The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated, Part 7

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago : H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co.
Number of Pages: 1246

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Frankford. Originally created as an election precinct, April 7, 1856, and contained at that time the present towns of Dexter, Grand Meadow, Frankford, Marshall, Clayton, Bennington, Adams, Lodi and Le Roy. Le Roy was cut off July 7, 1856. April 27, 1857, a piece was taken off at the north, and Adams, Lodi and Clayton were also cut off. April 6, 1858, the town was given its present name and boundary, but for purposes of local government all of the present Grand Meadow and the north halves of Clayton and Bennington were attached to it. It was on this date that Frankford lost the six sections that are included in its congres- sional township, but politically belong to Racine. The northern half of Bennington was cut off from Frankford in 1860, the north- ern half of Clayton in 1873 and Grand Meadow in 1863.

Red Rock. Originally created as an election precinct, July 7, 1856, out of what had previously been Austin. At the time of its creation it consisted of the present towns of Udolpho, Waltham and the north halves of Red Rock and Lansing. The southern part of what is now Red Rock township remained in Austin. April 27, 1857, the present town of Udolpho was cut off, under the name of Madison. By the act of the county commissioners. April 16, 1858, Red Rock assumed its present boundaries, but all of the present town of Dexter, and the southern part of Sargeant, was attached to Red Rock for purposes of township government. According to the records, Dexter was then known as Grand Meadow, and Sargeant as Beaubien. In 1866, when Waltham was organized, it took in the western part of what is now Sar- geant, but whether the eastern part remained attached to Red Rock the records do not state. At any rate, Dexter was organ- ized in 1870 and Sargeant in 1873, thus leaving Red Rock with its present boundaries and government.

Le Roy was created as an election precinct July 7, 1856, out of Frankford, with its present boundaries. April 27, 1857, the present towns of Lodi and Adams were added to it. but later in the same day Adams was added to Six Mile Grove, and Clayton was added to Le Roy, thus leaving Le Roy consisting of the pres-

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

ent towns of Le Roy, Lodi and Clayton. April 16, 1858, the town assumed its present boundaries, but Lodi, and the southern halves of Clayton and Bennington, were attached to it for government purposes. Clayton was then called Providence, and Bennington was then called Andover. Bennington was cut off in 1860, Clay- ton in 1873 and Lodi in 1874, leaving Le Roy with its present boundaries and government.

Six Mile Grove was created as an election precinct August 16, 1856, out of what had previously been Austin. It consisted of the present towns of Lyle and Nevada. April 27, 1857, the present town of Adams, which up to that day had been included in Frankford, and which a few hours earlier in the day had been added to Le Roy, was added to Six Mile Grove, while the present town of Lyle was cut off and created as Cedar City election pre- cinct. April 16, 1858, Adams and Nevada were each given their present names and boundaries, and Adams was annexed to Ne- vada for purposes of local government. Nevada was organized in 1858. Adams was cut off and organized 1859.

Madison was created as an election precinct April 16, 1858, and consisted of the present town of Udolpho. It was created out of a part of Red Rock, which precinct had, in turn, been originally a part of the precinct of Austin. April 16, 1858, the name of Madison was changed to Udolpho, and that township assumed its present boundaries. Waltham and the northern part of Beaubien, now Sargeant, were attached to Udolpho for pur- poses of local government. The present boundaries and govern- ment have remained unchanged since 1866, when Waltham was organized.

Cedar City was created as an election precinct April 27, 1857, and comprised the present township of Lyle. Lyle was organized with its present boundaries April 16, 1858.

Hamilton was created as an election precinct April 27, 1857, and occupied an irregular piece taken from what was then the precincts of High Forest and Frankford, and consisting of por- tions of what are now the towns of Pleasant Valley, Raeine, Grand Meadow and Frankford. The name Hamilton was given to the present town of Racine April 16, 1858, but on May 11 of that year the people changed it to Racine. May 22, 1857, the tier of six sections to the north were cut off and added to Olmsted county, and on April 16, 1858, the six tiers to the south were added to Hamilton, now Racine.

TOWNSHIP BOUNDARIES.

