USA > Minnesota > Douglas County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume I > Part 38
USA > Minnesota > Grant County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume I > Part 38
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"The next business in order being the dividing the county into road and assessment districts, it was unanimously resolved that the county should be divided as follows: That each election district, as formerly laid out, in which elections have been held, shall be and are hereby declared to be road and assessment districts. Said districts to be numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4, corresponding to the numbering of such former election districts, and that an assessor and road overseer be appointed for each of said districts. The following named persons were unanimously appointed to fill the offices set opposite their names: District No. I, J. G. Holt, assessor; Jacob Olson, road overseer. District No. 2, Even E. Bjerke, assessor; Per Erlandson, road overseer. District No. 3, E. A. Ziebarth, assessor; H. Ronell, road overseer. District No. 4. Joseph Smith, assessor; T. Hanson, road over- seer.
"It was resolved that the amount of license for selling intoxicating liquors is hereby fixed at thirty dollars per annum, and that all persons dealing in intoxicating liquors in the county are hereby required to apply for a license to sell the same on or before the 1st day of May, next ensuing, under the penalty provided by law for selling such liquors without license.
"A petition was presented from the inhabitants of part of township 130, range 41, asking to have a school district established according to the l:oundaries mentioned therein. The petition was granted, and sections 4,
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DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
5 and 6, and the north half of sections 7, 8 and 9, in township 130, range 4I, was set off and established as such school district, to be designated school district No. I.
"A petition was presented from the inhabitants of election precinct No. 3, asking for the passage of a law restraining cattle from running at large in their election precinct. The following resolution was unanimously passed in relation thereto: That in the third election district or precinct of Grant county no cattle, horses, mules, hogs or sheep shall be allowed to run at large without a competent person to take charge of the same, and the own- ers of such stock shall be liable for all damages done by such stock to the crops or other property of the inhabitants, or any of them, in said third election precinct.
"R. S. Talbot was sworn in as county auditor."
The board then adjourned to meet at the house of Mr. Sanford, on Saturday, May 3. 1873, to receive the bonds of the appointed county offi- cers and qualify them for office. At that meeting the commissioners ac- cepted the bonds and qualified such officers as presented themselves. John Doherty not having qualified as justice of the peace, John Ohlsson was appointed to fill that office.
On May 24, 1873, the board met at Herman and established school districts Nos. 2 and 3. Mr. Heald having declined to qualify as sheriff, E. A. Ziebarth was appointed to fill that office.
COMMISSIONER DISTRICTS ESTABLISHED.
At a meeting of the board held on September 2, 1873, at the house of Henry F. Sanford, the commissioners proceeded to divide the county into three commissioner districts, as follows: District No. I to comprise town- ship 130, of ranges 41, 42, 43 and 44. District No. 2 to comprise township 129, of ranges 41, 42, 43 and 44, and township 128, of range 41. District No. 3 to comprise township 128, of ranges 42, 43 and 44, and township 127, of ranges 41, 42, 43 and 44.
The board then established three new school districts, to be known as districts Nos. 4, 5 and 6. They also designated places for holding elections in the several precincts and appointed judges of election, as follows: No. I at Pomme de Terre; George W. Vaughan and Ole Peterson, judges. No. 2 at the house of Mr. Gudmunson, in township 128, range 41 ; O. W. Olson and Even E. Bjerke, judges. No. 3 at Herman; John Olson and E. A. Ziebarth, judges.
391
DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
SECOND BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
The second board of county commissioners held their first meeting on January 6, 1874, at Herman. The board was composed of George W. Vaughan, Coll McClellan and Louis T. Breen. One dollar was paid to Louis Baker for the use of a room in which to hold the meeting. O. W. Olson, who was acting as superintendent of schools, resigned, and Coll McClellan was appointed in his stead.
On March 2, 1874, the board met at the house of Henry F. Sanford. The following persons were appointed to the respective offices: E. M. Heald, sheriff; John Ohlsson, surveyor; Timothy Heald and K. N. Melby, justices of the peace in district No. 1; Joseph Pennock and John Houston, constables, and Ole Larson, assessor. In district No. 2 Andrew Olson and James Sethny were appointed justices; H. P. Hansen and Gilbert Munson, constables; T. H. Bartnes, assessor; Ole Munson, road overseer. In dis- trict No. 3 John Ohlsson and G. W. Frost were appointed justices; Charles Tancre and Erick Olson, constables; John Doherty, assessor; H. P. Ronell, road overseer.
