Mower County, Minnesota - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 6 of those read), 1911

County Government

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

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

The precincts created were named High Forest, Frankford and Austin. High Forest embraced ranges l-i, 15 and 16, of township lOJr. Frankford comprised townships 101, 102 and 103, ranges 14, 15 and 16. Austin embraced townships 101, 102, 103 and 104, ranges 17 and 18. In High Forest precinct Thomas Armstrong was appointed justice of the peace ; Orson Lyon, constable ; John Robinson, assessor, and J. S. Stimson, Nathan Lyon and Geo. I. Covin, judges of election. In the Frankford precinct David D. Frazier was appointed Justice of the Peace ; John Farquer, constable ; George Hunt, assessor ; D. D. Frazier, G. AV. Sberman and Griffin Frazier, judges of election. In Austin precinct, Silas Dutcher was appointed justice of the peace ; L. AA"ations, constable; Orlando AVilder, assessor; J. H. Burns, A. B. A'^aughan and V. P. Lewis, judges of election.

Alay 30, 185(), the second meeting of the board of commissioners was held. This meeting was attended by tlie full board - Philip llowcll. chairman; George AVliite and AVilliam Russell. It was found that certain officers appointed at the previous meeting had failed to ([luilify, and in consequence of this Sylvester Smith WHS appointed justice of the peace in the Austin precinct; AVashington Mason, assessor, and Charles Ferris, constable. July 7, 1856, the commissioners again met, with Phillip Howell chairman, George AVhite and William Russell, present. At this time a peti- tion was presented from W. B. Spencer and others, asking that a new election precinct be created under the name of LeRoy, to comprise township 101, range 14. The petition was granted and the following officers were appointed for the new precinct : Samuel P. Bacon, justice of the peace ; William B. Spencer, constable, and Henry Edmunds, S. P. Bacon and AV. B. Spencer, judges of election. At the same session the precinct of Red Rock was created in response to a petition from John L. Johnson and other.'-. It then embraced the north half of township 103, and the whole of township 104, ranges 17 and 18. The following officers were appointed: Moses Mapes, Andrew Brown and Charles F. Hardy, judges of election, and Charles F. Hardy, justice of the peace, and Hilliard Tilton, constable. Opposite this entry, regarding the creation of Red Rock, on the record, is written the word "error"; but as nothing is found in the record to contradict the entry, it is here presented. Several school districts were created at this time, and the first bills against Mower county M'ere allowed. The first bill was that of Lewis Patchin for $19 for services as road commissioner. From a report made to the board it is learned that in 1856 the taxable real and personal property in the county was as follows : Frankford district - personal jDroperty, $24,473 ; real property, $233,855. High Forest district - personalty, $17,257 ; realty, $77,743. Austin precinct - personalty, $12,132 ; realty, $92,072. Total in county, $457,533. The amount of tax levied by the commissioners was $2,287.60. The amount of orders issued to defray the expenses of the county was $1,753.

The first meeting of the new board was held on January 6, 1857, at the village of Frankford, when George H. Bemis was chosen chairman. After organizing, the board adjourned until the following day, when they again met. At this session the county seat question came up, and a resolution was offered by H. B. Blodgett and adopted by the board, locating the county seat on section 3, in Austin village. In ]\Iarch, 1857, the county commissioners engaged the office of A. S. Everest, in Austin, to lie used as an office for the register of deeds, and a. place of meeting ror the board. At the same meeting Ormanzo Allen was appointed the first county attorney for ]\Iower county. In the meantime additional election pi-ecincts had been created under the names of Six ]\Iile Grove, Brownsdale, ]\Iadison, Cedar Citv and

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

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

Supervisor System

In 1858 there began in ^linnesota a system of county government still in vogue in AVisconsin and other states. Under this system, the county was governed by a board of supervisors, consisting of tlie chairman of the board of supervisors of each township.

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

Commission System

In 1860 tlir lioani ronsistcd of Oi'inanzo Allen (chairman). C. F. Hardy and S. P. Bacon. In Sei)teinbcr. 1860, i). H. Johnson, Jr., resigned the of^fice of county auditor. Ormanzo Allen resigned as chairman of the l)oard, and was ai)pointed auditor. S. P. Bacon was elected chairman of llic lioai-d. J. Stewart was elected commissioner to fill vacancy.

