west corner of same township, running thence east on the township line, to the southeast corner of same township; thence north on range line to the place of beginning.

Township No. 6, (Dresden).—To include all of township 46, range 22, bound as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of said township 46, range 22, running thence west on township line to the northwest corner of same township; thence running south on range line to the southwest corner of same township; running thence east on the township line to the southeast corner of same township; running thence north on range line to the place of beginning.

Township No. 7, (Cedar).-To include all of township 46, range 21, except the six sections on the south side of said township, bound as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of said township 46, range 21; running thence west on township line to the northwest corner of said township; running thence south on the range line to the southwest corner of section 30, same township; running thence east on the section line to the southeast corner of section 25, same township; running thence north on the range line to the place of beginning.

Township No. 8, (Bowling Green). To include all of congressional township 46, range 20, bound as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of said township 46, range 20; running thence west on the township line to the northwest corner of same township; running thence south on the range line to the southwest corner of same township; running thence east on the township line to the southeast corner of same township; running thence north on the range line to the place of beginning.

Township No. 9, (Smithton). To include all of congressional township 45, range 20, bound as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of said township 45, range 20; running thence west on the township line to the southwest corner of same township; running thence south on the range line to the southwest corner of same township; running thence east on the township line to the southeast corner of same township; running thence north on the range line to the place of beginning.

Township No. 10, (Sedalia).—To include congressional township 45, range 21, except that portion lying south of Flat creek; also, to include six sections off of the south side of township 46, range 21, bound as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of section 36, township 46, range 21; running thence west on the section line to the north-west corner of section 31, same township; running thence south on the range line to the south-west corner of section 19, township 45, range 21; running thence east on section line to the south-east corner of section 19, township 45, range 21, Flat Creek then being the south line of said township; from said south-east corner of section 19, township 45, range 21, running east to the range line, near the south-east corner of section 13, township 45, range 21, thence north on range line to the place of beginning.

Township No. 11, (Prairie).—To_include all of congressional township 45, range 22, bound as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of said township 45, range 22; running thence west on the township line to the northwest corner of same township and range, running thence south on the range line to the southwest corner of same township; running thence east on the township line to the southeast corner of same township; running thence north on the range line to the place of beginning.

Township No. 12, (Elk Fork).—To include all of congressional township 45, range 23, bound as follows: Commencing at the north-east corner of said township 45, range 23; running thence west on the township line to the northwest corner of same township; thence south on the county line to the southwest corner of same township; running thence east on the township line to the southeast corner of same township; running thence north on the range line to the place of beginning.

Township No. 13, (Green Ridge).-To include all of congressional township 44, range 23, and all of that portion of township 43, range 23, that belongs to Pettis county, bound as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of township 44, range 23, running thence west on the township line to the northwest corner of same township; running thence south on the county line to the southwest corner of Pettis county; thence running east on the county line to the southeast corner of section 12, township 43, range 23; thence north on the range line to the place of beginning.

Township No. 14, (Washington).— To include all of congressional township 44, range 22, and all of that portion of township 43, range 22, that belongs to Pettis county, bound as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of township 44, range 22, running thence west on the township line to the northwest corner of same township; running thence south on the range line to the southwest corner of section 7, township 43, range 22; running thence east on the county line to the southeast corner of section 2, same township and range; thence north on the range line to place of beginning.

Township No. 15, (Flat Creek).—To include all of congressional township 44, range 21, and all that portion of township 45, range 21, lying south of Flat Creek, bound as follows: Commencing at the range line near the southeast corner of section 13, township 45, range 21, running thence west with Flat Creek to the southeast corner of section 19, township 45, range 21; thence west on the section line to the southwest corner of same section (19); running thence south on the range line to the southwest corner of section 31, township 44, range 21; running thence east on county line to the southeast corner of section 36, township 44, range 21; running thence north on the range line to the place of beginning.

Township No. 16, (Lake Creek.)-To include all of congressional township 44, range 20, bound as follows: Commencing at the northeast. corner of said township 44, range 20, running thence west on the township line to the northwest corner of same township; running thence south on the range line to the southwest corner of same township; running thence east on the county line to the southeast corner of Pettis county; running thence north on the county line to the place of beginning.

These municipal townships continue as here stated, except a voting precinct formed from portions of townships Nos. 2 and 3, forming the precinct of Hughsville.

As will be found further on, this county did not retain the township system law very long. However, nothing was of any importance urged against the organization. Under that law the people were more directly their own rulers. Much of their business was at home. In States where the township organization has existed for years, schools and general prosperity is there most observed.

