USA > Illinois > Greene County > Past and present of Greene County, Illinois > Part 12
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The question of a new court building having been settled, the matter drifted along until the county went under township organ- ization, when, at the September session of the board of supervisors, it was ordered that
the question of issuing bonde for the erec- tion of the building, to run five years, not to exceed in amount forty thousand dol- lars, be submitted to the voters at the next November election, the board pledging itself that the cost of the erection of said building should not exceed the forty thousand. The bond proposition carried by a good majority, and at the December ses- sion. 1890, it was ordered that bids for plans and specifications be advertised for. This being done, at the January special session, 1891. the bid of Henry Elliott, of Jackson- ville, was accepted as architect, his plans and specifications accepted, and the board proceeded to advertise for bids for construc- tion. At the March regular session, 1891, the bids for construction were opened and the contract for the work awarded to F. W. Menke, of Quincy, for thirty-nine thousand, seven hundred dollars.
Mr. Menke began operation at once and on June 10, 1891, the corner stone was laid with imposing ceremonies led by the Ma- sonic order. John M. Pearson, Grand Mas- ter, officiating. The work of construction progressed, and at the March session of the board. 1802, the building was accepted as completed, and was at once occupied by the several county officers.
The board of supervisors under whom court building was erected consisted of the following: J. E. Brooks, Kane, chairman ; E. V. Baldwin, White Hall: Herman Geers, Carrollton ; C. A. Henshaw, Patterson : W. M. Maberry, Woodville: John McQuerry, Rubicon: Aaron Otey, Walkerville: L. J. Patterson, Roodhouse: J. M. Russell, Lin- dler : A. E. Wilson, Bluffdale : J. G. Mitchele, Rockbridge: L. Short, Athensville.
For a description of this grand structure we quote from an aritele from the Carrollton
6
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PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY.
Patriot, published at the time of its reception by the county :
The stranger who comes to Carrollton and enters the square at the northeast corner gets at the first glimpse the best outside view of the court house.
The dimensions of the building are about 80x125 feet, including porches and ap- proaches. The tower rises to a height of 100 feet. The exterior walls are of white Berea sandstone from Cleveland, Ohio, the first story being rock faced, while the second is of alternate courses of rock-faced and smooth dressed stone. The stone work is eight inches thick, and forms a very sub- stantial as well as handsome veneer for the brick walls to which it is firmly tied by steel anchors. This combination of stone and brick forms a 20-inch wall that rests upon a very solid foundation of lime stone.
The Berea sandstone has proven a very popular material for buildings of this char- acter, prominent examples of its use being the courthouses at Peoria, Ottawa and Galesburg in this state, Omaha and Lincoln in Nebraska, the parliament buildings at Ot- tawa, Canada, and the Palmer, Grand Pa- cific and other Chicago hotels.
The one story, fire-proof office building, which became a part of the new building, is past recognition, its brick walls having been encased in a snug overcoat of the Berea stone, and the court room built above it.
While approaching the building we may notice the style and attractive grouping of the windows, each with its arched transom of cathedral glass. The triple window, just above the north porch, with the half circle of heavy sash work surmounting it, is espe- cially attractive. The gable above this is neat in design and workmanship, and forms a fit pedestal for the statute of Justice that is
to be placed upon it. This figure will be in terra cotta, 7 feet 4 inches in height and 24x36 inches at its base. Near the center of the gable is a tablet with the deeply chis- eled date "1891." There are less prominent gables on the three other sides of the build- ing. The mansard roof is of red slate shingle, while the deck is covered with tin. Cornice and cresting are of galvanized iron.
The tower is modest in proportion, but not lacking in architectural details. It rises about fifty feet above the roof of the build- ing, the lower portion being faced with stone, the upper covered with slate.
There are four entrances to the building. Those on the east and west sides open into, and are connected by a corridor running through the basement. Above each is a balcony of stone work corresponding with the general plan of the building. A porch on the north and a projecting vestibule on the south, with steps leading up to each, mark the entrances to the first floor. The porch on the north is quite elaborate in design. It is approached by a broad flight of red gran- ite steps, taken from the quarries at Kesota, Minn. The porch is 12x36 feet, and is built entirely of masonry. It has a floor of pink marble. Supporting the upper work and balcony are ten massive columns built of square, rock faced blocks of Berea stone, each surmounted by a gracefully carved cap- ital of the same material, and from these spring the connecting arches of stone. The balcony railing of open stone work makes a remarkably neat finish to the porch and is in keeping with the general design.
