USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 11
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On the appointed day the commissioners met and accepted the bid of Edmond Hovey to furnish two hundred thousand bricks, the same to be delivered on lots 16 and 17 in Urbana, at the rate of four dollars and fifty cents a thousand. The agreement as finally entered into between Hovey and the county commissioners provided that he should give a two-thousand-dollar bond. deliver the bricks at any time after April 1, 1838, mould all brick nine by four and one-half by two and one-half inches, while he was to receive an order on the county treasury for three hundred dollars as soon as he delivered his signed bond to the auditor.
The commissioners did not let the contract for the construction of the building in its entirety, but divided its construction among several contractors. It also seems that they had no idea of the kind of a house they were going to build when they let the first contract, other than it was to be of brick. This statement is born out by an entry indicating that James Dallas one of the commissioners, was allowed eight dollars "for going to Hillsborough to pro- cure a plan for the court house," showing that as late as June 5, 1837, the board was still in doubt as to the kind of a building they were going to erect. At a special meeting on July 5, the board ordered that proposals would be received on the 15th day of August for "the wood materials in part for build- ing the court house." However, on the day appointed for the opening of the said contracts the commissioners did not accept any of the bids, and it was not until September 12, 1837, that they accepted a proposal of Samuel McCord to furnish a part of the wood material for the proposed court house.
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On November 3, the board ordered James Dallas to proceed at once to con- tract for the cut stone to be used and also "to procure a draft of the Portoco of said building."
The next step in the construction of the court house was taken at the meeting of February 8, 1838, at which time it was ordered that a notice be published in the Columbus Journal and Register to the effect that the com- missioners of Champaign county would receive proposals on March 15, 1838, for the building of a new court house in the town of Urbana. At the same time bids were advertised for the "hewed timber" to be used in the building. Before that time (March 5, 1838) the commissioners issued an order to James Long in the amount of one hundred dollars in part payment for stone for the court house.
CHANGES IN THE ORIGINAL PLANS.
The contract for the building of the court house was let on March 15, 1838, to Hall & Sheldon, the contractors agreeing to have the building com- pleted by January 1, 1840. During the summer of 1838 the commissioners agreed to certain changes in the original plans and specifications of the court house and agreed to pay Hall & Sheldon an additional sum of one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight dollars for these stipulated changes. Work proceeded rapidly on the building during the summer and fall of 1839, and on November 5. 1839, the commissioners examined the building with a view to making a settlement with Hall and Sheldon, the contractors, or "under- takers," as they are called in the record. The contractors had received sev- eral payments as the work had progressed and at this time it was found that the county still owed them two thousand nine hundred dollars. Arrange- ments were made between the contractors and the commissioners whereby the latter agreed to meet this final payment by issuing a series of notes bearing seven per cent interest.
On this same day (November 5. 1839), the commissioners formally accepted the new court house and the last thing done by the board on this day was to advertise in the Western Citizen that the old court house would be sold on December 4. 1839 to the highest bidder. On that date Emmor Kimber bid it off at three hundred three dollars and fifty cents, the purchaser giving William Happersett and Samuel Miller as securities. Joseph Smith was allowed one dollar for crying the sale.
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DELAY IN OCCUPYING EDIFICE.
Although the court house was accepted from the contractor in Novem- ber, 1839, it was not until the summer of 1840 that the county records were moved from the old court house in the public square to the new building. On March 5, 1840, Archibald Magrew, one of the county commissioners was furnished with an order on the county treasury to buy stoves, and he expended one hundred ninety-nine dollars and eighty-eight cents in the purchase of seven stoves, and John Puffenbarger was allowed seven dollars and sixty-two cents for putting the stoves up. Richard Stiles was allowed twenty-seven dollars for the thirty-three chairs he furnished the new court house.