On April 16, 1858, the state constitution having been adopted, the county commissioners met for the purpose of dividing the

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

county into townships. On May 22, 1857, sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, in township 104, ranges 14 and 15, had been cut off and added to Olmsted county. With this exception Mower county was and is a parallelogram, thirty miles by twenty-four miles, compris- ing congressional townships 101, 102, 103 and 104, ranges 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18. With the exception of the tier of six sections in the northern part of township 103, range 14, which was at- tached to the township north, the townships which were created to the number of twenty followed the congressional division, as follows: Township 101, range 14, Le Roy ; 15, Lodi; 16, Adams; 17, Nevada; 18, Lyle. Township 102, range 14, Andover; 15, Providence; 16, York ; 17, Brooklyn; 18, Austin. Township 103, range 14, Frankford; 15, Poplar Grove; 16, Grand Meadow; 17, Red Rock; 18, Lansing. Township 104, range 14, Hamilton, West; 15, Farmington ; 16, Beaubien ; 17, Waltham : 18, Udolpho. It will thus be seen that the name Grand Meadow was given to what is now Dexter, while the present Grand Meadow was then called Poplar Grove. Lansing, Austin and Lyle were ordered to have separate and distinct organizations for township purposes. The others were grouped in various ways.

Udolpho was organized at once. To it were added Waltham and the northern part of Beaubien, now Sargeant. Waltham. then consisting of the present town of Waltham and the western half of the present town of Sargeant, was cut off and organized in 1866.

Waltham was organized in 1866 and consisted of the present town of Waltham and the western part of what is now Sargeant. Sargeant was cut off and organized in 1874.

Sargeant, which was originally known as Beaubien and then as Stanton, after being attached in part successively to Udolpho, Waltham and Red Rock, was organized in 1873.

Pleasant Valley, called by the county commissioners Farm- ington, was ordered to be attached to Hamilton, now Racine, for government purposes, but the records show that it was duly separately organized May 11, 1858.

Racine, called by the county commissioners Hamilton, or more formally Hamilton West, was ordered to have Farmington, now Pleasant Valley, attached to it, but, as in the case of Pleasant Valley, the town was organized separately and distinctly and with its present boundaries May 11, 1858.

Lansing was organized as at present May 11, 1858.

Red Rock was organized in 1858, and Grand Meadow, now Dexter, and the southern half of Beaubien, now Sargeant, were attached to it for township purposes. What was then Grand Meadow was organized in 1870 and is now Dexter. What was then Beaubien was organized in 1873 and is now Sargeant.

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

Dexter, originally called Grand Meadow, and for some years attached to Red Rock, was organized in 1870.

Grand Meadow, formerly called Poplar Grove, and originally attached to Frankford, was organized in 1862.

Frankford, from whose congressional township, the northern tier of sections is detached, was organized in 1858 and to it were attached Poplar Grove, now Grand Meadow, and the northern halves of Providence and Andover, now Clayton and Bennington. Grand Meadow, formerly Poplar Grove, was organized in 1862; Clayton, formerly Providence, in 1873, and Bennington, formerly Andover, in 1860.

Austin was organized in 1858 as at present.

Windom included the towns of Brooklyn and York and was or- ganized in 1858. Brooklyn became Canton, then Windom. York was cut off in 1870.

Marshall, originally York and later Beach, was organized in 1870, having previously been attached to what is now Windom.

Clayton, originally called Providence, the northern half of which was originally attached to Frankford and the southern half to Le Roy, was organized in 1873.

Bennington, formerly called Andover, the northern part of which was originally annexed to Frankford and the southern half to Le Roy, was organized in 1860.

Lyle was organized in 1858, as at present.

Nevada, to which was originally attached Adams, was organ- ized in 1858. Adams was organized in 1859.

Adams, originally a park attached to Nevada, was organized in 1859.

Lodi, originally attached to Le Roy, was organized in Febru- ary, 1874. For a time the town was known as Belleview.

Le Roy was organized in 1858, and to it were attached the southern halves of Providence and Andover, now Clayton and Bennington, and all of Lodi. Lodi was cut off in 1874; Clayton in 1873 and Bennington in 1860.

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

CHAPTER VIII.

COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

Doings of the Consecutive Boards of County Commissioners- County Officials-Registers of Deeds-Treasurers-Auditors -Sheriffs-County Attorneys-Clerks of the District Court -Judges of Probate-Superintendents of Schools-County Buildings-Location of County Seat-County Court House- County Jail -- County Poor Farm.

The first meeting of the board of county commissioners ap- pointed by Governor Gorman, was held in the village of Frank- ford, April 7, 1856, Frankford having been established as the temporary county seat. The county commissioners present were Phillip Howell and George White. The first business to come before the board was the appointment of the first county officers, which resulted in the selection of the following named: Timothy M. Chapman, register of deeds and elerk of the board of county commissioners; C. J. Felch, judge of probate; Lewis Patchin, county treasurer ; M. K. Armstrong, county surveyor; G. W. Sher- man, sheriff and collector of taxes.

