USA > Indiana > Howard County > History of Howard County, Indiana, Vol I > Part 8
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The sentiment that all roads should be public and free had grown rapidly and in 1877 the legislature passed a law for the con- struction of free gravel roads and providing for the payment for the same by assessing all lands lying within two miles of the road to be improved, according to the benefits to the several tracts to be assessed. The first roads to be built under this law were the Al- bright, commenced in 1878 and finished in 1879. This road begins at the south end of Home avenue and runs somewhat east of south, and terminates one mile east of Fairfield and cost fourteen thou- sand, seven hundred fifty-one dollars. Also the Rickett's road, which also begins at the south end of Home avenue and runs south on the range line to the south line of the county. This road was commenced in 1878 and finished in 1879 and cost thirteen thou- sand, nine hundred forty-six dollars and twenty-two cents. These two roads furnished excellent outlets for the south side of this coun- ty and the north side of Tipton county.
In 1882 the Peter Trouby gravel road was built at a cost of twenty-eight thousand, eight hundred sixty dollars and twenty cents. This road begins at the east end of Jefferson street and runs in a northeasterly direction four miles, thence east four miles, end- ing at the west line of Liberty township. This road has since been extended east by the construction of the Gorsett gravel road, end- ing at the Darby road, one-half mile west of the Grant county line, and thus provides a splendid outlet for the entire northeastern part of the county.
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In the same year, 1882, the J. L. Smith and Harrison Harlan gravel roads were built to the northwest, both starting together at the intersection of North and Smith streets and running together west and north three-fourths of a mile, and then separating, the Harlan following a general northwesterly direction along the line of the Logansport state road nearly four miles, ending at its inter- section with the Smith road and was built at a cost of nineteen thousand, nine hundred ninety dollars and twenty-seven cents. The Smith road ran west after its separation two and one-half miles, thence north one and one-half miles, thence westerly to the vicinity of Poplar Grove, and is fourteen miles in length. This road pro- vides the entire northwest part of the county with a good outlet to Kokomo.
In 1887 the P. N. Schrader gravel road, commonly known as "the pumpkin vine" because of its many directions, was built. This road provided the entire southeast part of the county a good outlet over a free gravel road to Kokomo.
These various gravel roads having a common center at Koko- mo and radiating to all parts of the county, formed an admirable gravel road system for the entire county, affording citizens of all parts of the county an excellent highway at all seasons of the year direct to the county seat. his system of roads cost more than three hundred thousand dollars to construct and the annual repair cost is a very large sum.
Since 1887 many gravel roads have been constructed, most of them shorter roads, using the roads heretofore described as a trunk system and building branches and cross roads from one line to an- other.
THE TOTAL MILEAGE.
In round numbers the mileage of all kinds of roads in Howard county is six hundred. Prior to the year 1908 there had been fifty-
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OF HOWARD COUNTY.
nine gravel roads built with a total length of two hundred and sev- enty miles and at an aggregate cost of six hundred and fifty thou- sand dollars.
Under the 1905 gravel road law as amended in 1907 and known as the three mile limit law there have been fifty-four roads sold for construction with a mileage of one hundred and fifteen. Thirty other roads are petitioned for and awaiting sale. When the roads now sold for construction are completed and paid for the citizens will have invested about nine hundred thousand dollars in gravel road construction, and should the others now petitioned for be built, three-fourths or more of the road mileage of Howard county will be macadam or gravel and more than one million dol- lars will have been invested in their construction.
The annual cost of repair is now fifteen thousand dollars. When the increased mileage now started is completed, the repair cost, if increased in like ratio, will amount to nearly twenty-five thousand dollars annually.
Were all the gravel roads in Howard county, constructed or ordered to be constructed, placed in a continuous line, end to end. and a railroad track laid on the line it would require a train running thirty miles an hour, fifteen hours to traverse it.
HOW THE ROADS WERE BUILT.
