THE HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY
Chapter XXVII, 9 December 1909 -- Thorp Courier, Clark County, Wisconsin
Written by R. J. MacBride and transcribed by Crystal Wendt.
FROM 1890 TO 1900
ELECTIONS FOR JUDICIAL AND COUNTY OFFICERS
NEW CIRCUIT FORMED
POPULATION BY STATE CENSUS OF 1895
DEATHS OF JUDGE DEWHURST AND JONES TOMPKINS
"Voila Tout."
The 17th Judicial Circuit of the State of Wisconsin was created by act of the Legislature of 1891, to take effect on the first Monday of January 1892. The counties included in the new circuit were Eau Claire, Clark and Jackson. The first election for circuit judge of the new circuit was held in April 1891 and Judge W. F. Bailey of Eau Claire was elected circuit judge. In 1897 Judge James O’Neill was elected to the office, he was re-elected in 1903 and again in 1909.
In 1892 at the November election, Benjamin Harrison, in Clark county received 2039 votes for President and Grover Cleveland received 1771.
In November 1894 C. A. Youmans was elected State Senator for the 25th Senatorial district and held the office for four years when he was successive by A. L. Kreutzer of Wausau, Wisconsin. At the same election Joseph C. Marsh of the town of Loyal was elected Member of Assembly and the following county officers were elected:
Sheriff, Charles H. Sheldon; treasurer, C. M. Bradford; register of deeds, William Zassenhaus; district attorney, George L. Jacques; county clerk, Homer M. Root; clerk of the court, C. S. Stockwell; county Supt., Geo. E. Crothers; county surveyor, William A. Pounder; and coroner, Dr. Samuel H. Esch.
The population of Clark county as shown by the state census of 1895 was 21,342, a good substantial increase in five years over the federal census of 1890.
At the November election in 1896 Joseph C. March was re-elected to the assembly, and the following county officers were chosen:
Sheriff, James W. Page; register of deeds, Charles Cornelius; county treasurer, Edgar P. Houghton; district attorney, Geo. B. Parkhill; county clerk, Charles M. Bradford; surveyor, Lewis L. Ayer; coroner, Luke H. McGuire; county Supt., Miss Emerence Walters; clerk of the court; C. S. Stockwell.
At the spring election in 1893 Richard B. Salter of Colby was elected county judge.
The vote for president in November 1896 was McKinley 3328 and Bryan 1318.
Judge Richard Dewhurst, and Jones Tompkins both died in the mouth of October 1985, and latter on the 12th day of the month and the former on the 13th.
At the following November session of the county board supervisor Chas. Burpee introduced the following resolution which was unanimously adopted:
"Whereas, Since the last meeting of our county board death has removed from among us two of our prominent citizens, Jones Tompkins of Eaton, who has served in the capacity of chairman of the county board, beside holding numerous minor offices of trust and responsibility, and Richard Dewhurst of Neillsville, who has at times filled the respective offices of county judge, register of deeds, county school superintendent, clerk of the county board of supervisors, and member of assembly, from this county, Jones Tompkins having died on the evening of October 12th, 1`895, and Richard Dewhurst on the following morning and
Whereas, We, as a county board, desire in some way to show the esteem in which both of said citizens were held, our sorrow caused by their death and sympathy we have for their families and relatives. Therefore be it.
Resolved, That in the death of said men we recognized that the ranks of the early settlers of this county are gradually being thinned and their place being occupied by others. That we recognized in the official lived of both of said men a lasting landmark that will be preserved as long as the official records of this county shall endure. That to the bereaved relative we tender out condolence and as a token of respect that this board do now adjourn until tomorrow morning at nine o’clock.
That these resolutions be spread upon the record of our proceedings and a copy sent to the clerk to the family of each of the deceased persons."
In 1895 an effort was made to induce the county board to build a county insane asylum in Clark county. A committee consisting of H. N. Withee, W. H. Mead and W. S. Irvine investigated the subject, and made a report to the county board, without any recommendation either for or against it, but submitted the matter for the action of the whole board. The committee evidently favored the project, as they cited the case of La Crosse county, that had invested nearly $90,000 in an asylum, and that after eight years experience, the asylum had paid for itself with $9,600, and that their earnings in one year (the year preceding the report) was $21,260.35. The county board however indefinitely postponed the subject.
At the November election in the year 1898 L. M. Sturdevant was elected member of assembly, and the following county officers were elected: Sheriff, Willaim S. Tufts; register of deeds, Charles Cornelius; county treasurer, Edger P. Houghton; district attorney, S. M. March; county clerk, Chas. M. Bradford; county surveyor, Edward Schultz; coroner, Ezra Tompkins, county superintendent of schools, Miss Emerence Walters; clerk of the circuit court, C. S. Stockwell.
At the judicial election in April 1987, George L. Jacques of Neillsville was elected county judge.
The following named persons served as chairman of the county board of
supervisors from 1890 to 1900:
Charles M. Bradford in 1890
Ira Fike, 1981 and 1982
R. W. Canfield, 1893
William H. Mead, 1894
Joel J. Shafer, 1895 and 1896
Henry S. Mulvey, 1897 and 1898
Ed Kayhart, 1899
Note -- This narrative has now been brought down to the beginning of the twentieth century and the events of the past ten years are so recent that no good reason exists to recite them in the columns of The Courier.
In the summer of 1910, the articles published in The Courier, thoroughly revised, corrected, and added together with many new chapters, will be published in book form, the history being brought down to July 1, 1910.The book will be illustrated with portraits of many of the old settlers, and will be printed on good paper, in clear type, and appropriately bound.
R. J. MacB.
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