summons a sufficient number of persons from the body of the county to serve as jurors at the present term of this court, which precept was returnable to-morrow morning at nine o'clock." The first cause of the second term was a case in law, being that of S. Slaughter vs. Mary Humphreys, and J. Humphreys. This case was continued generally. To learn the outcome of this first cause in law the records of the court have been searched and with the following result. In the July term, of 1869, (July 21) the cause was again brought before the court. The defendant by his attorneys, filed a motion for more specific statement. The cause again came up, on defendant's motion, on the same day, and after listening to the arguments of counsel, the court took the case under advisement until the following morning. On the next day, July 22, the defendant withdrew his motion for more specific statement, and filed his demurrer to plaintiff's petition. The case was submitted to the court on the demurrer, and his honor took the same "under advisement until the first day of next term." The next term was in October, and when the case came up the following entry was made: SAMUEL SLAUGHTER 08. MARY HUMPHREYS, and The court overrules the demurrer heretofore filed, and at the last term of this court filed by the defendants to plaintiff's petition, and, which after argument at said last term the court took under advisement until this term. It is therefore considered that the plaintiff recover of the defendant the sum of one dollar and costs, and that execution issue therefor. Thus open the judicial records of the county. All the years that have intervened since that eventful year have witnessed many trials of human skill and ingenuity-usually called law. Fortunes have been lost, liberty taken away or restored, petty injuries righted, and sometimes-should it be said?-great wrongs have been perpetrated. But infamous wrongs The judicial have been righted and villianous projects often defeated. records of this county cover all the range of legal sin from petty larceny to murder. Legally speaking, Glenwood is historic ground, and the wrongs it has seen righted in the past may prove but a tithe of what remains to the future. The judges of the circuit court have been Hon. R. L. Douglass, Hon. T. R. Stockton and Hon. C. H. Loofburow, the present worthy incumbent. THE FIRST LAND ENTRIES. The first land entries were made at Fairfield, sometime in May, 1849. These entries* are not accessible, having, if at all recorded, been lost. The first land entry of which there is any record was at Council Bluffs, January 7, 1853, and was by Leroy Britt. The number of acres was forty, situated as follows: se of sw sec, tp 72, range 41. There were no more entries until March 12, of the same year. From that date until March 31, were made entries as follows: March 12, 1853, nw of se sec 31, tp 72, range 41, 40 acres; by G. Stonebreaker. March 16, 1853, n fl of ne sec 6, tp 71, range 42, 60.40 acres; by H. Rogers. March 16, 1853, nof se sec 31, tp 73, range 42, 80 acres; by Stephen Wiles. March 16, 1853, wof se sec 32, tp 72, range 42, 80 acres; by Stephen Wiles. March 16, 1853, sw sec 12, tp 72, range 43, 160 acres; by H. Bennett, in trust for occupant for Glenwood. March 16, 1853, nw 1, sec 13, tp 72, range 43, 160 acres; by Hiram Bennett, in trust for occupants of Glenwood. March 16, 1853, se sec 26, tp 73, range 43. 160 acres; by Joseph Brown. March 16, 1853, nesec 35, tp 73, range 43, 160 acres; by A. H. Anson. March 18, 1853, nw sec 29, tp 72, range 40, 160 acres; by Nelson Hanson. March 21, 1853, se sec 21, tp 71, range 43, 160 acres; by Rufus Park. March 25, 1853, sw sec 13, tp 72, range 43, 160 acres; by Edward Arnold, Jr. March 25, 1853, e of ne sec 23, tp 72, range 43, 80 acres; by Alex. McAlpin. March 25, 1853, wof nw sec 24, tp 72, range 43, 80 acres; by Alex. McAlpin. March 25, 1853, wof se sec 10, tp 73, range 43, 80 acres; by J. H. Plumer. March 25, 1853, wof se sec 10, tp 73, range 43, 80 acres; by J. H Plumer. *Prior to the establishment of land offices by the general government, the settlers held their land under the claim and pre-emption laws. March 25, 1853, sof sw sec 26, tp 73, range 43, 80 acres; by W. Gregory. March 26, 1853, n of nw sec 35, tp 73, range 43, 80 acres; by W. Gregory. March 26, 1853, se sec 28, tp 72, range 40, 160 acres; by David Sillett, March 31, 1853, eof ne and nw of ne sec 10, tp 72, range 43, 120 acres; by W. E. Gentry. March 31, 1853, ne of se sec 10, tp 72, range 43, 40 acres; W. E. Gentry. These are but few of the many that were made during the year 1853. A copy was not furnished the county until five years afterward, when the original entries for 1853 were furnished, as appears from the following certificate, found subjoined to the copy. REGISTER'S LAND OFFICE, COUNCIL BLUFfs, Iowa. } I hereby certify that the foregoing from pages 1 to 19 inclusive, contains a true copy of the original entries in Mills county, Iowa, consumated at this office during the year 1853. JAMES POLLARD, Register. It has been said that there are no records accessible relative to the land entries for this county at Fairfield. A diligent search among a number of musty documents in an old box in the cellar of the court house brought to light an interesting document relative to some lands in this county, which appears below in full. The entry was made in accordance with the congressional act of September 28, 1850,* by which all surviving officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians, or privates, whether of regulars, volunteers, rangers or militia, who were engaged in the military service of the United States during the war with Great Britain in 1812, the war with Mexico, or in the army in the Indian wars since the year 1790, or their widows or minor children, in case of their death, are entitled to bounty lands, as follows: for nine months' actual service, one hundred sixty acres; for four