USA > Minnesota > Fillmore County > History of Fillmore County, Minnesota (Volume 1) > Part 11
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1878-J. L. Michener, Geo. H. Haven, Jerome Utley, O. E. Boyum and M. L. Potter.
1879-Jerome Utley, Ed. Stevens, M. L. Potter, O. E. Boyum and O. H. Rose.
1880-M. L. Potter, O. H. Rose, Ed. Stevens, O. E. Boyum and Jerome Utley.
1881-Jerome Utley, O. H. Rose, M. A. Maland, Ed. Stevens and M. L. Potter.
1882-Jerome Utley, M. L. Potter, M. A. Maland, Ed. Stevens and R. M. Foster.
1883-Ed. Stevens, R. M. Foster, M. A. Maland, Thomas Quinn and J. G. Miner.
1884-Ed. Stevens, Niles Carpenter, R. M. Foster, Thomas Quinn and J. G. Miner.
1885-J. G. Miner, Niles Carpenter, Thomas Quinn, W. A. Pease and Ole J. Hattlestad.
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1886-J. G. Miner, Niles Carpenter, Thomas Quinn, W. A. Pease and Ole J. Hattlestad.
By an act of the legislature of 1885 the terms of all county commissioners expired on the last day of December, 1886. In the fall of 1886 the people of Fillmore county elected five com- missioners, who took office January 1, 1887. Those from the first, third and fifth districts were to serve two years and those from the second and fourth districts were to serve four years. At the expiration of the three short terms, all commissioners were to serve four years. Under this plan, which is still in vogue, the make-up of the county board can change but once in two years, except in cases of death, resignation or removals.
1887-5, J. G. Miner (chairman) ; 1, Ole C. Swenson; 2, Levi Ober; 3, Fred Wendorf; 4, G. Vander Bie. February 6, 1888, W. A. Pease was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Captain Levi Ober.
1889-4, G. Vander Bie (chairman) ; 1, Niles Carpenter; 2, W. A. Pease ; 3, John Aslakson ; 5, G. M. Graham. April 3, 1890, N. O. Henderson was appointed in place of G. M. Graham, resigned.
1891-5, N. O. Henderson ; 1, Niles Carpenter ; 2, W. A. Pease ; 3, John Aslakson; 4, A. II. Daniels.
1893-5, N. O. Henderson (chairman) ; 1, C. H. Schansberg; 2, W. A. Pease; 3, L. M. Ashley ; 4, A. H. Daniels. September 7, 1894, W. L. Kellogg was appointed for the remainder of the year in place of L. M. Ashley, deceased.
1895-5, N. O. Henderson (chairman) ; 1, C. H. Schansberg ; 2, E. G. Bolles; 3, William C. Love; 4, J. H. Roberts. C. H. Schans- berg was chairman in 1896.
1897-2, E. G. Bolles (chairman) ; 1, O. E. Boyum; 3, William C. Love ; 4, J. H. Roberts ; 5, A. C. Dayton.
1899-2, E. G. Bolles; 1, O. E. Boyum ; 3, William C. Love; 4, Tollef Sanderson; 5, A. C. Dayton.
1901-2, E. G. Bolles (chairman) ; 1, T. E. Sorenson ; 3, D. K. Michener ; 4, Tollef Sanderson ; 5, E. L. Babcock.
1903-3, D. K. Michener (chairman) ; 1, T. E. Sorenson; 2, D. J. Danielson ; 4, D. A. Mosher ; 5, E. L. Babcock.
1905-3, D. K. Michener; 1, Thore T. Johnson; 2, D. J. Dan- ielson; 4, D. A. Mosher; 5, Erick Nupson.
1907-3, D. K. Michener ; 1, Thore T. Johnson; 2, D. J. Dan- ielson ; 4, D. A. Mosher ; 5, Erick Nupson.
1909-4, D. A. Mosher ; 1, Thore T. Johnson ; 2, D. J. Daniel- son ; 3, J. L. Colby ; 5, Erick Nupson.
1911-4, D. A. Mosher ; 1, Thore T. Johnson ; 2, Leon Lillie ; 3, J. L. Colby ; 5, D. W. Bacon.
