USA > Indiana > Lawrence County > History of Lawrence and Monroe counties, Indiana : their people, industries, and institutions > Part 7
USA > Indiana > Monroe County > History of Lawrence and Monroe counties, Indiana : their people, industries, and institutions > Part 7
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In August, 1822, Samuel Dale was appointed agent to have a well dug on the public square at Palestine. John Brown made the first map of Law- rence county, for which he received two dollars.
In 1823 all inn-keepers were compelled to adhere to the following charges : Meals, twenty-five cents ; lodgings, six and a fourth cents ; one half pint of French brandy, twenty-five cents: one half pint rum, eighteen and three-fourths cents; half pint of wine. twenty-five cents: half pint of apple or peach brandy, twelve and a half cents; one half pint of whisky was six and a fourth cents ; horse feed over night, twenty-five cents: single feed for one horse, twelve and a half cents.
RE-LOCATION OF COUNTY SEAT.
Notwithstanding the elevated position in which Palestine, the first seat of justice of the county, had been located in, it was decided very unhealthy, as many deaths had occurred within a brief space of time after its settlement. This led to the demand for a change of location. which was seized upon by speculators, no doubt in the near-by section of country, and these men greatly exaggerated the condition at Palestine. The matter finally came up in the Legislature and that body appointed a new commission to re-locate the county seat. This act was approved February 9, 1825. The subjoined is the report of such commissioners :
"To the Board of Justices of the County of Lawrence, State of Indiana : The subscribers, being the commissioners appointed by an act of the General
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Assembly of the said State entitled 'An act appointing commissioners to re- locate the seat of justice of Lawrence county,' approved February 9, 1825, make the following report, to-wit: That we all met at Palestine of said county of Lawrence, on the second Monday of March, instant, were duly sworn as the law prescribes for the faithful performance of our duties, and immediately proceeded to the discharge of the same and have continued in from day to day until the present time, and have obtained by donation the following described tract or parcel of land for the permanent seat of justice of said county, to-wit : Beginning on the dividing line of sections 23 and 24. in township 5 north, range I west, one hundred poles south of the corner of sections 23, 24, 13 and 14; thence west one hundred and sixty poles to a stake ; thence north two hundred poles; thence east one hundred and sixty poles to a stake on the line dividing sections 13 and 14; thence south two hundred poles to the beginning, containing two hundred acres of land, for which said tract we have taken a bond for conveyance to the board of justices of said county, as the law provides, within twelve months from the date hereof in the penal sum of twenty thousand dollars, conditioned also that the donors shall within six months from the re-location or survey of said town plat, dig and stone on the public square of said town a well of living and durable water, and within the same time erect and finish in a suitable manner a temporary court- house of hewn logs to be at least of equal dimensions with the old temporary courthouse at Palestine, which bond is executed by Samuel F. Irwin, Joseph Glover. John Owens. Reuben Kilgore, Moses Woodruff and Isaac Stewart as principals, and Moses Fell, Joseph Rawlins, Robert M. Carlton, Marquis D. Knight, John D. Laughlin and Joseph Lowery, as sureties, and which we now give to the board as a part of our report. We have therefore agreed on the tract of land before mentioned and selected the same for the permanent seat of justice of said county. We have also valued the donation which was given to said county of Lawrence for the county seat at Palestine, agreeably to the provisions of the act aforesaid mentioned, and have appraised the valua- tion thereof at the sum of three dollars per acre. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this oth day of March, A. D. 1825.
"JONATHAN LYON, "AMASSA JOSELYN, "JOHN KETCHUM, "WILLIAM MARSHALL, "E. S. RILEY."
