USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 66
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Olivia postoffice was established in 1878. and the office located at the elevator of I. Lincoln, Sr., who was appointed postmaster. In January, 1880, W. P. Christensen was appointed postmaster followed by Lib. White. Daniel Haire, Win. Il. Schmitt and Win. P. Christianson again until 1906, when James M. Peckinpaugh was appointed, serving until 1907. Henry H. Nneunburg then held the position until the appointment of A. P. Heaney.
Fairfax postoffice came into existence in the early eighties. The first postmaster in Fairfax was L. T. Grady, the first mer- chant. He was appointed late in 1882 or early in 1883. He kept the office first in his shaek and then in his store. He was followed by Bridget O'Hara, who kept the office in the John Buehler store on lot 10. block 1. She was followed by her husband, Vincent Brandt. The next postmaster was HIoratio Werring, who kept the office at his store on lot 9, block 3. M. D. Brown became post- master in 1894. He kept the office in a building back of lot 8, block 2, on the alley. He was followed in 1898 by F. M. Ray, who kept the office on Jot 3, block 2. The next postmaster was Ole H. Grasmoen, who kept the office on lot 9, block 2, the present location. M. D. Brown again became postmaster March 13. 1915.
DISCONTINUED POSTOFFICES.
Hertzhorn was established in Flora township in 1872, with F. Shoemaker as postmaster. His son. H. W. Shoemaker, now of Danube. says of those days: "The nearest towns were New Ulm and Willmar, three days journey away by ox team.
"The winters here were very severe in the early days, the roads were often covered with snow four and five feet deep. and the thermometer would sink to between thirty and forty degrees below zero.
"Along in the early seventies we had the grasshoppers and I have seen them so thick on the limbs of the trees that the branches would bend to the ground ; often when they were flying you could not see the sun, they lasted about six years."
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IHISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
Vicksburg postoffice was established as the Sacred Heart post- office at Samnel Burnell's house, in Flora township, about 1869. The next year the name was changed to Vicksburg and the office moved to the store, and William Baade was made post- master: John Larkin became postmaster in 1878. Josephine Brooks served from 1899-1905, when it was discontinued.
Camp postoffice was established before 1873, then being known as Renville postoffice. T. Il. Hafsoe was appointed postmaster and kept the office at his store on the southwest corner of see- tion 23. The next postmaster was Louis Thiele. In 1879 the name was changed to Camp and Sever P. Nelson appointed post- master: the office being at his store on section 23. Mr. Nelson was sneceeded by II. M. Hogestad and he in turn by Curtis Merkel, who kept the office in his house on the north side of sec- tion 27. the office up to this time having been kept in the stores of the various postmasters. The sixth postmaster was N. O. Berge, who kept the office in his house on the south side of the northeast quarter of section 23, who held the office for fourteen years, until it was discontinued before 1905.
Brookfield postoffice came into existence quite early and among its postmasters were W. F. Volkenant, William C. Boon and Victor A. Cedarstrom. It was discontinued into Buffalo Lake June 15, 1914.
Swansea postoffice was established in 1869 with William Ros- ser as postmaster, and discontinued before 1889. It was located in the western part of section 14, Preston Lake township.
Norfolk was established as a postoffice in 1878, with James Brown as postmaster. but was discontinued the same year. It was established again in 1899 and discontinued before 1905. Among its postmasters has been-1899-1905-P. Ryan.
Bandon postoffice was established in 1881, with A. O. Hole as postmaster. It was discontinued before 1901. O. P. Hoimyr served from 1899 to 1901.
Henryville postoffice was established at the house of Dr. Schoregge, postmaster. in 1879, and discontinued before 1899.
New Lisbon postoffice was established in Wang township in 1866, and Christopher Hutchins was appointed postmaster, he having the office at his home.
Winfield postoffice came into existence quite early, and was discontinued before 1905. N. Swanson served as postmaster.
Wellington postoffice was established quite early and discon- tinned before 1905. R. O. Shoenfelder served as postmaster.
Osceola postoffice was established before 1903 in Osceola township and discontinued before 1905. Charles Kenning served as postmaster.
