USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 67
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76
"And that it is further resolved by the said board of county commissioners that the said D. S. Hall, county auditor, shall pub- lish in condensed form, in the St. Paul Daily Press and in the New York Daily Tribune for one week and in a weekly news- paper published in an adjoining county to Renville, for the space of two weeks, a notice that bids will be received for any part of said bonds or the whole thereof, for sixty days from and after the first publication of said notice. That all of said bonds pur- chased by persons residing within the state of Minnesota shall be paid when due, according to the tenor thereof, at the office of the county treasurer of Renville county, Minnesota, of Beaver Falls, in said county and state, and all bonds purchased by parties without the state shall be payable when due according to the tenor thereof at any place or places, in the city of St. Paul, Min- nesota, that may be designated in the said bonds by the said D. S. Hall, the said county auditor."
This resolution was so carefully considered and thought to be so important that it was then and there signed by R. G. Weed, Louis Kope and Bernhard Marschner, county commissioners, and attested by D. S. Hall, county auditor.
At the next meeting of the commissioners, Inne 16, 1871, the ground was measured off and a site selected for the county jail which the money from the sale of the county bonds was going to pay for. No time was to be lost, for at this meeting R. G. Weed, I]. W. Nelson and llenry Ahrens were appointed a com- mittee to procure plans and specifications and to add more ground to the proposed site if necessary.
It appears that D. S. Hall, the auditor, had been active and lad sold the bonds to Horace Thompson, of the First National Bank of St. Paul, without advertising and without doing many of the things required by the resolution of the board passed May 18, directing the issuance of these bonds. Time was of the utmost importance, the rumblings from Birch Cooley, an aspirant for the county seat, were somewhat alarming, and it was ru- mored that W. H. Jewell was about to, or already had, begun a suit to enjoin the commissioners from building, and it was feared the sale of the bonds might be prevented. Thus the real need of converting the bonds into cash was apparent and the resolu- tion of May 18 was practically reconsidered, County Auditor
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
Ilall being directed to do the things he had already done by the adoption by the board of the following resolution :
"The resolution passed by the board upon May 18. 1871, or- dering the issuance of $2,000 county bonds to build a jail at Beaver Falls is so amended as to read as follows:
.. D. S. Ilall, auditor of said county, shall proceed forthwith to prepare and negotiate the said bonds in such sums as may be desired by the parties purchasing. and that the sum be made payable in St. Paul or New York if better prices be obtained for the bonds by so doing and that $600 be made payable in the fifth year and $700 be made payable in the sixth year, after the first day of July, 1871. the day said bonds shall be made. The report of the county auditor regarding the contract for the pur- chase of the $2,000 county bonds which he had made with H. Thompson. of St. Paul. was received and accepted, and it was ordered that the bonds be properly excented and signed by the chairman and countersigned by the county auditor and for- warded by the said county auditor to the First National Bank of St. Paul, and that the cash received therefor be payable to the order of Henry Ahrens, county treasurer of said county of Ren- ville and state of Minnesota."
Bids were advertised for and activities looking to the build- ing of the county jail were apparent when at a meeting of the county board on August 10. 1871, Chairman Weed announced that several bids had been received. but he had been ordered by the district court to proceed no further with the building of the jail or awarding contracts: until at a hearing before said court. it was shown by what authority said jail was about to be built. Ilence no bids were opened and Chairman Weed was authorized to procure counsel and defend the jail building proposition in court.
The case as brought was W. B. Jewell. plaintiff, vs. R. G. Weed, et al., defts. E. St. Julien Cox, afterward judge of Dis- triet court, plaintiff's attorney. Alfred Walling. later judge of the Supreme court, North Dakota. defendants' attorney. Mr. Jewell sets forth in his complaint among other things: That the comity commissioners did secretly and surreptitiously procure and obtain the passage by the legislature of the state of Min- nesota of an act to authorize the county commissioners to issue $2,000 in bonds for the purpose of building a jail at Beaver Falls, the county seat. That the proposition was to be submitted to a vote of the electors of the county at the town meetings: that it was not so sulmitted and the town clerks not advised. That the matter was secretly. covertly and designedly kept from the knowl- edge of the electors, saving only those of Beaver Creek and Flora in said county. That thirteen towns in the county would have east eight hundred votes; that only Beaver Creek and Flora were
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
advised, casting 120 votes in all, eighty for and thirty against said bond proposition. The complaint further alleged that the commissioners were about to issue or already had issued bonds to carry out their scheme fraudulently conceived, and that the aet was a fraud upon the inhabitants of Renville county because it attempted to locate the county seat at Beaver Falls. In short. the complaint bristles with words illustrating the war-like spirit prevailing at the locating of the first county seat of Renville county.
