USA > Illinois > Macoupin County > History of Macoupin County, Illinois : biographical and pictorial, Volume I > Part 20
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Then Messrs. Rinaker and Walker, representing the people, prepared statis- tics showing that the building, if completed along the lines evidenced by the foundation, would cost a sum, the payment of which would make necessary tax Jevies that would be practically confiscatory. These figures they took to Spring- field, before the judicial committee of the house of representatives, where a bill was then pending to authorize the county court to expend any sum, with- out limit to complete the courthouse. The commissioners also appeared and gave their word that while the plans had been enlarged, the new building would not cost more than $500.000. Governor Palmer, himself a Macoupin county man, wrote a letter to John M. Woodson, state senator from this district, urging him to secure the passage of the bill which he wrote. The letter was read to the senate, the bill passed and is the act of 9th of April, 1869, approved by Gov- ernor Palmer. The legislature passed the sweeping bill which gave the court
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and commissioners authority to entail a debt of $1,380,000, the act setting no limit whatever as to the cost.
Governor Palmer was interested in getting as fine a building as practical in this county, not from any selfish motive, but because he had a feeling of affection and pride for his home town and county. He was the dominant spirit in the erection of the courthouse. It could never have been built without his aid, and at every turn of the game he stood behind the county court and the court house party. He did not anticipate the immense cost but he did believe that a $500,000 building could properly be erected and with that idea he aided the plan. He personally guaranteed to capitalists who financed the scheme that the court house bonds would be paid, and in summing up the reasons for the increased cost of the structure, we must take Palmer's influence into consideration, as it undoubt- edly played an important part.
But the $500,000 was insufficient. The commissioners and the people began to realize this as the work on the building progressed. The realization on the part of the commissioners brought chagrin and disappointment, but they felt that they must carry the work through, whatever the cost. On the part of the people, it brought anger and bitter feeling against those who were saddling the great debt upon them. The great increase over the $500,000 was brought about very largely by the fact that the architect, Meyers, persuaded the commissioners, after the plans had been accepted, to alter one certain and seemingly unimpor- tant part of the contemplated structure, and this change being agreed upon and made, it soon developed that almost every other part of the building had to be changed to conformity. The expense became doubled again and again until it grew far beyond the wildest dreams of the commissioners and the people.
There was some graft-to deny it would be foolish. But the commissioners got none of it, with probably one unfortunate exception, and in that case the party himself did not keep whatever money he may have wrongfully obtained in the deal, and left the county with less, perhaps, than he had when the court house was first talked .of. The money "grafted" went to parties outside of the county and with the possible exception noted, no man directly connected with the building, who could properly be called a citizen of Macoupin, got any of the money improperly spent on the court house debt.
In this matter of increased cost, the division of the county theory also played a part, no doubt, in that the commissioners were afraid to turn back or abandon the work because the people were in an ugly frame of mind and would gladly vote to divide the county or do almost anything else that would thwart the plans of the little courthouse party, stop the work and kill the debt. But even with all these considerations, it is hard to understand how it happened that the commissioners and county court ever allowed the matter of cost to get so thor- oughly beyond their control. The fairest appraisers have valued the structure at $643,876 in years past and offered to give bond to duplicate it for that sum.
Some people blamed George Holliday, the county clerk, for some of the unnecessary expense. Mr. Holliday was an exemplary citizen of this community for years. He lived in the handsome home now occupied by ex-Senator W. L. Mounts and family. He was a scholarly man of considerable mental attainment, but before he left, his name was stained with scandalous tales, including the im-
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HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY
proper expenditure of large sums of money. He left Carlinville on a Chicago & Alton train one night in the year 1870 and has never since been heard of. He was indicted by the grand jury after he left for larceny and embezzlement, and as many as fifteen separate indictments were returned against him at the suc- ceeding terms of circuit court, until at the March term, 1872, when, Judge Arthur J. Gallagher presiding in the absence of Judge Horatio M. Vandeveer, the case was stricken from the docket with leave to reinstate, at the motion of the state's attorney. Capias' were issued from time to time.
An extensive search was made for Mr. Holliday, and a man believed to be him was arrested in what was then Washington Territory. Deputy Sheriff Dan Delaney, who knew Holliday intimately and had been associated with him in Carlinville, was sent after the suspect and returned with a prisoner. The suspect was taken into court and established the fact that he was not Holliday. Only two persons who saw the man here would say that there was the least doubt in their minds that the prisoner might be George Holliday and the rest of the population were very certain that he was not the man wanted. The suspect said his name was Hall. He left this part of the country and probably returned to his western home, although there is no hint in the records or in the memory of our older citizens that any further surveillance was kept on him. Possibly Delaney thought it best to bring the man here so that the people could see for themselves whether or not he was Holliday. The expense to the county of bring- ing Hall here was considerable and the county, of course, had to pay the cost, which caused considerable more argument and some bad feeling.
