History of Freeborn County, Minnesota, Part 12

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn. 4n
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago : H. C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1220

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Register of Deeds. Up to 1861, the register of deeds per- formed the duties of auditor and clerk of the board of county commissioners as well. Samuel M. Thompson was appointed to the office in March, 1857, by Governor Gorman. He never served. William Morin acted as his deputy a few days, and was then ap- pointed to the place by the county commissioners. He was elected in October, 1857, and served until 1862. John Wood served from 1862 to 1872, August Peterson from 1872 to 1878 and Ole O.

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Simonson served from 1878 until his death in September 1881. After his death came Jens Hanson, September, 1881 to 1884; Vic- tor Gillrup, 1884 to 1889; Hans R. Fossum from 1889 to his death, October 28, 1891 ; Thomas W. Wilson from Nevember, 1891, to January 1, 1893; Emil Nelson from 1893 to 1897; Robert An- derson from 1897 to 1907 ; C. M. Wilkinson from 1907 to January, 1911; C. T. Helgeson from January 1, 1911, to the present time.

Auditor. Until 1861, the duties of this office were performed by the register of deeds, who was William Morin. Since then the auditors have been: E. C. Stacy, from 1861 to 1865; C. C. Colby, from 1865 to 1867; E. C. Stacy, from 1867 to 1869; Samuel Bachelder, from 1869 to 1877; then William Lincoln, after whom came Giles Q. Slocum, who served until March 1, 1883. Since then the auditors have been: C. O. Barness, March 1, 1883, to July 16, 1888; W. A. Higgins, July 16, 1888, to January 1, 1899; I. L. Ingbritsen, January 1, 1899, to January 1, 1907 ; Charles E. Brainerd. January 1, 1907, to the present time.

Treasurer. T. C. Thorne, from March, 1857 to 1858; Henry King, from 1858 to 1860; Ole I. Ellingson, from 1860 to 1862; J. E. Smith, from 1862 to 1866; D. G. Parker, from 1866 to 1868 Charles Kittleson, from 1868 to 1880; Frank W. Barlow, March 1, 1880, to January 1, 1887 ; F. B. Fobes, January 1, 1887, to January 1, 1893 ; H. A. Hanson, January 1, 1893, to January 1, 1899 ; B. N. Anderson, January 1, 1899, to January 1, 1907 ; S. S. Tveit, Jan- uary 1, 1907, to the present time.

Probate Judge. E. C. Stacy, from March 1857 to 1858; A. W. White, from 1858 to 1860; B. J. House, from 1860 to 1862; A. H. Bartlett, from 1862 to 1866 ; B. J. House, from 1866 to 1870; A. M. Tyrer, from 1870 to 1872; G. Gulbrandson took office in 1872 and was followed by James H. Parker, who served until January 1, 1880. Then came Ira A. Towne, January 1, 1880, to January 1, 1884; Heman Blackmer, January 1, 1884, to January 1, 1889; W. C. McAdams, January 1, 1889, to September 1, 1890; Heman Blackmer, September 1, 1890, to January 1, 1909; A. U. Mayland, January 1, 1909, to the present time.

Sheriff. Geo. S. Ruble, from March, 1857 to 1858; John W. Heath, from 1858 to 1860; J. A. Robson, from 1860 to 1862; R. K. Crum, from 1862 to 1864; Leander Cooley, from 1864 to 1866; A. W. St. John, from 1866 to October, 1867; John Brown- sill, from October, 1867 to 1868; E. D. Porter, from 1868 to 1872; T. J. Sheehan, from 1872 to January 1, 1884 ; Jacob Larson, Jan- uary 1, 1884, to January 1, 1889; W. C. Mitchell, January 1, 1889, to January 1, 1901; Ole P. Fossum, January 1, 1901, to January 1, 1905; Oscar Subby, January 1, 1905, to the present time.

