USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 68
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
Jan. 12, 1886, was the date set for a further consideration of
594
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
the subject. Jan. 5, 1886, the board met in regular session : the county commissioners were Owen Carrigan (chairman), Henry Schafer, Gunerus Peterson, J. II. Reagan and John I. Johnson: P. II. Kirwan, county auditor. The board fixed the salaries for 1886 as follows: County auditor, $1.200; treasurer, $1,200: su- perintendent of schools, $1,000; county attorney, $900; judge of probate, $700. This year the newspapers came to an agreement : Lorraine, of Bird Island, took the tax list at legal rates; Kelsey. of Beaver Falls. got the financial statement (which was published gratis the previous year) at $1.50 per folio, and Kelsey's paper, the "Times, " was designated as the official county paper. Simon Johnson, of Hawk Creek. and John Foley. of Birch Cooley, were appointed appraisers of State land.
Jan. 12, 1886. the board met to consider the Bird Island and Olivia county seat removal petitions. January 12 and 13 were wholly taken up with the examination, and the fourteenth was also begun when Mathew Donohue, of Bird Island, caused con- siderable excitement by offering for the consideration of the board the following: "Resolved : Upon investigation of the pe- tition asking for a change of the county seat from Beaver Falls to Bird Island, we find as follows: That there are in the county a total number of 1,546 persons who are legal voters, residents and freehoklers of this county and that 841 of said legal voters residents and freeholders have signed the above named and de- seribed petition." Commissioner Peterson moved the adoption of the foregoing resolution which received no seeond, and on mo- tion of Commissioner Schafer "to lay on the table, " there were two ayes and one no, two commissioners not voting.
Then Ben. Feeder presented for consideration the following: "Whereas, a petition duly signed by a majority of the frecholders who are legal voters and residents of said county, was duly pre- sented and received by the Board of County Commissioners of said county at a session thereof held at Beaver Falls in said county on the first day of December. 1885, asking a change of the county seat of said county from Beaver Falls to Bird Island in said county : And, whereas, you, the said county auditor have not filed or caused said petition so received to be filed as required by law: Now, therefore, you are hereby required that, without delay. you file or cause said petition to be filed in your office and that you proceed therein as required by law. Dated this 14th day of January. 1886. Benjamin Feeder. On behalf of himself' and all other petitioners."
In regard to the above request, the county auditor asked time to consult the county attorney before acting.
The following request was also presented :
"To the honorable Board of County Commissioners of Ren- ville county: Whereas, a petition duly signed by a majority of
595
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
the freeholders, who are legal voters and residents of said county, was duly presented to your honorable board in open session thereof, and received by you at Beaver Falls in said county on the first day of December, 1885, at 11:45 o'clock A. M., asking a change of the county seat of said county from Beaver Falls to Bird Island, in said county; and, whereas, said petition has not been filed in the office of the county anditor of said county of Renville as required by Section 3 of Chapter 272 of the general laws of the State of Minnesota, approved March 5, 1885.
"Wherefore, yon, the said Board of County Commissioners of Renville county, are hereby respectfully requested and re- quired that you forthwith order and direct the county auditor of said county, to-wit : P. H. Kirwan, Esq., that he forthwith file or cause said petition to be filed in the records of his office as pro- vided by law. Dated January 14. 1886. Respectfully yours, Benjamin Feeder. On behalf of himself and all other petitioners."
The Board of County Commissioners asked for time to get the opinion of the county attorney as to how to proceed in the matter of the above petition.
Things were getting some interesting. The Bird Islanders had been waiting results of the commissioners' examination of their petition some days and were impatient. During a lull in the activities likely when most of the forces had gone for re- freshments. Mat. Donohue went to the clerk and withdrew the Bird Island petition and put it in his pocket. Upon this becom- ing known to the board they were angry and ordered the of- fending clerk to demand the return of the petition and freeholder list until final action could be had thereon. Such request was made by said clerk but was refused by the petitioners. Then. after some heated discussions on a motion, the board proceeded with the examination of the petition for the removal of the county seat to Olivia.
