USA > Indiana > Tipton County > History of Tipton County Indiana > Part 6
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wall eighteen inches thick, except the gables, which were to be thirteen inches wide, and the inside walls were to be thirteen inches thick. The first story was ten feet high, and the second story seventeen feet high. A hall extended north and south through the first story, on the sides of which were the county offices. The upper story contained the court room. The bond of the contractor was fixed at twenty thousand dollars, with the following sureties : D. S. Hurlock, S. D. Cottingham and W. Daubenspeck. In September, 1858, in order to meet the expenses of constructing this building, the board of county commissioners ordered issued and sold eight county bonds of five hundred dollars each, payable at the banking house of Winslow, Lanier & Co., New York; two thousand to be paid in two years, and two thousand in four years. The first two thousand dollars worth of these bonds sold at a dis- count of eighty-four dollars fifteen cents. The erection of the new court house was rapidly made, and in December, 1859, Mr. Daubenspeck an- nounced that it was completed. He was soon paid the remainder due to him under the contract, besides five hundred dollars additional for extra work, 'and enough more to run the cost up to near fifteen thousand dollars. In 1862 John W. Axtell recovered the court house with tin roofing, at a cost of nine dollars per square. At the same time a fire and burglar proof safe for the treasurer's office was purchased of W. B. Dodd & Company for five hundred and fifty dollars. In December, 1862, John Cox repaired the court house roof to the extent of sixty dollars. The building was afterward sold to N. S. Martz, and the brick from its walls were used in the construction of the Fame Canning Company.
THE PRESENT COURT HOUSE.
In the latter part of February, 1888, the first steps were taken for the erection of a new and complete house of justice for Tipton county. The citi- zens of Tipton and the county prepared a petition, asking the county commis- sioners to proceed toward the erection of a new court house, and also a jail. The petition was signed by nearly one thousand tax payers. A meeting of the commissioners was held, and there were present a large number of tax payers. The board considered the petition, and immediately granted permis- sion for the work, the plans to be made and other preparation to be executed at once.
. The contract for the erection of the building was entered into by the board with Messrs. Pearce & Morgan on the 5th day of November, 1892, at the contract price of $143,760, and for all other contracts, including furniture,
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heating, grading and numerous other small contracts, the sum of $39,651.30, making a grand total of $183,411.30. Work was commenced on the 6th day of April, 1893, and completed on the 15th day of October, 1894, and the building was occupied by the county officers on that date. The building is ninety-two feet by one hundred and twenty-five feet, and in height sixty-six feet to the top of cornice; the tower is one hundred and forty-six feet in height to the top of cornice and in total height two hundred and six feet to the top of the flagstaff. The clock adorns the tower at a height of one hun- dred and twenty-six feet above the grade; the dial of the clock is eleven feet and eight inches in diameter. The building is of the best quality of Berea stone, the foundation is of St. Paul, Indiana, lime stone, depth of foundation is eight feet and is six feet wide, under tower twelve feet deep and eight feet six inches wide; one million eight hundred thousand brick and one million pounds of steel were used in the construction of the building. The slate used on roof is of the best Pennsylvania black. The glass used throughout the building is of the best grade of plate. The furniture, of which so much ad- verse criticism was had at time of contracting, cost eight thousand eight hun- dred and twenty-two dollars. The criticism and charges of corruption against the board were unfair and false, as is now evidenced by the quality of furni- ture, fixtures and railings, much of which is hand-carved and all of which is elaborately massive and in elegance corresponding throughout fittingly with the building and the finishings. Anything cheaper would have been a pro- nounced failure, as all are free to admit. The clock is of the best make of Seth Thomas clock and the price, one thousand four hundred and twenty-five dollars, was below the price fixed by competing firms.
There are forty-five rooms in the building, all of which are heated by a system of steam registers, and the entire building is supplied with water by the county's own water works, the pumps and machinery of which are located in the basement with the heating machinery. The well from which the water is obtained is located a few feet south of the building. The basement, which is above grade, really constitutes the first story of the building. The rooms are large and nicely furnished; the toilet rooms, one each for ladies and gen- tlemen, are elaborately furnished in the latest designs. The first floor above the basement is occupied by the various county offices, the office rooms are en suite of public and private rooms, furnished and supplied with all modern conveniences. The second floor above the basement is occupied by the judi- ciary ; the two court rooms are large and elegantly and appropriately fur- nished. The judge's private room and the library room adjoining are hand- somely furnished. The grand jury rooms, the witness rooms and the con-
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sultation rooms are all supplied with conveniences. The third floor above the basement is occupied by large and commodious rooms and halls. The main entrance to the building from the north is twenty-five feet wide, the foyer is supplied with two steam registers for heating the stairway and ro- tunda, the wainscoting from the entrance to the attic is of the finest Ten- nessee marble, the tiling used in foyer, rotunda and hall is of the most hand- some design, the steps leading from the foyer to the rotunda are blue stone from Bedford, Indiana.
