The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1896-03-07
COURT HOUSE AND COURT HOUSE SQUARE,

that ga court house ana Jail" should b
erected at "the established seat OF justice
in each county.
The act of the General Assembly of tn
State of Missouri, approved February I'd
1S47, which authorized the circuit cour
Of the county of Lafayette, at the dlscre
tion of the judge of such court, to be hel,
at any place within the incorporate
limits OF the city Of Lexington, in salt
| county, instead of being held at the cour
house OF said county, provided, that ,
suitable room for holding such cour
could be had in said city without an,
expense to said county, was a temporar,
provision for holding such court until
permanent court house conld be erected
! on said "pu bic square" in said "additlon, ,
as was then manifest would have to b
done. And the trustees of said addition
as matter OF fict, proposed to tn,
county court to erect a court house OIL
said "public square" at their own charge
and cost, which the county court declined
as was found in the suit of injunction
brought by Lafayette county agains
the mayor, councilmen and citizens O
Lexington, decided in the Ray circuit
court in July, 1852. hereinafter referred to
But such act of the legislature was
another recognition of the "city of Lex
ingtou."as the county seat of Lafayette
county, and a Proper place in which to
hold the circuit court OF the county. On
the Sd OF February, Is47, the county court
appointed commissioners to prepare and
submit plan for a new court house to be
erected in the city of Lexington.
Soon after the passage of said two acts
of the General Assembly OF the state on
the 25th of January, 1s47. and the I'd day
of February, 1S47, aforesaid, and after the
title to the said "pubIic square" had
become vested in the county by said map
Of said addition" to the town of Lexing-
ton, and by force of the statute as afore-
said, and by virtue OF its statutory
authority to designate the place whereon
to erect any county building, on land
belonging to such county," aforesaid,
and after the old "court house and public
square," in the original town of Lex
ington, had been authorized by the
legislature to be sold as Aforesaid, the
county court OF Lafayette county, at the
adjourned March term thereof, 1S47,
"ordered that a new court house be
erected on the "public square" In the
"city OF lexington" for the use OF the
county of Lafayette, and that Silas Silver,
John Catron and Robert Aull be appoint
ed commissioners on the part of the
county, to contract for and superintapd
the building of the same, and that they
proceed to advertise in some newspaper
for proposals for the building of the same,
and that they also give notice to the
public that plan OF said court house will
be ready to be exhibited (accom panied
with specifications) any time after the
second Mondry of April next. And it is
further ordered that Henderson Young,
county attorney, be appointed as counsel
to aid said commissioners in making or
closing contracts with undertakes of
said work. and that the work be put
under contract at the next May term OF
this court"
Previously, at the February term of
the county court, is47, John F. Ryland,
Street Hale, VIM. It. Wood, Henderson
Young, VIM. Early and James Crump
had been appointed as commissioners to
prepare and submit a plan for a new
court house to be erected in the ''city of
And at the April term thereof, 1s47,
April 9Th, it was ordered that the plan
for the court house, submitted by VIM.
be adopted, subject to some
to be made by the commits
sioners, to contract for and superintend
the erection of the same. And an appro-
priation made for the building of the
same.
At the January term of the county
court, 1s4s. John Catron, Robert Aull,
James II. Graham, Silas Silver and VIM.
5pratt, commissioners to superintend
the erection of such court house, report
I'D its completion, which report was
approved by the court.
At the July term OF the county court,
lS48, such court ordered that the further
sum OF money be appropriated for clean
ing off the "public square," fencing the
ga ne and other purposes connected with
the completion of the court house, and
ornamenting the grounds, as the building
might think proper to use
such sums for. And the building COM
mittee was thereby authorized to have a
suitable stone wall placed In front of the
court house in order to erect an iron fence
thereon, and to procure such fence. Other
large sums have been from time to time
and used In the erection and
repairing of such court house and enclos-
ing such public square,"
At the June term of the county court,
$40, such court ordered that the old court
house and clerks office, and the public
square on which they were situated, in
The original or old town OF Lexington, and
the lot on which the old Jail had stood, to
be sold at public auction, to the highest
bidder, on the first Monday in August,
Is49, at the court house door, and Lewis
w. Smallwocd was appointed to make
'uch sale, The legislature having on the
18th day of January, 1S47, authorized the
county court to sell the same as aforesaid.
At the September term of the county
,ourt, 1S49, it was ordered by such court
that all courts for Lafayette county be
held hereafter in the new court house in
he city of lexington"
At the adjourned April term of the
county court, 1850, Lewis W. Small
wood, the commissioner appointed by such
,ourt TO sell tbs old court house and
'lerk's office and the public square on
which they were situated in the original
IT Old Town of Lexington, and the lot
21) known as the old Jail lot, made re-
port OF the sale by him as such commits
Iioner of the public square, including the
,ourt house and clerks office, in the
original or old town of Lexington, to VIM.
i. Russell, Hiram II. Bledsoe and John
D. Hoy for 81 500, and the old Jail lot to
Thomas Casper for $51, which report was
approved and ordered to be filed and re-
corded.
At the February term of the county
.ourt of Lafayette county, 1851, such
court ordered that all the rubbish, stables
md market house, or the house used by
Thomas Casper and Mr.. Smith a market
house, be removed from the "public
Iquare" in the city of Lexington, and that
the sheriff OF Lafayette county is hereby
'equired to have the same done Immedi-
ltely, and that no other buildings OF any
be put upon said public
Iquare."
At the August term OF the county court,
1850, Samuel l.. Sawyer, circuit attorney,
vas authorized to commence suit against