It is evident that the new court house was not occupied until after June 3. 1840, since on that date the commissioners designated the rooms for the various officials. The recorder, clerk, auditor, treasurer, commissioner of insolvents and grand ury were to occupy the six rooms on the first floor, while the sheriff, jury rooms and the main court room were to occupy the second story. On June 11, 1841, the commissioners ordered a fence built around the court house and set July 1, 1841, as the date on which they would received bids for its erection. The contract was let on the latter date to E. Sheldon and at the same time, James Thompson was awarded the contract for painting the fence which, according to the record, was "supposed to be three hundred and forty-seven feet in length," and extend across the east and south sides of the court house lot. It is not specified in the records the amount of Sheldon's bid for erecting the fence, although it specifically states that Thomp- son was to receive eighty-five dollars for painting it. The first janitor of the new court house was allowed thirty-five dollars a month. There were various other small amounts which appear in the records during 1840 and 1841 which were connected in some way or other with the building of the new court house, its equipment or the transference of the records from the old to the new building.
A CERTIFICATE OF DEBT.
It does not appear in the records that the commissioners floated a bond issue to cover the cost of the court house. The Urbana Banking Company advanced the county the necessary funds to make payments on the work as it progressed and on December 9, 1841, the commissioners-James W. McIn- tire, Absalom Fox and William Rosegrant-entered into a contract with the
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bank respecting the money which had been advanced by it. This agreement. termed a "certificate of debt," is given as it appears on the commissioners' records :
This day the commissioners of Champaign county executed and delivered to the Urbana Banking Company a certificate of debt in the words and figures following, to-wit :
State of Ohio, Champaign County.
Certificate of debt at six per cent Interest $0,000.
This certifies that the county commissioners of Champaign county, State of Ohio under the authority of an act of the General Assembly of the State of Ohio entitled an act to authorize the commissioners of Champaign county to borrow money, passed Feb- ruary 13, 1839, have on the credit of the said county borrowed of the President and Directors of the Urbana Banking Company the sum of Nine Thousand dollars for the term of one year with interest thereon at the rate of six per cent per annum to be computed from the date thereof until the whole of said principle sum shall be paid; which Interest is payable half yearly in advance by the county commissioners of Cham- paign county to the holder of this certificate at the office of the Urbana Banking Com- pany in Urbana on the first days of July and January and at the expiration of the said term of one year the sald principle sum of Nine Thousand dollars with the interest due thereon shall be paid by the county commissioners of Champaign county to the holder of this certificate and this certificate shall be assignable by endorsement and delivery or by a surrender thereof the holder shall be entitled to have the same substituted by new certificate of like tenor and for such sums of not less than One Hundred dollars each as may he demanded.
In witness whereof James W. McIntire, Absalom Fox and William Rosegrant county commissioners of Champaign county for the time being have signed this certi- fiente this Ninth day of December in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hun- dred and Forty-One.
James W. McIntire Absalom Fox William Rosegrant
County Com'rs
Attest :
A. R Colwell
The county was not able to meet the full payment at the specified time, nor was the bank debt extinguished as late as 1844. On April 27, of that year the commissioners "ordered that $2.500 of the county fund be appro- priated for the purchase of Urbana money to be applied to the payment of the debt due the Urbana Banking Company." "Agreeable to the above order '$1,038.44 of the above money was applied to the purchase of Urbana money, which was applied to the payment of the bonds held by the Urbana Bank amounting to $1.733.50, and the balance of $1,461.56 paid back into the treasury as per receipt on file."
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CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
ADDITION TO COURT HOUSE, 1879-80.
For many years prior to 1879. the question of building a new court house, or making substantial additions to the old one was discussed, but noth- ing was done toward relieving the admitted crowded condition of the build- ing. The commissioners finally appealed to the Legislature of 1879 for assistance and that body responded by passing an act which took effect on May 13, 1879. Backed by this legislative act the commissioners met in special session on May 14, the day after the act became operative, and pro- ceeded to formulate plans for repairing and enlarging the court house. They had previously asked for plans and specifications and on this day the plans of D. W. Gibbs, a Toledo architect, were accepted. The board entered into a contract with him to prepare the complete plans and specifications and also engaged him to superintend the work for the sum of five per cent. of the cost of the improvement. The board advertised for bids and appointed June 13, 1879, as the day on which they would open the bids and award the contract to the lowest bidder. There were a total of thirty-two bidders but only one, John Benson, submitted a bid covering the entire work as set forth in the plans and specifications. The improvement was arranged in eight separate items and contractors could furnish bids on all or any one of the separate items.
