County seat war

Last updated

Vigilantes in the 1893 Tucker County Seat War, West Virginia Tucker County Seat War Courthouse 1893.jpg
Vigilantes in the 1893 Tucker County Seat War, West Virginia

A county seat war is an American phenomenon that occurred mainly in the Old West as it was being settled [1] and county lines determined. Incidents elsewhere, such as in Michigan, Appalachian Ohio, and West Virginia, have also been recorded. [2] As new towns sprang up and county lines were drawn, there was intense competition for the status and tax benefits bestowed by becoming a county seat. These "wars" often involved nothing more than lining up at the ballot box, but sometimes partisans for a particular town would resort to voter fraud, intimidation, or violence.

Contents

History

The fight between Coronado and neighboring Leoti in western Kansas is considered the bloodiest occurrence of this phenomenon. Leoti hired lawmen Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson from Dodge City, Kansas to help win the fight.

Another violent county seat war in Kansas resulted in the Hay Meadow Massacre in Stevens County.

Yet another Kansas county seat war resulted in the dissolution of a county when Eminence and Ravanna fought over the privilege of being the county seat for Garfield County. When people in the county suggested the county be surveyed, it was found that it was too small to be a legal county under a Kansas law established in the late 19th century (Wyandotte County had been founded before this law was passed). Garfield County was then dissolved and annexed into Finney County, which is why that county has a panhandle.

In Colorado, a silver mining boom in Grand County led to the escalation of violence when the county seat was changed from Hot Sulphur Springs to Grand Lake in 1881.  Tensions increased until in 1883, a shootout in Grand Lake led to the deaths of three county commissioners and the county clerk.  The county sheriff, who had shot one of the pro-Grand Lake officials in the incident, wound up killing himself soon after the event. The county seat was moved back to Hot Sulphur Springs in 1888. [3]

By the late 19th century, battles over county seats were settled in elections that saw voter fraud, intimidation, and heated debates, as seen in the relocation of several Washington county seats in the late 19th century: Lincoln County from Sprague to Davenport, and Snohomish County from Snohomish to Everett. [4] [5]

In Spokane County, an armed mob from Cheney forcibly seized county records from the elected seat of Spokane Falls (now Spokane), in 1881. Spokane became the county seat in an 1886 election. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spokane County, Washington</span> County in Washington, United States

Spokane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 539,339, making it the fourth-most populous county in Washington. The largest city and county seat is Spokane, the second largest city in the state after Seattle. The county is named after the Spokane tribe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snohomish County, Washington</span> County in Washington, United States

Snohomish County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. With a population of 827,957 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous county in Washington, after nearby King and Pierce counties, and the 72nd-most populous in the United States. The county seat and largest city is Everett. The county forms part of the Seattle metropolitan area, which also includes King and Pierce counties to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheeler County, Nebraska</span> County in Nebraska, United States

Wheeler County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 774. Its county seat is Bartlett. The county was formed in 1877 and organized in 1881. The county was named for Major Daniel H. Wheeler, longtime secretary of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scouting in Washington (state)</span> A description of the Scouting programs in the state of Washington

Scouting in Washington has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davenport, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,703 at the 2020 census. As the seat of government for the county and its largest population center, Davenport serves as an important hub for business, medical and educational services in Lincoln County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sprague, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

SpragueSPRAYG; is a small city in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 446 at the 2010 census. The city was platted in 1880 and named for former American Civil War Union general John Wilson Sprague.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheney, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Cheney is a city in Spokane County, Washington, United States. The full-time resident population was 13,255 as of the 2020 census. Eastern Washington University is located in Cheney. When classes are in session at EWU, the city's population reaches approximately 17,600 people temporarily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spokane, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Spokane is the most populous city in and seat of government of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, 92 miles (148 km) south of the Canadian border, 18 miles (30 km) west of the Washington–Idaho border, and 279 miles (449 km) east of Seattle, along Interstate 90.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Interscholastic Activities Association</span>

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) is the governing body of athletics and activities for secondary education schools in the state of Washington. As of February 2011, the private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization consists of nearly 800 member high schools and middle/junior high schools, both public and private.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 2 in Washington</span> Highway in Washington

U.S. Route 2 (US 2) is a component of the United States Numbered Highway System that connects the city of Everett in the U.S. state of Washington to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, with a separate segment that runs from Rouses Point, New York, to Houlton, Maine. Within Washington, the highway travels on a 326-mile-long (525 km) route that connects the western and eastern regions of the state as a part of the state highway system and the National Highway System. US 2 forms parts of two National Scenic Byways, the Stevens Pass Greenway from Monroe to Cashmere and the Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway near Coulee City, and an All-American Road named the International Selkirk Loop within Newport.

Clarence Ferris White was a prolific architect in the Pacific Northwest. He designed more than 1,100 buildings, including 63 schools, in the State of Washington. His largest project was the design of the company town of Potlatch, Idaho in 1905. Several of his works are listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places.

The following is a list of the forty-nine legislative districts in the U.S. state of Washington following the 2022 redistricting. From the time Washington achieved statehood in 1889, it has elected members for representation to the state legislature. Each district elects a state senator and two district representatives. The districts have changed throughout state history through periodical redistricting, most recently in 2022 following the 2020 census. District lines in Washington are drawn by the Washington State Redistricting Commission, which is made up of four members appointed by the legislature's party leaders and a fifth non-voting chair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snohomish County Council</span> Legislative body of Snohomish County, Washington, US

The Snohomish County Council is the legislative body of Snohomish County, Washington. The county council was created in 1979 and consists of five members serving four-year terms.

Robert J. Sutherland is a former American politician previously serving as a member of the Washington House of Representatives for the 39th district.

Journalism in Washington began with the publication of newspapers in the cities of Port Townsend, Steilacoom, and Olympia in the 1860s. By then, there had been journalism in Oregon for as long as a decade.

References

  1. ↑ Mason, Henry F. "County Seat Controversies in Southwestern Kansas" The Kansas Historical Quarterly 2:1 (February 1933) 45-65. (retrieved from The Kansas Collection August 29, 2006)
  2. ↑ Thrane, Susan W. County Courthouses of Ohio. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2000, 119.
  3. ↑ "Grand County". Grand County. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  4. ↑ Becker, Paula (September 24, 2006). "Lincoln County voters choose Davenport over Sprague as county seat on November 3, 1896". HistoryLink . Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  5. ↑ Humphrey, Robert (January 9, 1992). "When Everett 'stole' the county courthouse". The Seattle Times . p. F4. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  6. ↑ Kershner, Jim (August 11, 2007). "Armed Cheney citizens forcibly remove the county seat from Spokane Falls to Cheney on March 21, 1881". HistoryLink. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
Flag of the United States.svg

This article related to the politics of the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.