Livingston County, Illinois - Chapter 7: Public Buildings, 1909

Been Made In The Building

COURT HOUSE ERECTED IN 1839-40 - OTHER JUDGES WHO PRESIDED THERE - SECOND BUILDING ERECTED IN 1857 - DESCRIPTION OF PRESENT BUILDING ERECTED IN 1875 - PRESENT OFFICIAL OCCUPANTS OF THE BUILDING - FIRST COUNTY JAIL ERECTED IN 1867 - CHANGES WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE BUILDING.

The first regular term of circuit court was held by Hon. Samuel H. Treat, in the spring of 1840, in an old log cabin erected by Henry Weed in the fall of 1832, on the bank of the Vermilion river, east of Williams' mill. The jury held its deliberations on a lot of saw logs which lay on the bank of the river. Nicholas Hefner officiated as sheriff and James Campbell as prosecuting attorney. The log cabin cannot be what is properly termed a court house nor the saw-logs a jury room any more than the Odd Fellows' hall, Dehner's hall or the Methodist church could be so called, because the courts were held there while the present court house was being built in the years 1874-75.

The first court house building was erected in Pontiac in 1839-40. Messrs. Henry Weed, Lucius Young and Seth Young were the owners of the townsite of Pontiac, and entered into an agreement with the county commissioners to donate a block of ground on which a suitable building should be erected for that purpose, They also agreed to give the county the sum of $3,000, an acre of land not more than thirty rods from the court house for the erection of a jail and an estray pen, and to build a good and substantial bridge across the Vermilion at or near that point. The commissioners accepted the proposition of the Messrs. Youngs and Weed, and they gave bond for their faithful performance of the contract, signed by themselves as principals, and C. H. Perry, who was the first merchant in the county, James McKee, who was then part owner of the mill property, and Jesse W. Fell, as sureties.

On December 8rd, 1839, the county commissioners entered into a contract with Messrs. Weed and the Youngs for the construction of the court house, which was to be 20x30 feet, two stories high; to be built and completed within twelve months after "there is sufficient rise in the Vermilion river to allow the proprietors of the saw mill to put said mill in operation." completed in 1841, and occupied for the first time July 28rd, 1842. It was a very modest and unpretentious affair, but fulfilled every requirement in those days, and there was no dissatisfaction expressed. The building was removed to the lot on which now stands the First Methodist church, in 1856, to make room for a larger and more pretentious one, as the county had settled up rapidly. :

Court was held in the old building and it was regularly used until the new one was completed. A After the completion of the new building, the old one was used for many years as a school house and, in the late '60s, was used as a city hall and headquarters of the volunteer fire department. When the Methodist church bought the property, the old court house building was removed one block east, where it was transformed into a dwelling house, and a few years ago it was again placed on rollers and moved to the northeastern part of the city on Hazel street, and is now occupied as a dwelling. The frame of the old structure is still in a good state of preseryation.

"Judge Samuel H. Treat of Springfield, who afterwards became quite a noted man, presided as judge in this court house, as did also Judge Edwin S. Leland of Ottawa, one of the leading lawyers of Illinois for some time afterwards.

During this period, only a few lawyers were located in Pontiac, most of the attorneys coming from Bloomington and Ottawa. Simeon De Witt and McGregor and Dart were the leading attorneys of Pontiac at that time.

The second court house was erected in Pontiac in 1856, at a cost of $14,000. After the building was completed, there was considerable dissatisfaction manifested by the people, not alone in Pontiac, but all over the county. It was built of brick, and many thought it larger and more expensive than necessary. It was openly charged at the time that the building could have been erected for less than $10,000, provided the proposals were put in the usual form. Besides being the court house, it was used for entertainments of- all kinds, including traveling companies, and many people who afterwards became famous as entertainers before the people of the country have given exhibitions there. The court room was used as a hall, and those denominations of Christians without houses of worship, found it a very convenient place to hold their services. Like the preceding court house, all public meetngs of citizens were held within its walls, as were ` also the exhibitions given by the public schools of Pontiac, many of the scholars, who are now considered old settlers of the county, making their debut before the public there. In one room was located the Pontiac post office, while some of the practicing attorneys occupied the offices in the building not occupied by regularly elected officials,

After the Civil War the county began to settle up rapidly, and it was soon realized that the building was all too small and insignificant looking for a county which was now certainly destined to be one of the leading in the state. Located on the southeast corner of the square were the closets in connection with the building. This was an eyesore to every one in the county, and particularly so to the citizens of Pontlag who lived near the square, and when the building burned to the ground on July 4th, 1874, a large majority of the citizens of Pontiac viewed the ruins with feelings of joy and gladness.

