January 9, 1862, all that portion of Congressional Township 87, Range 11, lying south of Cedar River-then a portion of Spring Creek-was attached to Big Creek Township; and all that portion of Township 87, Range 12, lying on the east side of Cedar River-then a portion of Poyner Township-was attached to Spring Creek. But in June, the latter action was revoked, and the land re-annexed to Poyner Township.

The Board met in special session February 27, 1863, to pass resolutions of respect to the memory of John Hackett, a member of the Board, who had died a short time previous.

The Board of Supervisors early began to devise measures for providing for the support of those who were so unfortunate as to become objects of public charity. The purchase of a County Poor Farm, for the purpose of furnishing a comfortable home for this class, and also to furnish them with employment whereby they might earn at least a portion of the cost of their support, was considered advisable; but the Board did not wish to take the responsibility of appropriating public moneys for the purpose, without first submitting the question to the people. Accordingly, on the 8th day of June, 1865, a resolution was adopted, as follows:

Resolved, That the Clerk of this Board be instructed to give legal notice to the voters of Black Hawk County, Iowa, that, at the next general election, in October next, a proposition will be submitted to said voters, authorizing the Board of Supervisors of said Black Hawk County to appropriate from the funds of said county a sum not to exceed $10,000 (ten thousand dollars), for the purpose of purchasing real estate in the name of the county of Black Hawk, Iowa, and improving the same, to be used for the benefit and purpose of supporting the paupers of the said county of Black Hawk.

The election was held, as ordered, and resulted in favor of the proposed appropriation, by a vote of 1,125 to 273.

January 4, 1866, the Board of Supervisors adopted the following resolution: Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed by the Board to select lands within the county of Black Hawk, State of Iowa, not to exceed 200 acres, and improve the same, in the name of said county of Black Hawk, for the purpose and to be used for the support of the paupers of said county of Black Hawk; said purchase to be made with moneys to be appropriated by said county, as voted at the general election of said county, not to exceed $10,000. And the Clerk of this Board be authorized to issue county warrants, bearing 10 per cent. interest, for the same, to said Committee of Three, not to exceed $10,000.

The committee was to be paid $2.50 per day.

Messrs. C. May, A. A. Alline and H. W. Abbey were appointed as the committee provided in the above resolution; but for some reason they resigned on the same day on which they were appointed, and a new committee, consisting of William Gilchrist, N. Hitchcock and A. Vittam, was elected. This committee was further authorized to employ a suitable person for Superintendent of the Poor Farm, when it should be ready for occupancy.

June 5, 1866, the committee reported that it had examined a number of farms, but had selected and purchased the farm owned by Mr. Russell, on the west side of the Cedar River, containing 120 acres, at $30 per acre; and that Mr. Russell had executed a warranty deed of the premises; that the committee had requested the Clerk to issue bonds therefor, but it was discovered that the Board had no legal authority to issue bonds, and Mr. Russell refused to accept the warrants provided for by the resolution of January 4. This was the official record.

The report was accepted and the committee discharged. It is said that this bargain was not consummated because Mr. Russell refused to take county warrants at their face; he would take them at a discount, but the committee were not authorized to comply with this demand.

The purchase of a farm appears to have been abandoned with this failure to consummate the trade with Mr. Russell. But on the 5th day of September, another committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs. William Gilchrist, D. E. Champlin and C. May, "to purchase a lot, not exceeding twenty acres, for

poor purposes.

September 5, 1866, a committee was appointed to purchase a lot not exceeding twenty acres for poor purposes; Wm. Gilchrist, D. E. Champlin and C. May, Committee.

Tuesday, January 8, 1867, this Committee reported that they had purchased the private residence of Mr. Gilchrist (Block 21, Lots 1, 2, 3 and 4), for $3,500. Mr. Gilchrist was a member of the Purchasing Committee and it is said succeeded in making a bargain advantageous to himself, with himself.

January 8, 1868, the Directors of the Poor House (Samuel D. Shaw and W. F. Bunn) reported that an addition to the house had been built at a cost of $1,320.68.

