Omaha daily bee., 1885-01-08
DOOMED TO DECAY.
The Old Curt House Of Douglas
County,
A Brief sketch of the Building
A Parcel of "reminiscences,


creaking before every onslaught of the
r%ustling wind, the old house is in the last
stages of dissolution. Erected In the
pioneer days of Omaha and reaching back
20 the early period of territorial history,
so replete with the interesting and ANUS
ing, the cid courthouse might be
the prolific source of many an article of
interesting reminiscence. The structure
Is settling down to decay, and before
another year shall have passed will be
one of the land marks swept away by the
rapid advance of civilization. The
county ofic have for the most part been
removed to the new and magnificent
court house; in a few weeks the other
official quarters will be changed, and the
old shell will be left empty and without
the busting activity of official business,
which for more than a quarter of a cen
tury has characterized abe court house of
Douglas county.
The court house was erected in the
year 1859 by the pioneers of the county
who tn ought that the growing demands
of the city and county called for some
such official centre.
In the spring of 1867 the city council
decided to the city, Sin the considera.
ton of the sum of 81. co." block then
known as Washington square, bounded
by Fifteenth and Sixteenth and Fsrnam
and Douglas streets. All of the lots,
with the exception of those occupied
by the building, were cold. The pro
ceeds were applied to the erection OF the
court house. James E. Boyd secured
the contract for the bnilding. The brick
work was done by Armstrong & Bovey,
while John Davis did the carpen.
ter work. The structure was finally com
pleted in 1869. Since that time II
has been occupied by the county officers
The district court, police authorities, etc,
1t has been repaired many, many times
and stills stands, as one of the old land
marks of pioneer days.
Thi, brief sketch could be supple
mentsd to almost an unlimited extent b!
the detailing of varied "Reminiscences
connec,e ed with the old house. But TIT
ine6orAble laws Of time and space viii
prevent only the briefest reference to thu
various phases of Renaissance which
are connected with the building.
When the city was In its primitive day
of glory, there was of coure, no thestrel
even of the rudest description. Thu
tastes of the people, while they were no
nodded in the plaatic forms of eastern re
finement, demanded some such recreation
as was afforded by an occasional play O
theatrical performance. Accordingly tn
old court room, up stairs, still occupied
by the district judiciary, was rugged ~
as a theatrical hall, The chairs were re
arranged, while the platform, a yer.
small affair, was fitted up with a droI
curtain In the shape of bed blanket
aewed together. The scenery was painte
in the most primitive fashion In sheets o.
white cloth bed sheets, presumably
One of the first "stars" that he'll
the boards of this remarksbl
opera house, was little Mis-
Fay Templeten, then a very small child
playing with her father and mother, VIII
travelled about the country giving exhi
billions, then known as variety perform
ances. Fay was considered a remarkabl
precoci) JUS child, and though she Wa
hardly more than a baby (this was fa
back in the sixties) her share i
the family acting was b
no means to be ovel
looked. The Omaha people turned on
with great regularity duringthe frat wee
of the Templeton troupe's appearance
the opera hnuse, and were very enthus
asst, over little Fay. Some fifteen
twenty years later the same mics, som'
what developed, opened the new opel
house.
One of the pIiucipal ADMINISTRATION
which have long co-existed with the Of
court house, 10 what is now known as til
city jill, The jail Ia old and old fasl
Toned, lily constructed, and inadequate.
proportioned; q model of what q city jail
suited to present needs and requirement
ahould not be. But long ago 1t was col
adhered perfect gem
an institution, and was Il
decd we'll patronlzed by local crimina
at the time as being worthy of all pc
sible supper, which, it must be col
fessed, was sometimes reluctantly exten'
ed. In former days, when the presel
and future gres.ness of the city and sta
WIS but dimly foreshadowed, 1t served
state psnitentiary in place of the OF
now in use In Lincoln. The number
cells wss of COURSE small, but still thu
managed to hold, without great inconv
nisnce, the criminals who were 30 info
tunate as to be given free lodgings
this dreary abode. 1t was roughly fl
ished at this time, and not till lor
years after the upper portion of the cou
house had been finished, was the j.
given the final touches. ,
One of the early %jailors was sold mi
RsesP," who now owns contiderable re
estate in Omaha, and at present livil
in Psnnsy lvania. Many are the rem
niscsnces connected with his administr
ton. 1t Is laughab'y related by tho
who go back to those old times hC
Rse,e used to be bothered by the prise
ers breaking from their cells and eludi
his vigilant eye, making a desperate al
generally successful attempt to gain fee
dom. Sometimes Reese would discov
them In the act, and picking up his trus
revolver, would rush out and shoot pl
m!scuou,ly at the forms rapidly retire
lag into The distance. Sometimes
aim WAS correct and eff
tul; sometimes 1t wasn't. I
G lodrich mansion, situated exactly Cpl
site, is ~peppered with bullet holes, Will
bear silent evidence to the fact that jail
Reese was prone to aiming too high; a
uh,le he was not always successful In
capturing his prisoners, he always 81
oeeded In inspiring In those who were
the vicinity, An awsome respect for
wild and daring methods.
AnV.n aN