Histoijy Of Mowkh Cot Xt Y 57

On January 7, 1862, the commissioners convened for tlie sixth annual session. At this time the board consisted of G. T. Angell, R. C. Heath and 6. II. Bemis. The last named was elected chairman. In February, 1862, the name of Brooklyn township was changed to Canton. At the same time a petition was presented from the legal voters ol! township 103, range 15, asking that the territory be organized as Grand Meadow township. The petition Avas granted. On August 13, 1862. a special meeting of the board Avas held, at which it was "resolved, that $50.00 be paid to each and every volunteer who should, before August 20, 1862, enlist in the sixth, seventh or eighth Minnesota Regiments and be credited to Mower county." Later tlie time was extended to October 1.

1862. In September the following school examiners were appointed by (he board: H. T. Parker, for the first commissioner district; Richard Hoppiu, for the second, and A. J. Harris, for the third.

1863. The board was composed of R. C. Heath, G. T. Angell and Alanson Beach, the latter being the newly elected member. Mr. Beach was elected chairman for the ensuing year. The second day of the session the board divided the county into military districts as follows: First, to be composed of the townships of Adams and Nevada; second, Lyle, Windom and Austin; third, Lansing; fourth. Red Rock and Udolpho; fifth. Pleasant Valley and Grand Meadow ; sixth, Racine ; seventh, Frankford and Bennington; eighth, LeRoy. Bennington township was ordered organized at the same time. In September, 1863, the commissioners appointed the following school examiners: J. B. Talhnan. C. F. Hardy and Saekett Sears.

On January 5, 1864, the board convened for the eightl; annual session. Charles N. Stimson had been elected to succeed R. C. Heath, so the commissioners for the ensuing year were Alanson Beach, W. B. Spencer and C. N. Stimson. Alanson Beach was elected chairman for the ensuing year. J. B. Tallman was appointed superintendent of common schools of Mower county, at an annual salary of $100; to hold his office one year from September 1, 1864. On ]\Iay 2, 1864, the board of commissioners voted "to allow each volunteer soldier who had gone into the service of the United States and been accredited to ]\Iower county, the sum of $100; and for eacli veteran soldier who has gone or may go, $100 nu)re; provided that no bounty shall be issued to deserters; that the anu)unts already drawn as bounty he deducted from the $100; provided further, that no soldier who has been discharged from service shall receive a bounty, unless he has been permanently disabled while in service." "Provided further, that where towns have, during the last year, paid a bounty of $100 to soldiers, the bounty from ^Mower county shall be paid to the towns instead of the soldiers ; or if the said towns have paid soldiers any fraction of the $100, then the town shall receive the fraction and the soldiers the balance."

January 8, 1865, the board convened pursuant to law for its ninth annual session. W. E. Harris had been elected commissioner to succeed W. B. Spencer, so that the board for the ensuing year was composed of Alanson Beach, C. N. Stimson and AV. E. Harris. No record is found of the election of a chairman. In September, 1865, Ormanzo Allen tendered his resignation as county auditor, which was accepted, and II. iM. Allen was appointed to fill the vacancy. At about' the same time Charles N. Stimson, one of the commissioners, sent in his resignation, and the judge of probate, register of deeds and county auditor appointed C. F. Hardy, of Red Rock township, to fill the vacancy. J. B. Tallman was appointed county superintendent of schools, for one year, commencing January 1, 1866. His salary was fixed at .$;300 per year. C. J. Short, the county attorney, was allowed an annual salary of $100.

At the annual meeting which commenced January 2, 1866, there were present Alanson Beach, C. F. Hardy and AVilliam E. Harris. ]\Iessrs. Beach and Hardy were the newly elected members. Alanson Beach was chosen chairman for the ensuing year. The first business to come before the board was the offering of a reward for the apprehension of Patrick ]\IcEntee, who, December 18, 1865, had murdered I. AV. Padden. A reward of $400 was offered. At this session the board voted to allow A. B. Alorse. rharles E. AVhite and Thomas Talbot the sum of $50 each as soldiers' bounty, their names not appearing upon the adjutant general's list of credits. At the same time township 104, range 17, and the west half of township 104, range 16, was set off as A\'altham township, and civil organization was authorized. On September 5, 1866, Sherman Page, of Austin, was appointed Superintendent of schools. His salary was fixed at $400 per annum.

Oil January 11, 1867, the l)oard of county commissioners (net in Miiiiual session pursuant to law, at the auditor's office in Austin. K. .1. Slimsoii, the commissioiicr-cl('<-t succeeding 0. F. Hardy, (|u:ililit(l, aiKJ look his seat. Tiu' lioard for the year consisted of Alan.son lieacli, AVilliam E. Harris and E. J. Stimson. Alanson Beach was elected chairman for the ensuing year. In Septemlier. Slicrman Page was re-appointed superintendent of scIukJs. His sahiry was fixed at the same amount as in tlie preceding year.

