USA > Minnesota > Cottonwood County > History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume I > Part 36
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395
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
and if upon such canvass being made it shall appear that a majority of the electors of said county of Watonwan voted in favor of the adoption of this act and the removal of said county seat, an abstract of the canvass of said votes shall be made on one sheet signed and certified in the same manner as in case of abstracts of votes for the county officers and shall be deposited in the office of the county auditor of said county and said county auditor shall immediately thereafter transmit to the secretary of state a copy of said abstracts duly certified by said auditor.
Section 5. If the act shall be adopted by a majority of the electors of said county of Watonwan, the governor shall forthwith make proclamation as provided by law in such cases and it is hereby made the duty of all officers who are required by law to hold their offices at the county seat to remove their offices, books and records to the new county seat at St. James within thirty days after the removal of said county seat as in this act pro- vided, without further notice, and any failure to remove said office shall operate as a forfeiture of their said offices.
Section 6. Chapter 193 of special laws of 1873 and all acts or parts of acts inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed.
Section 7. It shall be lawful for the village authorities of said Madelia and St. James, and they are respectively hereby authorized, to appoint by certificate under their hand a proper person to attend such of the township and village boards and judges of election thereof in said county as they may deem necessary. who shall have authority and whose duty it shall be to witness the action of said township and village boards or judges of election in receiving and preparing the register of legal voters in either of the elec- tion districts of said county for the next general election and in concluding the next general election in either of said election districts, said person or persons appointed shall be sworn, and it shall be their duty to see that none but legal voters of said county are registered and allowed to vote at any of the several election districts of said county, and to use all lawful means in their power to prevent fraud or deceit thereat and cause to be prosecuted any and all persons found guilty of any fraud or deceit at any of the elec- tion districts; and it is hereby made the duty of the officers or judges of election of said election district to allow such persons so appointed to be present at the making of such registration lists or holding of such elections and to afford to them proper facilities to freely witness the same, and the canvass of the votes cast thereat and the preparation and sealing of the official returns thereof and to make an abstract of the same if so desired, and the fact that any said persons so appointed shall be refused the rights
396
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
and privileges herein granted by any board or judges of election shall be deemed prima facia evidence that the votes cast thereat upon the removal of said county seat are fraudulent and void.
Section 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage, except as to section 1, which is to take effect from and after adoption of the same as provided herein.
The following is a record of the votes cast by townships at the general election held in 1873 for the removal of the county seat :
For. Against.
For. Against.
Adrian
12
Riverdale
19
39
Butterfield
33
Rosendale
I
I
37
2
Fieldon
2
153
St. James
312
Long Lake
86
South Branch
1
I
I
5
Madelia
1
1
1
795
Total
.603
995
VOTE ON THE SAME QUESTION, 1878.
For. Against.
For. Against.
AAdrian
56
Odin
78
Antrim
4
65
Riverdale
1
I
1
II
22
Butterfield
23
Rosendale
27
I
Fieldon
1
1 1
1
t 1
3
57
St. James
1
J 172
Long Lake
78
Madelia
II
214
Nelson
J
I
I
1
83
II
Total
-594
371
I
I
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Odin
I
1
72
South Branch I
1
1
t
I
t
18
I
1
1
At the board meeting of the county commissioners in October. 1878. the following proceedings were dealt with :
"Whereas, the St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad Company has given a warranty deed in fee simple to the county commissioners of Watonwan county, Minnesota, of lots Nos. 4. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, in block 25, in the village of St. James, for the use and purpose of said county, whenever the county seat is removed to St. James. Therefore, be it resolved that said deed be and is hereby accepted and the sum of one dollar hereby appropriated out of the county fund to pay said railroad company as a consideration of said (leed ;
"And, whereas. the trustees of the village of St. James have executed
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1
1
1
1
397
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
and delivered to the county commissioners of Watonwan county, Minne- sota, a lease of a certain building, situate on lots 5 and 6, in block 25, in the village of St. James, known as the "court house," for the use of the county for county purposes for the term of ninety-nine years, or as long as used by the county for the amount of one dollar, as rent for the same ;
"Therefore. be it resolved. that said lease be accepted and ratified, and the sum of one dollar is hereby appropriated out of the general fund, to be paid to the trustees of the village of St. James, as a consideration for said lease."