Boon Lake postoffice came into existence before 1873 and was discontinued before 1905. E. E. Rieker served at one time as
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
postmaster. It was discontinued March 13, 1892, into Buffalo Lake.
Bechyn postoffice was established in Henryville township and discontinued before 1905. Among its postmasters have been JJ. T. Serbus.
Minnesota Crossing postoffice was established about 1870, and located in the northeast corner of section 8, near the river, in Sacred Heart township. at the house of G. P. Greene, who was postmaster; in 1876 O. S. Reishus was appointed postmaster, and the office was moved to his house; in 1878 the office was moved to the village and the name changed to Sacred Heart.
Hawk Creek postoffice was established in 1869, with J. S. Earle in charge; after several changes the office was discon- tinued in 1880.
Plainfield postoffice was established in 1875, in Hector town- ship, with J. B. Perkins as postmaster; he kept the office at his house until it was discontinued in 1878.
Palmyra postoffice was established at T. A. Risdall's house in 1873; after several changes it was discontinued in 1880.
Wadsworth postoffice was established in Emmett township, in .July, 1875, and I. E. Wadsworth appointed postmaster, the office being located at his house. In 1876 the office was removed to the house of L. A. Brooks, who was appointed postmaster: in 1879 the office was discontinued.
Mahkahsahpah postoffice, in charge of E. U. Russell, was es- tablished in 1868 and discontinued in 1870. It was in Boon Lake township.
Lake Side postoffice was established in 1871, with I. S. Shep- pard as postmaster. It was discontinued March 31, 1902. into Buffalo Lake. Among its postmasters were: 1899-1901, Minnie B. Carrigan ; 1901-03. Arthur L. Kingman: 1903-05, Orville J. Edner. It was discontinued March 13, 1892, into Buffalo Lake.
Florita postoffice was established quite early and discontinued before 1905. Among its postmasters have been Ferdinand Schroe- der and JJulius A. Schroeder.
Eddsville postoffice was established in 1878, and E. H. Oleson appointed postmaster, and the office located at his house on see- tion 28. It was discontinued before 1905. A. Danielson serving as postmaster from 1899 until its discontinuance.
Beaver Falls postoffice was established in the early sixties with M. S. Spicer as postmaster. It was discontinued in 1902, when Philip Meier was postmaster.
Birch Cooley. The history of this office is given under the head of Morton.
Jeanette postoffice was established before 1873. in section 28, on the river, in Hawk Creek township. One of the postmasters was F. W. Brasch.
HISTORY OF RENY LLE COUNTY
CHAPTER XXVI
OFFICIAL TRANSACTIONS
Story of the Doings of the County Commissioners-The County Sea: Fights and Successive Court Houses-Names of County Officials and What They Did While in Office-Estimate of Men and Motives-Compiled from the Auditer's Records.
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and other local officers appointed in the effort to bring order out of confusion. Charles R. Eldredge, the duly elected auditor. appears to have entered upon the duties of his office at this time.
Grasshoppers and drought distressed the few settlers then in the county. The state and general government assisted them with food. No taxes had been levied or assessed, and there were no prospects of any money in towns or county treasuries for an indefinite time.
On May 21. following. this same board directed the county auditor to procure twelve copies of the revised statutes. pledging the good faith of the county for the payment. At this meeting the county auditor's salary was fixed at $100.00 per year. for which the good faith of the county must also have been pledged. as in case of the statutes.
At this time most of the land was vacant government land and those few homesteads not taxable. The board appointed assessors to hunt property to tax. Like the election judges, some served. others paid no attention to their appointment. but in some way it was planned to hunt down a part of the taxable real and personal property in the county. Auditor Eldredge, who was not much of a scholar or seribe. with some help collected the data. secured writing paper somewhere, made himself a book upon which he extended and made a record of taxes against those they had lassooed, as it were. January 7. 186s. the board of county commissioners met in regular session in Beaver township with N. D. White of Beaver, chairman: Francis Shoemaker of Flora and Halleck Peterson of Camp. commissioners.
At this meeting a bill of $14.00 was presented by Sheriff F. E. Bresnot. and one for $51.00 by Gottlot Schieg. the jailer of Brown county, for care and board of prisoners, showing that law and order was being considered and the need of a county jail apparent.