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

On January 4, 1870, the Board convened for their annual session, with Alauson Beach, G. W. Bishop, D. P. Putney and J. Mc- Knight, members holding over, present. John P. AVilliams, the member-elect from the first district, qualified and took his seat Avith the board. Alanson Beach was unanimously chosen chairman for the ensuing year. In May, 1870, the township of Dexter was created and ordered organized. It embraced Congressional tOAvnship 103, range 1(J. At the same time township 102, range 16, was set off and "ordered organized as Beach township. In December, 1870, II. E. Turner presented his credentials as member-elect of the board, and qualified. He succeeded ^Ir. AYilliams.

On January S, 1871, the board met in annual session, pursuant to law. At this time the following named gentlemen were members : Alanson Beach, H. E. Tanner, C. J. Felch, G. AV. Bishop and E. F. IMcKee. Alanson Beach was chosen chairman for the ensuing year. In February, G. AY. Bishop resigned, and was succeeded by ^Y. AI. 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 irregularities in connection Avith the county finances. This was a matter which for a ninnber 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 litigation which followed. In September, L. Bourgard presented his resignation as county attorney, and E. O. AVheeler was appointed to fill the vacancy.

On January 2, 1872, the board met in annual session. A. C. Bisbee, commissioner-elect from the fourth district, qualified. The board for tiie ensuing year was composed of C. J. Felch, AV. M. Hov.-e, II. E. Tanner, E. F. McKee and A. C. Bisbee. Organization Avas effected by the election of C. J. Felch, chairman.

The annual meeting for 187."} commenced on January 7.^ 11. E. Tanner had been re-elected from the first district, so the board remained as before, the members being C. J. Felch, AV. M. Howe, A. C. Bisbee, E. F. iMcKee and II. E. Tanner. C. J. Felch was elected chairman for the ensuing year.

On September 3, 1873, township 104, range l(i, t'oi'nici'Iy known as Beaubien, was set off and ordered organized as tlie civil townsliip Stanton. Clayton township was created at tlie same time, comprising lownsliip 102, range 15, fornu'rly known as Providence.

M. Howe, H. E. Tanner, A. C. Bisbee and James Grant. C. J. Felch was elected chairman for the ensuing year. On ]\Iareh 19, 1874', E. F. Morgan, of LeRoy township, was appointed superintendent of schools for the ensuing year. In July, Lafayette French was appointed county attorney to fill a vacancy. At the same meeting in response to a circular from the governor, the board appropriated $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. Felch, II. E. Tanner, James Grant, \Yilliam 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. Felch, \Yilliam Richards, James Grant, A. J. French and F. W. Kimball. AYilliam Richards was elected chairman of the board at the annual meeting January 4, 1876. On June 14, 1876, the following resolution was adopted by the board of county commissioners : Resolved, That the sum of $100 or so much thereof as may be necessary be set apart for the purpose of collecting and preparing a statistical history of IMower county, in accordance with the proclamation of the president. Messrs. Richards and French were appointed a committee to carry out the intention of the board.

The annual session for 1877 began on January 2. At tliis time the members were "William Ricliards, A. J. French, F. W. Kimball, G. W. Allen and W. B. Spencer. AYilliam 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 AYilliam Richards, G. W. Allen, W. B. Spencer, 0. C. La Bar and M. M. Trowbridge. "William Richards was elected chairman on January 1, 1878, for the ensuing year.

The annual session of 1879 began January 7. wluni the board organized, by the election of "William Richards, chairman. Tlie board was composed of AYilliam Richards, O. C. La Bar, G. W. Allen, "W. B. Spencer and ^M. ^I. Trowbridge. P. T. :\lclntyre, in August, 1879, was appointed county treasurer to .succeed I. Ingmundson, deceased.

On January 6, 1880, the board met in regular session, with the following named as members: "William Richards, M. ]\I. Trowbridge, 0. C. La Bar, O. AV. Case and AV. B. Mitson. Mr. Richards was chosen chairman. 'Slv. Case died in ^lay, 1880, and Charles L. Schro^ler, of Racine, was appointed to fill the vacancy.

