Green County, Wisconsin - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 23 of those read), 1884

County Buildings And Poor Farms

When, on the 26th of March, 1838, the "commissioners court" ( as the county board was first called) got together for the first time, there was no house belonging to the count)'^ for them to meet in, and they were compelled to hire a room for that purpose. At that meeting it was resolved by the commissioners that the district court should be held at the house of Jacob Ly Brand until otherwise ordered. Of course the necessity for a court house was at once felt and it was not long before a temporary one was provided for.

Of The Three Court Houses

That the clerk of this board give notice, by posting up in three or more of the most public places in this county, notices that sealed proposals will be received by the clerk of this board at his office, until the first Monday of August next, for the building and enclosing a two-story frame house, 20x30 feet, in the town [village] of Monroe, for a temporary court house, said proposals to designate particularly the size and description of the timber, quality of shingles and siding, etc. Bond and security will be required to the faithful performance of said contracts."

" Ordered^ That the proposals of James Campbell and A. J. Sutherland be accepted by this board, and that they give bond in the penal sum of $900 for the faithful performance of said contract, to the board of commissioners of the county of Green, agreeable to the tenor and efl'ect of said proposals on file, to be completed oil or before the 1st day of December, 1840."

"Whereas, James Campbell and Andrew J. Sutherland are bound to the board of commissioners of the county of Green, by bond, dated Aug. 4, 1840, to erect a two-story building for the purpose of a court house in the town [village] of Monroe, and in the opinion of the court, the condition of the said bond has been complied with, it is

^^ Ordered, By this court that the said house and job of work be received and thatan order be made out to them for the balance due them on said contract, amounting to $150.30."

But this temporary court house soon after took fire accidently and was totally destroyed. It was erected on the lot upon which is now (1884) the United States House, owned and occupied by Louis Schuetze, as a hotel.

The next spring, the county commissioners agreed with Demas Beach to lend him $400 for six vi'ars, for which consideration he was to erect a building in which tlie county should have the use of certain rooms. This building, afterward known as the American House, had a court room and county offices on the second floor, while the ground floor was used for a store and dwelling. When court was not in session, a shoe shop was kept in the jury room. The building was ready for use in November, 1841, as appears by the following entry upon the record of the board: "Nov. 1, 1841,

This so-called courthouse was occupied until April, 1846, when another one took its place. As to the last mentioned structure, the one which is still to be seen (1884) in the center of the public square, we have the following record from the "commissioners' court:"

" Ordered, That William Dunten, of Rochester,5 Racine Co., Wis. Ter., be employed to build a court house in Monroe, Green Co. Wis. Ter., for the sum of $3,500, said building to be put up with brick and in all things agreeing with the i)lan and specification on file in the clerk's office, for which said Dunten is to receive payment as follows, to-wit : One payment is to be made Avhen the foundation or stone work is done, to two-thirds of the amount of the estimated value of the work done and materials furnislied, one-half of which payment is to be made in drafts on the county treasury and the other half to be made in bonds issued by the board of county commissioners, bonds drawing interest from the 1st day of .January next. One payment is to be made when the brick work is done to two-thirds the amount of labor andmaterials furnished, one-h«lf of which payment is to be made in drafts on the county treasury and the other in bonds issued by the board of county commissioners with interest, and the remainder to be paid in bonds drawn by the board of commissioners on the 1st day of August 1845 or when the job of work shall be completed : and. l>e it further ordered that

The work of "William Dunten, of Rochester," still stands ; but, as a "magnificent temple of justice," worthy of Green county, it cannot be said to be a success. It is neither useful nor ornamental. It will soon be torn down and a new court house erected.

Fire Proof Building

The increasing business of the county and the danger of fire consuming the valuable county records, induced the county board to order the erection of a fire proof building as an " overflow," so to speak, to the court house. Therefore, on the 4th day of June, 1857, it was

That a building be erected for the county offices, and that the same be located on lots 132 and 133 in Ly Brand's donation to the county of Green, and that there be a committee appointed by this board to superintend the erection of the same.

