USA > Minnesota > Polk County > Compendium of history and biography of Polk County, Minnesota > Part 19
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Per cent Dairy.
1860.
114
15
99
13.2
1880.
7,304
2,774
4,530
38.0
1890.
39,397
14,413
24,984
36.6
1900.
41,015
16,021
24,994
39.1
1910.
53,491
24,650
28,841
46.1
DAIRY PRODUCTS OF POLK COUNTY.
Milk pro - duced on farms. gallons.
Milk gallons sold.
Cream. gallons
made on farms, pounds.
Butter. pounds
farms.
pounds
1860.
1880. .
1,565
110,253
738
1890 .. 4,157,202
981,314
16,162
1900 .. 7,494,300 314,389
3,000 1,438,801 676,660 33,272 30,714
1910 .. 8,039,937 338,421 127,238 1,377,339 665,911
466
VALUE OF FARM PRODUCTS.
Total value of all farm
Per square
Per aere of county's
Year.
products.
mile.
improved. population.
1880.
$ 615,304
$ 138.27
$ 5.02
$ 63.03
1890.
..
2,223,310
736.68
5.25
93.33
1900.
3,662,269
1,850.57
5.62
145.63
1910.
7,216,630
3,646.60
11.21
326.15
The number of farms at present, 3,500.
The number and value of live stock in Polk County from the years 1860 to 1910 with the exception of 1870 is given in the following table :
NUMBER AND VALUE OF LIVE STOCK IN POLK COUNTY, 1860-1910.
Year.
Number.
Value.
1860.
139
$ 5,450
1880.
12,653
549,002
1890.
76,214
1,838,973
1900.
91,686
2,435,827
1910.
95,989
3,704,380
There were two ereameries in 1890. The number inereased to three ereameries and five cheese factories in 1896. In 1910 these inereased to thirteen eream- eries and seven cheese factories, and in 1915 to twenty- one ereameries and one cheese factory.
DRAINAGE WORK IN POLK COUNTY, BY GEORGE A. RALPH, C. E.
The western half of Polk County is in the Red River Valley, and, to a casual observer, has the ap- pearanee of very level prairie land. In reality it has a good general slope towards the northwest ranging from three to six feet to the mile. The eastern half
of the county consists of high rolling land, partly tim- bered.
The following elevations of land and water surfaces at various places in the county will show at a glance the practicability of drainage :
Elev. above sea, (land surface)
Elev, above sea, ( water surface)
Fosston
1,290
1,275 Lake surface
McIntosh
1,220
1,200 Sand Hill River
Fertile
1,144
1,120 Sand Hill River
Mentor
1,168
1,156 Maple Lake
Crookston
890
848 Red Lake River
Beltrami
902
882 Sand Hill River
East Grand Forks.
835
790 Red Lake River
Mouth Sand Hill River . .
865
801 Red River
N. W. corner of county ..
810
770 Red River
The valley portion of the county is separated from the rolling land to the east by a well defined gravel ridge elaimed by geologists to be the eastern beach of aneient Lake Agassiz, which at one time covered the entire Red River Valley. The old Pembina Trail be- tween Fort Garry and St. Anthony Falls followed this ridge.
Polk County has always been in the front rank in any movement having for its object the reclamation of the wet lands of the state. Her citizens have reached drainage in season and out of season, and were the first to take decisive aetion.
FIRST DRAINAGE CONVENTION IN THE STATE.
The first drainage convention in Minnesota was held in Crookston July 1 and 2, 1886. The subject of draining the Red River Valley had long been dis- eussed by the citizens, but publie attention was drawn toward its investigation by a newspaper article writ- ten by Hon. Frank Ives, of Crookston, and published in the Crookston press in the spring of 1886. Fol- lowing the publication of Judge Ives' artiele, there was an outburst of comment and approval throughout the Valley, and the result was a eall for a convention of the citizens at Crookston on the dates heretofore mentioned.
There was a large attendance of farmers and busi- ness men, fully representative of the interests in- volved. Mr. Springer Harbaugh, of St. Paul, pre- sided; Fred Puhler and II. E. Cook were secretaries.
Butter
Cheese made on
Cheese,
Year.
sold.
1,450
auld.
pounds.
sold.
