LXIV. PUBLIC BUILDINGS
There is nothing, probably, in the whole range of public improvements, that attracts the attention or makes a deeper impression on the minds of the people than the public buildings of a county. Marshall county has been fortunate in the erection and maintenance of public buildings that have been an honor and a credit to the county. They might have cost more, but possibly they might not have answered the purpose for which they were intended any better than the buildings we have erected and now have. The first public building. erected in the county was the courthouse, stipulated in the agreement between the proprietors and the board of locating commissioners, and completed according to contract in October, 1836. Its dimensions were twenty by thirty feet, One story high, and it was erected on lot No.22, being the lot on the corner of Adams and Michigan streets. This was a temporary concern and was used only about four years, when the first courthouse built by the county was erected. This first building erected in 1836 was used for the purposes for which it was intended until the county built the first courthouse after the organization of the county; about 1840. The old building was used as a carpenter shop, cabinet shop, and for other purposes, and was afterwards purchased by Mr. L. Lumis, and moved on his lot east of the Michigan road, or as it is called, "Michigan street," where for several years he used it as a barrel factory, and later overhauled it and made it into a dwelling, which at this time is occupied by the family of John Fogle.
The
First Courthouse Erected by the county.
The
contract for the building of the first courthouse erected by the county was
awarded to Levi C. Barber, May 8, 1840. As compensation for building the same,
it was agreed by the board of commissioners that he should have all the lots
donated by the proprietors of the town unsold at the time the contract was
made, except the lot on which the courthouse was to be built. He was also to
receive a small amount of money and notes, except about $517 in notes in the
hands of the county agent. From an estimate of the value of the lots at that
time, it is thought the probable expense of building the courthouse was about
$5,000. The lumber of which it was built was manufactured at the sawmill at
Wolf creek, five miles southwest of Plymouth. The old mill has long since gone
to decay, and within the last year or two the court ordered the old mill dam to
be taken out, which has been done, and the old mill, which was one of the
original
HISTORY
OF MARSHALL COUNTY. 337
landmarks
in Marshall county, has passed away, and not a vestige of it remains to remind
one of the scenes and incidents that occurred there three-quarters, of a
century ago.
The
rising generation and those who come after them will be interested in knowing
tat the courthouse in question was the finest temple of justice, at that time,
in northern Indiana. Its dimensions were about fifty by eighty feet, two stones
in height, with a cupola and winding stairs to the top. Offices of about
fourteen by sixteen, on the first floor, were provided for the clerk,
treasurer, auditor, recorder and surveyor. The second floor was used entirely
for court purposes. When the second courthouse was commenced in 1870, this old
courthouse was sold at auction in 1871, for
$150 to A. C. Thompson, and by him transferred to M. W. Downey, who
removed it to a vacant lot on the then Indianapolis, Peru & Chicago
railroad west of the present school building, where it was converted into a
stave factory. During a heavy thunderstorm one evening in July, 1874, it was
struck by lightning, caught fire, and in less than an hour was a mass of ruins.
The
Last and Present Courthouse.
In
1872 the present courthouse was completed and the several county officers moved
into the various rooms assigned to them. It is an elegant brick and stone
structure, complete in all its parts; with all the offices fireproof, and the
courtroom, halls, offices and jury rooms beautifully frescoed.
The
plans and specifications were prepared by G. P. Randall, of Chicago
338
HISTORY
OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
and
accepted by the board of county commissioners, consisting of Hiram A. Rank,
Jonas Miller and Henry Krause, and the contract let to Epperson and Favorite,
of La Fayette, under whose direction the work was commenced in April, 1870, and
from that time on was pushed vigorously.
On
tile twenty-fifth of August the cornerstone of the building was laid with appropriate
and imposing ceremonies, under the general committee appointed to make the
arrangements, consisting of John C. Cushman, William W. Hill, Henry G. Thayer,
0. H. P. Bailey and Martin H. Rice, of whom Henry G. Thayer was subsequently
made secretary and W. W. Hill treasurer. H. G. Thayer was also selected as
grand marshal. The following was the program of exercises prepared by the
committee :
1.