THE COUNTY OFFICIAL PAPER.
January session of 1879-At this session of the board of county com- missioners they selected the Madelia Times as the official paper of Waton- wan county for the ensuing year. At the same meeting the commissioners appointed William R. Marvin as a committeeman to prepare plans and make estimates for a vault at the court house and report same at the next meeting of the board. The forty-first school district was set off at this meeting. The county auditor was instructed to insure the court house in the sum of one thousand dollars for one year.
Parties at Madelia were granted a saloon license for twenty-five dollars at the same meeting. The school superintendent's salary was fixed at four hundred dollars a year. The St. James Journal and Madelia Times put in their bids for the county printing for the ensuing year. Sheriff James Glispin was allowed his bill for extra expense incurred in the capture of the famous bandits, the Younger brothers, of the Northfield bank robbery epi- sode. The bill was $54.55, and was vouched for by the county attorney. The official fees collected in this county in 1879 were: Clerk of the district court, $763; register of deeds, $613 : sheriff, $722.
March, 1881, session-The county commissioners appointed a commit- tee to superintend the construction of a fire-proof vault for the county's use. It was also ordered at that session that the block containing the court house in St. James be fenced; that the contract be awarded to James Faren at sixty dollars, he to furnish all material.
County Treasurer M. K. Armstrong was on hand and gave bond in the sum of fifteen thousand dollars. He was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the death of former Treasurer James Torson.
Nothing of much note transpired during the year 1882. In 1883 the county board was composed of these gentlemen: Shillitto, Gove, Olson, Stenburg and Uhlhorn. In July, 1883, County Treasurer M. E. Dunn was
398
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
suspended by the order of the governor of Minnesota, after which the county commissioners appointed Andrew S. Mellgren as county treasurer. Treasurer Dunn was a defaulter and was exposed by the public examination of his records. The story of the record is about as follows: The bondsmen of M. E. Dunn, by their attorney, J. W. Seager, appeared before the board and offered to pay fifty per cent. of the actual defalcation of the said Dunn as county treasurer.
The following resolution was offered: "Whereas, it appears that M. E. Dunn, late treasurer of Watonwan county, is a defaulter on the general bond as treasurer to the amount of $5,889.37. and, whereas, the sureties on such bond have made a proposition to pay fifty per cent. of the actual defalcation, in consideration of being released from further liability on said bond :
"Therefore, be it resolved, that such proposition be accepted and said bondsmen released from said bond on the payment of such fifty per cent. into the treasury of said county within thirty days from date, but such re- lease is not to prevent in any manner, the collection of the balance of such defalcation from said M. E. Dunn as such principal."
The following resolution was then passed by the board :
"Whereas, it appears that Martin E. Dunn, late treasurer of Waton- wan county, is charged with the sum of $5.889.37 in funds collected by him, as taxes as such treasurer, and that he has failed to make return and settle therefor as provided by law, and that he has absconded with said money so collected ;
"Therefore, it is hereby ordered that the county auditor shall cause action to be instituted against said Martin E. Dunn. on the bond as such treasurer, to recover any sum that may be due thereon to said county." This resolution was unanimously adopted by the members of the board of county commissioners.
SALARIES AND BONDS.
At the meeting of the county commissioners, January 2, 1884. the members were: Messrs. Shillitto, Olson, Stenburg, Uhlhorn and Fanning. At this meeting the following record appears concerning salaries and bonds for the several county officers of Watonwan county: The county treasurer was to give bonds in the sum of fifteen thousand dollars: the auditor of the county in the sum of five thousand dollars; the register of deeds in the sum
399
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
of five thousand dollars: the county attorney in the sum of one thousand dollars: clerk of the district court bonds in the sum of one thousand dollars; the coroner in the sum of one thousand dollars.
The county attorney was to have a salary of three hundred dollars a year and the county superintendent of schools was to have four hundred and ten dollars, but this was changed in 1885 to ten dollars per school dis- trict in the county.
In 1886 the commissioners raised the liquor license in this county to seventy-five dollars.
At the board meeting. March, 1887, the county commissioners ap- pointed a committee to re-shingle the court house and to make needed re- pairs about the buildings. Thad. Kirk was appointed coroner by the board, July. 1887, and at his death. in July, the same year, they appointed Dr. James MI. Smith to fill the vacancy caused by his death.