ERECTION OF THE BUILDING.
Immediately following the March term of the county court in 1867, the work of construction was commenced. The foundation was laid and the corner stone put in place. This corner stone was laid October 22, 1867, by the Masonic order, and the description thereon tells the story as graphically as it can be set down, as follows :
Laid by the Most W. G. L. A. F. & A. Masons, by Charles Fisher Deputy Grand Master. October 22d A. L. 5867 A. D. 1867 Building Commissioners A. McKim Dubois. Geo. H. Holliday. I. J. Peebles. T. L. Loomis.
The above appears on the east face of the corner stone, and on the north face the inscription is :
1
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Erected by order of County Court, March Term, A. D. 1867. County Court Thaddeus L. Loomis. Isham J. Peebles. John Yowell. E. E. Meyers, Architect.
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In the corner stone there was placed the following articles: Holy Bible in English and German, the square and compass, revised statutes of the state of Illinois, Charter and revised ordinances of the city of Carlinville, proceedings of the injunction case tried in Alton City court, embracing the act of the legis- lature, orders of the county court and briefs of counsel. This was the case in which the people sought to enjoin the county court from building a new court house. There were also placed therein resolutions of a public meeting held at Chesterfield in opposition to the erection of a new court house, and Judge 'Isham J. Peebles' reply to the same; Howell's map of the county of Macoupin, Muhle- man's map of the city of Carlinville, photograph of the old court house, copies of the county newspapers, the premium list and poster of the Macoupin County Agricultural and Mechanical Society for the year 1867, United States coin pre- sented by Joseph C. Howell, and oration of Hon. John M. Woodson at the laying of the corner stone.
The newspapers of that day report that there was only a small crowd of citizens in attendance. The work of construction was often delayed by the opposition of the anti-court house party, which included a large percentage of the people, but the building was finally completed and stands today the pride of the people, no matter whether they or their ancestors were "court house" or "anti-court house" in days gone by.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING.
The courthouse as it now stands is a beautiful structure. It is built of brick, magnesian limestone and iron of choice and elegant design. It is thoroughly fire proof throughout. For the purpose of giving the reader a better and more cor- rect idea of the structure we give a brief statement of its dimensions and a description of the material that entered into its construction.
The building is a rectangle, 181 feet in extreme breadth, crossed at an equal distance from the north and south ends by a transverse rectangle of smaller dimensions the plan resembling an elongated Swiss cross, or a cross of St. George, of double width. It is built after the Corinthian order of architecture, and this classical model is strictly adhered to throughout the entire building. It is divided into three floors, basement, twelve feet in height; main floor, six- teen feet in height, and upper floor, occupied mostly by the court room, thirty-two feet in height. The height of the building from the top of the cornice to the ground, is sixty-nine and a half feet. Four iron columns resting on the founda- tions and running up within the walls, to the plumb of the roof, support its cir-
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cular iron band, from which spring ribs of the dome. From the apex of the dome to the foundation it is 186 feet, giving the dome an altitude of almost 100 feet. Each story of the building is anchored not only to its own walls but the walls of the other stories.
The main entrance is on the north, and the portal is reached by twenty-two stone steps, flanked on each side by a low wall of masonry, capped with cut stone, leading up to the portico. The roof of the portico is supported by four Cor- inthian columns forty feet in height, four feet in diameter at the base, and three and one half feet at the capital. These columns are composed of seven whole blocks of dressed stone, and half of another. The ceiling of the portico is all of stone, forty-seven by sixteen feet, laid off in three panels.