Per capita
123
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
The convention lasted two days; and during its ses- sions the necessity, practicability, and advantages of a general drainage of the low lands of the county were thoroughly discussed. Near the close James J. Hill, president of the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Mani- toba Railway (now the Great Northern) proposed that a drainage survey of the Valley be made. He further promised that if the several counties inter- ested would pay one-half of the expenses of such a survey, the railroad company which he represented would pay the other half. An executive committee was created consisting of one member from each county interested in drainage and three members ap- pointed by Mr. Hill. There were six counties that had deelared themselves interested and the original members of the committee from these counties were : E. D. Childs, of Polk; S. A. Farnsworth, of Norman; F. J. Burnham, of Clay; D. McCanley, of Wilkin ; C. W. Culbertson, of Marshall, and H. W. Donaldson, of Kittson. Mr. Hill appointed M. R. Brown, of Crookston; J. T. Fanning, of Minneapolis, and C. E. Page, then of Ada, afterwards of Fergus Falls. Upon organizing, M. R. Brown was chosen president, S. A. Farnsworth, secretary, and E. D. Childs, treasurer. Mr. Farnsworth removed to St. Paul (where he still resides), and C. E. Page was elected to succeed him.
THE RED RIVER VALLEY DRAINAGE COMMISSION.
Thus was constituted the organization called the Red River Valley Drainage Commission so well known in northwestern Minnesota. It was largely a Polk County organization. The headquarters of the com- mission were at Crookston and two of its most active members were Polk County men.
The purpose of this commission was to take charge of the work of making a complete drainage survey of the Red River Valley. Mr. Hill, on behalf of his company, agreed to and did contribute one-half the cost of the survey, besides furnishing free transporta- tion to those engaged in doing the work. The several counties affeeted furnished the other half. The head- quarters of this eommission was in Crookston. The
survey was completed and maps and reports compiled and published early in the year 1887. This survey was in charge of C. G. Elliott, of Illinois, chief engi- neer of the commission, who had twelve assistant engi- neers employed. The writer was one of the engineers employed on this work. J. T. Fanning was chosen as consulting engineer of the commission.
This survey proved very conclusively that the Red River Valley lands were not as level as generally be- lieved to be, but had a slope of from three to six feet to the mile, and that complete and effective drainage was not only practicable, but could be secured at com- paratively small cost.
THE LEGISLATURE AIDS THE WORK.
The members of the Legislature from Polk and other Red River Valley counties fortified with this drain- age report and backed by a strong delegation from Polk County tried, for several sessions of the Legis- lature, to secure the passage of drainage laws and appropriations for reelaiming swamp lands, but not until the legislative session of 1893 were they success- ful in securing the desired legislation. At this session an act was passed ereating the Red River Valley Drainage Commission, and appropriating $100,000 for drainage work; also an act which provided for a general state law for the drainage of wet lands under county management, and assessing the cost of doing the work against lands benefited thereby. The first diteh constructed under this law was County Diteh No. 1, Polk County, about six miles in length and run- ning south and emptying into Red Lake River two miles west of Crookston. The first state diteh com- pleted by the Red River Valley Drainage Commission was the Sand Hill River State Ditch, Polk County, extending from Beltrami along the Sand IFill and emptying into that stream nine miles west of the vil- lage.
Drainage work has progressed without interruption sinee 1893. There is, at the present time, approxi- mately 800 miles of publie drainage ditches in Polk County which have been constructed at a eost of a
124
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
little over $1,000,000. This expenditure, while it may seem large, represents a little over $1 per acre for the lands benefited.
GOOD RESULTS OBTAINED.
The rise in farm land values from $25 per aere in 1900 to $60 and $75 per acre in 1915 is, in a large measure, due to the extensive drainage work which had been carried on during this period. Nearly all of the drainage work done in Polk County consists of open ditches. Tile drainage has just begun. The tile drains that have been constructed fully demon- strate the praetieability as well as the great benefits that will result from this kind of drainage.
I am convinced that tile drainage will now supple- ment open ditches wherever additional drainage is re- quired. The open ditch was necessary, not only for the purpose of removing storm water, but also to fur- nish an outlet for under drainage, and under drainage is necessary in order to get the greatest returns from the land. The effect of tile drainage on the lands of Polk County is just as marked as on lands in other States. A well-drained, well-cultivated farm in Polk County should give fully as good returns to the farmer as the best lands of Iowa or Illinois.
SOME OF THE DITCHES CONSTRUCTED.
Among the most important county and judicial ditches are the judicial ditches numbered 1, 3, 4, and 60, and the county ditehes numbered 2, 9, 12, and 66.
