History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 4

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1110

USA > Minnesota > Stearns County > History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II > Part 4

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The rest of the jobs mentioned have been contract work.

Stearns county has done very little in the way of gravel and nothing in the way of macadam roads this year. It has been the policy of the county board to spend the money to get the largest number of miles of earth roads improved to serve a large number of people, rather than spend the money at this time on concrete, macadam or gravel roads and construct a few miles to serve a few people

The 118 miles of state roads in the county were divided this year into nine sections for the purpose of maintenance. A man was placed in charge of each section at a salary of $90 per month. These men were placed under bond and had power to hire additional help when needed. They were started to work April 15th and taken- off November 1. A small two-horse grader and a drag were furnished each man by the county, the men themselves furnished a team, wagon and such small tools as were needed. They devoted all their

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time to the work and it was each man's duty to keep his portion of the road dragged, free from holes and the loose stones picked off, and in the best possible condition. Short pieces of the roads were surfaced, drainage looked after and some culverts installed.

The road program for 1915 so far as mapped out by the county board includes the following: The building of four bridges now under contract. The grading of state road No. 1 from Freeport to Melrose, on state road No. 3 from St. Cloud to Kimball, the completion of the work on state road No. 2 from Richmond to Paynesville, the graveling of state road No. 2 from St. Cloud to Rockville, and the graveling of state road No. 6 from St. Joseph to Cold Spring.

In connection with the matter of roads it may be said that 162 miles of county and judicial ditches have been built in this county, at a cost of $148,615.23, and benefiting 19,861 acres of land.

In the earlier days of the county's history the limited needs of the settlers for lime in the localities off from the lines of travel and transportation were met by the use of magnesian limestone boulders which were to be found in almost every township. These were burned and sufficient lime secured not only for individual use but for sale. A geological and natural history survey of the county made in 1882-85 by Warren Upham, under the direction of the State University, discovered how generally this work had been carried on. In Maine Prairie, on section 30, A. B. and H. J. Hicks made about 400 barrels of lime yearly, which they sold at $1.40 per barrel at the kiln. All the limestone boulders collected yielded white lime. The largest block found measured 12 x 6 x 6 feet. In Luxemburg lime was made in this way by N. Lardy in section 4, John Rausch in section 11 and by others. In Eden Lake B. Pirz in the N. W. 1/4 of section 5, during ten years or more, and John Leyendecker in the N. E. 1/4 of section 6, beginning in 1880, made white lime at $1.25 per barrel at the kiln. About a twentieth part of the boulders in the morainic hills in these sections were limestone, the remainder being mainly granite, syenite and crystallenic schist. In Munson, John Corde in section 8. In Farming, John Ludewitz in section 27, John Clouse in section 28, and others; selling at $1.35 to $1.50 per barrel. In Zion, Christian Lauer and Michael Hammer, both in the east half of section 6. In St. Martin, David Smith in section 7. In Oak, Henry Welle in section 14, and Joseph Haas in section 21; selling at $1.00 to $1.25 per barrel.

In Spring Hill, C. Schoenborn in the S. W. 1/4 of section 21, and Joseph Gau in the N. E. 1/4 of section 27, the latter obtaining the stone mostly from a large mass, fifteen feet or more in length, buried in the drift excepting a small point. In Melrose, A. J. Petrie in section 20, and John Dwyer in section 30. In Getty, G. Gilbertson in section 19 and George Barlow in section 22. The largest limestone block found by Mr. Gilbertson measured 8 x 5 x 4 feet. In Sauk Centre, L. M. Thomason in section 22. Generally through the west- ern part of the county about one in a hundred of the large boulders is lime- stone, one in twenty approximately of the smaller boulders, and a still further increased proportion of the gravel.

In subsequent years as population increased and the demand for lime

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passed beyond the ability of a sufficient supply being secured through these primitive methods, it was obtained from the localities where the supply of limestone was abundant and where the making of lime was carried on on a scale sufficient to meet all the demands of the market. While no further use is made of these scattered boulders they served in their day a very useful purpose.

Bricks were made at St. Cloud, Collegeville, Sauk Centre, Melrose, Col- legeville, Le Sauk and Oak.

Stearns county with its lakes and trees-its tempting fields and barn yards, has its full share of birds each season. The permanent residents and winter visitors find more food here than further south where the tree trunks are often covered with ice, while during the spring and summer seasons prac- tically all the birds found in Minnesota can be found in these parts.