At a meeting of the board held on April 1, 1875, it was resolved that no bills against Grant county should be allowed prior to March 1, 1873.
FIRST COUNTY COURT HOUSE.
As related in the minutes of the board meeting held on April 12, 1873, Mr. Melby attempted to locate the county seat at Pomme de Terre, then a small trading post in the center of a considerable settlement in the north- eastern part of the county. Mr. Frogner wished to locate it at Herman, but yielded to the argument of Mr. Sanford that it should be located at a more central point. They accordingly voted to establish the county seat on section 8, township 129, range 42, and a part of the homestead of Knud O. Laastuen was secured for the purpose. At that time the village of Elbow Lake was not yet started, and the neighborhood was but sparsely settled. The location of the county seat, however, soon attracted business and professional men to this point and the village was established.
The homestead of Henry F. Sanford was situated just south of the lake on section 17, across from the location of the county seat. After the election held on November 3, 1874, Mr. Sanford's cabin became the office of the auditor and treasurer, the other officers maintaining their places of
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DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
business at their respective homes. The need of a suitable building for the county officers was soon realized, and on May 18, 1875, a petition signed by one hundred and three legal voters of the county was presented to the board of commissioners, asking that five hundred dollars be appropriated to build a court house at Elbow Lake. Hope was still entertained in some other parts of the county that the county seat might yet be located in their neighborhood, so a counter petition was presented to the board, signed by one hundred and fifty-nine legal voters, praying the county commissioners not to build a court house that year.
Several other unsuccessful efforts were made to induce the commission- ers to put up a county building at Elbow Lake, but it was not until two years later, on December 8, 1877, that the board decided to build a court house at Elbow Lake and appropriated five hundred dollars for that pur- pose. On December 20, of that year, a contract was let to A. C. Earsley to erect a building twenty-four by thirty feet, for which he was to be paid five hundred dollars in county warrants, to bear interest at the rate of ten per cent. Later the plans for the finishing of the building were somewhat altered and enlarged, and H. H. Wilson, of Alexandria, was given a con- tract to complete the building for seven hundred and twenty-five dollars. This building was approved and occupied by the county officers on Novem- ber 1, 1878.
The first county building stood on a lot just west of the present court house. It was a two-story structure, with four rooms and a hall on the first floor and one room on the second floor used as a court room. An outside stairway gave access to the upper story. This building served for the needs of the county offices until 1884, when it was remodelled and enlarged; the stairway was placed inside, and a small additional tract of ground purchased from Mr. Laastuen adjoining it on the north. In the meantime, however, there occurred an exciting contest for the county seat, which is well remembered by many of the older settlers still living in this county.
COUNTY SEAT CONTEST.
In 1880, the village of Elbow Lake, where the seat of government for Grant county had been established, was but a small cluster of houses, without a railroad and of no special commercial importance; while Her- man was an incorporated village of several hundred population, with rail- way communications and numerous business houses. There is no doubt but Herman would have been the county seat of Grant county but for one
393
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DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
insurmountable objection-its location in the extreme southwestern corner of the county. Undeterred by this fact, the citizens of that vicinity renewed their efforts, and brought sufficient influence to bear to induce the Legis- lature, in 1881, to pass a special act moving the county seat to Herman, sub- ject to ratification by the people at the following fall election.
An exciting campaign and election followed, at which 808 votes were counted, of which 439 were for Herman and 369 against. The voting strength of the county at that time was 872. According to the returns Herman had a majority of 70, and was proclaimed the county seat by the governor. Unwilling to accept defeat, the people of Elbow Lake and Pomme de Terre immediately took steps to contest this election in the courts. Timothy Heald and several others advanced money and spent time to gather evidence which would retain the county seat location at Elbow Lake. Notwithstanding the contest, private parties proceeded at once toward the erection of a court house at Herman, and upon its completion, and while the issue was pending settlement in the courts, citizens of Her- man and their sympathizers made a raid on the county offices at Elbow Lake and removed all the records to Herman.
