Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/148

 106 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY resolved that the block now occupied by the Episcopal church should be the site of the county buildings, provided a good title could be obtained. But nothing came of the above resolves of the commissioners, probably on account of the great stringency in money matters which prevailed throughout the country that year. The next reference to the building of the court house found in the minutes of the board is under date of February 2, 1858, when, upon motion of petition of T. J. Smith, it was voted to erect county buildings according to plans and specifications pre- sented by the Messrs. Chaffee, provided that sufficient county bonds could be negotiated at a sum not less than ninety cents on the dollar, the cost of said building not to exceed $30,000. S. P. Chandler and S. J. Hasler voted in favor of this, and M. S. Chandler voted in the negative. It will be remembered that at that time Goodhue county bonds were worth from sixty to seventy-five cents on the dollar. On the third Monday in May the bids were opened and the contract awarded to Messrs. Sim- mons, Hill and Stevens, at $24,000, that being the lowest and best offer and included the entire completion of the building. Monday. May 17. the board voted to notify the contractors that the court house and jail were to be erected on the block known and designated as "court house block" square, in the city of Red "Wing. Tuesday. June 8, the board voted to accept the sureties given by Daniel C. Hill and others for the completion of the contract for building the court house and jail, and ordered that bonds be placed on file in the county clerk's office. It was also voted, to quote the minutes, "that the contract entered into by the county commissioners of said county of Goodhue county, Minn., parties of the first part, and Daniel C. Hill and others, parties of the second part, to build the county buildings, and to receive in pay therefor the bonds of the said county of Goodhue, Minn., to the amount of twenty-six thousand, six hundred and sixty-six dollars ($26,666.00) be placed on file." Old settlers interviewed are unable to account for this difference in $2,666 above the original contract price, but it may have been due to the fact that the pay was to be accepted in bonds which were not at par value. Jesse M. Hodgman, deceased, for several years mayor of Red AVing. and one of the early merchants of the city, was born in Hartland, Windsor county, Vermont, February 17, 1818. As a boy he received his education in the district schools of his native county, in a seminary at Meriden, N. H., and in a state military school at Norwich, Vt., remaining on the farm until 1854. In the fall of that year he arrived in Red Wing for the first time. Although there was little here at that time to indicate the future