O'Brien
county has had four county seat contests: The contest between Old O'Brien and
Primghar in 1872, the contest of 1879 between Primghar and Sheldon, the Sanborn raid or contest in 1882 and the contest of
1911 between Primghar and Sheldon.
There are few
public agitations that will equal in strenuousness and
earnest excitement a
county seat contest. It is human nature that the citizens
of the
contesting towns will be loyal to their home towns. That quality is
right and commendable as between the individual and his town, but it forms
no reason of itself why a county seat should or should not be relocated. The
immediate excitement and the otherwise contentions of individuals and towns
are often the real
subjects discussed in these contests. There are, however,
groundwork causes and reasons, above and beyond all this, to which as
historic matter we must look and for which we must search in these contests.
The contests hover over the shoulders of the towns
involved, but the causes
solving them out are county wide. We must, therefore, set aside the individual and tense
feelings always playing a part in such contests and look beyond.
The law of the state as to
filing petitions and remonstrances was not
quite the same in the first two contests of 1872 and 1879 as it was in the last
contest of
1911. At the periods of the first two contests the law permitted
both sides to
procure signatures to both petitions and remonstrances, clear
up to the date of the hearing by the board of supervisors. In fact, in the
contest of 1879 the board actually permitted signatures to petitions on both
sides that were being procured as the board proceeded with the hearing.
At the time of the
1911 contest the law required the petitioner asking for
relocation of the
county seat, or remonstrating thereto, to affix his signature,
to add thereto the date when he
signed same, to give the number of the section, township and range of the land, or the number of the ward if in a city
of his residence, and also required that the completed petition be filed sixty
days prior to the hearing by the board. The remonstrators could sign up
154 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.
names during the canvass of the county by the petitioners and during this sixty days and up to within ten days of the hearing. During each of the contests the law required publications to be made of the coming filing of a petition in a newspaper. All the time it has provided that names found on both petition and remonstrance should only be counted on the remonstrance. As can be seen, in all county seat contests this invites a tense struggle in the procurement of signatures.
O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA. 155
156 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.
O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA. 157
men who laid out the town had in mind, as likewise the fact that it was in
the exact center. The Milwaukee road in 1878 built itself 'as near as may
be' to this
forty-third parallel to and through Sanborn, and our ten years'
hopes and patient waiting went down forty degrees below. One can thus
read between the lines of the
thought of the then people of Sanborn that if
the railroad had thus
gone on this forty-third parallel 'as near as may be,'
that meant that the
forty-third parallel, or Primghar, or the county seat
could remove to Sanborn, 'as near as may be.' Indeed one joke, though it
was seriously considered, was for Sanborn to reincorporate the whole territory between Primghar and Sanborn as a town, and then for the board to
simply order the court house to be moved to the other end of the town, that
is, to Sanborn's end of it, on the theory that no vote of the people would be
needed. This
may be laughed at now, as lacking in argument, but so did the
idea of a 'raid' without a vote lack in the same
way and yet it was undertaken at the time
seriously. I simply mention these facts as showing that
the Sanborn raid or removal idea had some causes back of it all. While
determined to hold the
county seat, Primghar itself was in fact getting sick
of the
long wait. When, in 1878, the Milwaukee was built, the hearts of the
Primghar people sank. Again, when, in 1881, the next or Northwestern
road was built
just, south of us, the town was sick again. During those three
years, from 1878 to 1881, there were actually about fifty to sixty buildings,
large and small, removed from Primghar to Sanborn, Paullina and some
even to Sutherland. One can
imagine how consoling that was to the one
hundred and
seventy-five Primghar people, waiting for a railroad.
"But on each contest before the board of
supervisors, nothwithstanding
the above facts, that even the people of Primghar were growing weary, the
people said No; the farmers then argued thus: 'That the county seat is not
fixed for a day or a year, but for future years;' 'that the farmers, the bulk
of them, went to the county seat overland, and that the farmers from the
farthest corner of the county could go there and back the same day, and
that he would be fair with the other farmers at the other end of the county
who could do the same thing, and thus meet him half way, and thus give him
a square deal, and that the farmer had as good a right to the argument as
the town man.' But Sanborn argued to herself that with Primghar itself
thus 'sick,' if we can get it actually removed, for any reason, that the people
will simply acquiesce.