The entrances, rotundas and halls leading to all parts of the building, together with magnificent stairs, are all light and commodious and of easy access. The grounds are nicely graded and supplied with wide stone walks, and inclosed with a handsome stone wall rising sixteen inches above the grade. The lighting of the building is by electricity and gas, with elaborate fixtures.
The clock is about three feet long and four feet high. There is less ma- chinery about it than an ordinary watch, there being only nine wheels. The pendulum rod is fifteen feet long and weighs twenty-five pounds. The weight- cord is made of steel cable and the time-weight weighs four hundred pounds. The striking weight weighs eleven hundred pounds and runs down the length of four stories, or about one hundred feet. It takes an hour to wind it up, and it has to be wound up once a week. The dial is ten feet in diameter and the numerals are a foot in length. The hour and minute hands are five feet in length. The bell weighs three thousand pounds, is eight feet high and about four feet across the lower end. The striking clapper weighs fifty pounds. The bell is made of copper and tin, eighty per cent. copper and twenty per cent. tin. The bell was especially cast for Tipton county and on its sides are cast the following inscription :
CAST FOR TIPTON COUNTY IND., COURT HOUSE, A. D. 1894.
COUNTY JAIL HISTORY.
In September of the year 1845, the county agent, W. H. Nelson, was ordered to have built a log jail, fourteen by twenty feet, eight feet high, with walls of hewed oak timber, one foot square, the rooms to be lined with heavy oak plank, spiked firmly in their places. Charles A. Thurman took the con- tract at one hundred and fifteen dollars, and completed the same in Decem-
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ber, 1845. Daniel Smith was the first jailer. This jail was destroyed by fire. It is supposed that the fire was the work of an incendiary, in an at- tempt to aid in the escape of some prisoners.
Immediately after the destruction of this jail, a log jail was built of black walnut logs, which served its purpose until the close of the Civil war. In April, 1866. advertisements were ordered for the erection of a combined jail and jailer's residence. In May bids were received from J. H. McConnell, Alpheus Lay and J. H. Coffman, but none of them was accepted at the time. N. R. Overman was appointed as agent, to take the plans and specifications to Indianapolis, to have them corrected by a competent architect. The plans had been submitted by B. F. Hough & Company. The contract was finally awarded to J. H. Coffman, for six thousand dollars, the building to be com- pleted by the first of November, 1866. The old jail was sold to John Kassa- baum for thirteen dollars. G. W. Boyer was appointed superintendent to oversee the work on the new structure. It was again found necessary to issue several thousand dollars worth of county bonds, to meet expenses, and N. R. Overman was appointed agent to negotiate their sale. The building, a fine brick structure, was completed in June, 1867, the time allowed the con- tractor having been extended. This jail was located on South East street, about four squares from the court house. It is now used for a private resi- dence.
The building became inadequate before many years, and plans were pro- posed by the city for a new jail. In the years 1894 and 1895 a new jail house was constructed and the cost was forty thousand dollars.
The present Tipton county jail is pronounced by the board of state charities to be one of the best in the state. It is located on a lot, sixty-six by one hundred and ninety-eight feet, at the corner of West and Madison streets. The building is constructed of brick and stone, and architecturally is of a very high type. The building. contrary to custom, does not present the grim and fortified look of the ordinary bastile, but is well proportioned and attractive. There are nine cells and a bath on the lower floor, and the upper floor is designed for the same equipment, although this is not at present installed. There are two cells and a bath in the women's department. The jail is constructed of solid steel, and the locks are all protected with heavy armor steel castings. The cells are heated by steam and lighted by electricity. In the jail building the sheriff has his residence, occupying the forepart of the structure. This residence is commodious and well supplied with all mod- ern conveniences. There is a large basement under the entire building.
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COURT HOUSE AND JAIL BONDS.
