Judges-Lieut. Gov. Timothy Burns was elected to serve as first County Judge in the spring of 1851. He was succeeded by Hon. George Gale, who was elevated to that position in the fall of the same year. In 1853, R. C. Van Rensselaer was elected, holding the position till 1858. James I. Lyndes followed, but resigned in 1859. Samuel S. Burton was appointed to the vacancy, and, at the expiration of the term, was elected to serve an additional term, which he held till 1865. Hugh Cameron followed, holding till 1870. Capt. Daniel Webster came next, but soon resigned, his place being filled by B. F. Bryant, who was appointed by Gov. Fairchild to serve for the unexpired term. C. S. Benton came next, and was re-elected in 1877, resigning in March, 1881. Hugh Cameron was then appointed, and since then elected to serve till January, 1886.

Sheriffs-1851, A. Eldred; 1853, James W. Polleys; 1855, Moses Clark; 1857, Moses Clark; 1859, George Staley; 1861, Isaac L. Usher; 1863, H. N. Solberg; 1865, Joseph P. Scott; 1867, James W. Polleys; 1869, H. N. Solberg; 1871, John S. Simonton; 1873, Peter Moe; 1875, H. S. Phillips; 1877, Charles L. Halstead; 1879, Mark M. Buttles.

Treasurers-1851, Peter Burns, F. M. Rublee; 1853, Ira Myrick; 1854, William Hood; 1855, William Hood; 1857, William Hood; 1859, T. N. Horton; 1861, T. N. Horton; 1863, J. B. Jungen; 1865, C. C. Palmer; 1867, C. C. Palmer; 1869, N. P. Waller; 1871, F. Fliescher; 1873, L. D. Robey; 1875, John Lienlokken; 1877, J. Lienlokken; 1879, John Lienlokken.

Clerks of Court-1851, R. Looney, H. E. Hubbard; 1853, H. E. Hubbard; 1855, H. E. Hubbard; 1857, Leonard Lottridge; 1859, Leonard Lottridge; 1861, O. H. Smith; 1863, H. J. Peck; 1865, H. J. Peck; 1867, H. J. Peck; 1869, Christian Koenig; 1871, C. Koenig; 1873, C. Koenig; 1875, Charles Smith; 1877, Charles Smith; 1879, C. Smith.

District Attorneys-1851, Chase A. Stevens, Edwin Flint; 1853, J. K. Furch; 1855, C. R. Rogers; 1857, M. G. Hanscom; 1859, Alexander Cameron; 1861, J. W. Losey; 1863, E. H. McMillan; 1865, G. M. Woodward; 1867, G. M. Woodward; 1869, G. M. Woodward; 1871, G. M. Woodward; 1873, B. F. Bryant; 1875, H. M. Safford; 1877, B. F. Bryant; 1879, B. F. Bryant.

Register of Deeds-1851, William T. Price; 1852, Chase A. Stevens; 1854-55-56-5758-59, John A. Walker; 1860, Victor M. Adams; 1861, Christian Koenig; 1863, V. M. Adams; 1865, A. Steinlein; 1867, A. Steinlein; 1869, Leopold Walchenheimer; 1871, Leopold Walchenheimer; 1873, Leopold Walchenheimer; 1875, Leopold Walchenheimer; 1877; Leopold Walchenheimer; 1879, Leopold Walchenheimer; 1880, Esias Legler.

County School Superintendents-1861, P. S. Elwell; 1863, F. A. Moore; 1865, J. E. Atwater; 1867, G. S. Patton; 1869, G. S. Patton; 1871, G. S. Patton; 1873, S. M. Leets; 1875, S. M. Leets; 1877, S. M. Leets.

Surveyors-1851, William Hood; 1853, William Hood; 1855, T. N. Horton; 1857, J. F. Bryant; 1859, H. I. Bliss; 1861, H. I. Bliss; 1863, J. F. Bryant; 1865, H. I. Bliss; 1867, H. I. Bliss; 1869, H. I. Bliss; 1871, H. I. Bliss; 1873, J. M. Marti; 1875, S. Middlebrook; 1877, S. Middlebrook; 1879, S. Middlebrook.

Coroners-1851, John M. Levy. [No record to be found during these intervening years]. 1861, G. C. Neumister; 1863, G. Simonton; 1865, John Fox; 1867, John Fox; 1869, J. Manchester; 1871, D. S. Eakins; 1873, James Kevin; 1875, George Hanson; 1877, D. D. Polleys 1879, C. S. Stockwell.

