Combined history of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois : with illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers, Part 15

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Brink, McDonough & Co.
Number of Pages: 458

USA > Illinois > Shelby County > Combined history of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois : with illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 15
USA > Illinois > Moultrie County > Combined history of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois : with illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 15

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The building was construeted upon the east half of lot number five, in bloek number one, near where the present court-house now stands, and a few yards south-east of where the new and elegant stone and brick building is now being erected. Its dimensions were twenty feet wide by twenty- four feet long. First story nine fcet in the clear; second story five feet to the top of wall-plate, or about fourteen feet from the ground to the eaves of the building ; with a shingled roof. The main body of the structure was built of hewn logs, having two doors below, also two fifteen-light windows, with shutters, and two windows of the same dimensions in the upper story. the upper part of the building being reached by a pair of steps placed upon the outside. The floors of the two rooms were planked, and the whole construction finished off in a " workmanlike manner."

The contraet was to be given to the lowest bidder, who was to undertake to have the court-house completed on or before the first Morday in April, 1828. Wm. Hall, senior, undertook the eon- tract, and received upon the completion of the work $110 in full for the samc.

In the carly part of 1829, considerable improvements were added to the court-house,-the building itself was weatherboarded, and the interior arrangements were improved for the benefit of the judge, lawyers, jurymen, ete These alterations were made by J. W. Johnston, and cost the county $39.25.

COURT-HOUSE NO. 2.

The old briek court-house, now standing in the centre of the publie square at Shelbyville was erected in the year 1832. It is a two-story building, forty feet square, surmounted with a cupola. The first story between the floors is fourteen feet in height, and the upper story nine feet. The court-room occupies the entire lower portion of the building, the offices above being reached by a double stairway on the south side. The original cost of the building was $1094.

HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.

In 1837 a cupola was added. This building has for many years been considered inadequate to the growing wauts of the county, and the proper authorities began the erection of the third court-house.

THE THIRD OR NEW COURT-HOUSE.

For fifteen years efforts had been made to get au appropriation for a new court-house, but all movements in that direction proved abortive till July, 1879, when the board of supervisors of the county made the necessary appropriation, as will be seen from the following record of their official action.

On the third day of July, 1879, Supervisor W. O. Robertson offered the following resolution :-

Resolved, That it is hereby deemed expedient, because of the dilapidated and unsafe condition of the present couuty buildings to build a new court-house in and for Shelby county, not to exceed in cost the sum of seveuty thousand dollars ($70,000), and Resolved, That a committee of members of this board be and the same are coustituted a building committee, whose duty it shall be to fix upon aud procure a site for such court-house ; to adopt plans and specifications for the same, not to exceed said cost, and to report their proceedings herein to this board, subject to its approval at their meeting in September next, and Resolved, That Wm. M. Wright, Harmon Kelley, Skelton Birkett, Nelson Neil, W. A. Carlisle be and are hereby appointed said building committee."

The resolution was adopted by a vote of twelve (12) for, to seven (7) against.

At the meeting of the board in September, Supervisor Hilliard offered the following resolution :-

" Resolved, That the sum of seventy thousand dollars ($70,000) be and the same is hereby appropriated for the purpose of erecting a court-house in the city of Shelbyville, iu Shelby county, Ill., and Resolved, That the sum of twenty-five ceuts upou each one hundred dollars worth of real estate aud personal property in said Shelby county as assessed for the year 1879, and equalized by the State board of equalization for said year, be and the same is hereby levied for the purpose of raising a fund to carry out the objects of the said appropriatiou ; and that the clerk of the county court be and he is hereby ordered to compute and extend upon the tax col- lector's books of said county for the year 1879, the levy of twenty- five cents aforesaid against all the real estate and personal property of said county, and that the said levy of 25 ceuts on the $100 be extended uuder the heading of "Court House Tax," and that the same, when collected, shall by the county treasurer be kept as a separate fund for the purposes for which the same is levied. On inotion of Mr. Robertson the resolution was adopted by a vote of eleven (11) for the resolution, to eight (8) against. The amount of money raised under this resolution for. 1879, was $19,900 06."

REPORT OF BUILDING COMMITTEE.