months' service, eighty acres, and for any service exceeding thirty days, forty acres of land. The document to which reference has been made is one issued in accordance with the provisions of the act alluded to, and is as follows: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETING: Know ye, that in pursuance of an act of Congress entitled "An Act to raise, for a limited time, an additional military force, and for other purposes," approved February 11, 1847, *Vol. 9, Laws of the U. S., p 520. Edward O'Beede, private in Captain Sapps company, Illinois mounted volunteers, having deposited in the General Land-office a warrant in his favor, numbered 25,740; there is, therefore, granted by the United States unto William Olney, assignee of said Edward O'Beede, and to his heirs, the east half of the southeast quarter of section twenty-four, and the east half of the northeast quarter of section twenty-five, in township seventy, north of range nine west, in the district of lands subject to sale, at Fairfield, Iowa, containing one hundred and sixty acres, according to the official plat of the survey of the said land, returned to the General Land-office by the surveyor general, which said tracts have been located in satisfaction of the above mentioned warrant, in pursuance of the Act of Congress above mentioned; approved February 11, 1847. To have and to hold the said sections of land, with the appurtenances thereof, unto the said William Olney, and to his heirs and assigns forever. In testimony whereof, I, Millard Fillmore, President of the United States of America, have caused this letter to be made patent, and the seal of the General Land-office to be hereunto affixed. [SEAL.] Given under my hand at the City of Washington, the tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and fifty, and of the Independence of the United States the seventy-fifth. By the President, E. S. TERRY, Recorder of the General Land-office. Signed by the Recorder the sixteenth day of December, 1850. Recorded, Vol. 43, page 421. The event of entering land was one to which the early settlers looked with more than usual interest. His home would then be assured him and his highest anticipations realized. That it was a matter of great importance none will deny. The land office, both at Fairfield and Council Bluffs, often became the scene of animated discussions, as ever and anon some untoward event occurred to cast a shadow upon some wished for claim. Those days were days of excitement and anxiety, but when the claim was entered and the title awarded in due and legal form, glad and proud indeed were the hearts that beat in the bosom of the sturdy farmer, as homeward he went, the possessor of acres of rich and well disposed land. SOME EARLY LEGAL DOCUMENTS. The earlier records of this county, like those of most others, are in a most unsatisfactory condition. Deeds and mortgages were little cared for, evidently, and the first business of the county officials, after receiving the instruments and their fees, seemed to be to appropriate the latter and lose the former. Some of them were honest but not capable men, and the manner in which the records of those early days were kept, betray a most criminal ignorance of the nature of the demands the various offices made upon their incumbents. To enter upon a book the title of a deed and the date of its execution was hardly enough in view of the importance of the transaction. Years passed after the county was organized, before a proper place and manner were devised for caring for these all important legal documents. When at last it became necessary, as it several times has in the history of this county, to examine the earlier records they were not to be found, and still their whereabouts are unknown. Of the earliest deeds nothing whatever is known, the instruments having long since disappeared-perhaps have been used as a substitute for the tinder box. The subject matter of the first mortgages having been lost, there can only be presented to the interested reader the nature of those instruments, together with such information as the recorder who entered them saw fit to add to the entry. The first real estate mortgage was dated November 23, 1851, and filed December 10, 1851. It was executed by W. W. Noyes to Tootle & Fairleigh. The description is as follows: L. C. in B. 20, 30, 41, 33, 40. 14. 26, 35, 38, 13, 24, 25, 36, 37, in Coonville; also claim south of C; also lot 14 in B. 16. The next instrument is of similar import, and is called by the recorder a "mortgage deed." This paper was dated November 23, 1851, and filed December 11, 1851. It was executed by W. W. Noyes to J. Beason, the property being thus described: 3/4 length of lot s. to street in Coonville, e. to place of begin Six days after the filing of the above, the following "deed" dated December 16, 1851, was filed. It was executed by W. W. Noyes to A. Ford and is thus described: Dally claim adjoining C-ville north; also Davenport claim c. 1⁄2 L. 4, B. 21, L. 4, B. 16, Dally's interest in said town except L. 14, 2, B. 1, L. 2, B. 3. The first quit-claim deed is to be found in an old dilapidated book, made of foolscap and ornamented with a paper cover on which is marked in letters large if not attractive, the word "entry." The first part of this interesting document is devoted to the simple record of the deeds made, when and to whom. The latter portion is devoted to a transcript of the original documents, among which appears the following: Know all men by these presents: That I, James Hobson of Coonville and state of Iowa, in consideration of the sum of two hundred dollars to me paid by Jesse Painter of Mills county and state of Iowa, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, have remise and release and forever quit-claim unto the said Jesse Painter, his heirs and assigns, forever, to the one-half of block No. 33, Lot No. 4, to have and hold the same, together with all the privileges and appur |