Government Records
The Board of State Capitol Commissioners was created in 1893 to oversee the construction of a new state Capitol for Minnesota [Laws 1893 c2]. The law authorized the governor to appoint, with the advice and consent of the senate, seven commissioners, one from each congressional district. The governor held the position, ex-officio, of president of the board. As president the governor had the authority to: preside over board meetings; offer advice to the board; and remove commissioners or fill vacancies subject to the approval of the senate. The governor was not a voting member of the board.
The law authorized the board to elect a vice-president who presided over meetings in the absence of the governor. The board also had the power to solicit bids, enter into contracts, issue bonds, hire employees, and pay expenditures. Payments were issued by the state treasurer only after they were certified by a majority of the board, approved by the governor, and reported to the state auditor. The state attorney general was named legal advisor.
In addition to defining the function of the board, the original law specified detailed instructions for the design competition. The board was to secure two architects, one a Minnesota resident, and the site was located adjacent to and including the 1881 Capitol. Within a week, this first law was amended. The major revisions included reducing the number of architects to one, striking the Minnesota residency requirement, and changing the site description to read "within a distance of three-fourths of a mile from [the present Capitol]" [Laws 1893 c3].
Because of the stringent requirements for the design competition, the first competition, held in 1894, was not successful. In 1895, a law was passed amending the 1893 law to provide for more lenient design requirements [Laws 1895 c118]. The second competition, held during August-October 1895, resulted in the selection of Cass Gilbert as Capitol architect.
In 1897, the board was authorized to issue certificates of indebtedness. These were drawn up by the state auditor and deposited with the state treasurer [Laws 1897 c96]. The state auditor was required to keep a record of the certificates [Laws 1899 c232].
The acts of 1893 and 1895 limited the total cost of the new Capitol to two million dollars. In 1901 the legislature approved an additional $1 million [Laws 1901 c168], and in 1903, another $1.5 million, increasing the total to $4.5 million. The 1903 law mandated that the building be ready for occupancy no later than January 1, 1905. Although the building was occupied in January 1905, it was not entirely finished. Interior decorating, exterior landscaping, and art work including the quadriga were incomplete.
The first appropriation to pay general maintenance staff for the Capitol was passed by the legislature in February 1905 [Laws 1905 c16]. This appropriation was separate from other construction-designated appropriations, but was administered by the Board of State Capitol Commissioners since the building was still under their jurisdiction. An additional law authorized the board to hire and supervise maintenance and grounds crews until the building was complete, and ordered the board to turn the building over to the governor two years from the date of its passage or sooner [Laws 1905 c102]. The dissolution of the board in April 1907, probably is based on this law since there are no such provisions in earlier laws. With the dissolution of the Board of State Capitol Commissioners, the legislature created the Board of State Capitol Grounds Commissioners who were authorized to acquire adjacent land to extend the Capitol grounds.
Although it was not required by law, the Board of State Capitol Commissioners filed biennial reports with the governor from 1895 to 1907.
From the creation of the board in 1893 into December 1895, Channing Seabury served as both its vice president and its acting secretary. In December 1895, Frank Hanson was appointed secretary. Seabury and Hanson wrote or signed the majority of the board's letters as well as its minutes and official documents.
The biennial reports (1895-1907), submitted to the governor, and the minutes (1893-1907) detail all activities of the Board from selecting a site, to choosing an architect, to selecting contractors and supervising construction of the Capitol. The minutes both record the board's official proceedings from its inception to its dissolution and also include transcripts of its resolutions and decisions and detailed accounts of the first and second design competitions.
The photographs include a photograph album (1896-1905) documenting the construction of the State Capitol; photographs (1897) of the Kettle River Quarry, and stone samples used or proposed for the construction of the building. The scrapbook (1893-1907) and printed materials (1890s-1907) contain specifications, bid forms, biennial reports, letters, newspaper clippings, the 1893 act providing for a new Capitol, instructions for the two architectural competitions, the 1898 cornerstone laying program, and a report of the Committee on Public Accounts and Expenditures' 1903 investigation of the board.