Music by the Fort Wayne band.
2.
Invocation by Rev. George H. Thayer, of Bourbon.
3.
"Song, "Oh, Hail Us, Ye Free," by the Glee Club.
4.
Laying the cornerstone, by Grand Master Martin H. Rice.
5.
Song, I've Meet Upon the Level, by the Glee Club.
6.
Address by Hon. Charles H. Reeve.
7.
German song, by the German Glee Club.
8.
Music by Nevins & Dean's band, of Chicago.
9.
Anvil Chorus, Plymouth Silver Cornet band and Glee club, under direction of
Daniel
McDonald.
10.
Music by Bremen band.
11.
Music by Warsaw band.
12.
Doxology, by all the bands and audience.
13.
Benediction by Rev. L. C. Buckles.
The
editor of the Voice of Masonry, Chicago, being present, gave among other things
the following in regard to "the day's doings:"
One
of the many interesting incidents of the day was a dinner, provided for the
Masonic bodies by the citizens and Masonic body in Plymouth, before the
ceremonies of the day, in the beautiful grove of trees belonging to the
seminary, in which the ladies of Plymouth acquitted themselves
admirably
in all the arrangements to supply the wants of the inner man. The provisions
were ample and most excellent, while the abundant supply of Iced crystal water, and
splendid coffee, was such as to indicate that the ladies of Plymouth know how
to keep an open-air hotel to perfection. May they often be employed in a like
good work, which we need not say we
should
be happy to witness.
In
reviewing the accomplishment of the exercises upon the program, We deem it a
duty and pleasure to note the excellencies of, indeed, all concerned;
especially, however, we may remark that the No. 1 music by the Fort Wayne band
was a credit to the musical talent of the band, and exhibited great proficiency
and beauty in the piece executed we did not learn its name. The glee club also
did splendidly for an open air concert, which is always a great difficulty to
keep in time and harmony. In that beautiful song, however, of Brother Past
Grand Master Rob Morris, of Kentucky, which will render his name immortal, "We meet
upon the level, and part upon the square," they were sublime. Brother A.
C. Thompson, of Plymouth, sang the solo with great feeling, perfect harmony and in a key
that sent the sentiments thrilling through every heart.' Again, in the Anvil
Chorus by this club, under the direction of Daniel McDonald, aided by
HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY. 339
the
Plymouth Silver Cornet band, the music was rendered in a manner unsurpassed,
while the silver chimes on the half dozen anvils were most beautifully smitten,
in time and tune. The local bands of Bremen and Warsaw were also in excellent
time, order and beauty. As to the Chicago
band
of twenty pieces (Nevins & Dean's Band), who that knows what they are
capable of will be otherwise than convinced that they discoursed music hardly
surpassed by any band in existence.
Hon;
A. L. Osborn, of LaPorte, who was then judge of the Marshall circuit court, had
been selected by the committee as orator of the day, but owing to sickness was
unable to attend, Hon. Charles H. Reeve, the oldest member of the Marshall
county bar, was then selected "on the spur of the moment," and
although he had but a few hours to prepare what he had to say, made a splendid
effort, which will last in the memory of the people until the cornerstone
itself shall crumble to dust. Since then the distinguished C. H. Reeve has
passed over the mystic river to the great beyond, and it seems fitting that at
least a portion of this address, which contains much food for. thought for the
present and future generations, as a memorial to his name and fame should be
given. After a few preliminary remarks he said:
“The
people of Marshall county have met to lay the cornerstone structure, which will
be their temple of justice, and within which must be kept the records of her
whole history, past and future, and where must be transacted all the business
relating to her people and their prosperity. Her representative business men
must sit here to hold intercourse with other municipalities like herself, with
the state, and with all individuals having public business within her borders;
and from the impression made by them must go abroad the opinions of men as to
the capacity of the people to govern themselves. The extensive interests
involved in her administration, and the important duties demanded by mankind,
so far as they affect her people center here; and from here must emanate in
wisdom or folly. that kind of administration of public affairs which will make
her people prosperous and wise, or bring them burdens and ignorance, and offer
great inducements, or none at all, for capital or intelligence to make their
home with her. The management of schools and the funds to maintain them ; the
valuation of property; the levy of taxes; the collection of and accounting for
the public money; the care of the poor; the directions for public improvements
; the provisions for the safekeeping of persons charged with crimes; the
preservation of the records of the titles to property; the administration of
justice at the hands of the ministers of the law all will have their center
here, and from here will go out the reputation that shall make her fame-good or
bad. It is fitting, then, that the chief cornerstone of this temple shall be
laid with ceremonies, amid scenes and in presence of witnesses that shall
constitute the act an era in the county's history; and it is an occasion when
eloquence could give utterance to thoughts in words which would leave
impressions on the memory not to be forgotten.
