USA > Minnesota > Jackson County > An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota > Part 24
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PRECINCT
Lake- Jack- field
son
Alba
Belmont
47
103
Christiania
58
65
Delafield ..
138
1-
Des Moines
10
119
Enterprise
Ewington
66
1
Heron Lake Township.
150
1
Hunter.
95
.7.)
Kimball
12
95
LaCrosse.
31
Middletown
9.5
Minneota.
56
Petersburg
U
135
Rost
93
1
Round Lake
9
Sioux Valley
99
Weimer
S
West Huron Lake
Wisconsin
9-1
Jackson
3
32.
Lakefield
159
Heron Lake Village
96
44
Total.
1502
1301
CHAPTER XIII.
CURRENT EVENTS-1895-1910.
T HIE progress of a community is re- flected to a considerable extent in its census returns. That Jack- son county's progress had been steady is attested by the fact that from 1860, when enumerators found inhabitants in Jack- son county for the first time, up to the present time, each five year census had shown a gain in population. The great- est increase during any of these five year periods occurred from 1890 to 1895. Ac- cording to the state census for the last mentioned year, the population of Jack- son county was 12,324. This was an in- crease of 3,400 in five years. During the decade the county had more than doubled in population. Divided by precincts the population of 1895 was as follows:
Alba 308
Belmont 680
Christiania
629
Dela field 279
Des Moines 605
Enterprise 463
Ewington 395
Heron Lake Township 608
646
Heron Lake Village
452
Hunter
1,356
Jackson
501
Kimball
LaCrosse 510
Lakefield 519
Middletown 553
Minneota 431
Petersburg 659
Rost
400
Round Lake
457
Sionx Valley
496
Weimer
391
West Heron Lake 258
Wilder
252
Wisconsin 476
Total 12,324
Considerable railroad history was made in Jackson county during 1895 and 1896, but no railroads were built. For many years the people of the county had tried to secure the building of a north and south road; they had approached every company in the country to the south- both those with lines of railroad and those without : they had offered inducements to company after company, but none was Found who would build into the Milwau- kee territory. Finally, several capitalists of Jackson formed a company and obtain- ed a charter with the hope of some day being able to make arrangements to build a north and south road. The proposed load was named the Jackson Southern.
In 1895 the promoters decided to un- dertake the work of building the first sec- tion, from Jackson south to some point on the Burlington. Several of the precincts in the southwest corner of the county, which would be most benefited, were ask- ed to issue bonds to aid the work, and on October S the following voted bonds: Des Moines, $8.000: Wisconsin, $8,000: Mid- dletown, $9,000; Jackson, $11,000. Bonds did not carry in Petersburg, which was
171
172
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
asked to give $9,000. A meeting of the stockholders was held October 11. when preliminary arrangements for securing right-of-way and commencing grading were made. Another meeting was held at Jackson October 19, which was report- ed by the Jackson County Pilot as fol- low :
On last Saturday, October 19. the board of lirector- of the Jackson Southern railroad hold an important session in this city. Among those present were Messrs. J. K. Brown, E. E. Car- penter. Alexander Fiddes. P. H. Berge. J. W. Cowing. T. J. Knox. of Jackson: J. J. Bell. of Des Moines. lowa: and Malcolm Johnson, of Galveston. Texas.
Among other important business transacted. an assessment of ten per cent was made on the stockholders, which it is presumed will meet with a hearty response, as it is necessary to have funds to carry on the work. Arrange- ments were also perfected for building the road. work on which has already begun, and dirt will be flying along the line by next week.
The company has made arrangement- to push the work to completion at as early a date as possible, and if December shall be an open month, like last year. the iron horse will neigh upon the suburbs of Jackson before the dawn- ing of the new year.
The road will not prove so great a blessing 10 Petersburg township as it would have done had the bond proposition carried in that town. It is the intention of the company to locate a station in Middletown and build up a little village there. This will certainly prove a boon to the farmers of Middletown and will amply repay them for the aid voted.
