Franklin County, Iowa Genealogical Records Information

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Franklin County History and Information

Franklin County Facts

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Franklin was created on January 15, 1851 (Organized in August 5, 1855) from Unorganized Territory. The County was named for Benjamin Franklin, the Founding Father, printer, scientist, and statesman. The County Seat is Hampton.

Counties adjacent to Franklin County are Cerro Gordo County (north), Butler County (east), Hardin County (south), Wright County (west). Cities and Towns Include Ackley, Alexander, Coulter, Dows, Geneva, Hampton, Hansell, Latimer, Popejoy, Sheffield.

The first county seat of Franklin County was Jefferson. This site was not suitable to most county residents, so, by order of election, it was moved to Benjamin in 1856. It was later renamed Hampton, in honor of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Other county seat battles continued, mostly from Maysville, but by April 1862, they had all but died out.

The first courthouse was built in Hampton by F. A. Denton. It was located on the Hampton square and officially dedicated on July 4, 1857. This building was made up of native lumber and resembled a one-room school house of that era. It was used by the county until 1866 when it was moved and used as a dwelling.

A second courthouse was built in 1866 at the same location. This building was contracted for $12,000, but the final cost greatly exceeded it. This large structure was made of stone and timber. It was 48-foot x 70-foot, two stories in height and capped by a cupola. This building was used by the county and community for nearly 23 years. It was finally condemned and torn down in 1889.

The county records were moved to the school until the third and present courthouse was completed in 1891. Original cost of the building was $60,000. This courthouse measures 76-foot x 102-foot, nearly twice the size of the previous one. The stone and brick structure has a large dome that contains a clock with faces for all four sides.

This building underwent serious renovation in 1975-76 at a cost of $825,000. These renovations consisted of modernization of the electrical and mechanical systems, installation of a third floor and elevator, and general repairs. This building has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Franklin County is the home of Beed's Lake State Park. The lake is near the site of the sawmill built to aid the settlers with their building. The mill was changed to a flour mill and served the farmers by buying their wheat. However, the farmers weren't interested in growing wheat, and when they changed to growing corn, the mill was no longer needed. The area remained as a picnic and recreation area and was developed by the Civilian Conservation Commission. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

The Franklin County Official Government Website
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Franklin County, Iowa History Books at Amazon.com
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Records at the Franklin 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 Franklin County Courthouse at 12 First Avenue NW,PO Box 28, Hampton 50441; Tel: 641-456-5626. 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. Franklin County was attached to Fayette, Chickasaw & Hardin Counties for a breif time. Some early records may be found there.

Franklin County Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1880, Marriage Records from 1855, Death Records from 1880 and Land Records from 1855.
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.

Franklin County Clerk of Court Office has Probate Records from 1855 and Court Records from 1856.
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 Franklin County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Franklin County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Franklin 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 Franklin County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Franklin County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Franklin 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.
Franklin County, Iowa Tax Books at Amazon.com

Franklin 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 Franklin County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Franklin County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

Franklin County Genealogical Society, 4 Federal Street, Hampton 50441-1934
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

Franklin 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 Franklin County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Franklin 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 Franklin County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Franklin 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.
Franklin County, Iowa Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
Franklin 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 Franklin County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Franklin County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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

County History

From the A.T. Andreas Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa, 1875

Franklin is the fifth county west of the Mississippi River in the third tier from the north line of the state. It is twenty-four miles square, having an area of 576 square miles or 368,640 acres. The county is well watered, most of the streams being tributaries of Cedar River, several of them rising within the limits of the county. The Iowa River crosses the southwest corner, watering portions of two townships. The West Fork of Cedar River crosses the northeast corner. The streams afford excellent drainage to all parts of the county, and some of them furnish excellent water power for machinery. Good well water is found at depths varying from ten to thirty feet.

The east half of the county has some fine groves of native timber, and there are also some groves on Iowa River in the southwest part. The northwestern portion of the county is least favored with timber, but is unsurpassed in the fertility of the prairies.

The county has good building stone, including both lime and sand rock. Clay suitable for making brick is obtained in many places. There are also some extensive beds of peat, which may be used for fuel if needed.

The soil is generally of a dark, rich loam, with a small proportion of sand. It produces the finest crops of grain and grass. The county is well adapted to agriculture and grazing. The surface is generally rolling, with rich valley or bottom lands along the streams.