Supervisors-Timothy Burns, Jacob Spaulding and Charles Whipple, 1851; Edwin Flint, W. T. Price and Joseph K. French, 1852; E. Childs, M. Palmer, M. C. Bostwick and M. McMillan, 1853; A. Crane, O. Croak, J. Miller, L. A. Viets, T. C. Gilbert and John Mildrum, 1854; Moses Clark, C. C. Palmer, T. L. Smith, William Van Zandt, William Van Water and Jacob Bagley, 1855; James Mohr, E. D. Campbell, James Whalen, William Sims, B. E. Brower, T. L. Smith, W. Van Zandt, I. J. Matheson and V. M. Adams, 1856; E. D. Campbell, W. H. Tucker, L. R. Bowen, John Wheldon, T. L. Smith, C. C. Palmer, William Sims, V. M. Adams, N. J. Tompkins and C. Redburg, 1857; Willis Gregory, George Scharpf, D.

G

Taylor, N. J. Tompkins, William Moore, G. B. Richardson, C. C. Palmer, T. H. Erman, James Squires, T. L. Smith, S. Woodward, William McConnell, Jacob Steen and D. A. Kenedy, 1858; J. I. Lynds, G. Farnum, C. G. Hanscom, R. C. Van Renssellaer, L. Porter, A. S. Fuller, J. S. Metcalf, E. B. Richardson, V. W. Adams, T. L. Smith, E. Redbury and T. Whipple, 1859; H. E. Hubbard, J. Fay, C. L. Coleman, H.B. Calahan. Charles Hall, J. Falbey, William Finhoff, J. Halverson, J. R. Perry, I. Hurlburt, A. Andrews and R. Irwin, 1860; C. L. Coleman, W. W. Crosby, J. S. Simonton, N. Hudgen, M. Barlow, H. A. Winston, Charles Hall, I. Martin, A. P. Fuller, A. S. McCook, E. B. Richardson, Walter Brown, J. R. Perry, J. Halverson, R. Irvin and J. McNeil, 1861.

During the ensuing ten years the Commissioners system obtained.

Commissioners-Thomas Spiree, William Hood and L. A. Viets, 1862; C. L. Coleman, James Barclay, Kund Kundson and L. A. Viets, who was elected to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of K. Kundson, in 1864; C. L. Coleman, Orange Smith and John Wheldon, 1866; A. McMillan, Charles Hall and V. M. Adams, 1868; S. Briggs and William Van Zandt, 1870.

In 1870, each Township elected its Supervisors, the Chairman of each Town B becoming ex officio a member of the County Board, which was thus made up and elected annually.

A. L. Page, L. R. Bowen, William Hanley, J. L. Pettingill, M. Stadder, S. Briggs, C. C. Palmer, N. Pittinger, W. Nedwidek, Kund Kundson, John Ulrich and Alexander McMillan, 1870; W. Apsey, L. R. Bowen, S. Briggs, John Bell, M. Hess, J. Halverson, K. Kundson, A. Maguire, D. D. Polleys, N. Pittinger, J. L. Pettingill, A. L. Page, C. C. Smith, John Vogel and William Van Waters, 1871: S. Briggs, J. Bell, R. N. Burns, George Howard, J. W. Johnson, K. Kundson, A. Maguire, S. McKown, J. L. Pettingill, A. L. Page, N. Pittenger, T. Rodolf, D. Shane, H. Tasto and W. Van Zandt, 1872; S. Briggs, J. Bell, J. Gutman, C. Hall, J. W. Gutman, J. W. Johnson, A. Maguire, D. D. McMillan, S. McKown, N. Pittinger, A. L. Page, T. Rodolf, D. S. Shane, J. Luley, H. Tasto and W. Van Zandt, 1873; S. Briggs, J. Bell, J. Gutman, C. Hall, J. W. Johnson, J. Johnson, A. Maguire D. D. McMillan. S. S. McKown, A. L. Page, N. Pettinger, T. Rodolf, D. Shane, J. Luley, H. Tasto and W. Van Zandt, 1874; S. Briggs, L. R. Bowen; C. Hall, W. Hautry, J. Johnson, S. McKown, P. G. Moulton, D. D. McMillan, J. M. Marti, A, L. Page, T. Rodolf, J. P. Scott, N. Southard, H. Tasto and W. Van Zandt, 1875; S. Briggs, L. R. Bowen, G. W. Brice, J. Bosshard, W. Hawley, C. Hall, J. F. Hosmer, John Johnson, J. Halverson, A. McMillan, R. Morris, S. McKown, S. L. Nevins, R. T. Roberts. J. P. Scott and W. Van Zandt, 1876; S. Briggs, W. B. Gahen, J. F. Hosmer, D. D. McMillan, S. B. Oatman, Frank Pooler, J. A. Pettingill, E. R. Roberts, T. Richmond, R. T. Roberts, F. B. Smith, J. P. Scott, D. Shaw, T. Shimmins, H. Tasto, R. Tausche and D. A. Thayer, 1877; J. Bell, F. B. Bradish, W. W. Crosby, J. C. Hewitt, L. Hasvold, J. Johnson, J. Moran, S. B. Oatman, Frank Pooler, E. R. Roberts, A. Rannius, T. Richmond, D. Shane, D. Sandman, F. B. Smith, J. P. Scott and R. Tausche, 1878; J. Augustin, J. Damson, J. C. Hewitt, L. Hasvold, A. Hirshheimer, J. Johnson, C. Linse, G. R. Montague, Frank Pooler, E. R. Roberts, R. T. Roberts, D. Shane, D. Sandman, F. B. Smith, J. P. Scott, R. Tausche and W. W. Webb, 1879; L. Chesier, J. Dawson, J. C. Hewitt, James Gilfillian, L. Hasvold, C. Linse, Joy Pettingill, E. R. Roberts, R. T. Roberts, W. A. Roosevelt, T. Rodolf, L. Strugel, D. Sandman, F. B. Smith, R. Tausche and W. W. Webb, 1880; G. W. Buck, J. Dawson, L. Hasvold, C. Linse, Joy Pettingill, G. W. Robinson, W. A. Roosevelt, T. Rodolf, R. T. Roberts, F. B. Smith, William Smith, L. Strugal, D. Sandman, R. Tausche, D. A. Thayer and W. W. Webb, 1881.

