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Deer Creek Township Early Elections and Township Officials

From History of Madison County, W. H. Beers & Co, Chicago, 1883

From the township records, the first election we find was held in the spring of 1812, and from that date to the present year (1882) we find regular elections held and recorded, with few omissions, and from these records we find the officers duly elected as follows:

Trustees. – For the years 1812-13, John Arbuckle, John Wilson and John Shields; 1814 – John Barrett, John Wilson and Shedrick Preston; 1819 – G. Markly, Samuel Culberson and Charles Atchison; 1821 – Andrew Shields, David Colver and Erastus Hathaway; 1822 – Richard Baldwin, John Davidson and Erastus Hathaway; 1823 – Charles Atchison, Erastus Hathaway and John Davidson; 1824 – John Arbuckle, Angus Ross and Benjamin Pike; 1826 – John Arbuckle, Benjamin Pike and Valentine Wilson; 1827 – John Arbuckle, Benjamin Pike and John roberts; 1828 – John Arbuckle, John Cory and Benjamin Pike; 1829 – John Arbuckle, John Cory and John Davidson; 1830 – John Davidson, George Prugh and Abner S. Willard; 1834 – John Davidson, George Prugh and John Thomas; 1836 – John Davidson, John Roberts and William Hull; 1837 – William Hull, John Davidson and Joseph C. Gear; 1838 – William Hull, John Ewing and Joseph C. Gear; 1839 – Daniel Wright, John Ewing and Reason Lotspeich; 1840 – Daniel Wright, J. W. Davidson and H. G. Sothoron; 1841 – William Minter, John Davidson and Thomas Croshaw; 1844 – Abraham Simpson, Thomos Croshaw and George G. McDonald; 1846 – Stanly Watson, Daniel Wright and William Snodgrass; 1847 – Daniel Wright, William Snodgrass and James W. Tallman; 1848 – Daniel Wright, G. G. McDonald and James W. Tallman; 1850 – Daniel Wright, G. G. Mcdonald and John McDonald, Junior; 1851 – Daniel Wright, James Wright and John Plimell; 1852 – Daniel Wright, G. G. McDonald and C. W. Martin; 1853 – Daniel Wright, Adam Saunders and C. W. Martin; 1855 – Daniel Wright, W. B. Rafferty and C. W. Martin; 1856 – Daniel Wright, George Lohr and C. W. Martin; 1857– Daniel Wright, John Lohr and G. H. Busick; 1860 – Daniel Wright, Jesse Smith and C. W. Martin; 1861 – Daniel Wright, W. T. Davidson and D. W. Williamson; 1862 – Daniel Wright, G. G. McDonald and William Curtain; 1863 – James Dun, Jessie Smith and William Curtain; 1864 – John A. Amos, W. H. C. Mccoy and J. B. McDonald; 1866 – C. W. Martin, W. H. C. McCoy and J. B. McDonald; 1867 – James Dun, James Plimell and W. R. Fox; 1868 – James Dun, James Plimell and George Kaufman; 1869 – William Curtain, James Plimell and George Kaufman; 1870 – William Curtain, James Plimell and A. B. McMurray, 1871 – T. B. Wilson, James Plimell and William Jones; 1872 – Edwin Dun, James Plimell and William Curtain; 1874 – William Beals, James Plimell and T. B. Wilson; 1875 – William Beals, James Plimell and Allen W. Thurman; 1876 – William Beals, James Plimell and T. B. Wilson; 1877 – William Beals, James Plimell and William Curtain; 1878 – W. H. Jones, James Plimell and William Curtain; 1879 – W. H. Jones, William Bierbaugh and George Kaufman; 1880 – George Kaufman, Alexander Husk and William Bierbaugh; 1881 – W. H. Jones, Alexander Husk and William Bierbaugh; 1882 – T. B. Wilson, L. Headley and George Kaufman.

Treasurers. – 1812-18 – Charles Atchison; 1819-21 – George Prugh; 1822-23 – John Ewing; 1824-28 – Angus Ross; 1829-30 – John C. Wagoner; 1831-37 – Erastus Hathaway; 1838-41 – Joseph Bell; 1842-45 – Calvin Anderson; 1846-47 – John McMullen; 1848-62 – Abraham Simpson; 1863 – John Minter; 1864-66 – James Simpson; 1867-78 – William C. Minter; 1879-80 Alfred Willett; 1881 – William Dillow; 1882 – Alfred Willett, the present incumbent.

By the official acts in recording the marks for stock, it appears that from 1810 to 1812, the time of the first record of an election officially recorded, John Blair performed the work of Township Clerk, and since that election the Clerks have been as follows: 1812-15 – John Blair; 1816-20 – Angus Ross; 1821 – George R. Pearce; 1822-23 – James Brown; 1823-24 – S. Houston; 1824-25 – Franklin Clark; 1825-36 – Daniel Ross; 1837 – M. Stateler; 1838-39 – A. Simpson; 1840 – Franklin Clark; 1841-43 – A. K. Adair; 1844-48 – E. McCormack; 1849-53 – J. H. Badley; 1854-55 – W. H. C. McCoy; 1856-62 – J. H. Bdley; 1863 – L. C. Hendren; 1864-65 – J. H. Badley; 1866 – S. E. Baker; 1867 – S. N. Marsh; 1868-76 – B. McCampbell; 1877 – L. W. Nufer; 1878 – B. McCampbell; 1879-82 – Wesley Crouch, present incumbent.