The board of commissioners decided to divide the work among several contractors and after carefully comparing the many bids decided to divide the work among the following contractors :
James Hamilton, excavation, etc. $ 1,288.00
Godfrey Leffler, brick work
2,900.00
Stewart, Morgan & Conrad, plastering 625.00
Beaver & Butts, carpenter work
3,500.00
W. F. Gebhart & Company, galvanized iron work, etc.
2,629.27
William M. Black & Company, cast and wrought-iron work
2,888.00
E. T. Haynes & Company, painting and glazing 621.00
Gibbons & McCormick, plumbing, gas, etc. 538.00
$14,989.27
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CONTRACTOR "CALLED TO TIME."
As soon as the contractors had provided their bonds the work was begun. James Hamilton, who had charge of the excavating, starting on his part of the work at once. It appears, however, that he did not proceed as rapidly as the commissioners thought he should and on July 25, 1879, the day on which he was to have had his work completed, the board informed him that if he did not put on a sufficient force to secure the immediate completion of the work that they would take the work in hand themselves. On September 16, the commissioners ordered architect Gibbs to make plans for installing steam- heat apparatus and instructed him to have them ready to submit by the first Monday in the following October. Gibbs submitted plans for the proposed heating apparatus on October 6, and the board accepted them and agreed to pay him ten per cent. of the contract price for his services. The contract for the heating apparatus was let on November 6, to Gibbons & McCormick in the sum of two thousand six hundred and sixty-eight dollars.
Gibbs was again called into consultation on October 22, and asked to submit the plans for furniture which he had been asked at a previous meet- ing to prepare. In December, 1879, Haynes forfeited his contract to paint the court house and the commissioners on the the 22nd of the month opened bids for this part of the work on the court house and two days later awarded the contract to W. L. McDaniel in the amount of seven hundred and forty dollars. The contract for the furniture for the clerk's and sheriff's offices and the court room was sold to Haynes, Spencer & Company, of Richmond, Indiana, on January 26, 1880, their bid being five hundred and forty-eight dollars. Subsequently the same firm furnished the furniture for the remainder of the court house, the total bill for furniture amounting to two thousand fifty-eight dollars and sixty cents. The firm of Hitt, White & Mitchell fur- nished the carpets, rugs, linoleum, rubber steps, brush mats, wall paper, etc., to the amount of nine hundred ninety-eight dollars and seventy cents.
EDITOR WAXES ENTHUSIASTIC.
The various officers occupied their rooms in the court house as they were completed and equipped with new furniture, some of them taking possession in March, 1880. Those who occupied rooms in the old part of the building were the first to move in, while by the latter part of May, the new portion of the building was completed so that it could be occupied.
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The local papers during the spring and summer of 1880 reported from week to week the progress being made in the work on the court house. The editor of the Champaign Democrat waxed very enthusiastic over the new court house in the issue of June 24, 1880, at which time it appears the building may be considered as completed.
"Now we propose to tell our readers just how nicely the offices of the new court house are arranged. Even the casual observer as he passes by admits that the exterior of the reconstructed temple don't look so bad after all, but one cannot pass a just opinion upon the court house until after having gone through the same, noting the comforts and conveniences, and feasting his eyes on the beaming faces of the newly esconced county officers."
Each office in the new court house was provided with running water for drinking purposes and gas for lighting purposes, while the whole building was heated with a hot-water furnace. The Democrat closed its flamboyant description as it appeared in June, 1880, with the following :
"In short we do not know of a building that is better adapted for the purpose intended than the Urbana court house, though we know of a num- ber of $75,000, $100,000 and $125,000 court houses. The county commis- sioners deserve the credit of acting wisely and economically in the court house matter. After everything is complete, including the minutest details in both out and inside improvements, the cost to the county will have aggregated in the neighborhood of $24,000."
