FORMED IN 1841 WITH THE COUNTY SEAT BEING ESTABLISHED AT HARTSVILLE. WHEN THE "S" WAS DROPPED FROM THE NAME IS UNKNOWN. IT IS THOUGHT THAT THE TOWN WAS NAMED AFTER HARTSVILLE, TENNESSEE, AS MANY OF THE EARLY SETTLERS PASSED THROUGH THERE ON THEIR WAY TO A NEW TERRITORY AND ALL THE PROMISES THAT IT HELD FOR A BETTER LIFE.
WRIGHT
COUNTY OFFICIALS
Page 1
This
information is being compiled by Phyllis Rippee from the nine-county
GOODSPEED'S
HISTORY, published in 1889; from newspapers published in the county and
other sources. If you would like to add a biographical sketch on any Wright
County Official, please send it to your page host. This is an on-going
project, so please check back from time to time.
1841:
County Judge, Mr. Bilderback
County Judge, Jesse Robinett
County Judge and Sheriff, John Shields
Between
1841
and
1845:
Presiding Judge, Jesse Robinett
Associate Judge, Mr. Bilderback
Associate Judge, James McMahan
County Clerk, Isom P.Pool
Sheriff, John H. Hight
1845:
Presiding Judge, Ratliff B. Palmer (had replaced Robinettwho
died)
Associate County Judge, Mr. Bilderback
Associate County Judge, James McMahan
County Clerk, Isom P.Pool**
Sheriff, John H. Hight
**21
Nov 1848 The "Springfield Advertiser" shows the Sheriff offering a reward
for the return of an Isham P.Pool. $100 Reward. Whereas Isham
P'Pool, who was committed to jail, at Hartsville, Wright Co. Mo. on the
29th day of October, charged witht the crime of forgery, has broken said
jail and escaped from custody on the 4th day of November 1848, I will give
to any man who will deliver said Pool to me in Wright Co. Mo. the above
reward of one hundred dollars, as soon as I receive him in my custody.
Said Pool is about 45 years old, about five feet nine inches high, fair
complexion, blue eyes and light colored hair. He is getting somewhat
gray.--John Shields, Sheriff of Wright County, Missouri.
From Goodspeed: In December of 1848, Lawson Butcher and Anderson
Watters were indicted for aiding in the escape of Isham P'Pool from the
county jail. An earlied entry by Goodspeed indicates that County
Clerk Isham Pool had done something of a serious nature.---Info from Linda
Simmons
August
7,
1848:
Presiding Judge, Ratliff Palmer
Associate County Judge, William R. Prock
Associate County Judge, Wilson Hillhouse
Sheriff, John S. Shields
County Clerk, James M. Tunnell
Deputy Clerk, A. McFarlane Hudson
Treasurer, William Franklin
(August 7, 1848 was the oldest record of the County Court
when Goodspeed's history was published.)
December
1848:
County Judge, William R. Prock
County Judge, Edward Garner
County Judge, Wilson Hillhouse
Assessor, William Scott
Sheriff, John H. Hight
County Clerk, J. M. Tunnell
(At this meeting, the building of a brick courthouse was
authorized.)
1850:
County Judge, William R. Prock
County Judge, Edward Garner
County Judge, Wilson Hillhouse
Assessor, William Scott
Sheriff, John H. Hight
County Clerk, L. C. Hudson (serving the remainder of Tunnell's
term.)
October
1850:
Presiding Judge, William R. Prock
Associate County Judge, Samuel Boyd
Associate County Judge, Samuel C. Harden
1851: Clerk of County and Circuit Courts, Dr. H. H. Lea
November
1852:
Same officials, except Sheriff, Arthur Rippee
1853:
County Judge, Ratliff Palmer
County Judge, William R. Prock
County Judge, Samuel Boyd
School Commissioner, Samuel H. Headlee
Treasurer, John M. Gorman
November
1854:
County Judge, William R. Prock
County Judge, Alvah Goss
County Judge, Philip Kincheloe
County Clerk, Julian Frazier
Sheriff, Arthur Rippee
Probate Court Judge, Wilson Hillhouse
Treasurer, Edward Garner (replaced Gorman who had died)
1855:
County Judge, Prock
County Judge, Kincheloe
County Judge, John H. Hight
Treasurer, H. Moody
County Clerk, Julian Frazier
County Seat Commissioner, H. W. Riley
Assessor, C. A. Crain
November
1855:
County Judge, Leonard Crider**
County Surveyor, John L. Tate
Deputy Sheriff, William P. Garner
**(Crider took the place of John H. Hight, who was unable to serve out
his term)
February
1856:
Treasurer, Isacc W. Sumner**
Probate Judge, William R. Prock**
**(Sumner appointed to replace Edward Garner who had moved
from Hartville)
**(Prock appointed to replace Wilson Hillhouse who died)
August
1856:
Assessor, George W. Sparks
Sheriff and Collector, Jesse Young
December
1856:
County Clerk, William P. Garner (succeeded Julian Frazier)
November
1857:
Associate Judge, Carson M. Berry (succeeded Leonard Crider)
January
1858:
County divided into 4 assessment districts.
