3. ROSTER OF COUNTY OFFICERS*
(Date after name of officer refers to
date of commission unless otherwise stated)

 County Commissioners’ Court**
(The first county administrative body, from
1837 to 1849, which consisted of three elected commissioners)

Joshua P. Crow, Amos Bonney, George Miller,             August 1, 1837 William J. Dehaven,
     August 2, 1841
Isaac C. Spence, Amos Bonney,
Joshua P. Crow,    August 7, 1838[1] 		Robert Seeper,
     August 1, 1843
Isaac C. Spence
     August 5, 1839		 Henry McHenry
    January 9, 1843[2]
John C. Scott, Marcus Chandler,
    August 3, 1840[3]

*    This list was compiled from the following sources:

A.     Secretary of State. Index Department, Election Returns, Returns from County Clerk to Secretary of State. 1809-47, 78 volumes (1-78), third tier, bay 1; 1848--, 53 file drawers (2-54) third tier, bay 2, State Archives Building, Springfield.

B.  Secretary of State. Executive Department, Certificates of Qualification. 1819--, 22 file drawers (1-22), fourth tier, bay 5, State Archives Building, Springfield.

C.     (1) Secretary of State. Executive Department Official Records, List of Commissions issued to County Officers. 1809-1918, 5 volumes, fourth tier, bay 6, State Archives Building, Springfield. (2) Secretary of State Executive Department Official Records, List of Commissions issued to County Officers. 1869—4 volumes, Room 208, Second Floor, Secretary of State’s Office Executive Department, State Capitol Building, Springfield.

Where state records are incomplete or missing, data are secured from county records; secondary sources are   used only when state and county records are deficient or not available.

** Dates shown after commissioners’ names indicate dates of election unless otherwise stated. By a law passed in 1837, the three county commissioners elected in 1838 were to draw lots marked one, two, and three years to determine length of term. Thereafter, until 1849, one commissioner was to be regularly elected each year to serve a three-year term. For length of term of other county board officers, see ch. I, County Board; for length of term of all other officers, see separate office essays.

Jesse B. Pierce (Pearce),[4]
   August 7, 1843		 Henry McHenry,
   August 3, 1846
George B. Thompson,
   August 5, 1844[5] 		George H. Nolte,
   August 2, 1847
William McHenry,
   August 4, 1845		 William Armstrong,
   August 7, 1848

County Court
(From 1849 until institution of commission form of government in 1873, county business was administered by the county judge and two associate justices acting as the county board)

James Shaw, county judge,
   November 14, 1849		 George W. Shawn, William McHenry,
associate justices,
   November 24, 1857
William Taylor, Francis Arenz,
Associate justices,
   November 6, 1849		 Francis H. Rearick, county judge,
William McHenry, George W. Shawn,
associate justices,
   November 25, 1861
Jacob Ward, associate justice,
   May 21, 1851		 John A. Arenz, county judge,
   November 19, 1865,
John A. Arenz, county judge,
   December 2, 1853,		 Jennings G. Martin, Samuel Smith,
associate justices,
   November 7, 1865 (elected)
S. Paddock, Issac Epler,
Associate justices,
   November 22, 1853,		 Alex Huffman, county judge,
   November 23, 1869
James N. Short, associate justice,
   December 1, 1854		 Francis H. Rearick, county judge,
   March 1, 1872,
Christopher H. C. Haverclust,
County judge,		 Andrew Struble, Jeptha Plaster,
Associate justices,
   November 16, 1869

Board of County Commissioners*
(Beginning in 1873, administration of county business was lodged in this board of three elected commissioners until institution of township government in 1924)

William Campbell, Robert Feilden, John Malone,
   November 4, 1873 (elected)[6] 		Albert H. Krohe,
   November 11, 1899
William Campbell,
   November 24, 1874		 George W. Chittich,
   November 27, 1900
Luke Dunn,
   November 10, 1875		 Robert H. Armstrong,
   November 29, 1901
James R. Crum,
   November 23, 1876		 H. A. Bridgman,
   November 29, 1902
Robert Clark,
   December 1, 1877		 James R. Sligh,
   June 9, 1903
Thomas Knight,
   November 25, 1878		 George W. Stout,
   November 10, 1903
James R. Crum,
   November 24, 1879		 William W. Dick,
   November 26,1904
Louis C. Hackman,
   December 1, 1880		 Henry A. Bridgman,
   November 23, 1905
Luke Dunn,
   December 1, 1881		 John Brech,
   November 26, 1906
F. W. Gerdis,
   December 1, 1882		 John L. Marlin,
   November 19, 1907
Louis C. Hackman,
   November 26, 1883		 George F. Kuhlman,
   November 23, 1908
George A. Beard,
   April 8, 1884 (elected)		 Augus Taylor,
   November 13, 1909
Henry Garm,
   December 1, 1884		 Robert H. Londen,
   November 30, 1910
William Buracker,
   December 7, 1885		 George F. Kuhlman,
   November 28, 1911
Louis C. Hackman,
   December 6, 1886		 William Roegge,
   November 25, 1912
Henry Garm,
   December 5, 1887		 Robert H. Londen,
   November 8, 1913
William Burakar (Buracker),
   December 3, 1888		 George F. Kuhlman,
   November 18, 1914
Pins Neff,
   November 13, 1889		 William Roegge,
   November 19, 1915
Oliver Decker,
   November 26, 1890		 Robert H. Londen,
   December 1, 1916
George W. Stout,
   November 10, 1891		 M. J. Palmer,
   November 17, 1917
F. W. Korsmeyer,
   November 29, 1892		 George Washington Armstrong,
   November 22, 1918
Oliver Decker,
   November 14, 1893		 Robert H. Londen,
   November 11, 1919
George W. Stout,
   November 27, 1894		 E. H. Kloker,
   November 19, 1920
F. W. Korsmeyer,
   November 20, 1895		 George Washington Armstrong,
   November 29, 1921
Albert Krohe,
   November 19, 1896		 George F. Kuhlman,
   November 21, 1922
George W. Chittich,
   November 16, 1897		 Robert H. Londen,
   November 16, 1923
Phillip N. Bailey,
   November 29, 1898

[1] Spence drew the one-year, Crow the two-year, and Bonney the three-year terms at a meeting September 4, 1838 (Commissioners’ Court, v.1, p. 32, in Supervisors’ Minutes (Record), see entry 3)

[2] Recorded as a commissioner (ibid., p. 183); records do not show when he was elected or which commissioner he succeeded.

[3] Scott was elected for the regular three-year term. Chandler was elected for two years to fill an unexpired term, presumably that of Spence.

[4] Recorded as “Pearce,” September 15, 1843 (Commissioners’ Record, v. 1, p. 212, in Supervisors’ Minutes (Record), see entry 3).

[5] Recorded as taking oath and seat as commissioner, September 4, 1844 (ibid., p. 255). State records show that George B. Thompson and Amos Atwater were tied with 376 votes each at election, August 5, 1844.

* Under the provisions of the Const. Of 1870 (Art. X sec. 6) the first three commissioners were to hold office for one, two, and three years, to be determined by lot: and every year thereafter one such officer was to be elected for a term of three years.

[6] Campbell drew the one-year, Fielden the two-year, and Malone the three-year terms, December 1, 1873 (County Court Record, v. D, p. 203, in Supervisors’ Minutes (Record), see entry 3).