Clerk of the Court. A. Armstrong, who was appointed by Judge Chas. E. Flandrau, from August, 1857 to 1858; E. P. Skin-

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ner, from 1858 to 1862; H. D. Brown, from 1862 to October, 1871; John Wood, from October, 1871 to 1873. Then came A. W. White, followed by George T. Gardner, who served until 1889. Since them the clerks have been: John Q. Annis, January 1, 1889, to January 1, 1901: Alfred S. Hayes, January 1, 1901, to January 1, 1909; Harvey A. Spencer, January 1, 1909, to the present time.

County Attorney. J. W. Heath, from March, 1857 to 1858. From that time until 1860 the office was not known to the law, it having been abolished by the adoption of the state constitution, and a district prosecuting attorney substituted, which office was held by Perkins, of Faribault. In 1860, the office having again been provided for, J. U. Perry held, by appointment, from March until December of that year. D. G. Parker, from December, 1860, to December, 1862; A. Armstrong, from 1862 to 1865; H. B. Col- lins, from 1865 to 1869; J. A. Lovely, from 1869 to 1873; A. G. Wedge, from 1873 to the election of John A. Lovely, who served until January 1, 1883. Since then the attorneys have been : John Whytock, January 1, 1883, to January 1, 1887; W. E. Todd, Jan- uary 1, 1887, to January 1, 1891; H. A. Morgan, January 1, 1891, to January 1, 1899; R. S. Clements, January 1, 1899, to January 1, 1901; A. U. Mayland, January 1, 1901, to January 1, 1905; J. G. Skinner, January 1, 1905, to January 1, 1907; N. E. Peterson, January 1, 1907, to the present time.

School Superintendent. Up to July, 1865, no well defined management of schools existed. In speculating upon the best system, the legislature created first a town superintendency, then an examiner for each commissioner district, and lastly the pres- ent plan of one general superintendent for each county. Under this, S. Batchelder was appointed July, 1865, and served until 1869; E. C. Stacy, from 1869 to 1870; Henry Thurston, from 1870 to the election of Charles W. Levens. O. K. Haugen took office January 1, 1889, and was followed in 1891 by John W. Olsen, who served until January 1, 1901. Geo. P. Lattin was in office eight years and on January 1, 1909, Harold Dahlen took charge of the county schools and is still serving.

Surveyor. E. P. Skinner, from March, 1857 to 1858; H. D. Brown, from 1858 to 1869; C. C. Colby was elected to this office in the fall of 1859, and for the two subsequent terms, holding until 1864, when J. M. Tanner was appointed. From this time nobody seems to have aspired to the place until the fall of 1867, when Levi Pierce was invested with that honor and held until 1872. W. G. Kellar, from 1872 to 1874; H. C. Lacy, from 1874 to 1876; W. G. Kellar, from 1876 to January 1, 1880; Arthur Motz- feldt, January 1, 1880, to January 1, 1882; W. G. Kellar, January 1, 1882, to January 1, 1884; Isaac Botsford, January 1, 1884, to

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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY

January 1, 1887; W. A. Morin, January 1, 1887, to January 1, 1891; E. E. Remington, January 1, 1891, to January 1, 1893; Geo. M. Miller, January 1, 1893, to January 1, 1897; Frank H. Fisk, January 1, 1897, to the present time.

Court Commissioner. A. W. White held this in connection with the probate office, from August, 1858 to 1861; J. M. Drake, from 1861 10 1862; Samuel Eaton, from 1862 to 1874; B. H. Car- ter, from 1874 to 1876; R. V. Spicer, from January, 1876, to 1878; then John Anderson, Heman Blackmer and A. H. Bartlett. Since then the court commissioners have been: W. C. McAdams, Jan- uary 1, 1887, to January 1, 1891; Rolla Farnsworth, January 1, 1891, to January 1, 1895; R. S. Clements, January 1, 1895, to January 1, 1897; G. U. Barck, January 1, 1897, to January 1, 1901; D. K. Stacy, January 1, 1901, to the present time, the one elected in 1910 not having qualified.

