Waseca County, Minnesota - Chapter 66, 1905

County Commissioners Work

The board of county commissioners met in regular session Jan. 5, 1897. Members present, Joseph Fromlath, P. C. Bailey, H. F. Lewer, H. Ewert, Raymond Doyle. The board organized by the election of Mr. Lewer as chairman. The board of audit made a report designating the Citizens State Bank of Waseca and the Peoples Bank as depositories of county funds for the ensuing two years.

The publishers of the newspapers of the county having failed to come to any agreement regarding the county printing, the whole of it was awarded to the Waseca Coiinty Herald at five cents a description for publishing the tax list, and one cent for all the other publishing.

special session Feb. 2, 1897, and resolved "that the said contract and said modifications therein with the said John D. Carroll is hereby declared forfeited by him, and that the same be and is hereby terminated and ended as to performance thereof by him and that he is hereby required to cease any further work on said courthouse and all charge or control of the construction of the same." Qn Feb. 6, the board again met and by arrangement with S. P. Child, agent of the American Surety Company, the contract for finishing the courthouse structure was let to C. F. Haglin, of Minneapolis, for $10,000.

The board of commissioners, at their session. May 21, 1897, received proposals for building a steel bridge instead of the old ]\Iarkham bridge in the town of Alton from the Gillette, Herzog ilanufacturing Company, of Minneapolis, the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company, of Milwaukee, the Massillion Bridge Company, of Ohio, the A. D. Wheaton Bridge Company, of Chicago, and the N. M. Stark Bridge Company, of Des ;Moines, Iowa, ranging from $1,100 to $975. These proposals were all rejected. The members of the board, in company vidth the bridge builders present, proceeded to the Wilton bridge for the purpose of examining as to the condition of said bridge, and upon the return the board concluded to auction off, to the lowest bidder, the building of two steel bridges in place of the old Wilton and IMarkham bridges. Thirty-five bids were received, ranging from $2,000 to $1,299, for building the Wilton bridge. Then eight bids ranging from $2,200 to $2,195 for building the two bridges named were received. The lowest bid was made by the Gillette, Herzog Manufacturing Company, of Minneapolis. This bid was accepted, and it was ordered that the contract for the building of said bridges be awarded the said Gillette, Herzog Manufacturing Company, of Minneapolis, the Wilton bridge for $1,260, and the Markham bridge for $935.

On J\Iay 22 it was ordered that the following appropriations be made from the county road and bridge fund: To town of Vivian, $50, for grading road on marsh between sections 6 and 7 in said town ; to town of Iosco, $50, for the new road between sections 27 and 28 of said town; to town of Blooming Grove, $50, for grading road between sections 14 and 15 in said town; to town of New Kiehland, $100, for a bridge on section 31 of said

On June 16, 1897, bids having been received by the board- It was ordered that the contract for the building of a combination bridge, on section 1, of Janesville, be awarded to the Gillette, Herzog Manufacturing Company, of Minneapolis, for the sum of $445. It was also ordered that the contract for the building of a combination bridge on section 33, of Otisco, be awarded to the said Gillettte, Herzog Manufacturing Company for the sum of $450. Commis_sioner Ewert was appointed to oversee the building of the bridge on section 1, of Janesville, and Commissioner Fromlath was appointed to oversee the building of the bridge on section 33, of Otisco.

At the same meeting, appropriations were made as follows : To Lars Syverson, $25, for damages on land caused by the change of location of the Wilton bridge; to town of Freedom, $50 for grading approaches to the bridge on road between section 1, of Vivian, and section 36, of Freedom. The town of Freedom was also allowed to expend an appropriation made May 7, 1896, on the Bull Run bridge on section 13, of said town; to town of St. Mary, $50, of which $25 is to be expended on road between sections 13 and 14, and $25 for grading road on sectioa 1 of said town.

To town of Janesville, $30, for grading approaches to the n,ew bridge on section 1, of said town; to town of Freedom, $50, as aid in the building of a new bridge across Bull Run, on section 13, of said town; to town of Woodville, $65, for grading road between sections 13 and 14, and 21 and 22, of said town.

At an adjourned meeting held Oct. 22, 1897, it was ordered that the new Wilton bridge be accepted, and that the contract price, $1,260, less $35, be paid to the Gillette, Herzog ]\Ianufacturing Company. It was also ordered that the ilarkham bridgebe accepted and the contract price, $935, be paid to the Gillette, Herzog Manufacturing Company, conditionally, that the little sag in said bridge, now appearing, be straightened by said firm free of charge within one year from date, which order was accepted by the representative present from said firm.