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COUNTY OFFICIALS.
The principal officers of the county, since May 28, 1853, are given in the list which follows. In a few instances the compilers have omitted the names of those appointed for a very short time to fill vacancies caused by illness, death or removal, their official service being so short as to be foreign to the ground which this history aims to cover. The list has been compiled with great difficulty, as the election returns have not been preserved, and no such list has hitherto been published.
Registrar of Deeds. The territorial occupants of this office were Henry B. Stoll, C. F. Buck, William B. Gere and S. B. Mur- rel. Those who have served in statehood days are: Grove W. Willis, W. T. Wilkins, T. G. Fladeland, Lars O. Hamre, H. C. Gul- lickson, H. O. Larson, W. C. Garrett, T. I. Garrett and A. P. Nelson. Henry B. Stoll, appointed by Governor Gorman, took office May 28, 1853. During his term, Sylvester J. Smith and Grove W. Willis each acted once as clerk of the county com- missioners, pro tem. C. F. Buck appears as deputy, December 31, 1853, and on December 27, 1853, assumed the full duties of the office. William B. Gere was elected October 11, 1853, and took his seat January 2, 1854. Grove W. Willis, Henry L. Edwards and S. B. Murrel appear as his deputies. January 8, 1856, S. B. Murrel became the registrar, his deputy being C. M. Colby. The terms of the other registers have been as follows: 1858-59, Grove W. Willis; 1860-67, W. T. Wilkins; 1861-71, T. G. Fladeland; 1872-79, Lars O. Hamre; 1880-86, H. C. Gullickson; 1889-92, H. O. Larson; 1893-96, W. C. Garrett; 1897-1910, T. I. Garrett; 1911, A. P. Nelson to the present time. The registrar of deeds per. formed the duties of auditor and clerk of the county commis sioners until January 6, 1859.
Auditor. Until January 6, 1859, the duties of auditor and clerk of the county commissioner were performed by the registrar of deeds. The first auditor was H. D. Bristol, who presented his bond January 6, 1859, and took his seat at once. He resigned January 1, 1861, John S. Marsh was appointed and served at one meeting, after which Niles Carpenter was appointed, serving from January, 1861, to the close of 1866. Since then the auditors have been : 1867-72, C. H. Conkey ; 1873-76, Aldis Bartlett; 1877-82, George W. Hard; 1883-88, G. A. Hayes; 1889-92, T. A. Sorenson ; 1893-1900, John C. Mills; 1901-08, J. F. Jones; 1909, George C. Weatherill, to the present time.
Treasurer. The first treasurer of Fillmore county was Erwin H. Johnson, who took his office May 28, 1853. It is apparent that a treasurer was elected October 11, 1853, for on April 7, 1854,
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James McClellan, Jr., was appointed "to fill a vacancy." J. W. Sturges took office January 1, 1855, and eight days later, January 9, 1855, William Chalfant assumed the duties of the office. The records are very vague as to the territorial treasurers of the county. Luther Preston presented his bond as treasurer, January 6, 1859. January 3, 1860, H. S. Griswold presented his bond as treasurer. He resigned June 4, 1860. In the meantime the affairs of the treasurer's office were in the hands of N. P. Colburn, who was appointed temporary treasurer, and Elias Lint; Luther Preston, the treasurer, having been involved in financial diffi- culties. The tangle was straightened out, and Ephraim McMurtie was appointed June 4, 1860, to serve for the remainder of the year. Since then the treasurers have been: 1861-65, S. B. Mur- rel ; 1866-69, A. H. Butler ; 1870-73, A. J. Stevens; 1874-81, W. W. Braden (Braden resigned, to take effect January 1, 1882, and W. A. Nelson was appointed) ; 1882-88, W. A. Nelson; 1889-92, T. Sanderson; 1893-1906, Lars O. Hamre; 1907, E. A. Highum, to the present time.
