Hancock County, Ohio - Chapter 20: Present Court House New Jail Infirmary, 1881

IN a former chapter I have spoken of the old frame Court House, and the old log Jail, which did good service in their time, but had to give way to more suitable buildings, and whatever of interest connected with them remains only as a memory. The fact that the county has built three jails and but two Court Houses, is perhaps not a very flattering commentary on the morals of the county, unless we remember that our .people failed to put up substantial jails, a mistake which was not made in the building of a Court House.

As early as 1837 the project of building a new Court House was agitated, and in that year action was taken by the County Commissioners to its speedy erection. At their June session of that year it was " Resolved that the Commissioners of the county will borrow the sum of ten thouaud dollars for the purpose of building Public Buildings in Fiudley." It was also at the same session " Ordered that the Auditor shall give notice in the Findley Courier, that proposals will be received on the 4th day of July next, at the Auditor's office in Findley, to make L!O0,000 good brick to build county buildings in Findley," and " Ordered that a draft or model shall be drawn of a Court House suitable for the county, at the expense of the county."

finished, or bow constructed. We can only guess at the time of the letting of the contract, and it must have been in tiie same year, or very early in 1838, as we shall presently see by the record. All agi*ee, however, that the contract was let to John McCurdy, and that he was the builder.

At the meeting of the Commissioners in April, 1888, it " Ordered that William Taylor receive the Surplus Revenue Fund from the Treasurer of said fund, and pay over the same to John McCurdy on the contract of the Court House, provided the interest be allowed until the first of June, 1 838, for the amount so advanced."

The present Court House - the building of which was contracted for with the said John McCurdy, is of brick - then a wood roof - now metal - and surmounted by a wooden cupola, with spire and lightning rod. In front are four massive wooden columns, one either side of the rotunda or entrance, and one at each corner. The Court Room occupies the entire first floor except the rotunda and stair way, and the Sheriff's office, which are in front. This Court Room was originally finished in the plainest manner, with plain benches, plain platform for Judge's seat, and only benches for Jurors. It is now, however, made much more comfortable and convenient by successive additions, and improvements in furniture and interior arrangement.

The upper story is occupied by the different county officers, whose rooms are arranged on either side of a wide hall running the entire length of the building. The building stands in a park, which occupies an entire square on the west side of Main street, and the location is a commanding one. This structure answers the purpose for which it was built, but is sadly out of place as a representative of the wealth and public business of the county.

In December, 1838, the Commissioners "Ordered that Jacob Barnel, Esq., be and he is hereby appointed to receive funds from the fund Commissioners of the county, tO' pay over the same to John McCurdy, on the contract entered into by the County Commissioners with John Mc- Curdy, for building the Court House."

In December, 1839, the Auditor of the county was " Ordered to procure all the receipts of John McCurdy given for monies received by him, and file the same in his office,, and open an account with the said McCurdy in a book to be procured by him for that purpose. Also to ascertain the amount due him, and exhibit the same to the Board at its next session."

At the same meeting it was " Ordered that John Mc- Curdy put, construct, erect and finish a partition wall up stairs, or in the upper story of the said Court House, across the present hall with a door therein, so as to cut off any communication with the Jury room." No tampering with the jury was intended to be possible.

In 1841 the Auditor was ordered to employ some suitaable person to make one dozen chairs for the use of the Court House, and benches for the jury rooms.

It seems that there was some trouble, or at least delay in the completion of the building, for in June, 1841, it was " Ordered that if the Court House in Findley is not finished by the 15th of August next, the Auditor put the bonds in the hands of Edson Goit, Esq., to commence suit thereon." And in July, 1842, it still being unfinished, it was " Ordered that the Auditor will have suit brought against John Mc- Curdy, by the first of September next, providing the contract for finishing the Court House should not be completed by that time."

lu Jime, 1843, the Sheriff" was directed to be careful and not have the Court House abused by public gatherings and Justice's Courts. So great were the differences between the Commissioners and McCurdy, and so impossible of amicable adjustment, that the matters in dispute were submitted to arbitration, and at an extra session in July, 1843, we find the Commissioners directing the Auditor to enter upon the journal the amount of arbitration in the case of John Mc- Curdy vs. the Commissioners.

In March, 1846, it was " Ordered by the Commissioners that Frederick Henderson be, and he is hereby authorized to procure for said county, as soon as practicable, a suitable bell for the Court House, the cost of which shall not exceed two hundred and fifty dollars." The bell w^as procured and put in place.

It is impossible to tell from the records the cost of the buildings, and it is a matter of recollection only fo those who remember the incidents connected with it. Elijah Barnel, Esq., who was Auditor of the county for two terms,, and who is perhaps as well informed in the matter as any man now living, says that the building cost about eleven thousand dollars.

Thus, through much contention and many disappointments, and not a few threatenings of law suits, was the building completed, and occupied by the several county officers, with a feeling that we had about as magnificent a county building as could be found anywhere.

Feeling the necessity of a secure place for prisoners the Commissioners in December, 1851, ordered "That the Auditor cause a notice to be published in the two papers published in Findley, to receive sealed proposals for build- ing a jail in said county. Said jail to be let on the 9th day of January, 1852." At that date the contract was let to Thomas McCrary for the sum of four thousand seven hundred and forty-three dollars.

The contract was entered into January 15th, 3 852, and the building completed the same year. It was built on Lot No. 58, on the west side of the Park. The structure was of brick and stone, so put together, that it was thought to be impossible for any one to escape, and yet, in later years especially, it seemed no trouble for those inside to make their escape.

But this, too, has been superseded by the present magnificent building on corner Main, Cross street and the Park. This edifice includes Sheriff's residence, a two story brick, with basement, finely ornamented with stone, and tastefully finished on the interior, in the rear of which are the cells, entirely of stone and iron, and constructed in the most secure manner. The whole premises are a credit to the county, and were erected at a cost of something over twentyfive thousand dollars. The lot on which the building stands cost $5,000, the contract for the building was let for $17,264, and to this must be added the cost of grading, fencing, etc.

The necessity of the county making some provision for tlie care of the poor, other than letting each township look after its own, and have them distributed throughout the county at a great expense, had long been acknowledged, and the propriety of purchasing lands and erecting thereon suitable buildings for an Infirmary, had been pretty generally discussed, especially in those townships in which the care of the poor had become burdensome. Accordingly the Commissioners ordered that the question of building an Infirmary should be submitted to the voters of the county

The proposition having carried by a large majority, the Commissioners thereupon caused the following notice to be published in both the county papers for one week. " Citizens living from three to eight miles from the county-seat, and wishing to sell their lands for this purpose, will send their proposals to the Auditor within due time."

In May, 1 867, they purchased the present farm of Geo. Heck, paying therefor the sum of seventeen thousand, one hundred dollars. The ftirm is in Liberty township, bordering on the east line of the township, and on the south side of the river, about two and a half miles from Findley as the road goes. It is a most beautiful location, being on quite an eminence, overlooking the river and the splendid farms on the opposite side. The land is very fertile and yields most abundant crops.

In March, 1868, the Commissioners contracted with John Shull, a builder and contractor, for the erection of a suitable building. The building is of brick, four stories high, including basement, which is eight feet in heighth, the first story eleven feet in the clear, and the other stories ten feet each. All covered with a metal roof The contract price for the building was $12,393.

Our county has an Infirmary which will favorably compare with any in the State, and its management has always been in the interests of the county, and the comfort of the unfortunate inmates.