TOWNSHIP ORGANIZAION HISTORY

During the first eighteen years of its history the business affairs of Warren County were conducted by a County Commissioners' Court, composed of three men. The first board was chosen at the special election when the county organization was perfected, and consisted of John B. Talbot, Adam Ritchey, Jr., and John Pence. They were elected July 3, 1830, and served until the regular election in August of the same year. The others who served the county on the Commissioners' Court, and the dates of their service, were:

John B. Talbot, 1830-34, 1836-38.

John Pence, 1830-32.

Peter Butler, 1830-32, 1840-44.

Jeremiah Smith, 1832-34.

James McCallon, 1832-34.

Robert Gilmore, 1834-36.

William Whitman, 1834-36.

W. S. Jamison, 1834-36.

Samuel G. Morse, 1836-39.

Alexander Turnbull. 1836-38, 1844-46.

James C. Hutchinson, 1838-40.

John C. Bond. 1838-42.

James P. Hogue, 1839-43.

James Tucker, 1842-45.

H. Brownlee. 1843-44.

Thomas GrifEee, 1844-46.

James Drain, 1846-48.

H. E. Haley, 1846-47.

John B. Junkin, 1846-49.

Josiah Whitman, 1847-49.

John W. Giddings, 1848-49.

Daniel McNeil, Jr., was clerk of the board from 1830 to 1838, and again from 1843 to 184S. Elijah Davidson held the position from 1838 to 1843. The last session of the County Commissioners' Court was held November 12, 1849. The members then were John B. Junkin, Josiah Whitman, and John W. Giddings.

The legislature of 1849, under the constitu­ tion of 1848, passed an act creating the County Court, and giving to it the powers that had been vested in the County Commissioners' Court, the latter being abolished by the same act. The County Court consisted of a County Judge and two Justices of the Peace, who were known as Associate Justices. The first session of this court in Warren County was held December 3, 1849, with Judge Ivory Quinby presiding. John Riggs was Associate Justice; William F. Smith, clerk; and John Brown, sheriff. The County Court had charge of county matters until the township organization system was adopted and the power was vested in the Board of Supervisors, which was permanently done in 1854.

The first vote on township organization was taken at the regular election in November, 1849. A majority of votes was cast in favor of the change, and the County Court, whose duty it was, named three commissioners, Joseph Paddocks, John C. Bond and Ira F. M. Butler, to divide the county into townships. The committee performed this duty and reported that they had divided the county according to the congressional survey, and named the townships as follows:

Township 8 North, 1 West—Greenbush.

Township 9 North, 1 West—Berwick.

Township 10 North, 1 West—Floyd.

Township 11 North, 1 West—Coldbrook.

Township 12 North, 1 West—Milton.

Township 8 North, 2 West—Swan.

Township 9 North, 2 West—Hat Grove.

Township 10 North, 2 West—Ripley.

Township 11 North, 2 "West—Monmouth. Township 12 North, 2 "West—Spring Grove. Township 8 North, 3 West—Point Pleasant. Township 9 North, 3 West—New Lancaster. Township 10 North, 3 "West—Center Grove. Township 11 North, 3 "West—Sugar Grove. Township 12 North, 3 "West—Martinsville.

The first election of a Board of Supervisors was held in April, 1850, and resulted in the choice of the following:

Greenbush—John C. Bond.

Berwick—E. C. Lewis.

Floyd—H. J. McCool.

Coldbrook—Peter Butler.

Milton—William Graham.

Swan—Hezekiah Simmons.

Hat Grove—David C. Riggs.

Ripley—Porter Phelps.

Monmouth—Daniel McNeil, Jr.

Spring Grove—Robert Gilmore.

Point Pleasant—Warren Park.

New Lancaster—Eliphalet Mitchell.

Center Grove—Joseph Tinkham.

Sugar Grove—Thompson Lowther.

Martinsville—William C. Maley.

The board met April 8 following, and organ­ ized by electing Peter Butler of Coldbrook as its first chairman. At the June session of the board it was reported that the names of Milton and Sugar Grove Townships would have to be changed, as other townships in the state already had these names. So Milton was changed to Warren and Sugar Grove to "West- field. The county was laid out into fifteen electoral precincts—one for each township—and judges of election appointed in each.

This June session was the last one of this Board of Supervisors. A decision of the Illinois Supreme Court was handed down soon after that time, in the Woodford County case, holding that in an election to vote on township organization, a majority of all the votes cast at the election must be cast in favor of organization. This had not been the case here, though more votes had been cast for organization than against it. Consequently, by general consent, the County Court resumed control and management of the county business August 7.

On petition of C. K. Smith and others, the matter of township organization was again submitted at the November election in 1851, but the proposition was defeated. It was submitted again, and again defeated, in November, 1852. September 12, 1853, James McCoy and more than fifty others asked for another vote at the next November election, which was granted, and this time the proposition carried, and the County Court, composed then of Judge Ivory Quinby and Associate Justices John Riggs and William Lair, named John C. Bond, Samuel Hallam, and Robert Gilmore as com­ missioners to divide the county into townships.

This commission followed the divisions made by the earlier one, but changed the name of Hat Grove Township to Roseville, Center Grove to Tompkins, Sugar Grove to Hale, Mar­ tinsville to Union, and New Lancaster to Elli­ son. The first Supervisors under this election were as follows:

Greenbush—John C. Bond.

Berwick—B. C. Lewis.

Floyd—William Laferty.

Coldbrook—Benjamin F. Morey.

Warren—John Miles.

Swan—Absalom Vandeveer.

Roseville—William Johnson.

Ripley—Porter Phelps.

Monmouth—Josiah Whitman.

Spring Grove—Robert Gilmore.

Point Pleasant—Warren Park.

Ellison—Eliphalet Mitchell.

Tompkins—Joseph Tinkham.

Hale—William Fleming.

Union—John P. MeGaw.

The new board met June 5, and elected Josiah Whitman chairman. The names of three townships still conflicted with the names of other townships in the state, so the name of Ripley was changed to Lenox, Warren to Kel­
ly, and Union to Sumner. No change in the names has since been made. . -