LOCATION OF THE TOWNSHIPS AS AT PRESENT, (1882).

The following order of court made April 9, 1873, the law which allowed. the county to be divided into judicial districts:

WHEREAS, the General Assembly of the State of Missouri did pass an act (which act was approved March 24, 1873), entitled an act "To more fully provide for the organization of counties into municipal townships, and to further provide for the local government thereof, and repealing all former acts relating thereto." And, whereas, article 17 of said act provides that the county court of each county having adopted the township organization law of this State, at their first meeting after the passage of this act, shall proceed to district their respective counties into four compact districts for judicial purposes. It is, therefore, ordered by the court, that Pettis county be divided into four (4) districts, as follows: Townships Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 shall constitute district No. 1, or Heath's Creek district; townships Nos. 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 and 14 shall constitute District No. 2, or Washington District; townships Nos. 8, 9, 15 and 16 shall constitute District No. 3, or Bowling Green District; townships Nos. 7 and 10 shall constitute District No. 4, or Mt. Sterling District.

The election following the adoption and districting of the county, five county judges were elected, one from each district and one from the county at large.

This new organization of the county was an experiment, which proved to be of little avail. Only a few years of its trial were sufficient to convince the people that the old land-marks of their fathers' were preferable. Men think and act often as their fathers have acted.

At present the county has three judges. Maj. Wm. Gentry is president of the county court.

This system is generally adopted over Missouri now, and is generally approved.

Under date of July 17, 1877, after the township system was repealed, the county court made the following order:

Ordered by the court, that the municipal townships in Pettis county, remain as they now exist, also that the road districts that have been established by the township boards, remain as so established, and that,

Township No. 1, be named and known as Heath's Creek township; that township No. 2, be named and known as Longwood township; that township No. 3, be named and known as Houstonia township; that township No. 4, be named and known as Blackwater township; that township No. 5, be named and known as Lamont township; that township No. 6, be named and known as Dresden township; that township No. 7, be named and known as Cedar township; that township No. 8, be named and known as Bowling Green township; that township No. 9, be named and known as Smithton township; that township No. 10, be named and known as Sedalia township; that township No. 11, be named and known as Prairie township; that township No. 12, be named and known as Elk Fork township; that township No. 13, be named and known as Green Ridge township; that township No. 14, be named and known as Washington township; that township No. 15, be named and known as

Flat Creek township; that township No. 16, be named and known as Lake Creek township.

Justices of the peace and constables were appointed for each township. James Wasson, James Ramey, Reuben E. Gentry and George Heard, were among the pioneer justices.

The names and events which most naturally belong to this chapter have been given and we proceed to the consideration of other themes, fervently hoping that future generations may maintain the honor due the memory of their fathers.

CHAPTER V.-POLITICAL HISTORY.

Political History--Whigs and Democrats-Definitions of Parties, Law and its FunctionsKnow-Nothing Party-Parties in 1860-Missouri Prefers to Remain Loyal-Test Oath of 1865-Democrats in Power in 1872-Names of Pioneer Whigs and DemocratsBell and Everett Party Successful in 1860-Incidents of the Late War-Election Returns of 1880-Official Directory.

When Pettis county became a member of the commonwealth of Missouri in 1833, there were two active, distinctly defined political parties, known as whigs and democrats.

A brief sketch of these rival parties is pertinent here. The name whig is of Scotch derivation. It is thought by some to come from the word whey, a drink which the Scottish Covenanters used, or from whiggam, a term in Scotland used in driving horses, and whiggimore, one who drives horses, contracted to whig. In 1848, a party of Scotch marched to Edinburgh to oppose the king and the duke of Hamilton, and therefore the name whig was applied to the opponents of the king. Some writers claim that the word whig originated from the initial letters of "we hope in God," as a motto of the club from which the whig party took its rise.

The whig party of England originated in the seventeenth century, during the reign of Charles I, or II, when great contests existed respecting the royal prerogatives and the rights of the people. Those who supported the king in his high claims were called tories, and the advocates of popular rights were called whigs.

During the American Revolution (1775-1783), the whigs were the friends and supporters of the war ensuing, opposed to the tories and royalists.

The whigs as a political party in the United States originated from fragments of the old federalist party in about 1829, as opposed to the democrats. Their first success was the election to the presidency of Gen. Wm. H. Harrison. This party, generally speaking, favored tariff, gradual emancipation of negro slavery, and a strong central government. In brief, they were the federalists in principle. In 1853 this party ceased to be