The first white settlers of Franklin County were James B. Reeve, John Mayne and a man named Phelps, who all came in October, 1852. Mr. Reeve was from Ashtabula County, Ohio, and remained to become a permanent settler. He settled at the east end of Mayne's Grove. Mr. Mayne was a trapper and hunter, and only tarried in the county a couple of years, but his name is perpetuated in that of the creek and grove where he settled. His cabin was at the west end of the grove that bears his name. Mr. Phelps settled in the same grove, but remained only a few months. During the Spring or Summer of the next year one Dr. Aldred made a claim and built his cabin in what is known as Down's Grove, in the southeast part of the county, near Ackley. He remained but a short time and sold his claim to Thomas Downs. In March, 1855, Mr. Downs was frozen to death between his home and Hardin City, then a small village just starting on Iowa River in Hardin County. During the Summer and Fall of 1853 a few families located in different places along Mayne's Creek, and in the southeast part of the county. In 1854 settlers began to come in more rapidly, and the following located in different parts of the county; John I. Popejoy, from Fayette County, Ohio, Amon Rice, John Shobe, Lyman W. Bailey and George W. Eckley, from Cedar County, Iowa; A. T. Reeve, from Ashtabula County, Ohio; C. M. Leggett, from Geauga County, Ohio; and Richard Blake and Patrick McCann, from Cook County, Illinois. Among the early settlers in the southwest part of the county were Lewis H. Morgan, D. D. Otis, and a man named Weaver, who all located on Iowa River, in the vicinity of Oakland, and Levi Bigelow and Jesse R. Dodd were likewise among the early settlers here.

Prior to its organization the county had been attached to Chickasaw, and afterward to Hardin County, for judicial purposes. It was organized by the election of officers at the August election of 1855, at which fifty-two votes were cast in the county. The following county officers were elected; James B. Reeve, County Judge; S. R. Mitchell, Clerk of the District Court; Isaac Miller, Treasurer and Recorder; Solomon Staley, Sheriff; Henry Shroyer, School Fund Commissioner; Q. A. Jordan, Coroner; and C. M. Leggett, Justice of the Peace.

The commissioners to locate the county seat made selection of a place about two miles south of the present town of Hampton, but the location did not give general satisfaction, and the people asked the privilege of voting on the question of removal to the then new town of Benjamin—the name being subsequently changed to Hampton. On the 7th of April, 1856, a vote was taken, resulting in favor of removal.

HAMPTON - The county seat was laid out in the south part of this township in June, 1856. It was first called Benjamin, as a prefix to the name of the county, but this was soon changed. It is an incorporated town, very favorably situated, receiving the trade of a large and fertile district, and is a shipping point for a large amount of farm produce.

To Hon. James Thompson is ascribed the honor of being the "oldest inhabitant," having removed to Hampton from Vinton, Benton County, in 1856, and although now doing business at Sheffield, claims his residence in Hampton. A. J. Cannam, landlord of the Cannam House, is next. He also came here in 1856; so also did Obadiah Smith and James T. McCormick. George Beed came in 1857. Among the early settlers here were Job Garner and George Ryan, who each gave to the county the undivided half of eighty acres of land, as a consideration for the location of the county seat thereon. The following may also be considered among the pioneer settlers of the place; Dr. J. A. Guthrie, R. F. Pratt, Chauncey Gillett, S. M. Jones, and the Reed brothers.

The growth of the place was very slow until 1868-9, when the near approach of the Central Railroad gave it an impetus, and its growth since that time has been regular and constant. The county seat was located here in 1856, after considerable trouble and litigation between it and Maysville.

The first newspaper published in Franklin County was the Franklin Record, started in 1859, by Stephen M. Jones, now post master. It was a four page (six columns to the page) sheet, Republican in politics, and considering the difficulties under which it was published, a very creditable paper. In 1863 it was discontinued, and in 1866 the material was purchased by J. Cheston Whitney, who revived it under the name of the Franklin Reporter, and it was known as such until 1872, when it and the Hampton Free Press were consolidated under the name of the Franklin Recorder, which is published at the present time by the firm of Whitney & Harwood. Its growth has kept pace with the town and it is a sheet that would make a respectable appearance in a place of six to ten thousand inhabitants. It is Republican in politics. In October, 1869, the Hampton Free Press was started by L. B. Raymond, and run until April 1872, when it was consolidated with the Reporter, as above stated. It was a seven column to the page (four page) sheet, and Republican in politics. The Hampton Magnet, was started in July 1873, by W. C. Eaton, and is still published by him. A. M. Allen was a partner with him in its publication for a few months in 1873-4. It is a six-column quarto, same size as the Recorder, and also Republican in politics. The Magnet is an enterprising, pushing, newsy sheet, and evidently on the high road to prosperity.

