Buchanan County, Iowa Genealogical Records Information

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Buchanan County History and Information

Buchanan County Facts

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Buchanan was created on December 21, 1837 from Dubuque County. The County was named for James Buchanan of Pennsylvania, who was instrumental in the acquisition of the Wisconsin Territory, which included this county. The Senator later became the 15th president of the United States. The County Seat is Independence.

Counties adjacent to Buchanan County are Clayton County (northeast), Fayette County (north), Delaware County (east), Linn County (southeast), Benton County (southwest), Black Hawk County (west), Bremer County (northwest). Cities and Towns Include Aurora, Brandon, Fairbank, Hazleton, Independence, Jesup, Lamont, Quasqueton, Rowley, Stanley, Winthrop, Doris, Littleton, Monti, Otterville, Shady Grove. Townships Include Buffalo, Byron, Cono, Fairbank, Fremont, Hazleton, Homer, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Middlefield, Newton, Perry, Sumner, Washington, Westburg.

Buchanan County was a land ruled by Indian tribes in 1842 when a pioneer named William Bennett trekked westward from Delaware County to become the first settler in this region. As the county’s first settler, he also became the first resident of Quasqueton.

A village of fewer than 15 persons located farther north of Quasqueton on the Wapsipinicon River was established as the county seat in 1846 by three distinguished guests from the Iowa Legislature. At the same time, the settlement was named “Independence,” probably taking the name from Independence Day, which was to be observed by the nation in 19 days. The town was incorporated in 1864.

In the spring of 1857, the construction of the first courthouse was started by Oliver Harrison Pierce Roszell, then the county judge, who had control of county business at that time. The office of county judge in 1857 would be similar to the present-day county auditor’s position. The task of completing the building fell to Judge Stephen Tabor, who, in 1857, was appointed to succeed Roszell as county judge. The cost of $9,758.51 comprised all that had been done for the courthouse, including the preparing of the ground, the lumber (which was hauled from Dyersville by ox teams), the lime, stone, brick, sand, hardware, well, and, in fact, every species of expense connected with the grounds of the edifice.

Two men were convicted of blowing up the treasurer’s safe and stealing $26,000 from Buchanan County. This was one of the largest robberies in Iowa’s early history. They were pardoned because of inconclusive evidence of guilt. One of the men moved to Kansas and was later elected to the Kansas State Legislature.

In 1870, by a vote of 1,405 to 264, the old jail and sheriff’s house was built at a cost of $18,828. In 1881, by a vote of 2,155 to 615, a fireproof building was erected by expending $7,500 from the swamp fund.

By 1938, there was a need for a new and larger courthouse. The voters agreed, 2,665 to 1,756, on the condition that the county by permitted to issue bonds and to ask the federal government for a grant. The first shovel of dirt was moved November 15, 1938, by Wilbert H. Frye, chairman of the Board of Supervisors at that time. Bonds were sold to the county for $110,000 at 1.75 percent interest, and $114,264.45 was received from the federal government. Total cost of the building was $253,921. The cornerstone was laid September 20, 1939, with 1,500 people present. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

The Buchanan County Official Government Website
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Records at the Buchanan County Courthouse

PLEASE READ FIRST!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

All Departments below can be contacted by clicking the link below, calling or visiting the Buchanan County Courthouse at 210 - 5th Ave NE,PO Box 259, Independence 50644; Tel: 319-334-2196. See Also Courthouse Street Addresses for current courthouse addresses for all Iowa Counties. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Buchanan County Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1880, Marriage Records from 1848, Death Records from 1880 and Land Records from 1846.
The Recorder's Office was created in 1839 by the First Legislative Assembly. The Recorder continues to maintain official records of documents affecting title to real estate. Every real estate transaction that takes place begins in the Recorder's Office. One of the major duties of the office is the management of public records. As a result, accuracy and preservation of records are a must in the Recorder's Office. Instruments that are recorded are not only important for today, but serve as a historical library for all of the tomorrows.

In addition to real estate transactions, the Recorder's Office issues titles and liens; records veterans discharge papers; processes passport applications; accepts marriage applications and issues the subsequent license; issues certified copies of birth, death and marriage records as well as other numerous duties.

