The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-05-26
w. p. HUNTINGTON.
THE REDWOOD GAZETTE.
BY AIKEN E. SCHMAHL.
THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1898.
REDWOOD COUNTY.
Events of the County From the
Date of its Organization.
BY O. b. TURRELL

Continued.
Col. McPhail and T. w. Caster took
the claims on which the original town
of Redwood Falls was located, and
later McPhail bought out Caster and
had the village plated into 400 lots,
which were sold in shares of 20 lots
each at 500 share.
OF the other settlers who entered
claims in 1864, O. C. Martin and Ed
mund Fosgate located about two and
a half miles southwest of the village,
and John S. e. Homer two miles
north on the Redwood river. The
land having been surveyed was ap-
praised by commissioners in the fall
of 1864; who valued the most of it at
$l.25 per acre, though some special
tracts and timbered lands, or that on
which improvements had been made,
was placed at from $3.50 to SIS per
acre.
The first permanent officers of the
county were elected in November 1865,
with 0. G. Martin chairman, Hugh
Curry and John Winters commission
ers, Edward March auditor, L. NJ
Baker register Of deeds, Jacob Tippery
treasurer, Birney Flynn clerk of court,
;Samue McPhail judge of probate and
county attorney, and Norman Web
sster sheriff. The county seat was es-
tablished at Redwood Falls.
As noted above Gov Miller had set
off what now comprises five counties
as one election district, which surely
could not interfere with the
rights of the voter, but attention
is called to the irregular order which
grew out of this early arrangement in
the fn..tter of voting. Allsvoters lily,
ing in uhorganized towns as late as
1882 claimed tho right to vote. in the
village of Redwood Falls, which right
yves graMted.
Trne first term of court held in the
county was at Redwood Falls, over
the store building of Louis Roberts,
beginning June 18th, 1867, for the
trial of what are known as the New
Ulm murder cases. The trial had
been removed from Brown county be-
cause the presiding judge, Hon. Horace
Austin, found public sentiment too
much prejudiced to admit of fair
trial at lew Ulm. The attorneys in
the case were Col. VIM. Colville, attor-
ney general; Sam'l McPhail, county at
torney; and S. A. Buel for the prose
scution. Judge G. E. Flandreau of St.
Paul, G. T. Clothier, Francis Baasen
and John McDorman of New Ulm
for the defense. The defendants were
charged with taking two men, who
had assaulted a bar-keeper, to the
Minnesota river and drowning them
by putting them under the ice. The
trial resulted in an acquittal.
Col. McPhail generously donated 6
block of ground for county purposes
on which the first court house, 28x28
with court room up stairs, was bull
in 1874, which, at the time, was thu
most commodious and pretentiou'
building in the county. To this mod
est beginning an addition of the SANE
size was made in 1881, which provided
convenient quarters for the transaction
of public business until 1891, whel
the present very complete court hous
of brick, which cost $780, 900, was erect
ed. The county has also Jail build
ing, which cost $4,000. Previous t.
the building of the first court hous
the public Offices we're kept mostly a
private houses and terms of court wer
held in different halls.
The educational history of the coun
ty opened with the organization c
school district No. at Redwood Fall.
in April 1866, with Edward Marc
county auditor, who had also been az
pointed superintendent of schools
las teacher. There we're in 1878 bl
80 organized school districts, and 1
J.. Bigham was county superintene
ent until 1882. In 1886 the numbe