On January 3 and 5, 1894, the county commissioners issued two sets of bonds, each for $85,000, making $170,000 altogether. The original contract for the court house was $143,000. In addition to this was the jail at a cost of $30,600. Then the furniture, heating plant, electric light, yard, fence and walks. making a total of $170,000 for which bonds were sold. The bonds brought a premium of $820, they drawing five per cent. interest. The first bond of $10,000 was due in 1904; the next, amounting to $15,000, was due in 1909, and the next, amounting to $20,000, was due in 1914, making $45,000 of the principal of the original bonds, that has been paid. In addition to this $54.000 in warrants were issued that have long since been paid. The total cost of the court house, jail, heating plant, furniture, yard, fence and other expenses connected with the court house was $204.000. In 1919 there will be $65.000 fall due and in 1924 the last payment of $65,000 will be due. The bonds were made payable in ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five and thirty years.
Five per cent. interest has been paid on the bonds and they are still draw- ing five per cent. interest. Up to 1904, the county had paid $85,000 in inter- est : between 1904 and 1909, the county paid $40,000 in interest, and between 1909 and 1914 the county paid $36,250, making interest paid up to this time, $161,250. Between 1914 and 1919 we will pay $31,250 interest, and between 1919 and 1924 we will pay $16,250, making a total amount of interest we have yet to pay $47.500. The total amount of interest that has been paid and is yet to be paid on the bonds amounts to $208.740, or $38,750 more than the original bonded indebtedness.
THE COUNTY POOR.
The first record of the county assuming care of a poor person was in September. 1846, when a destitute was farmed out to Josiah Gilliland for forty dollars a year. Near the same time a poor woman, named Rachel Cum- mings, was removed at the county expense to the poor house of Hamilton county. The poor expense for the fiscal year ending June. 1847, was eighteen dollars and ninety-three cents. The favorite plan at that time was farming out the paupers to the lowest bidder, although the townships aided consider- ably, independent of county help. Physicians were paid by the year to ad- minister to the sick poor.
In December, 1863, an agent was appointed to view several locations and to purchase the most favorable for a poor farm. This action was followed
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by the purchase of seventy-eight and seventy-two-hundredths acres in sec- tions 14 and 15, township 21 north, range 4 east, for one thousand dollars cash and fourteen hundred and ninety dollars on the first Monday in March, 1865. Upon this farm was a small frame dwelling, insufficient in size and comfort to accommodate the poor, and bids were called for to repair the old house and erect a new one of adequate space and convenience. John H. Mc- Connell contracted to do this work for five hundred and eighty dollars. This occurred in the spring of 1864. William Morris became the first poor super- intendent. He was succeeded by D. J. Caldwell in 1868, and he in turn by R. W. Mullis in 1869. In 1872 a contract for building a new poor house was let to William Rubush and J. H. McConnell, but for some reason the work was abandoned until 1876, when the contract was given to William B. Young for seven thousand dollars. This building, a commodious, two-story brick structure, was immediately erected, and the poor inmates removed. In 1873 John Emehiser became superintendent. Thomas B. Bates came next, then, in 1883, John Q. Shaw. The next man to hold this position was George King, and following him, in order of their service, have been : Joseph Grose, A. J. Woods (served two terms), William Devault, C. W. Middleton, Frank Rayl, and I. M. Boszell, who is the present incumbent.
EARLY FINANCES.
The first money received by the county was on October 5, 1844, when Daniel Crull was taxed four dollars and seventeen cents for a. peddler's li- cense. The second money was received November 4, 1844, when Silas Blount paid fifty cents for a license to vend merchandise. The third money was a fine of one dollar against Joseph McMurtry, for assault and battery on the person of John Welshons. It is interesting to note the following report made by the auditor for the time from June 1, 1844, until May 31, 1845 :
Receipts : Clock peddler's license, $4.17; merchant's license, $1.50; fines assessed. $21.10; liquor license, $3.87; revised statutes sold, $2.00; sale of lots, $38.00; seminary fund interest, $1.77; bank tax and saline fund, $14.25; interest on same, $1.00; county revenue, $277.14; for road purposes, $105.67; making a total of $470.47.
Expenditures : Locating county seat, $150.00; assessors, $18.75; elec- tion returns, $10.87; specific allowance, $114.67; county officers, $186.02; roads, 'special, $74.00; laying out roads, $49.67; jurors' fees, $53.25; bailiffs' fees, $4.00; public buildings, $10.00; seminary fund loaned, $21.10;
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saline fund, etc., loaned, $14.25; making a total of $714.58. Taking into consideration the fact that $121.00 was yet due for locating county seat, the actual county deficit at that time was $123. 11.
