Thursday, September 16, 2010

Volume 98; Number 14

www.bladepublishing.net

A community newspaper serving Browerville, MN and surrounding areas. USPS 067-560

75¢
The contract for The class of 2023
the historic courthouse, Sara Geyer’s
Kindergarten
class posed for
and the people a photo the sec-
ond day of
school.
who got it built Back row-
Billy Bleninger,
tion of oak. Parker
--the foundation to be four Duncan,
By Rin Porter
feet wide at bottom and thirty Jasmine
On August 20, 2010, at the inches at top and five feet and
request of this reporter, Beaudreau,
eight inches high … water table Brendan
Auditor/Treasurer Karen Busch and twenty inches above grade
searched for and found the orig- Adams, Levi
line.” Anderson;
inal contract between the Todd John Aiton was to finish the
County Board of Commissioners Middle row-
Court House and Jail by Megan Lentz,
and John Aiton for the building February 1, 1884. He was to be
of the historic courthouse. It Jennae
paid monthly for work complet- Quistorff,
was in one of the courthouse ed, with the last payment to be
vaults. The contract is dated Landin Foust,
received upon fully completing Nate Benning,
May 2, 1883. the courthouse and it being
The contract presents an Reed Webster;
accepted by the county board. Front row-
agreement between John Aiton John Aiton was to “furnish all
of Alexandria, Minnesota, and Chase Mikel,
the materials of every kind and Kaylene Feda,
Tom Ward, Joshua S. McCay, nature to be used in the building
Michael Dinkel, S.M. Herbert, construction and furnishing of
and Perry Robbins as county said Court House.” He also had Paula Oven’s
commissioners of Todd County, to give a bond of $10,000. Kindergarten
Minnesota. We don’t have Aiton’s plans or class was
The contract says that John Kees and Fisk’s plans or Edward happy to sit for
Aiton agrees to “build erect and P. Bassford’s plans, and cannot a picture on
complete a brick Court House study them to see what kind of the first day of
and Jail” to be “built and erected detail was included. The school.
upon what is termed and known University of Minnesota’s Back Row:
as Court House in Lincoln Northwest Architectural Joseph
Square in the townsite of Long Archives has a manuscript col- Nedoroscik,
Prairie”…. lection from Long and Kees, the Mackenzie
The building is to be complet- architecture firm that Frederick Strom, Eshetu
ed in accordance with plans and Kees joined after he left Kees Loer, Natalia
specifications “furnished by and Fisk. The archivist checked Stanaway,
Mssrs Kees and Fiske of the collection and found there Brady Host;
Minneapolis and now on file in are no surviving records from Middle Row:
the office of the county auditor, the 1882-1884 period when Kees Chandler
except as hereinafter excepted and Fisk existed, and nothing on Davey, Eli
and provided.” the Todd County Courthouse. Marquedant,
John Aiton was to receive BUILDER JOHN AITON Kaleb
$20,000 for his work to “build John Aiton, the builder of the Murdock,
erect complete and finish said courthouse, was born in Ireland Danielle
Court House and Jail in a good in 1821. When he was 15, he Prather, Elvis
substantial and workmanlike immigrated to New York, where Kneeland;
manner in the manner and form he married Nancy Coleman. The Front Row: Alli
specified and stated in said family lived near Lisbon, New Olander,
plans and specifications and in York, for a time before coming to Garett Gaulke,
compliance with and according Minnesota in 1859. John Natalie Muller.
to said plans and specifications appears on the 1860 U.S.
in all things whatsoever, except Census in Ramsey County, and
as follows:
--the brick work to be in
accordance with the original
on the 1870 U.S. Census in Pope
County, living alone. On the
1880 U.S. Census, his family is
Christ the
plan
--the … course of cut stone to
be omitted and brick laid in
living with him in Glenwood, in
Pope County. John listed his
occupation as “building contrac-
King class
place thereof.
--the water table to be of Ohio
sandstone.
tor.” The Douglas County News
for April 21, 1881, carries an ad
for “John Aiton & Sons,
of 2023
--the outside doorsills to be of Contractors and Builders,
Sauk Rapids granite. Front: Tiana Sand and
Alexandria, MInnesota. Brick, Gracie Christian. Back:
--the inside finish of buildings stone-work, plain and ornamen-
to be of pine instead of hard Connor Berg and Brandon
tal plastering a specialty.” Tolifson.
wood, and to be painted with Aiton operated a brick yard in
two coats of paint of the color Glenwood to supply bricks for
directed by said board of county his buildings as well as sell bricks
commissioners and the wain-
scoting to be grained in imita- Continued on page 16

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