The following request was presented to the county auditor. P. II. Kirwan: "Whereas, a petition duly signed by a majority of the frecholders, who are legal voters and residents of said county, was duly presented and received by the Board of County Commissioners of said county at a session thereof held at Beaver Falls in said county, Dec. 1, 1885, asking a change of the county seat of said county, from Beaver Falls to Olivia. in said county ; and, whereas, you, the said county auditor, have not filed or cansed said petition so presented to be filed, as required by law : now, therefore, you are hereby required and requested that with- out delay you file or cause said petition to be filed in your office, and that you proceed therein as required by law. Dated this 14th day of January, 1886. Yours respectfully. G. J. De Pue. On behalf of himself and all other petitioners."
A similar request was also presented by Mr. De Pue, addressed
596
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
to the Board of County Commissioners. The commissioners, as in the Bird Island petition, asked time be given until the county attorney shall have rendered his opinion.
The county attorney's opinion was as follows: "To the Board of County Commissioners of Renville county. Gentlemen: In response to your request for an opinion as to your duty with respect to the demand herein made, I respectfully refer you to the opinion of the attorney general of this state, under date of Dec. 12, 1885, and Dec. 14, 1885. and by your honorable board received and filed on the sixteenth day of December. 1885, which fully answers your question. which is: Whether at this stage of the examination of the petitions before you for the removal of the county seat of this county. and before both petitions have been examined or any final action taken as to the validity of either petition, you are bound, in duty or otherwise, to receive and file the petition as within required. Respectfully yours, S. R. Miller, county attorney. Above opinion also refers to papers of similar import presented to Anditor Kirwan. S. R. Miller."
The above opinion of County Attorney S. R. Miller was based upon the following questions propounded to the attorney general as follows :
"Attorney General W. J. Hahn. Sir: 1 desire to submit the following questions for your opinion on same: When two vil- lages in the same county present to the Board of County Com- missioners of such county petitions for the removal of the county seat to their respective villages under the laws of 1885 for the removal of a county seat and when such petitions both purport to have a majority of the resident legal voters and freeholders of such county as petitioners thereon, and both petitions are presented, practically at the same time-is the Board of County Commissioners authorized :
First. To examine both petitions before receiving and tiling either ?
Second. Where names of such petitioners are found upon both of such petitions. asking the Board of County Commis- sioners to submit the question of removal to one place in one pe- tition and to another place in another petition, is not the Board of County Commissioners authorized to cancel their names on both petitions on the ground of inconsistency in their prayer or petition ?
Third. Where both petitions have, as a matter of fact, about an equal number of signers and a majority of legal petitioners in the county by reason of such duplication of names, how is the board to determine which petition should be filed ? Respect- fully submitted. S. R. Miller, county attorney. Renville. county. Minn. "
Attorney General Hahn wired answer as follows: "Answer
597
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
first two 'yes,' other by former opinion. Duplicate petitions pasted together not good."
The board requested the auditor to give notice that county seat petitions would be taken up again by the board March 16, 1886. On March 16, the records of the county auditor's office show the Olivia county seat removal petition was taken up, but that is all it does show. The inference is that the county seat war dogs were organizing for a stronger battle.
At a special session of the board in June, Thos. II. Collyer was appointed watchman at the court house or jail, and ordered to keep awake from 7:30 in the evening until 6:00 in the morn- ing under the threat that, if he l'ailed, the anditor might dis- charge him. Whether the auditor was to sit up and watch Thomas is not stated in the records, but as no discharge is recorded, Thomas doubtless "made good."
At a special session in December, the Board of County Com- missioners appointed Hans Gronnerud county abstraetor, requir- ing him to give bond in the penal sum of $2,000. Jannary, 1887, the Board of County Commissioners were Henry Schafer (chair- man), Patrick Williams, A. H. Anderson. John Hurst and John Thompson, with P. H. Kirwan, county auditor. This year Lor- raine, of the Bird Island Union, was to print the financial state- ment at $1.50 per folio, and Kelsey, of the Beaver Falls "Times," the tax list at 12e per description. Dr. A. G. Stoddard was appointed county physician at a salary of $480 per annum, pay- able $40 monthly. At this meeting a resolution was adopted looking toward the purchase of a county poor farm. April 20, 1887. the board agreed to offer bounties for the destruction of gophers and blackbirds. April 21 a petition was presented to the board, asking for the incorporation of a village. to be called Morton, and May 26, 1887, was the day appointed for the electors to meet at the Keating Building and decide the matter. At a special session June, 1887, Ilans Gronnerud, proprietor of the Farmers' Bank of Beaver Falls, was designated as county deposi- tory for county funds, furnishing bonds in the sum of $25,000.
