USA > Minnesota > Jackson County > An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota > Part 26
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obtaining signatures to the petition and revocations of withdrawals : the attorney for Lakefield offered to prove fraud and bribery in securing withdrawals. But this evidence was not introduced. the board ruling that it had power only to consider these matters committed to its consideration by the statute and that it had not power to consider matters not so defined."" For one weck the board was in session determining the standing of the petition. Five hundred twelve nantes were stricken from the petition for va- rions reasons" leaving 1.518. or 2% less than the sixty per cent of voters as re- quired by law. The commissioners denied the prayer of the petitioners; another county seat contest was ended.
No sooner did it become evident that the petition would l'ail before the board of county commissioners than steps were taken to circulate a new petition and re- open the contest. Official notice to this effect was given April 18, it being an- nonneed that the petition would be eir- culated beginning not carlier than May ; nor later than May 9.21 While this new petition was being circulated during the months of May and June the county board was taking steps to let the coll-
"Section 39% revised cade reads as follows: "Duties of the county board at the time and place specified in the notice proof of its service having been tiled; the board shall meet to wet on said petition and shall inquire and deler- mine which, if any, of the signers thereof Were not, at the time of signing the sime, legal vaters of said county, and which, if any, of the signatures thereto were not attached within sixty days preceding the ffing thereof: and which, if any, have been withdrawn all such signatures shall le stricken from the petition and deducted from the count, and a list there- of. certiflenl by the board. shall be filed forth- with with the county auditor
. These als names stricken off were tabulated as follows: 195 duplicate sign dares, 22% with - drawals, AS nanors, non-residents and aliens. 1 wom in.
"The nether was signed by John Nestrud. G. T. Joyeland, Hermin Pohlman N. A. Johnson. Jan Stinar, John Koch, John M. Hovelsrud. F. E. Murphy, B. M. Hovelsrud, Ole O. Sandager. Trodd O. Trondson. B. P Elverum. W. L. Frost. Wilhelm Hohenstein, AAngust Huber. Matt Gentry, Axel Sandberg and C. F. Rossow.
On June 9 papers were served on the board of county commissioners, giving no- five of injunction proceedings, brought in the name of John Nestrud. asking that they be forbidden to let the contract for the erection of a court house. The case came to trial June 25 before Judges James 1. Quinn and Larin Cray, sitting to- gether. In a decision dated June 29 and filed July & the injunction was dissolved. the court holding that the commissioner- would not be everding their right- in proceeding with the building of a court house or any part of it. so long as they did not make the pecuniary liability of the county exceed $23,000, the amount then available for the purpose: that he- vond that amount they could not contract until more fund- were available.
Court house building and county seat removal matters were complicated at this stige of the proceedings by the temporary suspension from office of Commissioner Henry G. Anderson. Charges were filed against Mr. Anderson before Governor John A. Johnson on Juh 3.2 and the
"Jackson people contended that the fling of the charges against Mr Anderson was a de- libwrate attempt on the part of Lakefeld to at- taln advantages which the court denied then. The Republic on July 13 said.
"After the Lakefield county removal schemers failed in their ambition to induce the Pourts to Interfere by injunction to prevent the building of a new court house, they proceeded to carry out a prearranged scheme to carry the matter before the governor and under the guise of fling charges against County Commis- sioner 11. G Anderson, and securing hts tem- porary suspension from office until after the reg- star July meeting of the county board and the meeting called for July 23 to consider and art upon the second removal petition, they at-
185
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
same day the governor suspended Mr. An- curing more than enough to defeat the petition.
derson, pending the determination of the charges in a final hearing August 1. On July 6 a delegation went from Jackson to St. Paul and interviewed the governor, with the result that the state executive revoked his order and reinstated Mr. An- derson. At the hearing of the Jackson county officer before Commissioner Pow- ers on July 13 the proceedings were dis- missed on the motion of George W. Som- erville, Lakefield's attorney.
The bids for the construction of the court house were opened July 9. Charles Skooglum, of St. Paul, was the successful bidder, his bid for the building complete being $91,082. Because of the injunction of the court not to contract for a greater sum than was available in cash for the purpose, the commissioners let the con- tract only for the foundation, up to and including the water table, the bid for this part of the building being $10,330.23 July 10 another levy for court house purposes of $13,000 was male. The work of tear- ing down the old court house was begun July 25, the county officers utilizing the Jackson city hall for offices. Excavation work for the new building was begun Sep- tember 4.
