent of schools was established as an inde-
pendent office, and had delegated to it the authority formerly vested in the
county school commissioner.'''
The superintendent of schools is a statutory office, now elective for a
term of four years. 8 The superintendent's office serves as the central
school administrative agency for the county. One or more of the several
congressional townships comprise the several school districts. Within these
administrative units are elected boards of trustees who have executive and
financial responsibilities which come under the supervision of the county
superintendent. 9 The boards of trustees appoint their own treasurers who
also act as clerks of the township (or school district) boards. 10
The superintendent makes quarterly and annual reports to the county
board and also reports to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the
State Department of Public Health, the state fire marshal, and the state
architect. His original duties are the following:
1. To sell township fund lands and issue certificates of purchase.
2. To examine the complete accounts of every township treasurer in
his county and report irregularities to the township trustees.
3. To conduct a teachers' institute, hold quarterly examinations
for teachers' certificates, and issue such.
4. To hold examinations for normal and university scholarships.
5. To visit the public schools In the county, observe methods of
instruction, make recommendations to teachers, and advise
school officers; to observe sanitary and safety conditions, and
notify trustees and state authorities of unsatisfactory condi-
tions; to inspect plans and specifications, and approve those
meeting state regulations. H
A noteworthy undertaking of the superintendent of schools is the annual
teachers' Institute. Pioneer legislation of 1869 provided that the school
directors were to allow school teachers to attend the teachers' institute in
their county without the loss of time or pay.^^ Twenty years later, the
superintendent of schools was required to hold the institute annually. ■'■'^ A
fund was set up for this purpose which has continued to be made up of the fees
1. R.L.1829. p. 150,151.
2. Ibid., p. 152,153; L.1849. p. 155,156,159,160; L.1851, p. 130.
3. L.1831. p. 175.
4. L.1841. p. 261,262.
5. L.1845. p. 54.
6. L.1849. p. 178; L.1867. p. 161.
7. L.1865. p. 112; L. 1871-72, p. 702; U1889, p. 312; L.1909, p. 343.
8. L. 1871-72. p. 702; L.1909. p. 343; L.1915. p. 628; L.1923. p. 596.
9. L.1847. p. 126; L.1909, p. 350; L.1929. p. 745.
10. L.1927. p. 043; L.1929, p. 745.
11. R.S.1845. p. 498,499; L.1847. p. 122; L.1849, p. 156; L.1853. p. 246,
247; L.1855. p. 66,67; L.1861. p. 190,191; L.1865. p. 119,120; L.1909.
p. 347-50; L.1915. p. 636-38.
12. L.1869. p. 394.
13. L.18B9. p. 312.
173
Superintendent of Schools - (357-363)
Accounts of School Funds;
Sales of School Lands;
School Districts
received from applicants for teachers' certificates and from teachers' regis-
tration. Money from the fund Is paid out only on the order of the superin-
tendent to defray the expenses of the annual Institute. When the fund ex-
ceeds the annual cost of the institute, the excess may be paid out for
special meetings of teachers. 14
Accounts of School Funds
(See also entries 333, 337, 338)
357. DISTRIBUTIVE FUNDS, 1933--. 1 f.b.
Cancelled checks Issued to, and receipts from, township treasurers for state
distributive funds, showing names of township and treasurer, amount distrib-
uted to each township, and dates of Issue, cancellation, and receipt. Arr.
by date of check. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14. Vlt. of supt. of
sch., 2nd fl.
358. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS, 1858--. 2 v. Title varies: Cash Book,
1 v., 1858-1935.
Superintendent's account of school tax fund. Including swamp lands funds,
1858-74, and showing dates, amounts, and purposes of receipts or disburse-
ments, names of payee and payer, and school district number. Arr. by date of
transaction. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 150 - 200 p. 14 x 3 x 1 -
18 X 12 X li. 1 v., 1858-1935, off. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.; 1 v., 1936--,
vlt. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
359. LOAN BOOK, 1865-1901. 20 v. Missing: 1868-93.
Record of loans froin school funds, showing date, amount, and terms of loan,
rate of Interest, names of borrower and sureties, and township and school
district numbers. Arr. by twp. and district nos. No index. Hdw. on pr. fm.
100 p. 14 X 9 x 1. Vlt. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
Sales of School Lands
(See also entries 33, 333)
360. SCHOOL LANDS, 1841-68. 1 v.
Record of sale of school lands, showing dates of sale and petition for sale,
legal description of property, report of school commissioners, ajnount receiv-
ed per acre, and total amounts received in cash, notes, and mortgages; in-
cludes plats of school lands. Arr. by sec, twp., and range nos. No index.
Hdw. 350 p. 12 X 8 X i. Off. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
School Districts
361. COMMUNITY AND TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT, 1894--. 1 f.b.
Papers on the formation of commimity and township high school districts,
including petition and notices of posting call for election, returns of elec-
tion, ballots, and official canvass. No obvious arr. No index. Hdw. and
typed under pr. hdgs. Hi x 5 x 16. Vlt. of supt, of sch., 2nd.fl.
362. COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT, 1919--. 1 f.b.
Papers on fomiatlon of consolidated school district, including petition for
election, poll books and ballots, retiirns of elections, and certification of
Judges and clerks. No obvious arr. No- index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. Hi x
5 X 16. Vlt. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
363. SCHOOL DISTRICT REPORT OF CLAIMS FOR STATE AID, 1929--. 1 f.b.
School district claims for state aid, showing total assessed value of all
property in district, amounts levied for education and building purposes,
number of teachers and pupils, days school in session, and amount and date of
claim. Arr. by date of claim. No Index. Typed on pr. fm. 14 x 12 x 36.
Off. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl. ^
14. L.1905. p. 385; L.1931. p. 876.
174
Superintendent of Schools - (364-371)
Teachers' Records;
Pupil Records
364. NON-HIGH SCHOOL RECORD, 1918--. 2 V.
Proceedings of non-high school board, showing minutes and transactions of
meetings, accounts of tuition fund, and annual report of non-high school dis-
tricts. Arr. by date of meeting. No Index. Hdw. 125 p. 12 x 9i x 1. Vlt.
of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
Teachers' Records
365. TEACHERS' PENSION AND RETIREMENT FUND, 1934—. 1 f .b.
Teachers' pension lists, showing school district number, name and address of
teacher, service record, salary per month, amount deducted for pension fund,
and total amount of payments. Arr. by date of payment. No Index. Typed
under pr. hdgs. 11 x 5 x 14. Vlt. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
366. COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT'S EXAMINATION RECORD, 1873—. 11 v. (2 not
numbered, 1-8, 1 not numbered). Title varies: Certificate Record,
2 V. not numbered, 1-8, 1873-1914.
Register of teaching certificates granted to teachers having taken state .
examinations, 1915 — , and county examinations, 1873-1914, showing nane, age,
and address of teacher, teaching grade for which examined, grade of certifi-
cate, and dates of examination and Issue and expiration of certificate. Arr,
by date of examination. No Index. 1873-1914, hdw. under pr. hdgs.; 1915 — ,
typed under pr. hdgs. 75 - 100 p. 14 x 9 x 1 - 18 x 15 x 1. Vlt. of supt.
of sch., 2nd fl.
367. REGISTER OF FEES, 1835—. 8 v. (1-7, 1 not numbered).
Register of fees paid by teachers for registration of certificates, showing
name of teacher, date and ajnount of payment; Includes amounts paid monthly
to county treasurer to be credited to institute fund. Arr. by date of fee
payment. No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 140 p. 19 x lOi x i. V. 1-7,
1885-1929, vlt. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.; 1 v., 1930—, off. of supt. of
sch., 2nd fl.
368. EMPLOYMENT RECORD, 1890--. 5 v. (1-5).
Teachers' employment record showing names and addresses of teachers and
school trustees, name and number of school district, date of school term,
department or grade for which employed, and amount of salary. Arr. by date
of school term. No index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 150 p. 15 x 14 x i. V. 1-4,
1890-1924, vlt. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.; v. 5, 1925—, off. of supt. of
sch., 2nd fl.
369. TEACHERS' PERIIAKENT RECORD, 1920—. 2 v.
Permanent record of teachers, showing name, address, age, and birthplace of
teacher, schools attended, grade, number and dates of issue and expiration of
certificate, school district number, and date of employment. Arr. by date of
employment. Indexed alph. by name of teacher. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 150 p.
18 x 15 X li. 1 v., 1920-29, vlt. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.; 1 v., 1930—,
off. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
370. INSTITUTE RECORD, 1885-1930. 6 v. (1-6).
Record and minutes of teachers' Institute meetings, showing date of meeting,
names of teachers in attendance, days of attendance, and school district
number. Arr. by school district number. No Index. Hdw. 198 p. 14 x 9 x 1.
Vlt. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
Pupi I Records
371. ATTEl^DANCE REPORTS, 1931—. 1 bdl . , 1 f.b.
Monthly reports of teachers to superintendent of schools, showing name and
age of pupil, days absent, times tardy or truant, cause of absence, name and
residence of parent or guardian, school district number, name of teacher, and
date of report. Arr. by date of report. No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs.
Bdl. 12 X 6 X 12; f.b. 12 x 5 x 24. Bdl., 1931-33, vlt. of supt. of sch.,
2nd fl.; f.b., 1939—, off. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
175
Superintendent of Schools - (372-379)
Reports; School
Treasurers ' Bonds
372. DIPLOMA RECORDS, 1898—. 6 v. (1-6).
Register of diplomas Issued, showing date of graduation, name, age, address,
and grades of pupil, and names of teacher and school district. Arr. by
school district no. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 100 p. 15 x 11 x 1.
V. 1-5, 1890-1929, vlt. of supt. Of sch., 2nd fl.; v. 6, 1930--, off. of
supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
373. DIPLOMA RECORD (Illinois State Reformatory), 1935--. 2 v.
Register of Inmates of Illinois State Reformatory taking eighth grade examin-
ations, showing registration number, date of examination, type of test used,
scores, and date of Issuance of diploma. Arr. by registration no. No Index.
Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 125 p. 19 x 12 x 1. Vlt. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
374. REGISTFR OF CERTIFICATES AWARD, 1902-32. 4 v. (1-3, 1 not
numbered) .
Register of certificates awarded for attendance, showing date, school dis-
trict number, and name, age, grade, and attendance record of piapll. Arr. by
date of certificate. No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 200 p. 13 x 8 x 1.
Vlt. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
Reports
375. TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORTS, 1893—. 30 f .b.
Annual reports of school trustees to county superintendent of schools, show-
ing number of school district, value of school property, amounts of educa-
tional and building funds and bonded Indebtedness, financial statistics,
total receipts and expenditures, and balance available. Arr, by date of
report. No index. 1893-1911, hdw. on pr. fm,; 1912 — , hdw. under pr. hdgs.
Hi X 5 X 16. Off. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
376. HIGH SCHOOL FINANCIAL AND STATISTICAL REPORTS, 1936—. 1 f.b.
Annual reports of high schools, showing date of report, name of high school,
district number, enrollments, general statistics, number of teachers employed
and length of service, classification of salaries, valuation of property, and
report of expenditures. Arr. by date of report. No index. Hdw. on pr. fm.
11 X 5 X 14. Vlt. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
377. OFFICIAL RECORD OF SCHOOL VISITS, 1874—. 1 v., 2 bdls., 1 f.b.
Missing: 1896-1930.
Reports of visits to schools by directors, showing date of visit, names of
teachers and directors, and township and school district numbers. Arr. by
date of visit. No index. Hdw. on pr. fm. V. 125 p. 14 x 9 x 1; bdl. 4 x
7x3; f.b. 11 X 5 X 16. 1 v. , 1874-95, 2 bdls., 1931-35, vlt. of supt. of
sch., 2nd fl.; 1 f.b., 1936—, off. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
378. ANNUAL REPORTS, 1883—. 22 V.
Copies of annual reports of superintendent of schools, showing school census,
enrollments; names, positions, and qualifications of teachers; pronotion of
health and attendance; school tax levies and loans; salaries of elementary
and high school teachers; receipts and expenditures of distributive and town-
ship funds, general and financial reports, and memoranda. Arr. by date of
report. No index, Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 40 p. 16 x lOi x i. Vlt. of supt.
of sch., 2nd fl.
School Treasurers' Bonds
(See also entry 130)
379. TOWNSHIP TREASURERS' BONDS, 1915--. 1 f.b.
Bonds of township treasurers, showing names of treasurer and sureties, date,
amount, and obligations of bond, and date of filing. No obvious arr. No
176
Superintendent of Schools - (380)
Correspondence
index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 11 x 5 x 14, Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
Correspondence
380, CORRESPONDENCE, 1935—, 3 f.b.
Superintendent's files of correspondence with school teachers and directors,
and state department of education In regard to various phases of school work.
Arr. by date of correspondence and by sch. district no. No Index. Hdw. and
typed. 11 X 5 X 14. Vlt. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
177
(Next entry 381, p. 179)
XV. SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS
From 1837 to 1849 the county commissioners' court exercised Jurisdiction
over roads and bridges In Livingston County. 1 The court was empowered to
locate new roads, to alter or vacate old roads, to divide the county Into
road districts, and to appoint a supervisor In each district. 2 The construc-
tion and maintenance of roads were effected by means of a labor tax levied on
all able-bodied men between the ages of eighteen and fifty. It was the super-
visor's duty to summon these men for work when road labor was needed. 3
From 1849 to 1858 the county court in Livingston County had the control
and supervision of public roads and bridges. The substitution of this admin-
istrative body for the old county commissioners' court effected no material
changes In the earlier set up. The system of road districts was retained and
the work of superintending road construction and maintenance continued to be
vested In district supervisors. 4
In 1858, when township organization was Instituted In Livingston County, ^
the care and superintendence of roads became the responsibility of the town-
ships. In 1849, legislation enabling the adoption of this form of county
government had provided for the election In each township of a highway com-
missioner and as many overseers of highways as there were road districts In
the county. The commissioners at their annual meeting determined necessary
action for establishing new roads and repairing, altering, or vacating old
roads; the overseers of highways were then required to carry out the commis-
sioners' Instructions. 6 This system of road control and maintenance obtained
until 1913; In that year the office of superintendent of highways was first
established.''' The boards of highway commissioners which existed prior to
that date have continued to function, but their powers are principally sub-
ordinated to those of the superintendent of highways.
The superintendent Is appointed by the county board. The board submits
a list of three to five candidates to the State Department of Public Works
and Buildings, which department examines the candidates to determine the
person best fitted for the office. 8 The successful candidate holds office
for six years and Is remunerated In a sum fixed by the county board.
The powers and duties of the superintendent of highways come under the
rules and regulations of the Depeirtment of Public Works and Buildings. How-
ever, the superintendent Is subject, upon hearing, to removal by the county
board. The superintendent exercises supervision over township, county, and
state-aid roads, and bridges, and culverts In his county and Is required to
perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the chief highway engineer
of the state. 9
His principal duties are as follows:
1. To prepare plans, specifications, and estimates for all bridges
to be built by the county.
2. To supervise the construction and maintenance of county roads
and bridges, and state-aid roads.
3. To inspect the highways and bridges in each town or district of
1. L.1819. p. 175; R.L.1827. p. 340.
2. L.1819. P. 33J;; L.1625. p. 130; R.L.1B27. p. 340,344.
3. L.1019. p. 334; R.L.1B27. p. 341,342.
4. L.1847. p. 111-13; L.1849. p. 65; L.1851. p. 179.
5. L.1851. p. 65. Township organization adopted in 1857, but the change
was not effective until 1858.
6. L.1849, p. 212.
7. L.1913. p. 524.
8. Lil921, P. 781; L.19o5, p. 961. From 1913 to 1917 the list was sub-
mitted to the State Highway Ccmmlsslon. In 1917 this state agency was
abolished, and its rights, powers and duties were vested in the
Department of Public Works and Buildings, created in the same year
(L.1913. p. 524; L.1917. p. 4,16,24).
9. L.1921. p. 782; L.1933. p. 961
178
Superintendent of Highways - Com- (381-385)
mlssloners' Records; Construction
and Maintenance Records
his county at least once a year.
4. To advise and direct the highway coiranlssloners In each town or
district as to the best methods of repair, maintenance, and
Improvement of highways and bridges.
5. To approve any purchase In excess of $200 for materials,
machinery, or apparatus to be used In road construction In any
town or district. 10
He Is required to keep the following records:
1. Records of contracts, purchases, and expenditures authorized by
himself, the county board, or township commissioners.
2. Maps, plats, blueprints, specifications, etc., arising from his
supervision of roads and bridges, or the planning of new con-
struction.
3. Accounts of the funds handled by his office.
4. Reports from other officers or bodies touching upon the affairs
of his office; copies of his own reports on the administration
of his office; related papers. H
Commissioners' Records
381. SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS RECORD, 1922. 2 v.
County highway superintendent's record, showing dates and minutes of meetings
of highway committees, reports of state-aid road and bridge committee to
board of supervisors, and resolutions for roads and bridges passed by county
board. Arr. by date of meeting. No index. Typed. 400 p. 16 x 9 x 2. Vlt.
of supt. of hwys., bsmt.
Construction and Maintenance Records
(See also entries 4, 5, 97)
Plans, Specifications, and Contracts
382. (CONSTRUCTION MAPS), 1895—. 11 rolls, 171 bdl, (11 rolls, 6
bdl., 1901-31; 165 bdl., 1895—).
Maps and drawings of streets, roads, bridges, and land surveys, showing date,
location, and description of survey, and name of engineer; Includes plans of
county Jail and maps of drainage districts. Author, county highway engineer.
Arr. by date of drawing. No index. Blueprint and hand-drawn. 1 in. to 100
ft. Rolls 2 x 2 X 24; bdl. 10 x 8 x 11 - 10 x 12 x 4. 165 bdl., 1895—,
vlt. of supt. of hwys., bsmt.; 11 rolls, 6 bdl., 1901-31, corridor, bsmt.
383. ROADS AND BRIDGES - CONSTRUCTION, 1927—. 69 folders.
Estimates, specifications, contracts, and correspondence relating to con-
struction and maintenance of roads and bridges, showing location of work,
names of contractors, and road section number. Arr. by road section no. No
Index. Typed, and typed on pr. fm. 15 x 9i x 1. Vlt. of supt. of hwys.,
bsmt.
384. CONTRACTS, 1932—. 85 file envelopes.
Copies of contracts for construction of roads and bridges, showing date, name
of contractor, name or number of project, and specifications and amount of
contract. Arr. by sec. no. No Index. Typed under pr. hdgs. and on pr. fm.
15 x 10 X 2. Vlt. of supt. of hwys., bsmt.
Material
385. BRIDGE RECORD, 1922—. 3 v.
Record of expenses incurred for bridge construction, showing date, amount,
10. L.1913. p. 523-26.
11. Ibid., p. 525.
179
Superintendent of Highways - (386-394)
Allotments and Claims;
Warrants
and purpose of payment, name of recipient, and section number. Arr. by sec.
no.^ No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 150 p. 13 x 10 x 2. Vlt. of supt. of hwys.,
bsmt.
Labor
386. TIME CARDS, 1931--. 5 boxes.
Dally time reports showing date, name of employee, hours of work, rate of
pay, kind of work, and totals. Arr. alph. by name of employee. No Index.
Hdw. on pr. fm. 9i x 5 x 15. Vlt. of supt. of hwys., bsmt.
k\ lotnentt and Claiat
(See also entries 8, 342, 343)
387. CLAIMS, 1935—. 1 box.
Duplicate lists of claims presented to board of supervisors, showing date
presented to county board, warrant and claim numbers, date, amount, and
purpose of claim, date of payment, and names of recipient and payer. Arr.
by date of payment. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 15 x 10 x 6. Vlt. of supt.
of hwys., bsmt.
388. TOWN CLE31KS' REPORT, 1924—. 2 v.
Copies of reports by town clerks to superintendent of highways, showing lists
of claims examined, allowed, and ordered paid by township highway commis-
sioner. Arr. by twp. no. No Index. Hdw. 500 p. 15 x 9i x 4. Vlt. of
supt. of hwys., bsmt.
389. DISTRIBUTION LEDGER, 1930—. 2 V.
Record of claims filed with superintendent of highways, showing date, number,
purpose, and amount of claim, and name and address of claimant. Arr. by
claim no. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 450 p. 18 x 12 x 3. Vlt. of supt. of
hwys., bsmt.
390. COUNTY MOTOR FUEL TAX ALLOTMENT RECORD, 1932—. 1 v.
Ledger of motor fuel tax allotments, showing date and number of claim, date
and amount distributed for state-aid roads, engineering, and bridge main-
tenance and construction, date and number of receipt, and balance on hand.
Arr. by date of claim. Indexed by name of fund. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 300
p. 13 x 10 X 3. Vlt. of supt. of hwys., bsmt.
391. MOTOR FUEL TAX RECORD, 1932—. 1 V.
Record of distribution of motor fuel tax fund, showing road section number,
date and amount of payment, and name of recipient. Arr. by sec. no. No
index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 400 p. 10 x 13 x 3. Vlt. of supt. of hwys., bsmt.
Warrants
(See also entries 10, 341, 344)
392. COUNTY AID BRIDGES (Warrants), 1933—. 1 v.
Stubs of warrants issued for county-aid bridges, showing date, number, pur-
pose, and amount of warrant, and name of recipient, and receipt number. Arr.
by warrant no. No index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 200 p. 17 x 12 x 1. Co. clk.'s
off., 1st fl.