"That
ancient craft, organized when the glory of Israel's inspired king filled the
known world with fame in the erection of that wondrous temple their hands
created in all its magnificence, and whose order now is found in every land
beneath the sun, have laid the cornerstone of almost every public building in
the land, and here, today, with their imposing ceremonies,
340
HISTORY
OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
lay
down for us the corner of this structure, in which shall hereafter center so
many vital interests of our people. Within that stone now lies a synopsis of
the record of her history to this day. There are names of men---0ur sometime
public servants who have long since gone down the dusty road on the march to
the home of the dead, and their busy minds, which once sat here in judgment for
us, have ceased to think and plan. For each of them, 'the dome of thought, the
temple of the soul,' has crumbled back to dust; but their names live here, and
'their works do follow them.' Time shall crumble the walls to be here erected.
We shall be where those dead servants are, and our names shall not be known;
but in the long years yet to come, nations who come after us may find these
records and these names here deposited, and thus are formed the links in the
great chain of history which binds the past to the ever-existing present.
"Here,
too, for us as well as those to come, is food for thought. Only thirty years
ago, and we numbered 126 voters; now we number 6,309! Then our whole population
was only 630; now it is about 25,000. Then we had only $461,000 of taxables
supposing the valuation to be one-third-and that mostly in wild lands owned by
non-residents; now we have nearly $15,000,000, owned mostly by residents. Then
we had no rail- roads, no telegraphs, no church buildings, few and widely
scattered log schoolhouses, no educational system or public funds to sustain
one; now see the contrast, and realize that nearly all the vast improvements
that bring all the world together in a week-a day-an hour have principally
emanated from the minds of American citizens, and are the legitimate out-growth
of that system of government of, which our counties form a part.
"See
here today the thousands assembled, who, a few short hours ago, were at their
homes long miles away, and in a few hours hence will be there again, moving all
the time with the ease and comfort of an afternoon visit at the residence of
some friend; again, behold the contrast. These men whose names we have
preserved beneath that stone in their day would have been weeks, by rude
conveyance and camping out, in making such a round.
"Ah
me! well I remember all their faces. And I remember, too, many of the faces of
the wild Indians among whom they came to open up the wilderness that has given
place to all this civilization we now enjoy. I knew these men, and how they
lived. And I saw the red men and their wives and children torn from their homes
here by the soldiers and driven from the graves of their fathers, almost in
sight of this spot where I now stand, by the sharp bayonet of the soldier,
leaving the land for us.
"
And all these names of the early judges and members ,of the bar- how their forms
and faces now come back to me! The Invincible, punning Everts; the English-like
judge, S. C. Sample; the Websterian-Looking , Liston ; the wily Jernegan, the
eloquent Hannegan; the scholarly Bradley;
the scientific Niles; the witty Orton; I cannot pause to name them all,
but their faces rise up before me as they were. Some live yet; some have gone
to visit 'that bourn whence no traveler returns.' But they were with us and of us; and no portion of the state, or of any state, has seen
better lawyers,
truer men, or, as a class, those who have left a better record. Peace to the
ashes of those who are gone; a serene and prosperous old age to those who are
left! It makes me sad to go back in memory to those early days and note the
havoc made by death, It makes me proud to
341
HISTORY
OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
note
the progress made within the space upon which these men have left the impress
of their actions and their thoughts. Within the walls here to be erected, no
pro founder logic, no more thrilling eloquence, no more sparkling wit, will
e'er be heard than has fallen from their lips-now cold in the silent chambers
of the dead!
