USA > Minnesota > Otter Tail County > History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 15
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There were no buildings on the land when it was purchased and the commissioners immediately provided for the erection of suitable buildings for the housing of the county's inmates. The one building erected at first is the same which is in use at the present time, although it has been remod- eled and made more modern. A basement was placed under the entire building and a steam-heating plant has been installed, making it very com- fortable. There have also been built smaller outbuildings, for the poultry and stock, and the barn has been enlarged several times. The farm is so managed that it is self-sustaining, and the county is never called upon for assistance except in case of extended repairs or additions. George W. Shel- don was appointed as the first overseer of the poor and superintendent of the
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COUNTY TUBERCULOSIS SANATARIUM.
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poor farm for the term of one year. January 5, 1882, at a salary of eight hundred dollars for himself and wife. The first inmate, Otto Schofield, recorded in the county farm is dated November 26, 1881. Sheldon and his wife continued in charge of the poor farm until January 8, 1885, when O. C. Chase was appointed by the county commissioners. Chase was succeeded, on January 6, 1888, by F. J. Titus, who was in charge until Theodore Holt assumed its management, on January 4, 1893. Holt served continuously as superintendent until January 6, 1910. a period of seventeen years, which is ample proof that his services were in every way satisfactory. John Han- sen has been in charge of the poor farm since January 6, 1910, his wife serving as matron. The county allows the superintendent and his wife a salary of nine hundred and fifty dollars a year.
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CHAPTER VI.
OFFICIALS OF THE COUNTY.
There is no record of any county officials before the fall of 1868, although Otter Tail county had a kind of an indefinite legal entity for the previous decade. It seems that there must have been some kind of a county organization prior to 1862; at least the census records list two hundred and forty residents in the county, and it is fair to presume that they had some kind of local government. The first definite records in the present court house, however, state that the county began its official career on September 12, 1868, with the first meeting of the county commissioners. The first commissioners and the auditor were appointed by Governor William R. Marshall some time in 1868 prior to September. It was the duty of the commissioners to effect the organization of the county, to define the first election precincts, to set the date for the first election and perform such other duties as might be necessary to get the county started. The commissioners formerly had more power than they possess today, especially in the way of appointment of certain county officials. At first they appointed the county superintendent of schools, county attorney and coroner, and, in case of vacancies, they had the power to appoint to any other county office, the appointee to hold until the next regular election. In many ways the county commissioners are still the most important of our county officials.
The salaries of the first county officials were very meagre, and yet their salary was probably about in proportion to the amount of work they had to do for the county. Most of them for the first few years had their offices in their own homes, and carried on their regular occupations while at the same time officiating as auditor, treasurer, attorney, etc. During the eighties the salaries of the county officials reached very respectable proportions, and by the end of the decade there was a hue and cry to the effect that they were getting too much. The upshot of the discussion in the newspapers of the county, by the villagers in the hamlets and the farmers in the fields, was the demand for legislative act to reduce their salaries. The Legislature was appealed to and responded by passing the act of April 6, 1891, which still operates in the county. In view of the fact that it has now been on the statute books for more than a quarter of a century, it seems appropriate to give the act in full. It follows:
"An act regulating the salaries and fees of certain county officials of Otter Tail county.
"Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota :
"Section 1. The following named officers of Otter Tail county shall hereafter each
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receive an annual salary of fifteen hundred dollars, to-wit: County auditor, register of deeds, clerk of court, judge of probate, superintendent of schools.
"Hereafter the annual salary of the county treasurer of said county shall be six- teen hundred dollars and that of the county attorney shall be twelve hundred dollars.
"Section 2. The salaries hereinbefore provided shall respectively be paid in twelve annual installments, one at the end of each month, by the county treasurer, out of the treasury of the county, upon the warrant of the county auditor.
"Section 3. The sheriff of said county shall be entitled to receive for his services, in lieu of other compensation, seventy per centum of the fees and compensation pro- vided by section eleven of chapter seventy of the General Statutes of 1878, or by any other law of the state now applicable to said county, save as hereinafter otherwise provided.