Buchanan County Clerk of Court Office has Probate Records from 1851 and Court Records from 1852.
In each of Iowa's 99 counties, a clerk of district court office manages and maintains all trial court records, including pleadings, evidence and orders. The clerks of court have hundreds of administrative duties. They accept and process fines, fees and court costs owed to the state, child support checks, and civil judgments owed to litigants. They maintain a record of liens on all real estate in the county. Clerks help with involuntary hospitalization cases. They have the authority to dispose of scheduled violations which are not contested and do not require a court hearing. Clerks are also responsible for informing state and local government agencies of court orders.

The Iowa district court has general jurisdiction of all civil, criminal and juvenile cases and probate matters in the state. The district court, which is also known as the trial court, is the point of entry in the court system for most cases. The Iowa district court is composed of different kinds of judicial officers with varying amounts of jurisdiction-judicial magistrates, associate juvenile judges, associate probate judges, district associate judges, and district court judges.

Click Here to Search Iowa Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for Buchanan County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Buchanan County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Buchanan County Vital Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

The tax rolls for personal property and real estate were kept by the auditor or the treasurer of each county. A few of these records have been microfilmed and are available at the State Historical Society of Iowa. Original county tax rolls are usually not transferred.

Old age pension tax is a resource genealogists should consider in Iowa. A 1934 directive to collect an old age assistance tax was based on a list of all persons over twenty-one years of age. Although the tax was discontinued in 1936, the information included could be important: name, address, sex, date of birth, place of birth, and names of both parents. Many counties have had these lists microfilmed and they are available through the FHL.

Below is a list of online resources for Buchanan County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Buchanan County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Buchanan County Tax Assesors Office, ?
The Treasurer is responsible for collection of property taxes and other fees for state, county, city, school districts, community colleges, and other taxing entities such as townships, fire districts, and drainage districts.
Buchanan County, Iowa Tax Books at Amazon.com

Buchanan County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Iowa Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Buchanan County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Buchanan County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

Buchanan County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 4, Independence 50644-0004
Local Iowa Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
State Historical Society of Iowa, Capitol Complex, Des Moines, IA 50319
Iowa Genealogical Society, 6000 Douglas, P.O. Box 7735, Des Moines, IA 50322
State Historical Society of Iowa Research Library, 402 Iowa Avenue, Iowa City, IA 52240
State Historical Society of Iowa Library, Capitol Complex, Des Moines, IA 50319
National Archives; Central Plains Region, Kansas City, 2312 East Bannister Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64131-3011; Email: kansascity.archives@nara.gov; Phone: 816-268-8000
Iowa Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Iowa Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Buchanan County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search Iowa Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Buchanan County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Buchanan County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Predominant church groups in Iowa include Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, and Baptist. Less in size, but equally important in religious history in the state are the Quakers, Mormons, Mennonites, and Congregationalists. The first church building in Iowa, a Methodist church built of logs, was constructed in Dubuque in 1834. A year later the Catholics erected a parish building in the same city. In 1843 the “Iowa Band” of Congregational and Presbyterian clergy began ministering to the settlers in Iowa. In 1854 a small group of the Community of True Inspiration arrived from Germany, settling along the Iowa River in the mid-section of the state. A year later additional members of their group joined them, establishing the unique Amana colonies of present-day Iowa.

Many of the local chapters of the Iowa Genealogical Society have publications of cemetery records in their respective counties which can be ordered through the chapter. A state-wide publication listing is available through the state society. A large number of cemetery transcription collections as well as records of funeral homes, casket lists, and obituary indexes are held by the FHL

Below is a list of online resources for Buchanan County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Buchanan County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

IOWA WPA GRAVES REGISTRATION SURVEY - These records contain burials throughout much of Iowa that were compiled by WPA workers in the 1930 s, including grave markers which no longer exist today. Records may be searched within a county or state-wide.
Iowa Cemetery Records: These cemetery records represent seventy-six counties and Graceland Cemetery of Sioux City, Iowa, in the united States, that were transcribed by the Works Project Administration. Records in this database generally include the page number where the record can be found in the WPA index, the name of the deceased, birth date, death date, age, cemetery name, town name, and additional comments if any.
Iowa Civil War Soldier Burial Records: Listing of 30,000 Civil War veterans who served or lived in Iowa following the war.
Buchanan County, Iowa Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
Buchanan County, Iowa Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search Iowa Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Buchanan County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Buchanan County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Buchanan County USGenweb Archives
Buchanan County, Iowa Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

This county is situated in the northeast part of the state, is the third from the Mississippi River directly west from Dubuque, and in the third tier south from the northern boundary line of the state, and covers an area of five hundred and seventy-six square miles.