For the fiscal year ending in June, 1846, the total receipts were $1,197.40, and the total expenses, $1,443.54. leaving a deficit for that year of $246.14, which, added to the deficit of the previous year, made a total deficit of $369.25. County officers for this year cost $285.24, and $18.00 was paid out for wolf scalps. In June, 1876, the total deficit of the county was $11,387.99. This sum continued to increase until June, 1878, when the county board or- dered to be issued "bonds of the county of Tipton and state of Indiana for the sum of $25,000 of the denomination of $1,000 each, to bear date June 10, 1878, to bear seven per centum interest, and to be payable at the bank- ing house of Winslow, Lanier & Co., of New York City, etc." These bonds were issued and sold, and the county indebtedness placed in definite shape. For the year ending June, 1880, receipts were .$34,655.14 and expenses $27.412.46.
COUNTY TREASURER'S REPORT FOR 1913.
For the fiscal year ending December 31, 1913, the following report is made by the treasurer :
Disbursements : Clerk fees, $3,520.13; auditor, $3,476.42; treasurer, $3,115.15; recorder, $2,210.88; sheriff, $2,936.06; surveyor, $378.99; county superintendent, $1,742.86; assessor, $738.58; coroner, $97.50; health com- missioner, $279.41 ; commissioners' court, $970.40; attorneys, county and pauper, $346.67; board of review, $216.00; board of truancy, $360.00; ex- pense of assessment. $1,755.50; township poor, $1,653.80; court house. $4.004.84; county jail, $758. 17; county poor farm, $6,214.36; orphans' home, $746.90; inmates of state institutions, $471.98; insanity inquests, $370.90; elections, $139.80; burial of soldiers, $500.00; public printing, $411.80; board of county charities, $1.50; farmers' institute, $65.00; ditches, $647.11 ; justice of peace, $342.00; deficiency in school funds, $669.25; contingent, $782.70; registration, $249.00; taxes refunded, $363.63; expenses of public records. $1,901.70; bridges, $11.051.06; judgments, $14.27; change of venue, $7.45 ; circuit court. $2,246.90; bond and sinking fund, balance, $17,469; in- terest, court house bonds, $14,170.19; balance, $4,444.51 ; principal, common, $10.430, balance, $545.39; principal congressional, $4.586.44, overdrawn, $27.86; principal permanent endowment, $1,399.07, balance, $15.93; inter- est. common, $5.448.47, balance, $731.08; interest, congressional, $2,704.73, balance, $464.56; interest permanent endowment. $701.98, overdrawn, $24.76;
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fines or forfeitures, $2,977, balance, $396.30; sale of bonds for construction of macadam or gravel roads, $47,402.02; balance, $36,170.75; taxes for re- demption of road bonds or coupons, $88,619.63, balance, $17.054.26; tax for redemption public ditch bonds, $325.34, overdrawn the same amount; tax sale redemption. $539.91 ; balance. $23.94; show license, $700 balance; liquor license balance, $.36; old gravel roads, $53.56, overdrawn same amount : state tax. $13,823.34; benevolent institutions, $7.079.15; state debt sinking fund, $2,123.52; state school tax. $20,454.16; state educational institute fund, $3.891.63; docket fees, $149.75: balance. $32.75; unclaimed fees, $11.75; township tax. $8,034.82, balance. $1.03; local tuition tax, $37,760.84, balance, $2,030.90; special school tax, $42,256.62. overdrawn, $197.96; road tax, $150.32; road tax additional, $294.58; common school revenue, $20,718.54; surplus dog fund, $882.23. balance, $15.17; library fund, $336.93; corpora- tion tax, $27.716.09; Jefferson township school house bonds, $2,424.14; Tip- ton school house bonds, $4.270.73; township poor. $1,274.55, balance, $1.154.69; hydrophobia, $15.16; inheritance tax, $16.70, balance, $80.14; gravel road repairs, $28,012.61. balance. $2,802.71 ; bridge, $6,848.99; mak- ing a total of $462.424. 16, balance, $98.908.28.