"But
the living claim our attention. Here before us is the foundation, and about us
are the materials and the workmen; what shall come of it ? A beautiful and
substantial structure, to battle with time and with the elements. .For what use
? The administration of public justice, the protection of private rights, the
punishment for public wrongs, ,the preservation of the public records. Who
shall inhabit here ? The servants of the people. By what rule shall they be
selected ? Because of their fitness, both as to capacity and moral integrity,
let us hope. What a trust is here ! Shall we ever have a Jeffries on the bench
? God forbid! Shall Justice sit blindfolded, while Ignorance, in the person of
her minister, the judge, directs her to strike right or left with her sword,
without regard to the right or without the ability to see which is right ?
Heaven forbid! Shall public opinion, founded on rumor, walk into the jury box
and dictate the verdict without regard to evidence ? Maya just system of
education make it impossible. How shall we insure the non-pollution of this
temple and make it the fit home for justice to dwell in ? By being just
ourselves, and fit to be her ministers. By rejecting demagogues. By respecting
the law and its ministers, and by making them respect us. By refusing to select
them in party or political caucus, and by selecting the purest and most
competent men we have, and then paying them a salary sufficient to command
their attention to our call for their services, and pension them when they have
served till they are old. By crushing, with the contempt of an outraged public,
the men who enter the political arena to use its contaminating influences to
reach the bench. Above all, having, as a people, permitted such a system to be
inaugurated, and many of our good men to be dragged within its action against
their sense of right, let us do away with it at the earliest possible moment,
and recognize the fact-as patent as sunlight-that cheap salaries command cheap
men, and cheap men will degrade justice and bring the law into contempt; the
Lex- Talionis - the mother of anarchy-follows.
"May
no such fate follow the imposing ceremonies of this day. May no such
contamination pollute the beautiful structure whose cornerstone has this day
been laid. May our judges be wise lawyers and honorable gentlemen, and may our
people recognize their right to commensurate respect and compensation. May our
county offices be always filled by the best men we have who are best fitted for
the stations to be filled. May our prosperity continue and our county become
the home of still greater intelligence, industry and enterprise, and may the reputation
of her public men be such as to bring to us the wealth and intelligence from
abroad which would seek a resting place only amid an honorable people, whose
public servants can be safely trusted with the public interests, and where
courts and the law are respected."
Daniel
McDonald, being clerk of the court when the several county offices were moved
from the old to the new, courthouse, spread upon the judge's docket of the
court on the day named. the following :
342 HISTORY
OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
"Be
it remembered, that, on the eleventh day of June, 1872, the records, books and
papers of the several county offices were removed into the new courthouse, just
completed at a cost of $105,000. The officers of the county at this time are:
Daniel McDonald, clerk; Hiram C. Burlingame, auditor; John Soice, treasurer;
John W. Houghton, recorder; Daniel K. Harris, sheriff ; Morgan Johnson,
surveyor; John Bauer, Jr ., coroner ; Hiram A. Ranck, Jonas Miller and Henry
Krause, commissioners."
Judge
Thomas S; Stanfield, of South Bend, presided at the first term of court held in
the new building, and Daniel K. Harris, sheriff, first opened court therein
with the usual "Hear ye! hear ye! hear ye! the honorable Marshall circuit
court is now in session, pursuant to adjournment, and all persons having
business herein can now be heard." .