As early as March before the snow has begun to melt many of the sum- mer birds are seen. The meadow lark and the prairie horned lark, the blue- bird, robin, red winged black bird, phoebe and the flicker come while we are still wearing our winter furs. These are followed in April by the yellow headed black bird, the martin, grackle, cowbird, mourning dove, cat bird and the vesper and song sparrow.

Among the May birds are the rose-breasted grosbeak, the Baltimore and orchard orioles, yellow warbler, red-start, northern yellow throat humming bird, swallows, thrush, house wren, bobolink, king bird and pewee. Some- times we have had snow storms in May and the birds have been fed with suet, bread crumbs and grain by the farmers and town people. In May the yellow bellied sapsucker taps the maple trees, riddling the trunks with holes not more than an inch apart and it is often necessary to destroy the bird in order to save the tree. About the lakes are often found the Great Blue Heron and the Little Green Heron, the Killdeer and Sandpiper, while Coots and Loons are very plentiful.

Some winter visitants are the tree sparrows, often seen in flocks with the Junco in town and country, and the snow bird who lives on small seed and comes in barn yards when the fields are covered with snow. The most strik- ing winter bird is the evening grosbeak which is only seen occasionally and in small numbers near boxelder trees. It is large with a buff-white and black color scheme and is sure to excite comment, both because of its rarity and its beauty.

With these winter birds are the permanent residents who receive more attention now than in the summer months when the woods are filled with the brilliantly plumaged songsters. There are the two woodpeckers, hairy and northern downey, and the white breasted nuthatch who are easily attracted to our porches and window sills by suet or crumbs. The American gold finch loses its yellow color this time of year and looks like its buff female. The black capped chickadee is seen and heard through the entire year, as is the bob white or quail. It seems heartless to place these with game birds as they so trustingly respond to a little kindness and will feed in yards except during the breeding seasons.

Hunters find snipe, prairie chickens, quail, plover, partridge and mallard

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

canvas back, teal, red head, spoon bill, blue bill and wood ducks, also wild geese.

Of the 47,093.14 acres of school lands originally in the county but 120 acres remain unsold. The rest were purchased by settlers for cultivation, either as original farms or to be added to the acreage already possessed. As the terms of payment were easy, extending over a long period of years at a low rate of interest, these school lands were an attractive investment. Every precaution was taken, by legislation and otherwise, to prevent their going into the hands of speculators.

Stearns county never had a poor farm. While action in that direction was taken several times by the board of county commissioners it never reached fruition. For some years the poor were cared for by the county from a special fund raised by taxation, but a change was made whereby they became a town charge (chapter 234, special laws of 1877). Attempts were made at different times to secure legislation whereby there would be a re- turn to the former plan, but without result, and the township method has been generally accepted and now prevails throughout the county.

Inheritance taxes were paid in 1913 by these estates: L. Garding, $68.97; John O. McClure, $2,750.48; Mathias Weirens, $119.00. In 1914: John Bar- bian, $4.55.

Loans were obtained from the state in 1914 by the town of LeSauk, $5,000; Melrose school district, $35,000; School district No. 119, $2,000; Dis- trict No. 206, $3,300.

The Stearns County Agricultural society received from the state treas- ury, $1,500.

Payments into the state treasury on account of the two per cent tax on liquor licenses issued for the fiscal year ending July 31, 1914, for the sup- port of the Inebriate Asylum at Willmar, were made by Stearns county and the different cities and villages : County, $90; St. Cloud, $1,120; Sauk Centre, $144; Melrose, $170; Albany, $70; Avon, $40.12; Belgrade, $50; Eden Valley, $50; Freeport, $60.55; Holdingford, $30; Kimball, $76.76; Meire Grove, $20; New Munich, 40; Richmond, $120; Rockville, $20; Spring Hill, $12.

The Fire Relief associations in the county received in 1913 the following amounts : Belgrade, $57.19; Cold Spring, $86.53; Eden Valley, $40.29; Free- port, $40.86; Meire Grove, $6.36; Melrose, $124.11; Paynesville, $156.56; Richmond, $41.14; Sauk Centre, $134.01; St. Cloud, $995.07.