June 23 the commissioners resolved to pay no more bounties for gophers or blackbirds after July 1, 1877. Dee. 2, 1877, a peti- tion was presented to the board, asking for certain territory to be incorporated into a village and named Fairfax. The board granted the petition and gave notice that an election would be held by the electors of the territory affected, at the office of Mar- tin D. Brown, Esq., Jan. 5, 1888, to decide the matter.
Jan. 3, 18SS, the board met in regular session with the same commissioners and auditor as last year, though John Thompson was elected chairman. This year C. L. Lorraine secured the de- linquent tax list at 12e per description and Henry Kelsey took the financial statement at $1.50 per folio, and 60e per folio for
598
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
each session of the proceedings of the commissioners which here- tofore have been published gratis. The printers were evidently no longer devouring each other. At this meeting salaries were fixed as follows: County treasurer. $1.200 : county auditor, $1,200; judge of probate, $800; superintendent of schools $1,050; county attorney, $900.
March 20, 1888. a petition was presented for the incorporation of territory to be called the village of Franklin, which was granted and the electors notified to meet at the drug store on April 24, 1888, and vote on the proposition. January, 1889, the commissioners are JJohn Thompson (chairman), O. F. Peterson, Patrick Williams, John Warner and A. II. Anderson: Patrick Il. Kirwan, county auditor.
This year Dr. Stoddard offered to give medical attention to the county poor for $480. Doctor Welsh applied for the position at $390, but it was notwithstanding given to Stoddard at $480. Dr. Stoddard was experienced. C. L. Lorraine was the one and only bidder for county printing this year, receiving $1.50 per Folio for the financial statement, 75e per folio for each ses- sion, commissioners' proceedings, and 12e per description for delinquent tax list. Jan. 9, 1889. Ilans Listrud succeeded Hans Gronnerud as county treasurer and filed a bond for $65,000: $17,- 913.11 was shown to be in the treasury, $17,615.38 of which was on deposit in Gromerud's Farmers' Bank of Beaver Falls. Al- though action on the question of county seat removal had re- mained in abeyance on the account of inadequate laws pertain- ing to that subjeet, rumblings were heard in different parts of the county and considerable activity noticed on the part of lead- ing citizens who had succeeded in securing the passage of a new county seat law. So, on May 3. 1889, the Board of County Commissioners met pursuant to a call issued by virtue of an act of the legislature of the state of Minnesota, approved March 21. 1889, for the removal of county seats. At this meeting a peti- tion for the removal of the county seat from Beaver Falls to Bird Island was presented to the board. The opposition pre- sented a goodly number of names of those who had signed the Bird Island petition, asking to be stricken from that petition for various reasons, thus the matter came squarely before the board for consideration. The first thing the board did was to establish a set of rules for proceeding with the case before them, which was elaborate and precise. resolving first. second. third, fourth, fifth and sixth at great length. M. O. Little and Thos. E. Boylen appeared for Bird Island and Judge H. J. Pick. of Shakopee, appeared for the opposition. The session continued for three days. and several nights: the disenssions were very heated and umch bad blood manifested. On the evening of May 6, 1889, the commissioners ordered an election to be held throughout the
599
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
county on June 4, 1889. to decide whether the county seat should remain at Beaver Falls or removed to Bird Island. The election was duly held and the result was 3,427 votes east, of which Bird Istand received 1,580. and the opposition 1,847. So the county seat remained at Beaver Falls.
The result of this election made the friends of Beaver Falls feel some jubilant and the citizens of that place at onee mani- fested a generous and liberal spirit to the extent that on July 18 they offered to pay $500 for certain lots and buildings and furnish a site on the public square free of cost to the county, provided the county ereet a court house with vault on said site costing not less than $3,500 and during the year 1889. The ob- jeet was to firmly fasten the county seat at Beaver Falls, with a new court house. It appeared as though efforts looking to re- moval had terminated and the Board of County Commissioners must have been of that mind, for they at this same meeting adopted unanimously a motion for a building to be 40 feet wide, 60 feet long, and 20 feet high, with vault and furnace to cost not more than $3,700. O. F. Peterson, Pat. Williams and John Warner were appointed a building committee with authority to proceed with the erection of said building.