These roads have been constructed by varying methods. The first as we have seen was by companies and the stock system and the accompanying toll-gate. These became free roads only after they were purchased and paid for by an assessment on all lands ly- ing within two miles of the road. The second step was under the law of 1877, which provided that the commissioners shall begin pro- ceedings for the improvement upon the filing of a petition signed
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by five or more persons whose lands would be assessed for the im- provement asked for. and the filing of a bond to secure the costs should the proposed improvement fail. Under this law the costs of the improvement were paid out of an assessment made upon the lands lying within two miles of the improved highway; each tract of land was to be assessed according to its relative benefit.
The next change provided that townships by a popular vote could order certain roads improved and the costs of the improve- ment were to be paid from the sale of a twenty year series of bonds against the assessed valuation of the township.
Then the system was changed to the assessment of the lands lying within two miles of the road proposed to be improved. This law provided that a majority of the resident land owners along the line and abutting the highway and also owners of a maojrity of the acres of land abutting should be represented on the petition before starting proceedings.
The next change was to the present law with its amendment that on the presentation of a petition signed by fifty resident land owners and voters of a township for the improvement of a highway less than three miles in length and which has a United States mail route upon it, either in whole or in part, or connects two gravel roads already constructed, it shall be the duty of the county com- missioners to take the necessary steps for the improvement and the cost of the improvement shall be paid from the sale of bonds at not less than par, the bonds to be issued in a ten year series, bearing four and one-half per cent. interest: to be a lien upon the property of the township and not to exceed four per cent. of the assessed valuation of the township. Under this law there has been a flood tide of petitions for roads: the residents along any unimproved road insisting that inasmuch as they were compelled to help pay for the roads of others that they were justly entitled to have the others help them to pay for their inprovement.
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OF HOWARD COUNTY.
WANT LAW REPEALED.
There is already a clamor for the repeal of this law because it is alleged that in the eager laste of each section to build its roads, a great debt is created and consequent high taxes for a great number of years. On the other hand, it is justly urged that those communi- ties which are now taxed to pay for road for other communities should have the benefit of a similar taxation to pay for the improve- ment of their roads.
The constant change in the methods of paying for public im- provements is the bane of our times. A fixed and equitable system of paying for public improvements should be adopted and rigidly adhered to. Those who have paid for their gravel roads by special assessments and then by a township tax are compelled to help pay for a distant improvement are wronged. Since so large a per cent. of the highway is now being improved under this law taxing all the people of the township. it seems the more equitable to continue it in force.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
The first court house was built in 1845 of hewn logs with a clapboard roof. It was twenty-four feet square and two stories high. It was so large and commodious that the lower story was divided by board partitions into offices and business rooms. One of the first-floor rooms was occupied by the clerk, another was used by H. B. Havens as a saddlery and harness shop and another by G. W. Poisal as a tailor shop. Dr. Richmond also used this as a doctor's office.
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The upper room was fitted up for a court room, having a rough board rostrum for the judge and a large table for the use of the clerk and the attorneys, and was fitted up with slab seats for the audience. This was the main auditorium of the town, and here were held all public meetings for several years.
By the terms of the donation which Foster made for locating the county seat at Kokomo, Foster was to build this court house, By some change not satisfactorily explained Foster was released from this part of the contract. The commissioners, however, ap- pointed Foster and Dennis McCormack to let the job and by in- ference to superintend the construction. The contract was let to Rufus L. Blowers for twenty-eight dollars, and because of his fail- ure to complete it within the time specified he was penalized two dol- lars, receiving twenty-six dollars for the job.
WOULDN'T PAY OFFICE RENT.
That the men who had offices in the court house were not very prompt in paying rent appears in this : At the June term, 1851, the following order was issued by the board of commissioners: "Or- dered, that the sheriff be required to notify G. W. Poisal, C. and O. Richmond, N. R. Linsday and C. D. Murray to meet the board at its next meeting to settle withi said board for office rent of the court house."
The county was growing and the spirit of enterprise and prog- ress which has ever characterized the people of Kokomo and How- ard county determined the commissioners that the first court house was now out of date, and they accordingly appointed C. D. Mur- ray, Corydon Richmond and Austin C. Sheets a committee on plans and specifications, letting contract and superintending the construc- tion of buildings for county offices.