The south entrance has ten steps from the level of the street to a terrace eight feet in length and the width of the building, formed of square blocks of cut stone, neatly and uniformly laid. From the terrace there are twenty-three steps to the portico. The steps to the east and west entrances are laid parallel with the building, ascending from the north and the south, and meeting upon a platform before the large entrance way. A balustrade of finely chiseled stone, with heavy stone caps, flanks the steps, at the foot of which on the pedestals, a lamp post rises on each side made to represent the symbol of unity, a bundle of fagots, banded by a scroll, upon which is "Macoupin County." At all the entrances these lamp posts are stationed with three heavy glass light chambers, about four feet in height, gilded and bronzed, surmounting them. There are five entrances to the basement from the court house park. The ceilings of the base- ment are arched. and are twelve feet high. The floor is laid in mosaic, with a wide border of brown slate running the length of the side walls. The building is lighted by gas and heated by steam. There are twelve rooms on the main floor, all finished in the most elegant style and manner, with marble floors, pan- elled walls, chandeliers, etc. The upper floor is reached by a wide, light appear- ing, yet strong, iron stairway. The court room has an area of 4,500 square feet. Its general dimensions are nearly sixty-four by seventy-four feet, in shape resembling a square with a rectangle attached to it, projecting wings extending some eight feet from the walls of either side. It is thirty-two feet in height from the floor to the ceiling, and from the floor to the apex of the inner dome is forty-four feet. From this dome hangs suspended a magnificent chandelier of fifty-six burners, which cost the sum of $3,000. All the inside work is finished with galvanized iron. The pilasters are of cast iron, ceilings and walls of gal- vanized iron, heavy cornice and moldings of the same. The walls are in tall shield like panels, surmounted above alternate panels by appropriate devices. Twelve windows, six on each side, furnish ingress to the light. The windows have four panes of glass each, besides the rose shaped circle of colored glass at the top, and are fully twenty feet in height. The judges' stand, on the south side, projects about eight feet out into the room. It is made of five different kinds of marble after the style of Henry VI. of France, and is the finest in the country. The judges' chair is an elegant one of the Elizabethian period, tall, richly carved square shaped back, arms and legs. It is about seven feet in height and upholstered with crimson velvet. Adjacent to the court room are the judges' private apartments, jury rooms, and rooms for officers of the court.
11
MACOUPIN COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN 1910
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HEINOIS
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The roof is formed of wrought and cast iron, and covered by corrugated gal- vanized iron. The dome is formed of wrought iron ribs, springing from a heavy iron band, which are braced by cross trusses, the whole covered by galvanized iron, close to the roof. On the south side is a galvanized iron tank that holds the water pumped by the engine below, and from which pipes convey the water to all parts of the building. The capacity of the tank is about 8,000 gallons.
The structure is as near fire-proof as the ingenuity of man could make it, and in this regard and in many other respects is truly remarkable when one com- pares it to the so-called fire-proof buildings of modern times.
Time has made itself felt and with the assistance of the elements has changed the appearance of the structure. The beautiful stone has taken on a buff, creamy color that does not detract but enhances its appearance, but here and there a stone or two has scaled and crumbled to a comparatively slight extent; from other stones pieces have broken off and left holes that are rather unsightly. The interior has never been touched by the artisan since its construction and has been for some time demanding attention. At the June sitting of the board of super- visors, in 1911, provision was made for a thorough renovation of the first, or office floor. When this work is completed, other repairs will be made, so that in a year or two from this time, the whole structure will have been entirely re- paired and brought back to its pristine beauty and sightliness.
A TIME OF GREAT REJOICING.
On Wednesday, July 21, 1910, began the carefully arranged jubilee of two days' duration at Carlinville and thousands upon thousands of men, women and children were on hand to take part in the unusual event. The double-column "scare head" in the Enquirer told the tale in a nutshell in the following words :
"Jubilee and Celebration Success in Every Detail. One of the Most Im- portant Epochs in Events in the County Has Passed Into History. The Results Far Exceeded Everybody's Expectations. Twenty Thousand People Attended the Exercises Thursday and Half as Many Were Here Wednesday-Every Feature was Remarkable down to Smallest Detail.
"Every feature of the program was carried out faultlessly and just as nearly on time as· circumstances would permit. From the opening, with a band concert by our own fine Carlinville Band, on the east portico of the court house Wed- nesday at 1:30 P. M. to the closing, with a display of fireworks and natural gas and oil Thursday night, there was not a serious hitch anywhere. The committee that handled the affairs were the following:
"Supervisors, H. W. Rice, Charles Muhlenbeck, S. E. French, J. A. Turner, R. S. Hemphill; mayor and councilmen, Jesse Peebles, Dr. Matthews, Thomas O'Connor, Louis Gouch, August Zaepffel. Citizens, George J. Castle, Dr. Fischer, J. E. McClire, C. J. Lumpkin, E. C. Knotts, Thomas Sweeney.
THE BOND BURNING.