Now let us go inside. The heavy double doors of polished oak swing open and we enter a small vestibule, half octagon in shape, from which two swinging doors ad- mit us to the main corridor. This extends
PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY.
the entire length of the building, though it is somewhat wider in the new than in the okdl part. Back to the rotunda we pass over a polished floor of pink and black marble laid in alternate blocks. The walls are wains- coted with oak to a height of 5 feet 6 inches, and above that the walls and ceiling are fin- ished with a white coat of adamant plaster.
The rotunda, formed by the massive ma- sonry supporting the tower, has some fea- tures that are worth pausing to notice. The first impulse is to dislocate one's neck look- ing up at the tier of arches that rise one above another to the roof, and from them up to the canopy of the tower. Then looking down- ward we are startled to find ourselves stand- ing on a big pane of glass, six feet square, through which we may look into the base- ment corridor. There is no occasion for alarm, however. The glass is an inch thick, and capable of sustaining all the weight that is liable to be placed upon it. Its own weight is 800 pounds. Surrounding this glass is a border of Roman mosaic tile, a bit of work that can hardly fail to attract atten- tion and admiration. This is composed of irregular bits of various colored marbles, scarcely any piece exceeding an inch square, laid in a cement made for the purpose, and the whole highly polished. The Italian work- man who laid this bit of border was eight days in completing it, and when you see it you will conclude that he did not lose much time, either.
The stairways are not conspicuous. One might almost pass through the corridor with- out seeing them. They were planned with an eye to economy of space, and as a con- sequence are somewhat cramped. There are two main stairways leading up to the second floor, and directly under them are stairways
leading to the basement. W landings habi way up and a square turn. nidos an easy ascent. Notwithstanding the rather forros. limits, the architect has been able to make the stairways quite attractive. . \ loind- somely carved, beaded and tapering pillar rises from the foot of cach, and supports a panel of grille work-very delicate open spindle work. The railing is of a corre- sponding design.
The stairways lead to a corridor 36x37 feet, on the second floor. The arches of the tower and a railing surround the well hole in the center. These arches have given an- other opportunity for a display of grille work, supported by carved columns of oak. This is perhaps the prettiest piece of work in the building. A stairway in the southeast corner of the corridor leads up to the attic and tower.
There are numerous small rooms sur- rounding the corridor. The grand jury has the largest of these, with a private hallway and two witness rooms very conveniently ar- ranged for the business of that body. There are water closets and toilet rooms for ladies and gentlemen on the west side of the cor- ridor.
Two heavy paneled doors admit us to the court room. This is in every way a splendid room, handsomely finished, roomy and comfortable. It is 52×55 feet and is 18 feet to the ceiling. The south side is oc- cupied by the judges desk and bar. The body of the room is seated with 400 opera chairs.
.A climb up into the tower is worth the effort. From the attic a stairway ascends to the level of the tower windows, and on the west side is a gallery from which one may look down to the main corridor, 73 feet ; or
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PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY.
step out onto the balcony and take in the western scenery. The other windows and balconies are inaccessible.
The plans and specifications were drawn by Henry Elliott of Chicago, and the build- ing was erected by the F. W. Menke Stone and Lime Company of Quincy, who were awarded the contract March 12, 1891. The contract price was $39,700.
ASSESSED VALUE OF PROPERTY IN COUNTY AND AMOUNT TAXES COLLECTED.
The assessed value of property of all kinds in Greene County for 1904 is as fol- lows :
Lands
$2,665,525 00
Lots
505,245 00
Personal
932,130 00
Total
$ 4,102,900 00
STATE EQUALIZED VALUE.
Lands
$ 2,452,045 00
Lots
505,245 00
Personal
978,071 00
Total $ 3.935,561 00
Back Taxes
$ 24,000 00
Railroad Taxes
546,981 00
Telegraph and Telephone
4,102 00
Total $ 4,510,644 00
Taxes paid in Greene County for 1904.
State tax $ 24,813 78
County tax 34,490 27
Town fax 6.044 34
Road and Bridge fax 27,515 55
City tax 25.047 52
Village tax 1,683 23
Library fax
829 97
School tax
72,509 OI
District Road tax
1,165 46
Dog tax
1,133 00
Total for County
$195.232 13
CITY OF CARROLLTON.