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
Immediately after the report of the re-locating commission, arrangements were made to improve the new county seat location, and to dispose of the town lot interests in the old town of Palestine. The name Bedford was selected for the new county seat. The ground for a public square was ordered cleared off. At that date the business of the counties in Indiana was conducted by a board of justices, who assisted the county agent to lay out the new county seat town, Bedford. This was accomplished March 30, 1825. Roads were then projected in almost every direction from the new town site, like the spokes in a wagon wheel. The county clerk was directed to remove his office to Bedford at the earliest moment after the completion of the temporary courthouse. Committees were appointed to appraise the values of the lots in both the old and new town, according to legitimate enact- ment, so that no lot owner in the former seat of justice should be the loser by the change. The county buildings located at Palestine were ordered leased to merchants there and to others. Numerous claims were filed against the county, differences in valuations in the two places being the main issues. The men who had originally donated the lands were to receive three dollars per acre for their lands. Every lot owner in Palestine could claim a correspond- ing lot in Bedford by complying with the law. Many did not do this at first through neglect and ignorance of the inevitable consequences, so finally the Legislature passed the following act as a means of honorable relief to the suffering parties :
"Be it enacted, etc .-- That John Rawley and all such other persons, their heirs and legal representatives and lawful attorneys, as may have been, on the 9th day of February, 1825, owners of any lot or lots in the town of Pales- tine in Lawrence county, for which the purchase money has been paid to the agent of said county, and who may have neglected to apply for the benefit of the act to which this act is supplemental, shall and may within eighteen months from the first day of February, apply for an exchange of lot or lots so by him or them owned in said town of Palestine, for the corresponding lot or lots in the town of Bedford, according to the provisions of this act. And if such corresponding lot or lots shall have been sold, such owner or owners shall be entitled to receive from the county treasury of said county by order drawn by the board of justices of said county, the price such corresponding lot or lots sold for." Approved December 26, 1828.
INTERESTING ITEMS.
The county records were hauled from Palestine to Bedford by Richard Evans.
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The public well on the square in Bedford was completed in September, 1825.
Abraham Music was allowed twenty-nine dollars and fifty cents for clear- ing the public square of trees and grubs in Bedford.
In May, 1826, the townships were all laid off into road districts. That year brass clocks, watches and pinch-back jewelry were taxed for the first time in this county.
Samuel S. Francis was paid fifty-five dollars for a pump in the well on the public square.
In 1827 it was found necessary to bring suit on the bonds of the donors of land to the county at Bedford, to enforce the signing of the deeds of con- veyance. Town orders were received in payment for town lots. Consider- able money commenced to be paid out for wolf scalps.
In 1830 the county agent was authorized to dispose of the property held at Palestine by the county. He was allowed to sell on credit in case no better terms could be made with purchasers.
In September, 1831, the Legislature re-established three county com- missioners instead of the board of justices.
John Brown was employed to make the second county map of Lawrence county ; this one was to show all the streams within the county, also the sec- tion lines.
The postoffice, that had been kept in the county clerk's office for several years up to 1834, was then ordered removed to other quarters.
The first sale of lots in Bedford was in June, 1826, and amounted to only one thousand eight hundred and forty-nine dollars, and two hundred old dol- lars of this was not realized. Of course the sale was necessarily smaller than at Palestine, owing to the even exchange of lots to men who had purchased over there.
In 1840 the rate of liquor license was placed as follows: Bedford, $40; Leesville, $40: Bono, $30: Lawrenceport, $30; Fayetteville, $30; Springville, $30; Paris, $25: Port William, $25 : Pinhook, $25 ; Helton's store, $25 (this was in Pleasant Run township), and each of all other places in the county $25.
That year a fence was constructed around the courthouse by Robert M. Alexander and William Stone, at a cost of $140. Richard Butler was paid $100 for laying a stone pavement around the public square. The several banking brokers who held offices in Bedford in those days had to put up a hundred dollars a year to do business. The county had a surplus in 1840 of $10,202.91, and it was in the hands of George G. Dunn.
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In 1845 the Masonic lodge was allowed the use of the jury room once each week, at nightime.
In 1848 the county offices were built by B. F. Huston. All shows and dances were then excluded from the courthouse. In 1851 all secret orders, including the Masons and Sons of Temperance, were excluded from the court- house. A lot owned by the county library in Bedford was sold in 1851. In 1853, G. A. Thornton, county clerk, was paid seventeen dollars for registering seventeen slaves, negroes and mulattoes.