Nothing of general public interest transpired on the board of county commissioners during the years intervening between 1887 and 1891.
HISTORY OF THE COURT HOUSES.
The first court house in Watonwan county was located in the village of Madelia, on the lot just east of the Mutual Insurance building. The build- ing was a frame structure and rather pretentious for that time. The local attorneys had their offices in this building. Fire destroyed this building. No sooner had the building burned than the citizens of Madelia were plan- ning for another, because already they had fears lest in the near future the question of removal might come up. Joseph Flanders came to the rescue and built the brick building, now occupied by C. J. Eide, Lodes' Ideal Res- taurant. McGovern's electrical shop and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. to be used for court house purposes. The text of the lease given by Mr. Flanders to the county commissioners is here produced in part: "I do hereby certify that on the 14th day of October. 1873. J. Flanders and Mary. his wife, made and executed and delivered to the commissioners of Watonwan county, Minnesota, a lease, in due and proper form wherein and whereby the said Flanders and wife conveyed to said commissioners and to their successors in office for the use of said county, the following described premises : One room on the lower floor of the brick building, now owned by said lessors and situated on lot 5, in block 3, in Flanders' Addition, town of Madelia, together with fireproof vault adjacent to and connected with
400
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
said room; also the main hall in second story of said building, together with approaches, fixtures and privileges thereunto belonging, or in any wise ap- pertaining : to have and to hold the same unto the said commissioners and their successors in office for and during the full term of ten ( 10) years from and after the first day of November. 1873, or so long as the same may be needed for county purposes, not exceeding said term of ten years."
An editorial that appeared in the Madclia Times, 1875, says: "One of the evidences of the dictatorial spirit with which J. Flanders attempts to run this county, subservient to his arbitrary will, is evidenced by the manner in which he put the county offices out of possession of the rooms. whose use belongs to the county, and to no one else, for county purposes under a lease of ten years, or so long as it may be needed for said purposes, by the county seat remaining at this place. It is a shame and a disgrace that our county officers should be even asked to vacate the apartments provided for them by the said lease, which was accepted by the county board and put on record, and be moved into another room, which is not well lighted, to suit the caprice of one dictating official, simply that he may use the room which rightfully belongs to the county, to accomplish selfish ends. Still worse than this, however, a part of the officers were not even requested to move, but without being consulted and in their absence, their desks. books and papers were removed."
THE PRESENT COURT HOUSE.
. On February 2, 1891, the first mention in the records of the county, concerning a new court house was made when the following resolution was passed by the county board :
"Whereas, the building now used as a court house is inadequate and . unsuitable for the transaction of the county's business and the safe keeping of the county records; Therefore, Resolved, by the board of county commis- sioners of Watonwan county, Minnesota. that by virtue of the power con- ferred upon us by sections 86 and Ho, chapter 8. of the General Assembly of 1878, we proceed to build a new court house for said Watonwan county.
"Resolved, that our members in the Legislature are hereby requested to secure the passage of a law authorizing the issue of bonds of said county in the sum of thirty thousand dollars for the purpose of building a new court house. The question of such bonds to be submitted to a vote of the quali- fied electors of said county at the annual election of the towns and villages
40I
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
to be held March 10th, 1891. The first of said bonds to become due five years after its issue and to be paid at the rate of three thousand dollars per annum until all said bonds are paid off."
The county commissioners in 1895 were as follow: Messrs. Crowley, Busser, Lindley, Swanson and Melheim. On March 4, 1895, this board of commissioners advertised for bids for the sale of thirty thousand dollars worth of county bonds for the erection of the new court house and ordered bonds, the same inserted in the newspapers, said bids to be opened on April 15, that year.
At the April session of the board in 1895, the following resolution was passed: Resolved, that we issue bonds as commissioners of Watonwan county in the sum of thirty thousand dollars, bearing five per cent. interest, payable as follows: Ten thousand dollars, five years from date of issue; ten thousand, ten years from date of issue; and ten thousand, fifteen years from date of issue. Bonds to be issued in denominations of one thou- sand dollars each and for the purpose of erecting and finishing a court house for the said county of Watonwan, Minnesota, under authority of chapter 476, of the special laws of the state of Minnesota, for the year 1891.