393. MOTOR FUEL TAX (Warrants), 1935—. 1 v.
Stubs of motor fuel tax warrants, showing date and number of claim, number,
purpose, amount, and date of warrant, names of recipient amd fund drawn upon,
and receipt number. Arr. by wsirrant no. No index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 200 p.
20 X 14 X 2. Co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
394. 15D REFUND (Warrants), 1937—. 1 v.
Stubs of warrants issued for 15D refund, showing date, number, amount, and
purpose of order, to what road section charged, and signature of recipient.
180
Superintendent of Highways - (395-400)
Surveys; Office
Transactions
Arr. by warrant no. No Index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 50 p. 16 x 12 x i. Co.
clk.'s off., 1st fl.
395. STATE-AID ROAD (Warrants), 1938—, 1 v.
Stubs of warrants Issued for state-aid roads, showing number, date, amount,
and purpose of warrant, and signature of recipient. Arr. by warrant no. No
index. Hdw. on pr. fm. 100 p. 17 x 13 x 1. Co. clk.'s off., 1st fl.
Surveys
(See also entries 136-140)
396. FIELD SURVEY BOOKS, 1915—. 74 v. (1-74).
Surveyor's field notes of surveys of land, streets, roads, and bridges, show-
ing legal description and route and section numbers of sketches and plats,
name of township, and date of survey. These are rough notes and drawings
made in the field by engineers from which drawings and blueprints are made In
the office. Arr. by twp. no. For index, see entry 397. Hdw., and hand-
drawn. 150 p. 8 x 6 x li. Vlt. of supt. of hwys., bsmt.
397. INDEX TO FIELD BOOKS, 1915—. 1 v.
Index to Field Survey Books, entry 396, showing names or numbers of township,
drainage district, roads, streets, and lots, and field book number. Arr. by
name of district. Typed. 100 p. 11 x Si x 1. Vlt. of supt. of hwys., bsmt.
Office Transactions
398. CORRESPONDENCE, 1914—. 24 f.b.
Files of miscellaneous correspondence with state highway department and town-
ship highway commissioners regarding road and bridge construction and repair,
and amounts to be paid out of motor fuel tax, state-aid r9ad, and county road
and bridge funds. Arr. by date of correspondence. No index. Hdw, and
typed, 10 X 2 x 13. Vlt. of supt. of hwys., bsmt.
399. LEDGER, 1916--. 8 v, (1-8). Missing: 1918-21.
Account of receipts and expenditures of superintendent of highways, showing
date and amount of receipts, and name of fund; dates and amounts expended for
state-aid road maintenance, salaries, office expense, and equipment. Arr. by
date of receipt or expenditure. Indexed alph. by name of subject, Hdw,
under pr, hdgs, 300 p. 14 x 12 x 8. Vlt. of supt. of hwys., bsmt.
400. OFFICE DIARY, 1926—. 7 v.
Dally record of telephone calls, mail received, visitors registered, and time
record of employees. Arr. by date of entry. No index, Hdw, on pr, fm, 125 p,
13 X 10 X i, Vlt. of supt. of hwys., bsmt.
181
(Next entry 401, p. 184)
XVI. SURVEYOR
The office of surveyor was established in the State of Illinois in 1821;
the incumbent was an appointee of the General Assembly. ^ During recess of
the legislature, nominations were made by the county commissioners' court to
the Governor. 2 From 1835 to 1936, the county surveyor was an elected officer
of the county electorate. 3 Since September, 1936 he has been an appointee of
the county board.* His appointment is for a four-year term. He takes and
subscribes to an oath which is filed in the county clerk's office.
The surveyor is required by law to make all surveys within the bounds of
his county that he may be called upon to make by the county board or interest-
ed persons. Such surveys Include surveys of lands of persons requesting the
same, of additions or subdivisions, and marking of county lines. Few changes
have been made in the original statutory requirements for the duties of this
office. The surveyor may appoint one or more deputies. Any individual
requesting a survey must employ his own chainmen subject to the approval of
the surveyor.
The surveyor is required by law to keep a well-bound book in which to
record all surveys made by him, giving such information as the names of the
persons whose land is surveyed and descriptive data of the survey. This rec-
ord is required to be kept by the surveyor in the recorder's office. The
surveyor also preserves his field notes and retains copies of plats. -"^
The surveyor in Livingston County has no office of his own; but his rec-
ords are kept in the office of the county recorder, see entries 136-138, 396,
397.
1. U1821, p. 62; R.L.1829. p. 172; R.L.1853. p. 591.
2. Ibid.
3. L.1B35, p. 166; L.1837. p. 558; R. 3.1845. p. 523; R.S.1874, p. 456,
1050; L.1905, p. 349.
4. L.1933. p. 1104. Effective in 1936.
5. L.1821. p. 63,64; R.L.1829. p. 173; R.L.1833. p. 591-93, 599,600;
L.1845. I-. 201; R.S.1845. p. 524; R.S.1874, p. 1050; L.1885. p. 248;
L.1915. p. 575; L.1953. p. 1104.
182
(Next entry 401, p. 184)
XVII. DRAINAGE COMMISSIONERS
For the purpose of aiding In public welfare and health, the constitution
had delegated to the General Assembly broad power to provide laws In regard
to drainage. 1 By statutory provision these activities are exercised by
drainage commissioners in districts of Livingston County. The corporate
authorities of the drainage districts have power to acquire right of ways.
Issue bonds, construct and maintain drains, ditches, and levees for agricul-
tural, sanitary or mining purposes, and assess the benefited property. 2
Drainage districts may be organized by land owners upon petition to the
county court. When the court finds In favor of the petitioners, it then
enters an order to that effect and appoints three commissioners, to examine
and survey the proposed lands. The commissioners, when they have completed
their assignment, make a final report to the court with recommendations and
the copies of surveys, maps, plats, and estimates. 3 The districts are of
three kinds: regular, which Is composed of property lying In a single town;
union, where the lands organized lie In two towns; special, with three or
more towns Involved. 4
After the report on a proposed district has been made, the court com-
pletes the organization of the district. 5 The corporate powers of regular
and union districts are vested In three commissioners appointed by town
clerks. The corporate authority in special drainage districts is vested in
three elected commissioners of the district. 6 In regular districts the com-
missioners appoint one of their number to act as secretary. The town clerk
In union districts acts as the clerk of the district. "^ The county clerk and
county treasurer in cases of the special drainage districts are, respective-
ly, ex-offlclo clerkS and treasurer^ of each district. Livingston County has
regular drainage districts.
The following records belong to the drainage commissioners:
1. Records of bonds Issued.
2. Assessment books.
3. Petitions of owners of land to stay assessments, orders of com-
missioners thereupon, and other proceedings.
4. State auditor's certificates of interest due on bonds.
5. Tax lists showing pro-rata share of levy for bond Interest
(union and special districts only).
6. Copies of reports to county court on conditions of district and
estimated expenditures; and to county treasurer on delinquent
lands; maps and plats, surveys and estimates; office transac-
tions.10
The first two records are required to be kept in separate books, the
next three generally are known as the "Drainage Record," and the remaining
records are kept desultorily.
For other drainage district records, see entries 26, 31, 144, 382.
1. Constitution of 1870, Art. IV, sec. 31.
2. First amendment to the constitution, ratified November 29, 1878,
incorporated In the Constitution of 1870, Art. IV, sec. 31; L.1879,
p. 124-39.
3. L. 1871-72. p. 356-58; R.S.1874. p. 429; L.1875. p. 76,77; L.1879, p.
120,124,155; L.1885. p. 73,93,95,110-15; L.1907. p. 275; L.1913. p. 261.
4. L.1879p p. 155; L.1885. p. 93,94,113. River districts, though not in
this category, may be organized similarly and with like powers (L.188S.
p. 106).
5. See footnote 3.
6. L.1879, p. 156; L.1885. p. 93,95,113.
7. L.1915. p. 390. The town clerk shall be clerk of the union drainage
district, when the major portion lies in his town.
8. L.18n5, p. 95; L.1915, p. 390; L.1919. p. 468.
9. L.18n5. p. 104.
10. L.1879. p. 120-34; L.1885. p. 78-104.
183
Drainage Commissioners (401-409)
401. (DRAINAGE DISTRICT PAPERS), 1895--. 12 f.b. (Avoca, 1921-31,
1 f.b.; Belle Prairie, 1914-17, 1 f.b.; Champlln, 1929-32, 1 f.b.;
Eastern Indian Creek, 1929-37, 1 f.b.; Fanners' Cooperative,
1917-19, 1 f.b.; Long Point - Nebraska, 1927-38, 1 f.b.; North
Vermilion, 1921, 1 f.b.; Odell - Nevada, 1919-23, 1 f.b.; Oliver
and Corn Cirove, 1895-1921, 1 f.b.; Owego, 1916—, 1 f.b.; Sulli-
van, 1921-24, 1 f.b.; Travis, 1918-30, 1 f.b.).
Files of drainage district papers. Including petitions, notices of appoint-
ments, oaths and reports of drainage commissioners and treasurers, contracts,
assessment rolls, proof of service of notice, Jurys' assessment of benefits
and damages, court orders, and blueprints. Arr. by date of document. No
Index. Nature of recording varies. 11 x 5 x 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
402. DRAINAGE BONDS, 1896—. 1 f.b.
Bonds of coiiuiilssloners and treasurers of drainage districts, showing names of
commissioner or treasurer and sureties, date, amount, and terms of bond, and
date of filing. No obvious arr. No Index. 1896-1913, hdw. on pr. fm.;
1914—, typed. 11 X 5 X 14. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
403. DRAINAGE RECORD, 1904, 1905, 1919—. 2 v.
Record of drainage commissioners' proceedings, showing names of land owners,
petitions for Improvements, amount of damage or benefit of such Improvements,
action of drainage commission, and court orders. Arr. by case no. 1904,
1905, no Index; 1919—, Indexed alph. by name of district. Hdw., and printed
under pr. hdgs. 150 p. 14 x 8i x 1. 1 v., 1904, 1905, corridor, bsmt.; 1 v.,
1919—, CO. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
404. AVOCA DRAINAGE DISTRICT, 1924. 1 plat.
Plat Of Avoca drainage district, showing name, legal description, and boundary
Of district, name of property owner, acreage of each parcel, route and size
of drainage ditch, construction details, and date of survey. No Index.
Pontlac, Illinois: Glen D. Butzer, engineer. Blueprint. 7^ x 8. Co. clk.'s
vlt., 1st fl.
405. CH^'1PLIN DRAINAGE DISTRICT, 1929. 1 plat.
Plat of Champlln drainage district, showing name, legal description, and
boundaries of district, name of property owner, acreage of each parcel, route
and size of drainage ditch, construction details, and date of survey.
Pontlac, Illinois: Glen D. Butzer, engineer. Blueprint. 1 In. to 1000 ft.
36 X 24. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
406. EASTERN INDIAN CREEK DRAINAGE DISTRICT, 1930. 1 plat.
Plat of Eastern Indian Creek drainage district, showing name, legal descrip-
tion, and boundary of district, route and size of drainage ditch, names of
owners and acreage of property In district, construction details, and date of
survey. No Index. Bloomlngton, Illinois: Taylor and Waltman, engineers.
Blueprint. 1 In. to 1000 ft. 40 x 22. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
407. FARMERS CO-OP. DRAINAGE DISTRICT, 1919. 1 plat.
Plat of Farmers' Cooperative drainage district, showing name, legal descrip-
tion, and boundaries of district, name of property owner, acreage of each
parcel, route and size of drainage ditch, construction details, and date of
survey. No Index. Bloomlngton, Illinois: Bell and Hare, engineers. Blue-
print. 1 In. to 1000 ft. 40 X 26. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
408. LONG POINT - NEBRASKA DRAINAGE DISTRICT, 1927. 1 plat.
Plat of Long Point - Nebraska drainage district, showing name, legal descrip-
tion, and boundaries of district, names of property owners, acreage of each
parcel, route and size of drainage ditch, construction details, and date of
survey. No Index. Pontlac, Illinois: Glen D. Butzer, engineer. Blueprint.
1 In. to 1000 ft. 24 X 21. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
409. ODELL - NEVADA DRAINAGE DISTRICT, 1919. 1 plat.
Plat of Odell - Nevada drainage district, showing name, legal description,
and boundaries of district, names of property owners, acreage of each parcel,
route and size of drainage ditch, construction details, and date of survey.
No Index. Bloomlr.gton, Illinois: Bell and Hare, engineers. Blueprint. 1
m. to 400 ft. 30 x 24. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
184
Drainage Coiranlssloners (410-417)
410. OLIVER AND CORN GROVE DRAINAGE DISTRICT, 1918. 1 plat.
Plat of Oliver and Corn Grove drainage district, showing name, legal descrip-
tion, and boundaries of district, names of property owners, acreage of each
parcel, route and size of drainage ditch, construction details, and date of
survey. No Index. Paxton, Illinois: C.T. Helman, engineer. Blueprint. 1
In. to 2000 ft. 22 x 20. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
411. OWEGO DRAINAGE DISTRICT, 1916, 1 plat.
Plat of Owego drainage district, showing name, legal description, and bound-
aries of district, name of property owner, acreage of each parcel, route and
size of drainage ditch, construction details, and' date of survey. No Index.
Bloomlngton, Illinois: Bell and Hare, engineers. Blueprint. 1 in. to 600
ft. 32 X 30. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
412. SULLIVAN DRAINAGE DISTRICT, 1922. 1 plat.
Plat of Sullivan drainage district, showing name, legal description, and
boundaries of district, names of property owners, acreage of each parcel,
route of drainage ditch, construction details, and date of siirvey. Pontiac,
Illinois: C.J. Shapland, engineer. Blueprint. 1 in. to 600 ft, 36 x 24.
Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
413. TRAVIS DRAINAGE DISTRICT, 1918. 1 plat.
Plat of Travis drainage district, showing name, legal description, and
boundaries of district, name of property owner, acreage of each parcel,
route of drainage ditch, construction details, and date of survey. No index.
Bloomlngton, Illinois: Bell and Hare, engineers. Blueprint. 1 in. to 400
ft. 26 X 15. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
414. SWAMP LAND RECORD, 1857-72. 6 v.
Record of sale of swamp and overflow lands, showing date, name of purchaser,
legal description. of property, price per acre, and total amount paid by cash,
note, or county order. Arr. by twp,, sec, and range. No index. Hdw. 160 p,
18 X i4 X 1. Co. elk. 's vlt., 1st fl.
415. APPLICATIONS, 1857-67. 2 v. (A, 1 not lettered).
Applications for purchase of swamp lands in Livingston County, showing date
of application, name of applicant, and legal description of property by sub-
division, section, and range. Arr. by date of application. No index. Hdw.
100 p. 14 X 9 X i. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
416. SWATIP LAND CASH BOOK, 1357-67. 2 v.
Swamp land commissioner's cash book showing date, amounts of principal and
Interest and name of payer, legal description of land, amount of credits in
Jail, school, and county orders, and balance on hand. Arr. by date of entry.
No index. Hdw. 100 p. 14 x 9 x 2i. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
417. LAND BOOK (Transcript), 1866. 1 v.
Lists of swamp lands in Livingston County as transcribed from Original Entry
Book, entry 109, showing name of owner, legal description of property by sub-
division, section, township, and range numbers, number of acres, and valuation.
Arr. by date of entry. No index. Hdw. and hdw. under pr. hdgs. 40 p. 17 x
10 X i. Co. clk.'s vlt., 1st fl.
185
(418, 419)
XVIII. VETERINARIAN
The office of county veterinarian was created by statute In 1925 for
counties willing to appropriate funds for the maintenance and employment of a
veterinarian. As a prerequisite the county must enter Into a cooperative
agreement with the Federal and State Depart.-nents of Agrlcultiire for the con-
trol and eradication of bovine tuberculosis. The veterinarian, under the
direction of the latter body, conducts tuberculin tests, keeps records there-
of and reports to the state department. ^ Although this office was created by
statute in 1925, Livingston County had a county veterinarian in 1922.2
Specific provision was not made under the original act for the method of
selection. In 1929, however. It was provided that the veterinarian was to be
appointed by the county board of supervisors upon approval of the State
Department of Agriculture. 3
418. TUBERCULIN TEST - HERD RECORD, 1922—. 5 f .b.
Card record of tuberculin tests, showing date, names of herd owner, town, and
township, total number sind grade of cattle tested, number passed, and number
reacted. Arr. alph. by name of twp. No Index. Hdw. 12 x 8 x 24. Co.
vet. 's off., bsmt.
419. LIVINGSTON COUNTY BOVINE TUBERCULIN RECORD, 1922—. 5 v.
Record of tuberculin tested herds, showing names of town and township, name
and address of herd owner, number of cattle tested, passed, and reacted,
appraised value of Infected cattle, and date of test. Arr. alph. by name of
twp. No Index. Hdw. 265 p. 16 x 6 x 1. Co. vet.'s off,, bsmt.
1. L.1925. p. 2-9.
2. Supervisors' Record v, L. p. 111. "
3. L.1929, p. 7-12.
186
(Next entry 420, p. 188)
XIX. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE
Matters relating to public assistance and welfare In the county are
handled by the department of public welfare, which was established In 1937 as
successor to the county commission of public welfare. 1 This department con-
sists of the superintendent of public welfare and a staff selected by him In
accordance with, and subject to, the approval of the State Department of
Public Welfare.
The county board submits to the state department a list of five residents
as candidates for the office of superintendent. An eligible list of these
candidates is prepared by the state department by competitive examination and
certified to the county board. The board in turn makes an order appointing
one of the ellglbles as superintendent of public welfare. 2
The superintendent is charged with all the executive and administrative
duties and responsibilities of the department of public welfare. He is sub-
ject to the rules and regulation of, and removal by, the state agency. 3
This officer has power and it is his duty to:
1. Have charge and develop plans for the administration of old age
assistance.
2. Investigate and study problems of assistance, correction, and
general welfare within his county.
3. Cooperate with the State Department of Public Welfare in the
operation of welfare plans and policies in his county.
4. Ilaintain such records and file such reports with the State
Department of Public Welfare as that department may require.
5. Serve as agent and executive officer of the State Department of
Public Welfare in the administration of all forms of public
assistance administered by that department. 4
All the records of the county department are subject to the inspection
and supervision of the agents of this central authority.
Federal legislation was enacted in 1935 to provide for the general wel-
fare by establishing a system of Federal old age benefits. In order to
participate in the benefits of this act,^ the several states were required to
submit plans for old age assistance. Illinois passed legislation complying
with this act the same year. 6 Today, the Federal government pays to Illinois,
one half of the sums expended on old age assistance.
The department of public welfare administers old age assistance and is
subject to the rules and regulations of the state department. '^ Upon receipt
of an application the department makes an investigation of the case. In the
course of the investigation the department is allowed to hold hearings and
compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of papers and books. °
Old age assistance records and accounts are kept as prescribed by the
state department. All applications and records in these matters are con-
sidered public records. 9
1. L. 1955-36. First Sp. Sess., p. 70-73; L.1937. p. 451.
2. L.1937. p. 451,462.
3. Ibid., p. 452.
4. L. 1935-36. First Sp. Sess., p. 72; L.1937. p. 452.
5. 49 U.S.S.L. 620.
6. L.1935. p. 260.
7. Ibid., p. 259,260; L. 1935-36. First Sp. Sess., p. 54,55; L.1937. p. 265.
8. L. 1935-36. First Sp. Sess., p. 57-59; L.1937. p. 267,268.
9. L.1937. p. 266,269.
187
Department of Public Welfare (420-425)
420. CARD RECORD AND INDEX TO FILES, 1936—, 2 f.b.
Index to Old Age Assistance (Files), entry 421; Card File (Inactive), entry
422; and Investigators' Cases, entry 423, showing date and number of applica-
tion, name and address of applicant, amount of award, date of Investigation,
and name of Investigator. Arr. alph. by name of applicant. No Index. Hdw.
5 X 5 X 12. Old age assistance off,, bsmt.
421. OLD AGE ASSISTANCE (Files), 1936—. 12 f.b.
Applications for old age assistance. Including Investigator's reports and
recommendations, rejections, cancellations, transfers, and state approval,
showing name, age, address, financial, marital, and health status of appli-
cant, and amount of award, Arr. alph, by name of applicant. For Index, see
entry 420. Typed and hdw. 12 x 12 x 24. Old age assistance off., bsmt.
422. CARD FILE (Inactive), 1936—. 2 f.b.
Files of applications for old age assistance, including Investigator's reports
and recoifjr.endatlons, showing date, name, address, personal, financial, and
occupational statistics of applicant, amount of award, transfers, rejections,
cancellations or withdrawals, date and reason for closing case, and name of
Investigator. Arr. alph. by name of applicant. For Index, see entry 420.
Hdw, 5 X 5 X 12. Old age assistance off,, bsmt.
423. INVESTIGATORS' CASES, 1936—, 2 f,b.
Investigators' old age assistance application files showing name and address
of applicant, statistical record of case, and date and amount of award. Arr,
alph, by name of applicant. For Index, see entry 420. Hdw, and typed. 12 x
6x8. Old age assistance off., bsmt.
424. CORRESPONDEi;CE, 1936—. 3 bdl.
Miscellaneous papers, including correspondence In regard to cases handled by
office, statistical monthly reports, requisitions for supplies, and payrolls,
Arr, by date of document. No Index, Hdw, and typed. 12 x 12 x 6. Old age
assistance off., bsmt.