Judicial Diteh No. 1 is one of the largest ditches in the county. It has an average width of 50 feet, an average depth of 10 feet and is 12 miles long. It drains the northwestern part of the county. Judicial Diteh No. 3 drains the southwestern part of the county. It is 16 miles long, has an average width of 30 feet, and an average depth of 9 feet. Judicial Diteh No. 4 drains a large area in the eastern part of the county. It is 18 miles long, has an average width of 35 feet and an average depth of 8 feet. Judicial Diteh No. 60 drains the territory northeast of Crooks-
ton. It is 16 miles long, has an average width of 30 feet and depth of S feet.
County Ditch No. 2 drains the territory between Angus and the Red River. It is 12 miles long, has an average width of 35 feet and depth of 8 feet. County Ditch No. 9 drains the territory south of Russia village extending west to Sand Hill River. It is 11 miles long, 30 feet wide and 7 feet deep. County Diteh No. 12 drains the territory north and west of Bel- trami. It is 16 miles long, 26 feet wide and 7 feet deep. County Ditch No. 66 drains a large area north and northeast of Crookston. It is S miles long, 25 feet wide and 6 feet deep.
State Ditches numbered 6, 23, and 61 are in Polk County. No. 6 is known as the Sand Hill River Diteh. It is 12 miles long, 6 to 8 feet deep and 40 feet wide. No. 23, known as the Grand Marais State Diteli, is 5 miles long, from 5 to 15 feet deep, and 40 feet wide. It consists of opening the outlet of this old river bed No. 60, known as Lost River State Ditch, and is an improvement consisting of opening up and straighten- ing the channel of Lost River. It is 21 miles long, from 5 to 8 feet deep and 36 feet wide.
The work done by the Drainage Commission is and has been of incalculable value, especially to the lands on the west side of Polk County. The reelamation of so many thousands of aeres of these lands from watery and swampy conditions, forbidding cultivation, to areas of fine, fertile, and highly produetive fields, has been a work of the greatest benefit to the county, the region, and the State. In its scientifie character it is a very rare and unsurpassed piece of drainage engineering, and the best proof of this assertion is that the ditehes have done the work assigned to them and expected of them. In some instances the sandy nature of the soil forming the sides and bottom of the ditch has been responsible for its washing away and its enlargement, but there is no danger of destruction, or even great damage from this eause. The damages to the entire diteh system will not be serious or eonsequential; the benefits from the great enterprise will be magnificent and perpetual.
CHAPTER XV. THE RISE AND FALL OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.
BY CHARLES L. CONGER.
SOME PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD-BUSINESS DONE REGULARLY AND IN ORDER-DEFEAT AND DISASTER AFTER ALL -THE NEW COUNTY FIGHT OF 1896-THE LEADERS OF COLUMBIA'S FIGHT FOR EXISTENCE.
For some years after the year 1890 certain citizens of what are commonly called the Thirteen Towns- being the thirteen Congressional townships in the southeastern part of Polk County-had agitated and promoted the project of the formation of a new county to be composed of the townships named. The grounds assigned for the change in the composition of the original Polk County were various. Some persons said the district was too far from the county seat (Crookston) and that the people could not at. tend court or transact other county business without trouble and difficulty. Others were prohibitionists, or zealous temperance advocates, and feared that the western part of the county would some day become so strongly "wet" that Polk County, as a whole, would allow liquor selling throughout its borders. There were of course other reasons which were not either strong or attractive. There was a large ele- ment in the western part of the county which favored a new county that would be "dry" and allow the old county to remain "wet."
Those opposed to a new county favored keeping Polk undivided and undisturbed, in symmetrical shape, and strong and influential as a political divi- sion, which, they argued, would be better for the whole people. The area of the county with its 3,030 square miles, was larger than either the States of Rhode Island or Delaware, with their 1,248 and 2,376 square miles, respectively, and that Polk and its big sister county, Otter Tail, might, if not dismembered or mutilated, become powerful factors in State legis-
lation and controlling influences in northwestern Minnesota's business and commercial affairs. They denied that there was any necessity for a new county to be taken by a sort of Caesarian operation from the body of the mother organization. They also charged that the advocates of the new scheme only desired that the towns or villages in which they were interested should become county seats, or that they should become county officers.
