USA > Iowa > Calhoun County > Past and present of Calhoun County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress, and achievement, Volume I > Part 8
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"Whereas, a petition has been presented to the board of super- visors, signed by 449 legal voters of Calhoun County, Ia., praying that an election for the removal of the county seat from Lake City to the proposed Town of Rockwell, on the northeast quarter of sec- tion 36, township 88, range 33, west of the fifth principal merid- ian, Iowa, be ordered to be held on the day of the next general elec- tion ; and
"Whereas, it appears on examination that the petitioners have fully complied with the law in reference to publication of notices, legality of signatures, etc., and that 449 is a majority of the legal voters of Calhoun County, as shown by the census of 1875; there- fore be it
"Resolved, by the Board of County Supervisors of Calhoun County, Ia., that the prayer of the petitioners be granted, and it
LAKE CITY ABOUT 1815 Looking southwest from Central school building
PUBLIC SQUARE AT LAKE CITY Just after the removal of the courthouse
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is hereby ordered that a vote be taken at the next general election, to be held on November 7, 1876, upon the question of the removal of the county seat from Lake City to the proposed Town of Rockwell, on the northeast quarter of section 36, township 88, range 33. And the auditor is hereby authorized and instructed to publish in the Lake City Journal and issue an order to a constable of each town- ship in the county for the posting of the necessary notices of said election.
"And be it further resolved, that the form of ballot shall be as follows:
"For the county seat at Roekwell, or
"For the county seat at Lake City."
The proposition to remove the county seat was carried by a sub- stantial majority of the votes east at the election on November 7, 1876, and on January 4, 1877, E. S. Clow and Thomas Miller, two members of the board of supervisors, were appointed as a eommit- tee to superintend the building of a courthouse at Rockwell City. The courthouse was completed and accepted by the board on Sep- tember 3, 1877, and at the same session the county officers were ordered to remove all books, papers, ete., to the new seat of justice by the 10th of the same month. The first session of the board of supervisors in the new county seat began on October 15, 1877.
CHAPTER V PUBLIC BUILDINGS
NECESSITY FOR PUBLIC BUILDINGS-FIRST COURTHOUSE AT LAKE CITY-SECOND COURTHOUSE-DESTROYED BY FIRE-THIRD COURT- HOUSE-HOW IT WAS BUILT-PRESENT COURTHOUSE-COST AND DESCRIPTION-COUNTY JAIL-CONTRACT WITH AMERICAN EMI- GRANT COMPANY- PRISONERS KEPT IN OTHER COUNTIES- JAIL BUILT AT ROCKWELL CITY-THE COUNTY HOME-FIRST POOR FARM-PRESENT POOR FARM-A SELF-SUSTAINING INSTITUTION.
The visitor to the County of Calhoun at the present time will find public buildings that compare favorably with those of any county in the Union of similar wealth and population. But when the county was first organized in August. 1855. there was not a building of any kind within its boundaries that was suitable for the transaction of publie business. In fact, there were but a few private dwellings, most of which were log cabins of limited dimensions and poorly adapted to the needs of the county, even had they not been occupied by their owners. Under these circumstances it was a case of "do the best you can." The regular sessions of the County Court were held at the house of the county judge, and the other county officials kept their records and transacted their business at their homes.
On April 7, 1856, the site of Lake City was selected by vote of the people as the place for the county seat and on May 10th an agrec- ment was entered into with Charles Amy to lay out the town. More than a year passed, however, before any steps were taken to ereet the
'FIRST COURTHOUSE
In the spring of 1857 Peter Smith, the county judge, gave notice that he would receive proposals until May 27, 1857, for the erection of a courthouse. When that time arrived and the bids were opened it was found that Charles Amy and Moses Sherman had submitted
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the best proposition to build a courthouse "according to a plan and specifications contained in their written contract." The contract was therefore awarded to them for $1.100. The building was completed in the fall of that year, but the contractors did not receive all their money until May 3, 1858, when a warrant for $110.75 was drawn in their favor as the "full and final payment for building the court- house."
The problem of heating the building was solved by the purchase of a stove from C. P. Luse & Company, of Des Moines, on Decem- ber 1. 1857. the purchase price being $21.20, and the county was granted six months' time in which to make payment.