Carrollton, the county seat of Greene county, is one of the wealthiest and most flourishing little cities in central Illinois. We have already, herein, stated something of its origin. Probably the first settler within what are now the corporate limits was Gov- ernor Thomas Carlin who camped under a large tree near the present residence of Dr. Gooch. This was in 1818, and during the latter part of that year, or early in the next Mr. Carlin, with his mother and step- father, came north of the Macoupin and built a cabin in the south part of town. There were then probably not over a half dozen or a dozen cabins north of the creek. Samuel Thomas had made an improvement in a beau- tiful grove near the site of the present Thomas homestead southwest of the city. Michael Headrick, Abram Sells, and one or two others had built cabins near the present residence of C. WV. Keeley northwest, and there were a few log huts a short distance east.
After the establishment of the seat of justice in Carrollton settlers at once came in rapidly. General Jacob Fry built a cabin near the site where the Ross block is now located, southeast corner of the square. Thomas Rattan erected a log structure on the northeast corner of the square on the lot now occupied by the Masonic Temple, where for a long time he kept a "tavern." Thomas Lee, the first county clerk, built a tempor- ary clerk's office on the west side of the square, and this was soon followed by the first courthouse.
The first frame building in the town was a dwelling house built by Cyrus Tol- man and Charles Gregory, and the first brick
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PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY.
building was erected on the east side of the square.
For a year or two the little town grew steadily. The county was then a large one, and the transaction of county business made quite a large number of people and building necessary at the county seat. About half way on the north side of the square stood a neat little frame with a portico in front which was, at an early day, the residence and office of Samuel Lee, Esq., clerk of the cir- cuit and county courts, recorder, and Jus- tice of the Peace. He was a man very much esteemed, and died in 1825, and the first, or about the first person buried in the Carroll- ton burying ground. The courthouse stood on the west side of the square near, or on the site now occupied by Ed Johnson's livery stable. It was a long, two story building with one end to the square. It was simply a plain wooden building, rather dingy, and uninviting in appearance. West of this on the corner of the next block occupying the ground now the city prison site, stood the little hewed log jail, in which prisoners were kept by the aid of a guard, or suffered to escape, as seemed most conducive to the pub- lic welfare. On the south side of the square was the residence and store of John Evans, Jr. Further east, across the next street, was a small frame building used for traffic of various kinds, and just east of that was the residence of Gen. Jacob Fry. On the east side of the square at the north end was the store of John Skidmore. "Skid" as he was familiarly called was said to be an active, restless little man who was everywhere, knew everybody and kept himself not only busy but always in a hurry. He kept a small stock of inferior goods, such as all mer- chants kept at that day, and such as the necessities of the people compelled them to
buy, including an assortment of pure lindor -. to render the stock complete.
The residence of Samuel Lee, referred to above, became in after years a very in- mous house. It was used for dwelling, drug store, harness shop, and other purposes, and altered and repaired times without number. In 1877 it was torn down to make room for the Sol Smith Russell building adjoining the Carrollton Bank on the west, and the lower story vacated two years ago by S. F. Simpson & Company, hardware, etc. In speaking of this building at the time of its erection the Carrollton Patriot said : "The old building which this week has been de- molished to make room for the Sol Smith Russell block, was one of the most ancient in the city, and was in many respects histor- ical. It. or portions of it, have been stand- ing considerably over a half century. John Dee, Esq., came to this county in 1821, spent the first winter under the bluffs, and in 1822 came to this place. Isham Linder, Sr .. and John Huitt were also here at the time. When Mr. Dee arrived here, to the best of his rec- ollection, part of the old building was up and occupied by John W. Skidmore. Skid- more was the first merchant who ever sokl goods in Carrollton. Ilis store was a little building on Sharon's corner. With Skid- more was boarding Samuel Lee, who after- ward married Skidmore's sister-in-law, and occupied the same house with him. Mr. Lee built an addition to the house, which is probably the main part of that destroyed this week: this was built in 1825 or 1826. Squire Lee, as he was called, was a very im- portant personage. Ile was the first re- corder, circuit clerk and county clerk the county ever had. He filled these offices and perhaps others, at one and the same time. Ile began building the structure which is
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PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY.