The amounts received up to January 1, 1914, are listed as follows: Clerk's fees, $2.268.94; auditor, $168.40; treasurer. $506.55; recorder, $2,- 389.60 ; sheriff, $524.15; board of reviews, $15.00; township poor, $1,374.92; court house, $375.66; jail, $38.23; poor farm, $5.663.77; public printing, $18.40; examination of public records, $1,085.02; taxes refunded, $487.71 ; expenses of bridges, $9,654.13; change of venue, $265.95; special judges for circuit court, $90.00; circuit court jury fees. $22.50; interest from deposi- tories, $3,124.19; taxes county revenue, $27,807.26; miscellaneous, $2,842.42 ; bond and sinking fund, $17.469.54; interest court house bonds, $18,614.70; principal, common. $10.975.39; principal, congressional, $4,558.58; princi- pal, permanent endowment, $1.415.00; interest, common, $6,179.55; interest, congressional, $3,169.20; interest, permanent endowment, $677.22; fines and forfeitures, $2,473.30; sale of bonds macadam roads and gravel roads. $83.572.77: tax for redemption road bonds, $105,673.89; tax sale redemp- tion, $563.93; show license, $7.00; liquor license, $.36; state tax, $13,823.34; benevolent institution funds. $7,079.15; state debt sinking fund, $2,123.52; state school tax, $20,454.16; state educational institution fund, $3,891.63; docket fees, $182.00; township tax. $8,035.85 ; local tuition tax, $39,791.74; special school tax. $42,058.66; road tax, $150.32; road tax additional, $294.58; common school revenue, $20,718.54; surplus dog fund, $897.40; library fund, Liberty township, $336.93; corporation tax, $27,716.09; Jeffer-
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son township school house bonds, $2,424.14; Tipton school house bonds, $4,270.73; township poor, $2.429.24; inheritance tax, $96.84; gravel road repairs. $30,815.32; bridges, $6,848.99; delinquent tax collected between books, $1,599.34 ; cash in office December 31, 1913, $20.83; tax, illegal, $4.87; making a total of $560,676.05.
This leaves a balance in the Tipton county treasury on December 31, 1913. of $98,251.89.
COUNTY OFFICERS IN 1914.
The representative in Congress for the ninth congressional district is Martin A. Morrison, of Frankfort.
The judge of the thirty-sixth judicial district is James M. Purvis, the prosecutor is Clinton T. Brown, and the clerk is James C. Groves.
The joint state senator for Tipton and Hamilton counties is George C. Wood, and the joint representative is William R. Dunham.
The treasurer of the county is Henry C. Haskett; recorder, Solomon D. Adams; sheriff, Fred M. Recobs; coroner, Lindly M. Reagan; surveyor, Jesse O. Bowlin ; commissioners, Grant Mitchell, John P. Leininger and Rich- ard Rayl.
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CHAPTER V.
TOWNSHIPS AND TIPTON CITY.
MADISON TOWNSHIP.
The first session of the commissioners' court of the county, in the month of June, 1844. ordered that the following territory be set apart and known as Madison township: "Beginning at the southeast corner of sec- tion 32, township 21 north, range 6 east, thence north six miles, thence west six miles, then south six miles, thence east to the place of beginning." This original area comprised thirty-six square miles, but at the September term of 1846 a strip one-half mile wide was taken from the western part and added to Cicero township, and at a subsequent session the northern bound- ary was made to include eleven sections of Wildcat township, making the area forty-four square miles, or twenty-eight thousand one hundred and sixty acres. The township occupies the southeast corner of the county, bordering on Madison county on the east and Hamilton county on the south. while the townships of Cicero and Wildcat form respectively the western and northern boundaries.
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Duck creek, the principal stream, flows through the eastern part and receives in its course a number of tributaries, chief of which are Pollywog creek and Prairie outlet. The former enters the main stream in section 7, while the latter forms a junction in section 29, near the eastern border of the township. The east fork of Bear creek flows through the southern part of the township and supplies good drainage for that portion of the country.
The land surface of Madison township is flat, with the exception of the southeast corner in the vicinity of Duck creek, where the land is of an undulating nature and in some places broken. At one time there were sev- eral low tracts in the township, which the pioneers ignored, thinking the land of no value. These quagmires and sloughs have been largely elim- inated by a system of drainage, and the productiveness of the clay soil has reached a high standard today. Black loam is the character of a great part of the soil, resting upon a sub-stratum of clay. The original territory of
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the township was covered with a thick forest, with small, wet prairies scat- tered throughout. The timber was comprised of walnut, poplar, oak, ash, elm, maples, beech, linn, sycamore, and a smaller growth of buckeye, spice- brush and willow. Round prairie comprised several hundred acres in the northeast corner of the township, with a like area in the township of Wildcat on 'the north. West prairie occupied a greater portion of section 15 in the western part of the township. There was also a small tract of wet land in the southeast part known as Wesall prairie.
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