On May 16, 1862, John Stennett was awarded a contract for "building a partition across the lower room of the courthouse and putting in one window of twelve lights 8 by 10 inches," etc., for which he was to receive $20 upon the completion of the work. Moses Sherman was awarded a contract on the same date for build- ing a wood house 16 by 20 feet in dimensions, "according to plans and specifications annexed." for $89.75. With these improvements and alterations the courthouse served the county as long as the seat of justice remained at Lake City. After the county seat was removed to Rockwell City in 1877, the courthouse at Lake City was removed to another location and in the spring of 1915 was still stand- ing.
SECOND COURTHOUSE
The second courthouse in Calhoun County was built at Rockwell City. On January 4, 1877, the board of supervisors appointed E. S. Clow and Thomas Miller a committee to supervise the erection of a courthouse and at the same term a contract was entered into with Moses Davidson & Brother to erect the building. Immediately after the adjournment of the board John Somerville, one of the super- visors, and H. J. Griswold, county surveyor, went to the new town of Rockwell City to select a site for the courthouse. Block 6 was chosen for the public square and Mr. Somerville drove the first stake for a building in Rockwell City.
A diligent search through the records fails to disclose a copy of the contract. but from other sources it has been learned that the cost of the building was a little over $2,000. The rooms on the first floor were fitted up for county offices and vaults were built for the preser- vation of the records. On the second floor were the court and jury rooms. The building was destroyed by fire on September 18, 1884.
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THIRD COURTHOUSE
At a special session of the board of supervisors held on Septem- ber 30, 1884, twelve days after the burning of the courthouse, the board adopted the following:
"Resolved, that a proposition be submitted to the electors of Calhoun County, Ia., at the general election to be held on the 4th day of November, 1884, to issue negotiable bonds of the said eounty to the amount of $15,000 for the purpose of ereeting a courthouse at the county seat of said county; said bonds to be payable in ten years and to bear interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum, payable semi-annually. Also that a special bond tax of one-half mill on the dollar of the assessable valuation of the property of said county be levied and collected each year for the years 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888 and 1889, and one mill on the dollar thereafter for the purpose of paying the interest and principal of said bonds till said bonds are paid, and that said special tax be first levied in the year 1885, said special tax to be paid at the same time and subject to the same pen- alties for non-payment as ordinary taxes."
At the same special session the county auditor was instructed to have a temporary building, one story high, ereeted on the site of the old courthouse, using the old foundation, for the use of the county officers and the protection of the vaults, which had withstood the fire. The only damage done to the vaults was the warping of the doors, and new doors were ordered.
In January, 1885, at a regular session of the board of supervisors, the building known as the Patterson property was accepted by the board for the use of the court, and the Lewis & Smith hotel was secured for the use of the juries during the February term of court, the rental in each ease being $1 per day. A resolution was adopted authorizing the chairman of the board to appoint a eom- mittee "to investigate the matter of disposing of the courthouse square and report at the next meeting." The principal reason for this action was that after bloek 6 had been selected as the public square the Des Moines & Northwestern Railroad came into Roek- well City and its tracks cut off one corner of the square, the noise of passing trains sometimes interfering with the business of the court. A. W. Eshbangh was made chairman of the committee and at the April term submitted the following report:
"Whereas, the electors of the County of Calhoun at the general eleetion held November 4, 1884, did by an overwhelming-almost
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unanimous-majority deelare their wishes against bonding the county for the purpose of building a new courthouse, and
"Whereas, the county officers occupying the courthouse now in use by the county have expressed themselves as more comfortably and conveniently situated than they were before the burning of the former court building, and
"Whereas, new doors have been purchased for the vaults, thus rendering them perfectly seeure, and
"Whereas, there is no difficulty in renting suitable rooms in Roek- well City at very reasonable rates for court purposes, and
"Whereas, the present courthouse, after being well painted and a few minor improvements made, will be in suitable condition for oeeupaney until such time as the county is better prepared to build, therefore be it
"Resolved, by the Board of Supervisors of Calhoun County, Ia., that in the judgment of the board it is inexpedient at the present time to take any action whatever toward disposing of the property now owned by the County of Calhoun in the Town of Rockwell City, or toward building new eourt buildings."
