USA > Minnesota > Stearns County > History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 19
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At a session held May 8-10, road and bridge appropriations were made as follows: Avon, Collegeville, Lake Henry, Millwood, North Fork, St. Mar- tin and Zion, $200 each; Brockway, Grove, Holding, $250 each; Getty, Le Sauk and St. Joseph, $150 each; Melrose, $350. To the city of St. Cloud, to aid in building a bridge across the Mississippi river, $7,500 was appro- priated-Commissioners Miller, Benolken and Pirz voting aye, and Scheelar and Cleveland no. A petition for an election to vote on detaching certain territory from the village of Brooten and attaching it to the town of North Fork was granted, the date of election being June 23, and the place the village court room at Brooten, with John W. Asp, L. C. Huset and H. P. Suckstorf inspectors.
The regular July session was held on the ninth to the eleventh, when the tax levy for the coming year was fixed at one mill for schools and $30,000 for county purposes, of which $10,000 was for salaries of county officers, $8,000 for roads and bridges, $4,000 for district court expenses, $3,000 for jail expenses and $2,000 for printing, books and stationery. The following road and bridge appropriations were made: Albany, $200; Ashley, Eden Lake and Munson, $150 each; Krain and St. Wendel, $125 each. The board of equalization was in session July 16-26.
A special session was held August 16 and 17. A telegram was sent to the governor of the state the first day notifying him that a vacancy existed in the office of the judge of probate, and asking that an appointment be made at once so that the bond of the appointee might be approved at the present session. Alphonso Barto was appointed and his bond approved. Sessions held September 11-13, November 15-17 and December 18-19 were given to considering highway matters, school petitions and other routine business.
1895. When the board met in regular session January 8, Edward Miller, F. Benolken, B. Pirz, Joseph Scheelar and Edward Smith responded to the roll call, and B. Pirz was re-elected chairman. Salaries were somewhat increased, that of the county attorney being made $1,600 and the superin-
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
tendent of schools $1,720. Fritz Lorinser was re-elected janitor at the court house at $540. H. J. Rosenberger was granted an auctioneer's license. Spe- cial sessions were held February 7-9 and May 18-20 for the transaction of routine business.
At the regular meeting May 14-16, Edward Miller was appointed one of the appraisers of school and state lands in Stearns county. The following road and bridge appropriations were made: Albany and Lake George, $250 each; Avon, Brockway, Paynesville and Oak, $200 each; Crow Lake, St. Joseph and Sauk Centre, $150 each; Krain, Lake Henry, Raymond and St. Wendel, $100 each; Maine Prairie and Wakefield, $125 each; Melrose and Millwood, $180 each; St. Cloud, $129.50.
The regular July session began on the ninth. An appropriation of $1,000 was made to the city of St. Cloud for a culvert across the ravine on Eighth avenue north, between Fifth and Sixth streets, on condition that the city appropriate and expend $2,000 on this culvert. An appropriation of $325 was made to Grove, $250 to Holding and $100 to St. Martin for roads and bridges. An application from the Great Northern Railway Company to have a part of the so-called "Abercrombie road" in the town of Melrose, as necessary for the use of the company in operating its railway, and accept in lieu thereof another road, running parallel to the part to be vacated, was received and granted.
The board of equalization was in session July 15-20. At a special ses- sion held July 23-24, M. A. Bussen, of Munson, was appointed one of the appraisers of school and state lands in Stearns county.
The regular September meeting was held from the tenth to the twelfth. A communication from the St. Cloud Library Association asking for an appropriation of $500 from the county for the purpose of aiding said associa- tion in their work of compiling and publishing a history of Stearns county from its earliest date to the present time was laid over-in other words, consigned to the graveyard prepared for so many meritorious undertakings which do not happen to appeal to the constituted authorities. At the session December 17-19 a petition for an election to vote for or against the incor- poration of the village of New Munich was granted, the election to be held January 26, 1896, at Marcus Wieber's house, with H. Terhaar, Joseph L. Wieber and Mathias Pitzel inspectors.
1896. The board met January 7, with Edward Miller, Frank Benolken, B. Pirz, Joseph Scheelar and Edward Smith present. On motion of B. Pirz, Commissioner Miller was elected chairman. Salaries remained unchanged, except that of the superintendent of schools, which was increased to $1,790. Special session March 17-19, routine business. At the regular session May 12-14, road and bridge appropriations were made as follows: Albany, Mun- son, Spring Hill and Zion, $200 each; Avon, Ashley and Le Sauk, $250 each ; Collegeville, Krain, Maine Prairie, Millwood and Paynesville, $100 each ; Getty and Lake Henry, $150 each ; Holding, $175; Melrose, $400.