In the month of August, 1861, the first year of the Civil war struggle, the county board began to furnish means from the county treasury for the relief of the soldiers' families; but it was not long before this act was not approved by many within the county, hence the question was submitted to the people at the 1861 October general election, and was approved of by a large majority who voted to sustain the appropriations. Under the call of Decem- ber, 1864, for more volunteers, Lawrence county's quota was one hundred and forty-nine men. To raise this number of men a bounty of one hundred dollars was offered by the board for each volunteer, and bonds to the amount of fourteen thousand nine hundred dollars were ordered sold. Large amounts of funds were distributed for the relief and keeping of soldiers' families. In this the county acted liberally and wisely, notwithstanding there were not a few who showed their hatred for the Union cause by trying to thwart the plans of the loyal men and women of the county.
The records of the board show that in 1868 the commissioners paid one hundred and fifty dollars for a new county map for each of the leading county officers.
In the summer of 1869 it was decided to commence preparations for the erection of a larger courthouse.
COURTHOUSE HISTORY.
Of the various courthouses built and owned by Lawrence county, it may be said that the first was the temporary log house erected in the spring of 1818, at Palestine, which was ordered built twenty by twenty-four feet of hewed logs "that will face one foot front," and to be two stories high, "built in a good and workmanlike manner," with a cabin roof. This building was completed late in the autumn of 1818, and was used about two years until the first real courthouse was erected at Palestine, which was the first county seat of this county.
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FIRST COURTHOUSE AT PALESTINE.
It was in November, 1818, when steps were first taken to erect a court- house at the newly laid out county seat. Palestine. John McLane was ap- pointed to superintend the construction of this building. It was first designed to be built in octagonal form, with stone foundation and brick walls, with forty-five windows of twelve lights each, and to be two stories and "twenty- three feet to the square." Wisely, in December of that year, this order was rescinded. In January. 1819. the sale of the building of the courthouse was ordered advertised in the Salem Tocsin, and the Indiana Gasette at Corydon, the plan of the structure to be drawn by Robert M. Carlton and John Lowrey. It was to be a two-story brick building, the height of first story to be sixteen feet and the height of the second story fourteen feet, the foundation to be of stone, forty-five by forty-five feet, with walls of brick. two feet thick, three doors, thirty-six windows, four chimneys, six fire hearths. each window to have twenty-four lights of ten by twelve each, the judge's bench to be fifteen feet long and five feet wide, the building to be surmounted with a cupola bear- ing an iron rod and two brass balls with a brass eagle between the latter, three feet from tip to tip. "the body to be hollow and the eagle to be curiously and artistically wrought," the building to have four rooms above and to have a steel lightning rod and a bell weighing three hundred pounds and to be ready for occupancy within two years. The contractor was to receive one thousand five hundred dollars in advance, two thousand dollars when the roof was on, and the balance when the building was finished. James Gregory and John Anderson took the contract, and were allowed the privilege of making brick and dressing stone on the public square. Work was commenced at once, and numerous changes in the plans were made from time to time. In February, 1819, the contractors received their advance payment of one thousand five hundred dollars. Sixteen windows were omitted from the first plans. The second installment was paid the builders December 17, 1819, showing that the roof of the structure was on. From that date on, the work lagged, and, for a reason not now understood. the contractors failed to go ahead with the build- ing operations, and in July, 1821, the board appointed a committee of three bricklayers and three masons, William Rodman. Peter Nagel. Lemuel Ford, James S. Means, John E. Clark and Jabez Anderson, to examine the building and estimate the value of the work already done. They reported the building worth $3,670.70. and Samuel D. Bishop was engaged to finish the structure, which he did in the autumn of 1821 at a cost of $1.791.37. This made the
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building cost, all told, $5,500. It was not ready for real occupancy until Aug- ust, 1822.
The old courthouse was then leased at fifty dollars a year to Kelsey & Mitchell, merchants. It was weatherboarded and painted a Spanish brown color. Later the rental was reduced to thirty-three dollars per year.
The history of the Palestine courthouse having been given, the reader will be interested to know of the change to Bedford, the relocated county seat town.
FIRST COURTHOUSE AT BEDFORD.
At Bedford, early in 1825 a temporary courthouse was erected of logs, twenty-two by twenty-six feet, two stories high, and in all ways similar to the one just mentioned above, as the county's first log courthouse, both being designed only for temporary use.