The correspondence (letters received, 1892-1907; letters sent, 1893-1909) is primarily either to or from the board's vice president, Channing Seabury, and/or secretary, Frank Hanson, pertaining to all aspects of the construction of the state Capitol, including the design competitions, site selection and acquisition, legislative appropriations, financial matters, and legal questions. There is also a subseries of letters and reports from Cass Gilbert and his staff dealing primarily with the building's design and construction, design and painting of the art work, and interior decoration.
The financial records (1893-1907), construction vouchers (1893-1907, 1912-1914), and construction bids and contracts (1893-1907) provide a detailed record of both construction costs and the board's operating expenses, Fowble & Fitz's original 1894 survey for the Capitol, and the processes used in the actual physical construction.
These records are organized into the following section: biennial reports, minutes, photographs, scrapbook, letters received, letters sent, printed materials, financial records, construction vouchers, and construction bids and contracts.
Access to and use of reserve materials requires the curator's permission.
Accession numbers: None; 2928 (mss); 302; 2012-52; 2016-47
Catalog ID number: 001704106
The seven biennial reports of the Board of State Capitol Commissioners date from January 1895 to January 1907. Each report covers the preceding two years, so the activities of the Board between 1893 and 1906 are documented. One complete set of published biennial reports is found in the scrapbook, noted below. Six original typed reports (no original typescript of the second report, 1897, has survived), signed by the seven (sometimes six) commissioners, and submitted to the governor are listed below.
Although not required by any specific legislation, these biennial reports give a good overview of fourteen years of progress and problems concerning construction of the new Capitol. Four reports (1897, 1899, 1901, 1903) also contain comments of architect Cass Gilbert. The reports discuss all activities of the Board from selecting a site, to choosing an architect, to selecting contractors and supervising construction of the Capitol. One report contains letters documenting problems with the old Capitol (little space, a fire trap) and stresses the need for speedy construction of a new Capitol. Some reports mention the cost of public buildings in other states and trips made by commissioners to view those buildings. Changes in Board membership are noted, as are the Board’s receipts and disbursements. The reports also show the amount paid to each contractor and the amount of building materials (cubic feet of marble, granite, concrete, etc.) used to date. Most reports express frustration with the appropriation procedures mandated by the legislature, which delayed construction and increased costs. For example, no money was available for construction during 1897 while labor and materials, which had been cheap, were becoming more expensive each year.
Addressed to Governor Knute Nelson. Details the selection of the site and construction plans and status.
Scrapbook, page 57. Addressed to Governor David M. Clough. Report of architect Cass Gilbert of December 31, 1896 (6 pages), is also included.
Addressed to Governor John Lind. Report of architect Cass Gilbert of December 31, 1898 (11 pages) is attached.
Addressed to Governor S. R. Van Sant. Report of architect Cass Gilbert of December 31, 1900 (7 pages) is attached.
Addressed to Governor S. R. Van Sant. Report of architect Cass Gilbert of December 31, 1902 (5 pages) is attached.
Addressed to Governor S. R. Van Sant. Also included are a published booklet of the same report and a three-page letter from Attorney General E. T. Young to Governor John A. Johnson (January 11, 1905) answering questions about the Capitol Board.
Addressed to Governor John A. Johnson. Also included is a letter from Board Secretary Frank Hanson (March 30, 1907) surrendering the Capitol to the Governor and stating that the Board will conclude its labors shortly.
The minutes record the board's official proceedings from its inception to its dissolution. Since the board was required to vote on all construction and expenditure proposals, the minutes contain detailed information on all aspects of the construction of the Capitol, including transcripts of the board's resolutions and decisions and of relevant letters and documents submitted to it.
Of particular note are detailed accounts of the first and second design competitions; recording of the various building modifications; and Cass Gilbert's periodic reports to the board on the progress of construction (1896-1898).
Photographs depict construction of the State Capitol building, including workers, equipment, and machinery. All phases of construction work are shown including worker conditions, tools used, materials used, and machinery including steam powered hoists and derricks. Also includes view of the stone mill and workshops located around the construction site.
Photographers: Haas & Wright.
Box 1 includes pages 1-80 (May 1896-May 2, 1901). Box 2 includes pages 81-154 (May 1901-November 1905).
Digital version
Scenes of the quarry's equipment, men and cut stone.
Photographer: Northwestern Photo.