The precincts created were named High Forest, Frankford and Austin. High Forest embraced ranges 14, 15 and 16, of town- ship 104. Frankford comprised townships 101, 102 and 103, ranges 14, 15 and 16. Austin embraced townships 101, 102, 103 and 104, ranges 17 and 18. In High Forest precinct Thomas Arm- strong was appointed justice of the peace; Orson Lyon, consta- ble ; John Robinson, assessor, and J. S. Stimson, Nathan Lyon and

Geo. I. Covill, judges of election. In the Frankford precinct David D. Frazier was appointed Justice of the Peace; John Far- quer, constable; George IIunt, assessor; D. D. Frazier, G. W. Sherman and Griffin Frazier, judges of election. In Austin pre- cinct, Silas Dutcher was appointed justice of the peace; L. Wa- tions, constable; Orlando Wilder, assessor; J. H. Burns, A. B. Vaughan and V. P. Lewis, judges of election.

May 30, 1856, the second meeting of the board of commission- ers was held. This meeting was attended by the full board- Philip Howell, chairman; George White and William Russell. It was found that certain officers appointed at the previous meeting had failed to qualify, and in consequence of this Sylvester Smith was appointed justice of the peace in the Austin preeinet; Wash- ington Mason, assessor, and Charles Ferris, constable. July 7, 1856, the commissioners again met, with Phillip Howell chairman, George White and William Russell, present. At this time a peti-

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

tion was presented from W. B. Spencer and others, asking that a new election precinct be created under the name of LeRoy, to comprise township 101, range 14. The petition was granted and the following officers were appointed for the new precinct : Sam- uel P. Bacon, justice of the peace ; William B. Spencer, constable, and Henry Edmunds, S. P. Bacon and W. B. Spencer, judges of election. At the same session the precinct of Red Rock was ere- ated in response to a petition from John L. Johnson and others. It then embraced the north half of township 103, and the whole of township 104, ranges 17 and 18. The following officers were ap- pointed : Moses Mapes, Andrew Brown and Charles F. Hardy, judges of election, and Charles F. Hardy, justice of the peace, and Hilliard Tilton, constable. Opposite this entry, regard- ing the creation of Red Rock, on the record, is written the word "error"; but as nothing is found in the record to contradict the entry, it is here presented. Several school districts were created at this time, and the first bills against Mower county were allowed. The first bill was that of Lewis Patchin for $19 for services as road commissioner. From a report made to the board it is learned that in 1856 the taxable real and personal property in the county was as follows: Frankford district-personal prop- erty, $24,473 ; real property, $233,855. High Forest district-per- sonalty, $17,257; realty, $77,743. Austin precinct-personalty, $12,132; realty, $92,072. Total in county, $457,533. The amount of tax levied by the commissioners was $2,287.60. The amount of orders issued to defray the expenses of the county was $1,753.

The first general election was held October 14, 1856, at which 374 votes were cast, and the following officers elected: J. M. Berry, representative; R. L. Kimball, register of deeds; J. B. Yates, sheriff; S. P. Bacon, treasurer; M. K. Armstrong, county surveyor ; A. B. Vaughan, judge of probate ; Dr. O. Allen, coroner : W. B. Spencer, George H. Bemis and H. C. Blodgett, commission- ers.

The first meeting of the new board was held on January 6, 1857, at the village of Frankford, when George H. Bemis was chosen chairman. After organizing, the board adjourned until the following day, when they again met. At this session the county seat question came up, and a resolution was offered by H. B. Blodgett and adopted by the board, locating the county seat on section 3, in Austin village. In March, 1857, the county com- missioners engaged the office of A. S. Everest, in Austin, to be used as an office for the register of deeds, and a place of meeting for the board. At the same meeting Ormanzo Allen was ap- pointed the first county attorney for Mower county. In the mean- time additional election precincts had been created under the names of Six Mile Grove, Brownsdale, Madison, Cedar City and

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

Hamilton. July 6, 1857, the county seat question again occupied the attention of the board, and a resolution was passed locating the county seat in block 23, in Davidson's addition to Austin. The total valuation of real and personal property is stated as being $1,108,304.

The board of county commissioners for 1858 consisted of George H. Bemis, W. B. Spencer and C. F. Hardy. Mr. Bemis was again elected chairman. On January 5, 1858, the resignation of M. K. Armstrong as county surveyor, was tendered the board. April 16, 1858, the commissioners organized twenty townships, but attached a number of them to neighboring ones for the pur- pose of township government.