A portion of the county poor are provided for at this house, but many are relieved by Township Trustees and by the county in addition to those then furnished with a home at the County Poor House. The first Superintendent was H. A. Henderson, who served until 1877, when he was succeeded by George K. Beal.

January 9, 1867, on petition of citizens, the Board ordered that that portion of East Waterloo Township known as Cedar City be annexed to Cedar Falls Township.

On Saturday, July 21, 1866, the people of Black Hawk County were excited by the startling intelligence that a little girl 3 years old, daughter of Mr. Barney E. Wheeler, of Lester Township, had unaccountably disappeared. About 9 o'clock A. M. of that day, she and her brother, several years older, went to carry some water to their father who was at work in the field about sixty rods from the house. Their errand performed, the children started to return to the house. The little girl was a little slow in her movements, and her brother became impatient and went home, leaving her to take her time. Mrs. Wheeler asked him where he left his sister, and he told her, "at the edge of the cornfield." As the little one did not come in, her mother went out to the spot where the little boy said he left her, but she was not there. Mr. Wheeler was called from his work, and both commenced search, having become thoroughly alarmed; but no trace of the lost one could be found. The neighborhood was alarmed, and by 3 o'clock P. M. all the neighbors in the vicinity were engaged in the search. During that night men were stationed all around the houses for several miles who were listening eagerly to hear the cries of the child. The next morning two men said they thought they heard cries near a slough in the vicinity, but a thorough search in that locality revealed nothing. On Sunday, the whole county was aroused and at least 200 people, mostly on horseback, were engaged in the search, but not a trace of the missing child could be found. It was as if the little one had been removed from the face of the earth. On Monday the excitement and sympathy for the mysteriously bereaved family became intense. All work was thrown aside, for everybody felt that to aid in the search for the lost one was a sacred duty. From all parts of the county, and from Bremer, the people gathered. From twenty-five to one hundred men went every day from Waterloo alone, and for ten days the most vigorous search was maintained. The county was swept for miles by mounted men and men on foot, and every foot of ground supposed to be carefully examined. Several large fields of grain were trampled down, and the prairie

grass and hazel brush flattened to the ground for miles, but yet no trace of the lost one. The most exaggerated reports were in circulation. Now, a lightning rod man had seen a child crying at the road side, and now, somebody had seen her with two men in a wagon traveling northward; now, she had been seen and described by a lady in Fayette County; anon, was heard from in Minnesota. "One thing is evident," said the Waterloo Courier of the 2d of August, "the child must be some distance from home, for everything has been searched within four or five miles around the house." Mr. Wheeler, although a poor man, offered $300 reward for information that would lead to the discovery of his daughter. As the people became satisfied that the child had been spirited away and would not be found in the vicinity of home, the search was abandoned; but Mr. Wheeler continued to follow the rumors as long as his money held out. George Barker, of Lester, followed the trail of the team driven by a man who had been seen with the child, to the Mississippi River at Dubuque, and visited every ferry and crossing from that point to the mouth of Yellow River, but was compelled to return home without discovering any trace of the object of his search.

On Saturday morning, November 3d, Mr. Siple, a neighbor of the Wheelers, was engaged in trapping near his house, when his attention was attracted to a little clump of hazel bushes surrounded by some tall grass, by the singular conduct of his dog. Here, upon examination, he found the bones of a child; the clothing, however, was in a good state of preservation and enabled him to identify the remains as those of the little child who had so mysteriously disappeared more than three months before. The spot was about one-fourth of a mile from Mr. Siple's house, and only about a mile and a quarter from Mr. Wheeler's; and it is among the mysteries that are difficult to solve to understand how the spot could have escaped discovery during the minute and extended search made in July and August.

January 11, 1867, the county authorities authorized the County Treasurer to pay a bounty of 10 cents for each pocket-gopher scalp presented. These little pests had become so numerous and so injurious to the agricultural interests of the county, that for several years about $1,000 annually was paid out for bounties on these little animals.

