USA > Minnesota > Mower County > The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated > Part 8
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
of county treasurer, and Solomon Snow, the treasurer-elect, was appointed to fill the unexpired term.
On January 4, 1870, the Board convened for their annual ses- sion, with Alanson Beach, G. W. Bishop, D. P. Putney and J. Me- Knight, members holding over, present. John P. Williams, the member-elect from the first district, qualified and took his seat with the board. Alanson Beach was unanimously chosen chair- man for the ensuing year. In May, 1870, the township of Dexter was created and ordered organized. It embraced Congressional township 103, range 16. At the same time township 102, range 16, was set off and ordered organized as Beach township. In Decem- ber, 1870, II. E. Turner presented his credentials as member-elect of the board, and qualified. He succeeded Mr. Williams.
On January 3, 1871, the board met in annual session, pursuant to law. At this time the following named gentlemen were mem- bers : Alanson Beach, H. E. Tanner, C. J. Felch, G. W. Bishop and E. F. MeKee. Alanson Beach was chosen chairman for the ensuing vear. In February, G. W. Bishop resigned, and was succeeded by W. M. Howe. On June 26, 1871, a special meeting of the board was held at which it was decided to bring legal action against Sylvester Smith, former treasurer of the county, for alleged irreg- ularities in connection with the county finances. This was a mat- ter which for a number of years agitated the county. In justice to Mr. Smith, it should be stated in this connection that his honor and integrity came out unscathed from the long and bitter litiga- tion which followed. In September, L. Bourgard presented his resignation as county attorney, and E. O. Wheeler was appointed to fill the vacancy.
On January 2, 1872, the board met in annual session. A. C. Bisbee, commissioner-eleet from the fourth district, qualified. The board for the ensuing year was composed of C. J. Felch, W. M. Ilowe, HI. E. Tanner, E. F. MeKee and A. C. Bisbee. Organization was effected by the election of C. J. Felch, chairman.
The annual meeting for 1873 commenced on January 7. II. E. Tanner had been re-elected from the first district, so the board re- mained as before, the members being C. J. Felch, W. M. Howe, A. C. Bisbee, E. F. McKee and H. E. Tanner. C. J. Felch was elected chairman for the ensuing year.
On September 3, 1873, township 104, range 16, formerly known as Beaubien, was set off and ordered organized as the civil town- ship Stanton. Clayton township was created at the same time, comprising township 102, range 15, formerly known as Provi- dence.
On January 6, 1874, the board met again in annual session. C. J. Felch had been re-elected. The members holding over were W.
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
M. Ilowe, H. E. Tanner, A. C. Bisbee and James Grant. C. J. Feleh was elected chairman for the ensuing year. On March 19, 1874, E. F. Morgan, of LeRoy township, was appointed superinten- dent of schools for the ensuing year. In July, Lafayette French was appointed county attorney to fill a vacancy. At the same meet- ing in response to a circular from the governor, the board appro- priated $500 from the county funds, for the relief of grasshopper sufferers.
On January 5, 1875, the board of commissioners met in annual session, with the following as its members: C. J. Feleh, HI. E. Tanner, James Grant, William Richards and R. J. French. C. J. Felch was elected chairman for the ensuing year.
The board of county commissioners for 1876 was composed of C. J. Feleh, William Richards, James Grant, A. J. French and F. W. Kimball. William Richards was elected chairman of the board at the annual meeting January 4, 1876. On June 14, 1976, the following resolution was adopted by the board of county commissioners : Resolved, That the sum of $100 or so much there- of as may be necessary be set apart for the purpose of collecting and preparing a statistical history of Mower county, in accord- anee with the proclamation of the president. Messrs. Richards and French were appointed a committee to carry out the inten- tion of the board.
The annual session for 1877 began on January 2. At this time the members were William Richards, A. J. French, F. W. Kimball, G. W. Allen and W. B. Spencer. William Richards was elected chairman for the ensuing year. During the summer 1877, O. C. La Bar succeeded Commissioner Kimball.