During the investigation which followed the people of Elbow Lake retained Knute Nelson and H. Jenkins, while L. W. Collins represented Herman. The Elbow Lake workers soon discovered that the vote from Erdahl township had not been returned, and that Logan township (in which Herman is located) had cast a bigger vote than it was ever known to have, and more than an examination of the poll books showed that it did have. A lawyer at Red Wing, named Boettcher, who had been attorney in a South Dakota county seat contest, gave Mr. Nelson an important clue and he sent to St. Paul for a detective, named Cleveland, to work up the clue. Evidence was secured that the Herman people had gone to Anoka and Minneapolis, just before election, and hired a number of laborers to work on the village streets. These men were voted and after election returned to their homes. It was also discovered that six minors and eight men who were not American citizens had voted. The revised figures were consid- ered by the court and on August 19, 1882, judgment was rendered in favor of Elbow Lake.
Upon securing this decision, some of the partizans of the Elbow Lake neighborhood, still nursing a grievance for the hasty manner in which the county records had been removed to that village, organized a posse and descending on the town in the dead of night, secured the official records and brought them back to Elbow Lake. This mob was given some hasty train-
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DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
ing by the leader, who had a bugler to sound his signals, and all considered it a very serious matter at that time. In these later days, however, the survivors of that expedition enjoy many a good laugh in recollection of the trip. Time has served to efface any ill-feeling engendered during the con- test and all factions are happy to have the county seat located at the most central village.
One of the most aggressive leaders in the campaign to retain the county seat at Elbow Lake was Timothy Heald, of Pomme de Terre, one of the well-known early settlers of the county. It was due to his initiative, more perhaps than to any other one man, that the contest was taken up and pressed to a successful conclusion. Later he was reimbursed for the money he had expended, as was also J. W. Reynolds, who served as an attorney in the case.
PRESENT COURT HOUSE.
The rapid development of Grant county during the early nineties, and the consequent increase in the county business, necessitated larger quarters than the county building at that time afforded. Many of the public records were in danger of destruction for want of fire-proof storage places, and rooms were needed for the county attorney and the judge of probate. In order to raise money for a new court house the county commissioners, in 1899, decided upon a plan which would relieve the county from any bond debt. They proposed to make a slight increase in the tax levy and keep the revenue from this source in a separate fund to be used for a new building. Succeeding boards all approved of this plan and in seven years over thirty- six thousand dollars was raised in this manner. In the fall of 1904, the commissioners advertised for plans for a new court house and, after careful inspection, those · submitted by Bell & Detweiler, of Minneapolis, were selected.
The most desirable location for the new building was the slight knoll just east of the old court house, occupied by the residence of Knud O. Laastuen. After considerable negotiations this site was secured by the com- missioners, mainly through the generosity of public spirited citizens who organized the "Elbow Lake Improvement Company," secured title to the tract and conveyed it to the county. In this manner the present beautiful site of five acres, on an eminence at the head of Central avenue and extend- ing back to the shore of Worm lake, was obtained for the erection of the building of which Grant county may well be proud.
The contract for the construction of the building was let to the Prince
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DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
Construction Company, of Minneapolis, who agreed to erect the building of Portwing brown stone for $60,202, including the heating and plumbing equipment. E. A. Durkee, a member of the company, was the superintendent of construction. Work was begun in the spring of 1905 and the finished building was inspected and accepted on April 6, 1906. The interior decora- tions were painted by Oden J. Oyen, of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Electric fixtures and lamps, metal furniture and office desks and chairs of the most modern style and construction were secured. E. J. Scofield, then serving as county attorney, was the first official to occupy an office in the new court house, moving into it on May 21, 1906. Sheriff Thompson and Clerk of Court Johnson occupied their offices in the new building on the succeeding day, and the other officers followed as soon as their rooms were completed. The new court house was formally dedicated with fitting exercises on July 23, 1906.
This building consists of three stories, and is equipped with the latest appliances in heating, lighting and ventilation. On the second floor are the offices of the auditor, treasurer, commissioners, register of deeds and clerk of the court. In the basement, which really is the first floor of the building, are the offices of the judge of probate, sheriff, superintendent of schools, high- way engineer, agricultural agent and custodian. The third floor is occupied by the court room, county attorney and jury rooms. Ample fire-proof storage vaults are provided for the care of all county records. A beautiful lawn surrounds the building and a grove of small oaks serves as a back- ground on the border of the nearby lake.
Grant county has never found it necessary to build a jail; one room in the court house fitted up with two small steel cells being all the equipment the county possesses for the detention of prisoners. Neither has the county a poor farm; the township officers looking after any dependents in their respective townships and non-residents being cared for through the proper county officials. The county has never had a bonded debt.
POPULATION OF GRANT COUNTY.