June 10, 1875, the Board of Supervisors authorized the payment of a bounty of 10 cents for each gray and 5 cents for each striped gopher presented during a term of sixty days.

The first bridge across the Cedar in this county was built by subscription. by G. W. Couch, contractor. It was constructed on wooden piers, and was opened to the public in September, 1859. In 1864 or '65, two spans of this bridge fell and were replaced; but in the freshet soon afterward, the entire structure was swept away. June 6, 1866, the County Board appropriated $5,000 to build a new bridge across the river at this point, which was completed in 1867 at a cost of $9,269.75. Four years afterward, in 1871, it was found necessary to provide for a better and more permanent structure, and August 16, 1871, the County Supervisors

Ordered, That the sum of $8,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be appropriated out of the bridge fund to build necessary abutments, and not more than four piers, for a new bridge on the site of the present bridge across the Cedar River, in the city of Waterloo; and that the Board of Supervisors act in Committee of the Whole to receive proposals, and let the contract in whole or in part for furnishing material and for building said abutments and piers.

September 6, 1871, in the matter of the Waterloo bridge, the Board not having authority to appropriate more than $12,000 for any one bridge, and

having already appropriated $8,000 for building the abutments and piers, submitted the question of appropriating $18,000 for the superstructure to a vote of the people, at the general election on the second Tuesday in October,

1871.

September 9, 1871, on petition of the citizens of Waterloo, it was ordered that the east end of the new bridge be at the center of the county road, and that the west end be at the center of Bridge street, as near as practicable.

December 4, 1871, a canvass of the election showed that there were 892 votes for the appropriation for Waterloo bridge, and 912 against said appropriation. Appropriation lost.

January 3, 1872, the Board appropriated $4,700 (the limit allowed by law) for Waterloo bridge.

Feb. 17, 1872, an appropriation of $14,000 was made for the construction of the Waterloo bridge, and A. T. Weatherwax, H. B. Allen, and L. A. Cobb, were authorized to receive proposals for the building of the same. This Committee was instructed to report the proposals to the County Bridge Commission, who were authorized to award the same.

The contract was awarded to the Ohio Bridge Company, and April 11, 1872, a further appropriation of $1,900 was made. Work was commenced on the bridge and completed in the Summer and Fall of 1872, probably in September, as on the 4th of that month the Board ordered warrants to be drawn in favor of the Ohio Bridge Company in payment for building the Waterloo bridge.

IRON BRIDGE AT CEDAR FALLS.

December 17, 1872, $11,000 was appropriated for an iron bridge at Cedar Falls, the County Bridge Commissioners to award the contract, and G. B. Van Saun, A. S. Smith and E. Townsend appointed to superintend the building of the same.

June 12, 1868, the Committee on County Buildings and Property reported as follows:

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We would further recommend to this Board the building of a house or the procuring of one suitable for the Sheriff to live in, near the jail, that he may be better prepared to take charge of the jail and prevent the escape of prisoners-said house to cost not more than $1,000. A. T. WEBSTER, S. A. COBB, D. E. CHAMPLIN,

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Committee.

This report was laid on the table until next session, but on the 10th of September was taken up and adopted. The site for the proposed house was designated as the northeast corner of the Court House lot, by the Board, and Messrs. D. E. Champlin and W. F. Brown were appointed to superintend its erection. Work was commenced at once, and pushed so energetically that the Sheriff's domicile was completed in December, 1868.

Three children, sons of Israel Scroggy, of Cedar Township, were drowned Feb. 16, 1869, in a small pond about eighty rods north of the Doxie School House. It was at noon, and the boys of the school were engaged in throwing a ball across the pond, the teacher, George S. Bishop, participating. The teacher threw the ball, which William and Wesley Scroggy ran out upon the pond to catch, when the ice broke, letting them into the water, which was six or eight feet deep. Abram ran out to try and save them, but was pulled in by William. An effort was made by another boy, named Johnson, to get them out, but it was a failure. After being in the water three-quarters of an hour, the boys were taken out by Thomas Doxie and Abraham Turner.