Redwood County, Minnesota - Chapter 17: County Officers and Buildings, 1916

Redwood county has been fortunate in the type of men that have administered its affairs in public office. With a few exceptions they have been men of integrity and ability, and the splendid condition of the records are a glowing tribute to the fidelity with which they have labored. It is fitting that their names should here be preserved for the perusal of future generations.

Buildings. The county buildings of Redwood county consist of a commodious court house and sightly jail, at Redwood Falls, and an unusually beautiful alms house, one mile west from the city.

Redwood Falls has been the county seat of Redwood county since the organization of the county. The first county officers kept their books at their homes or at their regular places of business. Later some of them secured small offices. The early courts were held in various buildings.

The first action by the county board toward securing quarters for county offices was taken Sept. 12, 1865, when O. C. Martin was authorized to secure a suitable room for the transaction of

On March 10, 1869, the board of commissioners decided to purchase a lot and erect a county building at a cost not to exceed $300, but a short time afterward Dr. D. L. Hitchcock and C. P. Griswold offered to erect a suitable building and to rent it to the county for $5 a month. This offer was accepted, and the officers moved into the building early in January, 1870.

The present court house square was donated to the county by Col. Sam. McPhail, and in 1872 plans were set on foot for the erection of a court house thereon. May 5, 1873, the commissioners appointed a committee to take charge of the erection of the building. The contract was let May 31, 1873, at $2,150. Of this, $1,400 was to be raised by issuing county orders from time to time at 7 per cent interest. The building was subsequently enlarged and improved in various ways. Sept. 2, 1890, the sum of $5,000 was appropriated for the purpose of further enlarging the building, but the action was reconsidered in favor of an entirely new structure.

Action toward erecting the present court house on the site of the older one was taken July 13, 1891, when the county commissioners voted $15,000 for the purpose. The scope of the work grew, and the court house as it stands costs between $35,000 and $40,000. The building is splendidly adapted for the purpose, and is fully equipped with electric lights, telephones, water and sewer connections, and substantial vaults. The court room on the upper floor seats from 800 to 1,000 people, and is a model of its kind in every respect.

A resolution to erect a county jail, a few rods northeast of the court house was passed by the commissioners, May 2, 1894. The bid was approved June 6, 1894, and the building, together with the heating plant in the court house and pail, was approved Feb. 21, 1895. The court house and jail are both of brick, and with their well-kept lawns, are ornaments of which the people have reason to be proud.

Jan. 5, 1899, it was decided to sell the county poor farm, the farm being too far from the county seat. Later the present farm west of the city was purchased. The splendid structure which adorns the farm, and which is probably the most magnificent alms house in Minnesota, was completed Sept. 22, 1909.

Authority. These lists of officers have been gleaned with some difficulty from the various records at the Redwood County Court House and from the files of the newspapers, as well as from election returns. The records in the individual offices were consulted for signatures, the official bonds of the officers were examined, and election returns looked over with care.