Digital version
Photographs of sample stone either used, or proposed for use in construction of the Minnesota State Capitol. Include Bear Creek Stone, Frontenac Stone, Granite (Grey St. Cloud Granite, Arnolds Quarry; Grey St. Cloud Granite, Baxters Quarry; Red St. Cloud Granite; Ortonville Granite; Rockville Granite), Jasper; Marble (Georgia, Maryland, Tennessee), Kettle River Sandstone.
Photographer: Unknown.
Digital version
Taken at Sandstone, perhaps at the Kettle River Quarry.
Photographer: Unknown.
Digital version
Specifications, bid forms, biennial reports, letters, newspaper clippings, and miscellany, apparently compiled by the board to comprise a record of important stages of the process of planning and constructing the Capitol building. Much is duplicated elsewhere in the board's records.
Letters written to the board, primarily to vice president Channing Seabury and secretary Frank Hanson, with related attachments and enclosures, pertaining to all aspects of the construction of the state Capitol. They deal with topics such as the design competitions, site selection and acquisition, legislative appropriations, financial matters, and legal questions. A subseries of letters and reports from Cass Gilbert and his staff deal primarily with the building's design and construction, design and painting of the art work, and interior decoration.
Letters from 1893 to 1896 deal with preliminary events before construction commenced. These include architectural competitions in 1894 and 1895, site selection, land acquisition, selection of stone quarries, and attempted bribes by architects. From 1897 to 1905, the letters focus on the construction itself, including bids, bond issues, amounts and methods of payments to various contractors, continued land acquisition, specifications, geological reports, and lobbying by Minnesota unions for the board to authorize the use of only Minnesota materials and labor. Of special interest is the investigation of the board by the Legislative Committee on Public Accounts and Expenditures, as well as the controversy regarding the personal relationship between Channing Seabury and Cass Gilbert. There is also correspondence regarding the additional legislative appropriations and cost of construction.
From 1905 to 1907, the letters deal mainly with the financial aspects of furnishing and decorating the interior of the building and landscaping the grounds. Included are letters from local businesses such as Field Schlick and Mannheimer/Schunemans, both of whom furnished portions of the Capitol. There are numerous letters from artists regarding the financial arrangements for murals. Also present is correspondence that documents a second investigation of the board in 1906 and the political maneuvers of the incumbent administration to gain physical control of the building.
The letters from Cass Gilbert and his staff to the board also include copies of letters to artists, suppliers, and contractors. Since Gilbert retained the right to have the final approval on all aspects of the Capitol's construction, the letters deal with a wide variety of topics. Although there is some discussion of finances, most of the letters deal with Gilbert's ideas and design concepts. Gilbert's monthly reports to the board regarding construction progress are also present.
There is a small quantity of letters from 1892, prior to creation of the board. These letters are written to William B. Dean, a Minnesota state senator, from E. E. Myers, a Michigan architect. Myers appears to be lobbying for the position of architect of the new Minnesota Capitol, mistaking Dean for a commissioner on a board. In reality, Dean was one of the legislators who introduced a bill to authorize the construction.
Two-page item list of letters to and from Cass Gilbert and Channing Seabury regarding this painting.
Letterpress books containing copies of letters sent by Channing Seabury and Frank Hanson relating to the construction of the Minnesota State Capitol. From 1893 to November 1895, Seabury signed letters as both vice president and acting secretary of the board. Letters from these years cover all aspects of Capitol construction. Hanson's letters as board secretary (1896-1907) deal with routine administrative and fiscal matters; the majority are cover letters that accompanied vouchers and payments. Seabury's letters for 1896-1909 deal with non-routine business, construction, and financial concerns. As vice president, he was the board's official spokesman, communicating decisions, clarifying actions, and dealing with legal questions.
Three volumes include recipient indexes.
July 1893-July 1905 volume is indexed and in fragile condition.
Indexed.
Newspaper clippings relating to bidding and construction of the Capitol, and published items, including the act providing for a new Capitol (1893), instructions for the two architectural competitions, the program for the cornerstone laying (1898), and a lengthy report of the investigation of the Capitol Commission by the state Committee on Public Accounts and Expenditures (1903, may be incomplete).
Circular.
Arranged by expense category or contractor; indexed. Lists date, voucher number, and amount paid. A "building a/c" section (pp. 214-221) shows the total cost of the Capitol building.