The cost of the Bedford building was about five hundred dollars. This building was used for many purposes for a long period of years. In 1827 it was weatherboarded by Samuel D. Bishop for thirty-four dollars and sixty- six cents. No one thought of providing a new courthouse for a number of years, "let well enough alone" being the policy of the county at that pioneer date. In 1831 the board of county commissioners took up the matter of build- ing a more suitable temple of justice and advertised for bids for a courthouse similar to the one at Salem. Robert M. Mitchell was accordingly sent to Salem in May, and there obtained complete plans of that structure. The old buildings at Palestine were ordered sold, the proceeds to be used in the con- struction of the new building. The contract was finally awarded to John Lowrey at five thousand dollars, to be paid in three equal installments, except the one thousand dollars allowed him in advance. His bond, still in the county records, bears date of May 3. 1831, with Winthrop Foote, William Kelsey and Moses Fell as sureties. The contract was carried out to a letter and the building finished and accepted in May, 1834. This courthouse served well its purpose until after the Civil war period. In the summer of 1869 the commissioners looked into the matter of providing Lawrence county with its
FOURTH COURTHOUSE.
Plans were prepared in July, 1869, and the work was let to William and George Muir for twelve thousand seven hundred dollars. It was advertised that the old courthouse could be used in the construction of the new. The contract with the Muirs was not fulfilled, and July 16, 1869, Napoleon B.
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Wilson bid to erect the building for sixteen thousand nine hundred dollars, but he finally withdrew his bid. The record shows that on August 11, 1869, Thomas N. Stevens and Thomas A. Whitted proposed to erect the structure for eighteen thousand three hundred dollars, and gave bonds to fulfill such contract. It was just at that time that a strong pressure was brought to bear on the commissioners to locate the building at some other point in the city of Bedford, claiming that the noise and dirt occasioned by the nearby Monon railroad (as now known) was objectionable. Other reasons advanced were that the old buildings, if torn down, would not be of the value they might be if left standing, to lease, etc., for business purposes. The commissioners finally went so far as to purchase Lot No. 27 of W. C. Winstandley for seven hundred dollars and Lot No. 28 of Clarissa Acoam for one thousand dollars, intending to erect the building thereon. The matter did not materialize until in April, 1870, when the board were petitioned to erect the house on the public square, and a donation of about one thousand five hundred dollars was tendered as an inducement, which offer was accepted by the board. But with this change there came a demand for a better structure, and hence new plans were drawn, and a contract entered into with Thomas N. Stevens for the erec- tion of a court house to cost $75,000, including the two lots 27 and 28, which had been bought by the board as before stated and which were turned over to Stevens for one thousand seven hundred dollars. Prior to this, however, Hall & Harrison had laid the foundation for the courthouse at an expense of about $8,000. In September, 1870, courthouse bonds were issued to the amount of $10,000, bearing ten per cent. interest and sold at par. June 5, 1871, the courthouse bonds to the amount of $50,000, in denominations of $1,000 each, bearing ten per cent. interest, $12,000 due in two years, $12,000 in three years, $13,000 in four years and $13,000 in five years, were issued and sold at par, $48,000 to Joseph Rawlins and $2,000 to E. D. Pearson. With the sale of bonds, the work went forward rapidly and the building was com- pleted in 1872. The old courthouse was sold in June, 1871, to Davis Har- rison for $1,100. In September, 1872, bonds were floated to the amount of $7,000, with which money the county graded and made suitable the public square. These bonds only run nine months, when they were redeemed. This building was constructed of the celebrated Bedford stone (St. Louis gray limestone), and cost, everything included, about $100,000. This is the pres- ent courthouse, and holds its age remarkably well. While the architecture would not be selected today, it was well planned for the date in which it was erected and has been a comfortable, safe home for the various county officials during all these two score and more years.
PRESENT BEDFORD COURT HOUSE
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HISTORY OF COUNTY JAILS.