A little more than thirty years ago this vast extent of rolling prairie now teeming with life and animation, and dotted all over with the happy homes of an intelligent, prosperous, and wealthy people; these beautiful woodlands and lively valleys which have so often rang beneath the woodman's axe, and echoed the clear joyous shouts of happy childhood; these babbling springs and murmuring streams with their lifegiving waters, were part of a vast wilderness, the home only of wild animals, and still wilder savages who challenged the advances of civilization at every step, yet in that early day was heard."The tread of pioneersOf nations yet to be;"And small hamlets sprang up along the streams, and here and there dotted the broad expanse of prairie, but faintly foreshadowing the mighty throbs of emigration, which soon swelled the feeble Territory of Iowa, to a proud position among the sisterhood of states.

The early history of this county is veiled in much obscurity, yet, from the best information that can be obtained, it appears that in February, 1842, William Bennett, a resident and the first white settler in Delaware County, with his family, came to what is now Quasqueton and built a small log cabin at a point on the east side of the Wapsipinicon, about twelve rods above the present location of the flouring mill, and was the first permanent white settler in the county. The next who came to the county was S. G. and H. T. Sanford, who were soon followed by Ezra B. Allen. Early the same Spring Doctor Edward Brewer, now the oldest living settler in the county, and Rufus B. Clark and family came and settled about a mile and a half from Quasqueton. Frederick Kessler came about the same time and brought his family. A man by the name of Styles came with his family during the Summer, and for a while kept hotel, the first one in the county, at Quasqueton. Bennett was engaged in improving the water power and erecting a mill, and had several young men employed, who boarded with him. Their names were Jeffers, Warner, Day, Wall and Evens. This mill, which was the first in the county, was raised in October of the same year. During the Fall there came three young men-Henry B. Hatch, who stopped with Kessler, and Daggett and Simmons who worked and lived with Brewer & Clark. Some time during the Autumn a liquor saloon was opened and run for a short time. There were a few patches of land broken that year, on which a small quantity of potatoes and some other garden vegetables were grown, but there was no wheat raised in the county until the next season. Some time during the Fall or early Winter of 1842, a man by the name of Johnson settled at a point about equally distant from Quasqueton and the present site of Independence. Johnson represented himself as being the famous Canadian Patriot, who had lived for years among the island of the St. Lawrence River. He was accompanied by a rather attractive young woman, whom he introduced as his daughter Kate, the identical "Queen of the Thousand Islands." Subsequent events, however, proved him to have been an escaped criminal, and adventurer of the worst sort.

The first marriage which took place in Buchanan County was that of Doctor Edward Brewer and Miss Mary Ann Hathaway, which was celebrated in March 1846. The ceremony was performed by Joseph A. Reynolds, then a justice of the peace for Delaware County.

The first white male child born in the county was Rufus Brewer, now a resident of Independence, and son of Doctor Edward and Mrs. Mary A. Brewer. He was born April 27, 1847. Frederick Kessler had a daughter, now dead, who was born about a year earlier, and was the first white child born in the county.The first death was a boy some seven or eight years of age, and son of John Cordell, who died somewhere about 1843.

The first school in the county was the one taught by Doctor E. Brewer in a small log house, afterwards used as a blacksmith shop in Independence, in the Winter of 1848.

The first post office in the county was established at Quasqueton in 1845, and William Richards was the first post master.