The building committee, through their chairmau, Hon. Wm. M. Wright, made the following report to the board, which was adopted, and, in accordance with the plaus, specifications, etc , therein con- taincd, the erection of a magnificent court building is now in pro- gress :-

" WHEREAS, the honorable board of supervisors of Shelby county, State of Illinois, resolved to build a court-house for said county, proceeded to appoint the following gentlemen, a committee to procure and locate a site aud adopt a plan for said court-house, viz., Wm. M. Wright, Harmon Kelley, Skelton Birkett, Nelson Neil, and W. A. Carlisle.

"The committee, after mature consideration, located the site for

said new court-house on the original court-house square, to be built on a line of Main street, north of the present old court-house.

" Said new court-house to be constructed on the following general plans and specification», viz. : The size of said building to be seventy- six (76) by one hundred and ten (110) feet, fronting to the south, with basement aud two floors above-basement with twelve-foot hall through full length of building, from frout entrance to rear entrance, on the first floor ; said first floor to be so constructed as to accommodate the circuit clerk, county clerk, probate court, sheriff, county treasurer, school commissioner, and county court ; the second floor to be so constructed as to accommodate the circuit court supervisors, grand jury, petit jury, witness-room, judge's pri- vate room, lawyers' consultation room, aud such other rooms as space may permit.

" The floors are to be reached by front stairways; the circuit court room, petit jury room, and other private rooms on the second floor, to be reached by private stairways in the rear of the building. The water-closets to be located in the basement. The gas pipes, steam pipes, and water pipes to be placed in the construction of the building ; fire-places to be in all the rooms ; to be heated by steam ; boilers to be erected outside of main building ; proper and suffi- cient sewerage to be constructed.

" The whole building to be fire-proof; to be built of stone, brick (pressed brick exposure), and iron ; all the floors to be of tile or marble ; a burglar-proof vault to be constructed in the office of the treasurer. The whole not to exceed seventy thousand dollars in cost. The stone to be used in said building to be procured in Illi- nois, Missouri, or Indiana, or from either or all of the said States, as may be most practical.

" Resolved, That the above plan and general specifications be sub- mitted to five competent architects, to be selected by the committee ; that a premium of three hundred dollars ($300) be offered to the aforesaid competing architects for the best set of drawings for the proposed new court-house, which shall be in accordance with the above-named plan. Such drawings shall include a correct view, in perspective, of such new building from a poiut south-west of said building.

" Said drawings, shall include full, complete, and accurate plans of such new building, in all parts showing all the necessary details of the work, together with working plans suitable for the use of mechanics or other builders, during the coustruction thereof, so drawn and represented as to be easily understood ; and also accu- rate bills showing the exact amount of all the different kinds of material to be used in the erection thereof, to accompany said plans; and also full aud complete specifications of the work to be done, showing the manuer and style in which the same will be required to be done, and giving such directions for the same as will enable any competent builder to carry them out, and afford to bidders all needful iuformation to enable them to understand what will be re- quired in the construction of said building, and make a full, accu- rate, and complete estimate of each item of expense, and the entire aggregate cost of said court house when completed.

Provided, however, that the working plaus above referred to and the bill showing the exact amount of the material to be used, and also the full and complete specifications of the work to be done, showing the manner and style of the same, and giving such direc- tions as will enable any builder to carry them out, and afford bid- ders all information above referred to, shall not be required to be made out and furnished until after the award of the aforesaid pre- mium shall be decided by the board of supervisors, and that after such decision, the successful competitor shall immediately procecd to complete the same in accordance with the terms of this resolu-

HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.

tion, and the said premium of three hundred dollars ($300) shall be advanced to such successful competitor, and shall be deducted from a compensation to be allowed him of five per centum upon the aggregate cost of said building ; upon the execution by and between him and the board of supervisors of a contract prescribing his duties, obligations, and compensation as supervising architect of said building and the execution of a proper bond, with acceptable security, to the board of supervisors in such amount as may be by them prescribed, not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10 000) for the faithful performance of his duties, as such supervising architect in the erection of said building in accordance with the plans and specifications thereof adopted.