"The committee appointed to superintend the construction of afire proof building for the different county ofiices, beg leave to submit the following in addition to the foregoing report of the chairman of said committee now absent, he being sick and unable to attend the meeting of the board. The statement accom{)anying the report of the receipts and expenditures shows an amount of receipts of $1,000, and disbursements of |1,563, leaving a balance of $37 in the hands of the chairman, and would further report and beg leave to submit the plan and specifications, contract and bond as a part of their report, and would say that they have examined the material used, and have frequently examined the work in the course of its construction, and believe that Mr. I^rewer has done a fair, honest and honorable job in the erection of said fire proof building, but has not completed the job by the time the contract called for it to be done. Your committee would rocomniend that the time may be extended to said Brewer for tlie completon of said job until the 1st day of January next, and further recommend that an order be issued to said Brewer for $400, being the full amount of the appropriation made at the extra session of the board last June, leaving a balance of |200 due on the contract, for which no j^rovision is made, said sum of 1)200 will more than doubly cover the amount yet needed to complete the job, and we recommend an appropriation of $200 to be paid when the job is completed, and we would further recommend that there be placed two stone conductors under the eave spouts to conduct the water from the building, and the committee herewith submit the accounts of the diflFereut members of the committee on fire proof buihling, all of which is respectfully submitted.

This building is now (1884) occupied by the clerk of the board, the clerk of the court, the register of deeds aiuJ by the county court as a depository of liis records. It was completed Jan. 1, 1858.

Tlic first jail in Green county was a log structure - a very rickety affair. It was burned to tlie ground on the 2d of February, 1855, as appears by the following, from the Monroe Sentinel oi Feb. 14, 1855:

"We omitted in our issue last week to notice tlie contlagration of the Green county jail. The fii-e oiiginated about 10 o'clock a.m , of Friday, the 2d inst., and before assistance could be rendered the Haines had burst through the roof, making the destruction of the building inevitable. The jail proper was a log building. A frame addition on the north was occupied as a dwcUing by a Mr. Annis. In this addition the tire originateil from a pipe which passed through the roof.

"The brewery was threateningl)^ menaced by the devouring elements, but was saved by the efforts of our citizens, who kept the roof and west end continually moistened with the contents of some large vats inside. Several barrels must have been used in this manner. We understand that Mr. Annis saved most of his furniture."

The burning of this building led to the erection of a stone jail. Concerning the erection of this building the Monroe Sentinel, of Aug. ], 1855, says:

"The contract for building the new jail has been awarded to Messrs. Emerson & Condee, of this place. The known enterprise of this firm, and they fortunately have abundant means, too, will ensure the speedy completion of the jail. The contract specifies the 15th of November next. There have been some alterations suggested by the contractors which it would be well for the building committee to consider. Under the contract, the roof is to be made of shingle. This is certainly an oversight. A cement roof would be vastly better, because more safe, and cost about the same. The contractors will put on a fire proof roof if the committee approve. There can be no good reason for having a shingle roof on a building costing $4,500. A decided mistake is this shingle roof. A reversal of some other arrangements would be an advantage also."

This building was occupied until 1870, wlien the present jail was built and took its place. The record of the county board shows the following entries concerning the incipient steps taken in the erection of the former edifice:

"The committee to which was referred the location of a site for a county jail beg leave to report, lli;it after dueconsideratiou of the different locations proposed, would respei'tfuUy recommend that the site for said jail be located

"Your committee would further recommend that the building committee be authorized to sell said old site and purchase another within the limits of the village of Monroe if thought advisable by the said building committee, pro- 'vided such exchange should not increase the amount in building said jail, but to the contrary, provided further, that such site should not be located upon the public square.

"Report accepted and laid on the table voted to take up the report of committee on estimation of cost of draft and building. Voted to adopt the size for the jail recommended in the report of the above committee.

"On motion to build the jail of stone the ayes and noes were called the vote stood, ayes Messrs. Smith of Adams, Smith of Clarno, Smiley, Flood, Brown, Ball, Munson, Hurlbut, Jenny, Pengree, 10. Nays, Messrs. Clark, Leonard, Johnson, Roby and Green, 5; carrried.

"Voted that the walls be built of range work in the ordinary way, except that part of the second story which shall enclose the cells of the prisoners, and which shall be of blocks of range work running the whole thickness of the wall, and of the same length both on the outside and inside.

JResolved, That the height of the main wall of the jail edifice, from its foundation to the bottom of the first tier of joists be not less than seven feet, and its thickness not less than two feet, that from the bottom of the first tier of joists to the bottom of the second tier, the height be not less than nine feet six inches, and the thickness not less than twenty inches, and that from the bottom of the second tier of joists to the bottom of the third tier, the

"On motion to adopt the remaining part of the report, Mr. Smith of Adams moved to amend by adding as follow: and that it be left to the building committee, either to erect that edifice on the ground on which it formerly stood or on any other lot within the village limits the public square excepted, as to them shall be deemed most advisable, and best adapted to promote the public advantage.

