History of Orange County

Surplus revenue	$7,581.31
Bank tax fund	624.55
Saline fund	535.31
Sinking fund	358.50
From the sale of county seminary	750.08
Seminary fund in 1853	647.96
Total fines and forfeitures from 1853 to 1884	5,677.37
Sinking fund of 1871-73	5,128.96

Total	$21,304.24

Section 16, Township 1 north, Range 1 east	2,796.80
Section 16, Township 2 north, Range 1 east	1,375.00
Section 16, Township 1 south, Range 1 east	900.00
Section 16, Township 2 north, Range 1 west	805.00
Section 16, Township 1 south, Range 2 west	800.00
Section 16, Township 2 north, Range 2 west	1,561.25
Section 16. Township 1 north, Range 2 west	804.00
Section 16, Township 1 south. Range 1 west	811.00
Section 16. Township 1 north, Range 1 west	852.50

Total	$10,705.55

The above was the condition in 1866 Since then the last named total has been increased to $13,570.60

For 1853, $7,557; 1855, $6,879.18; 1857, $7,320.80; 1859, $7,213.75; 1861, $7,298.07; 1862, $11,850; 1863, $4,850; 1864, $5,078.44; 1865, $14,024.93; 1866, $16,462.04; 1867, $18,039.25.

This organization took strong root in Orange County soil. In 1875-76 the County Council was organized with the following officers: Theodore Stackhouse, President; W. V. Mathers, Vice-President; W. S. Mahan, Secretary; James L. Millis, Treasurer; P. B. Monical, Steward; Aaron Speer, Chaplain; F. C. McIntosh, Doorkeeper; T. G. Fisher, Business Manager; L. B. Cogswell. James M. Baker and J. W. Pearson, Executive Committee. A suitable constitution and by-laws were adopted. After this the following county lodges were established with the given number of members: Lost River Grange, 38 members; Orange Grange, 34 members; Liberty, 32; Paoli, 31; Bruner, 16; Northeast, 30; Chestnut Ridge, 22; Rego, 30; Pleasant Valley, 38; Northwest, 30; Youngs Creek, 16; Cane Creek, 30; Hurricane Branch, 38; Corn, 34; Hughs, 30; Horeb, 22; South Liberty, 30; West Baden, 26; Lick Creek. 27; Walnut. 25; Panther Creek, 30. Total, 21 lodges with 609 members. The lodges flourished for several years.

The first organization of this kind was in the autumn of 1852, the meeting being held at the office of Dr. Pearson, in Paoli. The officers elected were: Dr. Pearson, President; Dr. Hazlewood. Vice-President; Dr. Hoover, Secretary; Drs. Reily, Botsall and W. F. Sherrod, Censors. The physicians present were: Lee, Hazlewood. Botsell, W. F. Sherrod, J. H. Sherrod, C. D. Pearson, C. L. Hoover and Dr. McCann. Dr. W. F. Sherrod was appointed to deliver an address on some medical subject at the next meeting. A constitution and by-laws were adopted; also a code of ethics and a bill of charges. The proceedings of the meeting were ordered published in the American Eagle and the Orleans Review. This society soon died. If any other meeting was held no trace of it could be found by the writer. In October, 1875, another society, a branch of the State Society, was organized, the first members being John A. Ritter, U. H. Hon, Benton J. Hon, T. P. Carter, Laban Lindley, E. D. Laughlin, John A. Cole and James Dillard, and later R. W. Lingle, Henry Lingle, R. D. Walters, G. W. Burton and C. E. Laughlin. The first officers were: John A. Bitter, President; E. D. Laughlin, Vice-Presi. dent: John A. Cole, Secretary; B. J. Hon, Treasurer; T. P. Carter, B. J. Hon and E. D. Laughlin, Censors. Regular meetings were held with much profit until October, 1879, when they were abandoned.

The first attempt to organize an agricultural society in Orange County was in February, 1841, when a meeting, held pursuant to notice, to organize an agricultural society at Paoli for Paoli Township, was adjourned without definite action until the 14th of August, 1841, at which time it was decided to organize a county society. At that date an organization of about forty members was duly formed, and the following officers elected: David Hudelson. President; R. Beeson, Vice-President; H. Comingore. Recording Secretary: T. V. Thornton, Corresponding Secretary: C. White. Treasurer. The Treasurer was required to give bond in the sum of $200. The Curators were J. G. Clendenin, A. Morris, D. S. Huffstutter, John Holmes, John Moore, Lorenzo McMickle, William McDonald, William Reed. S. A. Cornwell, Samuel Stalcup. The meeting adjourned to meet again in September to prepare for a fair, but so far as can be learned nothing further was done. Late in the autumn of 1852 a meeting was held at Livonia, Washington County, by citizens of that and Orange County, for the purpose of organizing a district society. Gov. Wright was present and addressed a large crowd on the subject, as did also Hon. N. McCarty. On the 10th of January, 1853. a large crowd assembled at Livonia to effect an organization. Hon. J. A. Cravens was made President and Dr. Nat. Kimball, Secretary. Forty men, leading farmers and stock-raisers of the two counties, became members, paying each $1 to defray expenses. Samuel Wible, A. McPheeters and Nathan Kimball prepared a constitution and by-laws, which after being read were adopted. The name adopted was: "The Washington and Orange District Agricultural Society." The following permanent officers were elected: Samuel Wible, of Orange County, President; George W. True, of Orange County, Vice-President; Dr. Alexander McPheeters, of Washington County, Treasurer; Nathan Kimball, of Washington, County. Secretary, Directors of Orange County-John Tegarden, S. W. Rigney, W. R. Wible, William Holaday, Dr. James Dillard, Azor Charles, Henry Holmes, Joseph Wilson and John Baker: Directors of Washington County-Robert Alexander, George May, Jr.. James A. Cravens, Richard Newland, George Still, G. W. Logan, Christian Pro, Jr., and James Trueblood. Among the members at this time and socn afterward from Washington County were: James Wilson, J. H. Bowman, Alfred Farabee, Joseph Scifers, J. C. Thompson, Andrew Thomas, John Chambers, Spencer Pugh, E. D. Logan, William Robertson, R. H. Campbell. W. Collier, Jehu Hungate, W. M. Vance, W. M. Wible, David Patton, T. W. Green, G. McKinney, Aaron Hardin. Jr., Joseph Lochmiller, Valentine Baker, Jehu Brewer, J. L. Menaugh, D. C. Shanks, John Raymon, Thomas Brittain and D. Albertson. Among the Orange County members were: A. J. Simpson, W. R. Johnson, Maj. Wilson, William Hudelson. Henry Hobbs, Esquire Moore, Moses Riggs, William Holmes, Jo. Wilson, Moses Matthew, N. B. Wilson, D. S. Huffstutter, H. R. Williamson, Wash. Wright, G. C. McCoy, Jesse Hampton, Thomas Riley, Edward Cornwell, Alexander McPheeters, Jere Vandeveer, Samuel Stalcup, Dr. John Batsell, Thomas Hunt, Dr. W. A. Bowles, J. A. Wininger, N. Pinnick, William McDonald, James McDonald and Frank Dillard. The following officers were elected in March, 1834: R. Schoonover, President: John Baker, Vice-President; Alexander McPheeters, Treasurer; Nathan Kimball, Secretary; Dr. A. W. Gray. W. M. Vance and S. W. Rigney, Marshals. Notwithstanding the first election of officers, D. S. Huffstutter seems to have served as President at the first fair, in October, 1833, and for several subsequent years. Rodolphus Schoonover was elected President in 1854.