Holt County, Missouri

Official Directory
Source: History of Holt and Atchinson Counties, 1882

CIRCUIT JUDGE

The office of circuit judge was first, as above stated, filled by the appointment, in 1841, of General David R. Atchison, who served till 1843. The other judges, in succession, have been:

• Henderson Young, from 1843 to 1846;
• Solomon L. Leonard, 1846 to 1851;
• William B. Almond, 1851 to 1852;
• Elijah H. Norton, 1852 to i860;
• Silas Woodson, i860 to 1864;
• William Heren, 1864 to 1869;
• Isaac C. Parker, 1869 to 1871;
• Bennett Pike, 1871 to 1872;
• Henry S. Kelley, 1872 to 1874;
• Henry S. Kelley, 1874 to 1880

The following have filled the office of circuit clerk:

• Andrew S. Hughes, from March, 1841, to June, 1841;
• Bayless B. Grigsby, from June, 1841, to 1846;
• John Collins, 1846 to 1853;
• E. VanBuskirk, 1853 to 1865;
• A. N. Ruley (appointed), 1865 to 1866;
• E. L. Allen, 1866 to 1874;
• William A. Gardner, 1874 to 1878;
• W. R. Springer, 1878.

Mr. Springer is the present incumbent. William F. Taylor, the first to fill the office of recorder of Holt County, was elected to that position in 1874. Mr. Soper, on the resignation of Taylor, in 1878, was appointed to the position, which he continued to hold till the election of his successor, Daniel Zachman, in 1878. He entered upon the duties of his office January 1, 1879, an is now (1882) the recorder.

The following composed the county courts of Holt County from the first organization of the same, in March, 1841:

• From March, 1841, to September, 1841, Harmon G. Noland, Joshua Adkins and James Crowley.
• From September, 1841, to September, 1842, Harmon G. Noland, James Crowley and James Kimsey.
• From September, 1842, to July, 1845, John W. Kelley, John Stewart and James Kimsey.
• From July, 1845, to October, 1845, John W. Kelley, James Kimsey and Samuel Watson.
• From October, 1845, to October, 1850, Samuel Watson, T. V. Dickey and John Gibson.
• From October, 1850, to February, 1854, Samuel Watson, John Gibson and John Dozier.
• From February, 1854, to May, 1854, John Dozier and John Gibson.
• From May, 1854, to November, 1854, John Dozier, Samuel R. Canon and Michael Byrd.
• From November, 1854, to June, i860, Samuel R. Canon, William L. Gordon and John F. Williams.
• From June, i860, to March, 1862, John F. Williams, B. B. Frazer and J. P. Harris.
• From March, 1862, to May, 1862, John F. Williams, J. P. Harris and R. H. Russel.
• From May, 1862, to February, 1863, R. H. Russel, Andrew Meyer and I. H. Iddings.
• From February, 1863, to March, 1865, R. H. Russel, I. H. Iddings and Harvey L. Willians.
• From March, 1865, to May, 1865, R. H. Russel, George Blair and Harvey L. Williams.
• From May, 1865, to December, 1866, A. J. Evans, George Mclntyre and Samuel Thompson.
• From December, 1866, to December, 1870, George Mclntyre, Solomon Lehmer and George P. Skeels.
• From December, 1870, to December, 1872, Solomon Lehmer, George P. Skeels and Richard Collison.
• From December, 1872, to December, 1874, George P. Skeels, Richard Collison and George Anderson.
• From December, 1874 to December, 1878, Richard Collison, George Anderson and Daniel VanWormer.
• From December, 1878, to December, 1880, Thomas W. McCoy, W. H. Poynter and Henry Bungenstock.
• December, 1880, Bruce Earl, Daniel Hiatt and James R. Bradford.

Up to the date of John Collins' term (1853), the circuit clerk filled the offices of county clerk and recorder. The first election for county clerk occurred in 1852. Their names and terms of office were as follows:

• Alfred B. Mullins, from 1853 to 1856;
• James Scott, from 1856 to 1865;
• Warren B. Davis, from 1865 to 1870;
• Albert Roecker, from 1870 to 1875;
• John H. C. Curtis, from 1875, present clerk.