For the year 1878, the board consisted of William Richards, G. W. Allen, W. B. Spencer, O. C. La Bar and M. M. Trowbridge. William Richards was elected chairman on January 1, 1878, for the ensning year.
The annual session of 1879 began Jannary 7, when the board organized, by the election of William Richards, chairman. The board was composed of William Richards, O. C. La Bar, G. W. Allen, W. B. Spencer and M. M. Trowbridge. P. T. MeIntyre, in August, 1879, was appointed county treasurer to succeed I. Ing- mundson, deceased.
On January 6, 1880, the board met in regular session, with the following named as members: William Richards, M. M. Trow- bridge, O. C. La Bar, O. W. Case and W. B. Mitson. Mr. Rich- ards was chosen chairman. Mr. Case died in May, 1880, and Charles L. Sehræder, of Racine, was appointed to fill the vacancy.
On January 4, 1881, the board met and organized for the ensu- ing year, by electing O. C. La Bar, chairman for the ensuing
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
year. The members of the board of commissioners at this time were: O. C. La Bar, W. B. Mitson, R. A. Donaldson, O. Ayers and Hans C. Anderson.
The board for 1882 was composed of W. B. Mitson, H. C. Anderson, Oscar Ayers, J. B. Graves and R. A. Donaldson. W. B. Mitson was elected chairman for the ensuing year.
At the annual session which began January 2, 1883, the fol- lowing were the members: Oscar Ayers, H. C. Anderson, J. B. Graves, C. L. Schræder and John Gilligan. Oscar Ayers was chosen chairman for the ensuing year.
On New Year's day, 1884, the board convened for their annual session. Oscar Ayers was elected chairman for the ensuing year. The members were: Oscar Ayers, H. C. Anderson, J. B. Graves, C. L. Schroder and John Gilligan.
In January, 1885, the board consisting of H. C. Anderson, J. B. Graves, C. L. Sehræder, John Gilligan and Oscar Ayres, met and named the latter as chairman.
Since 1885, the commissioners have been elected as follows: 1886-F. Christgau, C. H. Lockwood, W. W. Sweet, John Beach, E. C. Dorr. 1888-W. T. Johnson, C. H. Lockwood, W. W. Sweet, John Beach, A. E. Christie. 1890-N. T. Johnson, William Brown, W. W. Sweet, John Beach, A. E. Christie. 1892-M. Stephenson, William Brown, W. W. Sweet, John Beach, J. W. C. Dinsmoor. 1894-M. Stephenson, William Brown, W. W. Sweet, K. Amundson, J. W. C. Dinsmoor. 1896-M. Stephenson, Wilham Brown, Frank E. Hambrecht, K. Amundson, J. W. C. Dinsmoor. 1898-M. Stephenson, William Brown, Frank E. Iambreeht, K. Amundson, J. W. C. Dinsmoor. 1900-M. Stephenson, William Brown, Frank E. Hambrecht, K. Amundson, Joseph Keenan. 1902 -M. Stephenson, W. P. Lewis, Frank E. Hambrecht, P. O'Malley, Joseph Keenan. 1904-D. L. Tanner, W. P. Lewis, Frank E. Ham- brecht, John R. Johnson, William Christie. 1906-D. L. Tanner, W. H. Goodsell, Frank E. Hambrecht, John R. Johnson, William Christie. 1908-Charles L. Schwartz, W. HI. Goodsell, Frank E. Hambrecht, John R. Johnson, William Christie. 1910-Charles L. Schwartz, W. II. Goodsell, Frank E. Hambrecht, John R. John- son. William Christie.
The county commissioners' distriets are at present divided as follows: 1, Dexter, Sargeant, Waltham, Udolpho and Red Rock ; 2, Frankford, Racine, Pleasant Valley and Grand Meadow ; 3, Le- Roy, Bennington, Lodi and Adams; 4, Marshall, Windom, Nevada and Lyle ; 5, Austin and Lansing.
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
COUNTY OFFICIALS.