A majority of the supervisors were of a different opinion, how- ever, and the report, or rather recommendation, of the committee was rejected. II. W. Heston then offered a motion to the effect that the board proceed to sell bloek 6, which motion was adopted after some diseussion, and an amendment provided that the square should be sold to the highest bidder on May 1. 1885. At the sale Washing- ton Lewis bid $6,700 for the square, except the corner cut off by the Des Moines & Northwestern Railroad, which bid was accepted by the board and the property was conveyed to Mr. Lewis.
As an echo of the old question of removing the county seat to Rockwell City, at the April term of the supervisors' court in 1885, Thomas Beaumont and others presented a petition signed by 1,033 legal voters, asking the board to submit to the voters, at the Novem- ber election in 1885. a proposition to remove the county seat to Lake City. To offset the influence of such a petition, J. F. Lavender presented a remonstranee signed by 1,229 voters, and the board refused to grant the prayer of the petitioners.
In the meantime a committee had been appointed by the board to procure plans and specifications for a new courthouse. This eon- mittee made its report on the last day of April, 1885, and the plans selected were approved by the board. A building committee, eon- sisting of G. R. Allison, H. W. Heston and Jasper Clark, was then
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appointed to advertise for bids and supervise the ereetion of the building. The day following this action the publie square was sold and the question of a location for the proposed new courthouse came up for consideration.
When the county seat was removed to Roekwell City in 1877, and block 6 was selected as the publie square, some of the eitizens expressed a desire to have bloek 5, immediately west, set apart as a publie park. That block was the property of John M. Rockwell, but he generously exchanged it for one belonging to the county. The board now decided to erect the courthouse on that square and on June 3, 1885, a resolution to that effeet was formally adopted. The resolution also provided that the main front of the building should face the east, "the front wall to be placed on the center line of said bloek running north and south and the center of the building to be on the eenter line running east and west."
Upon opening the bids the board found that the proposal sub- mitted by the firm of Post & Burson was the most acceptable and the contraet was awarded to them for the sum of $6,519. In order to raise funds for the ereetion of the building, the board decided to use $5,000 of the $6,700 received from the sale of block 6, and on June 3, 1885, after the opening of the bids, ordered "that there be appro- priated, in addition to the $5,000 already appropriated, the sum of $1,519 of the insurance money received for the house burned on September 18, 1884."
The building was completed early in the year 1886 and was occu- pied by the county for more than a quarter of a century. In 1913, when the contract was let for a new courthouse, the old one was removed to the west side of the publie square and oceupied while the new building was under construction. It was then sold by the county to the Catholic Church of Rockwell City and removed to the north- west part of town for a parochial schoolhouse.
PRESENT COURTHOUSE
The first move toward the erection of a new courthouse was made on September 11, 1902, when the board of supervisors adopted a resolution to submit to the voters a proposition to issue bonds to the amount of $70,000 for that purpose. The proposition was defeated at the election on November 4, 1902, by the decisive vote of 1,678 to 275, and the old building continued in use for nearly ten years
CALHOUN COUNTY COURTHOUSE, ROCKWELL CITY
DRUGS
STREET SCENE. ROCKWELL CITY
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PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
longer before another attempt was made to build a new one. On June 3. 1912. the following petition came before the board:
"To the Board of Supervisors:
"We, the undersigned, a committee appointed by the Business Men's Association of Rockwell City. la., hereby request that your board submit the question to the legal voters of Calhoun County, Ia., at the general election in the year 1912 of building a new courthouse and bonding the county therefor.
"We, on investigation and in conversation with various people from different parts of the county, believe this a proper time to sub- mit such question, knowing that it will take nearly two years to build one, and that the next election would be in the year 1914, unless a special election was ordered at a great expense. We know that the present courthouse is old and in a state of decay; that there is not sufficient vault room to preserve the records of the county: that there is not sufficient room for the transaction of the business of the county; that material is constantly advancing and we believe will continue to advance; that our farm land is becoming more valuable each year; that it will create no hardship on the taxpayers to build a sufficient and respectable courthouse.