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OF HOWARD COUNTY.
They adopted plans for two brick buildings eighteen feet wide, thirty-six feet long and one story high, one building to be located near the east entrance and on the north side of the path crossing the public square from the east to the west, and the other building near the west entrance and on the north side of the same path. The contract for the construction of these buildings was let to D. C. Hurley, Jesse Arnold and Henry C. Stewart for nine hundred and seventy-five dollars. The east building was occupied by the auditor and treasurer and the clerk and recorder occupied the west building.
THE PREACHER AND THE CORNERSTONE.
In the erection of these buildings it was determined that there should be a cornerstone laying with all proper ceremony. Uncle Billy Albright, as he was popularly known, was a stonemason and a popular local Methodist preacher of that day-a tall man, of strong build and powerful voice. Albright had spent two days dressing a cornerstone which had been taken from the Morrow (now Deffenbaugh) stone quarry. His work was almost done to his sat- isfaction ; there was a small place he thought he could improve. In chipping it with his hammer the entire stone fell to pieces. In utter disgust he threw down his hammer, straightened himself up and after a moment's contemplation he realized that he could not do jus- tice to his feelings, and cried out at the top of his voice, "Where is Mike Craver ? Run here, everybody. Here is something to be done. Where is Mike Craver?" Mike Craver was a pioneer plasterer and was not hampered by religious scruples.
The work went forward satisfactorily after this mishap so far as the records disclose, and the buildings were completed and for sixteen years they served the county. At the March term, 1868. the county commissioners-Jerome Brown, Henry L. Moreland and 8
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Samuel Stratton, ordered that bids for building a court house be advertised for, to be considered at a special session on the 15th of April following. They reserved the right to reject any or all bids, if they were not satisfactory. All the bids were rejected and the board determined to hire the work done themselves. They accord- ingly appointed one of their number, Samuel E. Stratton, superin- tendent, with full power to contract for work and materials as seemed best for the interests of the county. J. W. Coffman had charge of the work as a mechanic and builder. The whole work was under the general supervision of the architect, Mr. Rumbaugh. and the final approval was to be by the board.
EXTENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS.
It was commenced in 1868 and finished in 1870, and cost nine- ty-seven thousand, five hundred and forty-eight dollars and forty cents. The natural surface of the public square was low and level. This was filled and sloped as we now see it, walks were built of large cut stones, a heavy iron fence with stone foundation was built around the entire square, outside of the fence was a paved way, and outside of the paved way was stretched a heavy iron chain supported by iron posts. This served as a public hitchrack for a number of years. The cost of these improvements with the cost of the town clock added increased the total cost of the court house to approxi- mately one hundred and ten thousand dollars.
As originally constructed, the heating plant was in the base- ment, the several county offices-clerk, auditor, treasurer, recorder and sheriff, were on the first floor, and the entire second floor was given over to the court room, the judge's room and the jury room. The court room served also as the public auditorium for many years.
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OF HOWARD COUNTY.
The acoustic properties of the room were bad, the reverberation was such that accurate hearing was difficult. After trying the ex . periment of stretching a network of overhead wires without satis- factory results it was determined to remodel the second floor by re- ducing the size of the court room and partitioning the other part into a larger jury room and offices for the county assessor, county superintendent of schools and the county surveyor.
From a description of this court house, written shortly after its completion we learn : "It is a fine and substantial brick, two stories in height, besides the basement. It is eighty-two by eighty- six feet in size and one hundred and twenty-six feet high to the top of the tower. The court room in the second story is fifty-one by eighty-two feet in size and thirty-eight and one-half feet in height from floor to ceiling. There are four rooms or offices on the first floor, each twenty-two by twenty-four feet and sixteen feet high. used respectively by the clerk, recorder, auditor and treasurer. The sheriff's office, also on the first floor, is twelve by fourteen feet and sixteen feet story, and on the upper floor there are four jury rooms, all the same size as the sheriff's. Outside, the first story is sixteen feet. the second twenty-three feet and the mansard fourteen feet. and under the whole building is a basement in which is a furnace. with which at a cost of five thousand dollars for construction, the whole building is heated with steam. It presents an imposing ap- pearance, is covered with slate, has good vaults and compares very favorably with any other building in the state of the kind and cost."