425. REGISTER OF OLD AGE APPLICANTS, 1936—. 1^^.
Register of applicants for old age assistance, showing name, address, sex,
age, and financial status of applicant, date and number of application, dates
of Investigation and approval, action taken, and amount of award. Arr. by
date of application. No Index, Hdw. under pr. hdgs, 200 p. 16 x 12 x 2.
Old age assistance off., bsmt.
188
(426-428)
XX. COUNTY NURSE
The county board Is empowered to employ nurses for such public health
nursing duties as It may deem necessary. 1 All nurses to be employed as
public health nurses, In addition to being registered, must be certified by
the Department of Registration and Education as qualified to perform the
duties of public health nursing. 2 The Department of Registration and Educa-
tion conducts examinations to determine the fitness of applicants, and may
revoke any certificate for cause as set forth In the act. 3 Review of any
order of revocation may be made by the circuit court, and appeals from orders
or Judgments of the circuit court In such review may be taken to the Supreme
Court ,
The county board prescribes the duties to be performed by the county
nurse, and makes appropriations for the compensation and necessary expenses
of such nurses, 4 in Livingston County the county nurse visits child and adult
patients throughout the county. Advice and assistance Is received by the
county nurse from the State Department of Public Health and written reports,
with the consent of the county board, are made to that department. ^
426. HEALTH RECORD CARDS, 1938—. 1 f.b.
Individual card record of health of pupils In the schools of the county,
showing date of filing, name and age of pupil, name of school, and statisti-
cal record of physician. Arr. by twp. and district nos. No Index. Hdv;. on
pr. fm. 12 X 12 X 24. Off. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
427. MISCELLANEOUS FILES, 1938—. 1 f.b.
Correspondence with state officers, various hospitals, parents, and schools,
concerning health of children; also contains teachers' health bulletins, Arr.
by date of correspondence. No Index. Hdw. and typed. 12 x 12 x 24. Off,
of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
428. SCHOOL HEALTH REGISTER, 1937—. 1 v.
Record of health examinations of pupils, showing date of examination, name
and district number of school, name, age, grade, and physical condition of
pupil, and Immunization record. Arr. by sch. district no. No Index. Hdw.
under pr. hdgs. 100 p. 12 x 10 x 1, Off. of supt. of sch., 2nd fl.
1. L.1931. p. 732.
2. L.1937. p. 998.
3. Ibid., p. 1000,1001.
4. L.1931. p. 732.
5. Ibid., p. 733.
189
(Next entry 429, p. 192)
XXI. TUBERCULOSIS SANITARIUMI
In 1909 the powers of the county were extended to permit the establish-
ment of a sanltarlam for the care and treatment of county residents suffer-
ing from tuberculosis. 2 This provision was greatly amplified In an act of
1915 which described In detail the conditions necessary to the establishment
of such an institution and the manner In which It was to be supported, man-
aged, and controlled. 3
The act provided that whenever one hiuidred legal voters In a county
should petition the county board to levy a tax for the establishment and
maintenance of a tuberculosis sanitarium, the board was required to submit
the question to the voters of the county at the next regular general elec-
tion. A favorable majority of all votes cast upon the proposition was neces-
sary for adoption. 4 in the original legislation of 1915, the amount of the
tax levy was limited to not more than three mills on the dollar annually on
all taxable property In the county. 5 This limit was lowered In 1923 to two
mills, 6 and further reduced In 1929 to one and one-half mills, "^ the present
statutory requirement. The money thus received was to be set apart In a
special Tuberculosis Sanitarium Fund. 8
The management of the sanitarium was vested In a board of three directors
appointed by the president or chairman of the county board with the approval
of that body. The directors were to serve for three years. 9 Vacancies on
the board were to be filled In the manner In vjhlch original appointments were
made. Immediately after their appointment, the directors were required to
meet and elect from their number a president, secretary, and such other of-
ficers as they might deem necessary. 10 The Livingston County electorate
voted in November 1916 for the levying of a tax to establish such an institu-
tion, and the first board of directors was appointed on February 14, 1917.11
Today the powers and duties of the board of directors are essentially
the same as in 1915.12 The directors are required to make and adopt such by-
laws, rules, and regulations for their own guidance and for the goveminent of
the sanitarium and all its auxiliary activities as may be expedient and con-
sistent with statutory requirements. They are also granted exclusive control
of the expenditure of all moneys collected to the credit of the fund and may
receive, in the name of the county, contributions or donations to the sani-
tarium of money or property. The same act provides that persons desiring to
make a donation, bequest, or devise of any money, personal property, or real
estate may vest the title to such property in the board of directors who
shall, upon acceptance, hold and control it and act as special trustees.
Otherwise, all moneys received for the use of the sanitarium are deposited in
the county treasury within a month after their receipt, to be drawn upon only
by the proper officers upon presentation of properly authenticated vouchers
01 the board of directors. Whenever such a deposit is made the board is re-
quired to secure a receipt from the treasurer. 13
The board may purchase or lease ground within the limits of the county
and nay occupy, lease, or erect an appropriate building or buildings for the
1. Livingston County Tuberculosis Sanitarium.
2. L.1909. p. 162.
3. L.1915. p. 346-49.
4. Ibid., p. 346,347.
5. Ibid., p. 346.
D, L.1923. p. 302.
7. L.1929. p. 304.
5. L.1915, p. 346; L.1923. p. 302; L.1929. p. 304,305.
9. The first three directors were required to serve for irregular terms
of one, two, and three years in order to permit the appointment of one
new director annually. Choice of terms was decided by lot (L.1915.
p. 347).
10. Ibid.
11. Supervisors' Record, v. K, p. 22.
12. L.1915. p. 346-49; L.1923. p. 302,303; L.1929. p. 304,305. Cf.
R.S.1937. p. 956-59.
13. L.iaiS. p. 347-49.
190
Tuberculosis Sanitarium
use of the sanitarium and Its auxiliary institutions or activities. No
building may be constructed, however, until the plans have been approved by
the secretary of the State Board of Health, 14 and no building In which tuber-
culosis patients are to be housed rnay be erected on the grounds of a county
poor fann. The board has exclusive control of the supervision, care, and
custody of the grounds, rooms, or buildings so constructed, leased, or set
apart. The board Is empowered to appoint and remove superintendents,
matrons, and all other necessary assistants, and to fix their compensation.
It is required that one or more of the directors shall visit the sanitarium
and all its branches, dispensaries, and auxiliary Institutions and activities
at least twice In each month. No board member may receive compensation for
his services nor be Interested either directly or Indirectly In the purchase
or sale of any supplies for the institution. 1°
All sanitariums established -onder the provisions of this act are requir-
ed to be free for the benefit of all tubercular Inhabitants of the county.
Such inhabitants are entitled to occupancy, nursing, care, medicine, and at-
tendance, subject to the rules and regulations adopted by the board of direc-
tors. A person who violates these rules and regulations may be excluded from
the use of the sanitarium. No person may be compelled to enter the sanitarium
or any of Its branches, dispensaries or other auxiliary institutions unless
his consent In writing has first been obtained. In the case of a minor or
person under a disability the written consent must be secured from his parent,
guardian, or conservator. In the same manner, provision is made for home
treatment under proper rules and regulations. The board may also extend the
privileges and use of the sanitarium to tubercular residents of Illinois who
live outside the county, upon such terms and conditions as the directors
prescribe. The board has power to make rules and regulations governing all
physicians, nurses, attendants, patients, or other persons approaching or
coming within the limits of the grounds, and all articles used or brought
there. The rules extend to all branches, dispensaries, and other auxiliary
institutions located In the county, to their employees, and to all employees
sent Into the homes of patients. All reputable physicians are entitled to
equal privileges in treating patients in any county tuberculosis sanitarium. 16
Since 1923, to Insure greater working efficiency, counties maintaining
tuberculosis sanitariums have been permitted to convey property acquired for
such purposes, to any adjacent county or counties upon such terms and condi-
tions as the respective county boards agree on by a majority vote of all mem-
bers of each board. In the same year It was also provided that counties
without public tuberculosis facilities might use funds secured for that pur-
pose to give patients sanitarium care in private or public sanitariums of the
state. 1'7
The directors are required to report monthly to the county board on
conditions In the sanitarium. They also return to that body a monthly list
of the names of all persons making contributions and donations, the amount
and nature of the property so received, and the date of its receipt. On or
before the second Monday in June in each year, the directors make an annual
report to the county board, stating the condition of their trust on the first
day of June, the various sums of money received from all sources and how and
for what purpose expended, the number of patients, and other pertinent
statistics, information, and suggestions. 1°
All the records of the sanitarium are kept in the superintendent 's
office on the first floor of the Livingston County Tuberculosis Sanitarium,
one mile south of the courthouse on Torrence Avenue, R.F.D. 7.
14. In 1917, the State Board of Health was abolished (L.1917, p. 17); since
that year, all plans for sanitarium buildings have been submitted to
the Department of Public Health, successor to the board (Ibid., p. 27).
15. L.1915. p. 347,348.
16. Ibid., p. 348,349.
17. L.1923. p. 303.
18. L.1915. p. 348,349.
191
Tuberculosis Sanitarium - (429-437)
Patient Records; Reports
Patient Records
Case Records
429. DISCHARGES, 1922—. 4 f.b.
Card record of discharged patients, showing name of patient, reason for dis-
charge, history of case, dates of entry and discharge, condition at date of
discharge, number of days hospitalized, names and addresses of relative or
friend and physician. Arr. by case no. Indexed alph. by name of patient.
Hdw. on pr. fm. 12 x 12 x 36.
430. CURRENT CASES, 1936—. 1 f.b.
Current case record showing names of patient and family, date of entry,
diagnosis on entry, record of tests, case history, date and reason for dis-
charge, general condition on date of discharge, and number of days In hospi-
tal. Arr. by case no. Indexed alph. by name of patient. Hdw. on pr. fm.
12 X 12 X 36.
431. PATIENT'S MONTHLY REGISTER, 1922—. 4 v.
Monthly register of patients, showing case number, date of admission, name
and address of patient, and number of days of previous and current residence
In sanitarium. Arr. by date of admittance. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs.
100 p. 11 X 13 x 1.
Treatments
432. LABORATORY TESTS, 1922--. 4 f.b.
General reports on laboratory tests, showing name of patient, name of person
making test, history of case, and date, nature and result of test. Arr. by
date of test. Indexed alph. by name of patient. Hdw. on pr. fm. 12 x 12 x
36.
433. NARCOTIC RECORD, 1938—. 1 V.
Record of narcotics given patients, showing patient's name, date, drug, dose,
name of doctor who ordered narcotic, and name of the nurse administering
dose. Arr. by date of administering. No Index. Hdw. 160 p. 12 x 9 x 1.
434. TREATMENT RECORD BOOK, 1939—. 1 v.
Record of treatments given patients, showing types and number of treatments
given- each day In sanitarium. Arr. by date of treatment. No Index. Hdw.
72 p. 12 X 8 X i.
435. X-RAY, 1939—. 1 v.
Record of X-ray examinations, showing date, namber of negative, name of
patient, technique used In making plate, type of plate, and charge for exam-
ination. Arr. by negative no. Indexed alph. by name of patient. Typed.
150 p. 12 X 9 x 1.
Reports
436. MEDICAL DIRECTOR'S MONTHLY REPORT, 1922—. 201 pamphlets.
Monthly report to the sanitarium board by the medical director, showing
census, condition of individual patients, total monthly receipts, total
monthly disbursement, cost of operation, cost statistics, summary of out-
standing accounts, report of nursing care and treatments and examinations.
Arr. by date of report. No Index. Typed under pr. hdgs. 8 p. 8 x 11 x i.
437. MEDICAL DIRECTOR'S ANNUAL REPORT, 1922—. 16 pamphlets.
Annual report of the medical director of the Livingston County tuberculosis
sanitarium to the board of supervisors, showing total number of patients
under treatment, total number of new admissions, total number of discharges,
number of patients remaining In sanitarium at date of report, report of
clinic work, report of surgical cases, amount and source of earning during
year, amount of disbursements for year, condition of accounts receivable,
192
Tuberculosis Sanitarium - (438-445)
Reports; Office Records
cost of operation and cost statistics. Arr. by date of report. No index.
Typed under pr. hdgs. 8 p. 8 x 11 x i.
438. ALCOHOL REPORTS, 1932—. 72 pamphlets.
Record of tax free alcohol received and used, showing name and address of
institution, permit number, amount of alcohol on hand at beginning of month,
amount received and used, and amount on hand at end of month, signature of
medical director, notarial acknowledgment, and date. Arr. by dates of
receipt and disbursement. No index. Typed on pr. fm. 4 p. 8 x 11 x i.
Office Records
(See also entry 350)
Receipts and Expenditures
439. DISBURSEMENT LEDGER, 1922—. 2 v.
Ledger account of monthly expenses and payroll, showing amount of expense in
each department, date, amount, and purpose of payment, name of recipient, and
order number. Arr. by order no. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 240-560 p.
18 X 12 X 2 - 18 X 13 X 5.
440. EXPENSE JOURNAL, 1922—. 2 V.
Journal of monthly expense bills. Including monthly payroll, showing date,
amount, and nature of claim, date and amount of payment, and name of recip-
ient. Arr. by date of bill. No index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 172 - 320 p.
16 x 11 X li - 18 X 13 X 3.
441. GENERAL LEDGER, 1937—. 1 v.
General ledger account of income and expense, showing date, cash receipts,
accounts receivable, and expense of institution. Arr. by date of receipt.
Indexed alph. by name of subject. Hdw. 80 p. 10 x 13 x 1.
442. LEDGER OF ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, 1937—. 1 v.
Ledger of accounts receivable, showing name and address of debtor, date and
amount of account, and date of payment. Arr. by date of account and date of
payment thereunder. Indexed by name of subject. Hdw. 80 p. 14 x 8 x 1.
Einployees
443. EMPLOYEES' TUIE BOOK, 1939—. 1 V.
Register of persons currently employed, showing dates of current week, name
of employee, time worked each day, time off each week, and total hours worked
each week. Arr. by months and dates of working days thereunder. No index.
Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 72 p. 12 x 8 x i.
444. EMPLOYEES' RECORD, 1939—. 1 v.
Record of persons currently employed, showing name and position of employee,
and number of days worked in month. Arr. by months and dates of working days
thereunder. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs. 72 p. 12 x 8 x i.
Correspondence
445. CORRESPONDENCE, 1936—. 1 f.b.
Superintendent's file of correspondence In regard to patients and general
business of institution. Arr. by date of correspondence. No index. Hdw,
and typed. 12 x 12 x 36.
193
(44G-449)
XXI I . COUNTY HOME
One phase of public assistance Is adoilnlstered by the county home. All
county poorhouses, poor farms, and Institutions for the support and care of
Indleents in Illinois are know as county homes. 1 County poorhouses and farms
have existed In this state under statutory provisions for nearly a century.
The legislation creating these county establishments for the indigent has
changed little since the original enactments. The county boards of the vari-
ous counties may establish a county home, and are granted the following
powers:
1. To acquire by purchase, grant, gift, or devise, a suitable
tract or tracts upon which to erect and maintain a county poor-
house and other necessary buildings, and for the establishment
and maintenance of a farm for the employment of the poor.
2. To receive gifts and bequests to aid in the erection and main-
tenance of the poorhouse, or in the care of the indigents.
3. To make rules and regulations for the same.
4. To appoint a keeper of the poorhouse and all necessary agents
and servants for the management and control of the poorhouse
and farm, and to prescribe their compensation and duties.
5. To appoint a county physician and prescribe his compensation
and duties.
6. To appoint an agent to have the general supervision and charge
of all matters in relation to the care and support of the poor,
and to prescribe his compensation and duties.
7. To make the necessary appropriations for the erection and main-
tenance of the county home.^
Records of the county home are prepared and kept by the keeper (superin-
tendent) of the home. He is required to keep an account showing the name of
each person admitted to the county poorhouse, the time of his admission and
discharge, the place of his birth, and the cause of his dependency. He Is
also required, at the same time each year, to file with the county clerk of
his county a copy of this record together with a statement showing; the aver-
age number of persons kept in the poorhouse each month during the year. 3
446. ADMITTANCE CARDS (Open Cases), 1913--. 1 f.b.
Card record of patients in county infirmary, showing name, age, sex, nativity,
marital status, religion, and occupation of patient, names of relative or
friend and attending physician, and by whom physician is to be paid. Arr. by
case no. Indexed alph. by name of patient. Hdw. on pr. fm. 10 x 8 x 16.
Off. of supt., 1st fl, CO. home.
447. ADI1ITTANCE CARDS (Closed Cases), 1913—. 1 f.b.
Card record of patients in county Inflnnary, showing name, age, sex, occupa-
tion, nativity, religion, and marital status of patient, names of relatives
or friends and attending physician, by whom physician is to be paid, and date
of death or discharge. Arr. by case no. Indexed alph. by name of patient.
Hdw. on pr. fm. 10 x 8 x 16. Off. of supt., 1st fl, co. hone.
448. MISCELLANEOUS BILLS AND REPORTS TO SUPERVISORS, 1932—. 1 f.b.
Annual reports and bills for expenses of county farm presented to board of
supervisors by superintendent of county farm, showing date, amount, and pur-
pose of expenditure, name of payee, and amount, kind, and valuation of prod-
uce raised on farm. Arr. by date of report and bill. Indexed by subject.
Hdw., typed, and hdw. and typed under pr. hdgs. Off. of supt., 1st fl, co. home.
449. ALMSHOUSE RECORD, I860—. 1 v.
Register of inmates of county home, showing name, age, and address of Inmates,
personal and financial particulars, dates of admission and discharge or death,
1. L.1919. p. 699; L.1955. p. 1058.
2. L.1339. p. 139; R.S.1845. p. 404,405; L.1861. p. 180; R.S.1874. p. 757;
L.1917. p. 638,639; L.1919. p. 698,699; L.1935. p. 1057,1058.
3. R.S.1874. p. 758.
194
County Home (450, 451)
and remarks. Arr. by date of admittance. No Index. Hdw. under pr. hdgs.
600 p. 16 X 14 X 3. Off. of supt., 1st fl, co. home.
450. ENTRANCE LEDGER, 1932—. 1 v.
Dally ledger account of general expenses of county home, showing name of In-
mate, date of entry, number of days In home, and rate per day, total amount
charged each township, and date and amount of claim with name of payee; In-
cludes record of medical fees charged to each township, showing name of
patient, type of service, and date and amount of fee. Arr. by date of claim.
Indexed alph. by name of patient. Hdw. and hdw. under pr. hdgs. 200 p. 14 x
10 x 2. Off. of supt., 1st fl, CO. home.
451. LEDGER, 1932—. 1 v.
Ledger of accounts of county Infirmary and salaries, showing amounts paid for
medicine and supplies, name of account, dates and amounts of salary payments,
and name of recipient. Arr. by date of payment. No Index. Hdw., hdw. under
pr. hdgs. 200 p. 20 x 10 x 2. Off. of supt., 1st fl, co. home.
For orders of the county board to county treasurer for payment of claims,
see entry 349.
195
(452,453)
XXI I I . EXAMINER OF THE BLIND
311nd relief In Llvincston County is administered through the services
of the county clerk and the examiner of the blind. The funds for this
assistance are provided Jointly by the county and the state. 1 Applicants
claiming benefit of the fund go before the county clerk and make affidavit
of residence and of their Incapacity. The county clerk files the application
and refers the applicant to the blind examiner.
The office of blind examiner was first established In 1903.2 The exam-
iner, a physician appointed by the county board of supervisors, kept his of-
fice open only during the first week of each year for the purpose of examin-
ing all applicants for blind assistance. This situation continued until
1915, when the examiner's office was first kept open during the entire year
for this purpose. 3 This arrangement continues until the present.
Under the earlier provisions the county board of supervisors referred
applications to the blind examiner. The applicant made affidavit before the
clerk who placed the same before the county board. 4 Beginning with 1915 the
applicants are sent by the clerk directly to the examiner.
The examiner Is required to keep a register In which he enters the facts
of his certification as returned to the county clerk. The county clerk In
turn registers the name, address, number of application and date of examina-
tion of those determined to be entitled to such benefit. These facts are
certified at each meeting of the county board.
In making appropriations for blind assistance, the county board of sup-
ervisors Is required also to provide funds for the year for persons who may
become entitled to such benefit. The board annually certifies and files
with the state auditor an itemized statement of the amount paid out for blind
relief .5 This statement is necessary for the Joint appropriation of state
and county funds.
For other blind pension records, see entries 17, 20, 22.
452. PERSONAL CASE RECORD (Card Files), 1918--. 1 f.b.
Personal case record cards showing case number, name, age, address, and occu-
pation of applicant, case history, doctor's recommendation, and date of exam-
ination. Arr. alph. by name of applicant. For index, see entry 453. Hdw.
under pr. hdgs. 11 x 9 x 9. Off. of examiner of blind, 2nd fl., Sterry
Block.
453. PERSONAL CASE RECORD (Card Index), 1918--. 1 f.b.
Card index to Personal Case Record (Card Files), entry 452, showing names of
applicant and examining doctor, and case number. Arr. alph. by name of
applicant. Hdw. on pr. fm. 5x3x5. Off. of examiner of blind, 2nd fl.,
Sterry Block.