"The actual burning of the bond was, of course, the main feature. The docu- ment was numbered 720, and was one of the series of funding bonds issued under
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the Act of the Legislature in 1865. It was the last of one hundred and twenty bonds of $1,000 each, dated July 1, 1898. It was signed by John W. Dalby, chairman of the board of supervisors at that time, and countersigned by Fred G. Oeltjen, county clerk.
"At the exercises in the courthouse square Thursday afternoon, in the pres- ence of everyone who could get within sight or sound of the speaker's stand, Governor Charles S. Deneen received this bond from the hands of County Clerk W. C. Seehausen, who carried it from his office to the speaker's stand for that purpose. The Governor then held the paper in a flame of burning natural gas from a half-inch pipe extended to the stand from the court house, set fire to the bond in that way and held it until it was almost entirely consumed, then dropped the remaining piece, the corner by which he held the bond, and which was still burning, to the ground immediately in front of the stand, where it was entirely consumed.
"Standing close to the Governor, as witnesses of the destruction of the bond were: W. C. Seehausen, county clerk; D. M. Bates, chairman of the board of supervisors of Carlinville township; Charles Muhlenbeck, of Virden township; H. W. Rice, of Cahokia township; R. S. Hemphill, of Carlinville township; J. A. Turner, of Scottville township; and Samuel French, of Shipman township. The gas flame was lighted by Mayor Jesse Peebles of Carlinville. Besides these there were on the stand State Auditor J. S. Mccullough, Adjutant General Frank Dickson, ex-President of United Mine Workers of America John Mitchell, Circuit Judges James M. Creighton and Robert B. Shirley, and numerous other officials and prominent men in the county, state and nation, including Congress- men James M. Graham and William A. Rodenberg and ex-Congressman Ben F. Caldwell, and others too numerous to mention here, many of them being citizens of our county and town.
"While the bond was burning every bell and whistle, not only in Carlinville but in every city, town and hamlet in Macoupin county, including wayside schools and churches, sounded for about five minutes. The vast crowd in the court house park sang two stanzas of 'America,' bombs were fired on the streets nearby and there were prolonged cheers and shouts of 'Glory ! Hallelujah!'"
SPORTS AND SPEECHES.
Features of the glorification consisted of addresses by Governor Charles S. Deneen, Hon. C. A. Walker, General John I. Rinaker, Hon. W. E. P. Anderson, John Mitchell, head of the United Mine Workers of America, Congressman James M. Graham, Jesse Peebles, Mayor, and others. And there were fire works, parachute leaping, a marathon race, natural gas and oil display and many other amusements not here enumerated, all of which was topped off by luncheons served to the speakers and distinguished visiting guests, in the parlors of the M. E. church, which were in charge of ladies of the Aid Society.
CHAPTER XI.
CIVIL WAR.
PATRIOTIC MACOUPIN AND HER SPLENDID RECORD IN THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES-FIRST REGIMENT IN ILLINOIS ORGANIZED AT CARLINVILLE IN RESPONSE TO LINCOLN'S FIRST CALL FOR TROOPS-HISTORY OF THE BRAVE MEN WHO WENT TO THE FRONT-FULL ROSTER OF THOSE WHO SERVED FROM THIS COUNTY.
SEVENTH INFANTRY.
The distinction of being the first regiment organized in the state of Illi- nois under the first call of the president for three months' troops is claimed by both the Seventh and the Eighth Infantries. Companies F and K of the Seventh were recruited in Macoupin county. J. F. Cummings was captain of Company F, and William O. Jenks and C. F. Adams were first and second lieutenants. Richard Rowett, afterward general by brevet, was captain of Company K and his lieutenants were Manning Mayfield and George Hunter. The Seventh was mustered into service for three months at Camp Yates by Captain John Pope, U. S. A. The regiment was sent to Alton, St. Louis, Cairo and Mound City and was reorganized and mustered in for three years, July 25th. It did duty in Missouri and went into winter quarters at Fort Holt, Kentucky. It was at the investment and siege of Fort Donaldson, February 13, 14 and 15 and was in the last charge on the enemy's works, when it lost three killed and nineteen wounded. On the 21st of the same month, 1862, it left for Clarksville, Tennessee, Major Rowett commanding. It was ordered to Nashville and Pittsburg Landing, and was engaged in the two days' battle of Shiloh, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Rowett. Its loss was two officers and fifteen men killed and seventy-nine wounded. It was engaged both days in the battle of Corinth with a loss of two officers and six men killed and forty-six wounded.
On the 18th of June, 1862, the regiment was mounted by order of General Dodge and did most excellent service on scouting expeditions under Colonel Rowett, being engaged in many severe skirmishes and making an enviable rec- ord for bravery and efficiency.
