HISTORY OF WOOD COUNTY



Hiles, Cary, and Dexter. It was reorganized Feb. 23, 1865, and shortly afterward
was vacated and its territory distributed to other towns.
    Looking Backward.-An examination of the record of proceedings of the
county
 board, from the organization of the county to a recent period, reveals some
items
 of interest that may not be included elsewhere in this volume, and, therefore,
will
 be here briefly mentioned.
    On Jan. 5, 1858, the board adopted the Wood County Reporter as its official
 organ, to publish all proceedings. This paper had been established in November
 the year before by J. N. Brundage, and was the first, and at that time the
only,
 newspaper in the county. A few days later, January 11, the board received
a
 petition from a number of citizens referring to "the present pressure
in monetary
 affairs and the consequent stagnation in all the productive branches of
industry
 and trade," and asserting that this condition of things had "created
a necessity
 on the part of many worthy and industrious citizens of limited means to
call on
 the respective towns in which they lived for temporary aid.' The signers
suggested
 that the board should examine the laws in regard to ferries to see if it
would not be
 possible to so regulate the same so as to create a cash fund for the support
of the
 poor in the county, or, if this were not feasible, to devise some other
plan for the
 same purpose. The committee appointed to investigate found the ferries subject
 to full county regulation, and action was taken as requested.
    On March 10, 1858, the board passed a bill granting a bounty of five
dollars
for the destruction of wolves. On June 21 the same year $1,000 was appropriated
for bridges, Dexter, Hemlock and Centralia each receiving $300 and Rudolph
$100.
Thomas E. Newman was the first to collect a wolf bounty, for a grey wolf
killed
in September, 1858. From time to time, beginning about this period, commissions
were appointed to lay out county roads and additional appropriations were
made
for bridges in towns. In August, 1861, the board passed an order, to remain
in
effect one year allowing the wives of volunteer soldiers from the county
three
dollars per month, and each child of such volunteers two dollars per month.
   When ferry licenses were granted in February, 1862, the toll rates established
were as follows: For each four-horse, mule or ox team, loaded or unloaded,
with a
driver, 25 cents; each single horse and carriage with a driver, 1212 cents;
each
single horse and rider, 10 cents; each head of horses or horned cattle up
to ten
head, 5 cents; each additional head of horses or horned cattle, 3 cents;
each swine
or sheep, 5 cents; each foot passenger, 3 cents; all freight or merchandise
not
moved with team, per barrel, 10 cents; all other articles of freight, per
hundred
pounds, 10 cents. A ferry was to consist of one boat at least 50 x 12 feet
for ani-
mals, and one skiff at least 16 x 4 feet for foot passengers. The ferries
were to run
from 6'a. m. to 12 m,from 1 p. m. to 6 p. m. and from 7 p. m. to 9 p. m.,
and were
to be operated by means of a rope or cable, or by horse power.
   According to an item dated March 15, 1862, the families of volunteers
enlist-
ing after April 1, 1862, were not entitled to an allowance. On April 17 the
same
year the volunteer allowance was repealed, the repeal to take effect June
1, 1862.
On Jan. 1, 1863 the sum of $200 was appropriated to assist the families of
volun-
teers.
   On April 23, 1863, the commissioner system of county government having
beoen
adopted in the previous year, the board divided the county into three districts,



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