Buchanan County was probably named, and its boundary defined by act of the first Territorial Legislature, which met at Burlington in the Winter of 1837-'8, although some claim that the name was suggested by S. P. Stoughten, the first proprietor of Independence, who was a strong Buchanan democrat-in honor of James Buchanan, President of the United States. Nine years later the State Legislature appointed Thomas S. Denton, of Jones County, Lyman Dillon, of Dubuque, and Sylvester Stevens, of Jackson County, commissioners to select some eligible location for the permanent capital of the county. These gentlemen met some time in June, 1847, and after due examination and consideration selected the present site of Independence, and gave the place its name.

The first general election in the county occurred in August, 1848, at which time the following officers were elected to serve one year; Board of County Commissioners, Rufus B. Clark, James Colyer and Malcom McBane; Judge of Probate, Elijah Beardsley; Sheriff, E. D. Phelps; Coroner, Doctor S. McGonigal; Commissioners' Clerk and Recorder, Doctor Edward Brewer; Clerk of the District Court, S. P. Stoughten (Doctor Brewer was previously elected before the organization of the county); Prosecuting Attorney, Elijah Beardsley; Surveyor, Daniel C. Greeley. The total number of votes cast at this, the first general election held in the county, was sixty-two. At this time the county was divided into three voting precincts, viz; Washington, Liberty and Spring. Prior to this the county had been attached to Delaware for judicial and revenue purposes, and some elections, which took place soon after the first prior to 1848. At the first of these elections, which took place soon after the first settlement of the county, Quasqueton was the voting precinct for the entire county, and all of the country to the north and west as far as the Rocky Mountains and the British Possessions.

The first regular term of court held in Buchanan County, convened in the log cabin of Rufus B. Clark, on the 27th day of April, 1849, Hon. James Grant, Judge of the 3d Judicial District, presiding; E. D. Phelps, Sheriff, and S. P. Stoughten, Clerk. The first court, however, which might be called an irregular session, was held by Judge Grant in his buggy, in front of the clerk's office, in the Spring of 1848. He drove up to Dr. Brewer's house, called him out, and inquired what cases were on the docket. The clerk informed him that there were two, when the judge inquired what disposition, in his judgment, should be made of them, and was informed that one case should be dismissed, as there was no cause of action, and that in the other judgment should be rendered for the plaintiff. Judge Grant directed the clerk to enter judgments accordingly, and drove off without further ceremony. The second term of court was held in the store room of William Brazelton; then in a small building erected for a school house, and in various other places, until the completion of the present court house, in 1857, where it has since been regularly held.

The county buildings consist of a court house, jail, and asylum for the poor. The court house and jail occupy about one-half of a block in the center of the original plat of Independence, as laid out by the county. They are situated on the highest tract of land in the neighborhood, and command a fine view of the city of Independence, the valley of the Wapsipinicon, and the surrounding country. The court house is a plain, substantial, two-story brick building. The first floor is divided into light and pleasant rooms for the accommodation of the different county officers, while in the second story is a large and commodious court room. It was built in 1857, at a cost of $12,000, and was erected under the direction of Hon. Oliver H. P. Roszell, who was then Judge of the County Court.

The jail and jailor's house is a very neat two-story building, erected under the direction of the county supervisors by John Sunderland, in 1870, and cost, with the jail yard, about $20,000. The jail is built of Anamosa stone, with walls eight feet thick, and contains six cells.

The poor farm contains about two hundred acres, is situated some three miles northeast of Independence, and cost, with the improvements, about $8,000.

INDEPENDENCE

The county seat and principal town in Buchanan County, is situated on the Iowa Division of the Illinois Central Railroad, -the most northern of the four great trunk lines which, stretching across the State of Iowa, link the old civilization of the East with the progressive development of the West, -at its junction with the Milwaukee Division of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Minnesota Railroad. It is sixty-nine miles west from Dubuque, one hundred and forty from Burlington, and is situated on both sides of the Wapsipinicon, which is here some two hundred and fifty feet wide, and spanned by a substantial iron bridge.