The board then proceeded to open and consider bids, as secured for the purchase of thirty thousand dollars in court house bonds, to be issued July I, 1895. Bids came in from all quarters of the country, as will be seen by the list of bidders given: Marion Lewis & Company. Chicago, $30,463 ; W. J. Hayes & Son, Cleveland, Ohio, $29,705; Campbell, Wild & Com- pany, Anderson, Indiana, $30,000; E. W. Peet & Company, St. Paul, $30.000 : Z. T. Lewis, Dayton, Ohio, $30,325; Seymour Barto & Company, New York City, $30,431.51 ; George H. Marsh, Mankato, Minnesota, ȘI0,- 210, for the fifteen-year bonds, $10,150 for the ten-year bonds; Farson Leach & Company, Chicago, $30,150; Farmers' and Merchants' Savings Bank, Minneapolis, $31,261; J. D. Cleghorn & Company, Minneapolis, $30,947; N. W. Harris & Company, Chicago, $30,790; First National Bank, St. Paul, $30.000; First National Bank, Chicago, $30,790; Trobridge & Company, Chicago, $30,456. The board accepted the bid of the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank of Minneapolis, at $31,261. They then began the erec- tion of the new court house, as presented by fifteen or more architects and building firms.
April 16, 1895-The board met again to go over the plans and hear (26)
402
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
from various architects their explanation of specifications. They continued meeting and adjourning until April 19, when it was moved and carried unanimously that the plans and specifications of H. C. Gerlock. of Mankato, be accepted, and that lie be engaged to draw complete plans and specifica- tions for the new court house. About this date the commissioners selected five banks in the county as depositories for the county's funds.
May 22, 1895-Bids for building the court house opened. There were five firms from Mankato, one at St. James, seven from St. Paul and Min- nesota, one from Blue Earth City, one from Stillwater. These fifteen bids ranged from $30,700 to $43,700.
May 23, 1895 .- Resolved, That we, as the board of county commis- sioners of Watonwan county, do and hereby accept the bid of Klemschmidt Brothers, of Mankato. Minnesota, in the sum of $30,700, for the erection and construction of the new court house to be erected in the village of St. James, according to plans and specifications prepared by H. C. Gerlock, architect. The same day the county commissioners viewed the nineteen bids for furnishing the steam-heating plant, and finally selected the bid of the Pond and Hasey Company, of Minneapolis, which firm agreed to execute the work for the sum of $2,390. At the same session the board instructed the county auditor to notify different manufacturers that contracts would be let for the vault and steel work of the court house to be built, and that the bids would be viewed at the July session of the board, at St. James.
July 11, 1895 .- The board of commissioners let the contract for vaults to the new court house. They had four bidders and accepted the one made by the Specialty Manufacturing Company, of Rochester, New York, in the sum of $1,218.65, and this was to include all metal and steel fixtures, as per plans and specifications submitted. The bids for all office furniture and fixtures were opened from many companies. The board of commissioners took the bid at $2,029 of a Minneapolis firm, known as the Office and School Furniture Company. Thus far the contracts let for the building and fix- tures amounted to $36,337, and early in 1896 the commissioners provided electric lights for the court house at an expense of $500.
VOTE ON COURT HOUSE BOND ISSUE IN 1892.
When the people of this county voted for the issuing of bonds with which to erect a new court house in 1892, the sentiment was against such measure, as is seen by the following vote in the several townships :
403
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
Township.
For.
Against.
Township.
For.
Against.
Rosendale
41
Adrian
5
32
Antrim
85
Long Lake
25
35
Fieldon
South Branch
44
9
Madelia
1
1
-
56
St. James
35
15
Riverdale
2
43
Butterfield
IO
49
Nelson
6
58
St. James village
236
02
Odin
6
58
Totals
396
516
COURT HOUSE BOND ISSUE, 1895.
By townships the vote on the bond issue which resulted in the erection of the present magnificent temple of justice, was as follows, the same being voted on at the March election, 1895 :
For. Against.
For.
Against.
St. James village ____ 414
--
Adrian township 34
17
St. James township.
