WARREN COUNTY. It is believed that the first settler on territory now included in Warren County, was John D. Parmalee. He erected a saw mill on Middle River about the time the military post was established at Raccoon Forks, or very soon after, in the year 1843. The mill was erected at the instance, and under the supervision of the military, as this part of Iowa was still in the possession of the Indians. By the terms of the treaty made at Agency City, October 11, 1842, the title of the Indians expired October 11, 1845.In the Spring of this year, however, William Mason selected his location about two miles north of Palmyra, and remained on it during the Summer, although not permitted by the government to make any improvements. Among the early settlers were, Henry James, Robert Rees, P. P. Henderson, Alexander Gindler, Samuel Hayworth, Joseph Scott, D. Booker, and Messrs. Myric, Paul, and Dotson. When Polk County was organized under an act of the Legislature passed January 17, 1846, it included the territory now embraced in the northern tier of townships of Warren County, so that Mr. Parmalee's saw mill was at that time really in Polk County. In January, 1849, Warren County was organized with its present boundaries; the first County Commissioners being Samuel Hayworth, Alexander Gindler, and D. Booker. P. P. Henderson was the sheriff who officiated in the organization. Indianola, the county seat, was located in December following, and building commenced on the town site in the Spring of 1850. COUNTY OFFICERS FOR 1875. ISAAC G. WRIGHT, Auditor. JAMES M. MILLEN, Treasurer. JONAS E. LUCAS, Clerk. MILES W. JUDKINS, Recorder. JOSEPH T. MEEK, Sheriff. HOWARD A. HUFF, Superintendent. SAMUEL IRWIN, Chairman Board of Supervisors. PHYSICAL FEATURES. Warren County lies immediately south of Polk, in which the state capital is situated. It contains about 571 square miles, or 365,440 acres. Excellent drainage is afforded by the Des Moines River and its affluents, and several of the latter are of sufficient volume to afford abundant power for mills and manufactories. Springs and small brooks are frequent, and afford the county an admirable supply of water for the convenience of the farming community. The general trend of the waters tributary to the Des Moines River, is in a northeasterly direction. Considerable bodies of timber skirt the principal streams, and valuable groves are interspersed among the upland prairies. The timber is tolerably well distributed, although more abundant in the vicinity of the Des Moines River than elsewhere, and this section may be said to be heavily wooded. Ascending the streams, the forests become more limited, and, finally, in the southwestern portion of the county, are confined to the valleys. In all sections, however, the timber is rapidly encroaching upon the prairies. The uplands between the streams are generally gently undulating in the eastern portions of the county; in the western half the divides ascend more abruptly from the valleys and the surface is consequently more rolling; but a limited area along Wolf Creek is the only portion that may be described as broken. The valleys consist of narrow tracts of bottom lands, bordered by acclivities more or less abrupt, which vary from fifty to two hundred feet in height, and are usually steeper on the right or south margin of the valleys, than upon the opposite sides. The soil is uniformly a fine black loam of good depth and a high degree of fertility, except on small tracts in the northeast part of the county, where the drift has been worn away, exposing the shales of the lower coal measures, from which are derived the light-colored soil frequently observed near the Des Moines River. The underlying drift deposits of mottled clays, sand, and gravel are here somewhat thinner than in other counties farther northward. Like the soil proper, they are thin and sometimes wanting altogether along the acclivities bordering the valleys, leaving the rock exposed or covered only by a thin layer of debris. Descending to the valleys, the soil is found to be composed of fine alluvial deposits occupying nearly their entire width, gravelly elevations, or terraces, very seldom occurring. THE COAL BEDS. Warren County lies altogether within the coal region, overlapping all three of its principal formations known as the lower, middle, and upper coal measures. The lower measures outcrop in the northeast part of the county, and occupy about one-third of its area; the middle formation occupies the larger portion of the remainder, the upper formation being limited to a portion of the southwestern township and isolated patches elsewhere. Only the upper portion of the lower coal measure has yet been reached by miners. The principal mines of this formation are at Dillard's farm, two miles above Hoover's mill; at Taylor's, two or three miles northeast of Hartford; at Allen's mill on Middle River; at Watt's mill; at Parson's, on South River; at Helm's, on the same stream, south of Indianola; at Randolph's three miles west of the last names; and at Jenck's, in the southeast part of the county. At