The first jail in Lawrence county was constructed in May, 1818, and the building was both a jail and jailor's house. It was at old Palestine and was built under the bid of Thomas Beagley. It was about fifteen by seven- teen feet in size and two stories high, of heavy logs one foot square, eight feet between floors, lined with heavy planks spiked on perpendicularly. In February, 1819, Thomas Beagley was paid one thousand dollars on his contract, and in August, 1819, five hundred dollars more, but then the work dropped. In 1820, on petition of twelve citizens, suit was brought upon the contractor's bond, which, after search, could not be found, and therefore proceedings were suspended. The committee appointed to value the court house also placed a valuation on the "gaol and gaoler's house," making a reduction of two hundred and thirty-seven dollars on the contract price, which was two thousand dollars. The balance due was paid and the build- ing immediately completed.
The second jail was proposed ten years later, 1828, and in May of that year proposals were called for to build a jail in Bedford and in July the con- tract was let to Samuel D. Bishop for six hundred dollars. This house was of logs, and was paid for in installments of two hundred dollars, and finished late in 1829. It was used for many years and had it been gifted with the power of speech what a tale it could have told of life among the lowly and lawless.
The third jail of this county was the one known as the "1858 Jail." In December, 1857, the work of building a new jail and jailor's residence was commenced. Specifications were made calling for a brick jailor's house and a stone jail to be built together, and proposals were called for. During that winter the contract was awarded to John X. Miller at nine thousand nine hundred dollars, and early spring found the work being pushed forward. It became necessary to issue county bonds to the amount of four thousand three hundred dollars. The building was completed in September, 1859. This served the needs of the county until 1904, when jail bonds were floated to the amount of thirty-three thousand dollars, with which the present massive stone jail and sheriff's house were built. It is but a few blocks to the south- west of the public square.
THE COUNTY ASYLUM.
"The poor ye always have with you," is as true today as when spoken by the Master nearly two thousand years ago. The care given the unfortun-
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ate poor in any community bespeaks the true character of the people of such community. Here in Lawrence county the records show that a year after the organization of the county, 1819, there was an order issued by the au- thorities to pay to James H. Johnson, of Bono township, who furnished the first relief to the poor of this county. The order called for thirty dollars. The pauper was Matthew Rose, who continued upon the county for several years. The same year Mr. Johnson received twenty-nine dollars more for such relief and Dr. Winthrop Foote received five dollars for medical attend- ance upon this poor person. Soon afterwards each township had a person appointed and known as the overseer of the poor. He hunted out the poor persons within his township and farmed them out to the lowest responsible bidders, received and audited the expense accounts of the keeper, and sent the bills to the county board for final allowance. In 1820 there was spent for paupers $73.20, and in 1822, $103. In 1825 the amount was $122; 1827, $130: 1830, $157; 1833, $187, and in 1835, $467. By this time the poor had come to be a burden to the taxpayers of the young county. Dr. John C. Cavins was appointed county physician at about this date.
The first poor asylum was provided for in June, 1842, when William Newland was appointed agent to purchase a site for a poor asylum, in amount not to exceed a quarter section of land, nor not less than eighty acres, and to be within eight miles of Bedford. By the fall of that year he had purchased a hundred-and-sixty-acre tract of Greenbury Owens, for eight hundred dollars. There was on this farm an ordinary dwelling, which was at once refitted and new floors provided for the rooms, and Mr. Owens appointed superintendent of the poor. he being provided with all needful articles by the county board. Dr. Winthrop Foote was engaged as county physician at one dollar per visit, medicines to be paid for extra. In March, 1843, there were seven inmates in this institution for the keeping of the county's poor. Owens filed his bills, which were paid by the board, the bill of March. 1843, being ninety-seven dollars and thirty-five cents for the quarter for pork, lard, corn, coffee, sugar, dressed deer-skins, etc. One cold night. James Bird, an inmate, wandered away from the asylum and was found frozen to death later. In 1846 new and improved arrangements were enacted for the caring for the paupers at this place. In 1845-46 the expense was greatly reduced and only amounted to about one hundred and sixty- five dollars. Messrs. Fredman, Malott and Owens were then superintend- ents. In 1847 an apple and peach orchard, also cherry trees, were planted out on the poor farm. There were only seven inmates in the asylum in 1847. In 1849 a new roof was put on the poor farm, or asylum as it is now styled.
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