The original site was one of great natural beauty, and possessed many decided advantages which have been improved with the growth and development of the town. It is situated upon ground moderately elevated, sloping up from the river, sufficiently rolling to afford perfect drainage, and in some places rising high enough to present elevated and commanding building sites. A considerable portion of the town is built in a natural grove of oaks, many fine specimens still remaining, adding much by their native beauty to the attractiveness of its tasty homes, and broad well-graded streets. The town is surrounded in almost every direction, as far as the eye can reach, by beautiful, high, rolling prairies, dotted here and there with groves, orchards and pleasant farm houses, presenting as fine and attractive an agricultural scene as can be found in the state. The streets are laid out at right angles, running north and south, and east and west, are wide, and in many places shaded with handsome trees. The business portion of the town, which is mostly on the east side of the river, is regularly and uniformly built, containing many large and commodious business houses, that are elegant in their finish and furniture, while the dwellings, as a whole, are neat and tasty, with many fine ones, surrounded by ornamental grounds, which exhibit marks of high taste and culture. Altogether, Independence is one of the finest-built towns in Northern Iowa, or, in fact, in any part of the state. The site of the city was selected by the commissioners appointed by the Legislature to locate the county seat of Buchanan County, in the latter part of June, 1847. The ground covered by the original plat was entered at the land office, in Dubuque, in the name of the county, and a portion of it was surveyed and laid off into lots by T. J. Rigand, November 4, 1847.

According to the best information that can now be obtained, Rufus B. Clark conceived the plan of establishing a town here, and was the first white settler. He located first, with Dr. Brewer, near Quasqueton, and was occupied mostly in hunting and trapping, which induced him to make long excursions through this and the adjoining counties to the north and west. Among the many eligible locations he observed in his hunting expeditions, none struck him so favorably as the site of this town, his practical eye at once discerning the advantages to be derived from improving the excellent water power he found here. As he did not have sufficient means to make the desired improvements, or even to enter the land at government price, he made a trip to Janesville, Wisconsin, and interested N. A. McClure and S. P. Stoughton in the enterprise. The latter returned with Clark, was well pleased with the situation of things, and after remaining a short time, returned to Janesville to obtain the assistance of McClure and others, having agreed with Clark to erect a log house during his absence. On his way back Stoughton stopped at Dubuque and entered a quarter section of land, which included the water power, extending some eighty rods east and west from the river, and the same distance north and south of Main Street.On the 18th of March, 1847, Clark moved up from Quasqueton, coming up the Wapsipinicon on the ice, and commenced his house, which he had ready for occupation early in April. It was not a very pretentious building, being simply a double log cabin containing two rooms, with a hall between, and was situated in the middle of what is now Mott Street, at the intersection of Chatham Street, directly south of Dr. House's residence. There Clark lived with his family, dispensing hospitality to all, his house being the headquarters and general rendezvous for the settlement. In April, Stoughton returned with Samuel Sherwood and T. Dolton, who were to build the dam and mill, and Dr. Lovejoy, who was the first physician in the place. Soon after came A. H. Trask, Eli D. Phelps and –Babbitt, who all boarded with Clark. In the following June came Thomas W. Close, still a resident of Independence, S. S. McClure, and some others, who afterward returned. The second building erected was a store, which stood somewhere on the north side of Main Street, and east of Chatham, and was occupied by S. P. Stoughton, with a small stock embracing only the plainest and most common and necessary goods, which the inhabitants were forced to purchase, as there was no other market nearer than Dubuque. The third house erected was built of slabs, by Elijah Beardsley. Previous to this, however, the dam and saw mill had been completed, and the first slabs sawed were used in the construction of this house, which stood near where the handsome brick hardware store of W. R. Kenyon now stands. The fourth house was erected by Dr. Brewer, and stood for many years, being used as a residence, boarding house, district court clerk's office, post office, justice of the peace, law, real estate and broker's office, all at the same time. Those enumerated above, with several young men, were the only inhabitants prior to 1849.