Judge of Probate. Andrew Cole was appointed judge of pro- bate by Governor Gorman and took office May 28, 1853. January 30, C. F. Buck, who had been elected October 11, 1853, took his seat. The first to have done active service seems to have been Hon. Forest Henry, of Forestville, a man of great kindness of heart, of liberal mind, of strict integrity of character, and of practical judgment. He was succeeded by Dr. William C. Pickett, of Carimona, elected in the fall of 1857,-a man of independent opinion, upright as a judge and as a citizen, and fearless in the discharge of his duties. William C. Pickett was the last territo- rial and first state judge of probate in this county. J. F. Marsh served from January 4, 1860, until his resignation October 10, 1862. May 6, 1863, A. S. Lindsey, the judge of probate, being absent from the county, Dryden Smith was appointed. Smith served until the close of 1869. The judges of probate since that date have been: H. R. Wells, 1870-71; H. S. Bassett, 1872-1881; E. V. Farrington, 1882-1907; H. S. Bassett, April, 1907, to 1909 (named by Governor John A. Johnson to fill unexpired term of E. V. Farrington) ; D. K. Michener, 1909, to the present time.
Sheriff. John Iams was the first sheriff of Fillmore county, taking office by appointment May 28, 1853, and being elected to succeed himself. James Munday was appointed April 7, 1854. Isaac Day became sheriff August 28, 1854, resigned April 2, 1855, and was at once reappointed. He was followed by William H. Strong and Henry C. Wheeler, the latter of whom was serving when the state was admitted. Since then the sheriffs have been : 1859, William Pickett ; 1860, S. O. Thayer; 1861-62, E. H. Shaw; 1863-66, William D. Lipe; 1867-68, Leroy L. Streeter (Streeter
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resigned September 4, 1868, and the unexpired term was filled by the appointment of Abram Kalder) ; 1869-72, H. C. Gullickson; 1873-78, Christian Petersen; 1879-80, Ole Allen; 1881-85, S. A. Langum; 1886-94, Henry Nupson; 1896, E. K. Blexrud, to the present time.
School Superintendent. Up to 1864 no well defined manage- ment of schools existed. In speculating on the best system, the legislature created first a town superintendency, then an exam- iner for each commissioner district, and lastly one general super- intendent for each county. Under this E. J. Thompson was appointed June 10, 1864, at a salary of $800. September 9, of the same year, $200 was added. At the time Mr. Thompson was appointed, 137 school districts had been created in the county. Of these, however, it is evident that only sixty-six were conduct- ing schools at that time, for that is the number appearing in the county financial report of that year. Mr. Thompson's salary was raised from $1,000 to $1,300 and then to $1,350. He resigned April 3, 1867, and G. J. Sanderson was appointed at a salary of $1,000. In 1869, Rev. D. L. Keihle was appointed. At first the commissioners determined to pay him by the day and allow him a certain sum for each mile traveled. Later his salary was fixed at $1,200 a year. Rev. Kiehle served from April 1, 1869, to July 1, 1875. When he resigned D. W. Sprague was appointed. He served until the close of 1877. John Brady was superintendent from January, 1878, to January, 1887. Emma Allen, now Mrs. John C. Mills, the only woman superintendent of the county, served from January, 1887, to January, 1891. Then K. W. Buell served until January, 1907, followed by Oscar Carlson, the present superintendent.
Clerk of Court. W. B. Gere appears to have been clerk of court which convened at Winona May 28, 1853. Grove W. Wil- lis took office about July 15, 1853, and served until May, 1861. John S. Marsh appears to have done service a few months, suc- ceeded by H. A. Billings, who served from 1862 to 1867. J. C. Braden served in 1867 and 1868, after which H. A. Billings again appears to have become the clerk and served until 1878. A. D. Gray was clerk from January, 1878, to January, 1891. D. W. Ba- con served from January, 1891, to January, 1898. L. H. Prosser served one term, from January, 1899, to January, 1902, and on January, 1902, Henry A. Larson, the present clerk, assumed the duties of the office.