While this court house was being erected Judge Lee, one of the prominent men of the county and who held the office of county judge, planted the trees in the yard which at the present time are so much admired by our citizens and visitors to the county seat. The Judge secured the services of Luke Jordan, who still resides in this township on a farm west of the city, to assist him. The judge and Mr. Jordan repaired to the timber on the bank of the river and selected the trees and in time they were duly planted. The trees were planted in straight rows along the sides of the square while on the inside they were scattered about promiscuously. They were planted thick, and as they grew in size they shaded the yard completely. On the day the court house burned, most all of the trees on the east and north side of the building were destroyed, but those on the west side were saved and stand to-day as a living monument to the great foresight of Judge Lee and his valued assistant, Luke Jordan. Judge Lee and Luke Jordan never received a word of thanks or a word of mention from the county officials In those days - in fact, the people of that time (1856) made light of their efforts and they were ridiculed for their trouble. How different it is to-day! And when it i= generally known who did

All three of our court houses have been erected on the square bounded by Main, Madison, Mill and Washington streets. After the fire of July 4th, 1874, court was held in the basement of the Methodist church (since destroyed by fire), Dehner's hall (which has been entirely remodeled) and the Odd Fellows' hall on South Mill street. All the recotds of the various offices were saved from the fire and remain to this day intact. The various offices of the courts were distributed about town and business went on as usual in a few days after the fire occurred. The work of rebuilding the court house was immediately begun after the fire, and in nearly a year's time it was ready for occupancy. The building committee appointed by the board of supervisors to take charge of the work, consisted of James E. Morrow of Pontiac; Captain W. S. Sims of Pontiac; C. G. Greenwood of Charlotte; Edson Wilder of Waldo; Jacob Phillips of Newtown; and Colonel James B. Parsons of Dwight. To these gentle men the people of Livingston county owe a debt of gratitude for the honest and conscientious discharge of an onerous public trust. If the board was wise in the selection of the plans, their wisdom did not then leave them, for, through their building committee they beld the contractors to the exact line of their contract, permitting no changing of plans for the sake of increasing their bills. They started out with the motto, "No extras allowed here," and hung to it faithfully. They had. particularly Messrs. Morrow and Sims, who resided in Pontias at that time, both of whom are now dead, who gave constant and careful examination of the work, seeing every piece of timber which went into the building and inspecting the work daily. The board of supervisors at once advertised for plans. Ten plans were offered, the estimated cost of which ranged from $35,- 000 to $65,000. The most difficult portion of the committee's labor was to decide which of the plans ought to be accepted; none of them answered the requirements exactly. A building was wanted which would accommodate the Increasing population of one of the largest counties In the state, a county which at that time, it was thought, would soon be inhabited by over 75,000 people. Another difficulty was found in the fact that the blocks in the city of Pontiac are so small that the proposed building would constantly be in danger of fire from the surrounding buildings. This fact, not generally known, called for additional thousands to render the building fireproof. The selection of the plan furnished by Architect J. C. Cochrane, of Chicago, was the result of long and careful study, and a belief that while it cost more money it was the only one which for size; fire-proof qualities and solidity, would answer the purpose, and was, indeed, in the matter of taste and elegance, much in advance of any other, which, with the assurance from the architect that the building could be put up for less than $70,000, settled the question.

On the second day of October, 1874, the contract for the building was let to Colwell, Clark & Co., of Ottawa, upon good and sufficient bond signed by the Hon. Washington Bushnell. The work was at once commenced, and with the exception of the three winter months, was constantly pushed to completion. The supervisors accepted the court house from the contractors an Friday, November 5, 1875, and the building was thrown open to the public on Saturday afternoon. As there was a large crowd in Pontiac during the afternoon the building was filled by an admiring throng. (See cut of Court House.)

A description of the building and grounds as it stands to-day would not be amiss in these pages. The right hand front is the west side of the building, having an extreme length, from the corners of the corner towers, of 140 feet. The left hand front is the north end, being eightysix feet. The east and south fronts are identical with those in view. The height to the top of the flag-staff is as follows: Basement, 9 feet; first story, 17 feet; second story, 26 feet; and above this, including attic; approach to the belfry, lookout, dome and flag-staff, 98 feet; total 150 feet.

The exterlor of the building presents a beautiful and neat apparance. Six feet of the basement is of stone; above that to the eaves, is of pressed brick, with cut stone corners and window trimmings, the brick work painted and tuckpointed. The cornices and protections of dormer and roof windows, as well as the corners of the roof, are of galvanized iron, neatly painted in stone colors, which when first completed were capped with fancy iron fence work. The roofs are slate. All the work around the windows of the dome is of galyanized iron, and presents the appearance of cast iron.

rooms for the use of boilers, storing coal, and for extra vaults for records. In the basement on the south is located an elegant rest room for the women, while at the north end is located the toilet rooms for the men.

