History of Houston County, Minnesota, Part 15

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1343

USA > Minnesota > Houston County > History of Houston County, Minnesota > Part 15

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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liam C. Pidge; 1880, Isaac Thompson; 1882, E. L. Comstock; 1885, Ward Noyes; 1889, C. H. Brown; 1891, Isaac Thompson; 1893, William N. Ami- don; 1897, Joseph Till; 1899, George Andrews; 1901, Ealy G. Briggs; 1907, E. B. Webster; 1909, C. C. Eberhard; 1911, John Conniff; 1917, E. B. Webster.

Coroner. No complete record of the early county coroners has been kept. Dr. M. J. Veiling appears to have been the first in the county. Then there was a succession of physicians and laymen whose occupancy of the office was more or less nominal. Among them may be mentioned H. B. Laflin, Timothy A. Pope and Wyman Trask. Since 1868 the coroners have been: 1868, F. M. King; 1870, J. M. Riley; 1874, G. L. Gates; 1880, P. Bjornson; 1881, William McKenna; 1882, H. D. B. Dustin; 1885, H. P. Johnson ; 1887, C. S. Cranson; 1891, H. P. Johnson; 1893, L. K. Onsgard; 1895, F. H. Whitney; 1899, A. M. Crandall; 1903, F. H. Whitney; 1905, D. C. Rhines; 1913, J. S. Collins; 1917, D. C. Rhines; 1919, A. B. Molitor. One of the greatest problems of the early county boards was that of finances. The people for the most part were poor, wheat and pork were practically the only commodities that the farmers could sell for money, gold was at a premium, it was with the greatest difficulty that people were able to pay their taxes, and the delinquent lists were long. The county had to pay the State the county's share of the State tax in cash, whether the people were paying their taxes or not. Consequently, county orders were issued in payment of county debts. These orders drew a high rate of interest, but the affairs of the county were in such uncertain shape that the orders were away below par and could sometimes be purchased at 50 per cent of their face value. Some of the successive county boards refused to accept their own county orders in payment of taxes, other boards re- fused to accept more than a certain percentage of the taxes in county orders.

The confusion caused by these county orders was deepened by the system of doing county business, nearly every board giving new and varying instructions to the auditor, treasurer and register of deeds regarding county orders, delinquent taxes, and tax sales. The accounting system was not of the best, it was difficult to get the town and school authorities to make proper returns, and with so much vacant land and land to which full title had not been obtained from the Government, property was assessed that was not subject to taxation and this further added to the complexities of the situation.

The first definite statement of the finances of the county is to be found in the records of Jan. 5, 1859, when a committee of the board of super- visors, consisting of Frederick Gluck, Alonzo Adams and J. A. Melvin, rendered a complete report of the money affairs of the county up to that date. It was found that from May, 1854, when the county was organized, until July 7, 1856, the county commissioners had allowed bills to the amount of $4,359.82; from July 7, 1856, to Jan. 1, 1859, $12,712.05; from Jan. 1, 1858, to Sept. 14, 1858, $4,946.28; making a total authorized by the board of commissioners of $22,016.15. But for some reason which the committee did not discover, orders had been issued to the amount of $22,051.15, an

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amount $35 in excess of the amount authorized. Of this amount, during the regime of the commissioners, orders had been redeemed to the amount of $15,544.55, leaving, when the commissioners went out of office Sept. 14, 1858, the amount of $6,506.61 unpaid. The board of supervisors from Sept. 14, 1858, to Jan. 7, 1859, allowed bills to the amount of $3,975.00 for which orders were issued, and none of which had been paid, leaving the orders outstanding amounting to $10,481.60. Of the uncollected tax of 1857 there remained uncollected $3,700. A third of this, $1,233.33, when collected would be devoted to the State territorial tax, so the county would receive $2,466.67. The county held a mortgage against William Marlow, due Jan. 7, 1859, for $436.00 with interest of $30.52, making a total of $466.52. Thus the total assets of the county on Jan. 7, 1859, amounted to $7,548.41, leaving a deficit of $2,933.19. But a tax of three-fourths per cent had been levied and was, according to law, to be collected before Feb. 15, 1859. This the committee hopefully figured would amount to $9,750.00, leaving enough in the treasury to pay the expenses of the county to Jan. 1, 1860.

