The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-03-23
FROM REV. CHAMBERS.
Short History Sketch Of the Wisconsin
Capitol Building, Recently Burned.


presume every body by
this time, has heard of the burn.
ing of the state capitol at Madi-
son, Wisconsin, resulting in loss
Of 100000. Permit me, if you
please, to give your readers
brief outline OF It's history.
What is now the great state of
Wisconsin, was partitloned from
Michigan territory and organized
at Mineral Point, July 4, 1885,
The first legislature met at Bel
mont Oct. 25, 1886. Then ensued
long struggle over the location
of the permanent seat of govern
ment. There were several appli.
cations-Fon.du Lac, Dubuque,
Portage, Helena, Milwaukee, Ra-
cine, Belmont, Mineral Point,
Platteville, Green Bay, Cassville,
Belleview, Koshkonog, Peru, Wis
consinapolis, Wisconsin City and
Madison-several of them exist
ing only on maps issued by real
estate boomers. Madison, one of
the latter class, won, through the
influence of James Duane Doty,
who had been circuit Judge of
Michigan territory west of Lake
Michigan, he, together with Ste
ven l.. Mason, governor of Mich
igan territory, had just previous
to the contest, purchased from
the United States government
about 1000 acres in sections 13,
IA, % and "a, in township Z, range
9 east. The Capitol Park, which
they laid out is upon the common
corners of these sections; it was
formerly decided to the territory
by the owners in document dat
ed Mineral Point, January 16,
1889, and still preserved in the
State archives. The prospective
town was called Madison from
the fourth President of the United
States.
The first house was built IN
Madison in the spring Of 1877
In June work was com menced on
the capitol, and the corner stone
was laid with appropriate cere.
monies upon July 4, 1888. The
legislature met for the first time
in Madison Nov. 26, 1888. The
capitol was not then in a suitable
condition for the sessions which
were held in the basement Of the
old American House, where Gov.
Dodge delivered his annual mes
sage; here the legislature met
and adjourned from day to day
until temporary arrangements
could be made for the reception
of memb bers in the assembly hall.
During 1886 and 1887 the nation
al government appropriated S4O,-
600 for the capitol dome; the coun
ty "a, 1000 and the territorial legis.
lature about $16, ,000-maklng the
complete cost of the old capitol
$50, 1000. The building when fin.
Ished, was substantial structure
which in architectural design and
convenience of arrangements at
the time, compared favorably
with capitol buildings of adjacent
and older states. The capitol
proving inadequate to the growing
wants of the state, the legislature
of 1857 provided for it's enlarge
ment. BY this act the commits
sioners of school and university
lands were directed to sell the
ten sections Of land appropriated
by congress, and apply the pro.
ceeds toward the enlarging and
improving the capitol. The state
also appropriated $4,000 for the
same object and $50, 900 was given
by the city OF Madison. The
work was begun III the fall of 1857
and continued from year to year
until 1869 when the dome (the
most satisfactory portion OF the
structure) was competed. The
legislature of 1882 appropriated
100000 for the construction OF
two transverse wings to the capi
tol; one on the north and the 9th
, er on the south side thereof IN or
der to provide additional room
for the State Historical Society
the Supreme Court, the State Ii
: brary and Tor the increasing
Staffs of the State Officers. I'm