In the first year fo the Commissioners Court was $507.90 and of this amount $200.00 was appropriated for obtaining field notes of the county.

The first entry in the commissioner’s minutes is the petition presented the Shackleford Court and 185 others praying for the organization of this county.
This was April 18, 1881 and the petition was granted and Jones County was divided into four precincts  for the purpose of election.

During the first commissioner’s court at Phantom Hill on July 17, 1881 it was ordered by the court that the county judge be at his office there on
Monday and Tuesday of each week and the order was issued for the first election for the following election judges:

Precinct 1 at Phantom Hill presided over by T.F. Scott.

Precinct 2 at the residence of W. Foster who was presiding.

Precinct 3 at Jones City presided by W. McD. Boyer.

Precinct 4 at Brazos City presided over by G.W. Scarborough.

In a meeting August 8, 1881 the election was changed to September 6 and W. McD. Bowyer, J.D. Hampton, and L.M.  Buie were appointed
as a board of examiners for school teachers. B.F. Buie was appointed attorney and Martin Duvall was ordered to run the north and
west lines of the county. A certificate was ordered presented to the comptroller showing that F.T. Knox was the duly elected treasurer.

The third meeting was September 17, 1881, and an election was ordered for November 1 for location of the county seat.

F.T. Knox was ordered to pay the freight on books amounting to $17.25 and $200 was appropriated for obtaining field notes of the county.

Their fourth meeting was held November 14, 1881 and Jones City was declared the county seat, having received forty seven votes and majority

of the votes cast.

In a meeting on November 15, 1881, the Sheriff of Shackelford County D.G. Simpson, presented the court a bill for the board of a prisoner but

the court decided that he was a prisoner of Shackelford County and refused to pay the account. The following men were paid for

election services: J.J. Elliott, C.J. Chapman, Josh Pendley, A. Lee, C.B. Scarborough, W.J. Nixon, G.W. Scarborough, G.B. Granbury,
W.M. Revely, T.F. Scott, J.W. Hampton, A.C. Adams, J.W. Johnson, Z. Stidham, W.P. Gray, and W.T. Connally.

E.W. Johnson, J.J. Elliott, and C.J. Chapman were given a draft for five days service each for work. J.J. Elliott was also paid $2.25 for books
he purchased for his office as justice of the peace and $8.00 was also paid out for election service in their meeting of December 3.

The last meeting of the first year was December 28, 1881, when the $1,000 bond of Martin Duvall was approved. J.P. Cole was paid $21.40
for his services as sheriff and $10.00 for services rendered at District Court. The following accounts were paid to the following for
guarding prisoners: W.T. Connally, $4.50; L.M. Smith, $4.50; James Spragne, $3.00 and F.T. Knox, $3.00.

The first county officials were L.M. Buie, County Judge; W.A. Smith, County Clerk; J.P. Cole, Sheriff and Tax Collector; F.T. Knox, 
County Treasurer; A.J. Carr, Tax Assessor; Martin Duval, County Surveyor; Commissioners were Precinct No. 1, J.T. McGee;
Precinct No. 2, T.J. Scott; Precinct No 3, Z. Steadham; Precinct 4, J.J. Elliott.

The office was opened in the old Tipton Inn located in the lot now occupied by the Hotel Ansford.

The town had only one store W. McD. Bowyer’s two dwellings and a hotel in 1881 when the town was chosen as the county seat,
and at the date the paper was published it had seven business houses, thirty or forty dwellings, two hotels, a good church and
school, two livery stables and a blacksmith shop.

The meeting held February 13, 1882, announced the office of commissioner of precinct four was declared vacant by A. Calhoun,
commissioner, moving out of the county and C.B. Scarborough was appointed to the post. The first road jury was appointed to
view out a road from Anson to the east line of said county and crossing the Clear Fork of the Brazos at or near the mouth of
Deadmon Creek. Also to view out a road to Phantom Hill, turning off from said branch and south of Creed Roberts road at or near the
head of Cabin appointed to view out a road from improvements. A committee was also appointed to view out a road from Anson
to crossing on the Clear Fork at a place known as the old Nick Eaton ranch there at intersect what is known as the new Abilene road.

On the following day, February 14, 1882, the following proceedings were had E.M. Johnson was allowed $150 per annum for his
services as county judge, W.H. Smith was allowed $200 per annum for duties as clerk and it was also ordered by the court that the
Honorable E.M. Johnson was to make application for the four leagues of land donated to the organized counties.

Evidence points to the fact that perhaps the commissioners court were not punctual in attending commissioners court for it was ordered
by the court that this court be opened on the 1st day of the term 12 o’clock and on and on the following day at 9 o’clock a.m. and that every
member absent shall forfeit his pay on that day.

The amount of $2.00 was allowed C. Tompkins, W.J. Nixon and John Connally for their work as jury commissioners. The sum of $78.00
was paid out to various persons for help in holding elections. Here is some more expenses allowed - A.C. Adams 60 cents for stationary;
F.T. Knox was paid $11.35 for hauling records from Abilene to Fort Phantom Hill and J.P. Cole was paid $22.90 for moving records from
Phantom Hill  to Anson and for a stove, six joints of pipe, ceiling joint, cap, door lock and actual expenses.

Buie Brothers were paid $1.10 for one joint of cement and the members of the Commissioner’s court were paid $57.00 for services in holding
the court. E.M. Johnson, judge, was granted a leave of absence for twenty days and $15.00 was appropriated out of the general funds for
purchasing lumber to make seats and bookcase in the court house and J.P. Cole was instructed to proceed at once to procure said lumber.
L.M. Smith was also paid $2.00 for services in election and two days board for prisoner was allowed for a day instead of $2.00 a day.

In the Jones County Commissioner Court's first meeting of March 14, 1882, that $595 was paid Martin Duvall for surveying the lines of the county; $21.00 was paid
J.P. Cole for services as Sheriff and $6.00 was paid to look for making benches and a book case for the county court house. L. Mullins was paid $5.00
for two and one-half days work and C. Tompkins was paid $3.70 for hauling lumber for the county from Abilene to Anson.

March 15, 1882, Commissioner C.B. Scarborough moved from the county and his post was declared vacant and the court
ordered the county judge to appoint a commissioner. Martin Duvall was paid $6.65 for blank forms.

In their meeting for May  8, 1882, C.H. Partin was appointed overseer of the road running from Anson to a point east of the shinnery
east of T.J. Scott. [In the minutes the word "shinnery" is spelled "Chinery"]. S.W. Powers appointed as overseer of the road in the
shinnery easy of the T.J. Scott to the east line of the county and A.L. Reevely was appointed on the road running from Anson to Phantom Hill.

On May 9, 1882, the bond of L.M. Buie was approved as deputy surveyor. On May 10, A.J. Carr was paid his commission as assessor
for the year of 1881, which amounted to $4.65. J.P. Cole was paid $44.00 for services as Sheriff.

On May 13, 1882, the court levied an ad valorem tax of 15 cents on the $100 and 25c for poll tax and C.J. Chapman was appointed as sheep inspector.

Transcribed by Dorman Holub