March 9, 1861, the county commissioners issued a notice that in ac- cordance with an act of the Legislature, the question should be submitted to the voters of issuing bonds to take the place of floating orders, war- rants and notes dated before Jan. 1, 1861, and still outstanding. The next day it was decided that in case the voters declined to sanction the bond issue, an extra tax levy should be made to secure funds to apply on the county indebtedness.

Then came the defalcation of the treasurer, Matthew Williams. In the middle of May, 1861, it became apparent that Williams had disappeared, and efforts were at once made to ascertain the fate of some $4,000 which was in the treasury. May 17, 1861, the county board met, and in consulta- tion with E. P. Dorival, the assistant treasurer, endeavored to ascertain the exact amount of the absconding treasurer's shortage. In the county safe, of about $4,000 supposed to be in the county treasury, there was found $74.50 in gold ; $104.57 in silver ; $10.00 in currency, and $258 in State script. In the treasurer's private safe at home was found $41.55 in cash, and small amounts in notes and other papers. May 23, 1861, W. H. Lapham was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by Williams' absence, and after ne and the county board had thoroughly investigated the affairs of the office, it was announced on June 7, 1867, that Williams' shortage amounted to $3,890. This figure was declared by many to be too high, and was subse- quently compromised with the bondsmen at a lower amount. July 27, it was decided to bring suit against the absconding treasurer and his bondsmen for $4,000. At the same meeting, a committee consisting of John A. Ander- son, L. D. Selfridge and Isaac Thompson was appointed to consider such propositions as the treasurer's bondsmen might make in regard to a settle- ment of his affairs.

While these troubles were harassing the board a controversy arose with John Rippe, of Brownsville, who refused to deliver to the board of assessors records of Brownsville township. Suit was ordered brought against him, but in time the matter was settled.

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December 6, 1862, compromise was reached with the Williams bonds- men. They were to pay $100 in cash and $2,400 in county orders, the case to be paid before Jan. 13, 1863, one-half the orders in six months and the other half in a year. In the meantime, judgment had been obtained against the bondsmen in the courts. Therefore, when the bondsmen failed to keep the terms of the compromise agreement, the board ordered the judgment paid at once in cash.

Again, however, the matter was compromised, and in time the matter was settled. A number of citizens who were not on the bond assisted the bondsmen, so that the burden did not fall too heavily on any one individual. The original bondsmen were: D. L. Buell, Embrick Knudson, E. D. Kelly, D. T. Dameron, Matthew McGinnis, John J. Dunbar, John Oleson, Patrick Fitzpatrick, Peter Olson Quale, D. C. Jefferson, Alexander Stapleton, Henry S. Allen, John Hurley, John Brenner, William McGinnis, John Murnane, E. Bell, E. Griggs, E. S. Rollins, James H. McDonald, John Stanguin, Knud Nelson, Lars Torgeson, Ole Torgelson, Anders Nelson, John Nelson, Embrick Nelson, Lars Oleson and Ole Christiansen.

The defalcation and incidents therewith left the finances of the county in still worse shape. While the compromise was pending, Sept. 5, 1862, the board voted to ask the Legislature to pass an act authorizing the laying of a tax up to six mills on the real and personal property in the county.

In 1865 and 1866 the outstanding county orders caused considerable trouble. The heaviest holder was Charles H. Eaton of La Crosse. William D. Gibbs and H. Ostrander also held large amounts, and there were also many smaller owners of this depreciated script. Suit was avoided by the county's paying a portion of these orders in cash, and making arrangements for the payment of the balance in installments.

From the dawn of the seventies to the present time the money affairs of the county have been on an increasingly substantial basis, the county is entirely out of debt except for the judicial ditch bonds not yet matured, and county orders are bank checks cashable at 100 cents on the dollar.

The countyseat contests in Houston county, and the story of the erec- tion of the various county buildings, constitute an interesting phase of political progress. The act creating the county established the countyseat at Brownsville. The first meetings of the county board were held in a building rented from Charles Brown in that village. April 2, 1855, when the question of changing the location of the countyseat was pending, it was ordered that the clerk give notice of a proposition to build a courthouse at Brownsville, should that place be chosen by the voters as the countyseat. A request was made to the commissioners that they "stick the stake" for the countyseat at Brownsville, a request which was laid over until the next session.