Resolved, That this board appropriate the sum of 13,000 for the use of the building committee to be expended in the construction of the jail, leaving such other amount as may be necessary for its completion to be appropriated by the board at its November session."

On the 24th of May, 1870, the county board determined to build a new jail and jailor's residence"on the old jail site." The jail building committee of the county board, by their final report showed that the cost of the new jail, including $1,800 "for the purchase of Beebe lots," was $25,405.69. This report was submitted, Nov. 25, 1871.

The jail is built of stone, brick and iron. The brick upon the outside are white. The sheriff's dwelling is about 40x20 feet, two stories. The jail part is two stories in height and contains eight cells. This part is of stone, brick and iron. The whole on the inside is encased with boiler iron. The cells are made also of boiler iron and are set inside of an inclosure of iron bars. There is a ward for females separate from the jail proper. This is likewise encased in boiler iron and contains room for six beds. No one has as yet broke this jail. The building

The first poor farm purchased in Green county was in the town of Mount Pleasant in 1861. It was used about sixteen years and then sold* Light is thrown on the transactions resulting in in buying of this farm by the followijig extracts from the record of the county board:

"D. S. Sutherland moved to amend by inserting $2,000 instead of $1,500. The vote being taken on the amendment, eight members voted for the amendment and seven against it. The amendment carried, and the sum of $2,000 was appropriated for said purpose, this sum to be placed in hand of the superintendents."

"Resolved, By the county board that $2,000 of the expected surplus in the treasury be placed at the disposal of the superintendents of count}^ poor for the purpose of purchasing a county poor farm and defraying suiili other expenses as they shall deem proper in the performance of their duties as superintendents of the county poor.

"Iliram Rust, Esq., of Monroe, and D. Drake, Es(j., of Mount Pleasant, were in town yesterday, and gave us a call. They are about purchasing lumber for tlu; building on the poor farm in Mount Pleasant and were here getting piices from our lumber dealers. The building is to be of wood, with a basement of stone; three stories in height, including the basement; size of building 24x^6 foot.

"From all that we can learn, having heard both sides, the pretended dissatisfaction on the part of some in the county with the action of the superintendents arises more from outside causes than anything else. We believe the superintendents acted in good faitl), and performed their duty as they understood it; and we believe farther that no better selection of a farm could have been made. They have kept within the limit of their means, and have made a judicious appropriation of them. They are candid and honorable men.

"With the above money the superintendents have built a county poor house 27x.3.3 feet, two stories above the basement. The cost, separate from boarding the hands, amounts to $77.3.88 furnislied with ten comfortable beds, twelve chairs, five stoves, dishes to feed twenty persons."

"Nov. 12, 186l'. "The superintendents of the county poor presented the following report, which was adopted, to-wit : "To the Iloti. Board of Supervisors:

Extract From The Moistroe Sentinel

On tlie 20th of June, 1877, the county superintendents of poor were instructed by county board to sell the old county poor farm "in the best possible manner."

The poor farm (a small part having previously been sold) was disposed of March 1, 1878, by William Brown, Daniel Smiley and Cyrus Troy, "county superintendents of poor of the county of Green, in the State of Wisconsin," to Simon Brown, for the sum of |4,000.

On the 15th day of May, 1879, the county of Green purchased of Samuel Truax, "the northwest quarter of section twenty-seven (27) ; the west half of the northeast quarter of said section twenty-seven (27); also the east half of the southwest quarter of section twenty-two (22); all in township No. two (2) north of range No. seven (7) east in said county of Green, and State of Wisconsin," for the sum of $12,000, as a poor farm. The new farm contains 320 acres, more or less, and is located in the town of Monroe, about two miles northwest of the city of Monroe.

When on the 21st day of June, 1877, it was determined by the county board to build a new poor house on the poor farm last purchased, it was resolved that it "should be built of brick, two stories high, not exceeding in cost |6,000." What kind of a house was built, and what was its entire cost, will more fully appear liereafter.

County Insane Asylum

. On the 18th of November, 1881, $2,000 were appropriated to build an asylum for the chronic insane of Green county, on the poor farm, not to exceed in cost, $6,000. The building was let to Churchill, Dodge & Soaper, contractors, for $6,390. The building was completed in the fall of 1882.

The building is 34x68 feet ; is two stories in height; and has a capacity for forty inmates. The number of the insane at present (1884) in this asylum, is thirty-six. R. C. Whitcomb, the overseer of the poor house and farm, is also overseer of the asylum, at this time (1884) and has been since its opening for patients.