At this time Charles R. Eldredge. county auditor, after nearly a year of official trials and tribulations laid down the burden of office. with its $100 annual stipend annexed. and resigned. Car- ter H. Drew was appointed county auditor in his stead. Mr. Drew was an eccentric bachelor about fifty years of age, a clean man and capable. He brought order out of confusion and started official bookkeeping of the county remarkably well, con- sidering that he had no office. no blanks or bound books or money to purchase them. Sheets of writing paper, stitched and pasted together, comprised the entire records of his office. At this meet- ing the auditor was directed to secure lists from the U. S. land office of land entered and owned by individuals, that it might be assessed and taxed as funds were badly needed. The treasury was empty. Nevertheless, one record book was ordered for R. W. Davis, register of deeds. During this year the affairs of the
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
county took on a more business like appearance. Roads were laid out and some effort to fix the worst places was made. Other towns and school districts were created. new assessors appointed and the small amount of taxable property in the county was fairly well listed and assessed. County Auditor Drew neatly ex- tended the taxes upon the books he had made for that purpose. Now, if the taxes could be paid, things official would look better: but none were paid. There was no money, nor any way to get it. County orders were issued in payment of all county indebted- ness, and the writing of these county orders entailed consider- able labor on the part of Auditor Drew. So it was decided that the county should have printed order blanks, the assumption being that a printed order would look better. and what was of more importance, sell better, and be used more freely as a me- dium of rireulation. The blind goddess of Justice was fixed upon as an emblem, being regarded as appropriate and consid- ered likely to give the orders more the appearance of real money. The anditor was directed to write to Mart. Williams, a printer at St. Peter, for prices and styles. This was the first move to fur- nish supplies for the auditor's office.
The determination to get at the taxable property over much territory must have been strong. for on Sept. 3. 1868. at a meet- ing of this same county board. on motion of Commissioner Peter- son, the county auditor, was directed to assess all personal prop- erty in the districts consisting of the counties of Chippewa, Lac uni Parle and Big Stone. Thus it would appear that Renville county, once upon a time, had charge of a vast domain.
By this time the town site of Beaver Falls had been laid out. Henry Hipple had a blacksmith shop. N. Stone. Christian Preg- nitz and others were starting or were already storekeepers. Louis Thiele was building a hotel, which was so far completed that a county convention was held therein and a full set of county offi- cers named for the election in November. 1868.
The county officers nominated at this, Renville county'> first Republican convention, were all duly elected at the November election following, among whom were D. S. Hall, county audi- tor: Henry Ahrens, treasurer; W. 11. Jewell. sheriff. The board of county commissioners for this year were Francis Shoemaker, of Flora : Newell Morse, of Beaver, and William Emerick, of Mud Lake. They could provide no place for County Auditor Hall ; and Mr. Ahrens, the treasurer, was to be found on his farm if anything special was wanted. After Mr. Hall had qualified as county anditor he succeeded in persuading N. Stone, who had just erected a store building, to allow a small room, seven by nine, to be partitioned off with building paper in the rear part of this store for a county auditor's office. Other temporary ar- rangements had to be made when there was a board meeting,
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for the room was not large enough to hold much more than one person with any comfort. This was the first county auditor's office in Renville county.
March 4. 1869, an act passed authorizing the county to vote $3.000 bonds to build a court house. No action was taken by the county. . Later Mr. Hall moved the auditor's office into his house. Then Lane K. Stone built a small building alongside of N. Stone's store which he leased to the county for the register of deeds and some other county officers.
The affairs of the county ran on with some little improvement. Taxes were levied and assessed. a board of equalization met in regular form, all homesteads returned by the assessors were stricken from the rolls, personal property equalized and county business seemed to be taking shape. There was no election of county officers this year other than commissioners, but P. H. Swift, of Beaver Falls, was elected the first member of the leg- islature from Renville county.
