Probably the most divisive issue ever to face the voters of Cleveland County
was the removal of the county seat from Toledo after the courthouse was destroyed
by fire an March 8, 1889. It was a sharply contested matter that continued
for years. It has long been believed that the fire at Toledo was the
precipitating event leading to removal of the county seat from Toledo to
some other place. However, county records indicate that an October 5, 1884,
a petition signed by W. H. Barnett and others was presented to County Judge
James H. Bridges asking that an election be held an the removal of the county
seat from Toledo to Kingsland. Judge Bridges dismissed the petition because
of an informality without stating what that informality was. At the Same
Session of the county Court another petition was presented. It was signed
by John Rutledge and
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estimated population of 400 people. Kingsland was incorporated in July of
1884 and had a population of 464 in 1890. There is no evidence that New Edinburg
was euer incorporated. It had not been enumerated separately by the U. S.
Census Bureau except as part of a township. Beasley's Switch was neuer a
recognized community in Cleveland County. It was, however, what the name
implies, a siding an the Cotton Belt Railroad. In the spring of 1889 a bitter,
spirited and politically hot campaign was conducted with each of the four
contenders vying with each other for the county seat. Charges and countercharges
were hurled Back and forth. Some factions were canvassing the county circulating
incorrect reports about each other. One Charge was that the Rison people
had deliberately burned the county courthouse at Toledo so that Rison could
become the county seat. In 1889 New
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Edinburg had raised $2500 cash to be applied to a courthouse if selected
as the new county seat. It was argued that Beasley's Switch was a swamp and
would not be a healthy place because it harbored malaria. There was some
question as to whether the courthouse would be located an the east or west
side of the railroad. Apparently a group of people consisting of Messers.
Boyd, Amis, Barnett, Bridges, McLeod, Mullis, Kendal, Hilliard and Johnson
had teamed up to form a real estate development plan to sell Lots and acreage
if the seat was located at Beasley's Switch. Some referred to Beasley's Switch
as the "switch swamp."The people at Kingsland argued that they were an older,
more prosperous and better developed community than Rison. They also argued
that if Rison were selected there would be mal-administration of county affairs
and county indebtedness for years to
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