"Just at this time the railroads of the country were having a passenger
rate war, until the Sioux Citv road actually offered a round trip ticket to
Saint Paul and back for twenty-five cents. Every officer in the court house,
158 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.
except the auditor, together with many other citizens, took advantage of this
and left town for this
trip. There being then no railroad at Primghar, these
officials went by the way of Sanborn to take the train, which brought up the
subject and the idea of a raid was sprung.
"The citizens of Sanborn were soon well
organized. Under the town
pride idea that they must all stand together, they were naturally united. Its
best citizens, like William Harker, J. L. Greene, Harley Day, Mart Shea,
David Palen and one hundred others, participated. One hundred men went
down from Sanborn with teams,
wagons, crow bars, heavy timbers, pulleys
and tackle, fully equipped, and arrived in Primghar at midnight. It took
but a half hour or less for that number of
vigorous, energetic men to batter
down the court house doors, and to cut down the window sills level with the
floor, and to proceed to load up records, documents, filings, papers and
everything that was loose or could be loosened, from every office, and load
them into and
upon forty wagons now hitched and standing around the
square. The county treasurer's safe was loaded on a brand new wagon in
the court house
square, which had been drafted into service from one of the
machinery houses in Sanborn. The recorder's and clerk's safes were loaded
on other
wagons, though the recorder's safe was the only one that in fact
got clear in Sanborn. The county auditor's safe had been built right into the
building as a part of it, and could not be removed.
"While these
happenings were going on thus vigorously, the alarm was
sounded through the town, by some one who was sleeping in the old wooden
jail. Everybody was awake at once, its remaining people, men, women and
children, running, hollering and yelling. George W. Schee and myself were
the only
county officer and ex-officer present; probably twenty of her people
went on this
trip. It was perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes before these
scared
people could get organized. Mr. Schee and myself were first on the
ground. We both agreed at once that whatever else happened we would not
permit or bring on any physical conflict, and that we would hold our tempers.
"In the meantime I had first walked
through the court house, where the
removers were mainly at work, and shook hands with every one of the one
hundred men I could
get to within reach. This put everybody in a laughing
mood, which continued through it all. I then went out on the porch and
gave a yell and called the 'house to order.' Every man stopped still and
listened
attentively, and I said:
"Gentlemen: This is
public property and belongs to O'Brien county.
I call upon you as citizens in my capacity as county auditor to desist and
assist in the protection of your property, the public records and the court
O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA. 159
house. I realize that
you now have the majority, and we will not attempt to
bring on any physical contest, but these records must he returned. We will
have five hundred men in Sanborn tomorrow morning, when we will be in
the majority."
"The
yell was then given by the crowd to whoop her through. Mr. Schee
and
myself then managed to get together thirteen men at the edge of the
square for consultation. I got into my office and we hustled the county seal,
the supervisor's record and warrant book, and a few other records into Mr.
Schee's office across the
way. These were the only records that did not
arrive in Sanborn. In the consultation of these thirteen men this line of
fight or baffling was arrived at and decided on. That all hands should pass
quickly among the teams and cut and slash the harness and wring off the nuts
off the
wagon wheels or axles, and thus disarm them, but to desist as soon as
they got onto it and not bring on a fight. The nuts were thus unscrewed
from the wheels of the
wagon on which the county treasurer's safe was
loaded, which disabled it and prevented its removal, though the fifty-foot
log chain was also wrapped around it, then to a post, and the ends held by
the men for some time. Many harnesses were cut up.
"One amusing incident occurred. The Sanborn men were loading the
records and
papers into several wagon boxes. Mr. Schee and others were
attempting to unload them and to carry them into Mr. Schee's office. David
Palen, in his vigorous way, yelled out. 'See here, you Primghar thieves.
you, Schee and Peck, don't you know that you are stealing our records,'
and
everybody on both sides laughed heartily. But these sallies preserved
the good temper on both sides of the crowd. Another sally from a Primgarean was this 'See here, you Sanborn fellows, the nuts are off your
wagon wheels, the chain is round the treasurer's safe, now walk up and pay
your taxes."
