Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/344

 284 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY this time, too, President Crary, who had been struggling manfully to keep Hamline alive in those years succeeding the panic of '57, was selected by a committee of the legislature of Minnesota to organize the public school system of the state, and he accepted the appointment. In the meantime the Rev. Jabez Brooks had recovered his health and the trustees elected him to the presi- dency. His was no enviable task. The institution was in debt, most of her young men had gone to the war; her friends, many of them, were penniless, and the resources of the state were taxed to the utmost to maintain order on the frontier while her sons fought for the preservation of the Union. He threw into it all the energy of his young manhood. Up and down the state he went soliciting funds. lie did double work in the classroom. He used his private funds to provide for his family; he did every- thing that was possible for him to do. withholding nothing of time or talents or energy, and Hamline lived. Tin; last commencement at Red AVing occurred March 4, 1869.' At the annual conference of the church held in October, 1869. a report presented shows that at that time the question of the removal of the college was being agitated. On July 6 of that year the trustees decided thai in view of financial conditions it would not be wise to reopen the doors of the college during the ensuing year. Later the institution was removed to St. Paul, and today it has the honor not only of being the oldest college in the state, but also one of the leading educational institutions in the Northwest. Various reasons, among which financial troubles form an important part, are given for the removal of the university to St. Paid. Red Wing people have always regretted the removal; and there are many friends of the univer- sity who assert that, successful as has been the career of that institution, it would have had a still more glorious history had it remained in Red Wing and the drawbacks of s us j tension and removal been obliterated. The property was sold to the city of Red Wing for $5,000, the transfer papers bearing the date of February 24. 1872. The building was torn down and the material sold to whatever pur- chasers could be found. The ground is still owned by the city and is dedicated to the uses of a public park. The ground was graded without the expense of entirely removing the foundation walls, and even to the present day in very dry weather the grass dries above the old walls and the outlines of the historic old building may plainly be seen. Red Wing Seminary. — This institution is located on College Bluff and commands a view of the most picturesque natural