The lower rooms were occupied by the same offices in 1880 that they are today, but the second floor has undergone several changes. At first the sheriff's and probate judge's offices and jury rooms were on the east side, while the grand-jury room and witness rooms were located in the northwest corner where the sheriff and court stenographer are now found. Quarters for the common pleas judge were not provided in the court house until Judge Geiger came on the bench, and it was not until some years later that the sheriff was removed to the other end of the building and stationed in his present quarters.
The court house was given its present appearance in 1903, when the com- missioners had it stuccoed, giving the building an appearance of newness which belies its actual age. Fourteen years have passed since the stucco was put on, but so well was the work done that it is in as good condition today as it was when it was accepted by the commissioners.
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IMPERATIVE NEED FOR MORE ROOM.
With the passing of the years the court house became so crowded that more room was imperatively needed and it became necessary to make some provision for additional space. There was considerable agitation for a new building, but it would have been necessary to submit the question to the voters of the county and the commissioners, after thoroughly discussing the matter, decided that it would not be wise to attempt the building of a new court house at this time. It was finally decided (January 22, 1917) to employ C. C. and E. A. Weber,.Cincinnati architects, and after the architects had made a careful examination of the building and ascertained the amount of space which it was necessary to provide, they submitted plans and specifica- tions embodying the ideas of the commissioners. The board had agreed to limit the amount expended for repairs to five thousand dollars and the archi- tects necessarily had to draft their plans accordingly.
The plans as accepted provide for a two-story addition to be built on the north side of the court house adjoining the surveyor's office. Its external appearance is to conform to the present exterior of the building. The lower story will be occupied by the surveyor and the upper story by the court library.
The bids were opened on May 7, 1917, and the award was made to A. C. Rawlings, of Cincinnati, in the amount of four thousand six hundred ninety- nine dollars. The contractor began work within a few days and at the time this volume went to press the work was nearing completion. In order to provide for the addition the commissioners sold four thousand five hundred dollars worth of five per cent. bonds on May 7.
The total amount to be raised was divided into nine bonds of five hun- dred dollars each, the first five to fall due on May 10, 1918, and the last four on May 10, 1919. It is probable that this addition will postpone for many years the necessity for the erection of a new court house.
THE FIRST JAIL.
The first county jail stood on lot No. 107 on the north side of East Market street. It is not known when the building was erected but a record has been preserved (Duplicate of Miscellaneous Record A-A, page 155) which shows that the county commissioners on July 22, 1808, voted to make an addition to it. The record with its curious punctuation, curious use of quotation marks and spelling reads as follows:
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At a meeting of the commissioners of Champaign county in Urbana on Friday the 22nd day of July 1NOS to take into consideration an Improvement on the jail and the following plan is adopted that there shall be an addition of 16 feet annexed to the east end of the present building and to extend 9 feet in front of the prison and raised two story with the old jail, the upper story 8 feet high and considered as one entire build- ing to be covered with good walnut or popular joint shingles 18 inches long and to show 6 inches to the weather and the entire bullding to be weather boarded with % inch poplar plank not to show more than 6 inches to the weather, the front eve to be "cornished" and backcased, 4 "pannel" doors lined, 5 twelve light windows. 2 iron grates, the doors windows and grates to be placed according to plan'3 floors the boards quartered and "groved" the underfloor 11% inch oak the second & third onk ash or poplar the prison for criminals to be lined & sealed with 1% inch oak plank the rows of double tens to be 12 Inches a part and four inches distance in the rows. The "Debters" apartment in the same, except the rows, which is to be 2 feet apart & the distance of nails as above, directed, the entire should be lined with inch poplar "plained" and "groved" and the entry to be partitioned with 116 inch plank "plained" and "groved" according to plot stair case runs up in entry back door to have wood hinges & locke a double "chimbly" with 4 "pindles two fire places down stairs & two up stairs according to plot with 6 pieces of 1 inch square iron bara to be confined in the back of the fire place in Dr. room so as to prevent an escape through the same one bar across the same "pindle" a 6 plate stove and pipe in the criminal room 2 iron grates made and to be "ribited" through the logs "oposit" on the outside of the old grates. The building to be "underpined" with brick or stone and undertaker to find all necessary articles to complete the within described building and it to be finished in a workman like manner and when the building is raised and enclosed the undertaker is to receive one half the sum agreed on by the undertaker and commissioners for completing the within described building and it is further considered that the jall department is to completed on or before the 15th day of December 1808, and the whole building to be finished on or before the 15th day of May, 1809.