1. L.1927. p. 202.
2. L.1903. p. 138.
3. L.1915. p. 257.
4. L.1903. p. 138.
5. L.1935, p. 264.
196
XXIV. MINE INSPECTOR
Legislation In regard to health and safety In the mining industry
originally made the county surveyor ex-officio Inspector of mines. 1 As such
inspector he was to be assisted by a practical miner, to act under oath, and
to receive a salary fixed by the county board and paid out of the county
treasury. His duties were to see that safety measures were observed in the
mines and to collect facts relative to coal mining and mining land. The
Inspector reported to the Governor annually on the condition of mines in
regard to safety and ventilation and the result of examination of causes of
accidents.
In 1877 the legislature authorized the county board, in each county in
which mining Is carried on, to appoint an Inspector of mines. 2 This county
inspector, who had to give evidence of practical mining experience, was
required to take an oath of office, and to furnish a bond to the county board
In an amount fixed by the latter body. The amount of the bond was fixed in
1879 at not less than $1,000 nor more than $3,000.3 Where a competent
inspector was not appointed, or v;here the inspector did not properly perform
his duties, then the circuit Judge, at the request of ten citizens of the
county, and upon proper proof of Incompetency, was empowered to remove the
inspector and appoint a properly qualified person to act during the unexpired
term. 4
The State Mining Board was created in 1899, and the state divided into
seven Inspection districts, with a State Inspector of Mines in each.^ The
county also was fitted into this new organization v/ith the requirement that
the county board appoint a county inspector of mines upon the written request
of the State Inspector for the district in which the particular county v;as
located. 6 The intention of the legislature to maintain centralization in
mine inspection was Indicated by this statute which made the county Inspector
an assistant to the State Inspector. A county mine Inspector was appointed
in Livingston County in 1877.7
Provision was made in 1915 for petition by the State Inspector to the
county court upon failure of the county board to appoint a suitable county
mine inspector. 8 if necessary, the court will appoint an Inspector, and
order the county board to appropriate money for his compensation. This pro-
vision was recently reenacted.9
The mine inspector keeps no records; he reports to the board of super-
visors on mines inspected.
1. L. 1871-72. p. 572.
2. L.1877. p. 141,142.
3. L.1879, p. 208.
4. Ibid., p. 209.
5. L.1899, p. 306,308.
6. Ibid., p. 314,315.
7. Supervisors' Records, v. C, p. 376.
8. L.1915. p. 509,510,
9. L.1939. p. 727,728.
197
XXV. FARM BUREAU
Livingston County farm bureau was organized In 1920l to promote and
foster the social and economic Interest of persons engaged In agriculture,
and to encourage, promote, and foster cooperative organizations for the
mutual benefit of Its members. The membership of this bureau Is made up of
farmers of the county. A fann advisor Is employed who cooperates with the
University of Illinois College of Agriculture in Its program of extension
education sind farm studies, and to work with farm leaders In establishing
such organizations as 4-H clubs and Dairy Herd Improvement Associations.
Jsf. 1914, Congress Inaugurated a program of agricultural extension educa-
tion by providing for cooperation between the agricultural colleges in the
several states and the United States Department of Agriculture. 2 The purpose
of the act was to aid in diffusing useful and practical Information on sub-
jects relating to agriculture and home economics, and to encourage the appli-
cation of the same. An appropriation was made to each state to carry out the
act, subject to the assent by the state legislature to the provisions of the
act, and provided that the state appropriate a sum equal to that given by the
Federal government. 3 The General Assembly assented to this act by a Joint
resolution which, authorized and empowered the trustees of the University of
Illinois to receive the grants of money appropriated under the act, and to
organize and conduct agricultural extension work in connection with the Col-
lege of Agriculture of the University. 4
The General Assembly appropriated money in 1917 for the payment of
county agricultural advif^ors.-'' The money was appropriated to the Department
of Agriculture to be distributed equally among the several county agricul-
tural advisors of the state, to apply upon their salaries. The vouchers ap-
proved by the Department of Agriculture for payment were to be accompanied by
the certificate of the agricultural college of the University of Illinois
that the requirements of the act relative to the employment of county advi-
sors had been substantially applied. In 1928, to further develop the co-
operative extension system in agriculture and home economics. Congress ap-
propriated additional sums of money, eighty percent of which was to be
utilized for the payment of salaries of extension agents in counties of the
several states. 6
1. The fredecessor of the farm bureau, was the Livingston County Soil and
Crop Improvement Association which was organized December 27, 1912, auid
by change of name became known as the Livingston County Farm Biu'eau,
February 14, 1920.
2. 38 U.S.S.L. 372.
3. Ibid., 373.
4. L.1915. Joint Resolutions, p. 732,
5. L.1917. p. 85.
6. 45 U.S.S.L. 711,
198
XXVI . HOME BUREAU
Livingston County home bureau was organized In 19191 to carry on adult
education on all home economics subjects. Th6 home economics club may
participate In the appropriation for the fund known as the "Agricultural
Premium Fund," providing that such club conducts at least one show or exhibi-
tion of home economics project work and promptly pays In cash the premiums
awarded. A home advisor Is employed who cooperates with the University of
Illinois College of Agriculture, the State Department of Agriculture, and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture In their program of extension education and
home economics studies. 2
In 1914 Congress Inaugurated a program of agricultural extension educa-
tion by providing for cooperation between the agricultural colleges in the
several states and the United States Department of Agriculture. -^ The purpose
of the act was to aid in diffusing useful and practical information on sub-
jects relating to agriculture and home economics, and to encourage the appli-
cation of the same. An appropriation was made to each state to carry out the
act, subject to the assent by the state legislature to the provisions of the
act, and provided that the state appropriate a sum equal to that given by the
Federal government. 4 The General Assembly assented to this act by a Joint
resolution which, authorized and empowered the trustees of the University of
Illinois to receive the grants of money appropriated under the act, and to
organize and conduct agricultural extension work in connection with the Col-
lege of Agriculture of the University. 5
The General Assembly appropriated money in 1917 for the payment of coun-
ty agricultural advisors. 6 The money was appropriated to the Department of
Agriculture to be distributed equally among the several county agricultural
advisors of the state, to apply upon their salaries. The vouchers approved
by the Department of Agriculture for paj'ment were to be accompanied by the
certificate of the agricultural college of the University of Illinois that
the requirements of the act relative to the employment of county advisors
had been substantially applied. In 1928, to further develop the cooperative
extension system in agriculture and home economics. Congress appropriated
additional sujns of money, eighty per cent of which was to be utilized for the
payment of salaries of extension agents in counties of t!ie several states. "^
The predecessor of the home bureau was the Livingston County Hone Improve-
ment Association which was organized April 15, 1918, and by change of
name became known as the Livingston County Home Bureau in 1919.
p. 1085; L.1935. p. 1414; L.1937,
2.
L.1929, p. 762; L.1931, p.
889; L.1933
p. 1152.
3.
38 U.S.S.L. 372,
4.
Ibid., 373.
5.
L.1915, Joint Resolutions.
p. 732.
6.
L.1917. p. 85.
7.
45 U.S.S.L. 711.
199
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"Progress In County Government. A Bird's Eye View,"
National Municipal Review. XXIII, No. 10 (October, 1934), 502-5.
Jones, J. P. "Countv Government: Early Americana Still Preserved," Tax
38t, XIII (June, 1935), 194, 195.
Kendrlck, H. S. A Comparison of the Cost of Maintenance of Large and of
Small County Boards In United States. Cornell Agricultural Experi-
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University, June, 1929.
Kerr, T. W., and Moll, A. D. Organization. Powers and Duties of Health
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Kllpatrlck, Wylle. Problems In Contemporary Countv Government. Institute
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Virginia, 1930.
King, C. L. "Readjustment In County Government," American City, XI (1914),
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Kneler, C. M. "The Legal Nature and Status of the American County,"
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217
(1831-1880)
CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX
(All figures refer to entry numbers; underscoring
Indicates the ending of a record In the
decade under which it Is listed)
1831-1840
New Records
1, 2, 5, 9, 63, 64, 77, 82, 84, 86, 88, 107-111, 114, 136, 162,
189, 191-193, 254, 263, 273, 294
1841-1850
New Records
4, 37, 44, 48, 51, 69, 75, 76, 137, 198, 206, 207, 221, 228, 231,
360
Records Beginning m Preceding Decades
1, 2, 5, 9, 63, 64, 77, 82, 84, 86, 88, 107-111, 114, 156, 162,
189, 191-193, 254, 263, 273, 294
1851-1860
New Records
31, 32, 34, 35, 47, 52, 54, 68, 96, 98, 103, 112, 115-117, 119,
124, 128, 142, 144, 149, 151, 154, 155, 164, 181-183, 199, 208,
216, 222, 230, 238, 241, 244, 247, 248, 250, 262, 264, 265, 266,
274, 275, 284-286, 327, 331, 332, 358, 414-416, 449
Records Beginning In Preceding Decades
1, 2, ±, 5, 9, 37, 44, 48, 51, 63, 64, 69, 75-77, 82, 84, 86, 88,
107, 108-111, 114, 136, 137, 162, 189, 191-193, 198, 206, 207, 221,
228, 231, 254, 263, 273, 294, 360
1861-1870
New Records
5, 24, 33, 38, 39, 80, 81, 118, 120, 121, 131, 133, 145, 161, 165,
170, 188, 195, 197, 200, 211-213, 217, 229, 245, 249, 251, 252,
259, 267, 288, 295, 297, 328, 335, 359, 417
Records Beginning In Preceding Decades
1, 2, 5, 9, 31, 32, 34, 35, 37, 44, 47, 48, 51, 52, 54, 63, 64, 68,
69, 75-77, 82, 84, 86, 88, 96, 103, 108, 109, 110-112, 114-117, 119,
124, 128, 136, 137, 142, 1<4, 149, 151, 154, 155, 162, 164, 181-183,
189, 191-193, 198, 199, 206-208, 216, 221, 222, 228, 230, 231, 238,
241, 244, 247, 248, 250, 254, 262, 263, 265, 266, 273-275, 284-286,
327, 331, 358, 360, 414, 415, AM, 449
1871-1880
New Records
25, 36, 42, 43, 49, 50, ^, £6, 57, 59, 60, 62, 66, 70, 71, 85, 87,
92, 97, 99, 113, 129, 138, 140, 141, 143, 146-148, 152, 156, 184,
185, 194, 196, 210, 215, 253, 269, 272, 279, 287, 289, 297, 308,
312, 333, 366, 377
219
Chronological Index (1881-1910)
Records Beginning In Preceding Decades
1, 2, 5, 9, 31, 34, 35, 37-39, 44, 47, 48, £1, £2, 54, 63, 64, 68,
69, 75, 76, 77, 82, 84, 86, 88, 96, lOB, 108, 110-112, 114-121, 124,
128, 131, 133, 136, 137, 142, 144, 145, 149, 151, 154, 155, 161,
162, 164, 165, 170, 181-183, 189, 191-193, 195, 197-200, 206-208,
211-213, 217, 221, 222, 228, 231, 238, 241, 244, 245, 247-252, 259,
262, 263, 265, 266, 273, 274, 275, 284-286, 288, 294, 295, 327, 328,
331, 335, 358, 414, 449
1881-1890
New Records
13, 89, 106, 122, 125, 130, 150, 201, 202, 218-220, 246, 256, 309,
310, 355, 367, 368, 370, 378
Records Beginning In Preceding Decades
1, 2, 5, 9, 25, 31, 34, 35, 37-39, 42, 44, 47, 48, 50, 54, 56, 57,
59, 60, 62-64, 66, 68-71, 75, 76, 82, 84-88, 92, 96, 97, 99, 103,
108, 110-121, 124, 128, 129, 131, 133, 136-138, 141-149, 151, 152,
154-156, 162, 164, 165, 170, 181-185, 189, 191-195, 197-200, 206-208,
210-213, 215, 217, 221, 222, 228, 231, 238, 241, 244, 245, 248-253,
259, 262, 263, 265, 266, 269, 272, 274, 279, 284-287, 289, 294, 295,
297, 308, 312, 327, 328, 331, 333, 335, 358, 366, 377, 449
1891-1900
New Records
12, 14, 40, 41, 72, 90, 91, 94, 100, 126, 153, 157, 163, 168, 169.
209, 214, 255, 257, 258, 260, 270, 271, 276, 282, 283, 317, 321-323,
361, 372, 375, 382, 401, 402
Records Beginning In Preceding Decades
I, 2, 5, 9, 25, 34, 35, 37-39, 44, 47, 48, 50, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60,
62-64, 66, 68-71, 75, 76, 82, 84-89, 92, 96, 97, 99, 106, 108, 110-
122, 124, 125, 128-131, 133, 136-138, 141-146, 147, 148-152, 154-156,
162, 164, 16£, 170, 181-185, 188, 189, 191-194, 1^, 197-202, 206-208,
210-213, 215, 217-222, 228, 231, 238, 244-246, 247, 248-253, 256, 259,
262, 263, 265-267, 269, 272, 274. 279, 284-287, 289, 294, 295, 297,
308-310, 312, 327, 328, 331, 333, 335, 355, 358, 359, 366-368, 370,
377, 378, 449
1901-1910
New Records
II, 15, 16, 19, 22, 26, 73, 74, 63, 95, 101, 127, 160. 166, 203, 205,
240, 242, 261, 277, 281, 325, 351, 354, 356, 374, 403
Records Beginning In Preceding Decades
1, 2, 5, 9, 12, 14, 25, 34, 35, 37-41, 44, 47, 48, 50, 54, ££, 57,
59, 60, 62-64, 66, 68-71, 7^, 75, 76, 82, 84, gfe, 86-92, 94, 96, £2,
99, 100, 103, 106, 108, 110-122, 124-126, 128-131, 133, 136-138,
141-146, 148-157, 162, 163, 168, 170, 181-185, 188, 189, 191-193,
194, 197-202, 20£, 207-215, 217-220, 221, 222, 228, 229, 231, 238,
244-246, 248-2£3, 255-259, 262, 263, 265-267, 269, 270, 271, 276, 279,
284-286, 287, 289, 294, 295, 297, 308-310, 312, 317, 321-323, 327, 328,
331-333, 335, 355, 358, 359. 361, 366-368, 370, 372, 375, 378, 382,
401, 402, 449
220
Chronological Index (1911-1940)
1911-1920
New Records
21, 28, 30, 46, 55, 58, 61, 65, 79, 102, 104, 134, 135, 139, 158,
171-177, 179, 180, 186, 187, 223, 224, 306, 307, 329, 338, 339, 340,
345, 346, 362, 364, 369, 379, 396-399, 407, 409-411, 413, 446, 447,
452, 453
Records Beginning In Preceding Decades
1, 2, 5, 11-16, 22, 25, 26, 34, 35, 37-39, 41, 44, 47, 40, 50, 54, 57,
59, 60, 62, 63, 64, 66, 68-70, 71, 73-76, 82-84, 86-91, 92, 94-96, 99-
101, 103, 108, 110-122, 124, 125, 127-129, 130, 131, 133, 136-138, 141-
146, 148-157, 162, 163, 166, 168, YTO," 188, 189, 191-193, 197-203, 205.
207-215, 217-220, 222, 228, 229, 231, 238, 240. 242, 244-246, 248-253,
255-259, 261-263, 265-267, 269-271, 276, 277, 27f, 281, 284-286, 289,
294, 295, 297, 308, 309, 310, 312, 317, 321, 322, 323. 325, 327, 328,
331-333, 335, 354-356, 358, 361, 366-368, 370, 372, 374, 375, 378, 382,
401-403, 449
1921-1930
New Records
17, 23, 67, 93, 105, 123, 159, 167, 190, 204, 225-227, 280, 290, 303,
311, 324, 330, 336, 344, 347, 349, 350, 352, 363, 381, 383, 385, 388,
389, 400, 404-406, 408, 412, 418, 419, 429, 431, 432, 436, 437, 439,
440
Records Beginning In Preceding Decades
1, 2, 5, 9, 11-16, 21, 22, 25, 26, 28, 30, 34, 35, 37-40, 44, 46, 47,
50, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60, 61, 63-66, 68-70, 79, 82-84, 86, 87, 88-91,
94, 96, 99-104, 108, 110-122, 124-128, 129, 133, 134, 136-138, 139,
141-145, 146, 148-158, 162, 163, 168, 171-177, 179, 180, 186, 187, 189,
191, 192, 193, 197-203, 207-215, 217-220, 222, 223, 224, 220, 229. 231,
238, 242, 244-246, 248-253, 255-259, 261-263, 265-267, 269-271, 276,
277, 279, 281, 284-286, 289, 294, 295, 297, 306, 312, 317, 321, 322,
325, 327-329, 331-333, 335, 339, 340, 346, 354, 355, 356, 358, 361,
362, 364, 366-369, 370, 372, 374, 375, 377-379, 382, 396-399, 401-403,
446, 447, 449, 452, 453
1931-1940
New Records
6-8, 10, 10, 20, 27, 29, 45, 78, 132, 178, 232-237, 239, 243, 268, 278.
291, 292, 293, 296, 298-302, 304, 305, 313-316, 318-320, 326. 334, 337,
341-343, MS, 353, 357, 365, 371-373, 376, 380, 384, 386, 387, 390-395,
420-428, 430, 433-435, 438, 441-445, 448, 450, 451
Records Beginning In Preceding Decades
1, 2, 5, 9, 11, 12, 13-15, 16, 17, 23, 25, 26, 26, 34, 35, 37-40, 44,
47, 50, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60, 61, 63-65, 66, 68-70, 82-84, 86, 88-90, -91,
93-9§, 96, 99-105, 108, 110-124, 125, 126-128, 133, 134, 136-138, 141,
142, 143, 144, 145, 148-151, 152, 153-156, 157, 158, 159, 162, 163,
167, 171-177, 179, 180, 186, 187, 189, 190, 193, 197-204, 207-209, 210,
211-214, 215, 217-220, 222, 224-227, 231, 238, 242, 244-246, 248-253,
265-257, 258, 259, 261-263, 265-267, 269-271, 276, 277, 279-281, 284-286.
289, 290, 294, 295, 297, gCg, 306, 310-312, 317, 321, 322, 325, 327-
333, 335, 336, 339, 340, 346, 347, 349, 350, 352, 354, 355, 358, 361-
364, 366-369, 372, 221, 375, 377-379, 382, 383, 385, 388, 389, 396-403,
418, 419, 429, 431, 432, 436, 437, 439, 440, 446, 447, 449, 452, 453
221
(Aba-App)
SUBJECT INDEX
(Figures refer to Inventory numbers unless under-
scored; underscored figures refer to pages)
Abatement
lists, 329
mosquito, district, 59
Abbreviations and syinbols used In
Inventory, 85, 86
Abstracts
of taxes, 38
title, recording, 115
of votes, 32
Accoucheurs'
certificates, 71
register, 70
Accounts
birth and death
county clerk's, 101
treasurer's, 351
circuit clerk's, 290
collector's, 326
of county funds
audits, 48, 92
reports of, 29
examination, 92
treasurer's, 331, 333
estate, 189, 221
expense, highway, 399
Inheritance tax, 333, 340
ledgers
county farm, 450, 451
tuberculosis sanitarium, 439,
441, 442
pension
blind, 20, 22
mothers', 20, 21
school
non-high, 364
superintendent's, 358
with townships, 327
treasurer's, of receipts and
disbursements, 331
Administrator
See also Estate; Executor; Probate
court; Wills
accounts, 221
bonds, 189, 198, 202-204, 206
cases. Index to, 190, 191
de bonis non, 203, 206
with will annexed, 202-204
deeds, 114
dockets, 225, 226, 228
Inventories, 189
letters, 189, 198, 202-204
oaths, 189, 198, 202-204
petitions, 189, 198
public
bank deposits, 237
bonds, 84, 100[11], 134, 233
check book, 236
letters, 234
record (bonds, letters, oaths,
petitions), 198
reports, 217, 220
with will annexed, 202, 206
Adoption
See also Juvenile
documents In, 142
Jurisdiction, 123
proceedings, 100, 146, 193
Adult probation officer, see
Probation
Advocate, The, 46
Affidavits
collectors', township, 115 [Ix]
In county court, 142, 148
of posting notices for creditors
in estate cases, 195
recorded, 114
for tax deeds, 54, 56, 100
witness, 115[1], 248, 250
Agreements, articles of, 114,
115 [iv]
Agricultural Premium Fund, 329
Agricultural Society, 26
Agricultural statistics, 42
Aliens, see Naturalization
Allbrecht, S.A., 40
Allen, Donald, 40
Allen, Moses, 18, 19
Allotments, motor fuel tax, 343,
390
Almshouse, see County farm; County
home; Poor; Public welfare;
Relief
Alton Railroad, 6, 7
Amah,-, Mennonlte leader, 12
American Bible Society, 43n
American occupation of Illinois
country, 10, li
Ames, I^am, 18
Amity
early tax rates, 26
Township, 3, 25
Anderson, fl.A., 45
Andrews, A.H., and Company, 73
Angle, Jacob, early associate
Justice, 25
Anticipation warrants, see
Warrants
Anti-monopoly party, 35
Anti-Tuberculosis Society, 33
Antrim, Glen, 35
Appeals
bonds, 142, 148, 243, 250, 281
to circuit court, 51, 52, 143,
243, 244
from county court to higher
court, 126
to county court, 52, 122, 123.