"Our thirteen men also decided on this further policy, which was carried out: To secure
every livery team and saddle horse or team in town,
and start out
every man and boy to rouse up the people in the different parts
of the
county. This county seat removal began its march to Sanborn about
half
past two. When I saw that I could do no more I got a team and, with
Mr. Frank Tifft, started for Sheldon, stopping at every farm house on the
way, in turn starting them out each way through the county. We got to
Sheldon
just at daylight. Indeed the news spread and roused up things far
beyond expectations. It raised much excitement in Sheldon and everybody
got out for business ready to start for Sanborn. The then current story in
160 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.
all the
papers that I rode a mule horseback across the country was not in
fact true, but acted on the sentiments all the same.
"In the meantime I had
telegraphed to each district judge, the district
or state's attorney, the Sioux City Journal, and called the members of the
board of
supervisors in special session to meet me as county auditor at Sanborn at ten o'clock, where we, in fact, met and held several sessions during
the
day, and in negotiations with reference to the return of the records. In
fact five hundred men did meet us in Sanborn
by ten o'clock from all parts
of the
county, and in fact an inventory was taken by one fellow present and
he ascertained that at least eighty shot guns and revolvers were on hand in
the crowd, though myself and our board rather feared from that that some
regretable thing might happen, and proceeded on calmer lines of talk with
the Sanborn citizens, though in fact this danger idea played a part in the
solution. The board advised all
parties to keep calm. The Sanborn people
were at first disposed to 'stand pat.' But as the day progressed, it dawned
on both sides that it would not be safe to
permit these five hundred excited
men to remain in the town through the night, which would have been done.
Besides it soon became clear to both sides that, without a vote of the people,
such an attempted removal of the county seat would soon get into the courts
and before
grand juries and other jurisdictions and get public affairs into
many legal troubles that could not stand. It all soon became humorous as
well as serious.
"About one o'clock a committee of, I think, six of Sanborn's best citizens came forward in a manly way and said to the board in substance: 'We
see that we have made a mistake. The
only way out is to correct it. We
will at once hand over all the records to
J.L.E. Peck, county auditor, and
will
pay all expenses on both sides.' This proposition was accepted and
faithfully carried out. This expense was quite large, but was fully paid. I
procured gunny sacks from the grain elevators and sacked up all the records
and
papers and tied them securely. This was twenty-nine years ago, and I
believe it to be a fact that not a record or document was ever lost
by reason
of same. Indeed, the Sanborn people were well organized and with particular instructions to 'Get
every paper and record,' which if it was to be done,
was fortunate, as it preserved them in safety. The recorder's safe, as remarked, was the only one that got to Sanborn. I hired teams to haul the
safe and records back.
"Banker
J. L. Greene, of Sanborn, had removed his furniture from his
large residence, which became the temporary court house for the day, and
the books, records, papers and filings were piled promiscuously eight feet
O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA. 161
high in several rooms. Even before the Sanborn committee had offered to
surrender the records the crowd had ascertained their whereabouts and had
marched
up in military drill (many were ex-soldiers), to and around this
new court house, insisting on a surrender of the records.
"In the meantime I had
got the gunny sacks and teams on the spot, to
get readv for the return. The crowd all declared at once that they would
not handle a record, but that the Sanborn committee must load them all up.
This, while it was tedious and took till dark, proved the safe thing, as the
crowd would not have done it with the care as did the fewer number. Especially was this true when we consider that every paper or document might
be a serious loss to some one. The Sanborn committee of about five or six
worked in literal hard work, amid the jeers of the crowd, calling for marriage
licenses, and to
pay their taxes, and to get naturalized and all that, until we
all thought it almost overdone, and we all felt relieved when we started for
Primghar.
"In our absence, the women of Primghar had chopped and sawed that
new
wagon all to pieces and had the tongue sawed off and erected on the
square as a staff with a flag on it. The pieces of that wagon, even the axles
and tires and small
parts, were carried all over the county as relics.