The New Courthouse

The new courthouse was completed abotit the 1st of August, 1897, and was formally dedicated, Sept. 23. The following account is from the columns of the Waseca County Herald: graded grounds and pleasant surroundings, calls to mind the courthouse history of this county, which may be of some interest to the present generation.

"The county of Waseca was organized by act of the territorial legislature, dated Feb. 27, 1857. By that act the voters of the county were authorized to hold an election on the first Monday of June, 1857, to choose the county seat and elect county officers. Three villages, Wilton. St. Mary and Empire, were candidates for the county seat, and Wilton won. Strange as It may seem, nothing is left of these "ancient towns" except the lands upon which they were built.

"The first courthouse was a store building, about 24 feet wide, CO feet long, and two stories high. The record of its purchase reads as follows:

" 'At the session of the board of county supervisors, Oct. 12, 1859, M. S. Gove, H. G. Mosher, and J. W. La Paul were appointed a committee to purchase the store building owned by Thos. L. Paige, in the village of Wilton, for a courthouse, with the county certificates of tax sales of lands sold In 1858, and bid in by the county - ^the amount of said purchase not to exceed $700. E. A. Rice, register of deeds, was ordered to assign the certificates upon receiving deed.'

"The same year of the purchase of the courthouse, a jail, costing about $500, was built adjoining it on the north end. This was also burned by the same fire that consumed the courthouse.

"The records were nearly or quite all saved, and the county officers took temporary quarters in the wagon shop of Bernard Bundschu. The county board at that time consisted of R. F. Stevens, John S. McKune, Robert Earl, Wm. Byron, and John Buckhout. They met in special session April 15, 1869, and finally purchased the John C. Hunter building for $500, to be paid from the insurancp money on the old building. This was the second courthouse, worth milch less than the first, but serving the purpose after a fashion, until the county seat conflict should be permanently settled.

"Waseca had been platted in 1867, and was already a large and thriving town. That it would eventually secure the county seat was inevitable.

"At the next session of the legislature, February, 1870, an act was passed authorizing the village of Waseca to issue bonds in the sum of $5,000, the proceeds to be used In the building of a new courthouse for the county of Waseca, upon the removal of the county seat to Waseca. The people of Waseca voted in March to issue the bonds and before fall the then new courthouse was completed.

Courthouse Of 1870

"This courthouse, removed last spring, was a fine brick structure, 40x50 feet on the ground, and two stories high. The lower floor was divided into four ofiices, and the second floor was used as a court room. At that time, 1870, it was one of the best and most commodious courthouses in Southern Minnesota. The building was for years poorly cared for by the county board and left to decay.

"The history of the present new and elegant courthouse, just completed, is .'current history, fresh in the minds of our people. It is 74 feet north and south by 92 feet east and west. The tower is 100 feet high, with a flag staff 30 feet in length. Its total cost. Including land, furniture, burglar-proof safes, etc., as reported by Auditor Lohren, is $55,833.07. In all its appointments it is most ample and complete. The vaults are large and roomy, and most of them well lighted. The county offices are all on the first floor, the second floor being devoted to the court room, jury rooms and judge's private room.

There were two severe storms in the summer - one on the 10th of June, the other July 6. The ('ream correspondent of the Herahl Avrote as foUows :

June 10, Cream and vicinity were visited by high winds, electrical disturbances, rain, and hail, about half past four o'clock p. m. There were several hurricanes formed. They were perpendicular cloud columns reaching from the upper clouds to the earth.

The one south destroyed Postmaster Oleson's home and its contents, his barn and grove. Some of the contents of the office were picked up two miles away. The column passed just south of Mr. Hydorn, picked up the Wm. Davidson school house, and whirled it all into pieces. The register and some of the library books were picked up east of Plum Valley, near Sam. Hodgkin's place, in Vivian. It just brushed Mr. Krause's new house, which is being constructed, but left it unharmed. People that were near say the roar was deafening. The hurricane that passed north tore down a barn northwest of Alma City. There were four horses in the barn which escaped unharmed. A cow near by had a leg broken. Coming in just east of the village of Alma City, it caught the creamery building and twisted it into pieces. Mr. Blckford's nearly new, large house was moved from its foundation, the roof injured, and porch and kitchen torn away. Mrs. Blckford had over a hundred chickens before the storm; the next day she had but one and that had been blown into the house. The storm passed thence east, doing much damage near Peddler's Grove.