The first federal census in which any return was made from Grant county was that of 1870 when the county had a population of 340. The state census of 1875 gave the county 1,191. In 1880 there were 3,004; in 1885 there were 5,197; in 1890 there were 6,875; in 1895 there were 7,887; in 1900 there were 8,935; in 1905 there were 9,652, and in 1910 there were 9,114 people living in Grant county. In 1900 the foreign-born population
396
DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
was represented as follows: From Norway, 1,590; from Sweden, 809; from Germany, 182; from Denmark, 43; from Canada, 42; from Ireland, 20; from England, 18; from Scotland, 15; from Bohemia, 4; from Russia, 2; from Finland, 2; from Holland, I, and from Austria, I. The following table shows the population of the various townships and villages for three federal census periods :
I910.
1900.
1890.
Ashby village
334
279
231
Barrett village
278
237
Delaware township
293
307
224
Elbow Lake township
410
473
440
Elbow Lake village
776
625
267
Elk Lake township
470
476
416
Erdahl township
670
595
500
Gorton township
217
318
203
Herman village
604
550
322
Hoffman village
39
270
Land township
479
617
714
Lawrence township
281
273
I20
Lien township
425
538
630
Logan township
246
214
126
Macsville township
286
253
241
Norcross village
177
North Ottawa township
322
321
237
Pelican Lake township
469
506
47I
Pomme de Terre township
458 .
529
426
Roseville township
35I
439
372
Sanford township
475
506
384
Stony Brook township
527
609
551
Wendell village
175
Total
9,114
8,935
6,875
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
NATURALIZATION STATISTICS.
The first person to apply for his "first papers" and make declaration of his intention to become a citizen of the United States before the clerk of Grant county; was H. A. Hillmond, from Germany, whose application is dated on September 4, 1883. Mr. Hillmond later represented Grant county in the Legis-
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DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
lature. The second applicant was Ole G. Jenstad, from Norway, who ap- peared on September 22, 1883. Mr. Jenstad is still a resident of the county, living near Barrett. The third applicant was Anders Olsson, from Norway, on September 22, 1883; the fourth was Nils Anderson, from Norway, on September 24, 1883, and the fifth was Lars Olsen Hjelle, from Norway, on September 24, 1883.
The first person to make final proof of citizenship and secure his "sec- ond papers" was Andrew Erlandson, from Sweden, who appeared before the clerk on September 4, 1883. The second was Nils Stenson, from Nor- way, on the same date. Halvor J. Bollum, Anders Mattson and Thomas Gillesby made final proof on September 24, 1883.
The total number of all who have applied for citizenship papers in Grant county is presented by years in the following table :
First Papers.
Second
Papers.
First Papers.
Second Papers.
1883.
48
15
1900
41
79
1884
39
18
190I
48
23
1885
II
19
1902
35
34
1886
42
6
1903-
20
8
1887
16
18
1904
30
25
1888
I20
27
1905
39
8
1889
I7
12
1906.
16
II
1890
109
14
1907
I4
I
1891
17
I5
1908
28
I
1892
105
16
1909
18
7
1893
38
IO
1910
14
6
1894
86
8
19II
19
16
1895
21
IO
1912
1
1
8
2
1896
77
I3
1913
3
II
1897
257
1914
18
8
1898
13
I59
1915
19
9
1899
16
61
I
1
I
1
E
1
1
1
COUNTY FINANCES.
At a meeting of the board of county commissioners held on September 20, 1875, the following levy of taxes was made for the ensuing year: General expenses, $1,433; sinking fund, $860; poor fund, $140, and road and bridge
398
DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
fund, $572. These figures compared with the auditor's report of recent date give an idea of the growth of the county finances during the past forty years. Following is the trial balance from the general ledger of County Auditor Nel- son, showing the condition of the various funds at the close of business on December 31, 1915:
Debits.
Credits.
County treasurer
$295,809.66
$245,992.59
Warrants accounts
245,992.59
£59,326.64
Taxes and penalties.
155,146.95
158,815.64
Current school fund
12,599.17
12,736.67
County revenue
22,593.80
21,655.39
Road and bridge fund
25,173.67
26,039.70
Ditch funds
37,203.48
60,646.89
Redemption fund
2,387.17
2,504.32
School fund (districts)
75,321.55
78,664.52
Town, city and village.
42,079.27
43,478.86
Incidental fund
392.58
641.81
State revenue and school
29,711.60
29,744.00
State lands and interest
8,969.10
9,074.85
State loans
6,846.45
10,531.77
Inheritance tax
477.46
447.46
Mortgage registry tax
1,638.60
2,007.14
Assurance
4.85
$962,313.10
$962,313.10
Balance from these figures extended
$ 50,755.48
CHAPTER V.