" Resolved, That the drawings as submitted must be furnished by the tenth day of September, 1879, and must be accompanied by es- timates of all the work and material necessary in the construction of the proposed building, made sufficiently in detail to enable the board of supervisors to verify them, and approximate closely to the probable cost, and accuracy in detail in this respect will be re- garded as important in determining the award of the premiums.

" Resolved, That a premium of one hundred and fifty dollars ($150) shall be awarded and paid to the drawings and elevations second in merit, the board of supervisors reserving the right to use any part of said plans and specifications of second in merit for and in consideration of said award of one hundred and fifty dollars ($150).

" Shelbyville, Ill., Aug. 8, 1879.

(Signed)

" WM. M. WRIGHT, " HARMON KELLEY, " SKELTON BIRKETT, SR. " NELSON NEIL, * "W. A. CARLISLE.

A view of the elegant structure, which is purely classic, may be seen on another page of this work ; and believing a brief. descrip- tion would not be out of place, we append the following :-

The new court-house will be a model and beautiful structure. It. is built of brick, magnesian limestone, and iron of choice and ele- gant design. It is thoroughly fire-proof throughout.

For the purpose of giving the reader a better and more correct idea of the structure, we give a succinct statement of its dimen- sions and a description of the material that entered into its con- struction.

The building is rectangle, 110 feet in length by 76 feet in breadth. The height from the cornice to the ground line is 58 feet. From the apex of the dome to the foundation it is 124 feet. Each story of the building is anchored not only to its own walls but to the walls of the other stories. There are four handsome pavilions, 16 fcet square and 16 feet high, above the eave. These are situated on each corner of the building, with bulls eye windows on each side. The pavilions and dome are constructed of brick and iron, and roofed with slate, and surmounted by iron crestings of beauti- ful and artistic design. The general outside finish of the building is St. Louis pressed brick, with Joliet and Bedford stone trimmings. The cornices are of galvanized iron. The basement is all stone and the floors are constructed of marble tiling, laid on masonry and iron girders. There are two main entrances to the building, one -on the north and one on the south side.

The south side is the principal entrance, and is reached by broad, handsome stone steps. The dome begins at the base line and runs up through the centre of the building.

* W. A. Carlisle died, and T. J. Graybill was appointed to fill his place.

The pediments rest on four columns of stone, of handsome and elegant pattern. The bases and capitols are of Bedford stone, and the shafts of Joliet limestone ; the height of each column, basc and capitol is twenty three feet. The front pediment has a greater pro- jection than those on the side, and there are eight columns upon which it rests The front columns start at the basement story above and in front of the main entrance. On the second story are two niches, in which are placed statues of the Goddess of Liberty and of Justice.

Mr. O. H. Placcy, of Chicago, is the architect, and Thomas and Hugh Caldwell, of Ottawa, Ill , are the contractors.

The citizens of Shelby county may well feel proud of this elc- gant and valuable structure. Alike is it creditable to the foresight and energy of the men who inaugurated its construction ; and it will remain as a monument to their enterprise years after they have passed away.

Probably more credit is due to Hon. Wm. M. Wright than to any other one citizen of the county. As chairman of the commit- tee on construction he has given much of his time and attention to the forwarding of the work, and has guarded jealously the interests of his constituents, though proper credit is also extended to other members of the committee.

The contract calls for the completion of the building December 1st, 1881, and when finished it will be one among the handsomest and most substantial in the State.

FIRST JAIL.

At the beginning of the year 1829 the county authorities felt the necessity of having a suitable building erected wherein lawless characters could be securely confincd. The commissioners there- fore ordered a jail to be built on lot eight, block number one, in the town of Shelbyville. The following is a description of it :-

It was built of well hewed timber, eight inches thick, with the edges squared so as to fit closely together. The building was square, measuring thirteen feet six inches in width, and the same in depth. The height from the foundation, or lower floor (which was let some ten inches into the ground) up to the eaves of the roof was about sixteen feet, there being two stories each of about eight feet. The gables were weather boarded, and the roof shingled. The lower part of the building was comprised of a double wall, with a space of ten inches between, which was filled with upright poles shaved smooth and put closely together. The third floor, or, more properly speaking, the roof of the second floor, consisted of squared timbers, six inches thick, laid closely together. There were two windows in the lower story, 43 feet from the ground, one on the north side of the building, the other on the south. The same in the upper story, each window 12 by 6 inches, made secure by grates, and iron bars one inch in thickness and three inches apart. In the upper story was a door two feet wide and four feet high, and another door in the middle of the 2d floor two by three feet. Janies W. Johnston secured the contract for building the above, which was completed early in the year 1930.