It started northwest of Alma City, visiting Mrs. Gleason's place and tearing down the ice house. A new barn, built last summer, was carried out into the road and left in splinters. Prom there the tornado went to John Markham's and moved his new barn the carpenters had just commenced, off its foundation. From there it went to the creamery and left the building nothing but a wreck, carrying some parts of it a long distance. From there it went to Brother Bickford's and just riddled things. Some hogs and chickens were killed and one horse considerably injured, but he will live. Fences were torn down, trees broken off and torn out by the roots. Mr. Bickford was knocked down and hurt, but is now at work. The family saved their lives by being in the cellar. It unroofed Mr. Le Selle's granary and tore his fences down. It was a terrific storm and the wonder is that no one was killed or seriously injured in the vicinity.

The Otisco correspondent related that the storm twister of the 10th struck Otisco, Thursday afternoon, at the Le Sueur river bridge, near Ed. Weed's place, moving directly east. No buildings happened to be in its path until Mr. John Carlson's place was reached. There the machine shed, and new barn were blown down and dashed into splinters, not enough whole lumber beino; left to make a chicken coop. Mr. Carlson and two sons were in the barn at the time, and were blown away with the building. All were more or less hurt, but strange to say, none seriously. Most of his machinery and his wagon and buggy were also destroyed.

out the county, the high winds prevailed only in the central portions. The large barn of jMr. Wm. Meyers, on section 31, St. Mary, was lifted from its foundation and broken all in pieces. For a wonder the ten horses in the basement of the barn were uninjured. His wind mill was shattered, and the porch to his house was torn off. The roof of one of the barns on the Lamb farm, in Alton, was torn off. Giis. B. Vogel, on section 3, Freedom, had his buildings torn down, and his face considerably cut. His family -w^ent into the cellar and escaped injury. It is reported that the wind mills of Nic Fox, James Kaiser, and Julius Meyers, in Jleyers ' neighborhood, were badly shattered. The cyclonic portion of the storm, in this coiuity, was confined to narrow limits; but near Lyle, IMower county, many buildings were torn down, several persons killed, and a number wounded.

The July Storm

On July 6, 1897, manj^ counties were visited by destructive hail and wind storms. A large territory at Sleepy Eye was devastated by hail. Delhi, Redwood county; Fulda, jMurray county; (ilenwood. Pope county; Marshall and Minneota, Lyon county; St. Cloud, Stearns coimty; Northfield, Rice county; Adrian, Nobles county ; Anoka, Anoka county ; and Claremont and West Concord, Dodge county, were all more or less injured by terrible hail storms. The most disastrous of the many storms was a tornado at Glenwood, Pope county, in which several people were killed and injured, a score or more seriously. The storm tore down buildings of all kinds and killed stock in great numbers.

"The storm of last Tuesday did much damage to the M. & St. L. railroad tracks north of here. A freight train containing goods for this city was ditched. The passenger trains yesterday were compelled to go around by way of Mankato. Regular trains resumed to-day."

"Tuesday night, this section was visited by the heaviest and most fearful rainstorm the oldest inhabitants ever saw or ever wish to see again. People were awakened from their slumbers by the force of the storm to behold the heavens ablaze with lightning and one vast, white of rain all around. The water fell in torrents. It was as though the sides had opened and a sea of water was pouring down. It was a cloudburst of I he fiercest kind. There is no way of estimating the amount of rain that fell. A kerosene barrel that stood away from any building, where no water could run into it from the roof, and about one-fourth full of water the day before, was full to overflowing after the storm. Every slough, meadow, and little hollow was full of water the next morning. For over a week the farmers had been laboring under difficulties in making clover and timothy hay. Tons of the finest hay were caught out in cocks or wipdrows. The hay is practically a total loss. A few had succeeded in getting a good lot of hay in stack only to find, after the storm, that the tops had been washed or blown off and the stacks watersoaked to the bottom. The loss in hay will be heavy. Aside from the loss of cut hay, the soil has been washed off corn fields and higher lands onto the grass lands, completely burying the grass, or making It so dirty it is unfit for hay. Many of the sloughs and meadows are still under water from one to three feet, and the grass seems to be rotting. There are, as yet, only small areas free of water.

William Harding'S One Hundred Years

^Iv. Wm. Harding, of the town of St. Mary, in this county, with the aid of hosts of friends, celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of his birthday, April 1.