SUPERVISOR SYSTEM.

In 1858 there began in Minnesota a system of county govern- ment still in vogue in Wisconsin and other states. Under this system, the county was governed by a board of supervisors, eon- sisting of the chairman of the board of supervisors of each town- ship.

In all of the counties then organized in the state, this board of supervisors, or "Court," as it was commonly called, met in the summer of 1858, and it is supposed that such a meeting was held in Anstin, but no record has been preserved. The same system was in operation in 1860, but these records are likewise lost in Mower county. The minutes of these two boards, that of the latter half year of 1858 and that of the year 1859, were doubtless kept in a separate book, and then mislaid. The present commis- sioner system came into being in 1860, and the county commis- sioners of Mower county, three in number, met in January of that year. Should the old record of the year and a half when Mower county was under the commission system ever be brought to light, it will be of untold historical value.

COMMISSION SYSTEM.

In 1860 the board consisted of Ormanzo Allen (chairman), C. F. Hardy and S. P. Bacon. In September, 1860, D. B. Johnson, Jr., resigned the office of county auditor. Ormanzo Allen re- signed as chairman of the board, and was appointed auditor. S. P. Bacon was elected chairman of the board. J. Stewart was elected commissioner to fill vacancy.

On New Year's day, 1861, the board of county commissioners,

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

for the ensuing year met and qualified. The members were Milo Frary, Samuel Loomis and J. Stewart. The board organized by the election of Milo Frary, chairman.

On January 7, 1862, the commissioners convened for the sixth annual session. At this time the board consisted of G. T. Angell, R. C. Heath and G. H. Bemis. The last named was elected chair- man. In February, 1862, the name of Brooklyn township was changed to Canton. At the same time a petition was presented from the legal voters of township 103, range 15, asking that the territory be organized as Grand Meadow township. The petition was granted. On August 13, 1862, a special meeting of the board was held, at which it was "resolved. that $50.00 be paid to cach and every volunteer who should, before August 20, 1862, enlist in the sixth, seventh or eighth Minnesota Regiments and be credited to Mower county." Later the time was extended to October 1. 1862. In September the following school examiners were ap- pointed by the board: H. I. Parker, for the first commissioner district ; Richard Hoppin, for the second, and A. J. Harris, for the third.

The seventh annual session of the board began on January 6, 1863. The board was composed of R. C. Heath, G. T. Angell and Alanson Beach, the latter being the newly elected member. Mr. Beach was elected chairman for the ensuing year. The second day of the session the board divided the county into military dis- triets as follows: First, to be composed of the townships of Adams and Nevada; second, Lyle, Windom and Austin; third, Lansing; fourth, Red Rock and Udolpho; fifth, Pleasant Valley and Grand Meadow ; sixth, Racine ; seventh, Frankford and Ben- nington; eighth, LeRoy. Bennington township was ordered or- ganized at the same time. In September, 1863, the commission- ers appointed the following school examiners: J. B. Tallman. C. F. Hardy and Sackett Sears.

On January 5, 1864, the board convened for the eighth annual session. Charles N. Stimson had been elected to succeed R. C. Heath, so the commissioners for the ensuing year were Alanson Beach, W. B. Spencer and C. N. Stimson. Alanson Beach was elected chairman for the ensuing year. J. B. Tallman was ap- pointed superintendent of common schools of Mower county, at an annual salary of $100; to hold his office one year from Septem- ber 1, 1864. On May 2, 1864, the board of commissioners voted "to allow each volunteer soldier who had gone into the service of the United States and been accredited to Mower county, the sum of $100; and for each veteran soldier who has gone or may go, $100 more; provided that no bounty shall be issued to deserters; that the amounts already drawn as bounty be deducted from the $100; provided further, that no soldier who has been discharged

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

from service shall receive a bounty, unless he has been permanent- ly disabled while in service." "Provided further, that where towns have, during the last year, paid a bounty of $100 to soldiers, the bounty from Mower county shall be paid to the towns instead of the soldiers ; or if the said towns have paid soldiers any fraction of the $100, then the town shall receive the fraction and the sol- diers the balance."