The regular July session began on the thirteenth, adjourning on the fifteenth. The following persons were appointed, in the several commission- ers' districts, to cause to be decently buried any honorably discharged Union
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soldiers or sailors who should thereafter die without having sufficient means to defray their funeral expenses: R. Zimmerman, Freeport; J. W. Darby, New Paynesville; James Kennedy, Kimball; William Pangburn, Sauk Centre. A levy of one mill for schools and $30,000 for county purposes was made. A resolution was adopted providing that June 1 of each year should be the time fixed for the destruction of the Russian thistle and other noxious weeds, as required by law. Appropriations of $125 each to Holding and Melrose, $150 to St. Cloud and $300 to the village of Melrose for road and bridge purposes were made. The board of equalization was in session July 20-29.
At the regular session September 8, a petition for an election to vote for or against incorporating the village of Holding was granted, the election to be held October 20, at Joseph Winkler's house, with Andrew Diedrich, W. J. Schauble and J. B. Pallanch inspectors. An appropriation of $200 was made to St. Wendel for bridges and grading and $200 additional to the village of Cold Spring for a culvert across Cold Spring creek. At a special session November 12 and 13, the bond of the county treasurer was increased to $160,000. Luxemburg was given $150 for road work. A routine business session was held December 15-17.
1897. The board met January 5, with Edward Miller, Henry T. Meyer, George Engelhard, Joseph Scheelar and Edward Smith present; Edward Miller was re-elected chairman. Citizens of the village of Melrose petitioned that a time and place be set for an election to vote on the incorporation and organization of the village as a city. The date of the election was fixed as February 9, at the village hall.
A special meeting was held February 16, at which the votes cast at the Melrose election were canvassed and it was found that the proposition for incorporating as a city had carried. It was thereupon ordered that an elec- tion to choose the necessary city officers be held March 9, with the fol- lowing named persons to act as judges of election : First ward, H. P. Horch- ing, Frank Collins and John Tiedeman; Second ward, C. A. Yund, James Donahue and S. Kuhn. An appropriation of $180 was made to Maine Prairie for road and bridge purposes. Adjourned February 18.
At the session March 10-12, the county auditor was instructed to pay all bounties for killing wolves as provided by an act of the legislature passed at the current session. A session was held May 11-13, at which "weed agents" were appointed for the several towns in accordance with chapter 274 of the general laws of 1895. Road and bridge appropriations were made as follows: Collegeville, $100; Krain, $150; Albany, $400; Avon, $250; Hold- ing, $250; Paynesville (bridge across Crow river), $700; Brockway, $100; Lake George, $300; Ashley, $400; Sauk Centre, $250; St. Wendel, $250.
At the regular session July 12-14, additional road and bridge appropria- tions were made as follows: Ashley, Maine Prairie, Millwood, North Fork and Spring Hill, $150 each; Fair Haven, $350; Lynden, $277.50; Rockville and St. Cloud, $125 each; St. Augusta, $340; Zion, $165; Munson, $217.50. A resolution was adopted instructing the sheriff " to hereafter refuse to receive into the common jail of the county any drunks or vagrants from the
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city of St. Cloud until after same are regularly convicted and therenpon committed; the purpose of this resolution being to prevent the use of said jail as a temporary lock-up for city prisoners." A tax levy was made of one mill for schools and $50,000 for county purposes, the largest item being $14,800 for salaries and fees of county officers, $10,000 roads and bridges, $6,300 district court expenses, and $4,500 jail expenses. A levy of one mill was also laid to pay for the improving and enlarging of the county jail building. Board of equalization, July 19-24. At the session September 14-16, road and bridge appropriations were made to Rockville, $125; Luxemburg and Munson, $100 each; Oak, $200; city of St. Cloud, for repairing streets and culverts, $800. December 21-23, routine business.
1898. The board met January 4, adjourning January 6; present, Edward Miller, H. F. Meyer, George Engelhard, Joseph Scheelar and Edward Smith; Edward Miller was re-elected chairman. An appropriation of $600 was made to the city of St. Cloud to assist in building a culvert on Sixth avenue north. A regular session was held March 1-3, at which a contract was let to L. H. Johnson to build an iron bridge across Sauk river at Rockville, for $2,788, one-half to be paid by the town and one-half by the county. An appro- priation of $150 was made to Munson for road work. A resolution was again adopted calling for the destruction of the Russian thistle by all persons responsible under the law. Bids for medical attendance on county prisoners were received from several physicians, the contraet being awarded to Dr. F. M. MeGuire at $60 per annum, to include medicines and medical attendance.