"At a
lyceum in Primghar, the next year, the crowd presented me with
a cane made from that
wagon tongue, with a gold head. On receiving the
cane I expressed the sentiment that I would not receive it in any sense of
keeping alive any ill feelings resulting from that affair. Though myself
lame, and always using a cane, I never used it, not even for an hour, as at
that time I felt that it would
only suggest the feelings then prevalent. Years
later, at an old settlers' reunion in Primghar, someone conceived the idea of
a museum for the day of hay twisters, grasshopper catchers, and other old
settlers' relics, and, without my knowledge, some one went to my house and
got it and put it among the other articles of novelty. When our then invited
Sanborn
guests were there, they naturally were offended. When I learned
of it Mr. Schee and I went and removed it. That same
day some one removed the cane
part from the head and took the cane away. I did not see or
hear of it again for twelve years. One day, in 1905, I received a letter from
Sioux City which read:
"Mr. J. L. E. Peck: The man who stole your cane is still abroad in
the land. I can
get it delivered to you for twenty-five dollars.' To which
letter I replied:
"Dear Sir: Your letter received. The best
place for that cane is in
162 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.
the bottom of the Missouri river. Please
put it there. I never wore it or
used it. To now
pay twenty-five dollars for it would only add a seeming
intention to keep up ill feelings. Good day."
"But. returning to the main question. On arrival in Primghar with the
records, the court house was all
open and much demolished. The crowd,
returning, mainly came back this way, and many remained all night, and
quite a number for several days. I appointed twelve men to guard the
records, which was kept up for three days, until repairs were made and until
the crowd all scattered out to their homes. It took
myself and three helpers
three weeks to sort out and examine each
paper and record and return it to
its
place. The next day the Sanborn committee came down and appointed
Mr. Schee, George Hakeman and myself as auditing committee, to determine
what
expenses should be paid by them, which we did.
"Much
feeling prevailed over the county. Indeed, indignation meetings
were held in several
townships, and much loud talk and newspaper headlines
and
poetry and squibs were indulged in. The arrest of the main parties was
loudly demanded. In fact, informations were signed. I sent word to the
main
eight men of the facts of the informations, and suggested that they
come down and
give bonds without any arrests, for, as I suggested to them,
that if it is not done here it will be done in the south
part of the county, and
that under
present excitements it was best that no further public gatherings
be had. It was done.
"But in the meantime, and within a few days, as part of the almost
humorous features of this humorous, yet serious affair, in looking up the
law, and consulting with the then district or state's attorney, S. M. Marsh,
of Sioux
City, while the crowd and the public was yelling that it was a
'steal' and 'theft.' and all that, it was discovered by those of us closest in the
matter that in law there was no theft there. That theft in law involved the
'intention to appropriate the property of another to one's own use individually.' That no such intention existed. Indeed that the opposite was the
intention. That while, as a remedy for the removal of a county seat, it was
irregular, that so far as the crime of theft was concerned it could not be
sustained, and would not be in the courts. The milder misdemeanor would
perhaps obtain with a light fine, but that was swallowed up in the excitement
and demand for that which could not be
upheld. The mass people at the
time wondered why it was thus, but as time went on it became more definite
that, notwithstanding all the then noise and talk the state's attorney's advice
and our own conclusions were
right. Indeed as we now later look back, it
was indeed a good thing for the county that the trials demanded by an ex-
O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA. 163p>
cited
public did not get loose or started, as it would have been an expensive
deal, full of politics and all that, in local matters, only to be discovered later,
what we most of us concluded within a few
days, though some of us were
censured much at the time, that it was not done.
164 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.
other counties in the state. The
county was yet housing its records in a
frame court house. This said, in effect, that there was something incomplete
about the
county seat. It lacked its final court house. This contributed in
inviting the question. Again, Primghar had not secured its railroad until
fifteen rears after Sheldon, nine
years after Sanborn and Hartley and six
years after Paullina and Sutherland had each become railroad towns. Indeed,
as a wag got it off. "Primghar was like an old maid waiting for a proposal
from some one
proposing to build a railroad, to save its hide." A railroad is
needed in the
present day to keep a town building. Following the years
needed in the growth of the modern ideas in hotels and brick school buildings and other like structures, Primghar was postponed a like number of
rears on all these items. It had cost Primghar, with its few people before
the Central landed, ten thousand dollars to secure the twenty-two miles of
right of way required of it. The town had to recuperate from this. Sheldon
in meantime had secured three roads. It had become in
reality a distributing
point. It was the largest town in the county. But, on the other hand, as
results demonstrated, after all, the one prominent fact could not be departed
from, that Sheldon was located on the county line and Primghar in the
center. We can thus see the
ground work causes in the times and conditions of growth, leading up to this contest, testing out that question. It was
the inevitable that the question should arise.