Minnesota ranked eleventh in area and nineteenth in population among the 49 states and territories of continental United States by the census of 1910. In 1890 the density of population to the square mile was 16.2; in 1900 it was 21.7; in 1910 it was 25.7. Forty-one per cent of the entire population resided in incorporated cities and villages having a population of 2,500 in- habitants or over. There were eight cities having a population in excess of 10,000 inhabitants.

Minnesota ranked thirty-second in 1889 among the states and territories in respect to the gross value of products, but advanced to the thirteenth place in 1899, which position was retained in 1904 and in 1909. Although not essentially a manufacturing state, the government reports show that the

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

manufacturing industries of Minnesota have developed rapidly during the decade prior to the last census, the increase being especially marked during the last five-year period. The increase in the value of products from 1899 to 1909 was 83 per cent.

The number of children employed in the manufacturing industries of Minnesota is very small; the average being largest in the printing and pub- lishing business, where 53 were employed in 1910, forming only nine-tenths of one per cent of all wage earners engaged in this industry.

In the year 1913 eighty counties in Minnesota received from the state treasury more money than they paid in, only six receiving less, those being Cook, Hennepin, Itasca, Ramsey and St. Louis. The excess paid by Hennepin was $485,092.34; by Ramsey, $294,565.48; by St. Louis, $836,785.02. Stearns county paid in $63,555.69, receiving $97,985.36, making an overplus of $34,429.67.

The following statement gives the gross earnings of the different tele- phone companies within Stearns county or having their offices in the county. On these earnings a tax of 3 per cent is paid to the state. Of the figures given the first sum under each name is for 1912, the second for 1913: Albany Telephone Co., $722, $693; Ashley Telephone Co., -, $639.15; Ashley Rural (Sauk Centre), $54.55, $61; Belgrade & North-Eastern, $38, $177.73; Brooten, $1,318.33, $1,534; Brooten-Sunberg, $56, $150; Cable Rural (St. Cloud), $33, $51; Cedar Lake Line (Sauk Centre), $50, $47; Commercial (Bel- grade), $1,242.84, $1,155.10; Eden Valley, $2,140.95, $2,649.96; Freeport, $1,120, $1,144; Getty Central (Sauk Centre), $33, $32.50; Getty Grove (Sauk Centre), $44, $49.50; Haven (St. Cloud), --- , $75.01; Kimball-Maine Prairie (Kimball), $2,374.22, $2,023; Le Sauk (St. Cloud), $257, $184.40; Luxemburg, (St. Cloud), $687.90; $668; Melrose, $4,562.05, $5,103.10; Minden (St. Cloud), $63.82, $63.16; Ness (St. Cloud), $36.11, $45.25; North Star (St. Cloud), $55.90, $22.75; Paynesville Rural (Zions), $359, $177.40; Pleasant Valley (Sauk Cen- tre), $44, $33; Raymond (Sauk Centre), $41.95, $45.20; Riverside (St. Cloud), $142, $155; Rockville Road (St. Cloud), $157.25; $151.75; St. Augusta (St. Cloud), $408.92, $700.48; Sauk Centre and Unity (Sauk Centre), $73.98, $62.98; J. W. Ward Co. (Sauk Centre), $162, $132; Zion (Paynesville), $498.50, $672.

It will be observed that almost without exception the gross earnings of these lines fell off in 1913 from what they were in 1912.

The earnings of the Northwestern Telephone Company, which has one of its district offices in St. Cloud, were $2,714,886.53 in 1912 and $3,380,830.83 in 1913.

1441173

ST. CLOUD STATE NORMAL SCHOOL

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

CHAPTER XXXIX.

ST. CLOUD STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.

Minnesota Normal Schools-Normal School Idea-the St. Cloud School- Legislation Passed, Appropriation Made, Site Selected-School Opens- First Building Completed-First Graduation-Early Faculty Members- Statistics and Appropriations-Principals and Presidents-School for Practice-Dormitories-State Normal Board-Alumni Association.

There are five flourishing state normal schools in Minnesota. By an act of the legislature (1913), a sixth school was established, the location to be determined by a committee appointed for that purpose. After visiting a number of places, the site offered at Bemidji was selected.