Following is a list of the elective officers of Mower county, since its organization in 1856:
Auditor-The office of county auditor was created to take et- feet in 1859. The business now performed by him, had been per- formed prior to that date by the register of deeds and elerk. The auditors have been as follows: D. B. Johnson, Jr., 1859-1860; Ormanzo Allen, 1860-1865; H. M. Allen, 1865-1871, Henry M. Shook, to fill vacancy ; J. P. Williams, 1871-1875; P. T. MeIntyre, 1875-1879; J. M. Wyckoff, 1878-1880; II. W. Elms, 1880-1887; C. H. Wilbour, 1887-1893; R. L. Johnson, 1893-1903; George Robert- son, 1903-1913. The deputy at the present time is C. H. Wilbour.
Treasurer-Lewis Patehin, 1856-1857 (appointed) ; S. P. Bacon, 1857-1858; A. S. Everest, 1858-1860; T. J. Lake, 1860-1862 ; Sylvester Smith, 1862-1869; Solomon Snow, 1869-1870; J. S. Irgens, 1870-1874; I. Ingmundson, 1874-1879; P. T. MeIntyre, 1879-1881 ; G. L. Case, 1881-1887 ; A. Requa, 1887-1893; G. Seebach, 1893-1903; S. A. Smith, 1903-1913.
Register of Deeds-Timothy M. Chapman, 1856-1857 (ap- pointed) ; R. L. Kimball, 1857-1858; David Blakely, 1859-1861; Solomon Snow, 1861-1869; R. L. Hathaway. 1869-1871 ; George W. Robinson, 1871-1875; William M. Howe, 1875-1882; M. M. Trow- bridge, 1882-1887; Eugene Wood, 1887-1913.
Sheriff-G. W. Sherman, 1856-1857; J. B. Yates, 1857-1859; George W. Bishop, 1859-1861; E. D. Fenton, 1861-1865; W. F. Grummons, 1865-1867; D. J. Tubbs, 1867-1869; Allan Mollison, 1869-1873; George Baird, 1873-1875; R. O. Hall, 1875-1878; H. B. Corey, 1878-1885 ; Allan Mollison, 1885-1895 ; John C. Johnson, Jr., 1895-1905; Nicholas Nicholsen, 1905-1913.
Attorney-Ormanzo Allen, 1857-1859 ; D. B. Johnson, Jr., 1859- 1860; C. J. Shortt, 1860-1864; H. R. Davidson, 1864; D. B. John- son, 1864-1865; C. J. Shortt, 1865-1867 ; E. O. Wheeler, 1867-1869; C. J. Shortt, 1869-1871 ; L. Bourgard, 1871-1874; Layfette French, 1874-1878; C. C. Kinsman, 1878-1880; George F. Goodwin, 1880- 1882; John M. Greeman, 1882-1887; L. F. Clausen, 1887-1889; D. B. Johnson, Jr., 1889-1893; S. D. Catherwood, 1893-1899; R. E. Shepherd, 1899-1903; A. W. Wright, 1903-1911; Otto Baudler, 1911-1913.
Probate Judge-C. J. Felch, 1856-1857 (appointed) : A. B. Vaughn, 1857-1859; G. M. Cameron, 1859-1861 ; Robert Lyle, 1861- 1866; Ormanzo Allen, 1866-1869; C. F. Ilardy, 1869-1870; E. O. Wheeler, 1870-1871 ; JJesse Rose, 1871-1874; W. II. Crandall, 1874- 1875; S. Ilarter, 1875-1876; G. M. Cameron, 1876-1879; JJohn O. Farmer, 1879-1880; Ormanzo Allen, 1880-1887; W. W. Ranney.
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
1887-1891; S. S. Washburn, 1891-1903; John M. Greenman, 1903- 1911 ; Henry Weber, Jr., 1911-1913.
County Surveyor-G. H. Allen, 1885-1893; M. N. Clausen. 1893-1897 ; G. H. Allen, 1897-1901; M. N. Clausen, 1901-1903; V. A. Nason, 1903-1907; M. N. Clausen, 1907-1909; V. A. Nason, 1909-1913.