"For boarding prisoners he shall be allowed three dollars per week. He shall be allowed the reasonable fees paid to any printer by said sheriff for publishing an adver- tisement of sale. In cases where mileage is not expressly provided he shall be entitled to expenses necessarily incurred by him and such other compensation for travel as the board of county commissioners shall allow him.
"Section 4. The said sheriff shall hereafter keep. during the years 1891 and 1892. in a proper book to be prepared for the purpose, an exact account of all business of his office for each day, and of all moneys received and disbursed by him as such sheriff on such day, which said book shall be kept in his office and open to public inspection at all reasonable times.
"On the first Monday of April, July, October and January of said years, and each and every year thereafter. he shall file with the county auditor a statement of all fees received and disbursements made by him as such sheriff.
"Section 5. All parts of acts. so far as the same may be inconsistent with the pro- visions of this act. are hereby repealed: Provided, that nothing in this section con- tained shall apply to section eleven of chapter thirty of General Statutes of 1878. nor to any general law of this state applicable to the office of sheriff.
"Section 6. This act shall not apply to the salary or fees of any officer named in sections one and three thereof until from and after the first Monday in January. 1893. Approved April 6, 1891."
During 1915 the first definite effort was made by the officials of the county to have this law set aside. The case was tried before Judge John A. Roeser, of St. Cloud, who handed down his decision in October, 1915. The judge decided that the act of 1891 is constitutional and that it had not been repealed by any subsequent act. The theory of the Otter Tail county officials was that the law was unconstitutional on the ground that it was special legislation.
The officials who brought the suit to test the constitutionality of the special act of 1891 at once appealed the case to the supreme court of the state, where it is set for hearing before that tribunal in May. It is pertinent to remark in this connection that Judge Roeser found against the officials of Otter Tail county on all counts and held that relief such as they asked can come only through the Legislature.
It is certainly but a question of a short time before the officials of the county will be paid salaries commensurate with their work. As it is, they receive the smallest salary in proportion to the work they do of any county
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officials in the state of Minnesota. The unjustness of the 1891 act is seen when it is known that Stearns county, which is in the same class with Otter Tail county as regards population and assessed valuation, pays its county officials practically twice the salary received by the officials of Otter Tail county.
The Legislature passed an act April 23, 1913, which promised for the election of 1914 of the following county officers, all of whose terms were to be four years: Auditor, treasurer, sheriff, register of deeds, attorney, coro- ner, surveyor and superintendent of the schools. The act further provided that their terms of office were to begin on the first Monday in January next succeeding the election. This act makes the term of all the county officers four years, with the exception of the judge of probate, whose term of office is fixed by the constitution at two years. An amendment to the constitution to make the tenure of this office four years was voted on at the 1914 elec- tion, but failed of adoption. It is to be voted on again at the November, 1916, election.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
The first county commissioners of Otter Tail county were appointed by the governor and, according to law, he was to appoint three, but for some reason only two qualified in Otter Tail county. These two men, Chauncey Whiting and Marcus Shaw, held their first meeting at Clitherall on Septem- ber 12, 1868, and divided the county into election precincts. The full record of this first meeting is given verbatim :
"Clitherall, September 12, 1868.
"The county commissioners of Otter Tail county met at the house of Marcus Shaw and transacted the following business :
"First-Divided Otter Tail county into three election precincts, described as follows :
"The Rush Lake precinct to comprise of all the territory north of town- ship line running between 133 and 134 of Otter Tail county.
"Second-Clitherall precinct to comprise of township 131, 132 and 133, in ranges 36, 37, 38, 39 and 40, in Otter Tail county.
"Third-The Ten Mile Lake precinct to comprise of townships 131, 132 and 133, in ranges 41, 42 and 43, in aforesaid county.
