Fayette County, Ohio - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 2 of those read), 1914 (part 2 of 2)

The contract for the plastering was given to Silas Young for three hundred and twenty-nine dollars and on December 8th, the same year, the work was completed, examined by the commissioners and accepted. On April ro, 1830, the inside work was examined and accepted by the board and the balance paid. This was the date of the finishing of the court house, although it had been used previously. On June 9, 1836, Daniel McLean was ordered to purchase a bell for the court house, at any sum not to exceed one hundred dollars. At different times afterward repairs were made on the building and improvements added.

The Present Court House

In 1844 a county auditor's office, also a treasurer's, were built on the Court street side. William Harfor was the contractor. [Extensive repairs were made in 1846, consisting of girders, flooring, plastering, and painting of the outside in Venetian red. In 1848 an addition was made on the northwest side also, twelve by thirty feet in size. THE PRESENT COURT HOUSE.

The first mention made of attempting to prepare for the erection of the present magnificent temple of justice for Fayette county was an item found in the Herald, dated March, 1881, which spoke of the county commissioners having decided to put it to a vote of the people of the county, at an election to be held April 4th, that year. The propositions up were: "Shall we build a court house by tax, and shall we build a jail by tax?" The county board then consisted of Joshua Mahan, R. S. Sutherland and W. J. Horney.

The records show that a contract was awarded, August 3, 1882, to J. North Bros. & Lichtenberger, under architects D. W. Gibbs & Company, of Toledo, Ohio, to construct a court house, the same being the present substantial and beautiful temple of justice. The contract price was originally eighty-five thousand eight hundred and fifty dollars, and the structure was to be completed by September 1, 1884.. To this were added changes and internal improvements, fixtures and furniture, etc., totalling about one hundred and forty thousand dollars for the property, as it now stands. It is its own best monument and record, for doubtless unborn generations will yet use it to transact the business of Fayette county in. When erected, thirty-one years ago, it was looked upon as among the finest, modern court houses in Ohio. Age has told somewhat on it, yet it is in good condition today. Recently, it has had its outer walls thoroughly cleaned, making the stone work look as good as new. A town clock adorns and makes useful its splendid tower. It is a high three-story structure. A hot-water heating plant was contracted for in 1903, and cost one thousand five hundred dollars; at the same date another contractor placed in the jail a similar one, costing two hundred and ninety-five dollars.

County Jails

The first jail built at Washington C. H. was located near the present one, about sixty feet from Main street and about thirty feet southeast of the alley running along the northwest side of the old public square. The jail consisted of two square pens, one inside the other, the intervening space of perhaps one foot between the walls being filled in with stone, the outer wall being about twenty-four feet square. It was built of hewed logs, was two stories high, and was erected about 1811 or 1812. At the east corner a door opened into a hallway six feet wide that extended along the northeast side of the building to the north corner. About five or six feet from the entrance to this hall a stairway led to the "debtor's room' above. The room below was about twelve by eighteen feet and was called the criminal cell, or dungeon. This jail was burned in 1823 by an incendiary, and the sheriff's dwelling, a small frame structure contiguous to the jail, was also destroyed at the same time, with all the household goods of Sheriff Robinson, save a deer-hide trunk, containing some of the clothing belonging to his deceased wife.

and also closer to Main street. This was a two-story brick building, twentyfive feet square, and was arranged inside similar to the old log jail. The walls of this jail were only thirteen inches thick and several prisoners escaped while it was in use. On December 9, 1835, the auditor was ordered to offer the old jail for sale on the 15th of the following June, except such material as the board might reserve.

On January 15, 1836, at a meeting of the board, it was decided that, for lack of funds, the old jail should be repaired instead of building a new one. New walls of bricks were to be built, the same height as the old ones, also one dungeon and one prison room, and the whole building to undergo repairs, the contract for which was let to Benjamin A. Crone for three hundred and fifty dollars. On the 27th of the following August the work was reported completed.

This jail was used until September 16, 1839, when public notice was given that a new jail was to be constructed, located on the public square, forty-four feet front, thirty-five feet back, and two stories high, with all the necessary cells and other fixtures for the confinement and accommodation of prisoners, all of which work was to be done by Edward Lamme for fortyseven hundred dollars, who entered into bond for the faithful performance of the same. After the walls were up the carpenter work was begun by Benjamin A. Crone, who was to complete the same for one thousand dollars. On August 25, 1841, the commissioners accepted the jail, after a careful examination of the work.

