and J. H. Smith, commissioners; J. M. Waters, judge of probate; Edom Shugarth, clerk; W. H. Brown, treasurer; and George W. Hayes, sheriff. In 1844 the commissioners appointed for that purpose located the county-seat near the geographical center of the county and gave it the name of Sigourney for the well-known author, Lydia H. Sigourney. Previous to this time the county business had been transacted at a place called Newton, consisting of a log cabin and school-house. Edom Shugarth built the first house in Sigourney in 1844 and in it Judge Williams held his first court in July of that year. A town was soon laid out and a public sale of lots held in October at which but one lot was purchased and that by Joel L. Landreth for twelve dollars. A court-house square was laid off upon which in 1845 a hewed log house twenty by twenty-four feet was built for the use of county officers and courts, at a cost of two hundred eighteen dollars. The first newspaper was the Western Friend established in June, 1854, by J. N. and J. L. Paschal.
The oldest town in the county is Richland which was laid out by Pryor C. Woodward in 1840. Extensive coal mines have been opened in various parts of the county and the town of What Cheer is in the midst of these coal beds. Numerous railroads furnish excellent shipping facilities.
KISHKEKOSH COUNTY was created in February, 1843, and named for a famous Fox Indian chief. It was organized in July, 1845, when E. S. Rand, Israel Kister and J. A. Galligher were appointed commissioners to locate the county-seat. They chose a site where Albia now stands, and a town was laid out named Princeton.
In May, 1843, John B. Gray went from Burlington into the northeasterly part of the new county, made a claim and built a cabin. James Hilton, James and Josiah Boggs, John and W. G. Clark and James Myers settled in the county a few months later. During the next two years