Coroner. C. S. Tarbell, from April, 1857 to 1858, in place of George Watson, who failed to qualify. At the general election of 1857, Dr. A. M. Burnham was chosen to this office, but he did not qualify, and it stood vacant for a period of ten years. Geo. S. Ruble was elected in 1861, but did not serve; Samuel Eaton, from 1868 to 1872; W. W. Cargill, from 1872 to 1874; N. H. Ellickson, from 1874 to 1876. In 1876 came John Froshaug, who was succeeded by Paul Jensen, W. H. Smith and J. P. Von Berg. Since then the coroners have been: H. H. Wilcox, January 1, 1891, to January 1, 1895 ; Clint. L. Luce, January 1, 1895, to Jan- uary 1, 1901; F. Leslie Wilcox, January 1, 1901, to January 1, 1903; L. W. Spicer, January 1, 1903, to January 1, 1905; David Gordon, January 1, 1905 to the present time.

COUNTY SEAT CONTESTS.

The most important epoch in all the history of Freeborn county was doubtless the location of the county seat, of which a brief review is of much interest. There were two contests. The first was in 1857-a free for all in which Albert Lea, Bancroft and St. Nicholas were the chief factors, though Freeborn and Shell Rock City-now Glenville-received a few votes just for appearance sake.

The county commissioners appointed by the governor had or- ganized the county on March 3, 1857, at the home of George S. Ruble, 522 Bridge street, Albert Lea, and had designated that vil- lage as the temporary seat of government. Never in the history of the county has the voter taken such a deep, profound interest in a canvass, and election as in this contest. He was coaxed, cajoled and implored, and if the shroud of secrecy could have been raised it would have revealed that not a few received their

C. T. HELGESON

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pieces of silver. That fraud and corruption ran riot there can be no doubt, but which party was the worst none could tell.

An enumeration in June showed a population in the county of 2486, which at the time was condemned as far too large by conservative people. Albert Lea, which included the township, showed a population of 285, while at the close of this year the writer has a personal knowledge that the village contained but fourteen habitations and could not have had to exceed sixty souls, with not over ten families living on farms. The village at the close of the war in 1865 contained but forty habitations and could not have exceeded 200 people at that time. This same enumeration gave the number of voters as 960, 664 native and 296 naturalized. The election was held on October 13, 1857, and shows a total vote in the county of 642, as follows: Freeborn, 1 vote ; Shell Rock, 10 votes; Saint Nicholas, 29 votes; Bancroft, 199 votes; Albert Lea, 403 votes.

Albert Lea has been spoken of as we were more familiar with its surroundings, but we would not have the reader infer she was more corrupt than Bancroft, as Bancroft's financial interests were wholly in the hands of a townsite company, mostly non- residents.

This coveted prize, however, was not to be so tamely given up, for in 1860 Itasca, a promising village only three miles north- west of Albert Lea, locked horns with her nearby rival. But the contest was short and decisive, for the county seat had her mechanism in even more perfect order than during her former contest, and Itasca was so overwhelmingly beaten there seems to be no record of the votes recorded.

An amusing feature of the county seat location of 1857 is · well worth relating. A. H. Bartlett, of Shell Rock City, had been elected a representative to the legislature in the fall of this year, whom Albert Lea people greatly feared. A goodly sub- scription was taken up and E. C. Stacy, then of Geneva, was em- ployed to hasten to St. Paul and see that Bartlett let the county seat alone, but when Stacy had gone they became more suspicious of him than of Bartlett, and it was at one time thought necessary to send Dr. A. C. Wedge there to watch them both. There were lighter hearts in Albert Lea when that legislature adjourned.

Of the six villages that fought for the county seat but three remain. Bancroft was the first to give up the ghost in a few months, her property was sold for taxes, soon passed into the possession of the county and has for many years been known as the site of the county poor farm.

St. Nicholas hung out some pretensions as a village until the breaking out of the Rebellion, but in May 1862 Ly Brand and Thompson, its founders, boxed up their goods and removed to

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Alexandria, Minn., never again to view the scenes of their blasted hopes. They have both passed to the Great Beyond-Ly Brand in 1890, Thompson in 1907-both resting in the cemetery at Red- wood Falls, Minn. William Eddy, the blacksmith, was the last to leave, and for forty-eight years it has been the site of a beau- tiful farm.

