Hardin County, Iowa

Courthouse Contests continued...

A suit was brought in the district court of Hardin County in April 1863 by Isaac Moore and Thoms Sheldon, against John Alderson, John W. Jones, Ellis Parker and Joseph Edgington, setting aside the previous proceedings, and charging that the judgment in the first case, by which the vote was re-canvassed, was obtained by collusion and fraud of the parties mentioned, and asked to have the vote set aside, declaring that Point Pleasant is the county seat and that the county records be taken to Point Pleasant. When the case was called in district court, the plantiffs, Moore and Sheldon, asked that a change of venue be granted. The case was transferred to Grundy County.

The board of county supervisors refused to be a party to the suit and default was entered against them. After hearing the case, the district court judged Point Pleasant to be the county seat and ordered the removal of the offices to that location. Following this decision, Alderson, Jones, Parker, and Edgington appealed to the supreme coart. The case was heard at the July term with judge C.C. Cole presiding. Judge Cole said that the plaintiffs had failed to prove that there was fraud in obtaining the judgment which they had charged, and for that reason the judgment of the district court was reversed and the petition dismissed absolutely.

Thus ended the long contest, lasting from April 9, 1858, to July 22, 1868. Eldora was decided to be the county seat - legally. In the time frame, a structure, which was later to become known as the Point Pleasant Church, was constructed specifically to house the seat of county business there. However, that was not the end of the contests which would find Eldora fighting for the county seat desgination.

Eldora v. Iowa Falls

Just when things appeared to be going fairly well, in 1870 the Hardin County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution inviting propositions for the location of the county seat at any point in the county, which invitation was accepted on the part of Iowa Falls. That community agreed to donate the sum of $32,000 toward the erection of suitable buildings in their community. This lead to the final contest for the location of the county seat of justice. Eldora citizens rallied and gathered $40,000 in contributions. In the lively competition which followed, the rivalry began between the two communities which lasts to this day.

An election between the two towns to decide the construction location of the new courthouse was held on March 24, 1891, with Eldora being the victor by a margin of 432 votes - 1,428 to 1,060. According to the Eldora Herald, the townships voting in favor of Eldora over Iowa Falls included Etna, Alden, Clay, Jackson, Eldora, Pleasant, Sherman, Union, Providence, and Concord. Those townships favoring Iowa Falls as the county seat were Hardin, Ellis, Buckeye, Tipton, and Grant.

The article in the March 26, 1891 Eldora Herald, which told about election results noted, "The agony is over and the people of Hardin county rejoice that they are to have the second best courthouse in central Iowa without a cent of tax, and at the expense of only $20,000 to the county. Eldora's subscription of $40,000 will be paid into the county treasury according to the terms thereof as soon as the result is declared by the Board of Supervisors. This amount, supplemented by the $20,000 voted by the people will secure public buildings that will be a credit to Hardin county. The contest on Tuesday was spirited, and notwithstanding the rough roads, a large vote was polled. Eldora's friends were alert and active, and met the enemy at every turn. The people of Eldora and Hardin county are to be congratulated at the happy termination of this vexatious question, which, had Iowa Falls had her way, would have been continued for years until per chance the county records would have been distroyed by fire. Many who voted against the peopositions to build a new courthouse and jail were deceived by circulars sent out from Iowa Falls on the eve of election, while some few others were misled by false issues. The verdict of the people has been given, and they will never have occasion to regret the result."

In other areas of the newspaper, editorial comments were made about the results of the election, such as:

"Ta, ta, Iowa Falls."
"Eldora is the best town in Hardin County."
"The people have voted with both eyes open."
"The people have decided not to move the county seat up into Franklin county for the present, but will build magnificent county buildings at Eldora, the best town in Hardin County."

And thus rivalry between Iowa Falls and Eldora has continued through the decades.

The vote approved the proposal calling for construction of a new courthouse at a cost of $50,000 and for a new jail at a cost of $10,000. Through four contests from 1856 through 1891 - not to mention all the legal battles which resulted from the competitions - Eldora has retained the designation as the seat of justice for Hardin County.

And so it has remained for over 139 years.

continued....

Page 1 | 2 | 3