The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-10
.BANGOR'S TALE OF
WOE A LONG one
WAITED SIXTEEN YEARS FOR A
ROAD THAT NEVER CAME.
Milwaukee Then Passed It BY and It's
Agents Were Instrumental in secur-
ing a Constitutional Amendment Fa-
cilitating the Moving of the County
Seat-Removal Of Courthouse and
Records.
Special to The Journal.

.
Bangor, 5. D., Jan. 1O.-At the time Of the
organization of Walworth county, in the winter
of 1883, the county seat was located at LIE Beau,
on the Missouri river. In the spring and summer
Of that year LIE Beau divided against itself.
South LIE Beau, afterwards known Scranton,
secured the county seat. They were about two
miles apart. @...s-...
Early in 1884 the settlers back on the prairie
made known their dissatisfaction with the 10
cation and demanded that the county seat be
moved to some place near the geographical CEN
ter, and that fall at the first general election in
the county, it was located at Bangor.
Bangor was plated and owned by 81. B. Eos
ter, now Of Bangor, Me. He donated about
eight acres in the form of a square for county
purposes and offered to give $1,000 in cash to
help build courthouse s--.@
Mr.. Foster put up a frame building about
20 by 40 feet on the ground. and 20 feet high,
with hip roof Afterwards the county built
freproof vault, with hreproof metal doors and
iron Orders. The materials otherwise were
stone, brick and cement, the whole costing
about 81 200. -.. T.. &e..-. =. ~ ~
Then Bangor sat down on the prairie and wait
ed sixteen years for railroad to come.
It came, but not to Bangor. 1t passed about
four and one-half miles north. The Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul built northwestward from
Bowdle in Edmunds county. describing a section
of circle, and also southwestward to Evarts.
on the Missouri 1t located a station and plated
townsite almost due northward from Bangor
and called it Selby, and while doing this Its
hustlers were obtaining signatures to petit
ton to the county commissioners to submit
proposition to move the county seat from Ban
gor to Selby.
The question was submitted that year to
vote and was lost. It was voted down in No
vember, 19OO and in January, 1901, there was
a demand upon the legislature that the consti-
tuition be changed in such a way as to make
the moving Of county seats not on line OF
some railway, less difficult.
The resolution went thru the legislature, and
was accepted by the people at the general cleo
ton in 1902 The question interested but very
few, nearly all of the county seats being already
| upon lines of railway.
The constitution was amended to suit the rail-
| ways, and in 1904 the question was again sub.
| mitted to the voters Of Walworth county, and
| again voted down.
A citizen of Selby brought contest Of the
election on the county seat question, leaving
out all Of the other issues voted upon Service
of the notice was made upon two of the com
| missioners on Dec. II, and the fact became
known to the Bangor people about nightfall on
Dec. II.
| The county commissioners, acting upon the ad-
vice Of the states attorney. refused to defend
| the case and default Judgment signed
by Judge Smith of the Mitchell circuit, who was
holding term of court at Ipswich. Edmunds
county, in the absence of the Judge of the sixth
judicial circuit, on Dec. %, legal holiday.
| An execution was promptly taken out. and the
next afternoon the sheriff, a Selby man, ap-
peared at the courthouse with several deputies,
| some Of whom displayed firearms, and began tC
move the county records and the official furni-
| ture.
With sledges and crowbars they tore out the
hreproof doors and took the two safes and car
ried them to Selby.
That night some Of the deputies occupied the
courthouse and the next day they began thu
demolition of the building and the freproo
vault, and continued the work on the 29ti
and Both.
They carried the broken lumber and ironworl
of the vault to Selby. All that is left on tn
site is the wreckage of the buildings.