Before the court house program had been carried this far, however, the last county seat contest had been brought to a close. The county seat removal people filed their petition July 3. It contained 1.881 names-sixty more than the num- ber required by law. The date of consid- ering the petition was July 23. The Jack- son forces again canvassed the county for withdrawals and were successful in se-
tempted and nearly succeeded in ending the decision of the court and securing the same ro- sults that they attempted to secure in their injunction suit."
"Owing to failure to post the proper notices. the letting of the contract was found to he in- valid. Bids were again called for, and on An- gust 18 a new contract was entered into with Charles Skooglum on a bid of $10,225 for the foundation.
.At the meeting of the county board on July 23 to determine the sufficiency of the petition Attorneys J. A. Mansfield and Ole Thoreson represented Lakefield and Attorney T. J. Knox represented Jackson. The work of striking names from the petition because of withdrawals was con- tinued until the 24th. Then it was an- nounced that 106 names had been taken off. leaving 1,215 on the petition-not enough to warrant bringing the question to a vote. Proceedings were discontinu- ed. The twenty years county seat war was at an end.
There not being enough funds available to complete the court house building, on January 2, 1907. the county commission- ers decided to again put the question of issuing bonds to the people.2' The special election was held February 19, the ques- tion at issue being the issuance of $65,000 worth of bonds. A majority of 129 in favor of the proposition was given, the precincts voting as follows :
PRECINCT
For Bonds
Against Bonds
Alba
65
Belmont.
87
52
Christiania
70
35
Delafield
4
87
Des Moines
135
7
Enterprise.
126
5
Ewington
18
70
Hunter.
34
66
Kimball
90
6
LaCrosse
6
86
Middletown
111
1
Minneota
27
64
Petersburg
154
3
Rost.
119
Round Lake
20
29
Sioux Valley.
39
39
Weimer
7
77
West Heron Lake
12
81
Wisconsin .
100
3
Jackson .
434
16
Lakefield
2
227
Heron Lake Vil.
18
121
Wilder
9
14
Alpha
41
3
Total.
1548
1419
"1A similar resolution was passed July 25,
11
.
Heron Lake Twp
142
186
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
From that time all was smooth sailing. Contracts were let April 16. 1901, as fol- lows: Charles Skooglum, court house above basement, $11,438: Cuddy & Cav- anaugh. heating plant and plumbing, $:311: Nemis & Nemis, electrical work, $140; Diebold Safe & Lock company, vault doors and shutters, $1,260. March 3. 1908. a contract was let to Crown Elec- trical Manufacturing company for elee- trie light fixtures, on a bid of $1,475. This brought the contract price up to a little less than $100,000. When the build- ing was finally completed and furnished the total cost. excluding sidewalks. was $117.135.22.25
The corner stone of the court house was laid with ceremonies July 9. 1907. United State Senator Moses E. Clapp and Hon. T. J. Knox being the principal speakers.
1906, but on the same day the resolution was revoked.
"Statement of eost made by Henry G. An- derson, chairman of the board of county com- missioners, at dedication, June 22. 1902.
The building was finally completed early in 1909 and the dedicatory exercises were held June 22, 1909. The dedicatory ad- dress was delivered by Judge P. E. Brown and the other speakers were Judge James H. Quinn, T. J. Knox and Henry G. An- derson.
The events of the last few years of Jackson county's history can be told in a few words. For three or four years fol- lowing 1903 the comparative dull times continued. Then came better times. A bountiful erop was raised in 1907, good prices prevailed, and the financial flurry that fall caused no anxiety among the people of Jackson county. A good crop was raised in 1908, and in 1909 the most bountiful harvest of a decade was gather- ed. The year 19to opens with the people of Jackson county happy. contented and prosperous. They inhabit the best county the bright light of heaven ever shown upon.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ACTOR, LEROY AND TIDEN FOUNDAT AMB
JACKSON COUNTY COURT HOUSE
CHAPTER XIV.
POLITICAL-1858-1882.
J ACKSON county's political history covers a period of time from 1858 to the present. excluding the years 1862 to 1865. The county was organized in 1858 and its organization continued until the Sioux massacre of 1862; then the county became deserted and, of course, the government was discontinued. The second organization was brought abont in 1865 and has continned without interrup- tion to the present.
As has been stated before, very little is known of the first organization or of the government under that organization. With only a few exceptions, all its records have been destroyed, and there is no one now living who was intimate enough with the local political affairs of that day to give us any reliable data; we must content ourselves with the meager records that have been saved.