Itasca showed most wonderful vitality as nature had endowed her with a most beautiful site of unlimited, smooth prairie called "Paradise Prairie" by Albert Miller Lea, and a lovely scenery not equaled by the county seat; but she was deserted in 1864 by the last one of her original proprietors, C. C. Colby. She soon became known as a village only in memory, but should the city of Albert Lea grow out as in the last few years, she will ere long be the county seat by adoption. By Martin V. Kellar.

COURT HOUSE, JAIL AND FARM.

Court House and Jail. The first board of county commis- sioners met at the home of George S. Ruble, 522 Bridge street, Albert Lea, March 3, 1857. and in spite of several contests, as related elsewhere, the seat of county government has always remained in Albert Lea. In the earliest days most of the county business was transacted near the corner of Clark street and Broad- way. Dr. A. C. Wedge and William Morin, the latter the register of deeds, occupied an office on the west side of Broadway be- tween Clark and William streets. Here the board meetings were held. Augustus Armstrong occupied a building just north of the Wedge-Morin office. E. C. Stacy occupied an office in a build- ing on the southwest corner of Clark and Broadway. Other officers in the early days looked after county affairs in their own place of business at their residences. The supervisors, being a large body, met in the upper floor of the old Webber house. Court was also held there, and the attic at times was used as a jail.

In 1856, when the village of Albert Lea was platted, the pres- ent court house square was set aside for county purposes. In 1883, George S. Ruble attempted to regain possession of this square, but the courts held that so long as the square shall be used for county purposes, the title remains vested in the county. reverting to the heirs in case its use as a court house square shall be abandoned.

The matter of providing a county court house was considered at a very early date. The first official mention of the matter was made in September, 1857, when the people of St. Nicholas filed a $10,000 bond to provide the county with a $5,000 court house if that village was accepted as the county seat. A tract

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known as Washington Park, platted as a public square, was also to be donated as the site of the proposed buildings.

While the county seat question was being agitated, in 1860, the leading citizens of Itasca, to secure, if possible, the county seat there, executed a bond in the penal sum of $6,000, pledging themselves to build a court house according to certain plans and specifications, within two years, and also to furnish suitable of- fices for county purposes. The plan was a good one, giving good, large sized offices, jail room, and a court room twenty-four by twenty-eight feet, with suitable jury rooms. The parties who executed this bond were: A. M. Burnham, C. C. Colby, J. G. Sanborn, R. J. 'Franklin, E. D. Hopkins, Samuel Batchelder, Charles Dunbar, J. Dunbar, J. Colby, John Adams and J. S. Longworth. This was signed in the presence of Isaac Botsford and Hanibal Bickford, and certified to by Ole I. Ellingson, clerk, per Samuel Eaton, deputy.

The citizens of Albert Lea were not to be outdone. June 4, 1860, there was presented to the county board an offer from sev- eral citizens, agreeing to furnish free of charge, offices for the several county officials, a court room, a meeting place for the county board, and a jail, until better should be provided. This offer was signed by A. C. Wedge, George S. Ruble, Augustus Armstrong, Samuel Eaton and H. D. Brown. September 8, of the same year, a bond was executed making the same agreement, but specifying a time limit of three years. The signers were A. B. Webber, A. C. Wedge, A. Armstrong, William Morin, George S. Ruble, James A. Robson, H. D. Brown and John Brownsill.

In accordance with this agreement, the people of Albert Lea furnished court room, jail offices and suitable meeting places for county officials not only for three years, but until the fall of 1866, when the court house was completed. The men of Albert Lea, in 1860, started to build a log jail on court house square, but it was never completed and the logs were moved away.