County Attorney. N. P. Colburn was probably the first regu- larly constituted county attorney of Fillmore county. Andrew Cole served as district attorney before Judge Andrew G. Chat- field at Winona, June 28, 1853. January 30, 1854, M. Wheeler Sargeant was appointed "to fill a vacancy." April 4, 1855, the
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commissioners decided that H. B. Morse had been illegally elected and at once appointed him. H. C. Butler appears to have taken the office sometime before June, 1856. In 1857 Grove W. Willis and John R. Jones each received pay for services as district attor- ney. II. C. Butler seems to have been the last district attorney before the state was admitted, and Samuel Cole the first one after- ward. In 1860, the commissioners appointed a committee to ascer- tain if the office existed. C. G. Ripley and N. P. Colburn both appear to have drawn pay for services as district attorneys in 1860. Since 1861 the list of county attorneys has been preserved as follows: 1861-62, N. P. Colburn ; 1863-64, Reuben Wells; 1865- 66, N. P. Colburn ; 1867-68, Abram Bergen; 1869-71, J. D. Farmer ; 1872-76, N. P. Colburn ; 1877-80, J. D. Farmer ; 1881-84, N. Kings- ley ; 1885-1890, Burdett Thayer; 1891-96, G. W. Rockwell; 1897- 1902, John W. Hopp; 1903-08, R. J. Parker; 1909, John W. Hopp, to the present time.
Surveyor. C. R. Coryell was appointed surveyor of Fillmore county, July 8, 1853. Robert Pike, Jr., was appointed January 3, 1854, and H. L. Edwards was appointed August 28, 1854. In 1855, E. J. May and Y. P. Ropes were appointed. Charles M. Colby appears to have taken office in 1857. He was followed by G. D. Hawkins, who in turn was succeeded by D. C. Wilson on June 6, 1860. E. McMurtrie served from January, 1861, to the close of 1867, although O. H. Case did considerable of the county work during this period. John Gregor took office in January, 1869, and served until 1877. In 1877 and 1878 Samuel Freeman occupied the office. From 1879 to November 22, 1881, O. H. Case served. After his resignation, William Thatcher was appointed and served until the close of 1882. C. H. Brown served a term in 1883 and 1884 and was followed by L. B. Carpenter. Carpenter took office in January, 1885, and resigned April 24, of the same year, his unexpired term being filled by Samuel Free- man. In 1886 William Thatcher again became surveyor for the county. L. B. Carpenter again took the office and served in 1891 and 1892. O. H. Case again served from 1893 to 1900. L. H. Osterud assumed the duties of the office in January, 1901. In January, 1905, O. H. Case again became county surveyor and has served to the present time.
Court Commissioner. G. E. Dexter became court commissioner in January, 1864, and served until January, 1870. Reuben Wells then took office and served until January, 1888. A. R. Holman was elected for one term and served from January, 1892, to January, 1896. C. H. Conkey was elected in 1896, and re-elected in 1900 and 1904. The present court commissioner is A. W. Thompson.
Overseer of the Poor. In the early days various persons had
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charge of the poor of the county in various localities. Septem- ber 9, 1864, an effort was made to systematize the business of looking after the poor by appointing a poor master at a salary of $100 a year. G. W. Eddy was appointed to this position. The present system of overseeing the county poor by providing them a home at the county farm was inaugurated in 1868, when J. H. Tedman was appointed overseer of the poor, he and his wife to receive $800 a year. Tedman served from 1868 to January, 1870. G. R. Cooley took office in January, 1870, and served until Janu- ary, 1873. O. D. Hicks served one term, January, 1873, to Jan- uary, 1875. A. French served in 1875, and a part of 1876. Avery Herrick took the position in March, 1876, and served until March 1, 1887. Horace Kingsbury then served one year. A. C. Seelye served three years from March 1, 1888, and was followed by W. C. Seelye, who served nearly two years. Hans Olson took the office January 5, 1893; Edward Erickson, October 1, 1897; Halvor Johnson, January 7, 1902; Tobias Alfson, January 6, 1903; Halvor Johnson, January 1, 1907, and Albert Helgeson, January 1, 1909.