Before the close of October a large part of the right-of-way had been secured and surveyors had run the line. Early in No- vember the contract for grading five of the right miles between Jackson and the state line was let. and by the middle of the month a large force of graders was at work. The winter was an open one, and the making of the roadbed was continued nearly all winter, and most of the heavy grading was completed. The company was handicapped for lack of funds, but early in March, 1896. a contract for the sale of $25,000 worth of the township bonds was made, and the work was con- tinned. In May the grading was com- pleted, and the next month tracklaying time were Mr. and Mrs. Herman Eggen-
was begun. Then. suddenly, the work ceased ; lack of paid-up capital was re- sponsible for the failure.
On the evening of Friday. August 19. 1898, the county was visited by a destrue- tive wind storm, which resulted in two deaths and destruction to property to the value of $100,000. The storm came from the north and did its first damage in the village of Wilder. There the roof of the main building of Breck college was blown off, the church and Woodman's hall were demolished, and D. L. Riley's lumber shed was wrecked, as well as several other buildings damaged.
The storm then lifted, going over Dela- field and Heron Lake townships. but dropped down again at Lakefield. There the Jackson County State Bank building was partially unroofed. the Norwegian Lutheran church was moved from its foundation and wrecked beyond repair. William Sparles' brick store building was struck by lightning and damaged, Charles Nelson's house was completely demolished. many outhouses and barns were blown down. At Okabena a box car was blown from a sidetrack onto the main line and thener eastward on the main line of the Milwaukee eleven miles. The wind then seemed to change to the opposite direction. for the car was blown back the same dis- laner, without any damage whatever has- ing been done it.
From Lakefield the storm proceeded south through Hunter and Minncota townships. Much damage was done along its course through those precincts. some farms being swept entirely clear of build- ing -. In Minneota the tomado turned east, at right angles. Nearly every bit of property along the course of the storm in Middletown was destroyed. In Petersburg the damage also was great. and in that township occurred the deaths. The vic-
173
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
stein, who were temporarily living in the of the county seat of Jackson county upper part of their barn. their house be- ing under construction. The barn was completely blown to pieces, and Mr. and Mrs. Eggenstein were killed instantly. Neighboring counties suffered some loss as a result of the storm, but its main strength seems to have been expended in Jackson county.
After the hard times period following the panie of 1893, Jackson county en- tered upon a prosperous era-the most prosperous in its whole history. before or since. During the years 1892 to 1902, in- clusive, excellent crops were the rule, and hundreds of new settlers came to share in the bounteous times. Land values jumped several hundred per cent: farm lands that had sold for $10 to $20 per acre advanced to $35 to $100 per acre. It was a time of unprecedented prosperity. and continued until the disastrous year 1903.
The census of 1900 showed the county to have a population of 14.293, divided among the several precincts as follows :
Alba
411
Alpha
209
Belmont
714
Christiania 500
Delafiekl 453
Des Moines 688
Enterprise
520
Ewington
478
lleron Lake Township
589
Heron Lake Village
928
Hunter
572
Jackson 1.756
Kimball
597
La Crosse 517
Lakefield 862
Middletown 570
506
Petersburg
773
Rost
49]
Round Lake 513
Sioux Valley 593
Weimer 419
West Heron Lake 375
Wilder 174
Wisconsin
525
Total
14.793
The third struggle for the possession
came in 1900. The five years which the law provided should intervene between elections for the removal of county seats had then passed. and the people of Lake- field and their friends in the western and northern parts of the county believed they stood an excellent show of securing the removal from Jackson, basing their be- lief on the fact that Lakefield was located in almost the exact center of the county, while Jackson was far from the geograph- ical center and no longer could claim to be the center of population.1
Early in the spring some preliminary work was done in the way of finding out the sentiment of the people, and on Wed- nesday evening. April 4, the business men of Lakefield met and formally started the contest. The next day a committee com- posed of 11. J. Hollister. M. Il. Evans and E. T. Smith gave notice that the peti- tion for removal would be circulated on April 23. This was published officially April :. and the contest was started. On April 10 the people of Jackson, represent- ed by T. J. Knox, Alexander Fiddes. Niels Handevitt. J. C. Edlin. R. S. Rob- ertson, B. W. Ashley, G. G. Arentson. C. Tichacek and M. B. Hutchinson, gave no- tice that they would contest the removal, this notice being published April 13.