January 3, 1865, the board convened pursuant to law for its ninth annual session. W. E. Harris had been elected commission- er to succeed W. B. Spencer, so that the board for the ensuing year was composed of Alanson Beach, C. N. Stimson and W. E. Harris. No record is found of the election of a chairman. In September, 1865, Ormanzo Allen tendered his resignation as county auditor, which was accepted, and II. M. Allen was ap- pointed to fill the vaeaney. At about the same time Charles N. Stimson, one of the commissioners, sent in his resignation, and the judge of probate, register of deeds and county auditor appointed C. F. Hardy, of Red Rock township, to fill the vacancy. J. B. Tallman was appointed county superintendent of schools, for one year, commeneing January 1, 1866. His salary was fixed at $300 per year. C. J. Short, the county attorney, was allowed an annual salary of $100.

At the annual meeting which commenced Jannary 2, 1866, there were present Alanson Beach, C. F. Hardy and William E. Harris. Messrs. Beach and Hardy were the newly elected mem- bers. Alanson Beach was chosen chairman for the ensuing year. The first business to come before the board was the offering of a reward for the apprehension of Patrick McEntee, who, December 18, 1865, had murdered I. W. Padden. A reward of $400 was offered. At this session the board voted to allow A. B. Morse, Charles E. White and Thomas Talbot the sum of $50 each as sol- diers' bonnty, their names not appearing upon the adjutant gen- eral's list of credits. At the same time township 104, range 17, and the west half of township 104, range 16, was set off as Wal- tham township, and civil organization was authorized. On Sept- ember 5, 1866, Sherman Page, of Austin, was appointed Superin- tendent of schools. His salary was fixed at $400 per ammim.

On January 11, 1867, the board of county commissioners met in annual session pursuant to law, at the auditor's office in Austin. E. J. Stimson, the commissioner-elect succeeding C. F. Hardy, qualified, and took his seat. The board for the year consisted of Alanson Beach, William E. Harris and E. J. Stimson. Alanson Beach was elected chairman for the ensuing year. In September, Sherman Page was re-appointed superintendent of schools. His salary was fixed at the same amount as in the preceding year.

January 7, 1868, the board met for their twelfth annual ses-

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

sion. At this time the members were Alanson Beach, E. J. Stim- son and Joseph MeKnight. The last named was the member-elect sueceeding William E. Harris. Mr. Stimson was elected chairman, but in April resigned and A. Beach was elected. At this session the board divided the county into five commissioner districts in place of the former three, it being found that there were a suffi- cient number of votes to entitle a representation on the county board of two additional members. The districts as then set off comprised territory as follows: District No. 1, embraced Udol- pho, Red Rock, Waltham and Pleasant Valley townships, E. J. Stimson. District No. 2, embraced Racine, Frankford and Grand Meadow townships, D. P. Putney. District No. 3, was composed of Adams, LeRoy and Bennington townships, J. H. MeKnight. Distriet No. 4, embraced Lyle, Nevada and Windom townships, Alanson Beach. Distriet No. 5, embraced Austin and Lansing townships, George W. Bishop. At the same session the board directed the sheriff to offer a reward of $500 each for the appre- hension of Oliver Potter and William Kemp, two of the supposed murderers of Chauncey Knapp. At the March session, 1868, D. P. Putney and George W. Bishop, members-elect from the newly created districts, appeared and qualified. At the same meeting a committee, consisting of J. MeKnight and G. W. Bishop, was ap- pointed to examine farms that had been offered the county as a poor farm. This matter culminated on March 14, when it was voted to accept Mr. Caswell's proposition to sell his farm in Le- Roy township to the county for a poor farm, and also to buy eighty aeres of W. Hayes, adjoining the Caswell farm, at $23 per acre. On April 9, it was resolved "that the register of deeds be instructed to take the necessary steps to transfer all records of deeds and mortgages (not satisfied) now recorded in Houston county, Minnesota, on lands lying in Mower county, to the records of this county." At this meeting bids were received for the erec- tion of a new county building, and that of D. J. Tubbs being the lowest, the contract was awarded to him in the sum of $6,450. A building committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs. Beach. Stimson and Bishop. The building was to be completed September 5, 1868. On September 11, the commissioners passed a resolution, declaring that they had the greatest confidence in the integrity and efficiency of the county officials. In October, Sheldon T. Otis was appointed county superintendent of schools for the ensuing year.

On January 5, 1869, the board met in annual session. Alanson Beach, D. P. Putney and George W. Bishop, commissioners-elect, qualified. The members holding over were Joseph MeKnight and E. J. Stimson. Alanson Beach was chosen chairman for the ensu- ing year. On March 13, 1869, Sylvester Smith resigned the office

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The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated, Part 7

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago : H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co. Number of Pages: 1246

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago : H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co.
Number of Pages: 1246