The father of the normal school idea in Minnesota was Dr. John D. Ford of Winona. Through his efforts a bill for establishing three normal schools passed the legislature of 1858, schools to be located at Winona, Mankato and St. Cloud. The school at Winona was opened in September, 1860, with John Ogden of Ohio as its principal. The second school was opened at Man- kato in 1868; the third at St. Cloud in 1869. The fourth normal school was opened at Moorhead in 1888, and a fifth in Duluth in 1901. The following is a list of the presidents of the several schools: Winona, Guy E. Maxwell; Mankato, Chas. H. Cooper; St. Cloud, W. A. Shoemaker; Moorhead, F. A. Weld; Duluth, E. W. Bohannon.

The normal school idea had its inception in the United States in the revival of common school education that dates back to 1837. Previous to that time, the general conception of the common school was that of memo- riter exercises and perfunctory drill coupled with a system of repression that was supposed to be discipline The doctrine that teachers were "born not made" was generally accepted, and as a result there was no public effort to "make" teachers. There was no conception that teaching was or ever would be a profession. An education crisis had been reached and the ques- tion as to whether the common public schools were to influence the American ideal or were to be supplanted by the fee institution, pressed for settlement. 'Twas then that America's greatest educator accepted the challenge and came off victor. Horace Mann, Secretary of the Board of Education of Massachusetts, backed by such men as Edmund Dwight, Daniel Webster and John Quincy Adams, conceived the idea that the only way to make the com- mon schools dear to the heart of every right-minded citizen was to make them more efficient, and that the only way to add to their efficiency was to find a method of securing more competent instructors, in short of making teach- ing a profession.

Mainly through the efforts of Mr. Mann, the first normal school in Amer- ica was opened at Lexington, Mass. (1839). The New England States and New York were quick to accept the doctrine and normal school after normal school followed in rapid succession. Later, the school at Oswego, N. Y.,

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

under the management of Dr. E. A. Sheldon, became the most prominent and most influential. The normal schools of Minnesota are the spiritual descend- ants of that notable institution.

Today a large percentage of the grades in our public schools are taught by graduates of the Minnesota state normal schools. The state inspector of high schools recently remarked that the destruction of the normal schools would today be the greatest civic calamity that could come to our state. So strongly has the normal school idea grown into public confidence that the State Normal School Board has recently determined that, beginning with the year 1915, only advanced graduates of the state normal schools or those that have equivalent training may teach in the school systems under its super- vision. The significance and far reaching effect of this ruling will be appre- ciated when we note that it applies to all common graded schools in the state.

The normal schools are now held in such esteem by the law makers of the state that, during the last four years, every request by way of financial aid made by the normal board has been cheerfully granted, and the institu- tions are well housed and equipped

The enrollment of the five normal schools, exclusive of the elementary or model schools, is 2,442. Besides the regular session, each school main- tains a summer school in which those who are teaching or otherwise engaged during the regular school year may avail themselves of the advantages of the regular normal instruction.

The enrollment in the summer schools of the five normal schools during the summer of 1912 was 2,139.

The normal board has authorized the following courses. Manual train- ing course for diploma, one year beyond graduation from advanced course. Domestic science course for diploma, one year beyond graduation from ad- vanced course. Music supervision course for diploma, one year beyond grad- vation from advance course. Advanced English course, five years beyond eighth grade. Advanced Latin course, five years beyond eight grade. Ad- vanced graduate course, two years beyond graduation from a four year high school. Advanced kindergarten course, two years beyond graduation from a four-year high school. Elementary course, three years beyond eighth grade. The state normal schools are under direction of the state normal board consisting of nine members.

ST. CLOUD NORMAL SCHOOL.

The important place of normal schools in the education system of a state had early recognition in Minnesota, the legislature in 1858 making provision for the establishing of three of these institutions of learning. A condition imposed was that the locality chosen should donate the sum of $5,000. Schools were established at Winona, Mankato and St. Cloud, and were at first and for some years afterwards, officially designated as the First, Second and Third State Normal Schools. The first school was opened at Winona in September, 1860, with a principal and one assistant, in a building capable of accomodat- ing forty students, and was the first normal school west of the Mississippi river.

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In 1866, a bill passed the legislature definitely establishing a normal school at Mankato and another at St. Cloud Subsequently legislation made an appropriation of $150,000 to be apportioned equally among the three schools, but the bill was vetoed by Governor Marshall. The Mankato school was opened in 1868. In January of that year, the board of supervisors of the town of St. Cloud authorized the issuance of $5,000 in bonds to secure funds to meet the legislative requirements as to location, and in July these bonds were issued and sold.

