History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/3/Counties/Greene

GREENE COUNTY was created in 1851 from territory at one time belonging to Benton. It lies in the fifth tier south of Minnesota and in the fourth east of the Missouri River and contains sixteen townships making an area of five hundred seventy-six square miles. The county was named for General Nathaniel Greene of the American Revolution and was first attached to Polk. The North Raccoon River flows through it in a southeasterly direction with heavy timber along its banks.

Truman Davis was the first settler in the county; taking a claim in 1849 near where Rippey stands. Enos Buttrick located near the mouth of Buttrick’s Creek and Richard Hardin, at Hardin's Creek, the same year. In 185051 R. W. Babb, William Crumley, Josiah Bluncett, Thomas Greenup, John Barr and others settled along the Raccoon River.

The county was organized in 1854 by the election of the following officers: William Phillips, judge; S. G. Crumley, clerk; James H. Phillips, recorder and treasurer; Isaac D. Crumley, sheriff, and N. S. Daniels, prosecuting attorney.

The town of Jefferson was laid out on the banks of the Raccoon River in 1854 and named for the author of the Declaration of Independence. It was made the county-seat and the first house was built by G. S. Walton in June, 1855. The first term of court was held by Judge C. J. McFarland in May, 1856. It was ten years before a newspaper was started. In 1866 M. L. and H. Money established the Jefferson Bee. The Chicago Northwestern Railroad was built through the county from east to west in 1868. The town of Grand Junction was laid out at the point where the Des Moines Valley Railroad crosses the line of the Northwestern.