Information Sheet
R Washington County (Mo.).
County Court.
633 Record book, 1822-1839.
One volume.
This is the record book of the Washington County Court beginning on 11 November 1822 and continuing through 8 July 1839. Court business generally included appointments of local officials, certifications of elections, assessments, and road matters.
Washington County was organized in 1813 and the village of Mine au Breton was designated the county seat. Moses Austin donated most of the land for the seat of government, which later became the town of Potosi. Construction of a courthouse began in 1814.
The records in this volume begin on 11 November 1822, and continue through 8 July 1839. John C. Brickey was county clerk for the entire time represented by the records, except during the period when he served as presiding judge. The judges (now called commissioners) included Abraham Brinker, Daniel Dunklin, Thompson H. Ficklin, Andrew Goforth, John Perry, Jr., Risdon [?] H. Price, Henry Shields, and James M. White. Routine business included appointments of constables, justices of the peace, and patrollers, certifications of elections, laying out roads, establishing road districts, appointing road overseers, the relief of paupers, and appointments of guardians. Financial matters and county revenues, such as assessments, the sales of school lands and tavern licenses, were also frequent items of business. In 1823, Robert M. Stevenson, John Brickey, Samuel Perry, and Robert C. Bruffey, were appointed commissioners to fix the permanent seat of justice and plan a new courthouse and jail, which were said to be “decaying” and “insufficient.” Conditions in the courthouse were so inhospitable that in November 1823 the court convened at the residence of William Ficklin, but the court finally agreed only to repair the structure. On 2 May 1826, the Court granted the petition to incorporate the town of Potosi. Other matters taken up by the court included the erection of a stray pen and payments for militia service.
The records also include affidavits of Revolutionary War veterans who were applying for benefits based on military service. Recorded are affidavits of Peter Pinnell (3 November 1830), Elijah Baker (7 August 1832), David Weger (7 November 1832), James Johnson (5 February 1833), and Edward Thomas (4 November 1834). The court also certified Adam House (4 May 1835), and David Bailey (5 May 1835) as veterans of the Revolution.
The last entry in the volume is an index of road overseers and road reports.
Index cards for this collection
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