COURT HOUSE AND SURROUNDINGS.
Twenty-five years ago it was written: "The building is sub- stantially built of good, durable material, and has within it fireproof vaults for the different offices in which to store the records and val-
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uables belonging to the county. The square upon which it is built was filled up several feet so that it appears to stand on high ground; there is surrounding the grounds an iron fence with stone founda- tions and a heavy guard chain entirely around outside the sidewalk, which is well paved. All the walks leading to the building are paved with large cut stones. It is a fine appearing house, and when the forest trees that have been planted around it are sufficiently grown it will be a beautiful place. The dream of a quarter of a century ago has more than been realized. The thrifty well grown trees and the sloping greensward make a beautiful place indeed. The unsightly, unsanitary hitching rack of that elder day, which seemed a permanent fixture, has given place to brick pavements, wide cement walks and flowing fountains. That high iron fence, which seemed as durable as time, is gone, and the weary sit upon the stone foundations and sigh for wooden seats. The hitch rack had many friends who were reluctant to see it go. It was a very convenient hitching place and free of cost. One dark night the chain mys- teriously disappeared and did not come back. At the time it was thought that the advocates of the city beautiful and clean knew where it was.
JAILS.
The first jail, as has already been stated, was built of hewn timbers one foot square throughout walls, floor and ceiling ; the logs notched down close and boarded on the outside, with double doors of two-inch oak plank, with a home-made lock and key, the key alone weighing four pounds. It is said that no prisoner broke out of this jail. It was located at the southwest corner of Washington and High streets. For twenty years the log jail did its work faithfully. In 1865 the board let a contract to J. W. Coffman to build a brick and stone jail for $9.600. The front part
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OF HOWARD COUNTY.
was the residence part for the jailer's family and was of brick. The prison part was back of that and attached to it in such a way that the entrance to the jail was through the hallway of the dwelling. The prison part was built of stone and the cells of iron. There was a dug well on the inside where the prisoners could get water. This well, on one occasion .. furnished the means of escape for several prisoners by digging from the well out under the wall of the prison. This jail and its location soon became unsatisfactory. It was urged that the sewerage was not good, though it was not far to a good outlet and that could have been overcome with no great expense. The prison itself seems to have been defective and was not a secure place to detain prisoners. In 1880, fifteen years after the building of this new jail, the commissioners planned to secure a new location for the building of a larger and safer jail where the sanitary conditions would be better for the inmates. A site was secured on the east side of South Main street, on the bluff of Wild Cat creek. large enough to furnish ample room for all necessary buildings and sightly surroundings, with the grounds well kept. The elevation of the grounds made it an easy matter to dump the sewage into Wildcat. In 1882 a contract was let to McCormack & Sweeney for the building of a new jail at a cost of thirty-four thousand, three hundred and fourteen dollars. The building is one hundred and three feet five inches long : the front or residence part is thirty-seven feet nine inches wide and the jail part is forty- three feet seven inches wide; it is two stories and a basement in height. In the basement is placed the steam heating plant and two or three dungeons, the walls of which are made with a single stone. The cells are built out from the walls of the jail, so that communi- cation from without is cut off. Accommodations are provided for different classes of prisoners and a hospital room for the sick. The grounds and the surroundings are well kept and our jail has an inviting appearance.
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COUNTY INFIRMARY.
