Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/139

CHAPTER IX. BEGINNING OF THE COUNTY. Boundary Lines Given — First Election — "Judge" Young and His Ballot Box — Imported Voters — County Officers Appointed — First Session of Board — Court House Resolution — School Districts — A Few Early Sessions — Court House Contract — 1849-1858. The first legislature of the new territory met at St. Paul, September 3, 1849. and adjourned November 1 of the same year. This legislature at once set about performing the highly impor- tant work of dividing the territory into counties. Those created at that time were AVashington, Ramsey, Benton, Itaska, "Wabasha, Dakota, Cass and Pembina. The land designated as comprising the first three counties named had been ceded to the United States by the Indians, who still remained in practical possession of the rest of the territory. It was therefore declared in the act that the other named counties were organized for the purpose of the appointment of justices of the peace, constables, and such other judicial officers as might be specially provided for. The county of Wabasha, as defined by that legislature, included all that part of the territory lying east of a line running due south from Pine Bend, on the Mississippi river, to the Iowa line, which tract has since been divided into eight counties, namely, Wa- basha, Winona, Olmsted, Fillmore, Houston, Mower, Dodge and Goodhue. March 5, 1853, when the present counties of Dakota and Goodhue were set off, the boundaries were rather vaguely and indefinitely outlined, on account of the absence of United States surveys. Goodhue county was then bounded as follows: Beginning at the southeast corner of Dakota county, thence due southeast on a line twenty-five miles, thence on a due line to Lake Pepin, at a point on said lake seven miles below Sand Point, thence up the middle of said lake and the Mississippi river to the boundary line of Dakota county, thence along the line of said county to the place of beginning. These boundaries were modified by subsequent legislation, February 23, 1854, and made to conform with the United States survey. The county of 97