G2 Iiistoi.'V Of Mowkij County

The board for 1882 was composed of AY. B. Mitson, II. C. Anderson, Oscar Ayers, J. B. Graves and R. A. Donaldson. AV. B. INIitson 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. Gravfs, C. L. Schntder and John Gilligan. Oscar Ayers was chosen chairman for the ensuing year.

The (Miuiily commissioners" districts are at present divided as Follows: 1, Dexter, Sargeant, AYaltham, Udolpho and Red Rock; 2, Frankford, Hacine, Pleasant Valley and (irand .Meadow; .'?, Le- Roy, Bennington, Lodi and Adams; 4, .Marshall, Wiiidnm. Nevada and Lvle; T), Austin and iiansing.

County Officials

The location of the county seat was the first official question of importance that occupied the attention of the people of the ncAvly organized county. The first board of county commissioners, Avho were appointed by Governor Gorman in 1856, were George White, Phillip Howell and William Kussell. On April 7, 1856, these temporary commissioners nu^t in the village of Frankford and appointed the various county officers. It was also their business, iinder authority of the legislature, to locate a county seat and the record of such an act siiould have been made in the county commissioiici-s book of record ; l)ut no such record was tlicn iiia.ic. I)u1 some liiiic liitrr tlic rollowiiig record appeared on llic lly leaf of HooU --.\'" of deeds and marked "iiage 1." Tiiis is Ihe (inly record of the location of the county seat of Frankford :

Accordiiijr to an ;ict of tlie Minnesota liCgisiature. approvi'd -Miircli 1, bsr.ti, (;eor-e Wliite. I'liillip [lowell, and William Kussell, were ai)poin1ed coniinissioners to locate the seat of Mmver county. Said commissioners met A])ril 7. 1856, and located the county seat of Mowei- county at the following place, to-wit: In the vilhi'.'e of KranUford. situate on the southwest (piarter. of the southeast (|uarter. and the southeast (piarter of the southwest quarter, of seetion 13, township 103, range 14, west of the fifth principal meridian. AVitness our hands this 7th day of April. 1856. Phillip Howell, William Russell, George White, commissioners. Attest: Timothy N. Chapman, clerk of the board of county commissioners."

Mower county at that time was entitled to one representative in the legislatiire, 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 nominated W. B. Covell, a Democrat, and the west side A. B. Vaughan, 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 retiu-ns of the election to the register of deeds, in Houston, and from him received his certificate of election, proceeded to the house, and Avas 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, sheritf ; S. P. Bacon, treasurer ; N. P. Todd, surveyor ; W. B. Spencer, of LeRoy, G. H. Bemis and H. C. Blodgett, as commissioners ; A. B. Vaughan, judge of probate, and Dr. 0. 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, sherift'; G. P. Covell, treasurer; M. K. Armstrong, surveyor; 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 defeated 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 wliich came l)cfore tlie newly elected county commissioners was that of estalilishing 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 wduld he to go to Frankford to transact the county l)usiness.

When it was established at Frankford by the tii-st ( tcinijoi'ary) county commissioners, it was by them declai'cd tliat it could not be removed except by a vote of tiie peoj)!)' of the county. Twn of the newly elected commissioners, George H. Bemis and H. C. Blodgett favored its removal, and took it upon themselves to remove it to Austin, having passed the following resolution at the meeting or January 7, 1857. "That, whereas, the act of the territorial legislature of ^Minnesota, of A. D. 1856, made it the duty of the commissioners appointed under the provisions of said act to locate the county seat of the county of INIower, and, whereas, it does not appear upon 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 husiness according to law ; therefore, resolved, that we do hereby locate the county seat of said ]\Iower county at the village of Austin, on section 3, in township 102, range 18 west, until otlierwise 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 Tattersoll 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 landlord), for grand larceny. He then posted guards around the hotel and went to obtain a search warrant, as the landlord would ]iot give up the tin box containing the records. "While lie was gone, Yates made a bargain with W. Sykes, by which Sykes was to receive $20, if he woiild ol)tain 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) tlie man was to take it out and hid'- 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 imder arrest that their duty would be i)erformed, and that the box would be safe. Soon Yates passed out of the front door (the signal agreed upon) and down into the timl)er a sliort distance. Three of tlie guards, wlio saw him go out, foUowed him, but he eluded them by taking advantage of a short turn in the road, and jumped into the brusli, wliih' llic tlii'cc guards |)ass('il dii-cctly on. In the meantime Sykes li!id co-opci'alcd willi Yates in caiTving out the plans already laid, and was seen liy Y;itcs in liic act of hiding tlw liox. Yates th(Mi took Die l)ox and al'tci- Sykes had gone to the iiouse took the box 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 ?.rr. Pierce, and then returned to the hotel. He afterward deew a diagram of the grounds where the box had been hidden, and gave it to John Patterson and C. C. Hanehett, who dug it up from beneath the snow and conveyed it to Austin, where it was secreted in the hardware store of E. 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 remaiaed 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 defense. The citizens from the west part of the county having hefird of the arrests which had been made, proceeded at once to Frankford, to liberate the prisoners, all going well armed as it Avas feared by some that something serious might transpire. But all soon passed off without the shedding of blood, and with the exception of a false alarm that caused no little consternation among about tifteen men, who Avere 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 Pilmore county seat.