This building committee advertised for sealed bids, for the erection of this new court house. including vault, ete. Sept. 3, 1889, it was found that the lowest bid was $3,939, by John P. Thiry, which was finally approved by the commissioners and the contraet let to Mr. Thiry for that amount. The contractor was nrged to make no delay, so he at once began to break ground, assemble his material and workmen for a rapid work. On De- cember 13, of this same year, the building committee reported the new court house complete according to contraet and it was at onee approved by the board.
Now that the county seat matter was apparently settled for all time, Beaver Falls wished to assume more dignity, and upon this same day presented a petition, asking to be incorporated as a village. This was granted, and the electors notified to hold an election Jan. 21. 1890. at the court house to decide the matter. December 14 the commissioners by resolution directed the county officials to move their offices into the new court house not later than Dee. 21. 1889.
.Jan. 7. 1890, the same commissioners continued in office. A. H. Anderson was made chairman. A resolution was adopted, ordering that the county attorney's salary from and after .Jan. 1, 1891, should not execed $700.
Lorraine. again the only bidder, secured the county printing at the previous year's price. Jan. 10, $500 was appropriated to aid building a bridge across the Minnesota river at Sacred Heart and $500 to aid a bridge at Franklin. At the meeting. May 6.
600
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
it was proposed to remodel the old jail and make it a residence for the sheriff as well as a jail. S. R. Miller was allowed $10 for making contact for new court house, same to be deducted from county attorney's salary for September.
Jan. 6. 1891, Commissioners O. F. Peterson (chairman), Pat. Williams. A. II. Anderson, Tyke Yetterboe and John Warner. E. L. De Pue, county auditor. Frank Poseley became county treasurer and P. B. Olson, register of deeds. This year there mist have been some dissension among the printers. for Lorraine. of Bird Island, the lowest bidder, asked only 20e a folio for print- ing the financial statement for which he received $1.50 the pre- vions year : 3e per description for delinquent tax list. as against 12e the previous year; proceedings of the commissioners he printed gratis, for which the previous year he received 75e per folio. But the Bird Island "Union" was made the official paper of the county : that was considered a partial recompensc. R. T. Daley became county attorney and Win. Wichman, sheriff. Jan- uary 9 the following resolution was adopted by the board : "Re- solved, that the county board desires to extend to the retiring auditor, P. H. Kirwan, its appreciation of his untiring efforts in securing for the county an able, successful and economic ad- ministration, always willing and watchful of the county's inter- est ; and we personally, who have had the benefit of his advice and counsel. desire to express our appreciation of his efforts in our behalf."
The retiring county anditor replied feelingly, thanking them for their consideration and expressing his gratitude to them and to the people of Renville county, as well as to his efficient as- sistant, T. H. Collyer. for their spirit of kindness always mani- fested toward him, during his many years of service as anditor of Renville county. May 4, 1891. the chairman was directed to appoint a committee to look up and locate a poor-farm which shouldl consist of 320 acres and be located within three miles of the H. & D. railway.
On July 22, 1891. Hans Gromernd appeared before the board and offered to sell the following described property to the county for $8.000: 320 acres of land, being in the south half of section 20, township 114, range 33. with all improvements thereon and including personal property as follows: four farm wagons, two mowers, one hay rake, two binders, two churns, one cornplanter, one grass seeder, two farm seales, one butter worker, blacksmith tools, carpenter tools, one road seraper, one new drill, one Van Brunt seeder, three bob sleds, one sulky plow and breaker, one enltivator, two double-shovel cultivators, three harrows, four hay racks. one sack truck, one cook stove, one heater. all household goods, 150 grain sacks, one corn marker, two wheelbarrows, five good milch cows, ten pigs, 300 bushels wheat, 500 bushels oats;
601
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
and Mr. Gronnerud agreed to have all land then under cultiva- tion plowed by Oct. 1, 1891. The board unanimously agreed to purchase the farm and property at the price offered, and the anditor was instructed to advertise for a manager of the poor- farm, so purchased from Mr. Gronnerud. Sept. 14. 189], Henry Mikm was employed by the county as superintendent of the poor farm at $50 per month. William Windhorst contracted to refit the building on the farm for $725.
