We learn that the Insane Asylum has been located by the Commissioners at St. Peter, the people of that place having offered a seven thousand dollar farm as its site as an inducement for its location there. Hastings Independent. (Chatfield Democrat, Saturday, June 9, 1866, Page 2)
[St. Peter brick] Within half a mile of the farm there is a quarry of building stone of good quality, and the same formation of rock is continuous through the hospital site, and no doubt good quarries could be opened upon the farm. There is upon the land good clay for brick – a brick yard having been formerly carried on upon it. (The Saint Paul Press, Tuesday, July 3, 1866, Page 1)
The St. Peter Tribune says that the citizens of that place have already subscribed and paid in the entire sum of $7,000 required for the purchase of the Dorrington farm for the presentation to the State of Minnesota for the Insane Asylum purposes. (The Saint Paul Press, Friday, September 7, 1866, Page 4)
The St. Peter Tribune says the plans for the permanent buildings for the State Insane Asylum drawn by Mr. Sloan, of Philadelphia, have been submitted to the Board of Trustees and unanimously adopted. It was further decided to begin the work upon the foundations of the permanent structure at once, in order to have that portion completed before winter. (Taylors Falls Reporter, Saturday, July 27, 1867, Page 1)
The structure is to consist of a main central building of sixty feet front and one hundred and twenty feet deep, with wings or sections on each side, each section as added receding from the front of the previous one. These sections are each to be about one hundred and twenty feet in length, and are to be added as the wants of the institution and the number of patients demand. The foundation of the main building and of a section on each side has been laid. The future progress of the work will depend upon the action of the Legislature the coming season. (Chatfield Democrat, Saturday, December 21, 1867, Page 3)
Mr. Ash, of Le Sueur, has received the contract for making brick for the insane asylum at St. Peter. (Minneapolis Daily Tribune, Tuesday, April 7, 1868, Page 2)
Snyder & Damren of St. Peter, awarded contract for building Insane Asylum at that place. Amount $11,902. Stone and mason work done by day labor. (Wabasha Weekly Herald, Thursday, May 21, 1868, Page 2)
The stone work on the insane asylum building at St. Peter is nearly completed. (Winona Daily Republican, Wednesday, September 30, 1868, Page 2)
The party proceeded thence to the new Asylum building, about one mile above the city, after examining which, they sat down to a bountiful dinner provided by the citizens. The completion of the central building is strongly urged the coming season, the cost of which will be $56,000; also that the other wing to be erected as soon as possible, that the female patients may be transferred to more suitable quarters. This section it is estimated will cost $140,000. (Mower County Register, Austin, Minnesota, Thursday, February 10, 1870, Page 2)
The asylum is supplied by a large and beautiful spring of pure water, the stone is found within a stone’s throw of the building, and wood is convenient. It is surrounded by a farm of more than three hundred acres. (The Rochester Post, Saturday, February 12, 1870, Page 2)
The contract for the carpenter work on the extension of the State Insane Asylum, at St. Peter, has been awarded to A. W. Gage & Co., of Winona, and for the mason work to Matt, Breen & Co., of St. Paul. (The Saint Cloud Journal, Thursday, April 20, 1871, Page 3)
There is no better or handsomer building material in the State that the blue limestone that is quarried within the limits of our city, and of which Old’s & Fishback’s Mill, and the Catholic Church, of this city, are both built; the latter is a building that is not surpassed in the beauty of the stone in its walls by any building in the State. The stone we refer to is very much the same in appearance as that of which the Deaf and Dumb Institute, at Faribault, and the best buildings of St. Paul and built, and is far handsomer than the Mantorville stone or the brown stone of which the Insane Asylum, at St. Peter, is built. (The Rochester Post, Saturday, February 22, 1873, Page 3)
Mr. Bohn’s ability as a contractor is well known in this city, where he has resided for the past fifteen years. He built the Normal School and the High School buildings in this city, both of which are fine and substantial pieces of work. In the contract for the Insane Asylum he will have to use about 300,000 feet of lumber, which will be furnished by the dealers of Winona if their prices are favorable. All the carpenter work, doors, sash, mouldings, flooring, etc., will be done at Mr. Bohn’s manufacturing establishment in this city. (Winona Daily Republican, Saturday, April 12, 1873, Page 3)
The contract for constructing the main building and one return wing of the Minnesota Insane Asylum at St. Peter, has been awarded to Mr. Conrad Bohn, of Winona for the sum of $121,950.30. (The Minnesota Record, Rochester, Minnesota, Saturday, April 26, 1873, Page 2)
Mr. Charles Butler, of Winona, has taken the contract of Mr. C. Bohn for all the mason work on the State Insane Asylum for $61,000. Mr. Butler has recently finished the brick and mason work on the new car shops of the Winona and St. Peter railroad in this city. (Winona Daily Republican, Tuesday, May 6, 1873, Page 3)
Wanted – Stone Cutters to work at St. Peter, Minn., on the Insane Asylum. Employment given all Summer. Half fare tickets will be given from Winona. Liberal wages will be paid. Chas. Butler, Winona, Minn., or at the work in St. Peter. (Winona Daily Republican, Tuesday, June 10, 1873, Page 3)
Mr. Charles Butler was in town, to-day, to get hoisting apparatus for handling the heavy stone on the Insane Asylum. He has about a hundred and twenty men employed and the work is progressing finely. (Winona Daily Republican, Monday, August 11, 1873, Page 3)
The grant of $100,000 given by the Legislature last winter, has been appropriated to the construction of the centre building (occupied by the administration of the hospital) and the south wing and return part of which, now complete, is occupied by 100 female patients. The remainder will be done in August… (Chatfield Democrat, Saturday, February 7, 1874, Page 2)
The contract for building the additions to the hospital of the Insane Asylum at St. Peter, was yesterday awarded to Breen & Young, of St. Paul, for $38,950. (Minneapolis Daily Tribune, Wednesday, April 15, 1874, Page 1)
Two years ago a detached ward was built adjacent to the St. Peter hospital, to accommodate 100 patients, at a cost of $25,000, or $250 each. The experiment having proven satisfactory, the recent legislature made appropriations for three additional detached wards at St. Peter and two at Rochester, which will provide for 500 patients at a cost of $125,000. (The People’s Press, Owatonna, Friday, June 12, 1885, Page 3)
Messrs. Becker & Weibeler made a contract on Thursday last to furnish 350,000 [Belle Plaine] brick for the building of an addition to the St. Peter hospital for insane which will be shipped at once. This, in connection with another good sale at Blue Earth city and orders from other places in sight, has encouraged the proprietors to start up work in their brick yard again this week. This ought to be good news for some of the idle men about town. There is also good prospects of our brick manufacturers getting a big contract to furnish brick for a part of the state capital, in which event they could run the yard at its fullest capacity all of next season. (Belle Plaine Herald, Wednesday, September 1, 1897, Page 5)