A regular session was held May 10-12, at which a number of appropria- tions for roads and bridges were made as follows: Albany, $293.50; Avon, Crow River and Maine Prairie, $200 each; Brockway, Raymond and St. Wendel, $300 each ; Collegeville, St. Martin, Spring Hill, Sauk Centre, Wake- field and Zion, $100 each ; Eden Lake, $250; Getty and St. Joseph, $125 each ; Holding, $425.87; Krain, $150; North Fork, $175; Paynesville, $400; St. Augusta, $133. A petition for a public ditch in the towns of Paynesville and Eden Lake was granted, and J. G. Knebel, Frank B. Smith and Andrew Riehle were appointed viewers. A session was held July 11-13, at which a tax levy of one mill for schools and $45,000 for county purposes was made. Appropriations for road and bridge purposes were made to three towns which had not been included at the previous meeting-Ashley, $140; Lake Henry and Lynden, $100 each. Equalization, July 18-28. Session of board, August 16-18; routine business.
The regular September session opened on the thirteenth, adjourning on the fifteenth. A petition for a public ditch in the towns of St. Wendel and Avon was granted, and Paul Sand, John Long and Michael Hirschfeld were appointed viewers. An appropriation of $175 was made to the village of Waite Park for roads and enlverts. At a session held November 14-16, the petition and viewers' report for the Paynesville and Eden Lake ditch were rejected. The report on the St. Wendel and Avon diteh was accepted, and this ditch established as a publie ditch, to be constructed according to law. An appropriation of $200 was voted to Lake George for road and bridge
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purposes. An appropriation of $851.99 for the Sauk river bridge at Cold Spring was made at a session of the board December 20-22.
1899. The first session of the board opened January 3, with H. F. Meyer, George Engelhard, Chris Schmitt, Joseph Scheelar and Edward Smith pres- ent; Henry F. Meyer was elected chairman. Another petition for a public ditch in the towns of Paynesville and Eden Lake was received, and Frank B. Smith, A. Riehle and Fred Haitke were appointed viewers. A committee from the council of the city of St. Cloud appeared before the board at a special session held February 7-9 and presented for consideration the matter of establishing a county poor farm. Commissioners Scheelar, Engelhard and Smith were appointed a committee " to consider the matter in all its bearings and report at some future meeting." Special session, March 15-17, routine business.
At the session May 9-11, the Paynesville and Eden Lake ditch matter came up for a hearing, and notwithstanding opposition on the part of a number of land owners affected, the ditch was ordered to be established. Road and bridge appropriations were made as follows: Albany, $351.87; Brockway, $400; Collegeville, $100; Crow Lake, $550; Fair Haven, $127.60; Getty, $120; Holding, $402.98; Maine Prairie, $152.91; Melrose, $312.35; Munson, $212.25; North Fork, $194.54; St. Joseph, $466.92; St. Martin, $216.83; St. Wendel, $244.53; Sauk Centre, $374.47.
Appropriations of $115 to Wakefield and $300 to Spring Hill for roads and bridges were made at a session held June 1-3. At a session held July 10-12, the required one-mill school tax was levied and $43,500 for county purposes. An appropriation of $128.57 was made to Eden Lake and $167.50 to Le Sauk for road and bridge purposes. Board of equalization in session, July 17-22. A special session was held July 25-27, at which a petition for a public ditch in the towns of Lake Henry, Zion and Paynesville was presented. After arguments had been heard for and against, the commissioners voted unanimously to grant the petition, and Henry Steichen, of Maine Prairie; Peter Slough, of Holding, and H. C. Maguren, of Melrose, were appointed viewers. An appropriation of $150 was made to Avon for road and bridge purposes.
Evidently bills for postage had been climbing somewhat high, as at a session September 12-14, a resolution was adopted requiring that in the future any claim by a county officer for cash paid for postage should be accompanied by a verifying statement from the postmaster. An appropria- tion of $125 was made to Farming for road and bridge purposes. Sessions for routine business were held October 16 and 19 and November 29. A ses- sion was held December 19-20, at which a petition for an election to vote on incorporating the village of Avon was received and granted, the election to be held January 22, 1900, at the postoffice, with W. S. Bartholomew, B. E. Davis and Nick Rodden inspectors. Road and bridge appropriations were made to St. Joseph, $150, and to Millwood, $317.50.