Coroner-J. P. Squires, 1885-1889 : A. W. Allen, 1889-1893; W. I. Hollister, 1893-1905; W. N. Kendrick, 1905-1907; Charles S. Lewis, 1907-1911; A. E. Henslin, 1911-1913.
Clerk of the District Court-V. P. Lewis (by appointment ), 1855-1858; J. E. Willard, 1858-1861; L. A. Sherwood, 1861-1870: J. F. Atherton, 1870-1874; F. A. Elder, 1874-1877 ; S. Sweningson, 1877-1895; O. J. Simmons, 1895-1907 ; George S. Burnham, 1907- 1913.
Court Commissioners-Ormanzo Allen, 1885-1887; W. V. Ran- ney, 1887-1891; S. S. Washburn, 1891-1899; A. C. Page, 1899-1913.
School Superintendent-J. B. Tollman, 1864-1867; Sherman Page, 1867-1869; O. T. Otis, 1869-1870; A. S. Pike, 1870; J. T. Williams, 1870-1872; A. A. Harwood, 1872-1874; E. F. Morgan, 1874-1875; N. M. Holbrook, 1875-1877 ; A. H. Tuttle, 1877-1881 ; C. D. Belden, 1881-1891; Gertrude C. Ellis, 1891-1901; Fannie G. Gies, 1901-1909; Grace B. Sherwood, 1909-1913.
LOCATING THE COUNTY SEAT.
The location of the county seat was the first official question of importance that occupied the attention of the people of the newly organized county. The first board of county commission- ers, who were appointed by Governor Gorman in 1856, were George White, Phillip Howell and William Russell. On April 7, 1856, these temporary commissioners met in the village of Frank- ford and appointed the various county officers. It was also their business, under authority of the legislature, to locate a county seat and the record of such an act should have been made in the county commissioners book of record; but no such record was then made, but some time later the following record appeared on the fly leaf of Book "A" of deeds and marked "page 1." This is the only record of the location of the county seat of Frankford :
"According to an act of the Minnesota Legislature, approved March 1, 1856, George White. Phillip Howell, and William Rus- sell, were appointed commissioners to locate the seat of Mower county. Said commissioners met April 7, 1856, and located the county seat of Mower county at the following place, to-wit: In the village of Frankford, situate on the southwest quarter, of the southeast quarter, and the southeast quarter of the southwest
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
quarter, of section 13, township 103, range 14, west of the fifth principal meridian. Witness our hands this 7th day of April, 1856. Phillip Howell, William Russell, George White, commis- sioners. Attest : Timothy N. Chapman, clerk of the board of county commissioners.''
Mower county at that time was entitled to one representative in the legislature, and his election took place in October, 1855, the first election held within the county. The polls at High Forest were located under an oak tree, a board with the ends placed on two barrel heads served as a judge's desk. The east side nomin- ated W. B. Covell, a Democrat, and the west side A. B. Vanghan, a Republican. Ninety-seven votes were polled; Vaughan received the majority, and received his certificate of election from the judges, and applied at the house for his seat. In the meantime Covell had made the returns of the election to the register of deeds, in Houston, and from him received his certificate of elec- tion, proceeded to the house, and was duly qualified as the first member of the legislature from Mower county.
The first general election held in the county occurred October 14, 1856. Two local tickets, without regard to politics, were put in nomination. On the west side, the People's ticket, with J. M. Berry, for representative ; R. L. Kimball, for register of deeds; J. B. Yates, sheriff ; S. P. Bacon, treasurer ; N. P. Todd, surveyor ; W. B. Spencer, of LeRoy, G. H. Bemis and H. C. Blodgett, as commis- sioners; A. B. Vaughan, judge of probate, and Dr. O. Allen, for coroner.
On the east side the Union ticket placed in the field, T. II. Armstrong, for representative ; W. B. Covell, register of deeds; J. S. Pierson, sheriff ; G. P. Covell, treasurer; M. K. Armstrong, sur- veyor ; William Spencer, of LeRoy, C. F. Hardy and N. Goodsell, as county commissioners ; C. J. Felch, as judge of probate, and J. Pierce, as coroner.