For a month the Lakefield workers can- vassed the county securing signatures to the petition and were very successful. On Tuesday, May 22. the petition was filed with the county auditor. It contained 1.648 names-321 Thore than the number required to bring the question to a vote.2 Notice was at once given of a special ses-
IThe center of population at the time was on the northwest quarter of section two. Hunt- er township. The census of 1900 showed that there were 7.118 people in the north half of the county and 7,675 in the south half. In the two western tiers of townships the population was 4.725; in the two eastern tiers, 6,012; in the middle tier, 3.156.
"The total vote in 1898 was 2.211, and sixty per cent of that was 1,327-the number requir- ed by law.
Minneota
174
JHISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
sion of the county board to be held June twenty-seven votes. The total vote count- 11. to take action in the matter of the petition.
When the commissioners met. W. B. Sketch. of Jackson, filed a written objec- tion to the consideration of the petition on the ground that the notice of intention to circulate petition was not in the form required by law. He tiled further objec- tion on the ground that Commissioner Crawford was disqualified from sitting as a member of the board of county commis- sioners: also on the ground of bribery having been offered by the village of Lake- field: also that County Attorney E. T. Smith was disqualified from acting as legal advisor to the board on account of being directly interested in the removal of the county seat. The commissioners decided that they had jurisdiction, and, after having stricken three names from the petition, they held that the required mumber of signatures had been obtained and that it was in accordance with the law. The proper certificate was made and filed. and July 10 was named as the date for holding the election.
The campaign which ensued was spirit- ed. Workers for both towns canvassed the county thoroughly. Ill feeling de- veloped between the two communities, and mud slinging was not barred: in many instances personal abuse was used in place of argument. Again the people of Lake- field offered their public building to the county for a rental price of one dollar per year, providing the people voted them the county seat. A bond in the sum of $30,000 guaranteeing this was executed July 3.3
Jackson was again successful at the polls. winning by the narrow margin of "The makers of the bond were M H. Evans, John Frederickson, William Scarles, J. W. Daubney, H. J Hollister. Thomas Crawford. C. M. Gage. G. W. Curtiss. A. F. Hanf. Adolph Bettin, G. H. Wood, George Britisch, C. S. Brall. S. Sparles. W. F. Timm. D L. Riley, F. 1 .. leonard. IL. . Rhodes. A. A. Fosness and Wil- liam Kauder.
ed was 3,538,' of which Lakefield received 1,930 and Jackson 1.628. To have won Lakefield must have received 1.959 votes -the 55 per cent of the total vote. Fol- lowing is the result by precincts :
PRECINCT
Lake- field
Jack- son
Alba
89
10
Belmont.
70
Christiania
84
47
Delafield
157
00
Des Moines
15
137
Enterprise
4
120
Ewington
9S
13
Heron Lake Township.
14."
Hunter
108
25
Kimball .
44
LeCrosse
711
34
Middletown
9
115
Minneota
84
29
Petersburg
13
156
Rost
116
2
Round Lake
91
27
Sioux Valley
108
16
Weimer
101
10
West Heron Lake
91
12
Wisconsin
154
Jackson .
459
Lakefield
265
Heron Lake Village
135
71
Total ..
1930
1628
A celebration in honor of the victory was held at Jackson on July 11. when the exercises were held in a downpour of rain. Fifteen hundred visitors were pros- ent to assist in the jollification.
The vote had been so close that the people of Lakefield decided to take the matter into the courts, and on August 10 notice of a contest was served on the board of county commissioners. It was alleged on the part of Lakefield that the form of ballot used was misleading and did mis- lead voters, that voters were required to vote the Australian system when the law did not provide for so voting, that ser-
"The total number of ballots cast was 3,579. but several were improperly marked, so that only 3,55$ were counted. If the per cent should be figured from the total number of ballots put In the ballot box, Lakefield was short thirty- right voles of winning.
175
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
eral electors were kept from voting be- cause of threats and intimidations, that in Middletown township voters were allowed to take ballots away from the polling place before voting, that in some precincts the judges counted fewer votes for Lake- field than had been cast for that town, that money was paid certain specified per- sons for voting against removal. A re- count was demanded, and the people of Lakefield asked the court to declare the election void if it was found that fraud had been practiced.
In their answer to the charges the peo- ple of Jackson, by M. B. Hutchinson, filed in August, denied all the charges and al- leged irregularity and fraud on the part of the people of Lakefield.
