HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

August and entered upon the discharge of his duties in September, 1841.
In 1844 he was succeeded by John Williams, of the same township, who
was re-elected in 1847, serving two full terms. John Picard, of Carrithers
township, was elected in 1850, and, having been chosen under the old
constitution, served to the expiration of three years, but his successor,
Hale C. Conaway, of Perry township, was chosen at the election of 1852.
Ever since that time our county treasurer has been elected in the even
years and installed into office in the odd years. In 1854 Athel Staggs, of
Perry township, was elected, and was succeeded in 1856 by the election
of Elias Helton, of Jackson township, who was elected to a second term
in 1858. On the 3oth day of November, 1860, Helton died, when Ananias
W. Lowdermilk, of Sugar Ridge township, was appointed to the vacancy.
John G. Ackelmire, of Posey township, was elected in 1860 and re-elected
in 1862. In 1864 John Frump, of Van Buren township, was elected aud
re-elected in 1866. Alexander Brighton, of Sugar Ridge township, was
elected in 1868 and re-elected in 1870. In 1872 Roswell S. Hill, of Van
Buren township, was elected, who was succeeded in 1874 by F. \V.
Schromyer, of Washington township, who was re-elected in 1876. Lea-
son B. Pruner of Jackson township, was elected in 1878, and followed,
in 1880, by Joseph M. Boothe, of Washington township. John W. White,
of Harrison township, was elected in 1882, and re-elected in 1884. Mar-
maduke Law was elected in 1886, succeeded by Ernst Muehler, of Wash-
ington township, in 1888, who was re-elected in 1890. Christopher H.
Kattman, of Cass township, was elected in 1892, succeeded by Furtney
L. Brown of Dick Johnson township, in 1894, who was followed in 1896
by William H. Cutshall, of Dick Johnson township. John Z. McDonald,
of Brazil township, was elected in 1898, succeeded by Simon L. Row, of
Harrison township, in 1900. E. G. Bush, of Harrison township, was
elected in 1902, and re-elected in 1904, succeeded in 1906 by M. C. Lan-
ning, of Lewis township, who was re-elected in 1908.
    William Maxwell was the first county surveyor, but the time of his
official service cannot be given. John D. Christie was one of the early
surveyors. William Herron also occupied this position a number of years
under the old constitution. Under the new constitution John J. Peyton
was elected in 1852; William Herron, 1854; John Sharp, 1856; John H.
Davis, 1858, re-elected in i86o; Samuel Terrell, 1862; George Goshorn,
1864; Peter T. Luther, 1866; Marvin B. Crist, i868, re-elected 1870;
Homer Hicks, 1872, re-elected 1874: D. S. Maurer, 1876, re-elected 1878;
Thomas Hyland, i88o; T. B. Robertson, 1882.

    The succession in the coroner’s office prior to 1852, as nearly as may
be given, is as follows: John Wheeler, Peter Barnett, David Zenor, A.
F. Baughman, David Zenor, Eli Deal, Jonathan Grable, Henry Moss,
William W. Ferguson, John Wheeler, Hiram Anderson and Amos W.
Laycock. Among those who have served in this position since 1852 may
be named William R. Kress, James Clemens, Peter Eppert, John C. Phil-
lips, John E. Slack, Franklin Tenny, James McDonald, Samuel M.
Stewart, Dr. George Pell, and Daniel W. Bennett.

    The members of the Board of County Commissioners elected after
the adoption of the new constitution may be given in the following order:
First District, James W. Modesitt, Martin Bowles, William Eaglesfield,