JAIL NO. 2.

At the September Term of Court in 1839 a contract was made with John Stone and Samuel Wilson to erect a new jail upon the site of the old one, which liad done service for nine years, but had be- come too insecure and small for the requirements of the county. Joseph Oliver purchased the old structure for $50.06}.

The new building, which was also built of hewn logs, was 22 feet long by 14 feet wide. Composed of double walls, built one foot apart and filled with upright timbers one foot square. A partition

HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.

was run through the centre of the building, making two rooms each, ninc feet in height and paved with rock. There was a window in each room, through which the outer world could be viewed by its inmates, if they chose to peep through the grates and iron bars which firmly secured them. A trap door in the centre of the upper floor, said door measuring 2 feet by 2} feet, strongly bound with iron ; one door with double shutters in the other room; in the side, 3 feet from the partition, shutters opening inwards on the inside, outwards on the outside. Said door was secured with iron bolts, jail lock, and spiked with iron spikes two inches apart.

Beside this building a frame one was erected 22 feet long by 20 feet wide, the same height and under same shingle roof. It was weather boarded, and had one door in the south side, with windows on each side of the door, and two windows in the west side. There were twelve light windows with 8 by 10 glass. There was also a plank partition across the frame building, with a door in the par- tition, and the floors laid down with plank. This was the jailor's residence. Stair steps to commence at the partition of the log building between the log wall and said partition running north up to the upper floor of tlie log building, the steps to reach from the wall to the partition. A brick chimney stood on the north side, with one fire-place below. The whole was to be built of durable timber, and finished in a workmanlike manner. The building being completed in 1840, the contractors received $745, costs of the same.

THIRD OR PRESENT JAIL.

The present jail building was erected in 1857, at a cost of nearly five thousand dollars ($5,000). William Hidden received the con- tract for erecting the same the preceding year, and completed it at the time above specified. It is a two story brick building, 28 feet wide by 38 feet long, and consists of jailor's residence, with four rooms, a debtor's cell, four single wooden cells, with iron doors, and four double iron cells. The cells are in the upper floor of the building, with a hallway or corridor of about four feet in width on both the north and south sides, with a narrow passage connecting the two corridors on the west side of the building. There are six windows on the north side, five on the west, and five on the south, with one door to the west, another to the east, and one on the south. In 1864 the county of Shelby made a contract with Samuel Proctor to encase four of the cells (which were originally wooden ones) with boiler iron. These cells are seven feet square by 6} feet high. The alteration thus made cost the county $3,000 in addition to the original cost-$4,989.46-for erecting the jail. A view of this edifice is given in this work, from which a good idea of the plan may be gained.

POOR FARM.

Thirteen years ago, in 1867, the Board of Supervisors appointed three commissioners, viz., Edward Roessler, W. J. F. Howe and Michael Freyburger, to purchase a farm as a suitable home for the indigent poor of Shelby county. The commissioners, in June of that year, tendered their report to the Board, which report was read upon motion, received, and adopted. In effect it was as fol- lows :- We have finally selected the farm of James A. Livers, situ- ated 4} miles north-west of Shelbyville. Said farm consists of 240 acres, 130 acres being under cultivation, the balance in timber ; the price given nine thousand and sixty dollars ($9,060). After pur- chasing the farm the committee advertised for bids, for some one to lease the farm and take charge of the poor. On the 12th August, 1867, David Price was appointed Superintendent or Lessee, and entered into an article of agreement with the Board of Supervisors for a term of two years. It necessarily took some time to get the