Actually a voucher register. Entries are numerical by voucher number. Lists voucher number, date, ledger account, payee and reason, ledger page, and amount, with running totals of appropriations and expenditures at the bottom of each page.
Arranged by contractor and type of construction; indexed. Lists the estimate number and amount, followed by an itemization of the actual expenditures authorized under that estimate (work done, and cost).
Vouchers, with accompanying bills and cancelled checks, documenting the expenditures for constructing and equipping the Capitol building and for the board's operating expenses. The bills include itemizations of construction materials, expenses for various types of construction labor, furniture and fittings for the interior of the Capitol, and Channing Seabury's per diem expenses.
By law, payment was made on account in accordance with the following procedure: upon receipt of a bill, a voucher was issued and approved by a majority of the board; the bill and voucher were sent to the governor for approval and signature; then they were sent to the state treasurer who issued payment [Laws 1893 c2 s13].
Lists of warrant and voucher numbers by year, some annotated for warrants missing and refunds.
Subject files of bids, contracts, specifications, extra orders, and credits, as well as related bulletins, reports, and miscellany. They document Fowble & Fitz’s original 1894 survey for the Capitol and its physical construction, including alterations in design and materials, and the administrative processes used by the board to solicit and evaluate bids, award contracts, and approve changes.
The files are arranged in a roughly chronological sequence, corresponding to the order of events that occurred during construction of the building.
Appraisal of properties by Alexander Ramsey, Henry M. Rice, and Henry S. Fairchild; letters to owners; test borings on the site; state treasurer's receipts; terms and conditions of property purchase; and payment statements.
Lists each room, its length, width, and height, its floor area, and its cubic footage. With letter of transmittal by Cass Gilbert, June 8, 1905.
Letters of application for superintendent of construction. Some include signed petitions. With list of candidates.
Typescript report of the “expert architects,” Henry Ives Cobb of Chicago and Edmund M. Wheelwright of Boston, on the selection of a design for the Capitol building. Includes a description of the best designs.
Preliminary specifications, bids, and estimates for proposed Capitol building.
Typed form letter from the Board to the 56 architects who submitted plans in the original contest of October 1894, stating that all the plans have been rejected. The letter also announces the five winners of the $500 premiums as well as a second competition. The letter encloses a three-page printed version of the report of the expert architects (November 1, 1894).
Proposal submitted by Gilbert that was accepted for the new Capitol. With bond of guarantee.
Abstract of land purchases for the new Capitol site. Includes a copy of the plat with lot divisions and names of owners, plus a St. Paul Dispatch article (November 25, 1895) giving official notice of a St. Paul city council ordinance that vacated all streets and alleys within the site. The abstract is not an abstract of title.
Samples of personal and company bonds drawn up by the attorney general.
Contract with Gilbert, 1896; supplementary contract, 1901; bond, September 1898.
Warrant No. 18784 sold by George Ewing to John B. and W. H. Sanborn.
Specifications for excavation; queries and answers by bidding contractors.
Bids by: B. Aronson, Butler-Ryan Co., George Grant Co., Hennessy & Cox, Lauer Bros., L. L. Leach & Son, J. Lohse & Co., Erick Lund & Co., J. W. Miller & Co., J. D. Moran Manufacturing and Construction Co., and Trainor Bros. Receipt by A. Berg, Secretary of State, for bids filed with him, May 15, 1896. Receipts for checks returned to bidders.
Bond and contract with George Grant Co.; delays claimed due to rain; estimates for construction; full statement for construction by George Grant Co.; extra orders for construction; George Grant request for deduction of $165.75 for omitting granite blocks.
Complaint that the board did not put selection of a site for the Capitol to a vote of the people as required by the Congressional Act of 1894 that established a territorial government.
Specifications; queries by bidding contractors and answers to same; report to the Secretary of State regarding bids; Secretary of State receipt for bids; receipts for checks returned to bidders; bids for iron and steel; Universal Construction Co. bond, contract, extra orders, and final settlement.
Certificates of appointment.
The bill that authorized funding for Capitol construction, and the record of its passage in the state senate.