142
from Justice courts, 148
Appellate Court, appeals to, from
lower court, 231
Applications
for admittance to bar, 257
for blind pension, 20, 22
223
Subject Index
(App-Boa)
Applications (Continued)
certificate of moral character,
144, 257
liquor license, 78
for marriage license, 64, 66
for old age assistance, 421, 422
investigator's record of, 423
register, 425
for parole, 283
for purchase of swamp lands, 415
Appointment
of county officers, see under
title of officer
In probate, see under title of
appointee
Appraisement of estates, 100, 144,
147, 179, 189, 208, 210, 216
Appraiser
appointment of, 208
bills, 144, 147
oath, 216
and bond, 144, 147
reports, 144, 147
Appropriations for county funds, 91
ledger, 6
record, 334
Architects'
record, 72
state
Inspection of school buildings,
56, 58
school superintendent's reports
to, YTZ
Arizona, 6.
Armstrong, G.C., 36
Army, see Soldiers
Arrogo~ICuba), 36
Articles, see Agreements; Incorpo-
ration; Partnership
Assessments
See also Tax
drainage record, required to be
kept, 241
supervisor of, see Supervisor
Assessor
county, see Supervisor of assess-
ments
district, 48, 99n, 162
township
bonds, 90, 91, 162
duties, 48, 99, 99n. 162
election, 48, 162
lists of dog owners, 79
Assignments
of Interest In estates, 144, 147
mortgage, 114, 119
Association, articles of, 115[v]
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
Railroad, 6.
Attachment bonds, 281
Attorney
circuit, 53
receipts for documents, 188
state's, see State's attorney
Auditor's reports, 29
Audits, (Jounty funds, 48
Automobiles stolen, records of,
302, 303
Avery, J., 21, 7^
Avoca, 8, 11
dralnage~3l str 1 ct
files, 401
plat, 404
early tax rates In, 26
election precinct, 25
Township, 3, 11, 12, 25
Awards, widows', see Widow
Ball bonds, 148-150, 243, 250, 281
Ball, Richard, 18
Bank
account record, sheriff's, 306
deposits
ledger, 355
public administrator, 237
for unlocated heirs, 339
receiver, appointment, 115[11]
statements, 105
stock transfers, certificates of,
115[xl]
Bank of Dwlght, 38
Banner. The, 45
Baptist Church In county, 44
Bar Association, see Livingston
County Bar Association
Bar dockets, circuit court, 268
Barackman (Barrackman), Daniel, 12,
18, 21
Barket, Isaac, 18
Barry, Father, 43
Bayou election precinct, 17, 25
Beard, Abram W., 14, 16, 17, 18
Bedlnger, George M., 25
Belle Prairie
drainage district files, 401
early teix rates In, 26
Township, 3, 11, 25
Bennett, C.T., 36
Bentley, W.H., 40
Bids on county buildings, 5
Bills
against county, 1, 5
filing of, 93
for divorce, 243, 248
fee, 243, 244, 248
of sale, 189, 216
true, see Indictment
Birth
See also Vital statistics
reports, treasurer's accounts of,
351
warrant stubs, 15
Black Hawk, 10, 11, 12
Black Hawk War, 10
Blade, The, ^
Blind
examiner, see Examiner
pensions, see Pensions
Bloomlngton iMcLean County), 6, 19,
22, 45, 73
Blue, Garrett M. , 12, 18, 37
Blue, Uriah, 10
Board
county, see County board
224
Subject Index
(Boa-Cer)
Board (Continued)
of county commissioners, see
County board
of health, see Health
of review, see Review
school, see School
of supervisors, county, see
County board
Bogart, Don, 22
Bond Issues
for court houses, 74
for railroads, elections for, 3
register of, 26
Bonds
appeal, 142, 148, 243, 250, 281
assessors', township, 90, 91,
162
attachment, 281
ball, 148-150, 243, 250, 281
circuit clerk's, 145
In circuit court, 244
collectors', township, 92,
115[lx], 131
constables', 88, 100
coroner's, 159
deputy, 93, 159
cost, 281
county clerk's, 98
county collector's, 166
county commissioners' court
clerk, 98
county court clerk, 98
for deeds, 114, 115[vlll]
deputy, coroner and sheriff, 93
drainage commissioners', 402
Industrial commission, 281
Injunction, 281
Justice of peace, 86, 87, 100
master- In-chancery, 281
officers'
county, 5, 84, 85, 100
required to be kept, 98
township, 5
oil Inspectors', 30
police magistrates', 89
of probate appointees, see under
title of appointee
probation, 281
officers', 144
public administrators', 100[11]
receiver, 281
recognizance, 148-150, 243, 250,
281
recorder's, 114
replevin, 281
sheriff's, 155
deputy, 93
state's attorney's, 160
supervisor of assessm3nts, 162
treasurer's
county, 168
drainage district, 402
township (school), 130, 379
trustees', 281
Boone County, 15
Bounty
certificates (crow, fox, ground
hog, sparrow), 12
Civil War, 24
weirrants
crow, 11, IB
fox, 11
ground hog, 16
sparrow, 19
Boyer, G.W., 29
Boyer, Samuel, 18, 22
Bradley, James, 23
Bradley, John, 18
Brands, see Marks and brands
Breckenrldge, A.W,, 18
Breckenrldge, Murrell, 23
Breckenrldge, Robert, 16
Bressner, William F., 35, 40
Bridge, see Bridge under Transpor-
tation
British domination of Livingston
region, 9, 10
Brock, Ellas, 18
Brooks, Charles, 18
Broughton Township, 3, _8, 25
Broughtonvllle
early tax rates In, 26
Township, 25
Brown, J.W,, 35
Brown, William K., 18
Bruce, Samuel, 19
Buck, Nelson, 59
Budget, county, 1, 5
Bureau County, 15^
Burial grounds, see Cemetery
By-laws of companies, 115[x]
Cagey Mountains, 36
Cahokla, 9
California, 6.
Calwell, Clark and. Company, 28, 73
Campbell, James, 18
Campus, village of, 8.
Campus State Bank, 38
Canada, 9, 13, 21
Candidates, see Election
Card, L., 72
Cardiff, village of, £
Cash books
See also Fees; Fund; Receipts and
expenditures
county clerk's, 103
county collector's, 325, 333
sheriff's, 306
swamp land commissioner's, 416
Cass county, 15
Caton, Judge, 21
Cayuga, 38
Cayuga Ridge, 4_
Cemetery
associations, reports, 167
deeds, 114
Census of Livingston County, 67
Center election precinct, 17, 25
Central Coal Company, 38
Certificates
See also License
225
Subject Index
(Cer-Clr)
Certificates (Continued)
accoucheurs'
record, 71
register, 70
architects record, 72
of attendance, school, 374
bank stock transfer, 115[xl]
birth, 57
Index to, 53
record, 59
bounty, cancelled, 12
burial, 115[xll]
chiropractors, register, 70
for citizenship, see Naturaliza-
tion
coroner's, 11
death, 60
Index to, 61
record, 62
dentists'
record, 71
register, 70
of election
clerks', 3
of directors of organizations,
114, 115[xlll]
Judges', 3
of township officers, 68
of trustees of organizations,
114, 115[xlv]
of evidence, 248
foreign witness, 11
Jury
cancelled, 11
record, 334
register of, 334, 335
stubs, 14
of levy
sheriff's, 127, 128
tax, 35
docket of, 36
of moral character, applications j
114, 257
nurses'
record, 73
register, 70
optometrists' register, 74
osteopaths'
record, 71
register, 70
pension, cancelled, blind and
mothers', 17
pharmacists' register, 70
physicians'
record, 71
register, 70
of purchase (tax), 54, 55
drainage commissioner's, 58
recording of, 100, 115
of redemption
master's, 128, 129
sheriff's, 128
of sale
master's, 126, 128, 129
sheriff's, 128
stallion, 135
renewal of, 135
Certificates (Continued)
stillbirth, 60
Index to, 61
record, 62
teachers', 366
fees paid for, register, 367
Issuance of, 56, 56n
veterinarians'
record, 71
register, 70
Chajnplln drainage district
files, 401
plat, 405
Chancery
See also Circuit court; Master In
chancery
Jurisdiction In, 50, 143, 144
Chanute, 43n
Charleston turnpike, Darwin and, 19
Charlotte, 25
Township, 3.
Chatsworth, 7, 10, 43, 43n, 44, 45
Citizens Bank of, 38
Township, 3, 25
Chattel
See also Personal Property
mortgages, see Mortgage
Checks
cancelled, 357
county clerk's, 105
treasurer's, 336
stubs, treasurer's, 354
Chew, John, 12, 18
Chicago, 3, 5, 7, 22, 73
Chicago and Alton Railroad, 8, 37
Chicago, Alton and St. Louis Rail-
road, 5.
Chicago and Mississippi Railroad,
37
Chicago Times. The. 7Z
Children, see Juvenile
Chiropractors' register, 70
Christian Science Church In county,
43, 44
Chronicle. The, 45
Chronl cle-Headl Ight , The, 45
Churney, Andrew. 35
Circuit attorney, 53, 54
Circuit court
appeals to, 51, 52, 126, 143
branches, 144
clerk
appointment, 52, 145
bonds, 85, 100, 145
day book, 291
deputy, 145
appointment and oath,
115[111]
duties, 145
election, 145
ex-offlclo recorder, 56, 57
fee register, 289
ledger
of charge accounts, 290
of receipts and disburse-
ments, 292
memoranda of court cases, 260
226
Subject Index
(Clr-Com)
Circuit court
clerk (Continued)
oath, 145
office, location of, 83
pro-tempore, appointment, 145
records kept by, 146
legislation concerning, 61
roster, 68_
term of office, 145
dockets
bar, 268
clerk's, 265
execution, 263
general, 267
Judge's, 266
Judgment and execution, 263
Index, 264
naturalization, 288
fee books (court costs)
assumpsit, 270, 272, 273, 275
chancery, 271-273
common law, 270, 272, 273
confession, 270, 273, 274
criminal, 269, 273
files
bonds, 281
chancery, 242, 243, 248
common law, 242, 243, 244
criminal, 242, 243, 250
Judge, 50, 51, 143, 144
docket, 266
Jurisdiction and functions of,
50, 143-145
records
chancei^-, 249, 254
common law, 245, 254
confession, 245, 246, 254
criminal, 245, 251, 254
default, 245, 247, 254
execution, praecipe for, 259
Indictment, 245, 251, 253, 254
kept by clerk, 61, 146, 238-
293
liens, 256
parole, 283
recognizance, 245, 251, 252
reports, keeping of, 146
reports to, 276-279, 299
transcripts, 143, 261, 262
Citizens Bank of Chatsworth, 38
City
See also under name of Individual
city
ordinances, 114
Civil
cases
See also Common law under
Circuit court. County court
Jurisdiction in, 51, 122, 143
service rules, 95
War, 45
bounty, 24
county's finances affected by,
30
effect of, on welfare of
county, 26
militia roll, 80
Civil
War (Continued)
soldiers, reports of supplies
Issued to, 33
Claims
against county, 1, 5
auditing of, 48, 92
orders to pay, 349, 350
unpresented, 7
against estates, 189, 231
highway, 387-389
motor fuel tax, 8
for sheep damages, 346
for state aid for schools, 363
Clark, George Rogers, 9
Clerk
county, see County clerk
of courts, see under name of
specific court
of election, see Election
town, see Town clerk
Cllne, Henry, 19
Cling County (New York), 12
Cochrane, J.C., 73
Coleman Gas Company, 74.
Collection of taxes, see Tax
Collector
county
accounts
of dally collections, 326
with towns, 327
appointment, 49, 166
bonds, 84, 166
books (lists of taxable
property), 44, 46
county treasurer, ex-offlclo,
49, 166
duties and functions of, 49,
166, 167
Journal, 325, 333
receipts and disbursements, 324
record of forfeited taxes, 330
reports to county clerk, 49
roster, 70
settlement record, 328
sheriff's early duties as, 49,
166
statements to county clerk', 166
township
abolition of office, 49, 166
accounts with county collector,
327
bonds, 92, 115[ix], 131
county collector ex-officlo,
166
duties, 49, 166, 167
election, 49, 166
fund, account of, 333
treasurer's account with, 327
College of Agriculture, University
of Illinois, 199
Collins, Michael E., 45
Commission
insanity, findings of, 153
notary public, 115[xvJ
welfare, county, 187
227
Subject Index
( Com-Cou )
Commissioner
county
board of, see County board
court, see County board
drainage, see Drainage
election, see Election
highway, see Highway under
Transportation
road, see Road under Transporta-
tion
school, see School
Committees, county board of super-
visors reports, 1, 381
Common law
See also Circuit court; County
court
Jurisdiction In 1^, 143
Complaints
common law, 244
criminal, 250
docket, 322
against taxes, 1
Comyges, P.M., 72
Confession
In court cases, 142, 243
Judgment by, 144, 145
record, circuit court, 245, 246,
254
Congregational Church, 44.
Congressional House Agricultural
Committee, 28
Connecticut, 6.
Conservator
See also Estate; Guardian;
Insanity; Probate Court
accounts, 189
bonds, 100[11], 189, 198, 201,
206
cases. Index to, 190, 192
dockets, 224, 227, 228
Index, 190, 192
Inventories, 189, 209
letters, 189, 198, 201
oaths, 189, 198, 201
petitions, 189, 198, 201
record (bonds, letters, oaths,
petitions), 201
reports, 189, 217, 219, 220
Constables
appointment, 53
bonds, 88, 100
creation of office, 53
duties, 53, 54.
election, 53
oath, 100
Constitution. The, 45_
Constitution of~l818. 16, 21
Construction, see Bridge, Road,
under Transportation
Contracts
county
authority to make, 91^
building, 5
farm, 25
drainage, 401
highway
const?ructlon, 383, 384
Contracts
highway (Continued)
maintenance, 383
required to be kept, 179
right-of-way, 114, 115[xvl]
Conveyainces
See also Deed; Mortgage
entry book of, 43
Cook, Philip, 45
Cooper, James, 18
Cooper, Peter, 35
Copartnership Inventory and
appraisal record, 100, 210
Corey, Erastus, 73
Corn-Belt News. The, 45
Corn Grove, Oliver and, drainage
district
files, 401
plat, 410
Cornell, 38, 45
Cornell Journal . The, 45
Coroner
bonds, 84, 159
certificates, 11
creation of office, 54
deputies, 159
appointment, 93
bond and oath, 93
duties and powers of, 53, 54, 159
election, 54, 159
Inquest
procedure, 54, 159
record, 312
reports, 159
oath, 159
office, location, 75
records required to be kept, 159
roster, 69
term of office, 159, 159n
Corporation, see Incorporation
Correspondence
county nurse's, 427
highway superintendent's, 383,
398
old age assistance, 424
probation officer. Juvenile, 175
sheriff's, 310
superintendent
of schools, 380
of tuberculosis sanitarium, 445
Cost
bonds, 281
court, see Fee book under name of
specific court
Cotton, Reverend Thomas, 44
County board
board of county connlssl oners,
legislation establishing,
47, 90
clerk, county clerk, ex-offlclo,
93, 98, 101
county commissioners' court
clerk, 46, 52
duties and powers, 46-49, 55,
57, 164, 166
members
election, 46
228
Subject Index
(Cou)
County board
county commissioners' court
members (Continued)
roster, 65
probate Jurisdiction In, 51, 52
succeeded by county court, 46,
89, 92
county court as early administra-
tive body
composition, 46, 89, 122
early sessions, 90
establishment, 98, 122
members
compensation, 90
election, 89, 122
term of office, 89, 122
powers and Jurisdiction, 90,
122, 164
succeeded by board of super-
visors, 47, 90, 122
succeeding county commis-
sioners' court, 46, 89, 92
proceedings, 1, 5
of supervisors
acting as board of review, 49,
164
clerk, 47
county clerk, ex-offlclo,
93, 98
roster, 68
composition, 47, 90
duties and powers, 48, 58, 92
establishment, 47, 90
members
additional (assistant super-
visors), 47, 90, 91
compensation, 90, 91
disqualification from office,
90, 90n
election, 46, 90
number, 66_
roster, 35, 66, 67
term of office, 90, 91_
minutes kept by clerk, 93
papers, 1
record, 5
kept by clerk, 93
reports to, 28-33, 381, 437,
448
custody of, 93.
resolutions, 381
sessions, 90^
succeeding county court, 47,
90, 122
County building construction bids
and contracts, 5
County clerk
accounts
auditor's report of, 29
with registrars of births and
deaths, 101
bonds, 85, 98, 100
cash book, 103
checks, cancelled, 105
creation of office, 47, 93, 98
County clerk (Continued)
duties and functions
In custody of records, 93, 98-
101
In election procedure, 100. 125
In entering of bonds of offi-
cials, 100
ex-offlclo clerk
of board of review, 49
of county board, 93, 98, 101
of county court, 52, 93, 98,
101, 126
of probate court, 52, 135
of special drainage districts,
183
In Issuing of licenses, 96, 101
In keeping of vital statistics,
60, 99, 100
In regard to public health, 59
In taxation procedure, 49, 59,
98, 99, 166, 167
election, 98
fees
Journal, 106, 186
In probate cases, 231, 232
record, 104
files, 99
miscellaneous record, 100
records kept by, 35-107
legislation concerning, 61
reports
collector's, to, 49
to county board, 5
to State Department of Public
Health, 59
roster, 67, 68_
statements, bank, 105
term of office, 98
County collector, see Collector
County commissioners, see County
board
County court
acting as early administrative
body, see County board
appeals
to higher court, 126
from lower court, 52, 122. 123
clerk
bond, 98
county clerk, ex-offlclo, 52,
93, 126
duties, 47, 52, 92, 126
elected, 47
establishment of office, 46.
as ex-offlclo clerk of probate
court, 52
records kept by, 126
roster, 67, 68.
term of office, 98
dockets
clerk's
common law, 161
criminal, 154, 159, 161
execution, 155
feeble-minded, 158
of fines, 170
general, 154
229
Subject Index
(Cou)
County court
dockets (Continued)
Insanity, 156, 160
Judge's, 156
Judgment and execution, 155
In delinquent tax cases,
157
naturalization, 185
special assessment, 157
establishment, 57, 122
fee books (court costs)
common law, 163, 165, 166
criminal, 163, 164, 166
files
adoption, 142
bond, 148
common law, 142
criminal, 148
inheritance tax, 179, 189
Insanity, 148, 151, 189
Juvenile, 148, 172-175
of original documents, 127
special assessment, 142
judge
docket, 156
election, 51, 122
as Justice of the peace, 51
oath, 122
roster, _67
salary, 90, 122
term of office, 89, 122
Jurisdiction and functions
in Juvenile cases, 123. 124
in mothers' pension cases, 60,
124, 125
in naturalization procedure,
51, 52, 122
in probate matters, 51» 122.
123. 154
over swamp lands, 58
proceedings required to be kept,
126
records
adoption, 100, 146, 193
bail bond, 149, 150
common law, 144
confession, 144, 145
criminal, 149
default, 144
inheritance taix, 180
insanity, 152, 153, 193
Insolvency, voluntary, 144, 147
Juvenile, 149
kept by clerk, 141-188
plaintiff-defendant index to,
126
probation, 149
recognizance, 149, 150
reports to
appraisers', 144, 147
cemetery associations, 167
Justice of the peace, 1, 168,
169
sheriff's, 99[iii]
state's attorney's, of fines,
170
warden's, keeping of, 127
County court (Continued)
transcripts
of foreign. Justice, and
magistrate courts, 144
of testimony, 143
County farm
See also County home; Public wel-
fare; Relief
contracts, 25
County funds, see Fund
County government
See also County board
growth of, 46
County home
See also County farm; Public wel-
fare; Relief
administration, 194
claims against, orders to pay,
349
county to establish, 91
expenses
ledgers of, 450, 451
reports of, 448
first established, 32
functions, 60, 194
Infii-maiTr, card record of
patients, 446, 447
register of inmates, 449
superintendent
office, location of, Tb^
records kept by, 194. 446-451
County hospital, 32
County nurse
correspondence, 427
health records, 426
record of examinations of pupils,
428
County officers, see Officers
County offices, see Offices
County orders, see Orders
County property
control, 47, 53
inspection, 58
insurance on, 27
County seal, custody of, 98
County seat, site chosen, 17, 18,
H.
County superintendent of highvoys,
see Highway under Transporta-
tion
County superintendent of public
welfare, see Public welfare
County superintendent of schools,
see School
County surveyor, see Surveyor
County treasurer, see Treasurer
County warrants, see Warrants
Court, see Circuit; Comnissloners,
county under County board;
County; Probate
Courthouse
bond issue for, 74_
buildings used, 21, 72-^
cost, 72-74
custody of, 58^
description and location, 72-75
tax levy for, 74.
230
Subject Index
(Crl-Dra)
Criminal
See also Circuit court; County
court; Indictment; Probation
cases. Jurisdiction In, 50, 122.
143
Cropsey, 43n
Croswell, Thomas, _7_
Crow bounty
certificates, 12
warrants, 11
stubs, 18
Cullom, _8, 38, 45
Dally Messenger, The, 45
Danville (IlllnolFTT 13» 23.
