History of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens.

              HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
253
CHAPTER   XX.
COUNTY REPRESENTATION.
In this chapter the various county officers are treated of. It is the design to trace the history of each county office, from the organization of the county, in 1851 to 1884, giving in connec¬ tion sketches of the gentlemen who have filled the various offices.
The records of the elections held in Vernon county, prior to the war, are very meagre and deficient, and of some of the elections there is no record at all. Therefore, if the name of any one who has held a county office is omitted, it is because the omission occurs in the record.
It will be noticed that the election of 1882 is the last one referred to. The reason of this is that the laws of the State have been changed so that the election of county officers will here¬ after be held "in even years." There was no election in November, 1883. The officers elected in 1881 hold three years.
TREASURER.
Upon the organization of the county,. in April, 1851, James A. Cooke was elected first county treasurer. Mr. Cooke came from Illi¬ nois in 1848 or 1849, and settled with his fami¬ ly upon land about two miles east of the vil¬ lage, in the town of Viroqua. He remained there until the time of his death in 1881, and his widow, who survives him, still lives upon the old homestead. Mr. Cooke was a promi¬ nent man here. He was a man of integrity and much intelligence; he was a local Metho¬ dist preacher, and after working hard all day upon his farm, whenever occasion demanded, would fill appointments in the evening.
In November,1851, John Langley was elected county treasurer; but it seems there was some change in the county affairs at this time; for shortly after, it appears from the  records, that
Edmund Strang resigned the office of county treasurer, and John Longley was appointed to fill the place. Edmtmd Strang was a native of the State of New York. He came west in 1848, and settled at Springville, in the town of Jeffer¬ son, where he opened a farm. When elected or appointed treasurer, he did not move to the county seat, and it is thought never performed a single official act. He was a genial, pleasant man socially; was well educated for those days, and this made him very popular; in fact, it is / said, that the time was when he could have been elected to any office in the county by merely expressing the desire for it. He lived in the town of Jefferson until about 18*75, when he moved to Osceola, Neb., where he still lives.
John Longley was really the first to perform the duties of the office of county treasurer. Longley came to Bad Ax county at an early day, and located at Viroqua, where he followed the business of a carpenter and joiner. He was a lively, jovial fellow, and made friends. He left about 1854, and it is thought returned to Illinois. While he was treasurer, there was but little to do. It is said that at one time he carried all the records of his office, including the tax lists, in his pocket, upon gheets of foolscap.
In November, 1853, John Gardner was elected treasurer. He was re-elected in September, 1855, and again in November, 1857, serving in all six years. John Gardner came from Ohio in 1852 and settled in the village of Viroqua with his family. He was a house carpenter and cabinetmaker by trade; and an excellent work¬ man. He followed this business until elected to office. After serving his term of office as treasurer he moved to a piece of land two miles southeast of the village and opened a farm.