At the regular meeting of the county board, Jan. 4. 1870, the commissioners were R. G. Weed, of Beaver Falls : Edmond O'Hara, of Cairo, and Louis Kope, of Hawk Creek. At this meeting, the chairman, R. G. Weed, was anthorized to sign the bond of Louis Thiele l'or the sale of liquor in Beaver Falls. In March, Francis Shoemaker was appointed coroner, and in June his official bir- dens were further increased by the appointment of overseer of the poor. During this year the official business of the county was whipped into better shape ; a few books had been gotten hold of for the use of some of the county officers, to the extent that at a June meeting of that year, upon the motion of Commissioner O'Hara, the books of the anditor and treasurer were ordered in- vestigated and the report published. No graft having been found, a sigh of relief went up and publie business moved on in a l'airly decent groove, considering the cramped quarters for some officials and no offices for others. Notwithstanding all this, however, a most violent campaign was entered upon for the pos- session of the offices that fall. The Republicans gathered in Louis Thick's hotel had nominated a ticket. In opposition to them was put up a full ticket, called the People's party. A. J. Wells. of Tomah, Wis .. had just started a little weekly which he called the "Beaver Falls Gazette, " and with it he threw bombs into the Republican ticket. The Republicans went secretly to Redwood Falls and got out a large paper, which they named the Beaver Falls " Globe." and eirenlated two days before election. In it they assailed the People's party candidates without mercy, call- ing them candidates for State's prison and printing affidavits to prove they should be in the darkest dungeons. No campaign since that time has ever approached the contest of 1870 in wrath and vituperation. After the smoke of battle had cleared. it was
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
found that the entire Republican ticket had been elected. Wells moved his Beaver Falls Gazette back to Wisconsin, and the Beaver Falls Globe never appeared again.
After such an exciting and not a little expensive time in se- ruring office, the successful officials began to lay plans for a building of some kind to hold them. So when the legislature convened in January a special bill was introduced, authorizing Renville county to issue $2,000 in bonds for the purpose of build- ing a jail. The county was issuing large sums in county orders for transportation, care and board of prisoners, and those in favor of building a court house thought that if the proposed building was called a county jail less objection would be raised by the opposition. However, much quiet work was being done by those interested to permanently locate the county seat at Beaver Falls, and an emissary was sent to the state capitol to assist in "logrolling" the bill through the legislature. a purpose in which he was most sneressful.
The act was approved Feb. 27. 1871, and became a law. It was provided in the act that the question of issning county bonds should be submitted to electors of the county at the town meet- ings in March and that the town clerks should include in their notices that the bond proposition would be voted upon, but the aet further particularly provided that if any of the town clerks failed to give such notices it would not invalidate the election or prevent the canvas of the votes that were cast.
The text of the aet is as follows :
An Act to Authorize the County Commissioners of the County of Renviile to Issue Bonds ler the Erection of County Build- ings
"Be it enacted by the legislature of Minnesota :
"See. 1. That the county commissioners of the county of Ren- ville are hereby authorized to issue the bonds of the said county. to the amount of two thousand dollars, for the purpose of ereet- ing a jail, at Beaver Falls, the county seat of said county.
"See. 2. Such bonds may be issued with coupons attached thereto, and of such denominations as the county commissioners may determine, and shall bear interest at a rate not exceeding 12 per cent per annum, which said interest shall be payable half yearly, and the principal thereof shall be payable at any time, not less than three nor more than six years From the date of said bonds.
.See. B. Said bonds and interest coupons attached thereto shall be signed by the chairman of the board of county commis- sioners, and countersigned by the auditor of said county. and said auditor shall keep a record of all bonds issued under the pro- visions of this act, giving numbers, dates and amounts, to whom issued and when payable.
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
"Sec. 4. The said board of county commissioners shall have authority to negotiate said bonds as in their judgment shall be for the best interests of said county ; provided, however, that said bonds shall not be negotiated for less than eighty-five cents on the dollar.
"Sec. 5. The said board of county commissioners, and the proper authority of said county, shall, and are hereby authorized and empowered to levy an annual tax on the taxable property of said county, in addition to all other taxes required to be levied. sufficient to pay the interest aceruing on said bonds, and the principal of said bonds as they shall mature, which said taxes shall be levied and collected in the same manner as other taxes for county purposes are levied and collected, and no part of such shall be appropriated for any purpose whatever other than the payment of said bonds and the interest thereon.