Darnall, John, 25
Darnall, Martin, 10, 16
Darnall, Mary, 14
Darnell, Valentine M,, 11
Darwin and Charleston turnpike, 19
Davis, John, 12_
Davis, Judge David, 1£
Dawson, Mrs. J.C., 36
Days election precinct, 25
Dayton (Illinois), 13
Dean, Phillip, 18
Death
See also Vital statistics
reports, treasurer's account of,
351
warrant stubs, 15
De bonis non, see Administrator
Declaration of Intention, see
Naturalization
Decrees
See also Orders, court
chancery, 248
common law, 142
for sale of probate propertv,
100[111], 207, 212
Deeds
See also Conveyances
administrators', 114
bonds for, 114, 115[vlll]
cemetery, 114
entry book of, 108
executor's, 114
grantor-grantee Index to, 112
guardians', 114
quitclaim, 114, 118
record, 114
recording of, 114
sheriff's, 114
to swamp lands. Issued by
drainage commissioners, 58
tax
affidavits for, 54, 56, 100
sale, 114
trust, 114, 119
kept by board of review, 323
warranty, 114, 117
Default records
circuit court, 245, 247, 254
Judgment by, 144
Defendants' answers, 248
Dehner, John, 22
DeKalb County, 15
Delinquent children, see Juvenile
Delinquent taxes, see Tax
Democrat. The, 45
Demoss, James H., 54
Dentists
certificates, 71
register, 70
Department of public welfare,
county, see Public welfare
Dependent children, see Juvenile
Depositions In circuit court, 250
Deputy, see under specific office
Detwller, Samuel, 35
Dickinson, Jacob, 18_
Directors of organizations, elec-
tion certificates, 115[xlll]
Disbursements, see Receipts and
expenditures
Disciples of Christ Church, 43
Distribution of taxes, see Tax
Distributive fund
cancelled checks Issued on, 357
school superintendent's reports
of, 378
District
assessor, see Assessor
drainage, see Drainage
health, see Health
road, see Road under Transporta-
tion
school, see School
Divorce, bills for, 243, 248
Dixon, Arthur C, 35
Dockets
court, see under name of specific
court; also under title of
docket
of rates and amounts wanted, 36
required to be kept, 126. 135.
146. 156
Doctor, see Physician
Dog
owners, lists of, 79
tax, claims against, 346
Dollard, Reverend James A., 86
Donaho, Wilson G., 18
Douglas, Stephen A., 19, 37
member 10th General Assembly, 3_
Downey, Elsey, 18
Downey, John, 12_
Dowrle, Mary J., 36
Drainage
See also Swamp lands
assessment rolls, 401
bond Issue, register, 26
commissioners
appointment of, 183, 401
board, 59
bonds, 402
duties and powers, 58, 59, 183
election, 183
highway commissioners ex-
officlo, 58, 59
oaths, 401
proceedings, 403
231
Subject Index
(Dra-Est)
Drainage
commissioners (Continued)
records kept by, 183
reports, 401
contracts, 401
districts
cases, fees In, 163, 165
clerk of, county clerk ex-
offlclo, 183
files, 401
kinds, 183
maps, 382
organization, 59, 183
petitions for, 401
plats, 404-413
treasurer
appointment, 401
bonds, 402
county treasurer, ex-offlclo,
183
oath, 401
reports, 401
petitions, 144
record required to be kept, 183
tax, see Tax
Duncan, James, 19, 41_
Dustln and Holbrook, 45
Dwlght, 6, 8, 26, 38, 43, 44. 45
election precinct, 25
Township, 3, Q, 25
Dwlght Star and Herald, The, 45
Earnings and expenditures, see
Receipts and expenditures
Easements, recorded, 115[xvll]
Education
See also School
administration of, 55, 56, 173
Eastern Indian Creek drainage
district
files, 401
plat, 406
Easton, 0., 2
Eddlngton, Myrlc D., 18
Edwards, Amos, 8.
EdwardsvUle, treaty of, 11
Effingham County, 28
Eldrldge, George S., 27
Election
abstract of votes, 82
ballots, 361
board, appointment, 125
candidates
petitions of, 83
withdrawal notices, 2
certificates, 68, 114,
115[xlll, xlv]
clerks'
appointment, 61^
certificates of, 3, 362
of county officers, register of,
69
duties, county clerk's, 61, 100.
125
Judges
appointment, 47, 61, 91
certificates, 3, 362
Election
Judges (Continued)
lists of, 99[1]
Jurisdiction over, 125
list of township officers, 68
for mosquito abatement districts,
59
nominations, objections to, 125
papers for railroad bond issues,
3
petitions, 362
poll books, 3
precincts, establishment, 91
returns, 5, 361, 362
school district, 361, 362
of township officers, register
of, 69
Electoral board, duties and powers,
125
Elliott, Fred, 35
Ely, Clarence, 40
Emergency Relief, see Relief
Emlngton, 8, 38, 45
Empire Coal Company, 38
Engineers, highway, state, super-
vision over county highways,
58
England, 13, 20
Entr^ books
of conveyances, 43
of deeds, 108
of lands, 109
required to be kept, 61, 114
Eppards Point Township, 3, 25, 32
Equalization of taxes, see Tax
Errors In taxation, see Tax
Erschen, Joe, 40
Esmen, 26
Township, 3, 25
Estate
See also Administrator; Conserva-
tor; Executor; Guardian;
Probate court; Real estate;
Wills
accounts, 189
appraisements, 100, 179, 189,
208, 210, 216
cases, proceedings In, 193
claims against, 189, 231
dockets
clerk's, 228
guardians', 229
Insolvent, record of, 100, 194
Inventories of, 100, 189, 207,
209, 210, 216
Jurisdiction In administration
of, 134
papers, 189
reports of, 189
sale of, property, 216
personal
private, 207, 213, 214
public, 207, 213
real, 207, 212
bonds and petitions for, 100,
215
232
Subject Index
(Est-Flr)
Estray
record, 76
keeping of, 101
reports, 75
Evangelical Lutheran Church, 44
Evidence
certificates of, 248
master's reports of, 248
transcripts of, 243
Examinations, see Pupils; Teachers
Examiner of the blind
appointment, 60
case record, 452
Index, 453
duties, 60, 196
office
establishment, 196
location, 75
reports, 20, 22
Execution
dockets, sheriff's, 294
original
circuit court, 243, 244, 248
county court, 142
praecipe for, 259
Executor
See also Administrator; Estate;
Probate court; Wills
accounts, 189
bonds, 189, 198, 200, 206
deeds, 114
dockets, 225, 226, 228
Index, 190, 191
Inventories, 189
letters, 189, 198, 200
oaths, 189, 198, 200
petitions, 189, 198, 200
records (bonds, letters, oaths,
petitions), 200
reports, 189, 217, 220
Expenditures, see Receipts and
expenditures
Expense record, sheriff's, 306, 307
Explanatory notes to inventory, 86
Extension, chattel mortgage, 124,
125
Falrbury, 5, 8^ 38, 43n, 45
population, _7
Falrbury, Pontlac and Northwestern
Railroad, bond Issues, elec-
tion for, 3
Fansler, A.D., 45
Farm
bureau
advisor
compensation, 198
appropriations for, legislation
concerning, 198
board of directors, composition,
40, 198
organization, 198
purpose, 40, 198
relation of
to United States Department of
Agriculture, 198
Farm
bureau
relation of (Continued)
to University of Illinois,
College of Agriculture,
198
names, record of, 134
Farmers' Association, 35
Farmers' Cooperative drainage
district
files, 401
plat, 407
Farmers National Bank of Falrbury,
38
Farmers State Bank of Cullom, 38
Fayette Township, 3, 8, 25
Federal assistance for agriculture,
40
Federal department of agriculture,
40
Federal tax lien notices, 132
Fee books
court, see under name of specific
court
required to be kept, 127, 146
Feeble-minded
children, orders for release of,
100[lv]
docket, 158
Fees
See also Cash; Fund; Receipts and
expenditures
county clerk's
Journal, 106
record, 104
in drainage cases, 163, 165
paid to local registrars, cer-
tificates of, 102
register
circuit clerk's, 289
sheriff's, 295, 308, 309
treasurer's, 356
for registration of teachers'
certificates, 367
state's attorney's record of, 316
witness, 163-166
Fell, Jesse W., 7, 14, 18, ^, 38
Fell, Kersey H., 38
Fellows, John A., 23
Ferguson, F.D., 74.
Ferry licenses, 5
Field notes, surveyor's, 396
index, 397
Final papers, see Certificates
under Naturalization
Financial
Records, see Accounts; Cash;
Costs; Fees; Fund; Receipts
and expenditures
system of county, 48-50
Findings and orders in insanity
cases, 152, 193
Fines, state's attorney's record
of, 316
Fire marshal, state
inspection of county buildings
by, 58
233
Subject Index
(Fir-Gua)
Fire marshal, state (Continued)
school superintendent's reports
to, 173
First National Bank of Cullom, 38
First National Bank of I>lght, 38
First National Bank of Falrbury, 38
First State Bank of Forrest, 38
Fiscal control, 49, 50
Fisher, Fred W., 35
Fitzgerald, M.E., 40
Flanagan, 8, 45
Flanagan State Bank, 38
Flint, Thompson S.. 16
Follmer, L.H., 40
Ford County, 3, 15
Ford's Livingston County Democrat.
The. 45
Foreclosures, 243, 248
Foreign
transcripts, 144, 149, 262
witness certificates, 11
Forfeitures, state's attorney's
record of, 316
Forrest, 6, 8, 38, 45
Township, 3, 8, 25
Forrestvllle Township, name
changed, 25
Fort Chartres, _9
Fort St. Louis, 9_
Foster, Henry A., 42
Foster, John, 21, 37, ;^
Fox bounty
certificates, 12
warrants, 11
Fox River, 10
Fraher, Oscar, 35
France, J.S., 44
Franciscan Sisters, 34
Free Press, The, 45
Free Trader . The. 45
Freeport (Stephenson County), 73
French
domination of Illinois country, 9.
practice of slavery by, 21n
Fund
See also Cash; Fees; Receipts and
expenditures
county
appropriations of, by county
board, 92
claims against, 7
ledger of, appropriations, 6
treasurer's
account of, 333
Journal, 331
distributive
cancelled checks Issued to, 357
school superintendent's reports
of, 378
dog license, claims against, 346
highway, claims against, 387-389
inheritance tax accounts, 333,
340
institute
county superintendent's reports
of, 337
management of, 173, 174
Fund (Continued)
liquor license. Journal, 107
motor fuel tax
allotments, ledger of, 343, 390
claims against, 8
distribution record, 391
payments made from, 348
warrants issued on, 341
non-high school
accounts, 364
register, 338
pension
blind, administration of, 60
mothers'
administration of, 60
appropriation for, 125
orders on, 347
teachers', lists, 365
road, state-aid
orders on, 342
warrants issued against, 395
school
account, 358
loans on
record, 359
reports of, 378
management of, 55
reports of, 378
swamp land, school superintend-
ent's account of, 358
tuberculosis sanitarium, 190
Gagan, William, 45
Ganzert, Ed., 40
Gamer, Jerome, 14
Gas leases, 114, 115[xlx]
Gee, Guy K., 40
Germantown Township, 25
Germanvllle Township, 3.
Germany, settlers from, 12, 13, 23
Goold, Roy, 35
Gourley, Earl E., 40
Government survey plats, 140
Governmental organization of
county, 54-79
Grand Jury, see Jury
Grand Prairie region, 3_
Grantor-grantee index, 112
Gray, W.S., 24
Graymond, 38
Great Britain, see England
Great Lakes, 36
Greenback party , 35
Greenough, E.P., 35
Grotevant, J.B., 11.
Ground-hog bounty
certificates, 12
warrant stubs, 16
Grundy County, 3^
Guardian
See also Conservator; Estate;
Minors; Probate court
accounts, 189, 221
bonds, 100[11], 189, 198, 199,
206
for sale of real estate, 100,
215
234
Subject Index
(Gua-Ind)
Guardian (Continued)
cases, Index to, 190, 192
deeds, 114
dockets, 224, 227-229
Inventories, 189
letters, 189, 198, 199
oaths, 189, 198, 199
petitions
for appointment, 189, 198, 199
for sale of real estate, 100,
215
public, 154
record (bonds, letters, oaths,
petitions), 198, 199
reports, 189, 217, 218, 220
Guyama (Cuba), 36
Hall Safe and Lock Company, 74_
Hallam, Absalom, 25
Hampton, John. 43n
Hampton, Weighty, 45n
Hanneman, John, 10, 12
Hare, Isaac, W
Harrington, R.B., 22
Hart, Joseph, 27
Hayes, Squire, 12
Heafer and McGregor, 73
Health
board of, county, 59
department of, state
creation, 59
duties of. In Inspection of
schools, 56, 58
functions, 59, 60
school superintendent's reports
to, 173
districts, organization, 59
taxes, 59
Hefner, Nicholas, 20, 21
Heirs' funds deposited with
treasurer, 339
Heirship, proof of, 189
Henry, John F. , 21
Hesstner, Nicholas, 17
High schools, see School
Highway, see Highway under
Transportation
Hlrsteln, A.B., 40
Historical Records Survey, 33
Hodgens, Thomas, 18^
Hofer, John, 35
Holbrook, Dustln and, 45
Hoover, Herbert, 35
Holman, James, 16, 18
Home bureau, organization and
purpose, 199
Home Times, The, 45
Hossack, John, 21
Hotchklss, B.F., 22
Householder, William, 40
Housing
care and accessibility of
records, 72-75
projects, establishment, 126
Howard Watch and Clock Company, 74
Hubbard, Stephen S. . 18
Hubbard, William, 18
Hungary, 13
Idaho, 6.
Illinois, 3, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 23,
28, 41, 43
country, 9.
as part of Indiana Territory, 21n
slavery In, 21
Illinois Central Railroad, 6, _7, 37
Illinois Commerce Commission,
appeals from rulings of, to
circuit court, 143
Illinois County, 9
Illinois Indian nation, 10
Illinois and Michigan Canal, 3, 12,
38
Illinois National Guard, 33
Illinois River, 5, 9, 38
Illinois State Archives Buildings,
63
Illinois State Board of Pardons,
recommendations for release of
parolees, 250, 282
Illinois State Historical Library,
63
Illinois State Penitentiary, see
Illinois State Reformatory
Illinois State Reformatory, 7
school examination record of
Inmates, 373
Illinois State Savings Bank of
Pont lac, 38
Illinois State University Library,
63
Illinois Supreme Court, 21n
Illinois Territory, 21n
Illinois, University of, 199
Illinois Writers' Project, 33
Incorporation, articles of, 115 [vl]
Independent , The, 45
Index
birth, 58
blind pension applications, 453
chattel mortgage, 122
circuit court
files, 238
records, 239-241
to collector's books, 45
death, 61
field survey books, 397
grantor-grantee, 112
Judgment and execution, 264
marriage, 65
to miscellaneous records
(recorder's), 116
mortgagor-mortgagee, 120
to old age assistance files, 420
plaintiff-defendant, circuit
court, 239, 240
plat, 110, 111, 113
probate Judge's docket, 223
to probate files, 190-192
to records, required to be kept,
101, 115, 126, 135, 146
sectional TrecorHer), 111
sheriff's finger print files, 305
stillbirth, 61
235
Subject Index
( Ind- Jus )
Indian Creek, 5_
Indian Grove
early tsix rates, 26
election precinct, 17, 25
Township, 3, 7, 25
Indiana, 3, 9, 11, 12.
Indiana, Illinois and Iowa Rail-
road, 6_
Indiana Territory, 21n
Indians In Livingston region, 10,
il» 40
missions established for, 9_
Indictments
original, 148, 243, 250
records, 245, 251, 253, 254
Indigent, see Poor
Indi'strlal commission bonds, 281
Inheritance tax
account, 333, 340
Jurisdiction over, 125
papers, 179, 189
record, 180
Injunction bonds, 281
Inquest
procedure, 54, 54n. 159
record, 312
reports, 276
Insanity
See also Conservator
docket, 156, 160
fees, 163
papers, 148, 151, 189
record, 152, 153, 193
Insolvency records
estate, 100, 194
voluntary, 144, 147
Institute
fund
county superintendent's reports
of, 337
management, 173, 174
teachers', record, 370
Instructions to Jury, see Jury
Instruments required to be kept by
recorder, 57, 114. 115
Insurance company charter, amend-
ment to, 100[1]
Insurance on county property,
policies, 27
Intelligencer. The, 45
Intention, declaration of, see
Naturalization
Inventory
conservators', 209
copartnership, 100, 210
of estates, 144, 147, 189, 216
record, 207
Investigation reports
adoption, 100, 146, 193
Insanity, 148, 151, 189
probation officer's, 142
Ireland, Immigration from, 12, 13
Iroquois County, 3, 14
Iroquois Indians, 10
Jackson, Andrew, Z, 13, 14, 40
Jail, county
See also Prisoners
custody, 58, 155
Inmates, sheriff's reports on,
277
plans, 382
register of visitors, 298
superintendent of, appointed by
sheriff, 155
Jefferson, Thomas, 3_
Johnson, Abner, 10
Johnson, John, 12
Joker. The. 45
Jollet, 22
Jolllet, Louis, 9.
Jones, Henry, 8, 22, 25
Jones, Henry C, 45
Jones, William, 18
Jordan (Jourdan), Isaac, 10, 11
Journal . The, 45
Journal
See also Ledger
county clerk's, 106, 186
sheriff's, of fees received, 295
treasurer's, 332
tuberculosis sanitarium, 440
Judges
of courts, see under name of
specific court
of election, see Election
Judgment
In circuit court, 243, 244
by confession, 144, 146
in county court, 142
by default, 144
and execution
dockets, 155, 157, 263
Index (263), 264
Judicial circuits, 50
Judicial system In county, 50-52
Jurors, see Jury
Jury
certificates, 11
register, 334, 335
stubs, 14
coroner's, 54, 159
grand
reports to, 277
venires, 280
Jurisdiction over, 91
lists
county board of supervisors', 1
county court, 171
kept by county clerk, 93, 101
petit, venires, 280
power to select, 47
records, keeping of, 146
register, 34
reports, grand, 245, 251, 253,
254
venires, 280
verdicts, 142, 148, 151, 189,
245, 251, 254, 276
coroner's, 312
Justice
administration of, 50-55
236
Subject Index
(Jus-Llv)
Justice (Continued)
of the peace
appeals from, 51, 52, 123
appointment, 50, 51_
bonds, 86, 87
keeping of, 100
county Judge as, 51
docket, chattel mortgage, 162
as early administrative
officer, 46, 89
election on basis of popula-
tion, 51
Jurisdiction of, 50, 51, 122.
134
to keep records, 52
oath, keeping of, 100
probate, 51, 52_
reports of fines, 1, 168, 169
term of office, 89
transcripts, 142, 144, 148,
149, 261, 262, 315
Supreme Court, required to hold
circuit court, 50, 50n. 143
Juvenile
See also Adoption; Minors;
Pension, mother's
delinquency and dependency cases
files, 148
Jurisdiction In, 123, 124
records, 149
probation officer, see Probation
Kankakee, 6_
Kankakee Coal Company, 38
Kankakee County, 3, 8.
Kaskaskla, 9, lOn
Keeley, Leslie E., 8_
Keeley Institute, Q_
Kennedy, Francis, 35
Kentucky, 12
Klckapoo Grove, 10
Klckapoo Indians, 10, 11, 12
Kimber, William A., 35
King, C.B., 21
Kohler, Clair E.. 35
Koopman , Henry C. . 35
Kuntz, Frank H., 35
Ladd, Samuel G., 22 23, 24
La- Fayette ( Indiana) , 20
Land
See also Lots; Real Estate
entries of, 109
conveyances on, 43
grants, for oil pipe line,
115[xviii]
patents, 114
school, sale of, 55, 173
record, 360
reports, 31
swamp, see Swamp
taxes on, see Tax
Lander, Samuel, 23
Landon, Alf. t1., 35
Langford, George W. . 35
La Salle, de, Rene Robert
Cavalier, Sieur, 9.
La Salle, 5.