these places the beds are from two to four feet thick, and yield a very good quality of coal similar to that of the Des Moines beds. In the middle formation coal has been found at various places within the limits previously described, and worked to some extent, but the beds are seldom more than twenty, and usually not more than fifteen inches in thickness. In some places they are of poor quality, but in others very good. No coal has been found in the upper formation in this county. Good building stone is not abundant in this county. Both the lower and middle coal formations afford sandstones in abundance; but they are generally soft, and require much care in their selection. Some of the layers harden after removal from the quarry and make very good building material. Limestone sufficiently pure for making quick-lime has been found in a few localities, but seldom furnishes a durable building stone as it rapidly disintegrates upon exposure. Materials for the manufacture of good brick are found in profusion, and brick can be supplied with such cheapness that the slight deficiency of rock suitable for building purposes is unimportant. MILITARY RECORD. Warren County is credited on the books of the Adjutant General with 1,006 soldiers furnished during the War of the Rebellion. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. The county maintains about 120 public schools, supplied with school houses valued at eighty or ninety thousand dollars. The total compensation of teachers is from $22,000 to $25,000 annually; the total cost of maintaining schools, including various contingent expenses and cost of repairing, furnishing, and building new school houses, is from $35,000 to $45,000 annually. The permanent school fund of the county is $28,408.18. INDIANOLA. This is the seat of justice and the principal town of Warren County. It is located on the prairie about one mile north of the geographical center of the county, and is nearly the same distance from South River, in the midst of a densely populated district. It posesses all the material advantages to be found in the best interior towns of the state, and enjoys educational, religious, and social privileges of a high order. It is a prosperous and enterprising town, destined to a substantial and permanent growth, though not aspiring to the dignity of a large city owing to its proximity to Des Moines and its location away from the great railroad thoroughfares. It is connected with the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad by a branch road from Des Moines, and is a shipping point for a large amount of produce and live stock. It is incorporated as a city of the second class. The town was located as the county seat in December, 1849, and building commenced on the site early in 1850. Among the first residents were Zebulon Hackett, Amos Booker, and P. P. Henderson. COURT HOUSE. The court house is an excellent brick building on a foundation of sandstone. The ground plan is 60x117 feet, and the height from the ground to the cupola 120 feet. It is constructed upon the most approved plan, and cost about $45,000. The building was erected in 1867, and completed in 1868. CENTENARY COLLEGE. This institution of learning, formerly a seminary, was located here under the auspices of the Des Moines Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It is now a very promising and popular educational institution, with a considerable endowment and an efficient Faculty. It is provided with ample grounds, an excellent college building and other facilities. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. In 1867, also, a fine public school building was erected at a cost of $15,000. This, it is understood, was the cost of the building without furnishing. The ground plan is 36x66 feet, height three stories, and the edifice is well finished and furnished. The schools are graded in excellent manner, and employ nine teachers and a superintendent. The newspapers of Indianola are the Herald, the Tribune, and the Record. The Herald is a Republican journal, published every Thursday by Graham & Knox. The Tribune is Democratic. It was established in 1873, by George F. Parker, the present editor and proprietor, and is issued every Thursday. The Record was established in July, 1870, by G. N. Udell, as the Independent, its name indicating its politics. In two months time, however, it passed into the hands of the Indianola Printing Company and became Republican, under the name of the Leader. In May, 1873, it was purchased by Mr. Carleton, who sold in August, 1873, to J. A. Everett, the present editor, who gave it its present name. It is Republican in politics; issued Thursdays. OTHER TOWNS. The other towns and post offices in the county are; Ackworth, Carlisle, Hammondsburgh, Hartford, Lacona, Lawrenceburgh, Liberty Center, Lathrop, Madora, New Virginia, Norwalk, Palmyra, Rose Mount, Saint Mary's, Sandyville, Schonberg, Sharon, Spring Hill, and Summerset. Ackworth has an academy maintained by the Society of Friends, which employs two teachers, and numbers about fifty pupils. Lacona also has an academy.