Hampton has three churches, with fine church edifices, and strong societies. Baptist, Rev. L. N. Call, pastor; Methodist, Rev. J. B. Taylor, and Congregationalist, Rev. W. H. Barrows. The usual number of benevolent and secret societies flourish; Masonic, Anchor Chapter No. 61, C. W. Bontin, H. P., and Anchor Lodge No. 191 A. F. & A. M., C. W. Bontin, W. M.; also, Hampton Encampment I. O. O. F. No. 78, Robert Jeffers, C. P.; Hampton Lodge No. 218 I.OP.O.F., A. A. Gillett, N. G. An excellent graded school is in operation, Prof. L. B. Cary, principal, with an able corps of assistants. Hampton has four dry goods stores, two clothing stores, three drug stores, four grocery stores (exclusively), three hardware stores, three restaurants, two harness shops, two banks, one book and music store, three hotels, two shoe stores, three shoe shops, one butcher shop, two wagon shops, five blacksmith shops, three elevators, one warehouse, two lumber yards, three agricultural implement establishments, two livery stables, baker, picture gallery, one gun shop, two jewelry stores, and the usual proportion of minor establishments. There are five physicians, four law firms, four real estate agencies and several insurance agents. There is not, nor ever has been a saloon within the corporate limits of Hampton. The business of the town is prospering, and is in a healthy condition. There have been but two failures of business men in the place since it had an existence. Hampton is mostly settled by eastern people, and is admitted on all hands to be a town of good manners and morals, and a desirable place to live in. Although its growth has never been rapid, it has always been regular and sure, and gives promise of the same healthful increase for years to come.

TOWNSHIPS.

The county was divided into three civil townships in March, 1856. New townships have repeatedly been set off from them, however, until the number has been increased to fourteen, diminishing the original townships to a small fraction of the area they at first contained. A brief mention of each will be given as nearly as practicable in the order of their organization. The three original townships are Washington, Morgan and Reeve.WASHINGTON is near the center of the county. The earliest settler who is here now is probably Amon Rice. He came in 1854. Job Garner, George Ryan, James Van Horn, and Thomas Beed were pioneers. The former three have removed from the county, and the latter is dead.

REEVE TOWNSHIP has the honor of having the earliest settlement in Franklin County made within its limits. Here Mayne erected his trading hut and here Judge Reeve, from whom it is named, made his permanent home. He died in 1863, while captain in the 32d Iowa volunteer infantry, at Columbus, Tenn. The Village of Maysville was laid out in 1856 in this township, and immediately became a competitor with Hampton for the county seat. The contest lasted through a series of years, and was not regarded as definitely settled until the tax was voted to build the court house in Hampton in 1865. Maysville was formerly a town of considerable importance, but its business has nearly all gone to the railroad station of Geneva, three miles to the eastward. It has, however, the finest school edifice in the county. Mayne's Grove, the largest body of timber in Franklin County, occupies about one-third of Reeve Township.

MORGAN TOWNSHIP was named from one of its early settlers, Lewis H. Morgan, now a resident of Oregon. B. F. White is probably the first settler of Morgan Township, having come there in 1853, and still resides there. All the other settlers who have been there over a dozen years have gone and their places are filled by others. Otis Grove is in the northwestern corner of Morgan Township, and the balance is all prairie. The Iowa River runs through the corner of the township cutting off probably a thousand acres. The little village of Otisville is situated on the west side of the river on the Wright County line. It contains a store and post office and country hotel.INGHAM TOWNSHIP was detached from Washington at an early day. The first settlement was made in 1854, by David Allen and sons, who settled on the West Fork in the body of timber now known as Allen's Grove. John R. Hartgraves settled soon after at the grove and on the stream that now bears his name. George H. Ingham, from Granville, Ohio, was one of the early settlers. To him the township is indebted for its name. The only post office in Ingham Township is Menzie, situated near its center.

GENEVA TOWNSHIP was detached from Reeve in 1856 or '57. Martin Boots, Peter C. Berry, D. G. Carbaugh and Jabish Jones were among the earliest settlers. Mayne's Creek runs from west to east, nearly through the center of the township, and with its lesser tributaries serves to water nearly all the territory contained within its limits. Timber is found in Four-Mile-Grove and in Highland Grove. Geneva Station is a thriving village in this township, on the Central Railroad of Iowa. It was laid out about four years since, and contains a large dry goods and grocery store, lumber yard, grain warehouse, wagon and blacksmith's shops, etc., etc. Capt. H. C. Clock is the most prominent citizen of the place. The village is in the midst of a splendid agricultural region, and must at some future day become a town of no mean importance.

OSCEOLA TOWNSHIP was given a separate organization in 1857. It is the southeastern township of the county. Its first settlement dates from 1853, and was made by Thomas Downs and Dr. Aldrege. Patrick McCann, Richard Blake and John Fahey, and the Richardson family, are among the oldest settlers. Osceola is all prairie excepting three small groves; Downs', Blake's and Towhead. Faulkner is a station on the Central Railroad of Iowa, near the north line of the township, consisting of a grain warehouse, depot building and post office. Much of the trade of Osceola Township goes to Ackley, in Hardin County, just across the line.

