Elgin Connection

From the August 2, 1872, Longton Weekly Ledger.

“ELGIN.—This beautiful little town is situated on Big Caney where it enters the Indian territory. It is surrounded by a rich and beautiful country filled with intelligent people. Elgin is a thriving town and what makes the place the more worthy of notice just now it is being pushed by its friends for county seat. This is a good idea, we favor the plan; Elgin is so easy of access from all parts of the country and is located so near the centre of the county that no one can possibly object to the town owing to its geographical position. Another reason why Elgin would make a proper county seat is the fact that it is the home of our worthy County Attorney, and as every rooster acts more bravely when taken upon his own dung hill, doubtless he would be enabled to hurl his anathemas against the wrong-doers of the county with greater force than ever. Hurrah for Elgin.”

A few towns in Howard County were aiming to unseat the remote Peru as the county seat in September 1872. The editor is being sarcastic in that Elgin was further way from most county settlers than Peru was. One reason for the backhand against the $1,000 a year Col Sam Donelson, the county attorney, was that he very seldom came to the county seat, letting his hired assistant work out the county’s legal problems.

Elgin would never run for the county seat and Peru was not unseated in the 1872 election.