Crawford County, Illinois - Chapter 3: A Period of Transition, 1909

In Robinson In 1844 And Second Jail In 1845

FIRST COUNTY JAIL BUILT IN 1818 - ILLINOIS BECOMES A STATE DURING THE SAME YEAR - ADOPTION OF A STATE CONSTITUTION RESULTS IN CHANGES IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT - FIRST BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS - OTHER COUNTY OFFICERS - A SERIES OF COURT HOUSE DISASTERS - FIRST AND SECOND BUILDINGS BURNED, THE LAST BEFORE IT WAS TURNED OVER BY THE CONTRACTORS - A THIRD BUILDING ERECTED IN 1833 ROBINSON IN 1843 - FIRST COURT HOUSE ERECTED IN ROBINSON IN 1844 AND SECOND JAIL IN 1845 - A STONE JAIL ERECTED IN 1877.

At the period of the fifth term of the County Court in 1818, the time had come when the building of a jail was a necessity. As the population increased the lawless element had made its presence manifest, and methods of restraint had be come imperative. The contract to build a prison of hewn logs twelve inches s;uare, was let to John Woods, the lowest bidder, August 22, 1818, and he completed the work for $514, County Clerk Piper superintending the construction. Commencing December 7th of the year, the last term of the county court under the old Territorial system was held with Joseph Kitchell, David Porter and Thomas Anderson as Justices. Illinois had been admitted into the Union as a State during the year, and a change in the law provided for the transaction of official business pertaining to counties by a body called County Commissioners, three for each county. The first Commissioners were Wickliffe Kitchell, Edward N. Cullom and William Barbee, and their first session began June 7, 1819, in James Wilson's tavern in the town of Palestine, Edward H. Piper serving as Clerk, John H. Woodworth, Sheriff, and Thomas Kennedy being appointed County Treasurer. In December, 1819, the new County Commissioners formally accepted the jail built by Joseph Wood, and the same month, accepted the new court house erected by William Lindsey, of Vincennes, Ind., under a contract previously let, the latter building being first used for court purposes in March, 1820. At the October term of the court in that year, it was ordered: "That Venetian blinds be made for the court house in Palestine and slips to shut them against; that the two doors be faced with strong ruff scantling, and double battenshutters be made and hung to each; that the windows and doors be hung with good wrought or east iron hinges, and each side be cornished up with good, neat, solid cornish, like that on the steam sawmill at Vincennes." The material was of a very inferior quality and the construction was equally poor, so that, although occupied for several years, the county had refused to pay for it in full until compelled by a judgment rendered against it in the Circuit Court of Edwards County. It was never entirely completed, and in course of time, was thrice struck by lightning, the walls being damaged to such an extent that they were finally taken down, the material being sold. The county being now without a court house, second official quarters were obtained wherever the county could rent space, the Circuit Court sometimes sitting in one part of the town and the-grand jury holding its session in In March, 1830, the County Commissioners passed an order providing for the building of a frame court house on the southwest corner of the public square. The hewn timbers for this building were furnished by David Porter at a cost of $119, and Benjamin Myers and his six brothers put up the building. On the night before it was to have been turned over to the county authorities it was destroyed by fire. In December, 1832, County Commissioner John Boyd, James H. Wilson and Asa Norton passed an order "that another court house be built on the same ground, and of the same kind and size as the one burnt." This structure, which is still standing, was built by Sewell Goodridge and Presiey O. Wilson, and was occupied by the county for official purposes until the removal of the county-seat to Robinson. It was afterwards used for several years as a place of worship by the Christian denomination. The first court house in Robinson, costing $4,200, was erected in 1844, the expense of its construcfion being paid from the "bonus fund," consisting of money received from the sale of saline and mineral lands, together with donations made by the State, amounting to several thousand dollars, in aid of county improvements. The old log-jail was moved to Robinson in 1843 and was succeeded by a brick jail in 1845, the latter giving place to another containing iron cells, two years later. In 1877, a stone jail was built, southeast of the court house.