The ease eame to trial in the district court before Judge James H. Quinn on November 27. Attorneys George W. Wil- son and H. G. Latourell appeared for Lakefield and Attorneys T. J. Knox and George W. Somerville for Jackson. A few witnesses were examined, and the case was submitted by briefs.
In his decision dated January 30, 1901. Judge Quinn dismissed the proceedings and said :
Upon the trial no evidence was offered in support of the allegations contained in the no- tice of contest or answer of the contestee as to fraud. bribery or other misconduct upon the part of the electors or others interested in said election. But the contestant urges that the election in question is void. for the reason that the ballot used was not such a ballot as the law provides shall be used in case of a re- moval of a county seat; that the Australian system is not the law under which the vote for the change of a county seat should be con- ducted, and that there has never been a legal canvass of the votes polled at such election. and that therefore the election so held should be declared null and void by an order of this court, for the reasons above set forth.
The contestant further insists that if the foregoing referred to order is refused, that ser- tion one of article eleven of the constitution is still in force, and that under it a bare majority vote is sufficient to change a county seat, not- withstanding the several amendments thereto, and that an order should be made for that
reason changing the county seat from the vil- lage of Jackson to the village of Lakefield.
The last contention on the part of the con- testant. I am satisfied. is not well taken, and that the legislature has power to pass an act fixing the number of votes required to remove a county seat.
As to the proposition that such election should be declared void, it appears from the petition. as well as the evidence and admis- sions of the parties, that the election was duly valled. and that it was held under and pm - suant to chapter one of the general statutes of this state: that the ballot used was such as is provided for in that chapter and that it clearly informed the elector for what he was voting, and I am unable to see how he could have been mislead or in any manner deceived by the use of such ballot, nor is the manner of the return by the judges of election to the county auditor questioned.
The county commissioners canvassed the vote on the 13th day of July, three days after the holding of the election, presumably under the provisions of section 650 of the general statutes of 1894.
No claim was made upon the trial that any fraud was perpetrated at any stage of the election or in canvassing the returns, and it clearly appears from the evidence had upon the trial that there was a total of 3,579 votes cast at such election, less than 55 per cent of which, viz: 1931, were cast in favor of the proposition to change the county seat.
It is therefore found as a conclusion of law that the contestant is not entitled to the re- lief asked for, and that such proceeding should be dismissed.
Let judgment be entered accordingly.
There was talk of appealing the case to the supreme court, but for several months no action was taken. Then exigencies arose, in connection with the campaign against the erection of a jail building. which demanded an appeal, and in July, 1901. Lakefield gave notice of appeal. The case was disposed of in the supreme court January 22. 1902, the decision be- ing favorable to Jackson.
The construction of the county jail building at Jackson in 1901 and 1902 was an event of importance because of its bearing on the county seat removal ques- tion and because of the fact that it paved the way, to a certain extent, for the future construction of a court house. That those who favored the removal of the county seat to Lakefield realized its importance
176
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
is attested by the strenuous fight put up and to utilize cash in the treasury for the against its construction. Several injune- tion- were seenred and a bitter light con- tinued until the building actually passed into the hands of the county.
The people of Jackson, realizing that the construction of a jail building would have a favorabh influence upon the next county seat contest which was sure to come-donated to the county a site for a jail building, with the proviso that title should revert to the village of JJackson in vase the sit should ever evase to be used for county jail purposes. The first of- ficial step toward creating the building was taken early in July. 1901, when the county commissioners (Commissioners P. 1. Berge. John M. Olson and Henry Thielvoldt voting yes, and Commissioners David Crawford and George Erbes voting no) passed a resolution that a jail be built according to plans furnished by Archi- test Kinney. On the same day a contract was made with the Pauly Jail & Manu- facturing company, of St. Louis, for the erection of the building, to be completed March 1. 1902, and to cost $11.150.
This procedure brought the friends of Lakefield to immediate activity. It was then that the appeal of the county seat re- moval case was made to the supreme court. An injunction, prohibiting the county commissioners from builling a jail. was asked from the district court? and Judge Quinn granted a temporary re-training order. The defendants moved to dissolve the writ of injunction, and on July ?? Judge Quinn did so.
After the court had removed the legal barrier, the county commissioners, in spe- ial session July 30 and 31. made ar- rangement- to proceed with the work. It was decided to raise $10,000 by bonding.