place in readiness for its unfortunate occupants. More house room had to be supplied, together with beds, bedding, and other house- hold furniture. So that it was not until the 6th of May that the Superintendent was able to receive the paupers, who were eleven in number. The terms of agreement by which D. Price took charge of the farm and its occupants were these : He was to receive six hundred dollars ($600) per year in addition to what he could make upon the farm, provided the inmates numbered not more than ten. If exceeding that number, $200 per year additional for each added inmate, if not capable of performing manual labor, or $100 per year for any who could work, the county physician deciding as to the impotency of said paupers. And in the event of a failure in crops, or the destruction of crops by storm, Price was to receive reasonable compensation for keeping the poor, etc. Price was to provide for the poor unfortunates good and wholesome food and keep the residences in a clean and wholesome condition. Early in 1868 fifty-six of the citizens of Shelby county signed a petition and laid it before the Board of Supervisors, requesting their immediate attention to the mismanagement of the Poor Farm, and the suffer- ing condition of the poor. An investigation was immediately made by the Board, in person, and upon evidence furnished them, they unanimously decided to remove David Price from further control of the establishment, which, however, could only be effected satis- factorily by paying him $150, and allowing him to keep two-thirds of the wheat crop. In March, 1868, the Poor Farm was let to Francis Winson for one year. And in 1869 J. J. Cline rented it for one year for $384, the county paying $2 45-100 per week for the support of each pauper. It was subsequently found better to employ a Superintendent, at a salary of $500 a year, to manage the farm and look after the inmates, than rent a $9,000 farm for $384 per ycar. The Board of Supervisors therefore appointed such Superintendent upon salary.

The Overseers and Superintendents have held office as follows :-

David Price . 1867

John E. Lane . 1871 ,1872, 1873

Francis Winson 1868 1874, 1875, 1876

J. J. Cline 1869,1870

Theodore Allen . . 1877, 1878

John E. Lane . 1879, 1880

The latter gentleman being the present incumbent. Commodious brick buildings have been erected upon the farm, and the inmates now have all the care and attention that can be given them.

THE COURTS

which have held jurisdiction over the people of Shelby county since its organization as a separate municipality, have been those of the county commissioners' court, county judges, probate judges, magistrates of the township, the circuit courts, and the United States district and supreme courts.

FIRST CIRCUIT COURT.

We make a few excerpts from the records of the first and subsequent terms of this court, which we think will not fail to interest the reader of this volume.

" At a circuit court of Shelby County, State of Illinois, began and held in the town of Shelbyville, at the court-house, on Monday, the fifteenth day of September, one thousand, eight hundred and twenty-eight. Present,

THE HON. THEOPHLIUS W. SMITH,

Judge."

HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.

GRAND JURY.

The following persons were sworn and charged of the grand jury to inquire, within and for the body of the county of Shelby, viz .- Jacob Cutler (foreman), William Reynolds, James Wallice, Ben- jamin Wornock, Joseph Baker, Joel Allen, John Wood, Elisha Freeman, Hubbel Sprigue, Barnet Bone, Jacob Brewer, Samuel Reece, Charles Huffman, John Hall, Elias Kerr, Wm. Bone, Shelton Allphin, John Smith, Samuel Anderson, Benjamin Walden, Wm. Rose, and William Whitfield.

CAUSES CÉLÉBRES.

There have been several trials of persons indicted for murder, and other heinous crimes in this county. We append a few of the court documents, bearing on some of the earlier cases of this character.

CIRCUIT COUIT, SEPTEMBER TERM, 1828.

A Case of Flogging.

People VS.

John Spalding.

Indictment for Larceny.

The said people by the attorney appeared in court ; and the defendant in his proper person, and for plea says he is not guilty in manner and form as is alleged in said indictment-to which plea the people joined issue-Whereupon came a jury, to wit, Wil- liam E. Wegar, Andrew Miller, William Martin, Benjamin Dubney, Benjamin Mobley, Jonathan Hill, John Tipsoaid, John Whitley, Sr., Allen Reed, Joseph Reed, John Abbet, Jr., and Daniel Siscoe ; - who being elected, tried and sworn well and truly to try the issue joined on their oa hs, do say ; " We, the jury find the defendant guilty in manner and form as in said indictment mentioned to be of the value therein stated," and the said jurors were thereupon dis- charged until to-morrow morning at nine o'clock, to which time the court adjourned.

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Combined history of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois : with illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers, Part 15

Author: Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : Brink, McDonough & Co. Number of Pages: 458

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Brink, McDonough & Co.
Number of Pages: 458