On Nov. 6, 1891, a petition was presented, asking for the in- corporation of Buffalo Lake, which was granted, and the qualified electors of the territory affected notified to meet at the Hotel Goeble on Jan. 4, 1892, to decide the matter, which they did in due and ancient form.
Jan. 5, 1892, the same commissioners served, but A. II. An- derson was chairman. E. L. De Pne was county auditor. This year clerk hire was allowed in the following offices : county audi- tor. $600; register of deeds, $500; county treasurer, $200. The board refused to employ a regular county physician. F. W. Schmidt, of the Fairfax "Crescent," agreed to publish the finan- cial statement at 10c per folio, the tax list at 11bc per descrip- tion, and commissioners' proceedings at se per folia, his paper being designated as the official county newspaper for 1892.
On November 16 the county commissioners ordered two dele- gates from each town in the county to meet in convention at Bird Island, Jan. 14, 1893, for the purpose of electing four dele- gates from Renville county to the good roads convention in St. Paul, Jan. 25 and 26, 1893. Thus started the good roads move- ment in Renville county, which its energetic and public-spirited citizens have kept alive and working.
Jan. 3, 1893. commissioners were: John Warner (chairman), Thyke E. Yetterboe, E. J. Butler, A. J. Anderson and A. D. Corey. E. L. Du Pue was county auditor. S. R. Miller again became county attorney. A. E. Hilland and S. W. Tredway, publishers of the Morton " Enterprise," received the county print- ing at 41be per folio, and were to furnish all county papers sup- plements, to be mailed to subscribers at le per copy : delinquent tax list to be published at 1ge per description. Commissioners' proceedings were to be published gratis. But the "Enterprise" was designated the official newspaper, which was evidently con- sidered of value.
July 11, 1893, the telephone company of Renville was au- thorized by the commissioners to operate its instruments in the auditor's office in the court house, but with the provision that the company must indemnify the county against increased cost of insurance cansed by rimming the line into the court house build- ing, and the commissioners reserved the right to remove the tele- phone from the building when publie interests demanded it and
1 02
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
when public opinion is opposed to such use of the court house. Thus we see how the telephone was received no later than 1893. July 13 we find the first estimate of county expenses, which was: Salaries. $7,500; board of prisoners. $500: insane. $500; distriet court expenses, $5.000 : justice court, $1.500; stationery and print- ing. $1.400; light, fuel and repairs. $600: payment on poor farm, $2.000: support of poor, $2,700; road and bridge. total $24,100.
Jan. 2, 1894, the same commissioners and anditor served, with Thyke E. Yetterboe as chairman of the board. R. C. Sheppard, publisher of the "Union" at Bird Island, secured the county printing and the "Union" was designated the official county newspaper. Jan. 6. 1894, the county commissioners issued a no- tice to the voters and property owners of Renville county that Hans Gronnerud, the owner of two sets of abstracts of land titles of the county. had offered to sell for $6,000, the commissioners declaring that they had decided to purchase unless seriously ob- jected to by the people. and stating they would meet Feb. 8, 1894. to hear and consider objections, winding up their notice by saying, "Let the people now be heard from or forever hold their peace." On February 8 the board decided that they had no authority to hire a force of experts to work on the records. On February 10 Mr. Gronernd. for one dollar, entered into an agreement with the commissioners to sell his abstracts to the county in case the records of the register of deeds were destroyed. Thus the county was given the first chance to buy the abstraets for $6,000.
Now, it would seem with the new court house, vault, good office rooms. and everything for conducting the county business better than ever before, and Beaver Falls incorporated, that the county seat removal would never be again thought of or sug- gested, but busybodies, ambitious towns and rival interests soon revived the question, and this time Olivia reached out for the county seat and began an active campaign.
On May 2, 1894, P. W. Heins, for and in behalf of, and by authority of the village and county seat committee of Olivia, ap- prared before the board and offered to deposit with the county treasurer $4.100 to aid in new county buildings at Olivia, to de- posit with said treasurer a deed for a block in Olivia upon which to build a court house, to furnish office rooms to August. 1895, and stipulating that the citizens of Olivia would waive all right of action to recover any part of the donation, as well as pledging their sacred honor to do all this in the event of Olivia securing the county seat.
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.