The following have been sheriffs of Holt County during the periods annexed to their names:

• Richard M. Barkhurst from 1841 to 1842;
• Robert H. Russel, from 1842 to 1846;
• Frank M. Polluck, from 1846 to 1850;
• William D. Beeler, from 1850 to 1854;
• John L. Dozier, from 1854 to 1856;
• Galen Crow, from 1856 to i860;
• Robert G. Emmerson from 1860 to 1862;
• William Kaucher, from 1862 to 1866;
• Albert Roecker, from 1866 to 1870;
• Moses M. Smith, from 1870 to 1872;
• William G. Mclntyre, from 1872 to 1874;
• Stephen F. Lucas, from 1874 to 1878;
• Wm H. Frame, from 1878 to 1880;
• William H. Frame, re-elected 1880.

COLLECTORS

Up to the year 1872, the sheriff of the county was ex-officio collector. The first elected to the latter office on its separation, was Moses M. Smith, who served from 1872 to 1874; succeeded by William G. Mclntyre, from 1874 to 1876; Samuel Morrison, from 1876 to 1878; Fred Meyer, from 1878 to 1880; Samuel Morrison, from 1880.

PROBATE JUDGE

By an act passed by the Legislature during the session of 1868-69, the office of probate judge was created in and for Holt County. At the fall election of 1869, R. H. Russel was elected to the position, and entered upon his duties, January, 1870. Notwithstanding the fact that Holt County is largely Republican, he has been continuously, though a Democrat, re-elected to the office which he still (1882) continues to hold.

SCHOOL COMMISSIONER

The duties of this office were, at first, performed by the circuit clerk, and after the creation of the office of county clerk, by the latter officer. Since 1865, when it was made a separate office, the position has been filled as follows:

• Edgar L Allen, from 1865 to 1866;
• Stephen Blanchard, from 1866 to 1870;
• Frank Gordon, from 1870 to 1872;
• Erastus Eyerly, from 1872 to 1875;
• Edward Anibal from 1877 to 1879;
• John Anderson, from 1879 to 1881.
• John Anderson re-elected, 1881.

COUNTY SURVEYORS

The first county surveyor, appointed by the county court, was David Templeton, in 1841. In 1842 he was elected to the same office, which he filled till 1846, when he was succeeded by S. C. Collins, who held the office, by continuous re-election, for twenty years, at the end of which period he positively declined the position, for the duties of which he had so long proved himself eminently fitted. In 1866 Franklin Davis was elected his successor. He, however, died in office, and Jason Marshall was appointed his successor. William McCoy, in turn, succeeded him, followed by William Morris, who was re-elected in 1880.

COUNTY TREASURER

Gilbert Ray was the first to hold the office of treasurer of Holt County. He was appointed at the September term of the county court, in 1841. Circuit Attorneys:

• I. N. Jones, 1846;
• L. Archer, 1849;
• James Craig, 1852;
• J. M. Bassett, 1857;
• Joseph P. Grubb, 1862;
• I. C. Parker, 1864;
• Jeff Chandler, 1866
• B. K. Davis, 1868.

The office of circuit attorney was abolished before the term of B. K. Davis expired.

Representatives:

• R. M. Barkhurst,
• Stephen Cooper,
• James Craig,
• James Foster,
• A. J. Hollister,
• Samuel Waton,
• John W. Kelley,
• Galen Crow,
• Ira Busick,
• John H. Glenn,
• H. K. S. Robinson,
• S. R. Young,
• R. D. Markland,
• B. O. Cowan,
• John Shrantz
• James Limbird, present incumbent.

Senators—Ed. Celly;

• Gen. R. A. Wilson;
• William Herron, 1862;
• P. A. Thompson, 1864;
• D. Bonham, 1866;
• M. G. Roseberry, 1868;
• A. E. Wyatt, 1872;
• Thomas H. Parrish, 1876,
• T. C. Dungan, 1880.