COURT HOUSE.

During the session of the Legislature held in the winter of 1850-51, an act was passed making La Crosse the county seat only on condition of putting up the necessary public buildings within one year and free of expense to the county, in default of which a special election was to

be held upon sixty days' notice, and the site changed to the place having a majority of the votes cast. As the village had less than two hundred residents, and the time given was too short to admit of any extended public action, or any scheme of self-imposed taxation, which would have required a popular vote, there was no resource but to make personal appeals to the generosity of those interested. A most generous response was had, and a frame building of two stories was erected on the site of the present stone structure. It was 26x36, having rooms for all the county officers on the first floor, and a court-room above, which was made use of for almost every gathering of a public nature, as church meetings, public meetings, debating clubs, a library association, It continued to be used for all purposes of a general character till 1867, when it became too small for the increased business of the county. It was sold to a Mr. Pearson, by whom it was removed to Vine street near the corner of Third, and used as a boarding house. In 1866, it passed into the hands of its present proprietor, A. McDonald, and is now the well-known Washington Hotel.

etc.

The first jail was a small one-story stone concern of about 15x15, built in rear of and coming up flush against the old court house. The ceiling was filled with several tons of broken stones, with a view to prevent escape by raining down an avalanche upon the hapless head of the prisoner who should seek an escape in that direction. The walls extended down four feet below the surface and a floor was made of flagging. The prison was notorious for its insecurity, as, being built upon the sand, it was a comparatively easy matter to dig out beneath the walls. One of the first tenants was the murderer Watts, whose brutal murder of his old companion, Darst, is still recalled by all the older settlers. It was said to be a standing jest that when the jailer looked disconsolate, an inquiry revealed the fact that he had lost all his boarders. To the question, "How many escaped last night?" the reply would invariably correspond with the number confined.

The new jail was built in 1858, by A. W. Shepard, and is modeled after the ancient Egyptian, having heavy walls, sloping window casings, and a curved cornice extending around the building at the same level. It is 45x67, and is a rather low structure giving the appearance of great strength and solidity, which it possesses in an eminent degree. The prison proper is 39x45, and contains 16 cells, each 6x9, containing two hammocks. The cells are in two tiers, the floors being composed of a single stone, the ceiling of the lower tier forming the floor of the upper. An open corridor extends around them, inclosed by walls of two feet in thickness, giving the inmates ample room for exercise.

In the living portion of the building are rooms ample for a large family, as also three rooms for female prisoners. All are models of neatness. For a number of years previous to the completion of the new court house, the county offices were in the jail in the division afterward fitted up for a residence for the Sheriff. About two hundred cords of stone were used in its construction. The walls are two feet in thickness with projecting courses at the corners and windows, adding much to the air of massive strength with which it impresses the beholder. It seems impossible that one should ever escape from it, and the writer was told by the jailer that, so far as he knew, no such event had ever happened.

The new court house was commenced in 1867, and completed the following year. Mr. William Listman had the contract, and it can truthfully be said, that for every dollar received the county received an equivalent. This is a most unusual circumstance to record of a public work, and is worthy special mention. This building is on the site of an ancient sand hill, in the center of the public square, fronting on Third street, between State and Vine. Like the new jail, immediately in its rear, it is built solidly of stone throughout. The basement is eight feet in the clear, the foundation course is four feet wide, and one foot below the floor, the wall two and onehalf feet thick, in first story, two feet, and in second, twenty inches, all in eight inch courses of magnesian limestone and hammer dressed. The basement partition walls are of brick, eighteen inches in width, and in first story, of eight inches. The vaults for the public records and documents, which are absolutely fire-proof, are of brick, with outer walls sixteen inches in thickness, and inner ones of four inches, with an air flue of four inches between them. These all have