^\v. Harding first saw light in East Orsley, England, one hundred years ago - the year that John Adams was inaugurated president of the United States, and more than two years before Geoi-ge "Washington died at Mt. Vernon. At the age of about fifteen years ]Mr. Harding became, for a short time, a British soldier in the war of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States. He remained in Canada, at different places for fifteen years, and then settled in Milwaukee, where he remained some five years. He next went to Burlington, Vermont, where he remained until the breaking out of. the Mexican war with the United States, which lasted from the latter part of 1845 to the beginning of 1848. He served the United States during the Mexican struggle, and afterwards resided in Chicago, where he remained until about 1858, when he came to Minnesota and settled in Iosco. Prior to the War of the Rebellion he lost his wife. January 24, 1862, he enlisted in the Fifth Minnesota regiment and served until September 13, 1862, when he was discharged for disability. He married Mrs. Reibling, Nov. 20, 1867, and by this marriage he had three children - Prof. Everhard Harding, of the State University, William, Jr., and Miss Caroline, now Mrs. George Phelps. It is said that he was the oldest G. A. R. man in America. He enjoyed his usual health until about the first of September, 1897, when he seemed to be overcome bv thp extreme warm weather, and sank peacefully to his final rest and to an honored grave, Sept. 7, 1897.

Deaths Noted During The Year 1897

The first to cross the river of Death this year was ^Ir. J. AY. Hosmer, one of the first permanent settlers in the town of Janesville. He died Feb. 24, 1897. He was born in Genesee county, N. Y., ]\lay 19, 1824. He came as far west as "Wisconsin when eighteen years of age and remained there until 1856, when he came to Minnesota and lived for a short time in Empire (Iosco), where he opened a store. He remained there but a short time, when he disposed of his store and, at what was kno^^Ti as Old Janesville, built a sawmill which was very beneficial to early settlers in the county. He also engaged in mercantile enterprises and did a thriving business as Indian trader - there being man}' of the natives on the Winnebago reservation near by. He also engaged extensively at one time in the production of honey, owning the largest apiary in the West. He became known nationally as an expert in the management of bees and the production of honey. It is said that in one year his bees produced nine tons of honey. He died of paralysis, and at the time of his death was one of the oldest settlers remaining in the township.

Mr. William Von Sien was born in ilecklenberg, Schwerin, Germany, Aug. 28, 1832. He came to America about 1861, and worked for some time near Waukesha, Wis. Coming to Waseca county in 1867, he settled south of Waseca. By his first wife, who died in 1870, he had one daughter, since married. He married Catharine Theis, in 1872, by whom he had ten children, all living. He died on Tuesday night, April 6, 1897, of heart disease.

Mrs. Esther W. Mosher Young died of Bright 's disease, April 25, 1897, at Minneapolis, Minn., aged sixty-nino years. She was born in th(> state of Ohio, October 13, 1827. Her parents removed from Ohio, to Wisconsin, about the year 184."), and lived in the town of (Chester, Dodge county, some six miles south of Waupun. She remained with her parents in Wisconsin until about 1854, when she married Mr. Parthian Young. She caiii(> Avith her husband lo Minnesota in IS:").") or lS^iC\ and with him made

;i. claim on what was long known as the Peter Lindsay farm, on the south line of Woodville township. They sold to Mr. Lindsay and returned to Wisconsin. Some time afterwards, most of her people living' here, she returned to Minnesota with her two daughters, where she remained until her death. Minnie, the older daughter, died when about fifteen years of age, and Nellie, the younger, is now a prominent teacher in the city schools of INLnneapolis.

ilr. John C. Hunter, an early and prominent settler of this coimty. died at his Duluth home on Thursday evening, ]\Iay 15, 1897. ^Ir. Hunter was for years a prominent merchant of Wilton, and well and favorably known by all the early settlers of the county. He had an attack of grippe in early winter from Avhich he never recovered. He was a brother of Mrs. W. A. Henderson, of this county. His wife, two sons, and three daughters survive him. It is said that he left large property interests in the northern portion of the state.

:\lr. Royse F. Stevens was born in New Portland, Somerset county, ]\laine, August 29, 1817. His wife's maiden name was Lucinda jM. Spaulding. They came to Minnesota in 1863, and first lived in Vivian on a farm. Afterwards the family moved to AVilton, and j\Ir. Stevens engaged in the work of blacksmith. Later he bought a farm in Wilton, where he lived with his family until about IS^^'l. He was county commissioner during the years 1868, 1869, and 1870 and again in 1873. He sold his farm in Wilton and removed with his family to the vicinity of Lake Benton, .Minn. There his wife died Oct. 16, 1881. Thereafter he lived with his children in Dakota and western Minnesota. About 1896 he returned to this county and lived with his son Edwin. He was taken ill the 18th of January, 1897, and soon became unconscious. He remained in this condition with only lucid intervals until his death which occurred May 27, 1897, in his eightieth year. He Avas a good citizen and a kind neigh- 1)or. His remains were taken to Lake Benton and buried beside those of his wife.

