Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/624

 542 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY church still remains on the corner of Sixth street and East ave- nue and serves the purpose of its founders. The spring of 1857 was backward in its approaches, but it brought a larger number of new citizens to the town and county than during any previous year. The work of building new houses and stores was pushed with vigor through most of this season. The financial crisis which prevailed throughout the country began to be felt in full measure here toward the close of 1S57. The stringency in the money market did not check the growth of this new city entirely. A high rate of interest was allowed for the use of money, but the farmers were raising golden wheat. Large quantities of that product found a market here. Wheat buyers were iii the street ready to meet teams as they entered, and prepared to pay cash for the loads. Wheat drawn by oxen from fifty and even 100 miles away was marketed here in the early days. This caused a demand for a repository for money, and the first bank in the county was opened here by Pascal Smith under the name of Smith. Meigs & Co. It was this year that, by an act of the territorial legislature, a charter was granted to the citizens of Red Wing for a city form id' government. The first charter election was also held tins year and resulted in the election of -J. C. Weatherby as mayor and James Lawther, F. F. Hoyt and Charles Beers as councilmen. The same year another weekly newspaper commenced its publication, under the name the "Red Wing Republican." The first number was dated Sep- tember 4. 1857, and Lucius F. Hubbard was editor and proprietor. A convention had been held in St. Rani to frame a constitution for the new state in order to he admitted into the Union at the next session of congress. The work of that convention having just been completed, the full copy of that constitution was pub- lished in the initial number of the "Red Wing Republican." The first regular convention of the Republican party was held in Red Wing. September 1 of the same year. Until this time party politics had made very little show in the county. The paper which had been published every week since August. 1855, the "Sentinel," was a newspaper which served the wants and neces- sities of all the people, but it was well known that its editor was a Democrat in national politics. As a matter of course, when Minnesota should become a state the former party affiliations would become manifest. This first Republican convention was presided over by William Stanton as chairman, and H. L. Bevans acted as secretary. Hon. Charles McClure made the principal speech at the convention. A full ticket was nominated. The Democrats held a party convention also and nominated a strict party ticket. The latter ticket was sanctioned by a vote of the