Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/156

CHAPTER X. TOWNSHIP SYSTEM. An Experiment in County Government — Members of First Board of Supervisors — Two Chairmen — Party Feeling High — Sheriff Preserves Order — Another Version — Court House Trouble — Meeting of Second Board — Resumption of County Commissioner System — History of Court House — County Poor Farm — Political History. In 1858 began an era which in this state continued but a short time, that of county govern m ent by a board of supervisors consisting of the chairmen of the different townships. This change came near discontinuing the work of the contractors on the new county buildings for a time. The new law was passed by the legislature on March 20, to go into effect July 12. The county was thus divided into twenty-one townships, an account of which will be found elsewhere. The board of supervisors, which held its first meeting on the second Monday in July, 1858, consisted of the following members : Belle Creek, S. P. Chandler; York (now Belvidere), Cyrus Crouch; Zumbrota, Isaac C. Stearns; Union (now Burnside), "W. S. Grow; Featherstone, "William Freyberger ; Red Wing, A. B. Miller and P. Vandenberg, Orrin Densmore ; Wanamingo, J. G. Brown; Pine Island, C. R. White; Holden, Knut Knutson ; Roscoe, Oliver "Webb; Central Point. Robert L. Phillips; "Warsaw, N. L. Townsend; Stanton, John Thomas ; Hay Creek, S. A. Wise ; Wacoota, Leonard Gould ; Cannon Falls, C. W. Gillett; Kenyon, Addison Hilton; Cherry Grove, D. M. Haggard (vice Woodward, resigned) ; Florence, Dr. J. Kelly; Vasa, Charles Himmelman ; Leon, E. Stone. Of the opening session of this board two accounts are given. An historian of the late seventies relates the incidents as follows: "In those days the Democratic party held the balance of power in Goodhue county. The Republican party was just beginning to assume strength and power. In the selecting of a presiding officer for the board,. both parties sought to gain advantage and secure the chairmanship. S. P. Chandler was the Democratic candidate for chairman, and I. C. Stearns was the Republican 110