The case was tried before District Judge M. G. Hanseom in September. 1871, and decided against Mr. Jewell. At a meeting of the board of county commissioners, Oct. 2, 1871, they were informed by the clerk of the court that they were no longer restrained from proceeding with the creetion of the building for which bonds had been issued. The commissioners then and there, without delay, proceeded to open the bids which they were en- joined from doing in August previous. It was found that David Carrothers, of Beaver Falls, was the lowest bidder for the build- ing of the jail, his estimate being $1,700. He was awarded the contract and immediately proceeded to break ground and gather "niggerheads" (as the rocks from the prairie were called), of which the walls were to be made. A warranty deed to the county from Essler & Carrothers, the town proprietors, had already been recorded.
Mr. Jewell not being satisfied with the decision of the Dis- triet court appealed his case to the Supreme court (Minnesota Report, Jewell vs. Weed, Vol. 18, page 247), which held with the District court. A legal review of the case appears elsewhere in the history.
Peter Henry, commissioner in place of R. G. Weed, was ap- pointed inspector or overseer of the work, but before much could be started coll weather came on early. Nothing much could be done in the winter, but in the spring of 1872 things began to assine shape. Quite a respectable stone building was erected. The jail was in one end, two good sized rooms were fitted up for county offices, and these with a hall on the upper floor in which to hold comt. comprised the completed jail. Lane K. Stone re- leased the county From a two-year lease of his building, then oo- eupied by some of the county officers, and the commissioners agreed to move the county offices into the new court house, the so-called "jail." on Oct. 1. 1872.
There was evidently no "graft" in the building of Renville county's first court house, For the commissioners allowed David Carrothers, the contractor, $169 above his estimate to partly re- imburse him for his loss on the contraet.
The court house being completed, the auditor and treasurer moved into one of the rooms, the register of deeds and judge of
558
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
probate into the other. Other county officials provided their own quarters, Henry Ahrens, county treasurer, was made eus- todian of the court house hall and was ordered to charge $6.00 for dancing parties and shows, and $1.00 for each twenty-four hours' use by the justice court. He was directed to pay at once into the county treasury all moneys thus received.
The county officers being better located than ever before, things official moved quietly after the strenuous years of 1871 and 1872. In March, 1873, Eric Ericson became county auditor in place of D. S. Hall, Hans Gronnerud, treasurer in place of Henry Ahrens, and the county commissioners were B. Marsch- ner, chairman, Peter Henry and Ole Jacobson. Officialdom moved on with little friction this year. January, 1874, finds the board of county commissioners increased to five instead of three, as heretofore. They were: Peter Henry, chairman. Ole Jacobson, James O 'Brien, T. L. Rude, and M. T. Ridont. John M. Dorman was not satisfied with the small salary as county attorney and the district judge, M. G. Hanscom ordered his salary increased to $480 per annum for 1873 and 1874. In March it was found that two cell doors were needed for the new jail. Henry Hipple. the village blacksmith. was awarded the job at $75, and Gus. Strenzel, the other blacksmith, was appointed to inspect the work when completed. On April 6, of this year, Geo. II. Meg- quier, having obtained a first-grade certificate, was appointed county superintendent of schools and April 7 John M. Dorman resigned as county attorney and Megquier was appointed county attorney in his place. Megquier being judge of probate at the time of these appointments, contimed to hold these three offices with no appearance of physical exhaustion or fatigue.
That year a bed was needed in one of the jail cells. Horton W. Nelson, a carpenter of Beaver Falls, agreed to construct the bed at a reasonable price. This same carpenter was later ap- pointed an expert by the commissioners to investigate the finan- cial condition of the county from the time of its organization.
Jan. 17, 1874, township 115-32 was named Milford. July 29, 1874, it was changed to Heetor.