Daniel
McDonald, clerk of said court, then spread upon the order book of said court
the following entry:
"Be
it remembered that, at a term of the circuit court of Marshall county, state of
Indiana, began and held at the new courthouse, in Plymouth, Indiana on the
first Monday of August, 1872, and on the first judicial day of said term, the
same being August 5, 1872, there were present the Hon. Thomas S. Stanfield,
judge of the ninth judicial circuit of said state, and, ex-officio judge of the
circuit court of Marshall County; William B. Hess, deputy prosecutor of the
ninth district; Daniel McDonald, clerk, and Daniel K. Harris, sheriff of said
county, and court opened in due form of law."
This
was August 5, 1872. The names of the Marshall county bar who were in attendance
at the opening of said term were Charles H. Reeve, James 0. Parks, Horace
Corbin, A. C. Capron, M. A. 0. Packard, D. E. Van Valkenburgh, John G. Osborne,
Amasa Johnson, A. B. Capron, William B. Hess, John S. Bender, J. Darnell, S. D.
Parks, Z. D. Boulton and R. D. Logan.
Of
those mentioned as being the officers of Marshall county in the above entry on
the eleventh of June, 1872, only Daniel McDonald, then clerk, is still living,
and of the fifteen attorneys noted as being present only M. A. 0. Packard, Wm.
B. Hess, John S. Bender and A. B. Capron, now of Denver, Colorado, are still
living.
The
entire cost of the building, including furniture, heating apparatus, grading
the square, and superintendency, was $105,000 ; and the entire county
indebtedness for the same was, at date of completion, only $50,000, for which
bonds had been issued and sold at par, which, two years later, were fully paid.
The
First County Jail.
The
first county jail was built of hewn logs, and was completed August 1, 1838.
From the plans and specifications it appears that the building was "to be
sixteen by twenty, of white or burr oak timber, to be well hewed, and
counter-hewn, twelve inches. square; the foundations to be three sills, twelve
by twenty inches, let into the ground twelve inches ; the lower floor to be
laid with timbers hewn as above, twelve inches square, to be well laid and
perfectly level; the walls of the first story to be made of timbers twelve
inches square and hewed as above, to be built seven and a half feet high; then
the second floor to be laid with timbers hewn as
343 HISTORY
OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
above,
twelve inches square, to be laid in a complete, workmanlike manner; the
above-said wall to be raised with a half 'duff-tail,' so as to fit down close
and tite! to be two windows, twelve inches square and eighteen inches long; the
grates to be let in the centers of the timbers at equal distance; the said
lower floor to be covered with inch boards, well seasoned and well matched, and
spiked down with spikes two inches in length, and the spikes to be two feet
apart one way and six inches the other; the said walls to be, well lined with
good white oak plank, well seasoned and matched together, two inches thick,
spiked on with four inch spikes, twelve inches apart one way and four inches
the other, the whole building to be weather boarded, with good half-inch
boards; the door of entrance to be five feet high and two and a half wide; said
door frame not less than two inches thick, to be made of good timber, well seasoned, and hung-
with good strong hinges in the upper story: of the north side, near the east end; one trap door,
made of good oak timber, five inches thick, two and a half feet square, to be
hung with good iron hinges, made for the purpose; the said door to be let down
even with the floor, in a place cut through the floor for the purpose, to rest
on two iron bars, three feet long, one inch square, with a good and sufficient
hasp and staple, lock and key, to be placed three feet from the wall of the
west end."
The
contract for erecting this magnificent building was let, in 1837, to Oliver
Rose and James Currier, for the sum of $399. The building was completed according
to contract, and many who read this will remember the trap-door aforesaid,
through which prisoners were let down to the
"bottomless pit" in the regions below. This structure was used
until the completion of our present (1879) old brick jail, which in time has
given place to our elegant brick and stone jail, and sheriff's residence,
completed as
stated further on.
Second
County Jail.
The
plans for the second county jail, which stood in the southwest corner of the
public square, were drawn by William M. Dunham. The contract for its erection
was let, through a mistake in reading the bids, in 1849, to A. M. La Peere, E.
