History of Greene County, Iowa

Excerpts from the "The History of Iowa", by Benjamin F. Gue. Copyright 1903
Transcribed by Sue Soden .

Copyright © 1998 by Sue Soden.

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GREENE COUNTY, IOWA
1851 created
1854 organized
COUNTY SEAT: Jefferson
PARENT COUNTY: Benton

Greene County was created in 1851 from territory at one time belonging to
Benton. It lies in the fifth tier south of Minnesota and in the fourth east
of the Missouri River and contains sixteen townships making an area of five
hundred seventy-six square miles. The county was named for General
Nathaniel Greene of the American Revolution and was first attached to Polk.
The North Raccoon River flows through it in a southeasterly direction with
heavy timber along its banks.

Truman Davis was the first settler in the county; taking a claim in 1849
near where Rippey stands. Enos Buttrick located in 1849 near the mouth of
Buttrick's Creek and Richard Hardin, at Hardin's Creek, the same year. In
1850-51 R.W. Babb, William Crumley, Josiah Bluncett, Thomas Greenup, John
Barr and others settled along the Raccoon River.

The county was organized in 1854 by the election of the following officers:
William Phillips, judge; S.G. Crumley, clerk; James H. Phillips, recorder
and treasurer; Isaac D. Crumley, sheriff, and N.S. Daniels, prosecuting
attorney.

The town of Jefferson was laid out on the banks of the Raccoon River in
1854 and named for the author of the Declaration of Independence. It was
made the county-seat and the first house was built by G.S. Walton in June,
1855. The first term of court was held by Judge C.J. McFarland in May,
1856. It was ten years before a newspaper was started. In 1866 M.L. and H.
Money established the Jefferson Bee. The Chicago Northwestern Railroad was
built through the county from east to west in 1868. The town of Grand
Junction was laid out at the point where the Des Mines Valley Railroad
crosses the line of the Northwestern.

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representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb
archivist with proof of this consent.
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