Coroner. R. M. Foster appears to have been the first coroner of Fillmore county. J. M. Wheat who was elected to serve in 1862 refused to qualify, and William D. Lipe was appointed in his place. J. B. Fraser, who was elected to serve in 1863, refused to qualify and J. W. Crees was appointed. In 1868 the coroner was O. A. Case. Following him, from 1870 to 1880, came R. L. Moore, J. G. Beemis, II. C. Grover and Henry Jones. J. H. Phillips became county coroner in 1880. He served until 1887 and was succeeded by H. II. Haskins. Since then the coroners have been : 1889-90, II. Jones; 1891-92, H. C. Grover; 1893-96, J. H. Phillips; 1897-98, A. W. Powers; 1899-1901, E. E. Campbell ; 1903 to the present time, W. B. Grinnell.
Present Officers. The principal officers of Fillmore county at present are : County auditor, George E. Weatherill; county treas- urer, E. A. Highum; register of deeds, A. P. Nelson; judge of probate, D. K. Michener; county attorney, John W. Hopp; clerk of court, Henry A. Larson; sheriff, E. K. Blexrud; county super- intendent, Oscar Carlson; coroner, Dr. W. B. Grinnell; county surveyor, O. H. Case; court commissioner and county abstractor, A. W. Thompson. Among other county officers may be men- tioned: deputy clerk of court and deputy register of deeds, C. H. H. Dodge; clerk in office of county auditor and county treasurer, B. R. Danielson; clerk of probate court, Hazel Mor- gan; deputy sheriff and jailer, C. M. Strom; janitor of court house and deputy sheriff, George Hopp. The commissioners are : 1, Thore T. Johnson; 2, Leon Lillie; 3, J. L. Colby; 4, D. A. Mosher (chairman) ; 5, D. W. Bacon. The county physicians
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from the five commissioner districts are as follows: 1, C. K. Onsgard and A. P. Lommer; 2, A. W. Powers and C. W. Wood- ruff; 3, W. N. Kendrick and E. V. Simons; 4, F. A. Gowdy and G. R. Love; 5, C. W. Cady and O. A. Kibbie.
COUNTY SEAT CHANGES.
As before stated, the act creating Fillmore county was vague as to its exact boundaries. But generally speaking the original county may be said to have contained the counties of Fillmore, Houston, Olmsted and Winona. A close study of the boundary lines as described in the act of creation would lead to the con- clusion that parts of what are now Winona and Olmsted counties were included in what was then Wabasha county; parts of what are now Olmsted and Fillmore counties were included in what was then Rice county; and parts of what are now Mower and Steel counties were included in what was then Fillmore county. As the line on the west was described as running due northwest from the Iowa line, whereas the present western boundaries of Fillmore and Olmsted counties are at right angles to the Iowa line; and as a northern boundary running on a straight line and taking in all of Olmsted and Winona counties would also have to take in a portion of Wabasha county, it will readily be seen how inaccurate is the oft repeated statement that the original Fillmore county took in the entire area of what are now Winona, Fellmore, Houston and Olmsted counties. As the surveys were made this year (1853), and the boundaries accurately described the next year (1854), the exact extent of this original Fillmore county is not of vital importance.
The first board of commissioners of what was then Fillmore county met at the Winona Hotel, Winona, by common consent, May 28, 1853. The meetings immediately following were held as follows: June 4, 1853, home of John Burns, at the mouth of Burns' valley ; July 4, 1853, Minneowah ; July 5, 9, 22 and August 27, 1853, Winona Hotel, Winona.
It is now necessary to discuss the movements which led up to the taking of the county seat away from the Mississippi river, and finally in the dismemberment of the county.
In the fall of 1853, T. B. Twiford came into Fillmore county from Lansing, Iowa. In his prospecting excursions and explora- tions, he discovered the present site of Chatfield, in the northern part of what is now Fillmore county, and conceived the project of making it a town site. At Winona he formed the acquaintance of Grove W. Willis, and a scheme was concocted to form a stock company and make Twiford's newly discovered townsite the county seat of Fillmore county.