O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA. 165
articles were published broadcast and mailed systematically by both sides to
every voter in the county, and that public meetings were held not simply
weekly, but often for several nights in succession, we can see that it was a
tense
fight. Judge William D. Boies, of Sheldon, issued the main body
argument from Sheldon's standpoint, which was published both by circulars
and in the
papers broadcast. Others joined and followed up his lines for
Sheldon. Messrs. R.
J. Locke, J. L. E. Peck and O. H. Montzheimer and
others did the same
thing from the view point of Primghar.
166 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.
also
appear on the petition and certain duplicate signatures thereon, said
petition for the relocation of the county seat at Sheldon has been signed by
fourteen hundred and
forty-seven legal voters of O'Brien county, Iowa, and
that said remonstrance
against the relocation of the county seat at Sheldon,
Iowa, after deducting certain duplicate signatures thereon, has been signed
by thirty-one hundred and sixty-three legal voters of O'Brien county, Iowa,
as shown
by the last census, either state or federal; that more legal voters in
said
county have signed said remonstrance than have signed said petition
and that no vote on the
proposition of the relocation of the county seat of the
county be ordered."
The
following is the tabulated list by towns and townships:
"In truth and in fact, no more honorable men ever lived in the county
than William Harker,
J. L. Green and many others who participated in the
affair. As Mr. Harker once said to me, that 'it was the foolishest act of
my
life, but enthusiasm carried all of us off our feet.'
"To sum it
up, it was a frolic. It was serious. It was humorous. It
was almost
tragic in its features. It is only a pioneer country that can duplicate its conditions.
"I have written this out as
per your request, after thirty years, merely
as
stating an early incident, which, as you have suggested, some might be
interested in, in knowing the real facts, as they developed, from causes back
of
things, as I have shown, and as they were witnessed by one who participated, and by one who now only recites same in the belief that, now after
thirty vears, it can be read even by both sides with calmness and only as
looking back to it as an early incident of actual occurrence.
"The then
county officials were: T. J. Alexander, county treasurer;
J.L.E. Peck, county auditor; W. H. Noyes. county recorder; Frank A.
Turner, clerk of the courts; Clark Green, sheriff, and David Algyer, superintendent of schools.
"The members of the board of
supervisors were Thomas Holmes,
Ralph Dodge, Ezra M. Brady, George Hakeman and J.L. Kinney.
(Signed) "J.L.E. Peck."FOURTH COUNTY SEAT CONTEST, PRIMGHAR AND SHELDON.
This contest took
place in 1911. As we have before remarked, all such
contests have their ground work causes. The citizens of each town, by the
natural promptings of human nature, support their own town. An ambitious town
intuitively desires to secure all the betterments for itself that it
can. The citizens of the town in
possession of the county seat will always
contest. It becomes likewise an intuitive self defense. The law
provides
for the
raising of such questions. This contest was strictly on the lines of
the statute. We
inquire for the ground work causes?
As we have observed herein on other
subjects, that, owing to its early
and
very large public debt, just lately paid off, the people of O'Brien county
have
postponed the building of its final modern court house until after this
was all paid off. This has postponed this matter longer in years than most
On March
3, 1911, the people of Sheldon commenced the circulation of
a petition for the "relocation of the county seat at Sheldon." It was indeed
a vigorous and genuine up-to-date county-seat contest, with the frills all on,
as was
facetiously remarked. Both sides soon realized that they were in a
real
right.
