Politics in Lake County began at the Legislature of Indiana, 1835-36, where the territory north of the Kankakee River and east of LaPorte County was divided into Porter and Lake Counties. Only Porter was immediately organized, and Lake County was attached to it.
In the spring of 1836 the commissioners appointed to make this division divided the new territory of Lake into three townships, North, Centre, and South, and ordered an election for justice of the peace in each township, beginning with South Twp.
Amsi L. Ball was elected in North Twp., Solon Robinson in Centre (Center), and Robert Wilkinson in South Twp. -- all held office until the organization of the county took place in 1837.
The mail was slow in 1837, so a special messenger, pioneer John Russell, was sent to Indianapolis to obtain the appointment of a sheriff and also the authority to hold an election. Russell made the trip on foot, and out distanced the mail.
Henry Wells was appointed sheriff, and an election was ordered held.
The first elected officers of the county were William Clark and William B. Crooks, associate judges; Amsi Ball, Stephen P. Stringham and Thomas Wiles, county commissioners; W.A. Holton, recorder; and Solon Robinson, founder of Crown Point, county clerk. The first assessor was John Russell, and the justices of the peace were Peyton Russell in North Twp., Horace Taylor in Center Twp., Milo Robinson at Cedar Lake and E.W. Bryant in South Twp. (now the Three Creek Townships).
That same year (1837), Solon and Milo Robinson erected a log building which was used for several years as a courthouse. In 1840 an act was passed for the relocation of the county seat to Liverpool, and a small building was erected there.
But some appointed state commissioners selected the Lake Court House in Crown Point as the proper place for the county seat.
About that time political excitement was running high, as a presidential election was coming on. About that race, historian Timothy Ball had this to say:
"A larger political gathering took place at the Tippecanoe Battle Ground (near Lafayette). To this, Solon Robinson, Leonard Cutler and some other zealous Whigs of that day went down, across the country with, I think, a four-horse team and flying colors. They had the credit of going and returning without becoming demoralized. They at least claimed that credit. The majority of our citizens of that day were Democrats and in favor of Martin Van Buren."
The politicians of that day also played 'musical chairs,' with the officers of the county 10 years later in 1847 as follows: Henry Wells, sheriff; H.D. Palmer, associate judge; Hervey Ball, probate judge; D.K. Pettibone, clerk; Joseph Jackson, auditor; Major Allman, recorder; William C. Farrington, treasurer; Alex McDonald, assessor; and S.T. Green, H.S. Pelton and Robert Wilkinson, the county commissioners.
The Old Timer's grandfather, Adam Schmal, a pioneer since the age of nine, was elected Lake County Commissioner in 1857 and again in 1862 and was elected Lake County Treasurer in 1867.
The office of probate judge was abolished in 1851, along with the office of associate judge.
The counties of Lake and Porter formed one state representative district until 1850, and in the first election in 1837, J. Hammel of Porter County was elected, followed by Lewis Warriner of Cedar Lake in 1839; then A. McDonald. David Turner was selected in 1855, A. McDonald in 1857, Elihu Griffin in 1859, Bartlett Woods in 1861, D.K. Pettibone in 1863, Bartlett Woods in 1861, H. Wason in 1867, E.C. Field in 1869, and Martin Wood in 1871 and 1873. Two of the early state senators were David Turner and R.C. Wedge.
A young lawyer from Crown Point, Charles F. Griffin, served as Indiana Secretary of State from 1887 to 1891.
Most of the early political history of the Town of Lowell began at the time of consolidation in 1869, when the first three members of the Town Board were elected along with one clerk and one treasurer. George Mee was president of the board in 1869, and George Waters became the town clerk.
The Old Timer was privileged to scan through some old records of the treasurer. Among the interesting items posted in the old ledgers; "Paid M.A. Halsted 70 dollars (in 1869) for "Pound"; 2 well buckets, 2 dollars; 1 chair, 60¢ 1872 - a bill allowed for a team (of horses) to go to Crown Point, 3 dollars; ten dollars was given to John Hack for services as trustee for one year."
D. Powers was trustee president in 1872, followed by Jacob Baughman. In 1881 the Town Board members were John Denney, J. Baughman and John E. Davis. In 1883 the account of Treasurer C.C. Sanger was examined and signed by trustees Melvin Halsted and Martin Schur.
Some notations through the years show that some of the Town Board members were paid five dollars for a year. In 1881 the pay was 12 dollars, and election workers were paid $1.50. Another salary in 1881 was 22 dollars paid to Perkins Turner, who served as town marshal, while John Leary received two dollars per month to light the street lamps.
By 1883 Melvin Halsted, John Denney and Martin Schur each received 12 dollars as trustees.
L.W. Ragon (owner of The Lowell Tribune) was town clerk in 1899, after Peter A. Berg in 1898. Charles Childress received 20 dollars as caretaker of the cemetery in 1899. One interesting notation in the old ledger was an ordinance in 1899 giving the specifications for a wooden sidewalk.
Town officials were listed in the 1909 Directory of Lake County as follows: A.S. Hull, president; H.F. Carstens, trustee; Edwin J. Pixley, clerk; H.M. Johnson, treasurer; and Charles Belshaw, marshal. On the School Board that year were William Sheets, president; Davis Driscoll, secretary, and William Love, treasurer.
The job descriptions have changed and the salaries of those early officials have multiplied many times over the years, something modern politicians can't argue about
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