Longton, the County Seat?

[W. Gray]

"If the County seat is located at Longton (as it ought to be) the taxpayers will at once be relieved of the burden of rent, imposed on them by the present county seat. Longton proposes, in good faith, to furnish rooms for county officers rent free."

From the Longton Weekly Ledger, August 9, 1873, shortly before a county seat election, speaking of how business owners in Peru were "gouging" Howard County taxpayers with rent.

A court order in 1872 prevented a courthouse from being built anywhere within the city limits of Peru using either county money or money donated by Peru interests.

Business owners in Peru did, as promised, provide free county office housing in various storefront locations during the first year after the town wrestled the county seat away from Elk Falls in 1871.

After one year, the business owners began charging Howard County rent totaling about $45 a month.

In August 1873, Peru was battling against Longton, Boston, and Elk Falls to retain the county seat.

Howard City had run in 1871 and 1872 but declined running in 1873 with citizens saying they had had enough of the nonsense. But, it appears they had their forward looking eyes on county division someday being successful.

Another freebie offered by the citizens of Longton was free land for a new courthouse.