"Fourth-Appointed judges of election for 1868 as follows: For Rush Lake precinct, William McArthur, B. Boedigheimer and F. Staab as judges of election; Giles Peakes, clerk for said election, to be held at the house of Joseph Weis.
"Fifth-Clitherall precinct, Chauncey Whiting, Marcus Shaw and Hyram Murdock act as judges of said election; S. J. Whiting as clerk of
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election, to be held at the school house in Clitherall, Otter Tail county, Min- nesota.
"Attest :
"SYLVESTER J. WHITING, MARCUS SHAW,
"Clerk of Board. Chairman of Board."
DIVISION OF THE COUNTY INTO FIVE COMMISSIONERS' DISTRICTS
The county at first had only two commissioners ( Marcus Shaw and Chancey Whiting), but with the first election there were three. According to statutory provision, when any county had a minimum of eight hundred voters it was entitled to five commissioners. The election of November, 1871, showed that Otter Tail county had the required number of voters to be entitled to five commissioners, and accordingly on November 17 of that year the board ordered the county divided into five districts, as follow :
District No. 1-Township 137, ranges 36, 37, 38, 39 and 40; township 136, ranges 36, 37, 38, 39 and 40; township 135, ranges 36, 37, 38, 39 and 40.
District No. 2-Townships 133, 134, 135, 136 and 137 of ranges 41 and 42; townships 133, 134, 135 of range 40.
District No. 3-Townships 131 and 132 of ranges 39, 40, 41, 42 and 43. District No. 4-Townships 131, 132, 133 and 134 of ranges 36, 37 and 38; townships 133 and 134 of range 39.
District No. 5-Townships 132, 133, 134, 135, 136 and 137 of range 43.
As the county increased in population changes in districts were made from time to time in order to have approximately the same number of voters in each district. On July 28, 1881, the county commissioners established the districts as they are at the present time and no change has been made in them since that date. As now constituted they are as follow :
District No. 1-Candor, Hobart. Gorman, Corliss, Butler, Paddock, Blowers, Homestead, Pine Lake, Perham, Edna, Dora, Star Lake, Dead Lake, Rush Lake, Otto, Newton and Bluffton.
District No. 2-Scambler, Dunn, Lida, Pelican, Norwegian Grove, Trondhjem, Erhards Grove, Maplewood and Oscar.
District No. 3-Amor, Otter Tail, Girard, Everts, Sverdrup, Tordensk- jold, Clitherall, Nidaros, Leaf Mountain, Eagle Lake, St. Olaf and Tumuli.
District No. 4-Leaf Lake. Deer Creek, Compton, Oak Valley, Inman, Henning, Folden, Elmo, Woodside, Eastern. Parkers Prairie and Effington.
District No. 5-Elizabeth, Carlisle, Fergus Falls, Aurdal, Dane, Prairie. Buse, Orwell, Western and Aastad.
A complete list of the county commissioners from 1868 to the present time is as follows:
1868-Chauncey Whiting. Marcus Shaw.
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1869-Chauncey Whiting, Marcus Shaw (resigned May 20, 1869), E. J. Lacey.
1870-G. Stoutland, Alexander Johnson, Martin Fiedler.
1871-Hans Juelson, Alexander Johnson, Martin Fiedler.
1872-Hans Juelson, Ernest Buse, Alexander Johnson, Martin Fiedler, J. G. Nelson.
1873-Hans Juelson, Hamilton H. Hall, A. B. Larson, Martin Fiedler, J. G. Nelson.
1874-Hamilton Hall, Jacob Schwab, Joseph Zimmerman, A. B. Larson, Hans Juelson.
. 1875-Hamilton H. Hall, Jacob Schwab, Joseph Zimmerman, B. L. Bull, Henry Hoff.
1876-Hamilton H. Hall, A. Levorson, Joseph Zimmerman, B. L. Bull, Henry Hoff.
1877-Hamilton H. Hall, A. Levorson, Joseph Zimmerman, B. L. Bull, Henry Hoff.