Compton and W. G. Norris. This was afterward corrected, and the contract let to
Albert Bass for $2,380. The building was completed according to contract and
delivered over to the county June 1, 1851. The building proved to be a very
poor one, and of late years it has been almost impossible to keep an expert
thief from escaping
through
the tumble-down walls. Some five or six holes, or places where holes were made
through the walls, could be seen on the east, north and west sides. Several
years ago one end was knocked out by a stroke of lightning, but no serious damage resulted. It
was recently demolished by Enoch Belangee.
Third
Jail.
In
the early part of 1879 the board of commissioners resolved to build a new jail,
secured plans and advertised for bids. The plans adopted were drawn by J. C. Johnson, of
Fremont, Ohio, and the contract let to William H. Myers, Fort Wayne, for the
sum of $16,970. The heating apparatus,
344
HISTORY
OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
furnishing,
painting, fencing, etc., will probably bring the total cost to $22,000.
County
Infirmaries.
The
first county asylum, or "poor farm," as it was then known and called,
was purchased in 1849, of John Murphy, for the sum of $1,671.11. It was
situated on the Plymouth and LaPorte road, then known as the "Yellow river
road," about three miles west of Plymouth. For some cause which does not
appear of record it was ordered sold June 19, 1853, for not less than $1,350,
and the auditor was ordered or authorized to sell the same to Joseph Evans for
$900 in Fort Wayne & Chicago railroad stock, and $450 in two equal annual
payments. Why the County should have wanted to invest $900 in Fort Wayne &
Chicago railroad stock, the road at that time not being built, or even in the
course of construction, is one of the historical facts we have been unable to
find out. Practically the stock was worthless, and whatever became of it is not
known. The record of the sale of the "poor farm" does not appear, but
the offer of Mr. Evans was
probably
accepted, as he afterwards owned the land.
Second
Poor Farm.
After
the sale of the "poor farm" as above related, the commissioners
purchased a tract of land about one mile northeast of Tyner, on which was
erected a two-story frame building, thirty-six by thirty-four. This was in
1862. The building was a frame structure, not very substantially built, but
answered the purpose until the erection of the present buildings. The first
superintendent was Minard Taplin, who was appointed in 1862. Prior to that time
the poor of the county were taken care of by contract among the farmers and
people. This building was sold by the county about 1890.
The
Present Infirmary.
About
1890 the board of commissioners decided to purchase land and build a more
modern and commodious asylum, and therefore arranged to sell the farm and house
near Tyner and purchase ground elsewhere, and therefore purchased of Henry Humrickhouser,
two miles east of Plymouth, 195 1/2 acres for the sum of $20,000, for which
bonds were issued. Contracts were then let for the erection of the asylum and
other buildings, and the work was completed and accepted by the commissioners
June 12, 1893. The total cost of the building is set forth in the following
statement :
J.
D. Wilson & Son, for work and material. $24,882.22
J.D.
Wilson & Son for Windmill 140.00
J.D.
Wilson & Son, for well 127.75
J.
D. Wilson & Son, extra brick, stone and ceiling. 383.70
Hatter
sly & Son, plumbing and heating. 4,692.94
Hatter
sly & Son, gas Pipe, closets 70.00
W.
& J.J. Geek, contract stone 398.25
Wing
& Maharan, architects, 5 per cent on coast of building 1,551.50
J Wing & Maharan, trips to
make estimates. 158.35
Matthews
Gas Company, contract for lighting. 430.00
Matthews
Gas Company, contract for oil, etc. 195.12
Henry
Humrickhouser, 1951/2 acres land. 20,000.00
Total
cost of infirmary $53,365.83
344 HISTORY
OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
The
following are the names of those who have been appointed superintendents of the
county farm and infirmary since that part of the public service of the county
was organized: Millard Taplin, George W. Boyd, Henry W. Steckman, Sanford E.
Jacox, William B. Kyle, Jonas Haag, Nathan E. Bunch, Prosper N. Mickey, Peter J. Kruyer.