CLINTON was detached from Washington Township in 1857. It was named from the town in the State of New York, whence some of its early settlers came. The first settlement in the township was made by Elihu Tharp early in the Spring of 1854, and also in May of the same year by John Shobe and Lyman W. Bailey. Each settled near the groves to which they have given their names, and Bailey on the creek that bears his name. Mr. Tharp left the county many years since, and his present whereabouts is unknown. Mr. Bailey resides where he settled, and Mr. Shobe in Hampton. Among the other early settlers of the township may be mentioned Wm. Benham and J. E.Caiman, now both dead, and A. S. Ross, T. C. Riddle, E. D. Wright, and Wm. Ellis, all living in the township at the present date. The stations of Chapin and Sheffield are both within Clinton Township. Chapin is really the old town of Chapin moved two miles to the eastward. Old Chapin, as it is now familiarly termed, was laid out in 1857 by Hon. J. B. Grinnell, and flourished in a quiet way until after the advent of the railroad, when, in about 1871, the town of New Chapin was started. New Chapin, as it is called to distinguish it from the old town, contains an elevator, two stores, a lumber yard, hotel, blacksmith's shop, etc., is in a thriving condition, and promises well for the future. Sheffield is situated on Bailey's Creek, near the northern line of the township, and was laid out in December, 1873, but no building was done until the Spring and Summer of 1874. Its growth since that time has been very rapid, and it is now the second town in size and importance in the county. Its business is divided up among a large dry goods store, two grocery stores, a drug store, furniture store, two agricultural implement firms, two hotels, a hardware store, lumber yard, grain warehouse, and a plentiful sprinkling of minor establishments.

OAKLAND TOWNSHIP was detached from Morgan in 1867. The Iowa River runs through it from northwest to southeast, and is timbered all along its course. The first settlers of Oakland were John I. Popejoy, J. R. Dodd, Levi Bigelow and the Osborn brothers. Mr. Popejoy came in 1854, and still resides where he settled, on one of the largest and finest farms in Franklin County. Oakland Valley is in a beautiful location on the west side of the Iowa River, but is now a place of but little importance. It has a store, post office and hotel.

WEST FORK was detached from Ingham Township in 1868. So far as is known the first settlement was made in 1855, by Henry Meyer, Sr., from Wisconsin, who still resides in the county. The post offices are Cold Water and Ingham.

GRANT TOWNSHIP was organized in 1870. Its surface is all prairie. The Murray brothers, John Griggs, Humphrey Talheim, Jas. Sayre, and James Dayton, are among the earlier settlers.

LEE TOWNSHIP is also a prairie township. It was organized in 1870. Messrs. Lee, Jones, Slocum, Norman, and Fitch, were among the earlier settlers. Much of the trade of this township goes to Iowa Falls, Hardin County.

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP was detached from Reeve in 1871. The Hamilton brothers, from whom it was named, were the first settlers. The township is all prairie. It contains a post office by the name of Congress.

RICHLAND was cut off from Clinton in 1872, and received its name from Richland County, Ohio, from whence some of the residents of the township came. Its early history is identical with Clinton, the old "Tharp place," where Elihu Tharp settled in 1854, and the "Shobe farm," where John Shobe settled the same year, being contained within the present limits of Richland. The town plat of Old Chapin is about half of it contained in Richland Township, and Rev. Wm. Avery, a Congregationalist minister, and Deacon J. W. Avery, his brother, are among the oldest residents. They were from Connecticut, and came to Chapin in 1857.

MARION, the youngest township in the county, was detached from Washington Township in 1874. The township has no early history, as there were no settlers to speak of within its borders until within two or three years. Marion is all prairie except the small portion in the northeast corner covered by Tharp's Grove.

Franklin County Courthouse

The first headquarters for county business was the house of the county judge, James B. Reeve. The board of commissioners then picked a site called Jefferson, as a compliment to Judge Reeve, who was from an Ohio town of that name. But one commissioner did not agree and the county seat was relocated to the present site at Hampton.

The first courthouse was built in 1857. It was made mostly of native lumber. This building was later sold to a church. However, instead of being used for worship it was used as a dwelling and a stable.

Records and offices were kept in the schoolhouse until a stone 48 X 70 foot courthouse was completed in the center of the square. This building cost $12,500.

The present courthouse, which was completed in 1891, is also stone and brick with an elegant clock tower. Upon completion, it cost $60,000.

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