The state normal board, consisting of Prof. W. F. Phelps, and the Hon. Thomas Simpson, of Winona; the Rev. Jabez Brooks, of Red Wing; the Hon. M. H. Dunnell, of Owatonna; the Rev. H. J. Parker, of Austin; the Rev. Dr. MeMasters, of St. Paul, and Daniel Buck, of Mankato, came to St. Cloud August 4, 1868, and were joined by Gen. C. C. Andrews, the resident member of the board. The occasion of the visit was to select a suitable site for the new state normal school. A number of places were visited, but without any definite choice being made. The board regarded with most favor Pine Garden, the Stearns House, John L. Wilson's block, the Seminary Block, and a plat of ground near the Western ravine bridge. Before adjourning the normal board chose a prudential committee, so-called, consisting of Gen. C. C. Andrews, Judge E. O. Hamlin and N. F. Barnes, who were to report when the people of the city should have agreed on one or a limited number of loca- tions, and another meeting of the board would be called. At a meeting of the normal board held at Winona, February 4, 1869, attended by Messrs. Andrews and Barnes, two locations were presented, the Seminary square and a tract owned by Leland Cram on Lake George. An adjourned meeting of the board was held in this city February 16, to take final action in the matter of the selection of a site. Four locations under consideration were visited: The Cram property on Lake George, the Wilson property, Seminary square and the Stearns House. Leland Cram offered to donate four acres as a site for the school. Its selection was supported by General C. C. Andrews, who strenuously urged this site to the last, by Oscar Taylor, T. C. McClure, H. C. Waite and others. In behalf of Seminary square, which included an area of four and five-sixteenths acres, petitions were offered, signed by thirty- nine business men of St. Cloud, from a number of other prominent citizens, from six of the aldermen, from three of the four pastors of the Protestant churches of the town, from Judge McKelvy and from the prudential com- mittee, while H. L. Gordon addressed the board in favor of this location. J. L. Wilson offered to sell his property, three acres, for $7,000 with the build- ings on it or for $5,000 without the buildings. William Hooper offered the Stearns House property, exclusive of the barn, for $3,000. After giving a full hearing, the normal board went into executive session, with only the reporters for the papers present. A choice was made by the process of elim- ination. The J. L. Wilson site was stricken out because of its public location and proximity to the saloons. The Cram site was disposed of, as having a number of objectionable features. The Seminary square did not appeal to the members because of its lack of natural attractions and because of defects in the title. This left the Stearns House property, which was finally decided

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upon by a unanimous vote, the land deeded to the state to include not less than one acre. The beauty of the location, on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi river, and the fact that there stood on it a building which could be almost at once utilized for school purposes, were strong factors in bring- ing the normal board to making this selection-unquestionably by all odds the best that could have been made. The prudential committee was in- structed to have the Stearns House building put into proper condition so that school could be open September 1, 1869. The president and secretary of the normal board with General Andrews, the resident member, were con- stituted a committee to secure as soon as possible a principal for the school, at a salary not to exceed $2,000 per annum.

At a meeting of the normal board held in Winona, March 17, the pur- chase of the Stearns House property was approved, provided Mr. Hooper furnished conveyance with satisfactory title within five days after due notice. If the Stearns House property should not be taken, one month's time was given to secure the Seminary site at a cost not exceeding $1,500. Failing in this, the offer from Leland Cram should be accepted. At this meeting Professor Ira Moore was elected the first principal of the St. Cloud state normal school. A deed to the Stearns property was presented to the pru- dential committee at a meeting held March 23 and accepted, to be submitted for approval to the state normal board. The City Council, March 29, in response to a petition voted unanimously to vacate the Park block, River street between Washington avenue and Sisson street, the alley west of the Park block and that on which the Stearns House was built, the land thus vacated to be used for normal school purposes. This increased the area of the normal school grounds to five and a half acres.

Further action on the purchase of the Stearns House property was taken at a meeting of the state normal board held at Mankato April 8, when a resolution was adopted directing that warrants for the amount of the purchase price be drawn when certain details should be complied with. Professor Moore was requested to come to St. Cloud to supervise the changes necessary to be made in the building to render it suitable for school purposes.

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History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 4

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843- Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper Number of Pages: 1110

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1110