1878-Hans Juelson, A. Levorson, Joseph Zimmerman, Clement Crogan, Hamilton H. Hall.
1879-Clement Crogan, A. Levorson, Joseph Zimmerman, J. W. French, Hans Juelson.
1880-Clement Crogan, A. Levorson, Joseph Zimmerman, J. W. French, Hans Juelson.
1881-R. F. Adley, Jacob Austin, J. H. Gray, J. W. French, Henry Hoff. 1882-R. F. Adley, Jacob Austin, J. H. Gray, Homer Crocker, Henry Hoff. 1883-R. F. Adley, Jacob Austin, Knud Pederson, Homer Crocker, A. S. Blowers.
1884-Melvin Leonard, Jacob Austin (resigned August 2, 1884, and G. O. Dahl appointed to fill his unexpired term), Knud Pederson, Homer Crocker, A. S. Blowers.
1885-Melvin Leonard, O. C. Chase, Knud Pederson, Homer Crocker, A. S. Blowers.
1886-A. S. Blowers, Melvin Leonard, Knud Pederson, Homer Crocker, O. C. Chase.
1887-Peter Jung, August Kowalski, Knud Pederson, Frank Sanders, O. C. Chase.
1888-Peter Jung. August Kowalski, Knud Pederson, Frank Sanders, O. C. Chase.
1889-A. O. Richardson, August Kowalski (resigned at July session, 1889, and A. T. Vigen appointed to fill his unexpired term), Knud Peder- son, Frank Sanders, O. C. Chase.
1890-A. O. Richardson, A. T. Vigen, Knud Pederson, Frank Sanders, O. C. Chase.
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1891-A. O. Richardson, A. T. Vigen, Knud Pederson, Frank Sanders, P. J. Hughes (resigned July 1, 1891, and William Hoefling was appointed to fill his unexpired term).
1892-A. O. Richardson, A. T. Vigen, Knud Pederson, O. S. Johnson, William Hoefling.
1893-Charles Miller, A. T. Vigen, Knud Pederson, O. S. Johnson, William Hoefling.
1894-Charles Miller, A. T. Vigen, Knud Pederson, O. S. Johnson, William Hoefling.
1895-Charles Miller, J. A. Foulds, Knud Pederson, O. S. Johnson, William Hoefling.
1896-Charles Miller, J. A. Foulds, Knud Pederson, O. S. Johnson, William Hoefling.
1897-A. J. Seitz, J. A. Foulds, John Baardson, O. S. Johnson, J. P. Haave. 1898-A. J. Seitz, J. A. Foulds, John Baardson, O. S. Johnson, J. P. Haave. 1899-A. J. Seitz, Andrew Wagstrom, John Baardson, E. R. Keplinger, J. P. Haave.
1900-A. J. Seitz, Andrew Wagstrom, John Baardson, E. R. Keplinger, J. P. Haave.
1901-A. J. Seitz, Andrew Wagstrom, John Baardson, E. R. Keplinger, J. P. Haave.
1902-J. L. Sawyer, Andrew Wagstrom, Ludwig Jenson, E. R. Keplinger, G. A. Lindquist.
1903-J. L. Sawyer, Andrew Wagstrom, Ludwig Jenson, George F. Free- man, G. A. Lindquist.
1904-J. L .. Sawyer, Andrew Wagstrom, Ludwig Jenson, George F. Free- man, G. A. Lindquist.
1905-J. L. Sawyer, Andrew Wagstrom, Ludwig Jenson, George F. Free- man, G. O. Dahl.
1906-J. I .. Sawyer, Andrew Wagstrom, Ludwig Jenson, George F. Free- man, G. O. Dahl.
1907-J. I .. Sawyer, A. T. Vigen, Ludwig Jenson, George F. Freeman, G. O. Dahl.
1908-J. L. Sawyer, A. T. Vigen, Ludwig Jenson, George F. Freeman, G. O. Dahl.