OFFICIALS OF GRANT COUNTY.
When Grant county was permanently established by act of the Legislature in 1873 the first step in formal organization was the election of three commis- sioners, who appointed the first complete set of county officers. At that time Grant county was not far advanced from its state of primitive wilderness; set- tlers were few and far between, communication was difficult and business was mostly a matter of barter. It is largely due to the good judgment and public spirit of these first officers that social order was so quickly and firmly estab- lished in the formative period of this community. The board of county commissioners has always been one of the most important official bodies of the county government, and the early members of this board had especially difficult and far-reaching questions brought to them for decision.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
The first board of county commissioners consisted of Henry F. San- ford, K. N. Melby and S. S. Frogner. Mr. Sanford's home was on section 17, township 129, range 42, just south of the present site of the village of Elbow Lake. Mr. Melby was a farmer in Pelican Lake township and became in time an extensive landholder there. Mr. Frogner kept the first store at Herman, in Logan township. More extended mention is made of these men in the chapter on early settlement. This first board of commissioners met at Pomme de Terre, at Mr. Sanford's cabin, at the house of Louis Baker in Herman, or other points in the county where the nature of the business to be considered necessitated their presence. For several years be- fore the first court house was built the meetings of the commissioners were held at the home of Mr. Sanford. At a meeting of the board held on Sep- tember 2, 1873, the county was divided into three commissioner districts. District No. I comprised what is now the townships of Lawrence, Stony Brook, Pomme de Terre and Pelican Lake. District No. 2 was composed of North Ottawa, Elbow Lake, Sanford, Erdahl and Elk Lake. District No. 3 included all of what is now Gorton, Delaware, Lien, Logan, Macsville, Roseville and Land townships. This arrangement prevailed until July 23,
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DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
1883, when a redistricting was rendered necessary according to law, as more than eight hundred votes had been cast at the last preceding election. The board therefore ordered and determined that the county should be divided into five commissioner districts, as follow: District No. I, Pomme de Terre, Stony Brook and Lawrence townships; district No. 2, Pelican Lake, Erdahl and Elk Lake townships; district No. 3, Lien, Roseville and Land townships; district No. 4, Sanford, Elbow Lake, North Ottawa and Delaware townships; district No. 5, Logan, Gorton and Macsville town- ships. This re-districting took effect on January 1, 1884. A roster of the board of county commissioners since the county was established is as follows :
1873-Henry F. Sanford, K. N. Melby, S. S. Frogner.
1874-George W. Vaughn, Coll McClellan, Louis T. Breen.
1875-Coll McClellan, Louis T. Breen, Iver G. Holt.
1876-Iver G. Holt, E. A. Ziebarth, H. P. Hansen.
1877-H. P. Hansen, Iver G. Holt, John G. Peterson.
1878-H. P. Hansen, John G. Peterson, Ole Johnson.
1879-83-Ole Johnson, John G. Peterson, Gilbert Gilbertson.
1884-H. P. Hansen, N. B. Ufford, Even E. Bjerke, Ole Johnson, L. L. Tobiason.
1885-86-H. P. Hansen, N. B. Ufford, Even E. Bjerke, L. L. Tobia- son, John C. Johnson.
1887-H. P. Hansen, Even E. Bjerke, John C. Johnson, Frank McNabb, Gilbert T. Hoff.
1888-H. P. Hansen, Even E. Bjerke, Frank McNabb, Gilbert T. Hoff, A. E. Dybdal.
1889-90-H. P. Hanson, Frank McNabb, Gilbert T. Hoff, A. E. Dyb- dal, Sven Auslund.
1891-92-H. P. Hansen, Frank McNabb, A. E. Dybdal, Sven Aus- lund, Sam Olson.
1893-94-H. P. Hansen, Frank McNabb, A. E. Dybdal, Sam Olson, M. F. Munson.
1895-Henry Hendrickson, Frank McNabb, A. E. Dybdal, Knut K. Fuglie, John O: Torgerson.
1896-Henry Hendrickson, A. E. Dybdal, John O. Torgerson, Knut K. Fuglie, W. T. Ziebarth.
1897-98-Henry Hendrickson, Knut K. Fuglie, John O. Torgerson, A. E. Dybdal, Frank A. Ekberg.
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