It was not so very many years after the permanent settling and organization of the county, the county commissioners, impress- ed with the growing need of a permanent home for the helpless and un fortunate poor who must be cared for at public expense, purchased the Thomas Galewood farm, lying then two and one-half miles south of town. Willis Blanche, Harvey Brown and B. W. Gifford purchas- ed this farm in 1857, containing one hundred and sixty-five acres for forty-five hundred dollars. This was a fine, dry, rolling farm, with Kokomo creek running diagonally through it from the southeast to the northwest. The Indianapolis & Peru Railroad ran through it from south to north, cutting off twenty-six and one-fourth acres on the west side. Because this small tract was across the railroad the commissioners sold it at once to Willis Blanche for seven hundred fifteen dollars and eighty-four cents. There were no buildings of consequence on the farm; a log hut for a home and a log stable for a barn afforded poor accommodations for a colony of frail men and women. The land was largely covered with the native forests and fields and grain and grassy meadows seemed a long way off. After three years of possession it was decided to sell the farm and buy one closer to town. On December 5, 1860, the commissioners. Wil- liam Woods, John Knight and Robert Coate, sold the farm to Nel- son Purdum for three thousand, four hundred seventy-two dollars and seventy-five cents. January 8, 1861, the same commissioners bought eighty acres off the west side of the farm of James H. Mc- Cool for two thousand, eight hundred dollars. In April, 1861, they contracted with James Linville to build a house on the farm for three hundred sixty-nine dollars. In 1865 the commissioners con- tracted with William Chadwick to build another and larger house on the farm; the building was to be two stories high, twenty by
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OF HOWARD COUNTY.
thirty-six feet in size, with a wing running back sixteen by thirty-six feet, and one story high, for one thousand, eight hundred dollars. This house was designed for the use of the superintendent of the farm and as a home for the county's poor. It is said that it would be difficult to construct a house more illy adapted for the purpose than this one, and in a few years, the board becoming satisfied of its bad arrangement and unhealthfulness, determined to build a bet- ter one. They resolved to build a house that would not only be a comfortable home for the poor of the county, but one that would reflect credit upon the county as well. They carefully investigated plans and specifications until fully satisfied before approving. May 24, 1881, bids were received for constructing the building. David O. Freeman submitted the lowest bid and was awarded the contract at fourteen thousand, nine hundred sixty-five dollars and eighty-five cents, to furnish all the material and complete the building. Peter A. Sassaman was associated with him in carrying out this contract.
G. W. Bunting, of Indianapolis, was the architect and superin- tended the erection of the building. They erected a very creditable building ; an enduring structure of good material, well built and ar- ranged for comfort, health and convenience. The building is two stories and a basement in height, is one hundred and thirty-six feet in length, and forty-five feet in width, and is divided into forty-five rooms. There are several rooms in the basement, in one of which is the outfit for heating the whole building by steam. The farm has a good barn and other farm buildings. It has also a good tile drain- age and is a first-class farm, well located. The Kokomo & Pete's Run gravel road runs through it. The infirmary building fronts directly on the gravel road and is one-half mile west of the city limits.
P. H. Y. Haynes is the present superintendent and is paid eight hundred dollars a year salary, out of which he must pay for
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his help in operating the farm. The products sold from the farm belong to the county. The farm contains one hundred fifty-three and twenty-six hundredths acres.
ORPHAN'S HOME.
During the years prior to the founding of the Orphan's Home Association, orphan children, half orphan children and other chil- dren who had been rendered homeless by the varying misfortunes of life and who were without friends or kindred to provide homes for them, were taken to the county poor asylum to be cared for. Here they were housed, clothed and fed, but the associations were not suit- able to develop good men and women. It was impossible for the superintendent to care for their training and teaching and their en- vironment was not such as to stimulate them to make the best of their lives. In 1868 the ladies comprising the Ladies' Union Mis- sionary Society, recognizing these facts, and prompted by the idea of a home especially for orphan children, arranged for and gave a festival October 22, 1868, in aid of this project, and realized one hundred and twenty-five dollars in money, which was placed in the First National Bank of Kokomo and set apart as the beginning of a fund for this purpose; to this was added other sums from time to time, raised in like manner. In January, 1873, a number of these ladies who had actively interested themselves in this work formed and incorporated an association called the Orphans' Home Association of Howard county. Under the direction of this or- ganization they continued to hold festivals and systematically so- licited donations to their funds, so that at the close of the year 1873 they had in bank, money and notes approximating one thousand. two hundred dollars. The object of the association, as announced. was "to provide ways and means by which the orphan and destitute
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