The first recorded deed of property in Stillwater was from Walter R. Vail to Rufus S. King, transferring for a consideration of $1,550 a tract bounded east by Lake St. Croix and south and north by lands owned by Churchill and Nelson. Three election precincts had been established in this portion of Crawford county prior to the organization of St. Croix county: Caw-caw-baw-kank, embracing the county adjacent to St. Croix Falls; Dakotah, the county at the head of Lake St. Croix, and Chan-wak-an the Gray Cloud settlement, on the Mississippi. On July 5, 1841, the commissioners held a meeting and established voting precincts as follows: _Gray Cloud_--Judges of election, Hazen Mooers, David Howe, Joseph Haskell. _Mouth of St. Croix Lake_--Judges of election, P. Prescott, Oscar P. Burris, John Burke. _Marine Mills_--Judges of election, Asa Parker, Samuel Burkelo, T. Harrington. _Falls of St. Croix_--Judges of election, Joseph W. Furber, Joshua L. Taylor, Jesse Taylor. _Pokegama_--Judges of election, Jeremiah Russell, E. Myers, E. L. Ely. Feb. 2, 1844, St. Paul and Stillwater were made election precincts by the Wisconsin legislature, and Stillwater was made the county seat. The constituted authorities were not successful in making out assessments and collecting county revenues. The first estimate of expenditures for the county was for 1842, and amounted to $482. This included the estimate for holding one term of court. Up to the time of changing the county seat to Stillwater much dissatisfaction existed as to the manner in which the county finances had been managed, and there was a general revolt, a refusal to pay taxes. In consequence, the county building at Dakotah remained unfinished and was finally abandoned by the county authorities. J. R. Brown lost on his contract on account of this failure and abandonment. The first successful collection of taxes in St. Croix county, considered legal, was in 1845. Capt. Wm. Holcombe acted during this period as clerk of the commissioners, and register of deeds. In 1846 he deputized W. H. C. Folsom as deputy clerk and register of deeds, and transmitted the records from St. Croix Falls to Stillwater. [A] EARLY HISTORY OF STILLWATER.