Establishment of the County

Organization.-The act approved March 3, 1855, provided for the organization of Webster County, and defined its limits as follows: That portion of Greene County beginning in the middle of Range 16, on the line dividing Townships 26 and 27; thence west along such line to the middle of Range 19; thence north to the northwest corner of Section 22, Township 31; thence east to the line between Ranges 17 and 18; north to the middle of Township 32; east to the middle of Range 16, and south to the beginning.

William R. Prock, of Wright, Robert Hicks, of Ozark, and Thadeus Sherpentien, of Greene, were appointed commissioners to locate the county seat. Meanwhile the new county was attached to the Thirteenth Circuit for judicial purposes, and Hazel-wood designated as the place of meeting. From the records of the Legislature the following memorandum is made of the manner in which the question of establishment was discussed: On March 2, 1855, Mr. Doniphan called up the Senate bill providing for the establishment of this county, which was read the first and second times, when Representative Jones moved to postpone the bill until November, but Representative Darnes moved the previous question, when the Senate bill was read a third time and passed. The south half of Township 32, Ranges 18 and 19, was taken from Dallas and attached to what is now Webster, while on the southern border a small area was detached. Prior to this, the act of February 28, 1855, defined the boundaries of Greene and Wright Counties, the following being the boundaries of Wright County: Beginning at the southwest corner of Section 34, Township 28, Range 16; thence north to the middle of Township 32; thence east to the middle of Range 12; thence south to the line between Townships 27 and 28, and west to the beginning. Under this arrangement the western sections of Wright Range 18; east to southeast corner of said Section 36; south to southwest corner of Section 6, Township 30, Range 17; east to southeast corner of Section 3, Township 30, Range 17; north to northeast corner of Section 13, Township 31, Range 17, and thence to beginning. In March, 1888, a part of this territory was attached to Ozark.

Owing to the establishment of new townships and changes of county boundaries, the lines of the townships have been subjected to several changes; but up to this date the desire to organize within the limits of Congressional town lines has not manifested itself, the old Pennsylvania system of natural boundaries being more or less observed, although section lines are followed as far as possible.