"Therefore we ask your body to pass a resolution of necessity to build a courthouse, on the present courthouse site, to cost not less than $125,000; that you provide for bonding the county in said sum; that said bonds be made to draw 4 per cent interest and to run for twenty years, with optional payments on the same after ten years, and that you pass a resolution instructing your county attorney, or any attorney you may select, to prepare the necessary resolutions and questions legally and properly to build the same.
"All of which is respectfully submitted."
The petition was signed by J. F. Hutchinson, W. E. Gray, D. L. Wheeler and M. W. Friek and was laid over by the board until JJuly 23, 1912, when it was granted and a resolution adopted submitting the question to the electors of the county at the general election to be held on November 5, 1912, whether bonds to the amount of $125,000 should be issued by the county and an annual tax of five mills on the dollar be levied upon the taxable property of the county to pay the principal and interest of said bonds. The movement for a new courthouse received quite an impetus at the October term of the Dis-
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PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
triet Court. when S. G. Fowlie, foreman of the grand jury, submit- ted a report condemning the vaults used by the auditor, treasurer and elerk, and recommending the board of supervisors to provide a safe and suitable place for the records.
At the general election on November 5, 1912, there were 3,590 votes cast on the question of a new courthouse-1,930 in favor of the proposition, 1.630 against it, and 30 ballots spoiled in marking were thrown out as defective. On the 12th, after the votes were eanvassed and the result made known, it was decided that the entire board should act as a building committee, with J. J. Coady as chairman.
Arrangements were completed with the Falls City Construction Company, of Louisville, Ky., early in December, by which that eom- pany was to furnish plans and specifications for $750, with the under- standing that if the said company was awarded the contraet for the erection of the building that amount would be refunded to the county. On December 24, 1912, the plans were accepted by the board, "sub- jeet to the approval of the architect whom the board will appoint, as to the capacity of the foundation and the structural members of the building to carry the loads imposed," ete. The board selected W. F. Gernandt, an architect of Omaha, Neb., to examine the plans. On January 2, 1913, the county auditor was instrueted to advertise for bids until February 11, 1913: Mr. Gernandt made his report on Jan- uary 13, suggesting a few minor changes, and on the 21st W. E. MeChuire was appointed superintendent of construction by Mr. Ger- nandt. The contraet was awarded to the Falls City Construction Company on February 11, 1913, for $102,600.
The next step was to clear the ground for the new structure. Bids were asked for the removal of the old courthouse west to the street line and the tearing down of the old vaults. Joseph Kist was the successful bidder in this contest, receiving $500 for the work.
On April 7. 1913, the board adopted a resolution "That the old soldiers have charge of the laying of the corner-stone for the new courthouse and the auditor be authorized to arrange a date for the said laying with Col. J. M. Stewart, Lake City, la., and to forward him a copy of this resolution." The stone was laid on July 17, 1913. with appropriate ceremonies, Hon. M. F. Healy, of Fort Dodge, being the orator of the occasion.
The building was accepted by the board as complete on May 16, 1914, and final payment ordered. The total cost of the courthouse was as follows:
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Original contraet $102,600.00
Extra work allowed.
4,462.95
Newton & Hoit Company, furniture.
7,326.50
Paul M. Seifert, decorations
1,850.00
Total.
$116,238.45
This left a balance of $8,761.55 of the original appropriation of $125.000 to pay for grading the grounds, ete., thus bringing the eost of the building and its appurtenances within the original sum.
The Calhoun County courthouse is three stories in height, exelu- sive of the basement. On the east and west sides are the entranees to the main floor. North of these entrances are the offices of the clerk. recorder and sheriff, the south side being occupied by the offices of the auditor and treasurer and the board room, where the supervisors hold their meetings. The District Court room occupies the north side of the second floor, on which are the offices of the county attorney, county engineer and superintendent of the public schools. On the upper floor are the eells for prisoners, while in the basement are the heating plant, janitor's room, men's toilet room and extra storage vaults. The walls are of briek, with an outward facing of Indiana oolitie (commonly ealled Bedford) limestone, and the roof is of red clay tiles. Steel and concrete construction prevails through- out and the building is practically fireproof.