60
12
Butterfield village
II
16
Madelia village
56
241
Butterfield township _. 18
32
Madelia township
3
63
Rosendale township ... 44
14
Odin township
8
43
Nelson township _. -- 43 19
Long Lake township- 39
20
South Branch town- ship
5I
3
Antrim township
54
Riverdale township __ 72
12
Majority for bonds_222
TIIE JAIL AND CARING FOR THE POOR.
Formerly this county used the city jail for keeping its few prisoners in, but when the present court house was built a few cells or steel cages were constructed in the basement of the building, for county jail purposes, but long ago this arrangement was declared unsanitary and by the author- ities condemned, since which time this has not been used, but prisoners have been taken to Mankato for safe keeping, until tried. It is thought now that the county commissioners made a mistake when building the present court house that they did not seek to purchase some of the adjoining property on which a suitable jail and sheriff's house could have been erected at some later date. Now the property is materially advanced in value.
Watonwan county has never had a "poor farm" or poor house, as so
1
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404
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
many of the sister counties have. It being a smaller county, the authorities have believed it less expensive to care for the few unfortunate poor in other ways, each township, in a way paying for this item. A few of the poor are kept at the St. James hospital, as they are ailing bodily and can be better cared for there than in private homes.
FINANCES IN JULY, 1897.
The following appears of record in the minutes of the proceedings of the county commissioners in July, 1897:
County Treasurer Dr.
To balance shown by auditor's books, July 10, 1897
$18.399.43
To taxes collected since July, 1897
$18,406.24
County Treasurer Cr.
By deposits in First National Bank, St. James 1
$ 3.774.61
By deposits in Old Bank, St. James 1 1 1 L
3.810.64
By deposits in Citizens Bank, St. James 2,575.28 1 t I
By deposits in State Watonwan County Bank, Madelia 4,165.62 I 1 1 J
By school warrants paid 96.98 1 1 L I I
By school warrants on hand
63.50
By town warrants on hand 75.50 1 1
By cash on hand
6.82
1
I
I
1
1
1
1
I
Total $18,406.24
111 July, 1902, the commissioners caused cement sidewalks to be laid around the court house, at sixteen and one-third cents per square foot. This contract was awarded to Joseph Schmidt.
In 1903 the county school superintendent's salary was raised to twelve dollars for each school district within, the county; prior to that date the salary had been only ten dollars per school district.
June, 1907 .- At a meeting of the county commissioners they voted to borrow thirty-five thousand dollars of the state of Minnesota by giving five bonds of seven thousand dollars each, drawing three per cent. This loan was for the purpose of constructing "Ditch No. 4." of Watonwan county.
The salary of the county superintendent of schools was raised again in 1913 to fifteen dollars per school district, payable monthly.
J
1
6.81
Total
405
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
At the January meeting in 1913 the board passed the following resolu- tion : "Moved and seconded, that the board of county commissioners of Watonwan county extend to George Busser a vote of thanks for his faithful services as county commissioner for the last twenty years.
LAST FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
The county auditor's financial statement for July, 1915, is as follows : Cash in treasury, $26,352.98, and in bridge and road fund, $5.669.12. Total resources, $32,022.10, is divided in following funds :
Tax collection fund $ 2,179.12
County revenue fund
3.775.25
County poor fund 1
1
1
1
1,695.25
County ditch fund
I
1
1
18,383.34
School district fund 1 I
1 1,088.II
Town and village fund 1
3,241.13
State lands fund
40.80
State loan fund
1,068.93
Contingent fund
298.84
State revenue and school fund
113.48
Sundries
137.85
Total $32,022.10
CASII DEPOSITS.
The county had cash deposited in July, 1915, in banks as follows : In the First National Bank of St. James $2,902.31
In the Security Bank of St. James 1,469.10
In Citizens National Bank, St. James 1,563.44
In Citizens National Bank (time deposits) 1 4,000.00
1 I In First National Bank, Madelia 1,761.71
In State Bank of Butterfield 1,367.15
In State Bank of Butterfield (time deposits) f
3.000.00
In Peoples State Bank, Butterfield Į
1 837.97
In State Bank of Darfur 764.30 I I 1
In Merchants State Bank, Lewisville 1.303.79 1
In State Bank, Madelia 1.778.23 1 1
In Odin State Bank
1,031.38
In Odin State Bank (time deposits)
3,000.00
In State Bank of La Salle
I
1,411.74
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