1909-Martin Shea, A. T. Vigen, Thore Glende, George F. Freeman, G. O. Dahl.
1910-Martin Shea, A. T. Vigen, Thore Glende, George F. Freeman, G. O). Dahl.
1911-Martin Shea. A. T. Vigen, Thore Glende. Andrew Johnson, G. O. Dahl.
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1912-Martin Shea, A. T. Vigen, Thore Glende, Andrew Johnson, G. O. Dahl.
1913-F. O. Heinonen, A. T. Vigen, Thore Glende, Andrew Johnson, G. O. Dahl.
1914-F. O. Heinonen, A. T. Vigen, Thore Glende, Andrew Johnson, G. O. Dahl.
1915-F. O. Heinonen, H. C. Worden, Thore Glende, Andrew Johnson, G. O. Dahl.
COUNTY AUDITOR.
The first county auditor was appointed by the governor of the state and held until his successor was elected and qualified. The auditor acts as clerk of the board of county commissioners and in case of a tie vote is allowed to vote. Sylvester J. Whiting was appointed by the governor as the first audi- tor and was present at the first meeting of the board of commissioners on September 12, 1868. He was appointed to the same office by the board at its meeting on October 24, 1868, and granted a yearly salary of one hundred fifty dollars. O. Jorgens was the first elective auditor. The list of auditors from 1868 to the present time is as follows :
Sylvester J. Whiting. 1868-70; Ole Jorgens, 1870, resigned July 26, 1875: James Compton, July 26, 1875-78; B. N. Johnson, 1878-82; F. W. Burnham, 1882-84; Oscar Hanson, 1884-91 ; R. A. Darling, 1889-91; F. J. Pfefferle, 1891-95; H. J. Collins, 1895-99; W. C. Lincoln, 1899. died in office, February 20, 1908; William Lincoln was appointed on February 29, 1908, re-elected in the fall of the same year, and has held office continuously since by re-election.
TREASURER.
The county commissioners did not appoint a treasurer on October 24, 1868, when they selected an auditor (A. J. Whiting), sheriff (Jesse Burdock ) and probate judge (Charles Sperry). Marcus Shaw was the first treasurer and evidently took the office shortly after May 20, 1869, at which time he resigned his place as a member of the board of county commissioners. He was probably elected at the October, 1868, election, although no record has been found to prove the fact. It was at Shaw's house in the village of Clitherall that the commissioners held their first meeting on September 12, 1868, Shaw being one of the three commissioners appointed by the gover- nor to organize the county. As the first treasurer of the county. Shaw had no precedents to guide him and. to view his management of the office in the most charitable light. he failed to realize the responsibility of handling the county's money. As a result he became involved to the extent of several thousand dollars, all of which, by his own admission. he appropriated to his own use. When he realized the extent of his peculations and his inability to
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extricate himself, he placed enough of his own property in the hands of his bondsmen to cover his defalcation-and resigned. His letter to the commis- sioners shows that he felt disgraced by his "foolishness," as he called it.
RESIGNATION OF MARCUS SHAW
Fergus Falls, July 3, 1873. To the Honorable Board of the Co. Commissioners :
Gentlemen: It is with a painful sense of humiliation arising from the circum- stances by which I am surrounded that I tender to your Honorable body my resignation as Treasurer of the County of Otter Tail. With shame and mortification I have to confess I have used for my own benefit the public funds intrusted to my charge. It has been like as a worm eating at the carcass a little by little until I have used so much that it is beyond my power to replace, yet not thinking that I had used more than a fourth part of the amount that the settlement sheet of today shows; thus I have disgraced myself by my own foolishness. While I frankly acknowledge my error let me assure your honorable body that the county is not the loser of one dollar only for the time being, as I have placed in the hands of my bondsmen more than sufficient prop- erty to meet all demands the county have against me and while reaping no profit for my error which was more of the head than of the heart, I have more bitterly reproached myself for my weakness than your honorable body or anyone else can reproach me.