Toward the close of the war the court house proposition be- gan to be seriously considered. In March, 1864, a committee con- sisting of William Morin, Frank Hall, and Augustus Armstrong submitted plans and estimates for the construction of a fireproof building for offices and court room, as follows: Brick at $6, $1,320.00; fireproof roof, $300.00; laying brick and furnishing lime, $550.00; eight thousand feet of lumber at $20, $160.00; doors, nails, sash, glass and putty, $400.00; carpenter work, $300.00; plastering and lime, $300.00; total, $3,330.00. Various petitions were presented against the issue of bonds for county buildings. A resolution, however, was adopted to issue and ap- propriate bonds to the amount of $2,000.00 toward erecting fire- proof buildings for the county offices, with the understanding

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that Albert Lea should appropriate $1,000.00 to add a suitable hall for conrt purposes. Messrs. Hall, Morin, and Armstrong were appointed commissioners to sell the bonds and to erect the building. The first bond of $1,500 was issued and cashed by Joseph Hall. It bore 10 per cent interest and was dated March 16, 1864. In July, 1864, the county board passed a resolution locating the county buildings on the west side of Broadway, north of William and south of Clark street, providing a title to the land could be secured without cost to the county. Later the commissioners decided to build on court house square. In June, 1865, James F. Jones, Asa Walker and E. P. Skinner were added to the building committee.

After many delays, the building was completed, being ready for occupancy in the fall of 1866. The building was located on the corner of Broadway and College street, the entrance being on the former street. The upper story which was used as a court room was completed at an expense of $1,000 by the people of Albert Lea. The main floor contained the county offices, and the jail. The stairs to the court room lead from the hall in the back part of the building. Within a short time it was found that the brick of the upper story was crumbling. Considerable repairing was consequently done, and the entrance was placed on the outside of the building, leading from Broadway, to a portico which was built in front of the court room on the second story.

In 1875 a jail was erected on the corner of College and New- ton street. on the same square. A sheriff's residence was later added, and improvements were made from time to time until the jail and residence assumed their present form.

In 1887 plans were set on foot for the building of a new court house, and after the completion of the present beautiful edifice, the old court building was torn down. At the completion of the new structure, the "Freeborn County Standard" published the following article :

"The contract for the building, after considerable competition, was let March 22, 1887, to Alexander McNeill, of this city, at $55,785 and although he has made little, if any profit, he has done his work faithfully, skillfully and well. He sublet the stone and brick work to the late Thomas F. McCormick at $35,500, and his share of the job, while under his control, was equally well done, and his sureties have in good faith completed it. He lost nearly $10.000 on his contract, and this, together with ex- posure while engaged in the work, caused his death. The architect was A. C. Dunham, of Burlington, Towa, and that his work is a conception of highest genius is evident and acknowl- edged by all familiar with it. The cost of the completed struc- ture to the county. ineluding steam heating, furniture, architect's

FRANK H. FISK

HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY

commission, expenses of meetings of county board, and all ex- tras, is $67,110.68. In addition is the loss to Mr. McCormick and his sureties, which brings the actual cost to a round sum of $75,000, and it could not be duplicated for this sum. There has been no jobbery connected with this work, it has been honestly done, and many public buildings have been erected in the North- west not nearly as good, which have cost a quarter or one-third more. The building was taken possession of by the county officers October 1, 1888, or a year and a half after work was begun on it."

When it was known that McCormick's bondsmen were to lose a considerable sum of money, a majority of the voters of the county petitioned the commissioners to reimburse them. Accord- ingly, D. R. P. Hibbs, representing the bondsmen received a check for $7,000, which was used to repay the various sums which these gentlemen had expended in completing the building.

County Poor Farm. The county poor farm consists of 100 acres of good land, with suitable buildings in section 21, Ban- croft township. The farm occupies the site of the old village of Bancroft. When that village was abandoned the county grad- ually acquired possession of the lots and blocks by reason of un- paid taxes. Some of the land thus acquired was sold, leaving the present 100 acres.

DRAINAGE DITCHES.