Late in 1900 the partisans of a new county in the Thirteen Towns took decided action. December 13 a petition was filed with the Secretary of State, pray- ing for the creation of the proposed new division, which was to cover the area of the Thirteen Towns and called Nelson County (in honor of Ex-Governor and then Senator Knute Nelson), with its county seat at the village of Fosston, five legal voters were also named to constitute the first board of county commis- sioners. The next day, December 14, another and sin- ilar petition, describing the same territory precisely, was presented and filed with the Secretary of State. In this petition it was proposed to call the new county Columbia, with MeIntosh as the county seat and five other and different legal voters to constitute the board of county commissioners. More than a year later, or July 22, 1902, a third petition was presented and filed asking for a new county with identically the same territory as named in the petitions for Nelson and Columbia. It was proposed to call this county Star, and its county seat was to be at Erskine.
These several petitions were duly considered by
125
126
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
Governor Hon. John Lind, Secretary Peter E. Han- son, and Auditor R. C. Dunn, and December 17 the Governor issued his proclamation deelaring that fact. The Governor further proelaimed that the question of the creation of the proposed new county was sub- mitted to the voters of Polk County to be voted upon at the next general election, November 4, 1902. All these proceedings were under Chapter 143 of the Laws of 1893, as amended by Chapter 124 of the Laws of 1895. Later a proposition to create the county of Valley was made and ordered voted upon.
There was a very earnest and heated eanvass over the new county question by the respective rivals. The newspapers of Fosston and MeIntosh eondueted a spirited diseussion of the question, each editor argu- ing plausibly if not convincingly for his own town. As the eanvass progressed the rival villages made what they considered liberal offers to the voters. Each said that if its county with the favored name should be ereated, then the town would not only give the site for the publie buildings but would build factories and mills which should furnish employment to many and add to the development and prosperity of the old Polk County.
At the election November 4, 1902, the vote on the new county question was :
For Columbia County : Yes, 1,513; no, 813. For Nelson County: Yes, 1,381; no, 112. For Star County : Yes, 132; no, 18.
For Valley County : Yes, 135; no, 918.
It seemed, on the face of the returns, that "Column- bia County," with MeIntosh as the county seat, had won, and great was the rejoicing in McIntosh! But the partisans of Fosston and "Nelson County" pro- tested that they had won the fight, and Star County had hopes; ouly "Valley County" was out of the running. The Nelson County forees set up the elaim that under the Red Lake County decision (State ex rel. Atty. Childs vs. Comrs. Red Lake Co., 67 Minn., 352) it was entitled to be the county, sinee on its proposition it had received a majority vote, and more- over its petition was the first filed, preceding that of
Columbia County by one day. Chief Justice Start and Associate Judge Buek had said that the law did not authorize the submission of conflicting or com- peting petitions, and that the one first legally filed was the only one that ought to be submitted to a vote, "Columbia County" stood upon the deeided majority it had received, and that all its proceedings had been regular and legal, and contended that it made no difference whether its petition had been the second filed-or the first or the fourth-because all four propositions.
The result of the vote having been canvassed and announced, Governor Van Sant, following the rule announced by the Supreme Court in the Red Lake County ease, issued his proclamation declaring the proposition for the creation and organization of Co- lumbia County carried.
Thereupon the County Commissioners of the new county-who were named in the petition and the proclamation, and who were Lawrence O'Neill, Henry G. Mitehell, Ingebret Larson, Halvor Off, and Olaf Stardig-met at the temporary courthouse in Me- Intosh December 23, 1902, and organized according to the forms of law and proceeded in the usual man- ner of County Commissioners. There was great satis- faction and even jubilation among the new county's people. For years they had labored for the ereation of a county all their own and now they rejoiced that they had lived until their eyes had seen the glory.
SOME PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD.
The Board chose Commissioner Mitehell as Presi- dent and Commissioner O'Neill as Clerk. The first business was the division of the county into five dis- triets, as follows: Distriet No. 1 was composed of the townships (or towns*) of Garden, Winger, and Knute and the village of Erskine. District No. 2, townships of Woodside, Grove Park, Badger, Lessor, and the village of Mentor. Distriet No. 3, townships
* Political divisions of connties in the Eastern States are called towns; in Western and Southern States they are called townships. In the West and South a town is either a village or a small city.
127
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
of Sletten, Brandsvold, King, and the village of Mc- Intosh. District No. 4, townships of Johnson, Gully, Chester, Ilill River, and Eden. District No. 5, town- ships of Queen, Rosebud, Columbia, and the village of Fosston. Thus the county was composed of eigh- teen Congressional and civil townships, every Con- gressional being a civil township.