The ground story is approached by stone steps leading through the porticos into the main halls, which are ten and twelve feet wide, respectively. Passing in at the north door we have on the left, first, the county clerk's office and its vault; second, the board of review's office and vault, these two occupying the northeast quarter of the building opposite ; occupying the northwest quarter are the offices of the county judge and state's attorney. The southwest quarter of the building, consisting of two large rooms and a vault, is occupied by the circuit clerk's office. The southwest quarter of the building. consisting of two large rooms with vault and closet, is occupied by the sheriff and county treasurer. These eight main offices are about 20x 40 feet, and are beautifully lighted, are high, and the doors are all wood work, neatly trimmed with heavy black walnut moulding. The vaults are thoroughly fire-proof, the windows being protected by heavy iron shutters, and the entrance by steel doors. Passing from the north. and passing the county court room, you meet the broad winding stairs by which you reach the second story at the north door of the large court room, one of the finest court rooms in central Illinois. There is also a similar flight of stairs leading to the south door of this room. The stairways are wide and nice, finished in ash and walnut, the wainscoating being in pine and walnut. The court room occupies the center of the building and is 46 x 78, and 25 feet high, with three windows in either end, which are about 5x 20 feet, giving a pleasant light from the east and west, with no noon-day sun. The judge's bench is on the east side, with the desks of the sheriff and clerk adjoining on the south,

The court stenographer's desk adjoins the judge's bench on the north in close proximity to the witness stand, while the seats for jury are' just next, being separated by a railing. The seats occupied by the jury are models of excellence and very comfortable.

The bar occupies about twenty feet of the space in front of the bench, the remainder of the room being seated on the floor with up-to-date opera chairs. Just back of the auditorium are the sleeping rooms of the jurymen, in which are placed twelve iron beds. North of the court room the space is divided into two large rooms for the use of the grand and petit jurors and supervisors, and four small rooms for the use of the court stenographer, juries and witnesses. South of the court room are, first, the ante-room and then the library and judge's room. Just across the hall is located the office of the county superintendent of schools.

A more admirable division of space could hardly be made. All these rooms are fitted up in the very nicest style in hard wood finish. The entire building is now lighted with electricity, but wnen it was first occupied gasoline was used.

When the building was completed, the committee intrusted with the work of purchasing furniture contracted with A. H. Andrews Co. of Chicago, for black walnut furniture to supply the entire building and the seats for the court room for $3,485. They also contracted with J. Davidson of Joilet for stone walks from the gates to the steps. Since that time, however, the benches in the court room have been replaced with up-todate seats and the furniture and fixtures in the various offices have been taken out and removed, and in their stead now one finds modern equipment. The stone in the yard has been taken up and cement walks have been added, greatly beautifying the square.

The building cost, including furniture and heating apparatus and gas lighting, when accepted from the contractors, in round numbers, $75,000. Only $50 was allowed for extra work.

A singular commentary on the building is, that no sooner was it accepted and paid for, than the contractors were called into a court of bank- Tuptcy. It is believed that they lost $15,000 on the job.

In 1906, the board of supervisors passed a resolution forbidding the use of the building for public assemblies and conventions, which had been in vogue ever since the completion of the first court house.

Court convened in this court house January 8rd, 1876, the following officers of the court being present: Nathaniel J. Pillsbury, Judge; James A. Fellows, Clerk: James R. Wash, Deputy; Benjamin E. Robinson, Sheriff, and James H. Funk, State's Attorney

The first trial before a jury was held on January 5, 1876, it being an appeal case in forcible entry and detainer - Isabel Harbison vs. Christian Stine. R. S. Mellduff and L. G. Pearre of Dwight were the attorneys for the plaintiff, while

S. S. Lawrence and C. C. Strawn appeared for the defendant. The jury was composed of the following gentlemen: A. G. Goodspeed, Charles Chalker, J. H. Beaks, Edward Tucker, Samuel McCormick, David Wright, Thomas C. Kidder, Alexander Algoe, Jacob Vreeland, W. B. Tucker, L. K. Wescott and A. C. Roelts. W. E. Baker, the present city collector of Pontiac, and one of the early settlers of the county, was the first witness sworn to testify in behalf of the plaintiff. The case had hot proceeded far when Judge Pillsbury ordered a recess of a few minutes that a picture could be taken of the assembly, which was done. A very few of the photographs are now in possession of the original owners.

Although Livingston County was organized in 1837, not until 1866, just thirty years later, was a jail constructed and ready for occupancy. Previous to this time, all persons arrested in the county for a crime were taken to Bloomington and lodged in the jail there. The exterior of the building was quite attractive and presented the appearance of being one of solidity. It was two stories high, 35x50 feet upon the ground, and was built of massive stone, the walls being eighteen inches thick, and cost the county something near $32,000. The interior was divided into two portions, the front of the building being occupied by the sheriff and his family, but many years later the family quarters of the sheriff were moved into a substantial brick house adjoining the jail on the west, and that portion altered and made into rooms for women, boys and the insane.

Court House Built In 1875-6

in number, six below and six above, with an iron staircase leading to the upper tier. The floors and ceilings were of stone, the furniture of the cells was of iron, and the building was thoroughly fire-proof. The windows were protected by heavy double iron grates. The entire accommodating capacity was: twenty-four inmates, and the prisoners were allowed to mingle together freely during the day and have ample exercise in the corridors. Notwithstanding the solid appearance of the building outwardly, the interior was faulty in construction and many prisoners confined therein made their escape, some of them never after being heard from. Those defects were remedied at intervals at no small cost to the taxpayers, but prisoners made their escape just the same and continued so to do until the jail was partially torn down and remodeled during the year 1906-07 at a cost of over $30,000. An additional story was added, separate apartments for the insane, women and boys also provided, the whole. being made sanitary throughout.