The "People's ticket" was elected with a majority of 46 votes out of 374 polled, with the exception of Mr. Todd, who was de- feated by 74 votes. Heretofore the east side had had all except three minor offices, but in this election the west side gained the power.
The first question of any importance which came before the newly elected county commissioners was that of establishing a permanent county seat.
The people of the west side of the county argued that it would be easier to locate the county seat at Austin, than it would be to go to Frankford to transact the county business.
When it was established at Frankford by the first (temporary) county commissioners, it was by them declared that it could not be removed except by a vote of the people of the county. Two of
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
the newly elected commissioners, George H. Bemis and H. C. Blod- gett favored its removal, and took it upon themselves to remove it to Austin, having passed the following resolution at the meeting of January 7, 1857. "That, whereas, the act of the territorial leg- islature of Minnesota, of A. D. 1856, made it the duty of the com- missioners appointed under the provisions of said act to locate the county seat of the county of Mower, and, whereas, it does not ap- pear npon the records of the doings of said commissioners on the first Monday in January, A. D. 1857, that any such location was made, or any place provided for the transaction of the county business according to law ; therefore, resolved, that we do hereby locate the county seat of said Mower county at the village of Austin, on section 3, in township 102, range 18 west, until other- wise provided by law. This entry is signed by George H. Bemis, chairman of the board, and Joseph Badger, deputy register.
As the county had erected no building, the records and little tin box which contained them, constituted the county seat, and wherever these were there it was also.
About noon Sheriff Yates and Vaughan, with the little tin box on which rested the future of both Frankford and Austin, in their sleigh started for Austin. That night they stopped at the Tatter- soll House, in High Forest. The landlord took the tin box and hid it away, with instructions to deliver to no one but Yates and Vaughan. In a short time Sheriff Sherman (Yates had not yet duly qualified) with a posse of men from Frankford. arrived and arrested Yates, Vaughan, Bemis and Tattersoll (who was the land- lord), for grand larceny. He then posted guards around the hotel and went to obtain a search warrant, as the landlord would not give up the tin box containing the records. While he was gone, Yates made a bargain with W. Sykes, by which Sykes was to re- ceive $20, if he would obtain the box and deliver it to Yates, in case they succeeded in removing the county seat, if not he was to have $5.00 which was paid down. At a signal from Yates (he was to pass out of the door) the man was to take it out and hide it. The evening being quite cold, Yates soon induced the guards to come in and take a drink, and they became quite convivial, and supposed as long as they watched the persons under arrest that their duty would be performed, and that the box would be safe. Soon Yates passed out of the front door (the signal agreed upon) and down into the timber a short distance. Three of the guards, who saw him go out, followed him, but he eluded them by taking advantage of a short turn in the road, and jumped into the brush, while the three guards passed directly on. In the meantime Sykes had co-operated with Yates in carrying out the plans already laid. and was seen by Yates in the act of hiding the box. Yates then took the box and after Sykes had gone to the house took the box
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
some distance and hid it beneath the mantles of snow which then covered the earth to quite a depth, and covered it with rails: it remained there for three or four days. After hiding the box, Yates went about a half mile and stopped a few hours at the house of Mr. Pierce, and then returned to the hotel. He afterward drew a diagram of the grounds where the box had been hidden, and gave it to John Patterson and C. C. Hanchett, who dug it up from beneath the snow and conveyed it to Austin, where it was secreted in the hardware store of R. L. Kimball. The officers procured a search warrant, which only allowed them to search within the store proper, and not in the upper story, which was used by Mr. Kimball as a residence. While search was being made about the store room, it is said that some one carried the tin box under cover of a shawl to the cellar and there stowed it away within a pile of potatoes. Thus it will be seen the search was made in vain. George Bemis had the book containing the proceedings of the county commissioners under his coat the night they all remained at Tattersoll's House, and the following morning he and Yates walked about eighty rods from the hotel and there deposited it under the snow, at the foot of an oak tree, disguising the marks they had necessarily made in the snow, by a certain method which their quick wit suggested.
The book remained there a short time, and was then taken back to Frankford and carried by Mr. Bemis throughout the trial, closely guarded beneath his coat and vest.