When the first settlers came and found- ed the Springfield settlement they were under the local government of Brown county, but there is no evidence to show that these pioneers had any county busi- ness to attend to, and it is doubtful if the county officials at New Ulm, the county seat, even knew of the existence of the lit- tle settlement on the extreme southern edge of their county. The aet of the leg- islature of May 23, 1857, created Jackson
county and removed it from the jurisdic- tion of Brown county.
There were only a few residents of Jackson county at the time of its crea- tion, and no effort was made to bring about its organization until some time in 1858. Then the people of the new coun- ty chose John B. Fish, Alexander Wood and a Mr. Britton to act as commissioners to perfect the organization under the act of 1852. But that act had provided that the governor should name the commis- sioners, and the state official did not rec- ognize the commissioners named, but ap- pointed others, and these, in turn, named the other county officers, and the political machinery of Jackson county was started. Who the first officers of the county were is unknown; in fact, the names of only a few of the officers under the first organi- zation are known.
The first election was held in the fall of 1858, when a full set of county officers was chosen, who succeeded those holding office by appointment. Of these officers the name of only one is known-Charles W. Clark, the sheriff.1 By the time the presidential election of 1860 came. there were thirty-two electors in the county
"Jackson county order No. 89. dated Septem- ber 9, 1862. a short time after the massacre. was for $28.50 and was drawn in favor of Charles W. Clark "for services as sheriff of said county for 1859."
187
1 ~~
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
who voted (out of a total population of ond organization, let us consider the jeg- 181)-and all were cast for Abraham Lin- islative history of Jackson county. coln for president.ยช The polling place was I'nder the legislative apportionment of 1860 The counties of Faribault, Martin. Jackson, Cottonwood. Nobles. Pipestone, Rock and a part of Brown were made 10 form the twentieth district, entitled to one senator and one member of the house. The district was so constituted until 1866 and was represented by the following log- islators : at the village of Belmont, which then served as the county seat. \ full set of county officers was chosen at that time, including the following: 11. R. Trobridge, chairman of the board of county commissioners: Edward Davies, commissioner : Simon Obon. com- missioner: Stiles M. West, sheriff (al- though he was only nineteen years of 1Mil Senate, Gmy K. Cleveland: house. A. Strecker. age) : 0. 0. Whitney, clerk of the board : 1862- Senate. Guy K. Cleveland: house. B. O. Kempfer. and James E. Palmer, assessor of Danby township. Those officers, according to a INGA -Senate. D. C. Shillock; house. . I. B. Wakefiell. scrap of record preserved. were serving 1861 Senate. D. G. Shillock: house. J. A. Latimer. during the summer of 1861. The same 1805 Senate. D. G. Shillock: house. .. ... Kiester. record would indicate that the following were the election officers for the 1860 election : D. M. West. I. R. Trobridge, INGG Senate. D. G. Skillock; home. . I. B. Wakefiell. James E. Palmer, B. Mccarthy and C. O. A slight change was made in district No. 20 in 1866. it being then made to com- prise the counties of. Faribault. Martin, Jackson, Cottonwood. Murray. Pipestone and Rock.3 and entitled to one senator and one representative. This apportion- ment was in force until 18; 1. Einder it the district was represented as follows: Whitney, judges: Edward Davies and C. 0. Whitney. clerks. Another election seems to have been held in 1861. for dur- ing the months of November and Decem- ber of that year bills were paid to Ole Burreson and Josepit Thomas for ser- vices as judges of election, and to S. T. Johnson as clerk of election. During IST Senate. J. B. Wakefield: house. A 1862 Joseph Thomas was county auditor 1868 Senate. J. B. Wakefield: house. A. H. Colton. mnd Ole Peterson was treasurer.
When the massacre occurred in August, twee. the county officers fled with the other settlers, and their records were with- " lost or destroyed. At the time of the allack the treasurer buried the county's money in the timber and Red without it. However, he returned at night and secured it. From that time until late in the fall of 1865 (when there were 23 people in Jackson county, according to the census of that year) the residents of the county were without local government.
Before taking up the story of the see-
Simon Olson in Jackson Republice. August 21. 1591. Stiles M West.
