History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/3/Counties/Slaughter

by Benjamin F. Gue

SLAUGHTER COUNTY was created in January, 1838, and embraced a portion of the territory now included in the counties of Louisa, Muscatine and Henry. It was named for William B. Slaughter, Secretary of the Territory of Wisconsin. The county-seat was located at Astoria where the first courts were held in 1837 by Judges Irwin and Williams. The citizens of the county were dissatisfied with the name which had been secured through the manipulations of the obscure official whose name it bore and, upon petition, the Legislature relieved them by changing the boundaries of the county and naming it Washington.