I fully recognize the fact that it is no longer fitting that I should retain the trust which I have thus betrayed or the confidence I have thus forfeited, craving your lenient judgment. asking you to bear in mind that to "err is human, to forgive divine." I remain, Your obedient servant,
M. SHAW.
The first tax receipt issued by the treasurer was dated December 24, 1870, and was drawn in favor of Andrew Holes, who lived at that time in Stearns county. This receipt is now in the hands of C. R. Wright. The tax was on two tracts of land: (1) township 133, range 42, lots 3, 4 and 5 of section 30; lots 8 and 9 of section 31 ; lots 1, 2, 3 and 5 of section 22. (2) township 133, range 43, southwest half section 4 and northeast quarter section 8. The amount of tax was forty-eight dollars and seventy cents.
The receipt is in the unmistakable handwriting of M. Shaw, the first county treasurer, and on the reverse side is a statement signed by Holes that "This is the first tax receipt ever issued in Otter Tail county."
Owing to the size of Otter Tail county the collection of taxes presents a formidable problem, not only because of the large amount of money to be handled, but more so because of the great distance of a large portion of the taxpayers from the county seat. When it is taken into consideration that it is seventy-five miles from the northeastern part of the county to Fergus Falls, it may readily be seen that it would be impracticable for those living at such a distance to be compelled to make the long trip to pay their taxes. Early in the history of the county the treasurer began making trips over the county to collect taxes and this method was in use until about ten years (10)
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ago. By that time a number of banks had been established in various parts of the county and arrangements were made with them by the county treas- urer to serve as collector of taxes for those living in the immediate vicinity. At the present time every bank in the county outside of Fergus Falls collects taxes, and, in addition, there are five banks in contiguous counties which have the same privilege. The twenty-six banks in Otter Tail county acting as tax collectors are as follow : First National Bank, Henning; State Bank of Perham; J. P. Wallace State Bank, Pelican Rapids; First National Bank, Perham; First State Bank, Battle Lake; First National Bank, Deer Creek; Lund's State Bank of Vining; State Bank, Parkers Prairie; Farmers State Bank, Vergas; First National Bank, Pelican Rapids; Farmers State Bank, Henning; Merchants State Bank, Elizabeth: Farmers State Bank, Richville; Farmers State Bank, Dent; First State Bank, Dalton; First State Bank, Underwood; First National Bank, Battle Lake; First State Bank, Clitherall; Security State Bank, Otter Tail; First State Bank of New York Mills; First National Bank of Parkers Prairie; State Bank of Bluffton; Pelican Rapids State Bank; Erhard State Bank; Almora State Bank, and Farmers State Bank, Carlisle.
The five banks outside of the county are the Ferman American State Bank, Millerville; First State Bank, Ashby; Merchants National Bank, Wadena; First State Bank, Sebeka, and State Bank of Hewitt.
Each bank in the county, thirty-one in number, is a depository of county funds, receiving an amount in proportion to the capital stock and surplus. On June 22, 1915, the amount on deposit in the county banks totaled four hundred and five thousand dollars. Deposits of county funds range from two to twenty-nine thousand dollars. The banks pay the county two per cent. interest on daily balances and are allowed to loan the money on such terms and in such amounts as they see fit.
Lars Ouse was appointed by the board of commissioners on July 7. 1873, to fill the unexpired term of Shaw. The complete list of treasurers is as follows :
Marcus Shaw, 1869, resigned July 3, 1873, and Lars Ouse was appointed by the county commissioners on the same day to fill the unexpired term of Shaw, or until 1874, Alexander Norman, 1874, resigned November 10, 1874, and Hans Nelson was appointed by the county commissioners to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Nelson, or until 1883 : G. A. Lindquist, 1883-91 : Hans Nelson, 1891-95: Steve Butler, 1895-11 : Paul A. Stortroen, 1911 to the present time.
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