Memorandum to bidders; report to the Secretary of State regarding bids; Secretary of State receipts for bids filed with him, June 15, 1897; receipts for checks returned to bidders. Bids by: Fred Andres & Co., Wm. C. Baxter, Arthur K. Bentley, Butler-Ryan Co., Jonathan Clark & Sons Co., George J. Grant, Hennessy & Cox, Lauer Bros. & Miller, L. L. Leach & Son, H. N. Leighton Company, McArthur Bros. Co., Norcross Bros., James L. Record, and John Wunder & Co.
Comparison of bids.
Specifications; memorandum to bidders.
Report to Secretary of State regarding bids; Secretary of State receipt for bids received; receipts for checks returned to bidders. Bids by: Amberg Granite Co., Wm. C. Baxter, Butler-Ryan Co., Jonathan Clark & Sons Co., George J. Grant and J. L. Record, Hennessy & Cox, Lauer Bros. and Miller, L. L. Leach & Son, McArthur Bros. Co., Norcross Bros., Omaha Building and Construction Co., and Pike & Cook.
Comparison of bids.
Contract, bond, extra orders and credits, payments to Butler-Ryan Co., Gilbert credit order concerning design (December 3, 1900), final statement for general construction.
Bulletin for bidders; commission report to Secretary of State regarding bids; Secretary of State receipt for bids; receipts for checks; bids of contractors.
List of Bids for Concreting Sub-basement, August 1897. Comparison of bids.
Lauer Bros. and Miller: contract, bond, and final statement.
Opinion as to legality by H. W. Childs, attorney general; approved form.
Proposals; commission report to Secretary of State regarding proposals.
Proposals; commission report to Secretary of State regarding proposals.
Proposals; commission report to Secretary of State regarding proposals.
Proposals; commission report to Secretary of State regarding proposals.
Specifications; Boller & Hodge, consulting engineers report (March 2, 1901); consent of bidders to change hour of receiving proposals; receipts for checks; bids.
Butler-Ryan Co.: contract, bond, extra orders, final statement; correspondence regarding fluting dome columns.
Proposals; commission report to Secretary of State regarding proposals.
Secretary of State receipt for bids; receipts for checks; bids.
Bid.
Four policies to insure plaster models of the statues Truth, Integrity, and Courage.
Final statement of marble carving; correspondence with Purdy and Hutcheson regarding completion of carving on exterior of the Capitol.
Specifications.
As proposed by American Bridge Co., Minneapolis, C. A. P. Turner, engineer.
Comparisons of bids.
Bids for hydraulic passenger and freight elevators from: Wm. Craig; Geiger, Fiske & Koop Co.; Charles Kaestner & Co.; A. Kieckhefer Elevator Co.; Otis Elevator Co.
Bids, including: elevators; boiler plant and auxiliary apparatus; powerhouse and tunnel; plumbing; electric generator plant; electric wiring, call bell, telephone, and conduit; heating and ventilation.
Bids.
Plan of Engine Room, circa October 1901. As proposed by Twin City Iron Works.
Bids for heating and ventilation, powerhouse and tunnel, and boiler plant from various contractors and companies.
Bids for plumbing, well, electrical wiring, and telephones from various contractors and companies.
Receipts for bids and correspondence.
W. I. Gray & Co.: contract, bond, credits, statement.
W. I. Gray & Co.: extra orders.
Right-of-way agreement; city ordinance granting right to construct.
Guastavino Co.: specifications, contract, bond, revisions, and receipts for work completed.
Specifications, commission report to Secretary of State, receipts for checks, and bids.
List of Bids for Fireproofing: First Competition, December 3, 1901. Comparison of bids.
Specifications; bulletins to bidders.
Commission report to Secretary of State and acknowledgment; receipts for checks; bids.
List of Bids for Fireproofing and Metal Furring and Lathing, March 1902. Comparison of bids.
Butler-Ryan Co.: contracts, bonds, and extra orders.
Proposals for plastering, receipts for checks returned, contract and bond with Butler-Ryan Company, specifications, extra orders, and financial statement.
Proposals for ornamental iron work, receipts for checks returned, contract and bond with Flour City Ornamental Iron Works, and extra orders.
Specifications.
Receipts for checks; bids.
Butler Bros.: contract, bond, extra orders, and credits.
Commission report to Secretary of State, bids, and receipts for checks.
Bids.
Gardner Hardware Co.: contract, bond, correspondence, and extra orders.