1800 Senate. J. B. Wakefield: house. J. W. Hunter.
1870 Senate. J. A. Latimer: house. M. R. L. Shanks.
1871 Senate. C. W. Thompson: house. A. l. Patchen.
In 1821 the counties of Martin. Jack- son. Nobles. Bock. Watenwan, Cotton- wood, Murray and Pipestone were formed into the thirty-eighth district and so re- mained until ISS1. The district was giv- en one senator and three representatives and wa- served by the following gentle-
1872 Somale. William D. Rier: home. E. Berry. W. W. Murphy, George C. Chamberlin.
Noldes county is not named in this appor- tionment, but It became a part of the district
189
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
1873-Senate, William D. Rice; house, J. W. Seager, E. Berry. Stephen Miller.
1874 -- Senate. E. P. Freeman; house, J. F. Daniels, Ole O. llow, N. H. Manning. 1875-Senate, E. P. Freeman: house, Charles F. Crosby, E. Berry, Thomas Rutledge.
1876-Senate, I. P. Durfee; house, J. A. Everett. Lee llensley, W. H. Mellen.
1877 -- Senate, 1. P. Durfee: house. H. N. Rico, Lee Hensley. C. IT. Smith.
1878-Senate, C. H. Smith: house, Frank A. Day, L. H. Bishop, Alexander Fiddes.
1879-Senate. A. D. Perkins; honse, M. E. 1. Shanks, T. Lambert, P. J. Kniss.
188] Senate. A. D. Perkins; honse, J. A. Armstrong. W. D. Rice, P. J. Kniss.
The apportionment of 1881 created Jackson and Martin counties into the sixth district, entitled to one member of each house. They remained in this district un- til 1899 and were represented as follows: 1883-Senate. R. M. Ward: house. J. E. Child.
1885-Senate, R. M. Ward; house, Alexan- der Fiddes.
1887-Senate, Frank A. Day; house, E. Se- Vatson.
1889-Senate, Frank A. Day: house, E. Se- vatson.
Jackson and Cottonwood counties were made to form the eighth district in 1889, and that district was represented as fol- lows :
189]-Senate, E. Sevatson; house, Henry F. Turker. 1893-Senate, E. Sevatson; house, John Paulson.
1895-Senate, E. Sevatson; house, E. J. Meilicke.
1897-Senate, E. Sevatson; house, George MI. Laing.
The present fourteenth district, com- prising Jackson and Cottonwood counties, was formed in 189%, is entitled to one senator and two representatives, and has been represented by the following :
1899-Senate, E. J. Meilicke; house, D. L. Riley, John E. Johnson.
1901-Senate. E. J. Meilicke; house, D. L. Riley, W. A. Potter.
1003-Senate. W. A. Smith: honse. A. M. Schroeder, J. D. Schroeder.
1905-Senate, W. A. Smith; house. L. O. Teigen, R. Il. Jefferson.
1907-Senate, IT. E. Hanson: house, Charles Winzer, R. Il. Jefferson.
1909-Senate, H. E. Hanson; house, John Baldwin, D. A. Stuart.
In the fall of 1865 the population of the unorganized county of Jackson had reached nearly three Indred people, and prospects for a large immigration the fol- lowing year were so good that steps were taken to bring about a reorganization un- der the original act of 185%. Another rea- son that led to the undertaking at that time was the desire of the voters to par- ticipate in the state and district elec- tions that fall. Upon the petition of the residents. Governor Stephen Miller ap- pointed Israel F. Eddy, Charles Belknap+ and Jared Palmer commissioners, vested with authority to call an election for No- vember :, 1865. for the purpose of choos- ing county officers and of voting for state and district officers. These commission- ers were not to act as a law-making body ; their duties were simply to call and pre- side over the first election.
Events so shaped themselves that elec- tion day very nearly passed without an election being held. So isolated was this settlement in Jackson county that it ac- tually did not know the date of the gen- eral election, and only for a fortunate cir- cumstance were the people of the new county kept from being disfranchised. Ma- jor H. S. Baily has written of this circum- stance :
but instead of calling the election for the 7th, as the governor directed. they called it for the 17th of November. I hap- pened to go down to Winnebago City in the first week in November and learned that out in civilization the election was to be held on Tuesday, the 7th. I arrived home on Satur- day evening. the 4th. On Sunday I went to see Mr. Eddy and asked his authority for eall- ing the election for the 17th, and he replied that the governor directed it. He brought the governor's letter and was surprised to find that he had read it wrong. So on Monday he went through the settlement and notified the voters that there would be an election the next day.
AMajor H. S. Bailev. in an article written in 1888, stated that I. N. Belknap was the com- missioner: the records show that Charles Bel- knap served as judge of the election, indicating that he was the commissioner.