In the meantime, on March 3, 1855, the Governor had approved an act of the Legislature authorizing the people of the county to vote upon the question of the county seat. The election was to be held the first Tuesday in April, 1855, and the choice was to be made between Brownsville, Houston and Caledonia, then the three metropolises of the county. The contest was an earnest one, and many were the methods used by the supporters of each village to secure the votes of the country people.

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The opponents of Brownsville had a cartoon representing a huge · boulder from the bluff crashing through a cabin and driving the occupants out. Houston was represented by some Caledonian in like comic manner as being overflowed with water, drowning everything out, and the Houston people retaliated on Caledonia by displaying a caricature, representing Samuel McPhail coming out of a well, apparently very deep, exclaiming, "there is no use, water cannot be found here."

The last meeting of the commissioners at Brownsville was held on the morning of April 26, 1855, when it was ordered that the records be removed to Caledonia, at which village a brief meeting was held the same evening in a room secured for temporary headquarters. The next day, after a half hour's consideration, the board selected a block, on which Samuel McPhail was ordered to erect a building for a courthouse. This small courthouse continued to be used for several years as the office of the register of deeds. Aug. 1, 1857, a contract was let to Samuel McPhail to erect a jail and court- house. William D. Gibbs was evidently the real contractor, and the orders in payment of the contract were issued jointly to McPhail and Gibbs, and evidently remained in the possession of Gibbs. More or less trouble followed over the matter in the succeeding years. There was a question as to the title of the land on which the buildings stood. By 1858 the buildings were in need of repairs and added fittings, but the uncertainty as to the county's tenure caused the board to hesitate. The next year it was decided that the register of deed's office should be moved and certain repairs made. Feb. 3, 1860, a committee waited on Mr. Gibbs to ascertain the liabilities of the county in connection with grounds and courthouse. No satisfactory infor- mation was obtained about the grounds, but it was found that for building the courthouse he held county orders bearing 5 per cent a month, 60 per cent a year.

March 22, 1860, with a countyseat contest pending, the board of super- visors passed a resolution strongly censuring those who had caused the courthouse to be erected. Two days later there was a petition presented to the board, asking that a vote be authorized on removing the countyseat. The petition showed 740 names. Of these 650 desired that the countyseat be removed to Brownsville, and ninety that it be moved to Sheldon. Six names were rejected, and as 736 was more than half of the 1,391 votes cast at the last election, the vote on the question was authorized.

The countyseat question being settled for the time being, various improvements were made in the courthouse, the remodeling and repairs being completed early in January, 1862. January 9 the board ordered all the officers except the county attorney and the sheriff to move to the courthouse. The clerk of court, the judge of probate, and the county surveyor were to occupy the easterly room, the auditor the westerly room, and the register of deeds and the treasurer the small room. The county attorney and the sheriff were authorized to occupy an office in a private building at the former's expense.

Even at this time the courthouse was inadequate and in 1867 a court- house suitable for the time and purpose was erected, being completed September 5. This is the courthouse best remembered by the people of

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today. It was a two-story structure with high stone basement, the base- ment being used as a jail, the first floor for offices, and the second floor for a courtroom and public meetings.

The contractors were E. D. Eaton and John Hanke. The building cost $2,000, a compromise having been reached by reason of alleged inferior workmanship. The former courthouse was converted into a residence for the sheriff.