"The case was entitled \ M St John, plain- tiff. vs P. D. MeKellar. county auditor. David Crawford. P H Berge. Henry Thiefvoldt. George Erbes and John M Olson county com- missioners, defendants.
balance. The former contract Was It- -winded and kids were called for, to be opened September 11. Again the Lake- field people appealed to the district court. Early in September they went before Judge Quinn and asked for an injunction restraining the commissioners from spend- ing county money for a jail building and for other relief. This hearing was held at Fairmont September 10 before Judge Kingsley. His decision was to the effect that the commissioners had perfect legal authority to carry out their proposed plans : the injunction was refused.
Bids for the construction of the jail building were opened. and on September 12 a new contract was made with the Pauly Jail & Manufacturing company at a price of $11.200. On Jannary :. 1902, the specifications were changed and $3.200 was added to the contract price. The supreme court decision of January 22. 1902. on the matter of bonds furnished In the Lakefield people, effectually dis- poscal of the claim that the injunction against the commissioners building a jail was still in force. For the time being all legal objection to proceeding with the jail building was removed.
Having received nothing but unfavor- able decisions in their efforts to prevent the building of the jail. the Laketield pro- ple next demanded an injunction prohib- iting the commissioners from issuing the $10,000 bonds, and in this they were suc- essful. The case was entitled William D, Ilill As, the county commissioners, and was brought before Judge Quinn in March. 1902. On the 25th of that month the judge made an order. holding. among other things, that the county seat was at Jackson, that the county commissioners were tested with authority to contract for the building of a jail to the extent of all money in the treasury available for that
177
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
purpose, but that they must not- enter into any contract that required the expendi- ture of more money than was so available. This, of course, prevenied the bond is- sue, but the majority of the county board found a way out of the difficulty. On April 18. in special session, on the prop- osition of the Pauly Jail & Manufactur- ing company, the commissioners abro- gated the contracts before made and en- tering into a new contract with the same company for the orection of the building (without the steel cells. ete.) at a price of $9,600, which amount was available. The building was completed, accepted by the commissioners July 24. 1902, and a warrant drawn for the contract price. On September 23 the contract for the cell work was let to the same company for $1.800, that amount then being available. The completed jail was accepted July 13. 1903, and a full settlement was made at that time.
As has been stated previously, prosper- ous times continued in Jackson county until the-year 1903. That was a year of disasters and marked the beginning of a short era of depression, due to partial crop failures because of excessive rainfall.
The disasters of the year began May 22. For several days succeeding there were continual and awful rain. wind and electric storms that did great damage in all parts of the county, as well as in all southwestern Minnesota. Creeks and riv- ers overflowed and sloughs became vast lakes. Bridges were washed away, tele- phone and telegraph lines were destroyed. and the railroad lines were put out of commission. The damage to crops was great, and many buildings were wrecked by the wind.
The most disastrous wind storm, in the matter of loss of life and destruction to property. in the history of Jackson coun- ty occurred Tuesday evening, June 30,
1903. The death dealing tornado trav- ersed portions of LaCrosse and Weimer townships and entered the northeast cor- ner of Delafield, killing seven people and destroying property to the value of $100 .- 000. The killed were:
Mrs. Joseph Fritscher Miss Aurelia Fritscher Mrs. Fritscher's baby girl Joseph Mathias Daniel Gallagher Ellen Gallagher Nettie Gallagher
The Jackson County Times of July 4. 1903, tells of the storm as seen from Ileron Lake:
About seven o'clock Tuesday evening a dense black cloud was seen to form on the lower hori- zon northwest of town that was perfectly stationary, but almost immediately after its formation a white cloud. which appeared to come from beyond the vision somewhere in the northeast, started towards it and was appar- ently engulfed in the heavier mass. This pro- cess continued for about ten or fifteen minutes, when all at once the dense black mass appear- ed to leap upward, leaving a clear space of a bright red tint between it and the horizon. After this sudden move it again became sta- tionary for a few seconds, when it started again at a terrific speed directly towards lleron Lake, but in less time than it takes to describe it, in faet one might say the twinkling of an eye, it changed its course to almost direct northeast, when the work of destruction to life and property commenced.
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