The early bookkeeping of the first county officers made it quite difficult to get at exact figures, but by this time there was some bad political blood Hoating and the carpenter expert was "ont to get some one." Nelson was an honest man but prej- udieed and in no way qualified, but he took plenty of time and reported that the county had been defrauded of about $1,400. This was much money in those days, the accusation created a sensation and citizens of "the other side" rolled it under their tongues as a sweet morsel. The commissioners on June 17, di- rected the auditor to notify Ex-Treasurer Henry Ahrens and his bondsmen which was done. Did Mr. Ahrens or his bondsmen
5.89
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
hasten into town and put $1,400 or any other sum into the Ren- ville county treasury? Not any. On the contrary, they told the commissioners that in Horton Nelson they had an inefficient ex- pert, not qualified by experience nor training to examine county or any other bookkeeping, that Mr. Ahrens had retained no money belonging to Renville county while treasurer, and courted the fullest investigation.
On July 29, the commissioners by resolution directed the county attorney to employ assistance and commence an action at onee against Henry Ahrens, ex-treasurer. Gordon E. Cole, the leading lawyer of the state, was employed to assist County Attorney Megquier: Cox & Grenland and Alfred Wallin, of St. Peter. were Defendant Ahren's attorneys, and it looked as though a battle royal was about to be staged. Exeitement ran high, and as always in such cases, there were gossiping persons ready to condemn Ex-Treasurer Ahrens before any trial was held. Ex- Auditor D. S. Hall stood forth boldly in the defense of the ac- ensed, insisting that there was no shortage in the Renville county treasury chargeable to the ex-treasurer.
For this reason, though charged with no offense, Mr. Hall was linked with the defense and came in for a good share of scandal while the affair lasted. As, in most Jaw cases, there were many delays, giving unlimited opportunity for publie talk. Later, Sept. 24, 1875, the counsel for both sides stipulated that the case be referred to Wm. G. Ilayden, of St. Peter, former auditor of Nicollet county, a competent expert on county bookkeeping and an able man. Ile was directed by the court to thoroughly ex- amine all records of public money received by Ex-Treasurer Ahrens during his three terms of office, he having been the first treasurer, elected in 1866. Mr. Hayden was also directed after this investigation to report a judgment. This he did on April 1, 1876, reporting among other things that "the auditor's ac- counts have been kept in a clear and coneise manner." that no deFaleation on the part of Ex-Treasurer Ahrens had been proven, and he reported a judgment in favor of the defendant, Ahrens, and against the plaintiff, the Board of County Commissioners, thus fully exonerating Mr. Ahrens to the gratification of friends and officials who believed in the honesty and good name of Ren- ville county officials.
April 3. 1876, Alfred Wallin, one of the attorneys for the de- fense, had judgment entered against the Board of County Com- missioners and the matter was closed. The county had been to some expense and it had cost Mr. Ahrens no little annoyance and money, but the political atmosphere was cleared and few re- gretted the cost.
Jan. 5. 1875, Erie Erieson was re-elected county auditor and the Board of County Commissioners consisted of Wm. F. Grunn-
590
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
mons (chairman), Fred V. Haas, Peter Henry, Francis Shoemaker and Ole Jacobson. These commissioners at their meeting on January 7, by resolution, instructed all the justices of the peace in Renville county to demand security for costs in all criminal cases brought before them and to enter judgment against the complaining witness and his bond when the defendant was not convicted. It is not known that this local statute has ever been repealed. Attorney Wallin appeared before the board and of- fered for $75.00 to demonstrate even to the extent of getting conrt decision that witnesses in a criminal action in justice court are not entitled to and cannot collect fees as such from the county. The proposition was laid on the table. This year the county officers were compelled by law to file with the county commis- sioners under oath a statement of the total receipts of their of- fires. The judge of probate's salary was $84.75: the register of deeds took in $550.00: the sheriff's salary was $376.83.
Jan. 4, 1876, Eric Erieson was still county auditor. The Board of County Commissioners consisted of Fred V. Haas (chairman ). Win. F. Grimmons, T. H. Sherwin, Owen Heaney and Ole Jacob- son. The board by resolution requested the legislature to an- thorize the county to issue bonds to the amount of $8,000 with interest not to exceed 10 per cent. July 27, commissioners re- Iused to raise the liquor license from $50 to $100.