The basement jail in a few years proved out of keeping with the dignity of a rapidly progressing county. It was damp and dark and inconvenient. So as early as 1871, agitation was started for a new building. In May of that year a proposition was made to erect a courthouse and jail, for which the county was to appropriate $30,000 and the citizens of Caledonia were to raise $10,000. The matter continued to be discussed and finally it was decided to erect a structure for a jail and sheriff's residence, and to continue to use the old building for courthouse purposes. In the meantime, however, the removal of the countyseat continued to be agitated. In 1872 the Legisla- ture authorized a vote on the question of removing the countyseat to Houston, and in 1873 and 1874 authorized votes on the removal of the countyseat to Sheldon. In these years Caledonia, Houston, Sheldon and Yucatan were all authorized by the Legislature to issue bonds for the build- ing of a courthouse. With this agitation over, it was decided to proceed with the building of a jail at Caledonia that should be a credit to the county and adequate for countless years to come. The structure was to be of stone which the county was to furnish. In 1874 bids were called for this stone, 225 cords to be 8 by 12, and 16 inches long, while 125 was to be common stone of varying sizes. The bids ranged as high as $16 a cord for the dimension stone and $9.20 for the common stone. The contract was awarded to John Dorsch, a prominent public citizen, at $10 for the dimension stone and $7 for the common stone. In March, 1875, bids were asked for the construction of the combined jail and sheriff's residence, to be built in accordance with plans made by Charles G. Maybury, of Winona. The bids received on the appointed day were as follows: S. Drake, $28,075; B. J. Grimshaw, $27,600; N. Koob, $30,451; S. E. Smith, $32,843; T. W. Burns, $34,750; C. Bohn, $27,822; N. H. Delop, $28,015; Kirsheimer & Co., $26,800; John Klick, $28,439; W. F. Heath, 28,900; Shaw & Joy, $27,435; A. W. Gage & Co., $26,514. Bids were also put in for the masonry and carpentry, and for the iron work alone. A. W. Gage & Co., of Winona, being the lowest bidders, received the contract. On January 1, 1876, the jail building was reported completed in a satisfactory manner. E. P. Dorival of the board had the general supervision of the work, and on its completion, received the substantial thanks of the board in a vote presenting him with $100 as a token of their appreciation of his services. J. P. Bagley, of Milwaukee, who did the iron work, was officially commended for the character of the work.

In 1883, the county having outgrown the courthouse, the present stately structure was erected, so that now the county is provided with a substantial courthouse and jail, set in a beautiful park beautified with fountains, trees, shrubbery and ornamental lights.

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CHAPTER X

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The instruction of the young is one of the elementary factors of human existence. The child of the lowest savage is shown how to get its food. The child of the highest type of civilization is taught to develop its mind, its soul and its body to the highest ideal possible. Every nation has its system of public schools; every nation has its institutions of higher learning. The people of Minnesota, from the earliest days, have devoted much care and attention to the question of education, and, as the years have passed, have evolved, by much sacrifice and through toil and devotion, a most admirable system. In the working out and amplification of this system Houston county has taken an important part.

The Indians ranging Houston county had no schools, but thorough and extensive instruction was given the young Indians in everything that they were likely to find useful in daily life. Instruction in the religion of the tribe was also given, and a few favored ones were initiated into psychic mysteries such as are little understood even by advanced philosophers of the present day.

The Dakota and Winnebago Indians held the wisdom of the aged in high esteem and paid respectful attention whenever an elder could be in- duced to speak of the traditions and knowledge of the past. Much effort was given to educating the youth in the hunter's craft, and both boys and girls had much to learn to fit them for their station in life.

No one could be long among the Dakota and Winnebago in the early days without hearing the elders giving to the children such instruction as would qualify them to take care of themselves. Whatever they did or made, it was their aim to do everything well and in a workmanlike manner, if nothing more than the making of a moccasin, a ramrod, or a paddle for a canoe. They did not like to be thought bunglars, or to see their children, either boys or girls, do anything awkwardly.

There were many things to be learned about the habits of wild animals and birds, the best manner of approaching them, handling weapons of the chase so as to avoid accidents, setting traps, skinning animals and birds, cutting up meat, running, leaping, swimming, climbing, and the like. The making of bows and arrows, and their skillful use, was no easy task to learn. The following of a trail, a noiseless walk, and skillful methods of warfare, were all in the curriculum. The building of a smokeless fire, the creating of the smudge of the signal fire, correct personal adornment in accordance with custom, the curing of skins, and the art of oratory must be mastered by the Dakota and Winnebago youth. As a child he must be docile, good- natured, obedient, brave, and respectful; indifferent to his own pain. As he grew older he must be courageous and shrewd, a master hunter and a

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relentless fighter. He must be able to care for himself in the trackless woods away from his kind, or when matching his wits against a cunning enemy or a wily animal. He must face all dangers, even death, without flinching.

