The true northerner., 1901-02-01
THE COUNTY BUILDINGS.
PAW PAWS PART IN BUILDING AND MAIN
TANNING THEM SOME FACTS WORTH CON
sIDERING IN DECIDING THE QUESTION
OF REMOVAL.
rom the Paw Paw Courier Uanusry AL

From the Paw Paw Courier Uanusry AL
Just at this time, when the matter of
county seat removal is being agitated, it
would seem opportune to publish a
little history in regard to the county
buildings and the part Paw Paw and
vicinity have taken in their construction
and maintenance.
Ii may not be generally known, still it
is fact, that all the county buildings
with the exception of the court house,
which stands on a site donated by the
village of Paw Paw, have been built by
the citizens of Paw Paw and the town
ships Immediately adjacent. The pres
ept Jail has done service for 40 years,
and every dollar of the cost of construc-
ton was subscribed by the citizens of
Paw Paw, Antwerp, Almena and Porter
townships.
We have in our possession nearly
complete list of the subscribers to the
fund that built the jail They number
about 80 persons, all but about 20 of
whom have passed to the great beyond.
On January A. 1865, the board of super
visors passed a resolution accepting the
bond and proposition of the citizens of
the village of Paw Paw to build the
iail. at cost not to exceed $1,000: the
building was built during the year 1886,
and at the January session of the board
of supervisors, 1886, the key was turned
over and the building accepted by the
board. Paw Paw had fulfilled her
pledge and presented to the taxpayers a
new Jail.
To demonstrate that the liberality and
progressiveness of the citizens of Paw
Paw and vicinity did not end with
the building of the Jail, we mention
the fact that the entire cost of the
fire proof" building, that contains the
records of the county and is occupied
by the county officers, was with the eX-
ception of 81 900 betrayed by the people
of Paw Paw and vicinity.
At the January session of the board of
supervisors in 1915, the following resolu-
tion was offered and adopted:
RESOLVED, by the board of supervisors
of Van Buren, county, that the sum of
81 900 be and the same is hereby appro-
priated to be applied to the erection of
fire proof building, or building with
fire proof vaults, properly secured and OF
sufficient dimensions to contain in con-
veniently arranged receptacles, the pub.
lie records of the county, to be erected
upon the court house grounds in the vii
lage of Paw Paw, and to be completed
and ready for use by the first day of Oc-
tober, 1875. Provided, that a
sufficient amount to complete such
building shall be raised from sources
other than the treasury of the county"
The committee on construction consis-
ted of Charles f.. Heath, John Smolk and
John V. Roosevelt and at the October ses-
ion of the same year they made report
in substance as follows:
THAT the contract for the fire proof
building was let by them TO Tobias
johnson for the sum of $3.50: that the
81, 600 appropriated by the county was
drawn out of the treasury and used and
that the balance, 81 $50, was subscribed
and paid by the citizens of Paw Paw
and vicinity"
We find also by the records that in
July, 10 after the walls of the building
were nearly completed, that an iniunc-
ton was served upon the committee and
contractors, but it came too late and the
work of construction was continued with
out further hindrance.
1t will thus be seen that Paw Paw and
the adjacent townships have ever stood
ready and willing to do more than their
full share toward any improvements to
the county seat, and that for nearly half
a century the taxpayers of the county
have been almost entirely relieved from
any expense of county building construc-
ton.
In the past 80 years marked changes
have taken place in Van Buren, county.
Rich and varied farming lands have taken
the place of forest and swamp. Graveled
highways net the county where only
crossways and Indian trails existed 80
years ago.
In the developments of 30 years Paw
Paw has borne more than her full share
of expense, and is entitled to her share
of credit. Nearly 30 years ago she re-
lieved the county when it was poor of
the expense of building county Jail by
bearing the burden; % years later when
the growth of the county's business de-
manded it, Paw Paw again went into her
pockets and gladly and willingly furnish
ed three-fourths of the cost necessary to
build the fire proof building.
And now, at the end of the half cen
tury, il the taxpayers of the county feel
that the county buildings should be bet
ter and larger, built on more modern
lines and imposing architecture, Paw
Paw will again show her liberality ade-
quate to all reasonable demands.
We do not and cannot, however, be-
lieve that with the above facts in view
the voters of Van Buren, county will ever
decide to remove the county seat,
especially when the only incentive is
prompted by selfishness, pure aud sim
pie, and without regard to the accommo-
1atinp Of larua r,ortiop ~ fha paopla II