1900. The board met January 2, with Chris. Schmitt, H. F. Meyer, Joseph Scheelar and Edward Smith present; H. F. Meyer was elected chairman. The reports of the county officers showed the amounts received by them as salaries
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and fees for the year 1899 to have been as follows: P. J. Grueber, county auditor, $2,595; J. E. Carver and J. E. Hennemann, deputies, $1,080 each ; Charles Dueber, treasurer, $2,914.43, including $150 for clerk hire; J. M. Emmel, register of deeds, $2,360.50; E. P. Barnum, clerk of court, $2,213.95; Fred Schilplin, sheriff, $3,588.72; J. P. Bernick, deputy, $1,893.16; Hubert Hanson, judge of probate, $2,694.85; Jacob A. Lahr, probate clerk, $600; Charles M. Weber, county superintendent of schools, $1,814; J. D. Sullivan, county attorney, $1,600; H. A. Pinault, coroner, $178.10; J. D. Morgan, county surveyor, $320.70; county commissioners-Chris. Schmitt, $165.20; H. F. Meyer, $445.30; George Engelhard, $316.50; Joseph Scheelar, $409.16; Edward Smith, $437.90. A petition for an election to vote on the incorporation of the townsite of Spring Hill was granted, the date for the election being designated as February 7, at the postoffice building, with John Bocek, Leonard Kruchner and William Kobow inspectors. A road appropriation of $100 was made to the town of St. Wendel. Adjourned January 4.
At a special session held January 11 and 12, the report of the viewers on the Lake Henry, Zion and Paynesville ditch, known as ditch No. 5, was accepted and the ditch established as a public ditch. A special session was held March 13-14, at which the resignation of Charles Dueber as county treasurer was tendercd and accepted and A. L. Cramb elected his successor. An appropriation of $1,250 was made to the city of St. Cloud toward making repairs on the Tenth street Mississippi river bridge. Special session April 14, routine business.
At the regular session May 8-10, John Schafer was appointed agent for the First commissioner district to arrange for the burial of indigent hon- orably discharged soldiers. Appropriations for roads and bridges were made as follows, one-half of the amount actually expended to be paid by the respective towns and villages: Albany, Maine Prairie, Avon and city of Mel- rose, $300 each; Crow River, Getty, Holding and Lake Henry, $200 each; Col- legeville and Paynesville, $100 each; Krain and St. Wendel, $400 each; Brockway, $500; Fair Haven, $207.50; Lake George, $250; Le Sauk, $234; Luxemburg, $177; Melrose, $150; St. Joseph, $330; Wakefield, $125; Zion, $330; St. Augusta, $160; city of Sauk Centre, for grading city streets, $300.
A special session was held May 22, at which a petition for a public ditch in the towns of Albany and Farming was accepted, and Frank Benolken, Andrew Riehle and Peter N. Lahr were appointed viewers. At a special session June 5, an appropriation of $250 was made to Farming for road and bridge purposes.
The regular July session was held from the ninth to the eleventh. A tax levy of $54,000 was made for county purposes, of which $15,400 was for salaries and fees of county officers; $11,000 for roads and bridges; $4,100 for county ditches and $6,000 for district court expenses. Road and bridge appropriations were made as follows: Eden Lake and Munson, $200 each ; Wakefield and Luxemburg, $150 each; Lynden, Rockville, St. Cloud and St. Wendel, $100 each; Oak, $125; St. Martin, $121. Board of equalization, July 16-25.
An application for a ditch in the towns of North Fork, Getty, Lake
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George and Raymond was accepted at a session held August 10, and George B. Cleveland, John Winter and Frank Benolken were appointed viewers. At a special session held August 17, the report of the viewers on the Albany and Farming county ditch was accepted and the ditch cstablished as No. 6. An appropriation of $457.25 was made to the town of Oak for road and bridge purposes. A session held September 11-13 was devoted to routine business.
At a session held November 13-15, on recommendation of the viewers the petition for the construction of the North Fork, Lake George, Getty and Raymond ditch was rejected. The bid of L. H. Johnson, $4,668, for building a steel bridge with stone piers across the Sauk river near the village of Richmond was accepted, he being the lowest of eight bidders. Appropriations of $160 to Sauk Centre and $100 to Melrose for road and bridge purposes were made. The regular meeting held December 18-20, was devoted to routine business; an appropriation of $263.25 being made to Ashley for road and bridge purposes.
1901. The first session of the year opened January 8, with H. F. Meyer, Joseph Scheelar, Ignatius Greven and Edward Smith present; H. F. Meyer was re-elected chairman. The board authorized the issuing of bonds to meet the expense of establishing and constructing county ditches. The allowance for clerk hire in the county treasurer's office was increased to $500 per year, and in the county auditor's office to $3,800, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 292, laws of 1895.