:\Ir. Cornelius ]\IcGonagle, of St. ilary, passed to his last rest July 19, 1897, after an illness of about two Aveeks. He died (ibout 10:30 o'clock of stricture of the bowels. He was born in this county 38 years before, being the son of Mr, Michael Mc-

Gonagle, Sr., one of our oldest settlers. He was a communicaut of the Catholic church, a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and of the Foresters of America, and an honorable, upright citizen, held in high esteem. He left surviving his wife, an infant daughter, and numerous other relatives to mourn his early departure.

Mr. Thomas Ca-i\'ley, of Blooming (Jrove, who came to this county in 1866, after a long illness, died Sunday night, Aug. 15, surrounded by his family. His funeral, which was very largely attended, took place at the Catholic church in Waseca, and his remains were laid to rest in the Catholic cemetery, south of that city.

ilr. C. il. Read, the aged father of Conductor Harry A. Read, died suddenly Sept. IS, 1897. He had been in his usual good health, and was coming in from his carpenter shop, when, as he opened the screen door to his son's residence, he fell dead iipou the floor. He undoubtedly died of heart disease. He was born in Xew Haven, Conn., October 20, 1813. At the age of twent.v-two years, he came as far west as Cleveland, Ohio, where he resided for many years. He was one of the aldermen of that city in ISiS. In 1854, he came to Tama county, Iowa, where he lived until he came to Waseca, about 1883.

ilr. iMatthew Coleman, for many years a resident of this county, died at his home in Waseca, Sept. 26, 1897, at an advanced age. He first settled on a farm in the south part of the county in 1862, and about 1868 came to Waseca and opened the "Waseca House, " ' where the electric light plant now is. He and his son conducted this hotel for several .vears. He was in poor health for more than a year prior to his death.

Mr. W. H. Ivers, of New Richland, met a sudden death on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 1897. He had carried his milk to the Xew Richland creamery and had nearly reached home when he suddenly fell from his buggy and broke his neck, dying almost instantly. It is supposed that he fell in a fit, as he was subject to such spells. jMr. Ivers was among the early settlers of the county. and owned a fine farm on section 6. The farm has a flowing well and an artificial lake well stocked with carp.

Decoration Day

brave men and the devoted women that served this country during the days of the wicked Rebellion of 186f-5, was duly observed in 1897. The day in Waseca was observed more appropriately and with greater propriety than on any previous occasion. There was an earnestness and thoughtfulness quite commendable on such an occasion. The addresses were good. Mayor iloonan voiced the patriotic sentiments of the younger generation, while Rev. S. G. Updyke re-kindled the fires of patriotism that burned in every loyal heart during the "sixties," when the traitor horde, led by that arch conspirator, Jeff Davis, assailed the national life and, with traitor hands, attempted to destroy personal liberty throughout the world. While neither address was partisan, ]\Ir. Updyke 's side statement that, although corporations and trusts seemed now to be uppermost, still he believed that the people would yet triumph and hand down to future generations our glorious government unimpaired, was thoughtful, truthful, and appropriate. Such words from a veteran of the War of the Rebellion - a man of education, of extensive historical research, of conscientious convictions, of unselfish love of humanity - give us hope for the future, hope for our country, hope for the great brotherhood of toiling humanity in the days to come when, regardless of wealth, "A man is a man for a' that."

Short Crops

The crop of wheat this year was a partial failure in yield, and was considerably injured by the heavy rains of July. The hay crop was also injured by heavy rains. The wheat crop of India being also a failure that year caused a rise in the price of wheat so that our farmers received about as much this year from their poor crop as they did the year before from a much better crop.

Hog Cholera

Hog cholera was brought into this county from Iowa in 1896 by the importation of a few carloads of hogs to be fed and fattened. The importation proved to be a calamity. Nearly half the hogs in the county died of the disease in 1896-7-8. In fact the disease still lingers in some neighborhoods, and the utmost care is required to preveiit its spread. The importation of hogs and cattle at any time from the South is a great mistake on the part of Minnesota farmers.