now Judge Hedge's elegant mansion. He died in 1829. Soon after the house was oc- cupied by Climpson (or possibly Clements). He had the contract for carrying the mail from St. Louis to this place, and ran a stage coach. His wife died in 1832 of cholera. She was the first victim in this region, of that scourge, which ravaged, with dreadful ef- fect, the next summer. Some time after this the house was occupied by William E. Ryan, who kept a boarding house. The building for a long time had a very sinister reputation, and was known as the haunted house. Mysterious voices, unearthly quak- ings and portentious appearances, seemed to the citizens of that day to make it certain beyond a doubt that unhappy spirits reigned supreme within its walls. Family after fam- ily moved bravely into the house, only to depart very suddenly, and not at all bravely, soon after. At one time Hiram Keach, Ike Warmoth (father of the ex-governor of Louisiana), and Joseph Huitt, three of the pluckiest young men in the settlement, un- dertook to defy the ghostly visitants. They entered the building and boldly called upon the spirits to show themselves, but were soon ignominiously put to flight by the su- pernatural rumblings and quakings which followed. The fact that a large tree whose branches rested on the roof, grew beside the house, is believed to explain the phe- nomena."
Dr. John Headrick, well known to the citizens of Carrollton, at least to many of them, furnished to Mr. Clapp for his history of the county 26 years ago the following relating to this haunted house, which makes an entertaining narrative and will be read with interest, as Dr. Headrick was very fa- miliar with the carly history of the city :
THE HAUNTED HOUSE.
"Cities, once proud and populous, have now disappeared, and with them the haunted house, which was, in many respects, historical. J. W. Skidmore was the first merchant who ever sold goods in Carroll- ton. His store was a little building on Sharon's .corner. With Skidmore was boarding Samuel Lee, who afterward mar- ried Miss Faust. She, after Lee's death, married Edward Baker who became a gen- eral and was killed at the battle of Ball's Bluff during the rebellion. Skidmore built the haunted house on the north side of the square. The original building contained two rooms-one occupied by the family, and the other used as a kitchen. Lee's addition was built in 1825 or '26. It was placed in front of the old part, and contained a par- lor and bedroom, with a door leading from the bed room through the middle room into the kitchen. Mr. Clements was the first occupant of the haunted house after Mrs. Lee removed to her new home. Clements' wife died of cholera in the fall of 1832. General James Turney lived in the house for some time, and he and his brave family withstood the mysterious voices and un- earthly quakings without finding out whence they came. Mrs. Clorinda Rattan. the daughter of Thomas Rattan, was one of the watchers for the night at the death of the general's child. The corpse was laid in the bed room. During the night the watchers heard a noise. Fearing a cat, they hastened to the corpse, and were astonished to see the apparition of a child flit across the room and apparently escape through a pane of glass. Standing in the door of the bed room, the supernatural rumblings could be heard,
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PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY
first in the distance, but always settling down and terminating in the northeast cor- ner of the bed room. It is very difficult to describe a noise with pen or pencil. The following will, however, give some idea of these mysterious sounds : Sit yourself upon a chair on a carpeted floor; take off your boot; raise up your foot and let it fall lightly, your heel striking the floor. Repeat, making a little more noise, and again with still more violence. Wait five or ten sec- onds and repeat again. Three knocks, or thumps (using the phrase of Dr. Cowden ) constituted the noise universally heard when standing in the door of the bed room. The first appearance ever witnessed was a small child, which was seen to make its exit through an auger hole in the kitchen door. Dr. Cowden was a horse trader. He was a brave man ; he feared neither ghosts, man nor that which passed into the swine which ran down the mountain. While he occu- pied the house, his wife one night awakened him and said she could not sleep for the noise. Ile cried out, Let the d-d thing thump! Instantly a light as bright as the noon-day sun shone out over them, and il- luminated a square of the ceiling as large as the bed. The room beyond was dark as night. Ile never cursed it again. The fact that many large trees whose branches rested on the house does not explain the phenom- ena. Gen. James Turney, Captain Noah Fry, Lindsay D. English, with others, cut away all the branches near the house, re- moved the hog pen, and nailed all the loose boards, but without effect on the noise. Hiram Keach, Ike Warmoth, Joseph Huitt and others who were noted men in their clay, watched for years to find a cause. There are but few men now living who know the cause to which these strange phenomena
were attributed Perligje nome xuond my- self. li so it will never be bons o Tit unhappy spirits reigned Walny the walls di the haunted house is beyond at about. -John Ileadrick."
