The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-10-09

ing said block as public square to the con-
trary Notwithstanding"
Sec. 2. BE 10 further enacted, That so
much of said Block No II AS remains un-
sold being the west halt of the same shall be
and remain public square,
4lh. The act concerning sites for county
buildings in force March ., 1915, page 66,
which contains this proviso relating to the
act of January 10, 1881:
"And prorided further, That nothing IN
this act contained shall IN any wise operate
| to effect or repeal AN act to create and organ
| ize the counties therein named, approved
January 10, 1881, or authorize a change of
site or location of the public buildings as
fixed or located by or under the last men
toned act" \ provisO which appears
like one which may have originated in Chi
cagO or Ottawa.
5th. The act of March 10Th repeating the
act of January IS, 1881 as to the Jail and
leaving 1t otherwise in force see page 3l5
| IT, IN point of fact. Block II in the Original
| Town of Ottawa, is the same tract or parcel
| of land as that mentioned IN the 10th section
of the act OF January Is, 1881, under the
name and description Of 1.-The public square
! lald off at Ottawa on the north side OF the
| Illinois river" then | think that the place
! fixed bv law for the erection of new court
house is on Block II, and that said block
will remain the lawful place until said sec.
! 10 shall have been repealed that Block II
! AT some time was named THE public square
! admits of no doubt, according to the copy OF
| a plat of Ottawa as recorded IN IaZcwell
! county in Sept 1890. Block II was not laid
ont AS public square, but like nearly all the
other blocks north OF the Illinois and west
Fox river, contained eight lots, conveyed
| no, ,icsin lN
the patent of the Governor heretofore men
toned herewith furnish for the inspection
| of the board a certified copy Of this plot.
When did Block II first obtain the name
of public square? AS 10 the question ottact
| make the following suggestion:
In June, 1881, the canal commissioners
! donated some thirty-three lots or more to the
county, and among them all the lots in Block
| II. Although lots in ten different blocks
were donated, Block II was the only entire
block so donated On the 18th of July 1881
a patent was issued by the Governor. Think
it probable as land was cheap and large
areas for court house sites customary, that
all of Block Ii was intended At the time OF
the donation as the site for the court house,
and that the other lots were to be sold and
the proceeds used in building on this site
but that 1t was afterwards considered that
the west half of the block would be large
enough and so the east half was sold and the
proceeds used tor building or other purposes.
The proceedings Of the county authorities OF
March 8, 1882 sustain this idea. They are
as follows:
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT, MARCH
TERN, 1899.
FRIDAY, March Sth, 1899
Court met pursuant to adjournment
Present, the same commissioners as on yes
terday.
In pursuance of the contract entered into
between the county commissioners OF La
Sale county, IF La Sale countH and VIII
liam +. Flagg in relation TO building court
house for La Sale county, which contract
requires the county commissioners TO locate
the particular place whereon said court house
shall be erected at the present term of the
county commissioners court, to wit, at the
March term of 1899 The said court gave no
tice that this subject would be taken up and
discussed on this day. Whereupon, after
public discussion and a faithful examination
of the subject the following facts were ascer-
tanned: That IN the year 1880 the town OF Otta-
wa was laid out by the canal commissioners;
that in the year 1881 the legislature passed
law establishing the seat of justice at Ottawa
as the same was laid out by the canal com
missioners and provided that if the said ca
nal commissioners should make any dona-
tons OF lots for the erection of public build
ngs that it should be the duty OF the county
commissioners court to sell the same when
they should think best and apply the pro
ceeds thereof to the erection OF court house
and jail in said county seat; that in 1881 the
canal commissioners donated to the county
of La Sale, subsequent to The law OF that
w in,
town of Ottawa, for the express purpose OF
being public square, as required by the
county commissioners on which the public
buildings should be erected, as stated by j.
Cloud, who was personally present on the oc-
casion and who also says he was employed
by the treasurer OF the canal commissioners
to 90 10 Peoria for the plat of said town OF
Ottawa, which had been sent there for re-
Cordlng in order that they could designate
the lots appropriated for that purpose on the
map, since which time the suld Block (lD
has been recognized by the county commits
sioners court rs a public square, as per ret
erence to their public acts will FULLY show;
also, it has been recognized by the legisla
ture. (See Laws of July 1881, Sec l0) 1t is
provided that the public buildings shall be
erected on the public square laid off at OF
tawa on the north SIDE OF the Illinois river
by the canal commissioners ana the salu
block or part of the same is the only place
generally spoken Of and known as the public
square in Ottawa. Therefore, from the fore
going facts the court are unanimously OF the
opinion that the west half Of the aforesaid
block IS considered the public square in OF
tawa, and the only one that existed in 1881,
and is the very place designated for that pur-
pose by the aforesaid canal commissioners,
,,,I a. e.,
recognized by the legislature IN the act re-
| curing the public buildings TO be erected on
| the public square and that 1t would be He
gal and unjust to locate the same elsewhere,
and consequently it is ordered and directed
| by the court that the SAID court house TO be
erected by the said William +. Flagg be To-
Gated and erected on the said public square,
so that the same shall be situated so near the
centre as to leave space ninety.ive feet on
each side to the line Of private buildings ON
the east and west and eighty feet north from