At a special session March 12-14, antioneers' licenses were granted to H. J. Rosenberger, St. Cloud; E. Benolken, Freeport, and J. N. Gilley, Cold Spring. The contract with Dr. F. McGuire to render all needed medical and surgical services, with medicines, required for prisoners in the Stearns county jail, for $100 per year, was renewed.
Two ditch petitions were received and accepted at a session held May 14-16, one being for a ditch in the towns of North Fork, Getty and Raymond, to be known as ditch No. 7; the other in the town of North Fork, to be known as ditch No. 8. Frank Benolken, George B. Cleveland and John Winter were appointed viewers for both. The board resolved to discontinue paying the county's one-third share of wolf bounties. Road and bridge appropriations were made as follows: Avon, Collegeville, Rockville and Wakefield, $100 each; Crow River, Le Sauk, Munson and St. Martin, $200 each; Krain, Lake George, Millwood and Zion, $150 each; Lake Henry and Maine Prairie, $300 each ; Brockway, $500; Holding, $347; St. Wendel, $250; St. Augusta, $112.50.
A special session was held July 6, to take action on a petition for a ditch running through the towns of Millwood, Krain, Oak, St. Martin and Spring Hill. Hearing on the petition was adjourned until October 8. At the regular session July 8-10, a tax levy of one mill for schools and $52,000 for county purposes was ordered. The following road and bridge appropriations were made: Ashley and Wakefield, $150 each; Crow Lake and St. Joseph, $100 each ; Eden Lake, $250; Luxemburg, $400; Millwood, $200; Oak, $610. Board of equalization, July 16-20. Special meeting August 1, routine business.
The regular September session was held from the tenth to the twelfth, at which an appropriation of $150 was made to the village of Cold Spring
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to aid in replanking the bridge across Sauk river. A special session was held October 14 and 15, at which the report of the viewers on the Raymond and North Fork ditch was accepted and the ditch established as No. 7. The same action was taken regarding the North Fork ditch, which was established as No. 8. An appropriation of $175 was made to Farming or grading roads.
A regular session was held December 17-19, at which bids for building a new steel bridge across Sauk river in the town of St. Cloud were opened. The bid of W. S. Hewett & Co., of Minneapolis, was $3,628 and that of L. H. Johnston, of the same city, was $3,432, the contract being awarded to the latter bidder, the town to pay one-half of the cost of the bridge. Appro- priations of $182.58 to Oak and $188.08 to Sauk Centre were made for road and bridge purposes.
1902. The board met January 7, with H. F. Meyer, George Engelhard, Joseph Scheelar and Edmund Smith present; H. F. Meyer being re-elected chairman. An appropriation of $240 for road and bridge purposes was made to the town of Munson. Adjourned January 9. A special session was held January 14, at which the bond of Herman Mueller, who had been appointed clerk of the district court to succeed E. P. Barnum, was approved.
Session March 11-13. Frank Benolken, of Freeport; Nick Klein, of Maine Prairie, and Milo Camp, of Holding, were granted auctioneers' licenses. A special session was held April 21, at which a petition for a ditch in the towns of Getty and Grove was accepted, and John D. Morgan was appointed to make the necessary survey, this ditch to be known as No. 9.
At a session held May 13-15, a number of bills from towns and individ- uals incurred in connection with the cases of small-pox and other contagious diseases were paid, the largest being that of A. A. Carpenter, of Belgrade, $255.90, while a number were rejected, including one for $254.62 from the board of health of New Paynesville. The usual spring appropriations of road and bridge funds were made: Albany, Luxemburg, Raymond and Zion receiv- ing $400 each; Avon, Holding and St. Wendel, $300 each; Brockway, Eden Lake and Krain, $350 each; Collegeville, Crow River and Rockville, $200 each ; Getty, Lake George, Munson and St. Joseph, $150 each; Fair Haven, $130; Farming, $195; Lake Henry, $275; Le Sauk, $225; St. Augusta, $175; St. Cloud, $100; St. Martin, $600; Wakefield, $250.
At the regular July meeting, from the fourteenth to the sixteenth, a levy of $50,000 for county purposes and the required one mill for schools was made. More small-pox bills were rejected, including one of $1,694.25 from the city of St. Cloud and one of $295.02 from the board of health of the village of New Paynesville. Further appropriations for roads and bridges were made as follows: Ashley, $132.85; Melrose, $245.07; Millwood, $250; St. Cloud, $250; Spring Hill, $978.13. The board of equalization was in session July 21-31.
At a special session held August 14, Herman Ramler, of Farming; George B. Cleveland, of Sauk Centre, and John Schwinghammer were appointed viewers for the Grove aud Getty ditch. At the September regular session, ninth to eleventh, an appropriation of $150 was made to St. Wendel for road
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