Although there were a good many came, the place did not grow much for several years. The malarious diseases which always prevail more or less in a newly settled country were very bad, owing largely to the damming of the river and the constant use of river and slough water for drinking. The entire population suffered so severely from ague and malarious fevers, that but few had the courage to remain more than one season. In the Spring of 1848 there were eight families, viz; Doctor Edward Brewer, Rufus B. Clark, Asa Blood, Elijah Beardsley, Thomas W. Close, Almon Higley, William Hammond and Doctor Lovejoy, who, with a number of young men, formed quite a village. These all left before the Fall of 1849, except, Brewer, Close and Beardsley, and a family by the name of Horton came in. In the Spring of 1850 Beardsley and Horton left, reducing the population of Independence to two families, those of Doctor Brewer and Thomas W. Close. During that Summer, William Brazelton arrived with a stock of dry goods and other articles needed in a new settlement. Although his stock was small and inferior, he found a ready sale for his goods, and did quite a flourishing business. Charles Cummings came in and opened a stock of goods the next year.

Some time during the Fall or early Winter of 1848, a small log building was erected a little above the present location of the People's National Bank, in which Doctor Brewer taught the first school ever held in the town or county. He had about twenty pupils, and it is said that the doctor "wielded the birch scepter right lustily," and proved himself a very acceptable teacher. The building was used the following Spring as a blacksmith shop by Charles Robbins, who was the first son of Vulcan that made the anvil ring in Independence. Some time during the Summer of 1850, William Brazelton erected a small building, that among other things was used for a school house, and Judge O. H. P. Roszell taught the first school held in it. The building was used some time for school house, church, court house, public hall and other general uses.

In 1848 a post office was established, and S. P. Stoughton was the first post master. After holding the office for a while he turned it over to Doctor Brewer, who held it for six years, and frequently carried the mail to Quasqueton in his vest pocket. The revenue of the office for the first few years was very inconsiderable, not amounting to more than one dollar and twenty-five cents a quarter. The mails were received from Quasqueton, that being the first point in the county to which a mail route was established; and for several years the early inhabitants of Independence were greatly annoyed by uncertainty and delay in receiving their mails, owing to the fact that D. S. Davis, who was largely interested in Quasqueton--at that time a rival town--was the proprietor of the route, having obtained the contract from the Post Office Department at Washington about the time the first settlement was made in Independence. In November, 1847, he sub-let to Trask & Phelps, who run it a while as a horseback route, and then put on a democrat wagon, making weekly trips, which occupied four days. They did considerable shopping in Dubuque, not only for Independence, but for Buchanan County and for various points along the route, and were in high favor with the Dubuque merchants, who were all anxious to obtain the mail carrier's trade. In the Summer of 1849 they sold to Thomas W. Close, who continued for about one year carrying the mail and doing the county shopping, when it fell back into the hands of Davis, who refused to longer give Independence the benefit of the route. Soon after a direct route was established, since which time the mails have been received with the usual regularity.

The first marriage which took place in the town was that of Charles McCaffra and Miss Cynthia Messenger, which occurred on September 9, 1847-John Scott, the first justice of the peace for Independence, performing the ceremony.

The first birth was Diana, daughter of Thomas W. Close, who was born December 25, 1848.

The first death was Mrs. Rufus B. Clark, who died early in September, 1848, and the second Doctor Lovejoy, who died the same month, only a few days later.

The City of Independence was incorporated by the County Court, August 6, 1864, and the first election for city officers was held on the 19th day of the following December, and resulted in selecting for Mayor, Daniel S. Lee; Clerk, James M. Wert; Marshal, Henry S. Cole; Solicitor, Charles H. Leavett; Treasurer, Edward Brewer; Engineer, Oliver H. P. Roszell; Councilmen, Richard Campbell, Oliver H. P. Roszell, James B. Thomas, Robert R. Plain, Sanford S. Clarke, Albert Clark, John T. Lyon and Samuel Sherwood, who immediately qualified and entered upon the duties of their respective offices.

Buchanan County Courthouse

There is little information regarding the histories of the early county buildings in Buchanan County. Evidently, a small wooden structure, built in 1847, was used for the first county courthouse. The first term of court was held in the log cabin of Rufus B. Clark and the second term was held in the schoolhouse storeroom. A formal courthouse was built in 1857 in Independence for about $10,000.

In an 1880 election, the citizens voted to spend $7,500 on a fireproof building. This building occupied the county officers until the present courthouse was constructed in 1939. This $254,000 building still stands in good condition, with a miniature Statue of Liberty on the front lawn.

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