The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1915-10-29

from Big Stone City to Milbank be
placed on the ballot at the following
election, which petition was granted
and the vote had; but whether Mil
bank received the required two-thirds
vote necessary to remove the county
seat Will probably never be known,
because it was claimed that some bal
lot boxes were stolen or missing and
returns improperly made. However
part of the officers moved to Milbank
and the remainder ayed at Big Stone
City. and on January 31st, 1882, a
majority of the board, viz: Geo. c..
Stearns and and F. L. Cameron de-
clared that two-thirds of the vote hav
ing been cast for Milbank for county
seat, it had received the required ma.
jority and was the county seat of
Grant county. A. w. Barron refus.
ed to act with either of the members
of the board, claiming Big Some City
was still the county seat, so the other
members declared his Office vacant
and appointed John knight to fill the
vacancy and continued to do county
business at Milbank, after having ap.
pointed John z. Eastman as county
clerk. This was not to the liking of
Of Mr.. Barron or the people of Big
Stone City; SO they filled their board
by the appointment ofFrank Farnham
and Henry Wescott as commissioner
and S. w. Simmonds as county clerk.
and proceeded to do county business
at Big Stone City. Thus having two
county governments and both claim
ing the legal authority OF the county,
the matter was taken into court. and
Judge j. p. Kidder presiding, and
through a compromise the matter was
finally settled in favor of Milbank and
the records brought here.
The people who were in favor of re-
tanning the county seat at Big Stone
City apparently were not feeling very
good over loosing it, and conceived
the idea OF dividing the county, and
establishing q new county, as under
stand with the expectation OF being
the county seat of the new county and
sent A. w, Barron down to the legis-
lature at Yankton during the session
of 1883 to work for the division and
the esta blishment of q new county.
whose efforts resulted in cutting of
that part OF Graut county lying be-
tween Big Stone lake and the reserva-
tion, and the establishing of Roberts
county, but the line was established
North OF Big Stone City instead Of
South as they had expected, which
still left Big Stone City in Grant
county.
The portion cut of was the only
change of the boundaries of Grant
county after its organization except
that upon the opening of the Sisseton
and WahpetOn reservation to settle
ment, that portion Of the reservation
embraced in what is now Pennington,
Lura and Blooming Valley townships
was added to Grant county.
The first court house in the county
Was r.,ilt In. 1852, at Nilbank, but was
destroyed by fire in 1895 together with
many county records, and. the present
court house was built the same year
the former was destroyed upon the
same site, and has therefore served
the need of the county for twenty
years.
Following Senator Amsden s
historical sketch the chairman
introduced Judge Thos. L
Bouck who referred to the new
court house as a testimony of
the enterprise and public spirit
of the citizenship of the county,
and stated that while the court
house was located in Milbank it
was not a Milbank institu.
ton, but that it was a Grant
county enterprise and belonged
to the people Of the county, and
that every citizen in the county
should be at home in the new
building when completed. And
he believed that if the struc-
ture was completed as designed
and as called for in the specif
the people Of the county
would be justly proud of this
court house, which was erected
not only to hold court in, but for
the use Of the county officers,
and a large assembly room had
been arranged for, where the
people of the county could con
gregate and hold gatherings for
the public good
The following were the docu-
ments enclosed in the copper box
and placed in the corner stone:
Resolution by county COM
missioners on petition of electors
to build new court house.
Notice of bond election.
Result of canvas of election.
Notice of sale of bonds.
Copy of donation of deed from
city of Milbank to Grant County
for court house site.
Resolution of county com
missiOners on sale of court
house bonds.
Copy Of Senate Bill No. 9,
Laws of 1916, making possible
the donating of court house site
from city of Milbank to Grant
Notice of bids to contractors.
List Of county officials, archi-