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The plan proposed was to divide the stock into twelve shares. The shareholders were T. B. Twiford, G. W. Willis, H. C. Gere, Myron Toms, William B. Gere, Harvey Hubbard, John I. Hub- bard, Robert Pike, Jr., James McClellan and W. B. Bunnell. It was designed that each of the members of the board of county commissioners would be presented with a share in the new town site-the proposed county seat. Mr. Luark, of the board was absent from the territory and John C. Laird, of the newly elected board was too strongly interested in Winona to be utilized. Neither of these men were shareholders in the project. Twiford and Willis put up a log shanty on the proposed town site, to which, at the suggestion of Bunnell, they gave the name of Chatfield, in honor of Judge Andrew G. Chatfield, and placed a man by the name of Case in the shanty to hold the locality for the company. It was generally known that the members of the old board of county commissioners, Gere and Toms, whose terms of office expired on January 1, 1854, were in favor of locating the county seat in the village selected by Twiford, but it was considered extremely doubtful if they had any authority to act in the matter. The law provided that it should be the duty of the first board of county commissioners elected, to locate the county seat. The first board was not elected but was appointed by Governor Willis A. Gorman, as provided by the act creating Fillmore county. In furtherance of their plans, however, Twi- ford and Wills of the appointed board assumed the authority to locate the county seat, although it was generally conceded by everyone that this power belonged to the first elected board.
December 19, 1853, Commissioners Henry C. Gere and Myron Toms, with G. M. Willis, acting as clerk, met at the residence of Mr. Case, in Root river precinct, town of Chatfield, "pursuant to agreement," and selected a county seat, the following entry appearing in the minutes: "The object of said meeting was to locate the county seat of said Fillmore county. It was then and there resolved that the county seat shall be located at Chatfield in the center of section 6, township 104, north, of range 11, west."
This board, however, never again met at Chatfield, their suc- ceeding and final meeting being held December 27, at the home of W. B. Bunnell, in the Minneowah precinct.
The commissioners elected October 11, 1853, met January 2, 1854, at the home of Robert Pike, Jr., in Minnesota City. Jan- uary 3 they met at the same place, with Commissioners Robert Pike, Jr., John C. Laird and Willard B. Bunnell and Clerk Will- iam B. Gere present. After transacting various business, "the board proceeded to ballot for the location of the county seat, which resulted in one vote for Winona, one for Chatfield and one
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for Minnesota City. As the board could not agree on the location they decided that the location be postponed until a future meet- ing. The next meeting was held at the home of John C. Laird in Winona, January 7, 1854, all being present.
January 30, 1854, the board met at the home of Robert Pike, Jr., in Minnesota City, all being present. Among other business the following motion was passed: "In pursuance with, and in accordance with, the eighteenth section of the eleventh chapter of the Session Laws of Minnesota, passed by the legislative as- sembly at the session commencing January 5, 1853, the board of county commissioners proceeded to locate the county seat of Fillmore county. It was decided by the board of commissioners that the county seat of said Fillmore county should be at Chat- field in said county, on section 6, township 104, north, of range 11, west."
The meeting of March 14, 1854, was held at the home of John C. Laird in Winona. Commissioners Pike and Laird and Clerk Gere were present. This was the last meeting of the commis- sioners of Fillmore county ever held outside of the present limits of the county.
In the meantime, February 23, 1854, Houston and Winona counties had been set off, and Fillmore county assumed its pres- ent limits, with six townships in Olmsted county added.
April 7, 1854, Commissioners Pike and Bunnell and Clerk Gere met at Chatfield and transacted the business necessary to meet the new conditions caused by the curtailment of the lines of the county.
On August 28, 1854, the new commissioners appointed July 18, 1854, namely, T. B. Twiford, Elijah Austin and H. S. H. Hayes, met at Chatfield and subsequent meetings were held by the same board at the same place, October 2 and November 7. These meetings were probably held at the home of J. W. Sturges, for on October 2, 1854, the board contracted with Mr. Sturges for a room in his house at Chatfield to be used as a meeting place for the commissioners and as an office for the treasurer, sheriff, register of deeds and clerk of the district court, from July 16, 1854, to January 1, 1855, at $10 for a month. As most of the time contracted for had elapsed before the motion was made, the act was evidently in the way of a technicality in order that Mr. Sturges might collect for the use to which the room had already been put. Mr. Sturges was paid rent from July 16 to November 1, 1854. Thomas B. Twiford was paid rent for office room at Chatfield from November 1, 1854, to January 1, 1855.
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