The present jail and sheriff's residence was erected by the same contractors who constructed the present court house. It was built in 1882-3, at a cost of twenty thousand dollars for the structure, to which were added interior expenses from time to time. It is an excellent building, standing on the corner of the public square, near the court house.

Public Drinking Fountain

On the corner of the court house square is situated a handsome public drinking fountain, constructed of gray granite at much expense. It was placed there, handy to the passer-by, in 1896, by Mrs. Morris Sharp. It bears the inscription upon its large square metal tablet, facing the court house, the words: "Presented to the City of Washington Court House and Fayette County, by Madeline Baker Sharp, in Memory of Her Husband, Morris the waters of this artistic fountain, and it will doubtless stand many years as a perpetual reminder of, and as a truly befitting memorial to, one of the honored sons of Fayette county.

Odd as it may seem to the reader of today, when time locks and fireproof, burglar-proof safes are found in every county in the country, at the time when County Treasurer Heagler took the office in 1838, the county safe consisted of a tin box, six inches in depth, by four inches wide and a foot long. It was fastened with a tin clasp and brass pad-lock. This "safe" held the paper money, while the coin, amounting to about two hundred dollars, was placed in a shot bag. The "office" consisted of a mere room. The official papers were kept in a sealed half-bushel measure. The books were three in number and had-thin paste-board covers. The room had no desk, table or stationery. In fact, the treasurer did his county business largely at his private residence. He received four hundred and fifty dollars per year salary.

The early residents of this state were in the habit of providing for the wants of the poor and destitute in the following manner. When application for the keeping of a person in poor circumstances was made to the township trustees, they bound him for a certain term to the lowest bidder, who was required to give bond for the faithful discharge of his duty, feeding, clothing | and properly caring for his charge. Thus were the poor well cared for in the early days. ,

Later an act was passed by the Legislature of Ohio, providing for the "establishment of county poor houses." Any county having within her limits a sufficient number of paupers was empowered to purchase grounds and erect suitable buildings thereon, to which all the infirm and needy were to be admitted. For the period of nearly fifty years after its organization Fayette county had no public institution in which she could care for her infirm, but provided for them through her township trustees. In about 1850 philanthropic citizens agitated the erection of buildings for this purpose and in 1853 the board of county commissioners were induced to take the matter under advisement. On June 7, 1853, they resolved to erect an institution of this character and purchase a tract of land for the same. On the same day Hopkins Shivers, in consideration of three thousand five hundred eightyseven dollars and fifty cents, deeded to Jacob A. Rankin, Robert Eyre and Micajah Draper, commissioners, for the purpose of a poor house, a tract of land. It is not certain whether steps were immediately taken to construct buildings on the deeded land. On Christmas day, 1854, the board examined the woodwork of the building being erected and were satisfied. On May 16, 1855, the plastering was looked over in the same manner. A report for the year ending June 1, 1855, showed the institution in operation, with seven inmates. THE FAYETTE COUNTY CHILDREN'S HOME.

This institution was founded, under the laws of Ohio, in June, 1885, on a hundred-acre tract of land bequeathed by Peter Carder. The administration building was completed in October, 1886. In 1900 thirty-four acres more land were added, and the donation of ten thousand dollars by a wealthy farmer named Jesse Johnson, from the east part of the county, materially aided in making the excellent improvements there found today. This donation was provided for in Mr. Johnson's will in 1896. Fifty-three acres were then added, making a total of one hundred and eighty acres in the place. It is all valuable land.

Carder Infirmary

Peter Carder, an old resident of this county and owner Of an immense old estate, upon being informed of the necessity of a new poor farm, conceived the idea of donating a portion of his estate to the county for infirmary purposes. In the year 1863, shortly before his death, he bequeathed te the county five hundred and seven acres of his estate, as a home for the poor. After his death, his widow objected to the provisions of the will, and several years passed before the matter was compromised. The county, in 1867, by its agents, William Clark, William Jones and Allen Heagler, began the erection of the new building. The foundations were laid in the summer of the same year and by 1869, the work was fully completed. On July 7, 1869, the inmates of the old building, forty-seven in number, were admitted to the new infirmary. This institution was located on the Columbus pike, two miles northeast from Washington C. H. It is a four-storied structure, including basement and attic, and contains many modern conveniences. The government of the institution is vested in a board of directors and a superintendent

