This document contains the text of a bill that was passed by the Minnesota Territorial Legislature in 1857 to transfer the capital of Minnesota from St. Paul to St. Peter. This document has been determined to have been written at that time, but it is most likely a working copy of the document that was passed by the legislature. Joseph Rolette, a member of the legislature who was opposed to the transfer of the capitol, disappeared with the original bill and failed to return it in time for it to be properly signed by Territorial Governor Willis Gorman, who had, in the meantime, signed a copy of the document that Rolette had taken. Governor Gorman's action was declared to be illegal by a Judge R. R. Nelson, thus ending the attempt to move the capitol.
Samuel Medary, the third Territorial Governor of Minnesota, signed this document appointing A.P. Buell as a Notary Public in the Territory of Minnesota on the 21st of August in 1857. The document states that Buell was a resident of Le Sueur County at the time.
Minnesota's second Territorial Governor, Willis A. Gorman, signed this document that appointed William B. Dodd, one of the founders of St. Peter, as a Brigadier General of the First Brigade of the Second Division of the Militia of Minnesota Territory on February 20th, 1857.
Ashley C. Riggs kept a ledger book journal from 1852-1873. The earliest entries are from Cold Spring (Stearns County), Minnesota and Watab (Benton County), Minnesota. The ledger's earliest entries record his activiites as an Indian Agent for the Winnnebago Indians for the years 1852-1853. The second portion of the ledger is Riggs' diary which documents his activities in and around Monticello, Minnesota for the years 1864-1873. Riggs was a key figure in the development of the Minnesota Territory and early Monticello, Minnesota community when he laid claim in 1854 to a piece of land on the Mississippi River. He built othe first ferry to shuttle people across the River. In 1861 he enlisted in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Small handbill listing seven requirements and four prohibitions of the Baldwin school. There is a space for a signature, showing the student "assents to the above requirements and prohibitions."
Early years in St. Cloud (1857-1863). The six Benedictine women (4 sisters and 2 candidates) arrived in St. Cloud from St. Marys, Pennsylvania, earlier than expected; no convent had been prepared for them. John Tenvoorde's boarding house and entertainment hall (on the far left) was rented for ten months as the first convent in the Midwest frontier. Describing this convent, Prior Demetrius di Marogna, OSB, pastor of the German settlers in St. Cloud, wrote: "The house has two rooms and a spacious refectory with a built-on kitchen and above the refectory, a long attic room where ten or twelve school children's beds can easily be placed. Well, garden, and cellar are in the enclosure. But the rent for the year is $250.00...that price is cheap for here." (McDonald, page29) ..In this temporary abode, the sisters took in 6 boarders, and taught music, art, needlework, English, German, and religion to Catholics and non-Catholics in the neighborhood. The following year they were able to move to the renovated St. Mary's Church and Convent (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives; McDonald, pages 27-34).
The first vote recorded in Olmsted County was taken on October 13, 1857. The ballots were tallied and the totals were recorded by J. N. McLane, Clerk of the County Commissioners, on November 2, 1857. Voters cast ballots to determine if the proposed constitution would be accepted and for the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Congressmen, Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, State Auditor, State Treasurer, Attorney General, Clerk of the Supreme Court, Judge of the 3rd Judicial District, Attorney, Representatives, Senators, Clerk of District Court and Judge of Probate.
litho print, may be hand-colored; view of Fort Snelling from the Mississippi River from opposite shore looking up towards the Round House and Barracks with ferryboat crossing the river; man standing in foreground on shore
Contributing Institution:
Hennepin County Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections Library
The St. Peter Company, which helped to promote and establish the community of St. Peter, conveyed to the town's residents through this document the land for a large park. The park is known as Gorman Park, and was named after Territorial Governor Willis A. Gorman, who was a member of the St. Peter Company. The document is dated January 6th, 1857.
Mrs. Alexander Ross (M. J. Ross) wrote this undated letter from Kingston to her cousin. She mentions her family and their health. The top portion of this letter is missing.
Exterior view of the Mason and Boardman hardware store in St. Peter, which was located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Minnesota Avenue and Grace street. photograph E1393 shows the same "HARDWARE" sign.
Early years in St. Cloud (1857-1863). Mother Willibalda Scherbauer and her companions traveled from St. Marys, Pennsylvania by rail and wagon to Pittsburgh; by river boats on the Ohio River to St. Louis and on the Mississippi River with a stop-over in St. Paul; finally reaching St. Cloud. However, the riverboat, "North Star" was stranded on a sand bar two miles from St. Cloud. After two days, on July 4, 1857, the sisters were taken ashore in small boats. They stopped at the Benedictine monks' college in St. Cloud to enjoy their first meal after three days on the boat without food as they could not afford the price of a meal (50 cents). Then the monks took the sisters to their destination, St. Mary's Parish in the German settlement of Middle St. Cloud. The whole area was desolate having been ravaged by a grasshopper plague. The resulting food shortage and the extreme cold tested the endurance of the sisters during their first years in St. Cloud (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives; McDonald, pages 20-27).
More than 350 pages of the first meeting minutes of the Waseca County Board of Commissioners beginning in 1857. Contains the names of officials and the minutes noting the organization of towns, townships, school districts, elections; 335 actual handwritten pages, 25 blank pages, (pp. 341 and 342 are missing); page size: 7 3/4"" x 10 1/2"" handwritten.