When we realize that this contest lasted for
ninety days, and that for
the first
thirty days during the period, when both sides were in the field,
each side had from twenty to thirty automobiles with earnest men rushing
orer the
county, each making haste to secure one-half or a majority of the
forty-five hundred (one authority states forty-two hundred and seventy-six)
voters with their
signatures; when we realize that Sheldon, in the first instance, secured twenty-four hundred and eighty-five signatures; when we
realize that with a
subject so spirited, that every man, woman and child in
the
county was discussing it, and that every one of the ten newspapers in the
county were devoting all available space in all manner of discussion and side
discussions;
when we realize that several dozen men on each side
put in the
major part of their time from sixty to ninety days, and from early morning
until late at
night, and that circulars and dodgers and hand bills and leading
Summed
up in brief sentence statements, the two sides made arguments
from the
following standpoints: Sheldon argued, first, that it had three
railroads; second, that it had become a distributive point; third, that it was
the
largest town in the county and always would be: fourth, that farmers
and others could
get to court better by rail to Sheldon; fifth, that it had the
better and ampler hotel facilities; sixth, that it would for all time show up
better as a
county capital: seventh, that from the south part of the county
via Alton
they could get up and back the same day; eighth, that Primghar
had no adequate hotel, and, ninth, that it had better entertainments at court
time and better stores for
trading.
Primghar argued, first, that it was in the exact center; second, that
trains were not always on time; third, that the automobile destroyed the railmad
argument; fourth, that farmers to use the train would need a team to
the local town first: fifth, that Sheldon was on the extreme west line of the
county; sixth, that a farmer from any point in county could drive in
and back same
day; seventh, that for the long years to come Primghar
would best serve; eighth, that Primghar would build a hotel, and, ninth, that
court
expenses of witnesses and jurors and others at ten cents per mile for
all time to come would be
larger at Sheldon than at Primghar.
As stated, there were
forty-five hundred voters, or, as per one authority,
forty-two hundred and seventy-six. In the first instance, twenty-four hundred and
eighty-five voters signed the petition for relocation at Sheldon.
Later on about nine hundred
petitioners signed the remonstrance, and under
the law were deducted. A few were struck off on account of
having by some
mistake
signed twice, on both petition and remonstrance. From all of which
one can easily see the excitements that necessarily took place.
The
following is an exact copy of the record of the hearing before the
board of
supervisors held June 8, 1911.
"The board of
supervisors finds that, after deducting from said petition
the names of
persons who are not legal voters of this county at the time
they signed the same and the names appearing on the remonstrance which
| Primghar. | Sheldon. | |
| Archer | 32 | 3 |
| Baker | 107 | 49 |
| Caledonia | 150 | 36 |
| Calumet | 53 | 2 |
| Carroll | 59 | 84 |
| Center | 164 | 10 |
| Dale | 116 | 3 |
| Floyd | 6 | 118 |
| Franklin | 81 | 32 |
| Grant | 153 | 2 |
| Hartley City | 176 | 161 |
| Hartley township | 97 | 38 |
| Highland | 175 | 1 |
| Liberty | 170 | 1 |
| Lincoln | 101 | 26 |
| Moneta | 5 | 6 |
| Omega | 141 | 19 |
| Paullina | 191 | 45 |
| Primghar | 258 | 0 |
| Sanborn | 337 | 66 |
| Summit | 116 | 6 |
| Sutherland | 192 | 10 |
| Sheldon | 2 | 716 |
| Union | 152 | 10 |
| Waterman | 127 | 3 |
| Totals | 3161 | 1447 |
O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA. 167
168 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.
not
only adequate, but a credit to the town and people county wide, for
whose benefit it was built. We make the erection of this hotel an historic
county item, for this very reason that it was built directly as a result of a
twenty-four-mile-wide agitation, in this problem of a county-seat contest.
The
building is of red pressed brick, in size forty by one hundred and
ten feet, with twenty-three sleeping rooms, practically three stories high, including a fine basement, with steam heat, ample baths, barber shop, hot and
cold water all
completely finished in all modern appointments, dining room
beautifully decorated, as are all other rooms, dining room accommodating as
high as ninety guests at one sitting, with a complete equipment of furniture
and kitchen utensils hotel size—in brief, in
every way an up-to-date hotel.
A
prize was offered for the name selected from names contributed.
The
prize was awarded to Miss Demia Peck, she dubbing it "The Hub."