190
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY. .
Many difficulties beset these pioneers in Bailey was chosen to take them to the county officials at Fairmont. The auditor of Martin county, Galiten Brown, at first refused to accept them, but he was per- shaded to do so, and Jackson county's vote for state and district officers was counted. The auditor, however, refused to issue certificates of election for the new offi- vers of Jackson county, believing that such a course would be exceeding his an- thority.
their efforts to organize the county. The dlection was to be held at the home of Jared Palmer, who lived on a farm a short distance south of the present village of Jackson. When it came time for the open- ing of the polls, Mr. Eddy, one of the com- missioners, was absent. In his place Ma- jor f. S. Bailey was chosen by the other commissioners to act as one of the judges ; W. C. Garratt was selected clerk of the election hoard. In the whole of Jackson county there was not a man who had au- thority to administer an oath, and the judges were confronted with the serious question of how to qualify. Some time previous Major Bailey had hold the office of justice of the peace in another county. and he took the responsibility of swear- ing in the other two judges and clerk of election, although he had no legal anthori- ty to do so. One of the other judges then administered the oath to Major Bailey.
No convention had been held. no can- vass made, and the election was a quiet affair. Thirty-six votes were cast and the following officers elected: H. S. Bailey, Simon Olson and M. S. Clough. county commissioners: Clark Baldwin, auditor : William Webster, treasurer; W. C. Gar- ratt. register of deeds: Orin Belknap, judge of probate: 1. F. Eddy, sheriff: James E. Palmer, surveyor: John McCor- mick, county attorney : Joseph Price, clerk of court : Peter Baker. coroner.
After the election the question of what to do with the returns arose. No pro- vision had been made for canvassing the re- turns or issuing certificates to the success- ful candidates. There was no person in Jackson county authorized to do so, and. is the county had once been organized, it was now attached to no other county. the officers of which might perform this ser- vice. it was finally decided to send the returns to Martin county, and Major
There was nothing to be done but wait, and the formal organization of the county was postponed until there had been Jeg- islative action. James B. Wakefield, who had been elected to the lower branch of the legislature, was informed of the situation, and he promptly introduced a bill to legalize the election of November 4 and to authorize the auditor of Mar- tin county to issue the necessary certifi- cafes. The bill was passed and became effective in January, 1866, being among the first bills passed by the Minnesota law making body that session. Upon re- eciving notice of the passage of this bill Major Bailey made another trip to Fair- moni, took the oath of office as commis- sjoner, and brought back with him the election certificates of the other officers.
So, after many discouraging setbacks, everything was in readiness for the formal beginning of county government. The first meeting of the board of county commis- sioners was held al the home of Major 11. S. Bailey, dated Des Moines, Minnesota, on January 21, 1866. Major Bailey pro- sided as chairman. The only business transacted at this initial meeting was the appointment of a few officers "to fill va- cancies of the officers not yet qualified." Nearly all the officers elected took the oath and entered upon their duties, but a few did not. William Webster, who had been elected treasurer, refused to have anything to do with so responsible an
191
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
office, and F. R. Lyman was appointed to the position, holding the office two years under the appointment. Joseph Price did not qualify as clerk of court, and B. H. Johnson was appointed to the office. Peter Baker did not qualify as coroner, and Jared Palmer was named.
There were but few duties for many of these first county officials, and some of them had absolutely no duties during their entire term. One blank book was pur- chased for county use, and that sufficed for all the records. The principal duties fell upon the county commissioners, Clark Baldwin, the auditor, who drew a salary of $50 for his services for 1866; I. F. Eddy, the sheriff; James E. Palmer, the surveyor, who took the oath of office Feb- ruary 12, 1866: W. C. Garratt, the regis- ter of deeds, who gave bond on February 22, 1866; and the justices of the peace, H. S. Bailey, Martin D. Metcalf and Si- mon Olson, who took their oaths early in April.
The second meeting of the board of county commissioners was held March 13. 1866, at which time the county was divid- ed into three commissioner districts. The first district was composed of the south- ern tier of townships ; the second, the tier just north of it: the third district com- prised the whole north half of the county. When the division was made it was found that all three of the commissioners were from the same district. They continued to serve, however, until the first of the year 1867.
To choose new commissioners and a few officers who were then elected in even numbered years, provision was made for holding an election on November 6. 1866. A county convention was held at Joseph Thomas' hotel on the hill in September, when a partial set of candidates was put in nomination. At the election Rev.
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