The Commissioners also elected a full list of county officers, who were: Auditor, Charles McCarty ; Treasurer, F. E. Le Page ; Register of Deeds, Andrew Trovaaten ; Sheriff, Edward L. Stowe ; Judge of Pro- bate, Anton I. Solberg: Surveyor, J. E. Beime, of Fosston; Attorney, Harvey W. Stark; Clerk of the Courts, George E. Flatten ; School Superintendent, Gunstein D. Aakhus; Court Commissioner, Thomas R. Brownlee; Coroner, Dr. Archibald McEachren. At the second meeting of the Board it was announced that Geo. E. Flatten, who had been chosen Court's Clerk, had failed and refused to qualify for the posi- tion, and Charles Hanson was elected in his stead. The annual salaries were fixed at a subsequent meet- ing and the County Auditor was to receive $1,200, the Treasurer $360, the County Attorney $1,200, the Judge of Probate $825, and the Superintendent of Schools $10 per district.
At the first meeting, December 23, it was announced that Attorney General Douglas had brought an action in the name of the State, which would bring up and determine the legality of Columbia County. The case was entitled "the State of Minnesota on the relation of Wallace B. Douglas vs. Ingebret Larson." When the votes were canvassed at St. Paul, the Attorney General had said that, as to the election over the new county proposition Columbia County had won over Nelson and the other counties. But he said he was not certain as to the validity of the law under which the election was held, because it permitted four prop- ositions to be submitted to the individual voter, who, however, was restricted to voting only upon one. In his formal opinion he said, among other things, that to deprive the voter from voting upon each of the propositions submitted, where there is no question
but that he has the right to have his vote counted and given force and effect, "seems to me," he said, "to be beyond the power of the Legislature." A fort- night or so later, he brought the action to test the law. He named Mr. Larson and the other Commis- sioners who alleged themselves to be officials of Col- umbia County and sought to have them ousted as one having no official authority. The Board granted the County Attorney assistance in defending the case, and Columbia's lawyers were County Attorney Stark, Gideon S. Ives, of St. Peter, and A. A. Miller, of Crookston. Representing the State were De Forest Bucklin, Martin O'Brien, J. H. Hendricks, and the strong St. Paul firm of Childs, Edgerton & Wick- wire. The writ of quo warrants were served on the Board January 6.
But until the election was declared invalid, and "Columbia County" declared to have never legally existed, the County Board went ahead with its as- sumed duties. A transcript of its records* shows that on December 30 the Commissioners conferred with the McIntosh Village Council in regard to providing a suitable room or rooms to be used as a sort of tem- porary court house, and that Chas. L. Conger, the President of the Council, agreed to have partitions put up in the village hall and the building wired for electric lights in order to accommodate the Board and the public business. Later the Council proposed to lease the city hall to the Commissioners for the use of the several county officers; to build a good and substantial vault, of sufficient size and security, in which to keep all records of the county, and to fur- nish a hall room for court purposes. The propositions were accepted and the County Attorney was in- structed to procure a lease from the proper village officials.
Among other proceedings of the Board were the letting of contracts for the public printing for 1903 to the Melutosh Times and the Thirteen Towns; the owners and conductors of these papers-respectively,
* Kindly furnished for this history by Chas. L. Conger, Esq., of McIntosh.
128
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
Charles T. Laman and Arthur W. Foss-were to publish the county financial statement, delinquent tax list, Commissioners' proceedings and other official notices, and to do the job printing.
The First National Bank of Melntosh, the Citizens' Bank of McIntosh, and the Bank of Mentor were des- ignated the official depositories of the county. Geo. D. Barnard & Company agreed to furnish the county a $600 steel vault for the preservation of the public records. This company had already agreed to do $1,975 worth of printing for the county, and now the steel vault was to cost $600 more. But how it turned out that Barnard & Co. were the victims of misplaced confidence, and never received a cent for their con- tract, will be explained on another page.
BUSINESS DONE REGULARLY AND IN ORDER.
The officials of Cook County upon appointment im- mediately organized their respective offices and be- gan the transaction of appropriate business. The Register of Deeds began transcribing the records at Crookston so far as they pertained to Columbia County, and new deeds, mortgages, and other trans- fers were recorded as fast as offered. The l'olk County officials relinquished all claim to any deeds or mortgages sent to the Register of Decds of that county and sent them to the proper officers of Colum- bia County. The Clerk of the Courts transcribed from the Polk County records all judgments recorded therein which affected lands in Columbia County and recorded them in the latter county's books. Ilis of- fice at MeIntosh was open every day.
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