Owing to the absence of the commissioners' records it is not known what this addition cost, or whether it was completed at the time specified. As has been mentioned in the description of the court houses, the jail was used for court purposes during the War of 1812 and until the court house was com- pleted in the public square in 1817. As originally built, it did not provide accommodations for the sheriff, or jailer, as he was called in those days, but after it was enlarged in 1809 the sheriff was provided with quarters in the second story. It was in this building that the famous Simon Kenton was living and serving as deputy sheriff of Champaign county when the War of 1812 opened. It is needless to add that he did not live in it while the war was in progress. This first rude log jail continued in use until replaced by the frame structure completed in 1832, which stood on the site of the present jail on lots No. 16 and 17.
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PRISON BOUNDS.
During the early history of the county there was a curious provision concerning the imprisonment of persons charged with debt. The Legislature passed an act on January 12, 1805, entitled "An act regulating prison bounds" which provided that every person imprisoned for debt should be permitted the privilege of what were designated as prison bounds. These "bounds" were limited to an area defined by a radius of not more than four hundred yards surrounding the county jail. Any prisoner to have the privilege of the bounds had to give a proper bond, signed by two or more sureties acceptable to the county of common pleas, double the sum for which he was com- mitted, before he could exercise his freedom in the bounds. At no time and under no circumstances was the prisoner to go beyond the bounds, and in case he did, his bond was forfeited and he was committed to close confine- ment.
This act, with some modifications, continued on the statute books until the constitution was changed in 1851. In 1833 the law was amended so as to make the prison bounds co-extensive with the limits of the county in which the misdemeanor was committed. There were many arrests and impris- onments for debt in the early history of Champaign county, but there is no record of those who took advantage of the privilege of exercising within the four-hundred-yard limit surrounding the jail. It was this prison-bounds limit which held the person of Simon Kenton at one time, or, at least, tradition says that Kenton was so incarcerated.
THE SECOND JAIL.
It is interesting to note that as early as 1829 the commissioners were making preparations for removing the court house from the public square and establishing it along with the jail at a new location. On June 5, 1829, the commissioners "concluded that they would purchase of James Ward of Kentucky the north halves of four lots in the town of Urbana, to-wit: Nos. 16, 17, 18, and 19, for the purpose of erecting county buildings thereon; price of said lots to be $250." At a special meeting of the commissioners on July 5, 1830, they received a deed for lots 16 and 17 and on the same day made arrangements to build a jail on one of the lots. These lots cost the county five hundred and fifty dollars and are now occupied by the court house and jail. On the following day, after concluding their purchase of the lots, the commissioners "agreed with W. Ward to make a plan of the
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jail, together with a bill of materials which may be necessary, and at the same time they ordered that a notice be put in the Mad River Courant adver- tising for bids for its construction.
The contract for the building of the jail was sold to the lowest bidder on September 22, 1830, and on that day Jesse Bayles secured the contract for the sum of two thousand six hundred and sixty dollars. He agreed to have the building completed by December 1, 1831. The records failed to give the plans and specifications of the proposed jail. No further notice is seen in the records of the building of the jail until June 10, 1831, at which time "the commissioners appointed William Ward to superintend the building of the jail in Urbana until finished, and agreed to pay him twenty-five dollars for his services." Owing to circumstances not recorded in the commission- ers' minutes the contractor for the new jail was not ready to turn the building over to the county until March, 1832. From the report at the time it was accepted it appears that John Hamilton became associated with Bayles some- time during its construction.
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