In 1826 Judge William Thomas came through this region on his way from Ken- tucky to Jacksonville, and afterward pub- lished in the Jacksonville Journal the fol- lowing account of that part of his trip which lay through this county : "From Alton I came to Carrollton, taking breakfast at John Williams's. From Carrollton I came to Jack- sonville, taking dinner at Judge Marks's, now Manchester, then called 'Burnt Haystacks.' I reached Jacksonville on the 12th of (c- tober about 8 o'clock at night. I put up at David Tefft's who occupied a double frame one story building on the east side of the square as a tavern, where 1 remained about a week, when through the influence of Dr. Ero Chandler I obtained boarding with Mr. Robley, a farmer and blacksmith, about a mile east of the courthouse, and entirely out of town. From Carrollton to Edwards- ville via Bellville, the country was beautiful, the land apparently rich, but thinly settled, with but few good houses or improved farms. From Edwardsville to Alton the road passed over a wooded and broken country, thin land, and but few farms. From Alton to Carrollton, after passing Piasa Creek, and getting on the prairie, the country was level. though sufficiently undulating for agricul- tural purposes. To Macoupin Creek and from there to Carrollton, the road passes over a timbered and poor country, with but two or three small farms and one small brick house. Between Carrollton and Apple Creek the timber. undergrowth and vegeta- tion indicated deep, rich soil, equal to any that 1 had ever seen. At Carrollton I put up
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PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY.
at a tavern kept by Mr. Harrison south of the square in a small story and a half build- ing. I went to a grocery store to purchase some cigars when I found twenty or thirty men (whom, I was told, were called Ma- coupinites) drinking, carousing, cursing, swearing, singing obscene songs, and telling stories on one another. They were enjoy- ing themselves to the fullest. One of them, who appeared to be sober and quiet, after asking where I was from, and where I was going, said, 'You are too smart looking to be in this crowd, and I advise you to leave before the boys notice you; they are a wild set.' I thanked him for his advice and re- turned to the tavern.
"This sober man I met some twenty years afterward at Springfield as a member of the Legislature, suffering under a violent attack of congestive fever of which he died. I sent after and procured a doctor for him and wrote his will. A few days before I reached Carrollton there had been a general or regimental muster, at which all the militia of the county were required to attend for purposes of drill or training, and this had brought together the Macoupinites, and others of like character. Many of them re- mained in Carrollton during the night after the muster, and not being able or willing to procure quarters in houses, spent the night in drinking, carousing, singing, fighting, and in mischief. They caught one man (Mike Dodd) ; cut off a part of one of his cars, and nailed it on the door of the black- smith shop, where it still remained. They shaved the mane and tail of Mr. Carroll's fine saddle horse, one of the best and finest looking horses that I ever saw ; they changed signs from house to house, removed gates, pulled down fences, and removed buckets from wells."
Three years later (1829) President J. M. Sturtevant, of Illinois College, passed through the town, and says of it that it was a cluster of loghouses.
The first church building erected in Car- rollton was used by the Baptist denomina- tion. It stood a little out of town at that day, to the southeast. The pastor of this church for several years was Aaron Smith, a Revolutionary pensioner. He was shot at the battle of Eutau Springs, crawled into a clump of bushes, lay three days in a help- less condition, and was found by means of the flies that hovered around him. He re- sided a mile and a half southwest of Carroll- ton for a few years, and afterward moved north of Apple Creek. After some time, with his aged wife who had been blind for several years, he went to Arkansas where they both died at a good old age. While the materials for the building of the court- house in Carrollton were lying scattered around, and just before the building was erected the celebrated Lorenzo Dow visited the place and preached to the people two or three nights. When it became noised abroad that he was in town notwithstanding it was a dark, drizzling day the people came pouring in from all directions, and in every conceivable mode of conveyance to see and hear this wonderful personage. But he had no appointment to preach on that day and so the crowd, unwilling to be disappointed, be- sought him with such pressing importuni- ties that he consented to preach if they would procure a house for the occasion. The brick house on the north side of the square at the west corner was then erected and roofed, the carpenters were engaged in fin- ishing the inside work, when a committee waited upon them and prevailed on them to move their work benches and tools, clear up
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