December 22, 1863, the regiment reenlisted as veteran volunteers. They did valiant service under Sherman and were with him in the battles around Atlanta and on the memorable march to the sea. The regiment was mustered out July 9, 1865, at Louisville, Kentucky, and arrived at Camp Butler, July 12, 1865, for final payment and discharge.
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HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY
Company A.
Corporal, Isaac D. Newell; musician, Francis D. Orcutt. Privates : John Brand, Phillip F. Howell, John C. Myers.
Company F.
Captain, J. F. Cummings; first lieutenant, William O. Jenks; second lieu- tenant, C. F. Adams; sergeants, Henry Allen, Thomas B. Atchison, Thomas H. Gildemeister, Eldridge Atchison; corporals, Josiah Lee, Marshall Allen, Samuel L. Moore, John E. Barnes, John McTirk, Henry Hoagland, Stanley March; musicians, Frederick W. Cross, Charles T. Grubbs.
Privates : Hiram R. Andrews, George W. Bickner, William B. Button, Wyatt Brownlee, Charles T. Carroll, Christopher Camp, James Crocker, Frederick Davis, Edward C. Ellet, John Flanagan, Henry Hillier, Bernard T. Hetge, George James, John E. Larkin, Charles P. Laing, Henry Luther, William B. Moore, Joshua S. March, Thomas Landgrin, Columbus Ryan, James F. Roady, Henry Robbins, Jacob Scheer, Samuel Smith, Hiram Schmoleske, Roswell C. Staples, George W. T. Taylor, Jabez Walker, Robert M. Walton.
Recruits : Henry Anderson, Augustus E. Allen, John H. Becker, George Brenton, David E. Fruit, Henry C. Hall, John P. Hale, Henry Hovey, Phillip Himmel, Tim Partridge, Henry W. Phillips, Taylor Smith, Eldridge Walton, Adolph Wendt, Stanley March, Hugh H. Porter, Augustus E. Allen, Marshall Allen, William Britton, John E. Barnes, Norman Tarr, David E. Fruit, John M. Firk, William W. Glasgow, Robert B. Kelly, Henry Lubker, Josiah Lee, James Mathie.
Company I.
Recruit, Silas T. Combs. Company K.
Captain, Richard Rowett; first lieutenant, Manning Mayfield; second lieu- tenant, George Hunter.
Privates, John M. Anderson, William Ashbaugh, Luther Boyer, John W. Bowman.
Recruits, Charles H. Billings, Jesse C. Botkin, Lucius C. Carr, Albert H. Duff, William W. Dorman, Jacob De Roga, Edmond J. De Len, Charles W. Ferguson, William D. Graham, Harrison Hodges, Moses T. Jones, Jesse C. Jones, Joseph S. McMillen, Duncan McMillen, Lewis B. More, Grundy McGlure, John H. Morris, George W. Parker, Charles Perine, William Rusher, Henry Ramey, James H. Skaggs, James P. B. Shepherd, John P. Van Dyke, William H. Van Horn.
Veterans, Martin V. Davis, John D. Davis, Elbert M. Enos, John D. Eddy, Joseph Fearn, Washington Forsythe, Thomas Hoffman, Henry Hampton, John Hoke, Martin V. Kellner, Martin J. Langford, Felix Lane, David A. Lewis, Winford Mitchel, Phillip H. Mear, Joseph Pedgett, George H. Palmer, Hiram Russell, William Roper, Theobald Steinberg, James H. Strayes, William Schade-
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wetz, Wallace Smith, Joseph B. Sanders, Richard Taylor, Joseph White, Julius Wolff.
Unassigned recruits, Nathan D. Atchison, Robert J .- Cowper, James H. Gargus.
EIGHTH INFANTRY REGIMENT.
Company H.
Private, James Larner.
FOURTEENTH INFANTRY.
This regiment was first called into state service for thirty days under the "Ten Regiment Bill," Colonels John M. Palmer and Cyrus Hall commanding. It was mustered into service May 4, 1861, and on the 25th of May was mus- tered in for three years by Captain Pitcher U. S. A. It remained at Jackson- ville for instruction until the latter part of June and then proceeded to Quincy, thence to Missouri. It was with Fremont on his campaign to Springfield after Price and went into winter quarters at Otterville. It was ordered to Fort Donaldson, reaching that place the day after its surrender. Palmer was pro- moted and Major Hall of the Seventh Illinois Cavalry was promoted to colonel.
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