"See. 6. The proposition to issue said bonds shall be sub- mitted to a vote of the eleetors of said county at the next ammal town meeting. The baHots shall have written or printed thereon the following words. 'For issue of bonds for building jail,' or, 'Against issue of bonds for buikling jail,' said vote shall be cast at said election in the same manner as votes cast for town ofli- cers, and if upon a canvass of said votes, a majority of said voters, who shall have voted upon said proposition, have voted in favor thereof the issue of said bonds shall be lawful. The town clerks of the several towns in said county shall, at the time of the giving notice of the annual town meeting, insert in said notice a paragraph setting forth that the question of issuing said bonds will be voted on at said town meeting : provided. that any neglect or failure on the part of any town clerk to give such notice, shall not invalidate the election or prohibit the canvass of votes cast upon such question.
See. 7. This act shall take effect from and after passage. "Approved February 27. 1871."
Mail service was slow and facilities for information were few at this time. Only the town clerks of Beaver Falls and Flora knew anything about the legislative act or gave the required notice, hence these were the only towns to vote on the bond is- sue and, as was expected, the proposition was carried.
At this time the commissioners were R. G. Weed, chairman. Louis Kope and Bernhard Marchiner, Ed. O'Hara having been eliminated in the upheaval the fall before. The "conspirators" for the building of a court house, masked under the name of a jail, now became active. Many informal meetings were held, . attended by the county commissioners, of which no record was made. Much seereey was maintained and methods pursued that would be considered outrageous at this time. But in those days it was considered that anything was fair in war, and war it cer-
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
tainly was that was waged between Beaver Falls and Bireh Cooley for the possession of the county seat honors. Much of the preliminary work for the issuance of the bonds, such as proeur- ing the blanks and the like, had been accomplished.
So, upon May 18. 1871, the beforementioned commissioners mnet at Beaver Falls and ordered that $2.000 in bonds of the county be issued for the purpose of building a jail in Beaver Falls. A resolution adopted and signed by each member of the board, presenting the manner of issuing and negotiating said bonds, was made a part of the records. It was a kind of "Round Robin," with the object of holding each commissioner respon- sible. Tor $2,000 was a large sum of money in those days. That the act of issuing those bonds was consummated with trepidation by those responsible is seen by the careful wording of the fol- lowing resolution :
"Whereas by an aet, passed by the legislature of the state of Minnesota. approved Feb. 27, 1871, authorizing and empower- ing the board of county commissioners of Renville county to is- sue the bonds of said county for the purpose of building county buildings at Beaver Falls, the county seat of said county upon certain specified conditions named in said aet, and whereas by the provisions said act, the said board of county commissioners were authorized and empowered by a majority of the legal voters of Renville county, voting on said subject to issue bonds in the sumi of $2,000 for the purpose expressed in said act and. whereas, said board of county commissioners have agreed and decided to ereet a jail in Beaver Falls, the county seat of said county by virtue of the authority vested in them by the provisions of said aet and a majority of the legal voters of said county voting thereon.
"Now, therefore. it is resolved by the said board of county commissioners that D. S. Ilall, county auditor of said county, shall proceed forthwith to prepare and negotiate the said bonds in sums of not less than $50 each nor more than $100 each, to the amount of $2,000 as provided in said act and at no greater rate of interest than provided by said aet. and on such terms, less the maximum interest, provided in said aet, as he can obtain the funds at any time within the publication of the notice herein provided for, and the auditor shall report to the board of county commissioners, his contract with the purchaser or purchasers of said bonds, properly signed, sealed and exeented within ninety days from the adoption of these resolutions by the said board of county commissioners.
"And be it further resolved by the said board of county com- missioners that the said bonds shall be divided in three equal classes, as near as may be, that the first class shall be due and payable at any time within four years after the issuance thereof,
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
at the option of said board of county commissioners and in like manner the second class, at any time within the fifth year after the issuance thereof and the third and last class shall be due and payable at the option of the said board of county commis- sioners at any time within the sixth year after the issuance thereof with interest pro rata at the rate of negotiation. not ex- ceeding the maximum rate of interest allowed by said act in accordance with the terms thereof.
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