In the sale of the courthouse bonds may be seen an instance of the high financial standing of Calhoun County. Soon after the eon- traet was let to the Falls City Construction Company, the board of supervisors advertised for bids on the bonds, which were made pay- able in twenty years, with optional payment after ten years, and bearing interest at 5 per cent per annum, payable semi-annually. On May 12, 1913. the day set for opening the bids, the entire issue of bonds was sold to George M. Bechtel & Company, of Davenport, Ia., at a premium of $977.
THE COUNTY JAIL
The first mention of a county jail in the public records of Cal- houn County appears in the supervisors' minutes of December 12, 1861. in connection with the sale of the swamp lands to the American Emigrant Company. In return for a title to those lands that com- pany agreed to make certain public improvements, among which was:
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PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
"One timber jail, in all respects to be just like the jail agreed to be built for the County of Greene by agreement lately made with the Board of Supervisors of Green County by the American Emigrant Company: said jail not to be commeneed until two years from the Ist day of March next, and to be completed in one year thereafter on such lot as the Board of Supervisors of the County of Calhoun shall select and notify as the place.
"In case the county, before the said Ist day of March, 1864, shall wish to have any other publie lawful improvement made by the party of the second part, in lieu of said jail, and shall notify the party of the second part in said agreement thereof, then the party of the sec- ond part shall make any such other improvements, providing the laws shall then authorize the making thereof with the swamp land and funds in said agreement appropriated to the building of said jail: and in such case the cost of said jail is estimated at $5,000, and that sum is the sum agreed upon as the sum in such case to be applied to sneh other improvements, within a grist and saw mill, or anything else so authorized by law to be made by said county with said funds."
The jail thus agreed upon was never built, for the reason that the board of supervisors in 1864 availed themselves of the privilege of changing that part of the contract to another building. It should be borne in mind that the first courthouse was a frame structure, heated only by stoves, and not very much of a protection against fire. As the population increased and the public records began to multiply, the board of supervisors, composed of David Reynolds, Henry Sif- ford and Cyreno W. Thompson, on July 14, 1864, passed a resolution changing that part of the contract with the American Emigrant Com- pany relating to the jail so as to secure the erection of a "safe build- ing 24 feet long, 20 feet wide, walls 9 feet high-to be divided into two rooms by a wall 8 inches thiek, and to have a safe 4 feet wide the whole length of the building-supposed to be fireproof."
At the Jannary term in 1878, after the county seat had been removed to Rockwell City, the "brick building owned by the county in Lake City" was designated as a county jail. W. A. Townsend was allowed $10 for making certain repairs thereto, and the other build- ings were ordered sold. The brick building thus referred to was the one erected by the American Emigrant Company in lieu of the jail mentioned in the original contraet. Evidently the board soon diseor- ered that the building was not calenlated to serve the purposes of a jail, for on July 15, 1878, Thomas Miller, chairman of the board, and W. H. Fitch were appointed a committee to confer with the
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authorities of counties having suitable jails for the safe keeping of prisoners for the accommodation of prisoners from Calhoun County; and in case no satisfactory arrangements could be made by the com- mittee, the whole board was constituted a committee for the purpose of erecting a jail "and providing the same with cells for four persons, at a cost not to exceed $1,500."
Messrs. Miller and Fitch reported that a satisfactory agreement had been made with the authorities of Greene County for the safe keeping of prisoners from Calhoun and no steps were taken toward the erection of a jail. For some twelve years persons sentenced to jail in Calhoun County were imprisoned in the jails of some of the adjacent counties.
In April, 1885, the Lohrville lockup was declared a jail for the commitment of persons by the justices' courts for minor offenses. Early in the year 1890 it was suggested to the board of supervisors that it would be more economical for the county to build a jail of its own for violators of law than to pay other counties for their support during their terms of imprisonment. On March 27, 1890, the board decided to visit and inspect the jail at Dakotah, the county seat of Humboldt County, with a view to the ercetion of a jail at Rockwell City, and set apart Wednesday, April 2, 1890, as the day for their visit.
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