In jMarch, 1857, the county board engaged the office of A. K. 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

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 permanently establishing the county seat of said county, by an election to be held for that purpose on June 1, 1857; and, whereas, it appearing by a canvass of the votes cast at said election, that a majority of the votes were cast for the location of the county seat on Davidson's addition to Austin. Resolved, That we, the commissioners 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 block 23, in Davidson's addition to Austin, as said addition appears on record iu the office of the Register of Deeds of IMower county."

County Court House

In March, 1857, the country board of commissioners engaged the office of A. S. Everest, in Austin, to be used as county seat headquarters. The register of deeds offieed 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 erection 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. Beech, Stimson and Bishop. Tlie building was to be completed by September 5, 1868. This was a two-story brick structure and was located on the corner of IMain and IMaple streets, opposite the present court house. This building 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, tlie board of county commissioners commenced laying plans to erect more spacious quarters. At a meeting of the board of corrunissioners, held ]\rarch 29, 1881, block 13, the old public square, owned l)y various parties, was piirchased for the total sum of $1,925. A building committee was tlicn api)ointed, wliich consisted of Oscar Ayers, O. C. L;iBar and AV. B. IMitson. l^ids were solicited for const i-uctiiig the l)as(Mn('iit of tlu' contemplated court house.

D. J. Tubbs, whose bid of $9,200.00 was the lowest ofifered, was awarded the contract and completed the work in a very satis-' factory manner. H. J. Anderson was appointed as superintend(!nt of construction, and received for his services $30 per week.

The building committee took much pains to become thoroughly 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 superstructure 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 construction went on, and the building was completed and first occiipied in the month of March, 1884.

About seven years before the completion of the new court house, the board of county commissioners began to stOAV away a fund for that purpose, by levying a light tax each year, thus the tax payers were not burdened by a heavy tax any one year, or compelled to pay interest on a large bonded indebtedness, as most counties have done, in this and other states. No small credit is due to the enterprise and public spirit of the city of Austin, who taxed herself to the amount of $6,000 as an aid toward erecting the court house. The total cost of the building, lots, and heating apparatus, Avas, in round numbers $67,900, divided about as follows: $51,500 for building; $1,925 for grounds; and $4,500 for furniture and fixtures. After deducting the $6,000 paid by the city of Austin, the cost to the people of Mower county, was about $61,916.

In the early part of 1879, an effort Avas made to have the county seat removed to Ramsey. The effort was made on the part of the people of Racine, Frankford, Pleasant Valley, Grand Meadow and other towns. A remonstrance was signed by 2,204 legal voters of the county, this being more than two thirds of tlie total vote east at the previous general election. The removal bill failed to pass the legislature.

County Poor Farm

Prior to 1868 the paupers of ]\Iower county W(>re cared for by some of the citizens, who were paid by the county. At that dite a farm was purchased by the county in LeRoy towusliip find fitted up for that purpose. April 16, 1868, the l)oard of couiify eommissiouers, purchased seventy-five acres of land on the northwest quarter of section 28. township 101, range 14, of Daniel Caswell and wife, for the sum of $1,500; and also eighty acres of W. Hayes for $1,8J:0. This constituted the first poor farm in the county. Proper improvements were made and the poor were cared for at that place until 1876, when it was deemed best to exchange this property for the present poor farm, which is located on the northeast quarter of section 31, township 103, range 18, which is in the township of Lansing, and is about three miles distant from the city of Austin. This place was bought (or traded for) of John S. Lacy and wife February 11, 1876. This farm is an excellent piece of land and now contains very good improvements, including all necessary buildings.

County Jail. The county jail is a brick structure with stone trimmings. It is fireproof, steam heated and sanitary throughout. The sheritf's residence is a good brick building with stone trimmings. It adjoins the jail and is located a few rods from the courtliouse on the east side of Chatham street.