La Salle County, 3, 5, 12, 14, 15,
16, 17. 27, 38
Laurltzen, Charles, 40
Leader, The, 45
Leases
gas and oil, 114, 115[xlx]
property, 114, 115[xx]
Ledger
See also Journal
county farm accounts, 450, 451
motor fuel tax allotments, 390
treasurer's
of bank deposits, 355
of motor fuel tax allotments,
343
tuberculosis sanitarium
accounts receivable, 442
disbursements, 439
general, 441
Le Roy, 22
Lester, F.H., 35
Letters of appointment in probate,
see under title of appointee
Levee, see Drainage; Swamp lands
Levy
See also Tax
certificates of, sheriff's,. 127,
128
License
See also Certificate
ferry, 5
liquor
applications for, 78
fund accounts, 107
marriage
applications for, 64, 66
issuing of, 100
record, 64
returns, 63
power to grant, 93^
professional, see under name of
profession
tavern, 5, 101
Liens
See also Mortgage
federal tax, notices, 132
mechanic's, 255
record, 256
Lincoln, Abraham, 3, 14, 15, 19,
37, 44
Liquor license
applications, 78
fund accounts, 107
Little Vermilion River, 12
Livestock, tuberculin tests on,
418, 419
Livingston, Edward, 14
Livingston County
agriculture, see Industries below
area, 3_
attempts to change, 15
boundaries, 3, 15
budget record, 334
census, 67
237
Subject Index
(Llv)
Livingston County (Continued)
churches, see Religion below;
also under name of denomina-
tion
cities m, 7_
Civil War rallltla roll, 30
coal Klnes, see Industries below
corrjiilss loners, delegates to
constitutional convention,
26, 27
courthouses
bond Issues for, 74_
buildings used, 21, 72-75
creation, 14
early settlers, 10, 11
cultural background, 13, 14
origin of, 12
relations of Indians with, 10,
ii
economic development, 36-40
education
academies, establlshjnent, 42
administration of, 42
development of, 41, 42
legislation concerning, 41
libraries in, 42
pupils, statistics, 42
resolutions affecting, 29
school
buildings first used, 41_
early method of conducting,
41
free, first established, 42
land sales, 22
parochial, 43
statistics, 42
taxation for, 42_
elections, see Politics below
farus, see Agriculture under
Industries below
finances
banks, number of, 38
bond issues for courthouse, 161
budget
1851. 24
1905. 1910. 30
early conditions of, 19, 21
railroad assessments, 29
statistics, 29, 30, 31
taxation
amount of collections, 22,
29, 30
assessment statistics, 26,
29, 31
attitude towards, 20
Civil War affects, 30
for construction of court-
house, 161
early rates of, 19
rates, 20, 22, 24, 26
government
changes in, 23, 25
early business transacted,
16-18, 24
establishment, 16, 17
first, 16 ~
organization, 14, 15
Livingston County (Continued)
health services, see Public wel-
fare below
Industries
aj-^ri culture
economic changes, 39, 40
farm
acreage, 5, 39
crops, 5, _6, 39
land, speculation In, 40
mortgages, 39
number of, 39
statistics, 39, 40.
value of, 39
Federal aid for, 40
petitions for, 28, 29
Importance, 5. 38. 39
livestock statistics, 6.
societies, organization of,
35, 40
statistics, 39, 40
business, attitude of fanners
towards, 28
coal mines
location, 5, 57
operation
legislation to aid, 30
output of, and workers
employed in. 38
development, 37-40
early, 37
effect of crisis of 1929 on, 37
limestone quarries in, 5.
manufactures
location, 6.
number and kinds, 6, 37
value, 6, 37
workers employed in, 37
mining, number of workers
employed in, 38
sawmill, first erected, 37
Inhabitants, origin, 23
Jail, construction of, 22
plans for, 26
lands, school, sale of, 22
libraries, see Education above
location, 3^
manufactures, see Industries
above
military activities, 36
mining, see Industries above
naming of, 14.
natural resources, 5.
newspapers
See also under name of newspaper
early quality, 44
number of, 45
political affiliations, 45
as part of other counties, 14
physical characteristics, 4, 5.
politics
Democratic control of, 35
election
for change In government, 19,
23, 25
first In county, 17
238
Subject Index
(Llv-Map)
Livingston County-
politics (Continued)
factors effecting changes In,
34, 35
Republican control of, 35
population, 6, 13
prominent citizens, 35, 36
publications, see Newspapers
above
public welfare
blind pensions, 33
effect of 1929 crisis on, 32
expenditures for, 31
Federal aid for, 32, 33
Insane, care of, 32
medical services, 33, 34, 42,
43
mothers' pensions, 33
old age pensions, 33
poor, care of, 22, 32
tax levy for, 33
railroads, see Transportation
below; also under name of
specific railroad
region
American occupation of, 9, 10
foreign domination of, 9
Indians In, 10, 11
religion
churches
aid education, 43
number of. In county, 43, 44
conversion of Indians, 10
development, 43^
religious tolerance, 43
rivers and streams, 4, 5.
roads, see Transportation below
schools, see Education above
seat of Justice, 16
attempts to change, 18
location of, 17, 18
naming of, 18_
site donated to county, 17, 18
slavery In, Zl
soil, 4.
swamp lands, sale of, use of
funds from, 24, 25, 26
taxation, see Finances above
timber In, 5^
towns In, 7_
abandoned, 8_
township
formation, 25
government first adopted, 25
names and number of, 3, 25
transportation
bridges, construction of, 22
highways, mileage of, 6.
railroads
assessments, 31_
construction and financing,
37
mileage and number of, 6_
roads
construction, _19
Livingston County
transportation
roads (Continued)
mileage, 20_
petitions for, 24
special assessments for, 20
villages, number and population,
8, 1
wild game In, 5_
Livingston County Bar Association,
memorials for deceased mem-
bers, 258
Livingston County Farm Bureau, see
Farm bureau
Livingston County Farmers' Associa-
tion, 35
Livingston County Historical
Society, 36
Livingston County Home and Hospital,
32
Livingston County News, The. 44
Livingston County Sanitarium, 34
Livingston County Soil and Crop
Improvement Association, 40
Livingston County Tuberculosis
Association, 34
Local Record, The, 45
Long Point, 8, 26, 45
Township, 3, 25
Long Point Creek, 5_
Long Point - Nebraska drainage
district
files, 401
plat, 408
Lots
See also Lands; Real Estate
entry book of conveyances on, 43
Index to, 110
Loudon, Charles, 35
Louisiana, 14
Love Joy, Owen, 34
Loveless, Henry, 8, 24
Lunacy, see Insanity
Lundy, Amos, 18
McCaughey, Hugh H., 35
McCullock, W.W., 36
McDowell family, 10
McDowell, William, 12, 19
McGregor, Heafer and, TO
Machete (Cuba), 36
McKee, James, 18, 21, 37
McLean County, 3, 7, 10, 14, 15,
16, 17, 23
Macon County, 16
McMillan, Andrew, 12, 16, 17, [^
McMillan, James, 18, 23
Madden, Simeon, 14
Maine, 6
Maps
See also Plats
construction, 382
highway, 97
index to, 115
recordation of, 57
road, 5
subdivision, 136
239
Subject Index
(Mar-Nev)
Marks, John D., 18
Marks and brands, 77
"•larquette. Father Jacques, 9
Marriage, see Vital statistics
Marsh, Henry L., 37
Marshall, Doctor -, 33
Mason, Caleb, 18_
:'.assachu6etts, 6, 12
;iaster-ln-chancery
bonds, 281
certificates
reder.pt Ion, 128, 129
sale, 126, 128, 129
reports, 242, 243, 278
Mechanic's lien files, 255
Mels, Henry J., U, 36
Melvln, J.R., 35
Mennonltes, German, source of, 12
Methodist Episcopal Church, 43,
43n. 73, 7^
Michigan, 9
Mlddleton, Doctor -, 33
Mllltla
See also Soldiers
roll. Civil War, 80
Miller, Bennett, 18
Miller, John, 18
Miller, Mathlas, 19
Mine Inspector
county
appointment and duties, 197
■ bonds, 84, 197
state, powers of, 197
Mining Board, State, 197
::innesota, 9.
Xlnonk, 6_
Minors
See also Guardian; Juvenile
naturalization of, 182, 184
Minutes
See also Proceedings
county board of supervisors', 1
Mississippi River, 9, U, 36
Mississippi Valley, 9_
::itchell, J.M., 36
Montana, 6.
Moon, Albert, 19, ^
Moon, Jacob, 12, 18.
Moon's Point, 12
Moore, Francis J., 18
Moore, Jonathan, ^6
Moore, Richard, 13
Moral character certificates,
applications for, 144
Morehead, Thomas, 18
Morgan, J. P., 25
Morgan, Richard P., 36
Morgan, Rlchaird P., Jr., 8.
Mortgage
See also Conveyances; Liens
chattel
docket, 162
extensions, 124, 125
Index, 122
original, 123
record, 114, 124
kept by board of review, 323
Mortgage (Continued)
real estate
assignments of, 114, 119
record, 114, 119
index (119), 120
releases, 114, 121
marginal, 114, 119
recordation of, 114
Mortgagor-mortgagee Index
chattel, 122
real estate, 120
MortLT.ore, Charles, 40
Mothers' pension, see Pension
Motor fuel tax fund
allotment ledger, 343, 390
claims against, 8
distribution record, 391
warrants, 341
stubs, 393
Mott, Isaac G., 25
Mud Creek, 5^
Mud Creek election precinct, 25
Mulr, Fred, 35
Murphy Station, village of, 9.
Murray, E.A., 35
Murray, Michael, 17
Names of famis register, 134
National Conference of Charities,
32
National Union. The. 45
Naturalization
certificates (final papers)
circuit court, 285, 287
county court, 181, 182, 184
declaration of Intention
circuit court, 285-287
county court, 181-184
docket
circuit court, 288
county court, 185
Index, 284
Jurisdiction over, 50, 51, 52,
122. 143
minors', 182, 164, 285-287
oaths
circuit court, 285-287
county court, 181, 182, 184
petitions
circuit court, 285, 287
county court, 181-184
records required to be kept,
127. 146
soldiers', 182, 184
Nebraska
election precinct, 25
town of, 26
Township, 3, 8, 25
Nebraska-Long Point drainage
district
files, 401
plat, 408
Negroes, first In Illinois, 21n
Nevada
town of, 26
Township, 3, 25
240
Subject Index
(Nev-Org)
Nevada-Ode 11 drainage district
files, 401
plat, 409
Nevell, E.B., ^
New England, 23
New Hampshire, 6_
New Mexico, 6^
New Michigan, d, 44
election precinct, 25
New Michigan Academy, 42_
New School Presbyterian Church, 43
New York, 12
New York Central Railroad, 6.
New York City, 14
News. The, 45
News Review, The, 45
Newtown, 26
Township, 3, 25
Nicollet, Jean, 9_
Non-high school, see School
Norman, village of, 9.
North Carolina, 12
North Dakota, 6.
North Vermilion drainage district
files, 401
Northwest Territory, 9, 21n
Norton, Samuel, 18
Norwegians, 12
Notary public
commissions, 69, 114, 115[xv]
records, keeping of, 101
Notre Dame (Indiana), 43
Nurse
certificates, 73
register, 70
county, see County nurse
Oaths
citizenship, see Naturalization
entered by county clerk, 100
kept by circuit clerk, 145
of probate appointees, see under
title of appointee
Odell, d_, 45
Township, 3, Q_, 25
Odell-Nevada drainage district
files, 401
plat, 409
Officers
county
accounts, examination of, 92
appointments, 5, 85, 100
bonds, 5, 84, B5, 100
electoral board, duties and
powers of, 125
register, 69
reports to county board, 5
roster, 65-71
probation, see Probation
township
appointments, 5
and resignations, 2
bonds, 5
election certificates, 68
register, 69
reports to county board, 5
truant, bonds, 84
Offices, county, charts and plans,
76-84
Ohio, 9_, 12
Oil inspectors, county, bonds and
reports, 30
Oil leases, 114, 115[xix]
Old age assistance
See also Pension; Public welfare;
Relief
administration, 60, 187
applications
files
active, 421
inactive, 422
register, 425
correspondence, 424
index, 420
Investigators
files, 423
reports, 421
Oliver, Franklin, 10, 12_
Oliver and Corn Grove drainage
district
flies, 401
plat, 410
Oliver's Grove, 10
Township, name changed, 25
Oltman, FYed, 40
Optometry register, 74
Orders
county
See also Vouchers; Warrants
cancelled, 336
issued, record, 334
pension, mothers', 347
register of, 9
treasurer's, 334, 335
stubs, 13
to county treasurer to pay
claims, 342, 349, 350
court
See also Decree
adoption, 100, 146, 193
chancery, 248, 249, 254
common law, 144, 145, 161,
244, 245, 254
criminal, 148, 149, 154, 159,
161, 245, 250, 251, 253,
254
default, 245, 247, 254
in drainage proceedings, 401,
403
in feeble-minded cases,
100 [Iv], 158
In Insanity cases, 148, 151-
153, 156, 160, 189, 193
Insolvency, voluntary, 144, 147
Juvenile cases, 148, 149
naturalization cases, 181
for parole of prisoners, 283
of reversal, 248
Ordinance of 1787. 9, 21n, 41
Ordinances, city and village,
114, 115[xxi]
Oregon, 6^
Organization
of drainage districts, 59, 183
241
Subject Index
(Org-Pla)
Organization (Continued)
mosquito abatement districts, 59
officers, certificates of elec-
tion, 115[xlll, xlv]
Orr, L. Burton, 26
Osbom, William H., 43
Osteopaths
certificates, 71
register, 70
Ostrander, John B., 26
Oswego Township Mutual Fire
Insurance Company charter,
amendment to, 100[1]
Ottawa, 13, 18, 21, 7Z
Overseer of the poor, see Poor
Owego, 26
drainage district
files, 401
plat, 411
Township, 3, 25
Palladium. The, 45
Paris, Treaty of, 9.
Parole
See also Probation
applications for, 283
recommendations for release of
prisoners, 250, 282
Partition In chancery, 243, 248
Partnership, articles of, 114,
115[vll]
Patent (Inventions)
record, 81
rights, 114, 115[xxll]
Patents, land, 114, 115[xxlll]
Patlllas (Cuba), 36
Patrons of Husbandry, 35
Patterson, J. A., 45
Pauper, see Poor; Relief
Payrolls, county, 5
Pearre, L.V., 45
Pearre, Otho F., 36, 42
Pearson, Cling, 12
Pearson, L.A., 40
Peck, John Mason, 43
Peck, William B., 16.
Pellouchoud, John, 35
Pennsylvania, 12
Pension
See also Old age assistance;
Public welfare; Relief
blind
accounts, 20, 22
applications, 20, 22
exam.lner's record of, 452
Index, 453
Investigation of, 60
appropriations, 60
certificates, cancelled, 17
first adjnlnlstered, 33
fund, 60
Jurisdiction over, 60
- others'
See also Juvenile
accounts, 20, 21
applications for. Investiga-
tions, 60, 61, 124
Pension
mothers' (Continued)
card record, 176
certificates, cancelled, 17
documents, 177
first administered, 33
fund, source of, 125
Jurisdiction over, 60, 61, 124
orders to pay, 347
probation officer, see Proba-
tion
procedure, 124, 125
teachers', lists, 365
Peoples Advocate. The. 45
People's cases, see Criminal under
Circuit court. County court
Peoria, 6, 34
Perkins, Henry, 38
Perry, C.H., 18, 19, 21, 37
Personal property
See also Chattel
sale of
private, 207, 213, 214
public, 207, 213
taxes on, see Tax
Peru (La Salle County), 20
Petit Jury, see Jury
Petitions
for appointments In probate, see
under title of appointee
to circuit court, 243, 244, 250
for citizenship, see Naturaliza-
tion
to county board of supervisors,
1, 4, 5
In drainage proceedings, 59, 144,
183. 401, 403
election, 83, 361, 362
insanity cases, 148, 151, 152,
189, 193
for mothers' pension, 177
for organization of mosquito
abatement districts, 59
road Improvements, 1, 4
for sale
of real estate, 100, 207, 212,
215
of school lands, 360
trustees', 100, 205
Pharmacists' register, 70
Physicians
certificates (licenses), 71
register, 70
reports In Insanity cases, 148,
151, 189
Piatt, James, 16
Pike
Township, 3, 25
village of, 26
Pillsbury, Nathaniel J., 27, 36
Pindell, Thomas, 17
Piper, Doctor -, 33
Pittsburg (Williamson County), 32
Plalndealer. The, 45
Plaintiff-defendant Index
circuit court, 239, 240
keeping of, 146
242
Subject Index
(Pla-Pro)
Plaintiff-defendant Index
(Continued)
county court, keeping of, 126
Plans
county Jail, 382
highways, 139
Plats
See also Maps
books, surveys, 137, 138
Index, 113
recorded, 114, 117, 118, 128,
129
recording of, 57
road, 1, 4, 98
subdivision, 136
of school
districts, 96
lands, 360
township, 140
Pleas
comraon law, 142
criminal, 148
Pleasant Grove Township, 25
Pleasant Ridge Township, 3_
Plymouth (Indiana), 73
Police magistrates
bonds, 89
transcripts, 142, 144, 149
Poll books, see Election
Pontlac, 3, 4, 5^, 6, 7, 8, 14, 17,
18, 21, 22, 24, 26, 32, 34,
37, 38, 42, 43, 43n, 44, 45,
72, 74, 75
election precinct, 17
Township, 3, 25
Pontlac Cadets, 36
Pontlac Coal Company, 38
Pontlac Gazette, The, 45
Pontlac Herald, The, 45
Pontlac National Bank, 38
Pontlac Observer. The, 45
Pontlac Republican. The. 45
Pontlac Sentinel. The. 45
Poor
See also County farm; County home;
Public welfare; Relief
care of, 48, 91, 92
farm, first established, 32
overseer, appointment, 91^
Pope, Einsley, 18
Pope joy, Nathan, 18, 19
Popejoy, William, 10, 12, 2i
Porter, J.W., 40
Porter, Norton Rice, 36
Porterfleld, S.J., 45
Potosl, village of, 9_
Pottawatomie Indians, 10
Powell, Herbert, 40
Power of attorney, 114, 115[xxlv]
revocation of, 114, 115[xxv]
Praecipe for execution record, 259
Prairie County, 15
Presbyterian Church, 43
Primary elections, see Election
Prisoners, county
See also Jail
card record, 396
Prisoners, county (Continued)
discharge of, see Parole; Proba-
tion
register, 297
keeping of, 156
sheriff's
receipts for, 99[ll]
reports of, 277
Private sale, see Sale
Probate
appeals to circuit court, 145
court
See also Adi-nlnlstrator; Conser-
vator; Estate; Executor;
Guardian; Wills
clerk
county clerk, ex-offlclo,
52, 1^
duties, 135
records kept by, 135
dockets
clerk's, 226-228
estate, 228, 229
Judge's, 222, 224, 225
Index (222), 223
Judgment, 230
establishment, 51, 134
fee books (court costs), 231
files, 189
Index, 190-192
of original documents, keep-
ing of, 135
Journal, 193
Judge
appointment, 51, 154
duties, 52
records kept by, legislation
concerning, 61, 63
Jurisdiction and functions of,
134. 155
record, 195
bonds, 206
Insolvent estate, 100, 194
memoranda of cases, 196
required to be kept, 155
reports to, 217-220
Jurisdiction
In circuit court, 122, 123
In county commissioners' court,
51, 52
In county court, 51, 122, 123
Justices of the peace, 51, 52
Probation
See also Parole
bonds, 201
officers
adult
appointment, compensation,
144
bond, 84, 144
case record, 149
duties and powers of, 124.
144. 145
record of cases, keeping of,
145
reports, 145, 178
investigation reports, 142
243
Subject Index
( Pro-Re c)
Probation
officers (Continued)
Juvenile
appointment and compensation,
123
correspondence, 175
delinquent cases, 172, 174
dependent cases, 173, 174
functions, 123, 124
record, 149
mothers' pension
appointment, 60, 61, 124
compensation, 124
duties and powers of, 60, 61,
124
files
card, 176
document, 177
reports, 177
to county court, 124
Proceedings
See also Minutes
board of review, 321
county board of supervisors, 1, 5
of courts
See also Records, undgr name of
specific court
required to be kept, 126, 135,
146
of drainage commissioners, 403
non-high school board, 364
Process docket, sheriff's, 295
Proof
of heirship, 189
of will, 189
Progressive party, 35
Proposals for construction of
county buildings, 5
Public sale, see Sale
Public welfare
See also County farm; County home;
Feeble-minded; Juvenile;
Pension; Poor; Relief; Veterans
administration of, 60
commission, succeeded by depart-
ment of public welfare, 187
county department of
composition, 187
duties and powers, 187
establishment, 187
office, location, 82
records
kept by, 187
old age assistance, see Old
age
relation of, to State Department
of Public Welfare, 187
succeeding county commission of
public welfare, 187
county superintendent of
appointment, 187
duties and powers, 60, 187
State Department, 2» 8.
relation of, to county depart-
ment, 187
Public Works and Buildings, Depart-
ment of, succeeding State
Highway Department, 58
Pupils
attendance
certificates, 374
reports, 371
diplo;na record, 372
Purchase, certificates of, 54, 55
to swamp lands, 58
Purdum, C.A., 35
Quitclaim deeds, 114, 118
Railroad, see Railroad under
Transportation; also under
specific name
Rambler . The, 45
Randolph County, 21n
Reading, 26
election precinct, 25
Township, 3, _5, 25
Real estate
See also Land; Lots
assessment of, see Tax
deeds, see Deeds
of estates, see Estate
mortgages, see Mortgage
sale of, 207, 212
bonds for, 100, 215
taxes on, see Tax
Receipts
attorneys', for court papers, 188
sheriff's
for court papers, 187, 293
for fees, 311
for prisoners, 99[ii]
tax, see Tax
treasurers'
county, tax settlement, 328
township, for school funds, 357
Receipts and expenditures
See also Accounts; Cash; Costs;
Fees; Fund
circuit clerk's, 291, 292
county clerk's, 103
highway superintendent's, 399
liquor license fund, 107
motor fuel tax, 343
of school funds, 378
school trustees' reports of, 375
sheriff's, 306
treasurer's, daily balance book,
331
Receivers' bonds, 281
Recob, John, 12, 16, J/7, 18
Recognizance
bonds, 148, 243, 250, 281
records
circuit court, 245, 252, 254
county court, 149, 150
Recorder
appointed by Governor, 56
bonds, 114
circuit clerk, ex-offlcio, 56^
57, 114
deputies, 114
244
Subject Index
(Rec-San)
Recorder (Continued)
duties and powers of, 57, 114.
