Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/147

 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY 105 at the southwest corner of section 31, township 109, range 15 east ; thence east three miles ; thence north two and a half miles ; thence west three miles; thence south two and a half miles to the place of beginning. It appears that the people did not vote in favor of raising money for county buildings, and nothing further was done by the board of commissioners toward that object until 1857, except to discuss the matter. The first session of the board in 1856 was held January 7. The time of that and the immediate subsequent session was devoted to roads, auditing accounts, revising and re-establishing the assessors' districts and doing like business. At a session commencing April 8, 1856, the following named citizens were appointed judges of elections: Red Wing— Seth Washburn, R. C. Todd, T. J. Smith; Wacoota— H. F. Simmons, George Post, Abner W. Post; Belle Creek— Hans Mattson, Walter Doyle, S. P. Chandler; Florence — Samuel Corey, Henry Phillips, J. L. Dixon; Sackton — Simon Sackett, D. F. Stevens, P. G. Wilson; Cannon Falls — Andrus Durand, E. N. Sumner, Alonzo Dibble; Dunkirk— Ole Oleson, Samuel Knutson, Guncler Oleson. School districts numbered 10, 11. 12, 13 and 14 were established, the rapid influx of immigration making the re-establishment of the districts necessary. The total valuation returned by the assessors was $630,227. Previous to this taxes had been laid on personal property alone. This year real estate became also taxable. The business transacted this year was practically the same as that of the previous year, and a detailed description would prove too lengthy for the confines of this history. Those interested in any particular detail can find the minutes of these early meetings still on record among the county archives. In the year 1857 action was taken in earnest to provide county build- ings. The county board consisted of S. P. Chandler, S. J. Hasler and A. W. Post. S. J. Hasler was elected chairman. At a meet- ing held April 10 the following action was taken : Whereas, It is the duty of the board of county commissioners to provide for the erecting and repairing of court houses, jails, and other neces- sary public buildings for the use of the county; and whereas, this county has no court house or jail; Resolved, That this board provide for the erection of suitable buildings for the use of the county. Several resolutions followed in regard to the issue of bonds, their negotiation, etc. Then they resolved to receive plans and specifications for a court house, to be furnished on or before the first of May, at the register of deeds' office, and directed the clerk to have these resolutions printed three successive weeks in the "Red Wing Gazette." It was the opinion of this board that the court house block was too far from the river, and they