The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-12-12
One of the Hands0mest and COmmOdiOus
Municipal Buildings in the Northwest==
American Legion Post Arranges Fine
Program for Saturday, December b.
Many NOtables to be Present.

that our city hall would be almost paid
for before its date of occupancy On
January 1St, 1881, there will be avail
able in the building fund the sum of
$150,000. This amount is sufficient to
clean up all indebtedness on the build
ing, leaving only a few thousand dol
lars for fixtures to be paid in 1881
The exact figures on the latter are not
obtainable until the structure has been
furnished and all details are completed.
Suffice it to say that there will be less
than $4,000 to be taken care of in
this manner.
In February, after a contract for
architects services had been let to
Architect Edwin H. Berg of Eveleth, on
a competitive bid, Mr. Berg presented
to the City Council plans for building
to cost not over $150,000, with another
$4,000 allotted for furnishings. The
plans were accepted and bids for the
construction work were called for
In March, bids were received for the
building and the contract was let
Among the bidders for the building
were the Pfeffer Construction Company
of Duluth and j. NJ Rautio Builder of
this city; R. Englund of Eveleth;
Dohm Building Company of Hibbing;
Standard Construction Company of
Minneapolis and j. A. Bodin of Eve
leth
The Pfeffer Construction of Duluth
was awarded the contract for General
Construction on their bid of $126,721-
49, This company was on the ground
within few days after the signing of
the contract and under the super
vision of Superintendent Lauver be-
gan work
The work of razing the old city hall
was begun in April and long before
the old building debris had been
cleaned from the grounds, the steam
shovel was at work digging the found
atoms for the new building. Only
few weeks sufficed under the efficient
supervision of Mr.. Lauver and the
finest kind of building weather to get
the foundations and basement walls
in and to begin on the stone work
At the same time the contractors for
the heating, ventilating and plumbing
and for the electrical work were busy
and working in touch with the build
ing contractor.
The cornerstone was laid with ap-
propriate ceremonies by the Ely Com
mercial Club on June 26th President
Harry c. Newgord of the Commercial
Club was in charge of the arrange
mentS for this event. Mayor Hanson
was master of ceremonies. The board
of County Commissioners, Lieutenant
Governor Chas. E. Adams, Judge Mar
tin Hughes, several county officials, a
majority of the city's ex-mayors and
many other notableS were present.
1t. Governor Adams and Judge Hughes
made addresses at this ceremony
From then on work progressed at a
rapid rate, the general construction
having been completed three weeks ago
or almost a month before the dedi-
cation. City Engineer Joseph Veranth
acted as supervisor on behalf of the
city and his work is being warmly
commended by both the contractors
and also the city council He was on
the job all the time and nothing went
into the building without his super
vision.
E. L. Rautio of this city was the
contractor for the heating, ventilating
and plumbing. Mr.. Rautio received
the contract on his bid for $40 223.15
Other bidders on this contract were:
Hanson & Gavin of Virginia; Martin
Void Company of Duluth; Cherne &
Company of Virginia; Cherne & Ander-
son of Eveleth; Eveleth Plumbing &
Heating Company of Eveleth; A. c.
Schirmer Company of Hibbing, and
Schirmer Bros of Hibbing.
Authorities from other cities and
especially the range towns marvel at
the low-price construction of this
building and its furnishings With
one accord they proclaim this one OF
the best constructed and most COM
modious buildings for public purposes
on the ranges and built at a figure
that defies comparison. For the bene-
fit of the reader we will print the
figures and contracts which up tc
date have entered into the new struc-
ture. They are:
Pfeffer Construction Co., general cons
E. L. Rautio, heating, plumbing and ,
Vermillion Electric Company, Ely, ano
| Pauly Jail Bldg. Co., st. Louis, cells, f
| Mantel Hdwe. & Furniture Co., office
Ely Hdwe. & Furniture Co., Muscular