115
election, 56, 114
office
establishment, 57, 114
term of, 114
population requirements for, 57,
114
records required to be kept,
114. 115
roster, 68
Records
housing, care, and accessibility
of, 72-75
legislation concerning, 61, 63
location, 76-81
Reddlck, village of, 8^
Redemption certificates
master's, 128, 129
sheriff's, 128
Reed, Joe S., 36
Registrars of births and deaths,
see Town Clerk
Release, mortgage, 114, 121
marginal, 114, 119
Relief
See also County farm; Coimty home;
Feeble-minded; Insanity;
Juvenile; Old age assistance;
Poor; Public welfare
emergency
committee's statements of pay-
ments, 348
purchase orders, 23
unemployment, see Emergency above
work, see Emergency above
Relinquishment, widow's, see Widow
Renault, Philip, 21n
Rence, M.A., 45
Renoe, A.J., 36^
Replevin bonds, 281
Replications, 243
Reporter, court, appointment of,
144
Republican party, 26, 34, 35
Resignations of county officers,
see under title of officer
Resolutions, county board of
supervisors', 1, 5
Review, board of
clerk
appointment, 49
county clerk, ex-offlclo, 49
complaint docket, 322
composition, 49, 164
deed and mortgage record, 323
duties and powers of, 28, 29, 49,
164
establishment, 49, 164
members
appointment, 49, 164
resignation, 2
proceedings, 321
records, 321-323
Revocations of power of attorney,
114, 115 [xxv]
Revolutionary War, _9, 12, 13
Reynolds, Cornelius W,, 14, 18. 20
Reynolds, John W., 18, 22
Reynolds, Joseph, 12, 18, 19
Reynolds, Thomas N., 18
Rhode Island, 6, 12
Richmond, _8_
Right-of-way contracts, 114,
115[xvl]
Rlngler, William, 40
Road, see Road under Transportation
Rockwood, Daniel, 12, 16, 18
Rook, Frederick, jQ
Rooks Creek, 5., 12
Township, 3, 11, 25, 37
village of, 26
Rollins, C.A., 40
Rollins, Phillip, 22, 23
Rollins Grove, 11
Roman Catholic Church, 34, 43, 44
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 35
Roosevelt, Theodore, 36
Ross, Mathlas J., 18, 19
Round Grove
Township, _3, 8^, 9, 25
village of, 26
Rucker, F.H., 35
Ruddy, W.C, 35
Rutherford, Elizabeth, 14
Rutherford, Truman, 18
Ruttan Heating and Ventilating
Company, 7Z
Ryan, J.H., 36
Ryan, Reverend John H., 33, 36
Sailors' discharge record, 133
St, Clair, Arthur, 9_
St. Clair County, 21n
St. James Hospital, 34
St. Louis, 5, 11, 13
St .Mary's Parochial School
(Pontlac), 43
St. Mary's of the Woods (Indiana),
43
St. Patrick's Parochial School
(Chatsworth), 43
St.Paul's Parochial School, 43
Sale
bills, 189, 216
recording of, 114. 135
certificates of
master's, 126, 128, 129
sheriff's, 128
of personal property
private, 207, 213, 214
public, 207, 213
of real estate
bonds and petitions for, 100,
215
record, 207, 212
of school lands
record, 360
reports, 31
of swamp lands, 58, 414
tax, see Delinquent under Tax
Salt Creek, 10
San Domingo, 21n
245
Subject Index
(San-Sha)
Sanford, W.P., 45
SangaiTiO Journal . The, 14
Sanitarium, county tuberculosis
alcohol received, record, 438
board of directors
appointment, 190
duties and functions, 34, 190.
191
reports to, 436
reports to county board, 191
term of office, 190
card record of discharged
patients, 429
claims against, orders to pay,
350
correspondence, 445
employees
record, 444
register, 443
establishment, 33, 34, 190
files, current cases, 430
fund, tax levy for, 190
Journal of expenses, 440
laboratory test reports, 432
ledgers of accounts, 439, 441,
442
location, 2^, 191
management, 190
medical director's reports
to county board, 437
to sanitarium board, 436
narcotic record, 433
register of patients, 431
treatment record, 434
x-ray record, 435
Sargent, Wlnthrop, 9.
Saul, S.S., 26
Sault Ste. Marie, 9_
Saunemln, 8, 26, 38
Township, 3, 25
Saunemln Gazette. The, 45
Scandinavian Immigrants, 12, 23_
Scattering Point Creek, 5.
Schaffer, H.L., Building (Cornell).
Schedules, tax, see Tax
School
accounts of tuition fund, 364
board, minutes, 364
bond Issues, register, 26
buildings. Inspection, 56, 58
conmilssloner
as agent for sale of school
lands, 55, 173
appointment, 55, 173
» creation of office, 55
duties and powers, 55, 173
election, 55, 173
ex-offlclo, superintendent of
schools, 56, 173
reports
to county commissioner's
court, 173
of sale of school land, 31,
360
roster;, 70
term of office, 173
School (Continued)
county superintendent of
accounts of school funds, 358
bonds, 84, 85, 100, 173
correspondence, 380
creation of office, 56, 173
duties and powers, 56, 58, 175
election, 56, 56n. 173
records, legislation concern-
ing, ^
reports, 378
to county board and the
state, 56, 173
of Institute fund, 337
teachers', to 371
trustees', to 375
roster, 70
school commissioner, early ex-
offlclo, 56, 173
term of office, 173
districts
claims for state aid, 363
establishment of, legislation
concerning, 55
non-high, reports, 364
organization papers, 361, 362
plats, 96
directors' visiting record, 377
examinations, see Teachers
fund
accounts, 358
derived from sale of school
lands, 55
loan record, 359
non-high, register, 338
high, reports, 376
Institute
fees, ITO, 174
fund, superintendent's reports
of, 337
purpose, ITO, 174
lands
control of, 91
legislation concerning, 55
management of, 55
plats, 360
sale
record, 360
reports, 31
non-high
fund, register, 338
record, 364
pupils, see Pupils
state's control of, 56
supervision of, 55, 56, 91, 173
tax, see Tax
teachers, see Teachers
treasurers' bonds, 379
Schroen, Charles R., ^
Scotland, 13
Scott, James 0., 35
Selection, widows', see Widow
Selva, Father, 43
Sentinel. The. 45
Settlement records, tax, see Tax
Sewage disposal, bond Issue for, 26
Shafer, Edward, 40
246
Subject Index
(Sha-Sta)
Shane, Bert Ion, 40
Sheep claims allowed, 346
Sheriff
bonds, 84, 85, 100, 155
cash book, 306
certificates
of levy, 127, 128
of redemption, 128
of sale, 128
correspondence, 310
custodian of courthouse and
Jail, 53, 155
daily expense record, 306, 307
deeds, 114
deputy
appointments, 53, 85, 93, 94,
155
bonds, 93
coFipensation, 155
oaths, 35, 93, 94
dockets
execution, 294
process, 295
duties and powers of, 53, 54, 155
election, 53, 155
ex-officio county collector, 49,
155
fees
Journal, 295
records, 295, 308, 309
finger print file, 304
index, 305
Jail records, 296-298
receipts
for court documents, 137, 293
for fees, 311
for prisoners, 99[ii]
records
expense, 306, 307
to be kept, 155
of stolen cars, 302, 303
reports
to circuit court, 299
to county court, 99[iii]
to grand Jury, 277
to Federal Bureau of Investiga-
tion, 300
to, from Federal and State
Bureaus of Investigation,
301
roster, 68
term of office, 155
Shultz, R.J., 45
Sisters of Charity of the Blessed
Virgin, 43
Sisters of Providence, 43
Sisters of the Holy Cross, 43
Sisters of the Order of
St. Dominic, 43
Smith, Frank L., 36
Smith, James, 11
Soldiers
See also Militia; Veterans
bounty, 24
discharge record, 133
recording of, 115
naturalization, 182, 184
Soldiers (Continued)
reports of supplies Issued to, 33
South Branch Creek, 5.
South Carolina, 14
Spalding, Reverend J.L., 34
Spanish-American War, 36
Sparrow bounty
certificates, 12
warrant stubs, 19
Spath, Miss, 33
Special assessments, see Assess-
ments under Tax
Special elections, see Election
Specie Circular, 40.
Spence, James, 18
Spence, Williamson, 14
Springer, Uriah, 19, 21
Springer, William, 17, 18.
Springfield, 3, 19, 23, 26, 36
Stallion certificates, 135
renewal of, 135
Star, The, 45
Star and Herald, The, 45
Starved Rock, 9.
State aid
for roads
antagonism towards, 28
claims on, orders to pay, 342
for schools, claims, 363
State Bank of Grayinond, 38
State Bank of Saunemln, 38
State Board of Health, see State
Department of Public Hfealth
State Board of Pardons, see
Illinois, State of
State Department of Agriculture,
193, 199
State Department of Public Health
creation, 59
duties and functions, 56, 58, 59,
60, 99
school superintendent's reports
to, 173
taxes, 59
organization of districts, 59
State Department of Public Welfare,
1, 8
State Highway Department succeeded
by Department of Public Works
and Buildings, 58
State Housing Board, 126
State Inspector of Mines, 197
State Mining Board, 197
State Reform School, see Illinois
State Reformatory
State Superintendent of Common
Schools, see State Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction
State Superintendent of Public
Instruction
powers of, in supervision of
schools, 58^
school superintendent's reports
to, 56, 173
State Tax Commission, 99
State University Library, 63
247
Subject Index
(Sta-Tax)
State's attorney
appointment and election, 54, 160
bonds, 85, 100, 160
compensation, 160
duties and powers, 53, 160, 161
files, 313
records, 314-316
reports, 170, 279
roster, 69
term of office, 160
Steers, Hugh, 18
Stephenson County, 15
Sterrenberg, Henry, 35
Stillbirths, see Vital statistics
Stipulations, circuit 0010*1, 248
Stltt, Joseph, 35
Stout, James, 21
Stout, Joseph, 21
Stratton, C.E., 36
Strawn, Christopher C, 36
Strawn, S_
Streamer, Jacob, 73
Streator, 6, 8, 38
Street maps, 382
Strong, J.G., 22
Subpoenas
circuit court, 243, 244, 250
county court, 142
Sullivan Center, 8
Sullivan Township, 3, 8, 25
Sullivan drainage district
files, 401
plat, 412
Suinirionses
circuit court, 243, 244, 248, 250
county court, 141, 142, 148
Sunbury
town of, 26
Township, 3, 5, 25
Superintendent
county fann, see County farm
county home, see County home
of highways, see Highway under
Transportation
of public welfare, see Pablic
welfare
of schools, see School
Supervisors
of assessments (county assessor)
appointment, 48
bonds, 84, 162
books (lists of taxable
property), 37
duties and powers, 48, 162
treasurer, ex-offlclo, 48, 99n,
162
county board of, see County board
road, see Road under Transporta-
tion
township
assistants, 47, 90
election, 47, 90.
term of office, 90
Supreme Court
Judges, election of, 143
Justices, required to hold cir-
cuit court, 50, 143
Surveyor, county
appointed by county board, 57,
182
duties and powers, 57, 58, 182
election, 57, 182
field notes, 396
Index, 397
oath, 182
office
establishment, 182
term, 182
record, 137
kept by, 182
legislation concerning, 63
roster, 7l_
Swamp lands
See also Drainage
applications for purchase of,
415
commissioner's cash book, 416
deeds. Issuance of, 58
funds, school superintendent's
account of, 358
legislation concerning, 58
lists of, 417
sale of
record, 414
reports, 32
use of funds from, 58
Switzerland, 12
Tavern
control of, 59
licenses, 5
issuing of, 101
Tax
abatement lists, 329
assessments
abstract of, 38
real estate (lands and lots),
48, 98, 99
special
docket entries of, 157
drainage
record, required to be
kept, 183
rolls, 401
for local Improvements, 46
rolls, 142
assessor's books (lists of tax-
able property), 37
collection, 20, 49, 99, 166, 167
Joiirnal, 325, 333
memoranda, 326
record, 324
collector's
books (lists of taxable
property), 44
Index, 45
credits, 47
settlements, 327
receipts for, 328
statements to county clerk, 47
complaints
method of handling, 49, 99, 164
In supervisors' files, 1
corrections, 49
248
Subject Index
(Tax-Tra)
Tax (Continued)
deeds, affidavits, 54, 56, 100
delinquent
forfeiture, 50, 51, 53, 330
Judgment, 50, 51
sale, redemption and
forfeiture, 50
lists, 47, 48, 329
redemption record, 50, 52
sale
deeds, 114
record, 50, 52
special assessments. Judgments
against, 157
docket of amounts wanted, 36
equalization, 49, 99, 164
errors, list of, 47
federal, lien, see Lien
inheritance, see Inheritance
levies, 1, 5, 378
certificates, 35
docket of, 36
memoranda of, 326
motor fuel, see Motor fuel
power to regulate and impose,
48, 91
public health, 59
purchase certificates, 54, 55
railroad
books (lists of taxable
property), 39
schedules, 317
receipts
collector's, 328
duplicate, 352
road, lists, 41
schedules
Insurance companies, 318
personal property, 320
railroad, 317
telegraph and telephone, 319
school, levies, superintendent's
reports of, 378
settlement, 166
collector's, 327
telegraph and telephone book
(lists of taxable property),
40, 47
wanted, docket of, 36
Taxation procedure, 48, 49, _98, 99
Taylor, James, 43
Taylor State Bank, 38
Teachers
certificates
fees paid for, 367
Issuing of, ^, 56n
register, 366
employment record, 368
examinations, 56, 56n. 366
institute record, 370
pension lists, 365
permanent record, 369
reports, 371
Telegraph and telephone tax book,
see Tax
Tennessee, 12
Tharber, W.D., 33
Thomas, George H. . 55
Thompson, A.S., 40
Thompson, Robert, 25
Thompson, W.G., 22
Tiffany, A.E., 45
Tobey Furniture Company, 73.
Toledo, Peoria and Warsaw Railroad,
37
Toledo, Peoria and Western Rail-
road, 6_
Tombaugh, Re Id R., 40
Town
board, power of, to revise as-
sessments, 49, 164
clerk, as local registrar
accounts
with county clerk, 101
with treasurer, 351
fees
due, certificates of, 102
paid to, 60
functions, 60, 99
Townsend, Francis E., X
Township
assessors, see Assessor
collectors, see Collector
funds, see Fund
government, see County board
maps, 97
officers, see Officers
plats, 140
supervisors, see Supervisors
treasurers, see Treasurer
TrajTibaugh, H., 35
Transcripts
of evidence, 243
foreign courts, 144, 149, 262
Justice of the peace, 142, 144,
148, 149, 261, 262, 315
police magistrate, 144
of recorded documents, 114
required to be kept, 127, 146
of testimony, 143
Transfer of bank stock, certifi-
cates, 115 [xl]
Transportation
bridge
appropriations, 48, 92
authority over, 57, 58, 91.
178
bond issue register, 26
committee reports, 381
construction
appropriations, 48, 92
expense record, 385
papers, 383
supervision, 178
contracts, 383, 384
maintenance, appropriations
for, 48
maps, 382
supervision, 92, 178
warrant stubs, 392
canals, authority over, 91
ferry licenses, issuing of, 101
highway
claims, 387
249
Subject Index
(Tra-Tru)
Transportation
highway
claims (Continued)
records, 389
commissioners
board, establishment, 58
duties, 57, 58, 178
election, 178
as ex-offlclo drainage com-
missioners, 58, _59
state supervision, 58
construction
and ;i.alntenance records,
382-384
plans for, 139
county superintendent
appointment, ^, 178
compensation, 58, 178
correspondence, 383, 398
dally office record, 400
duties and powers, 58, 178.
179
ledger, 399
office
creation, 178
term of, 58, 178
record, 381
required to be kept, 179
reports to, 382
engineer, state, supervision,
58
fund, claims against, 387-389
ledger, 399
maps, 97
motor fuel, see Motor fuel
overseer, 57, 178
time cards, 386
warrants register, 334, 335,
344
railroad
See also under specific name
bond Issue, election for, 3
taxes, see Tax
road
appropriations, 47, 92
authority over, 57, 58, 173
bond Issues for, 26
committee reports, 381
construction
appropriations, 47, 92
papers, 383
supervision, 178
contracts, 383, 384
districts
establishment, 57, 178
supervisors
appointment, 57, 178
duties, 178
fund, orders on, 342
maintenance
appropriations, 47
supervision, 92
maps, 5, 382
petitions for, 1, 4
plats, 1, 4, 98
state-aid, warrants, 395
supefvlslon, 92, 178
Transportation
road (Continued)
taxes, see Tax
viewer's report, 1, 4
Travis, Jerenlah, 18
Travis drainage district
files, 401
plat, 413
Treasurer
county
accounts, with county funds,
333
_ appointment, 48, 168
bonds, 84, 85, 100, 168
check book, 354
duties and powers of, 48-50 ,
168
election, 168
ex-offlclo
county collector, 49, 166
drainage district treasurer,
183
supervisor of assessments,
48, 162
fees earned and received,
register, 356
Journal, 331, 332
ledger of bank deposits, 355
notices to receive funds, 353
office, location, 83
orders to pay claims
of county home and hospital,
349
on road fund, 342
of tuberculosis sanitarium,
350
receipts, tax, 352
records kept by, 168
reports
to county board, 28
school superintendent's, to,
337
roster, 70
term of office, 168
drainage district
bonds, 402
county treasurer, ex-offlclo,
183
township (school )
appointment, 173
bonds, 130, 379
receipts for funds, 357
Truancy, see Juvenile; Probation
Truant officers' bonds, 34
True bills, see Indictment
Trust deeds, 114, 119
Trustees
bonds, 281
of organizations, election
certificates, 114, 115[xlv]
school
appointment, 55, 56n. 91, 173
duties, 55, 56, 56n
election, 55, 56n
reports, 55, 375
Trusteeship, petitions for, 100,
205
250
Subject Index
(Tub-Wor)
Tuberculosis Association, 34
Tuberculosis sanltariuiii, see
Sanitarium
Tuesburg, L.W., 36
Turtle Creek, 5
Unemployment relief, see Emergency
under Relief
Union Township, 3, 8, 25
United Lutheran Church, 44
United States Department of
Agriculture, 198, 199
University of Illinois, 40, 199
relation to farm bureau, 198
Utah, 6
Vacation of property, 115[xxvl]
Van Alstyne, Louis A. , 45
Venires, see Jury
Vermilion River, 3, 4, _5, _7, 17,
21, 22
Vermilion River Coal Company, 38
Vermillion Herald. The, 44_
Vermont, 6_
Veterans
See also Soldiers
Administration vouchers to incom-
petent heirs, 235
Veterans Administration Facility
Building, 8.
Veterinarian
certificates, 71
register, 70
tuberculin test records, 418, 419
Village ordinances, 114
Vlncennes, 9^
Virginia, 9, 12
Vital statistics
birth
See also Accounts
certificates, 57
Index, 58
record, 59
reporting, 60, 99, 100
deaths
See also Accounts
certificates, 60
index, 61
record, 62
reports required to be made,
60, 99, 100
marriage
licenses
applications for, 64, 66
record, 64
index, 65
returns, 63
procedure, 60, 99, 100
registration procedure, 60, 99,
100
stillbirth
certificates, 60
index, 61
record, 62
reports required to be made,
60, 100
Votes, see Election
Vouchers
See also Orders, county; Warrants
from Veterans Adiiinistration to
incompetent heirs, 235
Wabash Railroad, 6, 7.
Wabash River, 9.
Wacker, Isaac, j^
Wagner, N.J., 35
Waldo Township, 3, 25
Walker, Jesse, 10
Wallace, R.R., 36
Ward, Charles E,, 45
Warrants
See also Orders, county; Vouchers
anticipation, 345
for arrest, 142, 148, 243, 250
birth report, stubs, 15
bounty
cancelled, 11
stubs, 16, 18, 19
county
cancelled, 11
stubs, 13
death report, stubs, 15
highway, 341
register of, 10, 334, 335, 344
stubs, 392, 394
motor-fuel-tax, stubs, 393
state-aid road, 395
Warranty deeds, 114, 117
Washington, 6_
Weed, E.F., 12
Weed, Henry, 7, 12, 17, 21, 72
Weed, James, 12, 18
Weekly Courier. The. 45
West, Harold, 35
Widows
relinquishment, 211, 216
recording, 135
selection, 189, 211
recording, 155
Wills
See also Administrator; Estate;
Executor; Probate Court
annexed, see Administrator
original, 100 [v]
proof of, 189
record, 197
recording, 135
Wllmarth, H.n., 74
Wilson, Isaac, 18, 19
Wilson, Woodrow, 35
Wlndtown, village of, 9
Wisconsin, 3, 9_
Wisher, Isaac, 22
Witness
affidavits, 248, 250
answers, 143
fees, 163-166
foreign, certificates, 11
Wolf Creek, _5
Wolverton, J.R., 25
Woodford County, 3, 15
Work relief, see Emergency under
Relief
251
Subject Index (Wor-Zoo)
Work Projects Administration, 33 Wyoming, 6
World War, 28, 36, 37, 40 ~
Worth Tovmship, name changed, 25 Young, Lucius W., 7, 17, ^
Writs Young, Seth M., Z, H, 72
circuit court, 250
county court, 142, 148 Zookvllle, village of, 9.
252
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