Bids.
Specifications; bulletins to bidders; commission report to Secretary of State and receipt; blank proposal [with Cass Gilbert changes?]; bids.
List of Bids for Interior Stone and Marble Work, August 1902. Comparisons of bids.
Butler Bros.: contract, bond, extra orders, and credits.
Specifications; commission report to Secretary of State and receipt; receipts for checks; bids.
Bazille & Partridge: contract, bond, credits, and extra orders.
Blashfield, French, Garnsey, LaFarge, Millet, Pyle, Simmons, Volk, and Zogbaum.
Commission report to Secretary of State and receipt; receipts for checks; bids; Otis Elevator contract and bond; Cass Gilbert letter regarding grille work.
Commission report to Secretary of State and receipt; bid.
Specifications; commission report to Secretary of State and receipt, receipts for checks; bids; Diebold Safe & Lock Co. contract, bond, and extra orders.
Specifications; commission report to Secretary of State and receipt; receipts for checks; bids; Van Dorn Iron Works Co. contract, bond, correspondence, and extra orders.
Sketches of Standard Book Stack, Wardrobes, Shelves, Files, and Map Cases; List of Bids for Metal Shelves and Cases, August 1903 - April 1907. Drawings and comparisons of bids.
Commission report to Secretary of State and receipt; bid.
Miscellaneous correspondence regarding houses on the Capitol site; agreements with tenants; commission report to Secretary of State and receipt; list of bids; receipts for checks; bids.
Commission report to Secretary of State and receipts; bids.
Specifications with drawings and blueprints. Details all furnishings according to their assigned rooms. Leather upholstery samples.
Commission report to Secretary of State and receipt; bids.
List of Bids for Cabinet Work, Furniture, and Furnishing, November 1903. Comparison of bids.
Field Schlick & Co., Mannheimer Bros., Schuneman & Evans: letter of agreement; contract; bond; unit schedule of material and labor; bulletins; extra order with curtain samples; bid. Covers all material and work for carpets, curtains, and draperies.
Herter Bros.: Contract, bond, insurance policies, extra orders, list of furniture with prices, credits, correspondence, and furniture inventory.
Contract, bond, correspondence, extra orders, drawings, and list of light fixtures by location in the Capitol. The Sterling Bronze Co. provided special electric light fixtures.
Contract, bond, drawings. List of fixtures by location in the Capitol, and extra orders. Mitchell Vance Co. provided standard light fixtures.
Contract and extra order. Winston Bros. provided heat and vent registers.
Payroll (October-December); employee time checks (September-December); vouchers for purchases (October-December).
Commission report to Secretary of State and receipt; bid; receipt for check. Barber Asphalt Co.
Lists names of employees, their positions, hourly rates, and amounts paid.
Commission report to Secretary of State and receipt; bids; St. Paul Cement Works specifications, bulletins, contract, bond, and extra order.
Barber Asphalt Co. specifications, contract, bond, and correspondence.
Court-issued receipts for land in Ewing and Chute's Addition to St. Paul condemned and acquired for the Capitol. With letter of transmittal.
Proposals for metal vault fixtures; specifications for metallic equipment; contract and bond of guarantee with Art Metal Construction Company.
Specifications; receipts for checks; bids; Butler Bros. contract and bond; Cass Gilbert correspondence.
Payroll for grading.
Lists all contracts/contractors with total amounts paid and credited for the entire construction of the Capitol.
Bobbink & Atkins Nurserymen, Rutherford, N.J. Drawings of varieties of trees for landscaping the Capitol grounds.
Includes police, custodians, guides, engineers, etc.
Two copies of a joint legislative resolution of appreciation to the Capitol Commissioners.
Value of certificates computed from October 1897 through July 1935.
Blueprint; labeled DR37 8186, “…from St'd Map A.R.S.”
Six blueprint diagrams drawn by this St. Paul civil engineering and surveying firm; include a linear survey of the site, a topographical survey, a plan for landscaping the grounds, comparative elevations of surface and grades, a diagram of sewers and locations of water mains, and the comparative elevations on Wabasha Street of each block from Third Street up to the Capitol site.
Pencil drawing, signed by Channing Seabury.
Print, 18 x 13.5 in.; done by J. A. Schweinfurth, Architect.