Jan. 2, 1877. Eric Erieson was re-elected anditor and filed his official bond. The commissioners were T. H. Sherwin (chair- man. Fred V. Haas, Henry Paulson, Owen Heaney and Wm. F. Grinnmons. Owen Heany was appointed superintendent of the buining of the prairie grass in Renville county to comply with an aet passed by the last legislature. Some remarkable acts must have been passed by the legislature in those days. In September. Arnold Vincent appears as commissioner in place of Fred V. Haas. At this meeting it was decided to buy a county poor farm and a committee was appointed to receive proposals.
.Jan. 1. 1878. Eric Erieson again became county anditor. The commissioners were Henry Paulson (chairman), T. H. Sherwin. W. F. Grummons, Owen Heaney and Edmond O'Hara. March, 1878, Commissioner Grummons moved that county officers shoukt not get any printing done at the office of the Renville "Times." Kelsey. the publishers, doubtless had said something which had touched the tender sensibilities of some of the members.
At the JJuly meeting. J. S. Niles appeared as a commissioner in place of Edmond O'Hara, whom he had ousted in a contested election. Ed. O'Hara presented a bill for $78 for his expenses of the contest. Sept. 8. 1878, a special meeting of the board was called at the request of Commissioners Sherwin, Heaney and Grummons. H. H. Grace was appointed clerk for the board. At this meeting a letter was received from Gov. Pillsbury suspend-
591
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
ing temporarily Auditor Ericson. By resolution of the board. P. H. Kirwan was appointed to act as auditor during the disabil- ity of Anditor Erieson, and to give bond and quality according to law. H. Il. Grace, clerk of the board, was directed to so notify Mr. Kirwan. A bill of $90 was allowed to II. 11. Grace for work in the auditor's office. Sept. 4. on motion, the board requested the appointed auditor to employ former Auditor Erieson to as- sist him.
State Examiner HI. M. Knox, having filed a report charging Auditor Erieson with a shortage in seed grain vouchers and an overdrawn salary account, was the cause of the county auditor's temporary suspension. At this meeting a resolution was passed. signed by County Commissioners Paulson. Heaney, Sherwin. Grummons and Niles, asking the governor of the state for a con- finnance, er stay of proceedings upon the charges lodged with said executive against the said auditor by Publie Examiner Knox, setting forth in said resolution that, upon a further inspection of the auditor's office by them, that they are satisfied that there was no criminal intention on the part of Auditor Ericson, that vouchers covering alleged deficits had been produced since the examination by Public Examiner Knox with the statement of the auditor, that they were misplaced at the time of the examination. At a special meeting. December 6, a letter signed by every mem- ber of the board was sent to Governor Pillsbury, setting forth that all matters pertaining to Auditor Erieson's office had been adjusted to the satisfaction of the Board of County Commis- sioners and requesting the reinstatement of Auditor Ericson, whose resignation followed. Mr. Erieson was afterwards ap- pointed to the railway mail service, where he served with credit for a number of years, later being elected county superintendent of schools for Renville county, holding this office to the entire satisfaction of the public for a number of terms. Jan. 7, 1879. the Board of County Commissioners met in regular session with Commissioners Henry Paulson (chairman), Owen Heaney, I. S. Niles. Thomas Leary and John Thompson, and P. HI. Kirwan, county anditor.
This year the county was divided into three districts for medical attendance on the poor, a contract to be let at the lowest possible rate to a competent physician bidding for the same.
A resolution was adopted that all applications for liquor license be rejected except from towns which have voted in favor of license.
Jan. 6, 1880. the Board of County Commissioners met in reg- ular session. The commissioners were Henry Paulson (chair- man. Owen Heaney. J. S. Niles, Thomas Leary and John Thomp- son. P. H. Kirwan was the county anditor. At this meeting. the county attorney's salary was fixed at $400 for the year and
592
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
Henry Kelsey was to do the county printing. January 9, pur- snant to an act of the legislature ratified by the voters of the comity, $15,000 in bonds of the county were ordered issued to pay the floating indebtedness of the county. These bonds to run ten years at 7 per cent interest and not to be sold less than their face value. This year the county was divided into five districts for medical attendance on the poor. Dr. J. W. Barnard was awarded districts 2, 3 and 4 at $36 each. Dr. F. L. Puffer was awarded distriets 1 and 5 at $45 each.