The control of the voice must be mastered. There were traditional songs to be learned and hereditary dances in which to acquire skill. They took much pains to learn to imitate the voices of birds and beasts, and this was a necessary part of the education of both the hunter and the warrior. When near an enemy they could communicate with each other by mimick- ing the voices of the birds, without giving alarm, and they sometimes im- posed upon the beasts which they hunted by counterfeiting the voice of the mother or her young. In fact, they had discovered a great many ways of accomplishing their purposes, of which none but a race of practical hunters would ever have thought.

The girls had much to learn. They had to cook, string beads and embroider; they had to build tepees and look after the wants of the braves. They must at times even defend themselves from the enemy. They must gather wild fruits and vegetables, and know the wild herbs. They must know something of the rudiments of medicine.

The Dakota and Winnebago took special pains to teach their children how to guard against being frozen, and the young people profited well by these instructions, as it was a rare thing for one of them to be seriously injured by the frost. Both sexes must also learn the rudiments of count- ing, and many were taught to draw crude pictures. The knowledge of the difference between the edible and poisonous nuts, fruits, berries, stalks, grains and roots must be carefully acquired. Thus while the Indian children were not confined to the school room, there were plenty of hard lessons to occupy their youthful years.

The schoolhouse came with the advent of the whites. In the story of American civilization the establishment of the school and the church has been coincident with the building of the home. However, at the formation of the Union, and later, when the Federal Government was established, there was no definite line of action as to public education, although at the same time the Federal Constitution was adopted the last session of the Continental Congress was being held in the City of New York, and the ordinance of 1787 was passed, regulating the affairs of the Northwest Ter- ritory, including that portion of Minnesota lying east of the Mississippi River. In this ordinance much attention was given to the question of providing a means of public education by giving one section in each con- gressional township for school purposes. Later it was provided that two sections in each township, numbers 16 and 36. The land grant gave impetus to the natural tendency toward educational matters, and in all the settle- ments one of the first efforts was to prepare to instruct the children. The church and the school building, when not one and the same, were practically always found side by side. The hardy pioneers of the great Northwest, of which Minnesota was a part, did not even wait for a territorial govern- ment, but set to work at once to establish schools.

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The first school in Minnesota for the education of white children was organized by Dr. T. S. Williamson on the present site of St. Paul. At that time investigation demonstrated that there were about thirty-six children in the settlement of St. Paul who might attend a school. A log house, ten by twelve feet, covered with bark and chinked by mud, previously used as a blacksmith shop, was secured and converted into a schoolhouse, the school being taught by Harriet E. Bishop. Here, then, while the United States troops were gaining such signal success in the war with Mexico, there was begun the system of education which has become one of the best in this great nation. In this same little schoolhouse, in November, 1849, was held a meeting for the purpose of establishing a system of public education, based upon the congressional act of March, 1849, establishing Minnesota Ter- ritory. Alexander Ramsey, of Pennsylvania, after being appointed terri- torial governor, proceeded at once to assume the duties of his office. In his first message to the territorial legislature in the fall of 1849 he em- phasized the need of wise measures looking to the establishment of a system of public education. He said: "The subject of education, which has ever been esteemed of first importance in all new American communi- ties, deserves, and I doubt not, will receive your earliest and most devoted care. From the pressure of other and more immediate wants it is not to be expected that your school system should be very ample, yet it is desirable that whatever is done will be of a character that will readily adapt itself to the growth and increase of the country, and not in future years require a violent change of system."

In response to this appeal for legislation in school matters, a com- mittee of education was appointed by the legislature, and a very able report was made by the chairman, Martin McLeod. This report was formulated into an act relating to public schools in Minnesota, which act was passed on the last day of the session, Nov. 1, 1849. Tax levy was provided and a system of management was arranged. The county commissioners could form a school district in any community where there were five families. There were to be three trustees and a clerk in each district. These trustees had various powers, having entire charge of the erection, renting and main- tenance of a school building, the hiring and examining of teachers, selection of courses and the like. The trustees and clerk were to serve for one year. Every voter in a district paying any tax other than road tax was allowed to vote on school matters. Thus school matters remained during territorial days.

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History of Houston County, Minnesota, Part 15

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1343

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1343