Armstrong, Morse, Willis and Belden appeared in the trial for the prosecution, and Jones Ripley and Gordon E. Cole for the de- fense. The citizens from the west part of the county having heard of the arrests which had been made, proceeded at once to Frank- ford, to liberate the prisoners, all going well armed as it was feared by some that something serious might transpire. But all soon passed off without the shedding of blood, and with the ex- ception of a false alarm that caused no little consternation among about fifteen men, who were sleeping in Levi Patchin's old log tavern, the examination proceeded without further trouble. Yates and Bemis were each bound over for the sum of $3,000, to appear at the next term of the Filmore county seat.
Before the session of the court convened the matter had been settled.
In March, 1857, the county board engaged the office of A. S. Everest, in Austin, to be used as the county seat headquarters. June 1, 1857, the people of the county voted on the county seat question, and decided in favor of Austin, consequently the county seat controversy, both among the people and in the courts was dropped. At this election, the people of the eastern part of the county voted not for Frankford, but for Brownsdale. But High
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
Forest with its voters was cut off from Mower county just in time to give Anstin the balance of power.
July 6, 1857, the board passed the following resolution :-
"Pursuant to an act during the eighth session of the legislative assembly of the territory of Minnesota, convened on the 7th day of January, and adjourned on the 7th of March, 1857, granting the legal voters of the county of Mower, the privilege of perma- nently establishing the county seat of said county, by an election to be held for that purpose on June 1, 1857; and, whereas, it ap- pearing by a canvass of the votes cast at said eleetion, that a ma- jority of the votes were cast for the location of the county seat on Davidson's addition to Austin. Resolved, That we, the commis- sioners of said county of Mower, at this our regular session, July 6, 1857, in accordance with the wishes of a majority of the legal voters of said county, as expressed by the election, do hereby locate the county seat of Mower county on bloek 23, in David- son's addition to Austin, as said addition appears on record in the office of the Register of Deeds of Mower county."
COUNTY COURT HOUSE.
In March, 1857, the county board of commissioners engaged the office of A. S. Everest, in Austin, to be used as county seat headquarters. The register of deeds officed there and this was the place for holding the meetings of the board of commissioners. This and other small office rooms served for county seat buildings until the fall of 1868, when a court house was completed, through an act of the board of commissioners of April 9, 1868. At this meeting bids were received for the ereetion of a county building, and D. J. Tubbs being the lowest bidder, the contract was awarded to him in the sum of $6,450. A building committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs. Beeeh, Stimson and Bishop. The building was to be completed by September 5, 1868. This was a two-story brick structure and was located on the corner of Main and Maple streets, opposite the present court house. This build- ing served the county well until 1881, when it was the will of the people that a new, larger and better court house be provided the rapidly progressing county. In accordance with this manifest wish, the board of county commissioners commenced laying plans to erect more spacious quarters. At a meeting of the board of commissioners, held March 29, 1881, block 13, the old publie square, owned by various parties, was purchased for the total sum of $1,925. A building committee was then appointed, which consisted of Oscar Avers, O. C. LaBar and W. B. Mitson. Bids were solicited for constructing the basement of the contemplated court house.
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MOWER COUNTY COURT HOUSE.
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
D. J. Tubbs, whose bid of $9,200.00 was the lowest offered, was awarded the contract and completed the work in a very satis .' factory manner. H. J. Anderson was appointed as superintendent of construction, and received for his services $30 per week.
The building committee took much pains to become thorough- ly conversant with the various kinds of architecture, making trips to Milwaukee, St. Paul, Minneapolis and other points, to view and study into the plans of such building, and finally engaged the services of W. H. Dennis, of Minneapolis, as their architect and designer. June 14, 1882, the contract for erecting the super- structure was awarded to Snow & Allsip, of Chicago. Mr. Snow was the Solomon Snow whose name appears throughout this history, as one of the early residents of Mower county. The amount called for in this contract was $52,291. The work of con- struction went on, and the building was completed and first occu- pied in the month of March, 1884.
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