Jan. 4. 1881. the regular session was held. Commissioners : John Thompson (chairman), Henry Paulson, Owen Ileaney, Thomas Leary and Owen Carrigan. P. H. Kirwan, county audi- tor. The representatives of this county in the legislature was requested to seeure the passage of an act authorizing a second term of court for Renville county.
Jan. 3, 1882. regular session. Commissioners : Thomas Leary (chairman ), Henry Paulson. Owen Heaney, Owen Carrigan and Lonis L. Tinis. County anditor. P. II. Kirwan.
Jan. 2, 1883, regular session. Commissioners : Owen Carrigan (chairman), Lewis L. Tinnis, Thomas Leary, Henry Schafer and Peter P. Dustrud. County auditor, P. HI. Kirwan. At the No- vember meeting of the county commissioners, Peter G. Peterson took the place of Peter P. Dustrud.
Regular session of the board Jannary. 1884. The commis- sioners were : Lewis L. Tinnis (chairman), Owen Carrigan, Thomas Leary, Henry Schafer and John I. Johnson : P. H. Kirwan, county auditor. At this time the salary of county superintendent of schools was placed at $960, and that of the judge of probate at $650. At the session in March. Dr. Stoddard was awarded the contraet for attending the poor of Renville county for one year at $350, and Henry Kelsey was given the county printing. Joseph Smith, of Morton, was given a charter for a ferry across the Minnesota river.
lan. 6. 1885. Regular session. The commissioners were : Henry Schafer (chairman), Owen Carrigan, Gummerus Peterson, John 1. Johnson and Jerry HI. Reagan. P. II. Kirwan, county anditor. At this meeting the board fixed the salary of county superintendent of schools at $1.000. The county attorney's salary was fixed at $900 and the judge of probate's at $700 per amum.
Dr. A. G. Stoddard was again engaged to give medical atten- tion to the poor of the county, for which he was to receive $300. C. L. Lorrain, of Bird Island, secured the county printing, doing it at 11%e a description for delinquent tax list : financial state- ment and commissioners' proceedings of each meeting, gratis. This is certainly very cheap for printing. Dec. 1. 1885. at a spe- cial meeting of the board, M. O. Little, an attorney, presented a petition for the removal of the county seat from Beaver Falls
593
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
to Bird Island, and G. J. Depue presented a petition for the eonnty seat to be located at Olivia. S. R. Miller, county attor- ney, was eonsulted and a discussion of matters pertaining thereto deferred to December 3, at which time Commissioners Jerry H. Reagan and Gunerus Peterson were appointed a committee to examine the two petitions and report to the board as soon as practicable. Gorham Powers appeared as attorney for Bird Island petitioners and December 15 was appointed as the day for the board to consider the two petitions.
December 15, Gorham Powers, attorney for Bird Island peti- tioners, asked that about 150 names be stricken from the Olivia petition and added to the Bird Island petition. December 16 the board addressed a note to County Attorney Miller, asking, "Is a man a freeholder, in whose wife the record title to the real estate is vested?" Ilis answer was, "He has only a contingent or inchoate estate which may never ripen into even a vested life estate. Should the husband die first, then he would never enjoy the life estate. Should she sell it in his lifetime the estate would be defeated. A freehold is a vested estate in lands either in fee or for life. The fee is in the wife in the above question, and the husband has no part of the estate until the wife dies, leaving him a survivor. Then a life estate in the homestead only vests in him by operation of law."
December 17 the commissioners spent the entire day examin- ing these petitions for county seat removal and adjourned to meet after supper for an evening session, at which time the fol- lowing resolution was offered by Attorney Powers, for the peti- tioners, and adopted by the board.
"Resolved, that the county attorney be and is hereby in- structed to submit to the attorney general for his opinion thereon the following questions, to-wit :
"If, under the laws of 1885, for the removal of county seats. two petitions are presented to the county board at the same time, asking for the removal of the county seat to a different place, and many persons, duly qualified, have signed both peti- tions, and such persons who have signed both petitions, do before either petition has been filed, present to the county board, proof by their affidavits that they signed one of said petitions under a misapprehension of facts and false statesments, and have sinee signed the other petition, and asking that their names be erased from the petition first signed by them, and that they be counted up on the petition last signed by them : Can the board, if satis- fied that sneh persons are freeholders, who are residents and legal voters of said county, count them upon the petition last signed by them, or must they be rejected or erased from both petitions ?"
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.