Justices of the Peace. – The first whose electionsappears on record was George Prugh, who was commissioned September 26, 1818; since which the records give elections as follows: September 1, 1821, George Prugh and John Shields; October 2, 1824, John Cory and William McCoy; October 9, 1827, George Prugh and William McCoy; October 12, 1830, John Kennedy and Franklin Clark, and re-elected October 8, 1833; October 13, 1835, Ansel Bates, Jr.; August 2, 1839, and August 13, 1842, Franklin Clark; October 11, 1842, John McMullen; November 1, 1844, A. Simpson; October 25, 1845, John McMullen; November 6, 1847, A. Simpson; November 6, 1846, A. Simpson; October 10, 1848, John McMullen; October 30, 1850, A. Simpson; October 12, 1852, James S. Hume; October 29, 1853, A. Simpson; April 5, 1858, J. H. Badley; December 18, 1862, A. Simpson; April 23, 1864, J. H. Badley and D. W. Williamson; April 2, 1866, W. H. C. McCoy; April 1, 1867, Hamilton wilson; April 5, 1869, a. C. Sager; April 4, 1870, Christian Volca; April 3, 1871, Carl Stewart; April 1, 1872, A. C. Sawyer; April 6, 1874, Hamilton Wilson; April 6, 1875, A. C. Sager; April 2, 1877, L. W. Nufer; April 6, 1878, A. C. Sager and J. C. Martin; April 7, 1879, A. Husk; April 5, 1880, A. Arbogast; April 9, 1881, Absalom Sager; April 3, 1882, S. C. Teeters.

Early Constables. – 1812 – William Noteman and William Atchison; 1813 – John Ross and James Ballard; 1819 – Alexander Ross and Jacob Steele; 1821 – Asa Wright and James Brown; 1822 – Alexander Ross and James Brown; 1823 – James Brown and G. W. Pike; 1824 – David Ross and James Brown. The present incumbents, 1882, are, Edward Temple and Charles Smith.

We now give a few of the officers known in that day as Fence Viewers: 1812 – John Arbuckle and Thomas Gwynne; 1813 – Thomas Gwynne; 1812 – Thomas Gwynne; 1819 – Thomas Gwynne and Alexander Ross; 1821 – Isaac Jones; 1822 – Alexander Ross and Joseph Adair; 1823 – Gilman Lincoln and Alexander Ross; 1824-25 – John Clernoe and Thomas Groves; 1826 – John McDonald and Samuel Houston.

In the days of the pioneers, and for many years after the settling of this country, there was no County Infirmary or other public provision made by the county for the care of the indigent or the infirm; but the noble-hearted fathers of that day never let the poor or infirm suffer for the necessities of life, and we find them early making provision for such through official authority of the townships, and on the records of Deer Creek Township we find from their first elections a class of officers known as Overseers of the Poor, whose duty was to look after and provide for all such needy and unfortunate persons. This office, according to the records, was filled by the following persons: 1812 – Daniel Ross and William Marp; 1813 – Curtis Ballard and Thomas Gwynne; 1819 – Jacob Steele and D. Foster; 1821 – Sutton Potee and Angus Ross; 1822-24 – Charles Ewing and Gabriel Markle; 1825 – John Roberts and John Shields; 1826 – George Prugh and John Shields. This office was finally abolished, and for many years no such office has existed.

Supervisors. – We give a few of the first years of this office only: 1812 – Curtis Ballard and William Pepper; 1813 – John Blair and Curtis Ballard; 1814 – Robert Scott and William Noteman; 1819-21 – Ezra Markle, William McCoy and Angus Ross; 1822 – William McCoy, James Brown, Ezra Markle, Charles Atchison and Joseph Adair; and as the country improved, and new roads were built, necessarily the number of Supervisors were increased, until now (1882) there are eleven elected to that office in this township.

Listers. – For many years after the organization of the township, the name or office of Assessor was not known among the offices, but to perform a similar duty they elected "Listers," some of whom were as follows: 1812 – William Pepper; 1813 – John Shields and John Arbuckle; 1814 – David Foster and Thomas Gwynne; 1819 – J. Ewing and Isaac Jones; 1821-22 – Asa Wright; 1823 – James Brown; 1824 – John H. Hume; 1825 – james Brown, and thus continued for several years, till finally the term Lister ceased and Assesors were elected. in 1858, L. B. Wright was elected to this office, and has been re-elected every year since, a period of twenty-five consecutive years. The elections were held in Larenceville, or more generally known as "Limerick," till the spring of 1837, since which they have been held at La Fayette, now the only village in the township. In the early days, the Treasurer was required to give bonds for $300; now he is required to give bonds for $7,500, thus exhibiting quite a contrast in the amount of funds and responsibilities of the office.