Assessors: James R. Bowman, Lewis Boyer**, Edward Garner,
J. C. Campbell
**(Later, John Scott replaced Boyer)
November
1858:
Presiding Judge, William Wood
Associate Judge, Abram P.Pool
Associate Judge, William J. Whittaker
Commissioner of the Seat of Justice, J. L. Tate
January
1860:
County Assessor, George Forkner
4 District Assessors: William Moore, Charles A. Crain
George W. Sparks, Jesse Bruton
November
1860:
Presiding Judge, David H. Crawford
Associate Judge, Wood
Associate Judge, P.Pool
Sheriff, C. F. Haggard
County Clerk, John M. Frazier
Deputy Clerk, William Nickle
Assessor, G. W. Sparks
Land Agent, Julian Frazier
From July 1861 to November 2, 1863 the only County Court business conducted
was ordering
money collected on notes due.
November
1863:
Presiding Judge, Ratliff B. Palmer
Associate Judge, William F. Young
Associate Judge, Arnet Shields
County Clerk, William A. Fly
This meeting was held in Dr. S. H. Headlee's house on the
north side of the square because
of damage to the courthouse during the battle of Hartville.
May
1864:
Presiding Judge, William Wood
Associate Judge, Shields
Associate Judge, Young
Assessor, Joseph Pyatt
Public Administrator, Littleton Freeman
County Clerk, Edward Beaumont**
Sheriff, John L. Tate
**(Beaumont appointed to replace Fly who died)
November
1864:
County Clerk, William K. Benton
Treasurer, E. Beaumont
November
1865:
County Judge, William J. Whittaker
County Judge, W. F. Young
County Judge, William Wood
Taxes for 1861-62-63 were waived for those who remained
here during the war.
1866: County
court met in the old dwelling of John Blain, on the west side of the square,
the
same judges, sheriff and clerk being present. But in November of
that year, sessions
were resumed in the courthouse.
November
1866:
Sheriff, John Moore
County Clerk, Barney Amick
February
1867:
Presiding Judge, James Forrest
Associate Judge, Malcolm Hunter
Associate Judge, W. F. Young
Sheriff, Samuel Coday, Jr.
Treasurer, Edward Beaumont
April
1867:
County Attorney, W. S. Pope (by appointment)
County Seat Commissioner, Noah N. Nichols
May 1867--County Court orders all money in the treasury, including the
permanent school
fund, be appropriated to use for Courthouse repairs. This amounted to $3,000.
May 1869--Eli Burney petitioned the Court to discharge him from his liability
on Sheriff
Coday's $20,000 bond.
July
26,
1869:
Sheriff and Collector, W. J. Whittaker**
Treasurer, J. C. Robinson
(Sheriff Coday could not present a $20,000 bond. Office was declared
vacant and
Whittaker appointed)
August 30, 1869--Edward Beaumont, contractor, reports Courthouse repairs completed.
1870:
County Judge, Forrest
County Judge, Robinett
County Judge, Hunter
Assessor, Andrew Ross
January
1871:
Presiding Judge, William Wood
Associate Judge, J. H. Robinett
Associate Judge, Malcolm Hunter
Sheriff, M. D. Gorman
County Clerk, Barney Amick
Treasurer, James Beaumont
April
1871:
Presiding Judge, James Forrest (replaced Wood)
November 1871--new jail accepted from the contractor
January
1872:
Presiding Judge, W. J. Whittaker
Assoicate Judge, Hunter
Associate Judge, Robinett
County Attorney, John M. Frazier**
**(appointed after discussion of the legality John S. Pope's
appointment led to the office
being declared vacant)
1873:
County Judge, J. A. Pyatt
County Judge, Hunter
County Judge, Whittaker
Assessor, John C. Crockett
1874:
Treasurer, N. B. Gaines
Collector, A. P.Pool
1875:
Presiding Judge, John Royster
Associate Judge, William Young
Assoicate Judge, J. A. Pyatt
Sheriff, J. W. Hensley
County Clerk, James Forrest
Treasurer, N. N. Nichols
Road Commissioner, J. L. Tate
Assessor, J. C. Crockett
Collector, A. P.Pool