Containing as it does much marsh land and many lakes, Free- born county has been the scene of considerable public ditching since the passing of Chapter 258, of the general statutes in 1901. Under this act county ditch No. 1, in Freeborn township, county ditch No. 4, in Pickerel Lake township, and county ditch No. 5, in Nunda and Mansfield, were completed and preliminary steps were taken toward digging others. But the act of 1901 imposed many restrictions and the people of Freeborn county made stren- uous efforts to have a more elastic law passed. Accord- ingly the legislature in 1905 enacted Chapter 230 of the general statutes. This new act greatly simplified the methods of pro- cedure and gave a wider opportunity for the change and modi- fication of plans as the proceedings developed, also making pro- vision for the utilizing of old papers and proceedings in making new attempts to secure the establishment of ditches. The act also provided for the purchase of a right of way in other states, without which provision the construction of county ditch No. 18. which is now under way in Freeborn county, would have been impossible. Since the passing of this law one judicial ditch, nine county ditches and one private ditch have been established and three more are under way. A discussion of the methods of

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procedure in the establishment of these ditches is beyond scope of this work. It is sufficient. for historical purposes, to give here the length and location of each ditch already built, the cubic yards removed in constructing each, the cost. the benefits as- sessed and the acres benefited. The twelve county ditches and one judicial ditch now completed in the county occupy a mileage of 99.40 miles: 2.801,567 yards of earth have been removed; the cost has been $291.486; 29,545.03 acres have been benefited. and benefits have been assessed at $681,470.15. Judicial ditch No. 1 drains Rice lake into Turtle creek, passing through Geneva. Riceland. Newry and Moscow. . It is thirty-three miles long : 1.739,779 cubic yards were removed; the cost was $152.438.36; 16.124 acres were benefited. and benefits were assessed at $417 .- 227. County ditch No. 1 is in Freeborn township. It is 1.23 miles long; 14,244 yards were removed; the cost was $2,444.65 : 348 acres were benefited and benefits were assessed at $6.896.65. No. 4 is in Pickerel Lake township. It is 3.11 miles long; 67.766 cubic yards were removed; the cost was $7.821; 578 acres were benefited and benefits were assessed at $15,440. No. 5 is in Nunda and Mansfield townships. It is 4.26 miles long: 99,438 enbie yards were removed: the cost was $10,934.77; 1.299.88 acres were benefited. and benefits were assessed at $27.061. No. 8 is in Bath township. It is 5.25 miles long ; 77.881 cubic yards were removed: the cost was $10,657.69; 689 acres were benefited and benefits were assessed at $12.617. No. 9 is in Manchester township. It is 5.80 miles long : 81.706 cubic yards were removed : the cost was $11.043.44: 1.043 acres were benefited and benefits were assessed at $23.298.50. No. 10 is in Freeman township. It is eleven miles long: 145,740 enbie yards were removed: the cost was $19.143.53: 2,297 acres were benefited, and benefits were assessed at $41.364. No. 11 is in Manchester township. It is 5.60 miles long : 50,162 cubic yards were removed : the cost was $7,765.49; 664 acres were benefited. and benefits were assessed at $11,676. No. 12 is in Hayward and Oakland townships. It is 9.15 miles long : 212,584 cubic yards were removed: the cost was $28.179.90: 3,529.12 acres were benefited, and benefits were assessed at $51,820. No. 14 is in Riceland and Hayward town- ships. It is 5.25 miles long ; 112,013 cubic yards were removed ; the cost was $15.300.51: 911 acres were benefited. and benefits were assessed at $22,435. No. 15 is in Bancroft and Riceland town- ships. It is 3.40 miles long : 29.724 cubic yards were removed : the cost was $4.679:42; 418 acres were benefited, and benefits were assessed at $8.430. No. 16 is in Albert Lea. Freeman and Shell Rock townships. It is 8.25 miles long; 126.904 cubic yards were removed; the cost was $14.121.76: 1.127 acres were bene- fited. and benefits were assessed at $32.085. No. 17 is in Nunda

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History of Freeborn County, Minnesota, Part 12

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn. 4n Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago : H. C. Cooper Number of Pages: 1220

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn. 4n
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago : H. C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1220