The county was organized in 1844 by the election of the following officers: S. W. McAtee, W. D. Evans and Abraham Weaver, commissioners; Calvin Taylor, treasurer; Israel Kister, recorder; F. C. Humble, sheriff, and Franklin Street, clerk. The county-seat was located at Bloomfield and the first term of court was held in September, 1844, with Judge Charles Mason presiding. James H. Cowles had, in 1846, entered the land upon which Bloomfield was located and conveyed it to the commissioners who had there established the county-seat. The town was platted the same summer and a post-office secured. The first merchant in the new town was John Lucas who had taken a claim adjoining it in 1844, upon which he had built a log cabin occupied by his family and used also for his store. Hosea B. Horn built the first frame house in Bloomfield in 1849. In 1854 the first newspaper was started by George Johnson named the Western Gazette.
DECATUR COUNTY lies on the south line of the State and in the fifth tier east of the Missouri River. It embraces an area of five hundred thirty-four square miles, was taken from the original county of Demoine and in January, 1846, established with present boundaries. The county was named for Commodore Stephen Decatur a distinguished naval officer in the War of 1812.
The first settlers were William Hamilton, Reuben and James Hatfield, Alfred Stanley, John McDaniel, John E. Logan and Allen Scott who came from 1838 to 1840, supposing they were settling in Missouri. A number of them brought slaves which were held by them until it was decided that they could not hold them as such in Iowa.
The county was organized on the 1st of April, 1850, by the election of the following officers: Josiah Morgan, William Hamilton and Asa Burrill, commissioners; Henry B. Norton, clerk; J. J. Stanley, sheriff. On the 21st of July, 1851, the county-seat was located by commissioners chosen for that purpose at a place which was named De-
