1. The owners of a majority of the acreage in any contiguous body of swamp, wet or overflowed lands, or lands subject to overflow, situate in one or more counties in this state, may form a drainage district for the purpose of having such lands and other property reclaimed and protected from the effects of water, for sanitary or agricultural purposes, or when the same may be conducive to the public health, convenience or welfare, or of public utility or benefit, by drainage or otherwise, and for that purpose they may make and sign articles of association, in which shall be stated: The name of the district, and the number of years the same is to continue; the boundary lines of the proposed drainage district; the names of the owners of lands or other property in said district, together with a description of the lands and other property owned by each; when the name of the owner of any of said lands or other property is unknown, this fact shall be set out in said articles; said articles shall further state that the owners of real estate and other property within said district whose names are subscribed to said articles are willing to and do obligate themselves to pay the tax or taxes which may be assessed against their respective lands or other property to pay the expense of organizing and of making and maintaining the improvements that may be necessary to effect the reclamation of said lands and other property, so formed into a drainage district, and to drain and to protect the same from the effects of water, and said articles of association shall contain a prayer, praying that the lands and other property described therein be declared a drainage district under the provisions of sections 242.010 to 242.690.

2. After said articles of association and petition have been so signed the same shall be filed in the office of the circuit clerk of the county in which such lands and other property are situate; or, if such lands and other property be composed of tracts or parcels situate in two or more different counties then in the office of the clerk of the circuit court of the county in which there are situate more of said lands and other property than in any other county.