The last report of the condition of the county infirmary, made by the auditor of Fayette county, in September, 1914, shows the following: The total cost of maintaining the unfortunate poor during the year ending September 1st, was seven thousand five hundred seventeen dollars and fiftyseven cents, but this did not take into account the amount of produce raised on the county farm, as the harvest was not yet gathered and its value obtainable at that date. Then there is the additional expense of keeping certain persons, or partly maintaining them, outside the infirmary, which sum amounted to two thousand four hundred twenty-six dollars and eighty-six cents, making a grand total of nine thousand nine hundred forty-four dollars and forty-three cents, less the amount raised on the county farm. On September 1, 1914, there were forty persons, twenty-six men and fourteen women inmates. There were fourteen admitted during the last fiscal year. Total number supported during the year, fifty-four, thirty-six male and eighteen females. Five died during the last year and eight were discharged, making the present number of inmates forty-one, thirty of whom are men.

The average cost of keeping the inmates of the Children's Home was one hundred sixty-six dollars and one cent each, and the average number in the home was thirty-six.

During the year ending, September 1, 1914, five hundred and twentynine dollars was paid to old soldiers, sailors and marines, and three thousand three hundred and sixty-seven dollars to wives and widows, making a total of three thousand eight hundred and ninety-six dollars.

In the matter of highways, Fayette county has for many years been in the forefront in its improvements of the public roads. Its citizens long years ago decided that good road-making was the wisest policy to pursue. These highways have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the money was well expended. These roads have been the means of increasing the general value of farming lands throughout the county, and have been a pleasure to the tax-payer, as he has traveled from one township to another. In August, 1900, the records of the county disclose the fact that there were then two hundred and seventy-eight miles of pike roads in Fayette county, divided in the various townships as follows: Union township, forty-nine miles ; Jefferson township, forty-seven miles; Perry township, eighteen miles; Madison township, twenty-eight miles; Marion township, eighteen miles; Jasper township, thirty miles; Paint township, thirty-seven miles; Green town- ship, fifteen miles; Concord township, nineteen miles, and Wayne township, seventeen miles. At present it is believed that there are upwards of four hundred miles of pike (or its equivalent) in Fayette county, and more is being annually contracted for.

County Finances

An up-to-date county history should make some mention of the financial condition of the county in question, and we know of no better method than to give some account of early-day finances and values and then, in contrast, give the present showing as found in the county records and reports of 1914, which will here follow:

In 1837, or seventy-seven years ago, the record shows that the number of acres of land in the county was 236,265; value of same, including houses, $356,212; value of town lots, including buildings, $33,258; number of horses, 3,565, valued at $142,600; number of cattle, 5,753, valued at $46,024; merchants' capital and money at interest, $35,737; number of pleasure carriages, 27, valued at $1,779 (price of a modern automobile). The tax on physicians and lawyers was $24; total amount of taxables, $615,580; amount of tax paid into the state treasury, $7,397.

In 1838 George Mantle, Samuel Sollars and James Kirkpatrick, surplus revenue fund commissioners, published a statement in the local newspapers, relative to the funds as used by the county. The total amount received thereof from the state was $14,485, and it was loaned to individuals at the rate of seven per cent. on personal security.

It is an historic fact that in 1835 the United States was out of debt, a thing that has only occurred once in her history as a republic. The funds in the national treasury then increased and rapidly accumulated in excess of the expenditures.

The subjoined is a brief summary of the present standing of finances in and for Fayette county as per auditor's report for the fiscal year 1913:

Among the expenditures and disbursements were the following items: State expenses, $16,481.14; local school districts, $112,395.91; Children's Home school, $55.39; townships, $43,041.91; cities and villages (schools), $49,719.54; examination of municipalities, $133.87; examination of district

Among the detailed items of county expenses are found these: For charitable purposes and support of the poor, a total of $22,680.37. Of this total amount there were items as follows: For Children's Home, $5,264.95 ; relief for indigent blind persons within the county, $3,049.50; for care, treatment and burial of tuberculosis cases, $300.94. For court of common pleas expenses, $4,443.16. Total cost of criminals to county, $1,715.05. Total expended in the locating and construction of ditches, $13,697.27.

It will be seen that much of the tax money goes, as it should, for education. Next comes the expenses connected with the great drainage ditches of the county, by which lands once of but slight value for agriculture have become the most fertile and valuable of any in the county, now so well known as one of Ohio's banner agricultural counties.