Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-27
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RHHg dollar structure. was deter
lHIflIgNs mined on at a meeting OF the
S=sszzS Board of County Commissioners
on September II, 1880. when It was unan-
imously voted by that board to direct the
issuance of a proclamation calling for an
election to vote S125,OOO and not to exceed
$4,000 bonds for the construction Of the
present edifice. The members Of the board
of county commissioners were Frederick
Drexel, Frank w. Corlles and benjamin
p. knight, with John r. Manchester as
county clerk.
The bonds were to be dated January 1,
1881, to run for twenty years at 6 per cent
interest per annum and not more than 10
per cent Of the levy to be made in any
one year on the principal; provided al
ways that in no event shouldf bonds be
issued to a greater amount than 10 per
cent of the assessed valuation of all tax
able property Of Douglas county, and
what the bonds should be redeemable at
the option of the county board.
The election on the bond proposition took
place November 2, 1880. and the proposition
was declared carried. The board of COM
missioners met on November Q, 1880, and at
once directed the county clerk to advertise
for proposals for the purchase Of the s125,0
bonds, the ontire amount of the bonds to
be delivered on January /, 1881.
The conditions in the proposals were that
no levy should be made to pay any part Of
the principal Of the bonds until after the
expiration OF ten years and that interest
should be only paid on and after the date
of the sale OF .he same. The bonds were
to be delivered, 81. 1000 on January 1, 1881;
$4,000 July l, 1881. and $4,000 January /,
1854
The bonds were sold on December q,
1880. the purchaser being Ezra Willard of
Omaha, at the rate of. for the $4,000 bonds
to be delivered January l, 1881, at $25, 2Sl. 25;
the $4,000 to be delivered on July l. 1881,
at $5O.562.5O; and the $4,000 to be delivered
January /, 1882, at $50. 1880. Mr.. Willard
put UP a bond OF $4,000 as a guarantee.
Other bidders for the bonds represented
New York. Philadelphia, Boston and Chi
cago financiers. but Mr.. Millard's PROPOSE
tion was considered the best and was ac-
cepted.
The bonds having been successfully
floated, the remainder Of the winter was
devoted by the board to the consideration
of plans for the new structure. which
was intended to make II the handsomest
and most spacious court house in the en-
tire west. Architects were invited to SUBJ
init plans, and other propositions came
from best architects from every quarter
OF the country. Finally. after much parley
and repeated adjournments OF the board,
on April 8, 1881, the plans OF Architect e. e.
Meyers OF Detroit, Mich, were accepted
by the county board and the contract was
awarded to him. He executed the requisite
bond for the faithful performance Of his
work. The contract for building the new
structure was let to John r. Coots Of
Omaha, and the work on excavating for
laying the foundations was begun in May.
The brick used in the structure and in
the county Jam were burned on the ground
where the Patterson block now stands at
Seventeenth and Farnam streets. II was
further proposed that the brick from the
old court house at the corner Of Sixteenth
and Farnam streets should be also utilized
In the new structures. The Jail building
was built first. and during its building
the same questions regarding the cells for
the new Jail were thrashed over and over
again as prevails in this later 1908. The
question then was whether the cells In the
old jail should or could be used in the
new. There is no records at present avail
able to tell just how the controversy was
settled.
The new court house was to be built Of
Berea stone, and others was transplanted
from the Buckeye state, the first big ship
ment OF los stony product TO the soil OF
the transmississippl country.
At the time OF the building of the court
house the grade level of Farnam, Harvey,
Seventeenth and Eighteenth streets was
from fifteen to twenty feet higher than the
present grade, and while the new building
occupied a commanding and attractive site,
a. 49, Nha, NhA r,naf rAngng.NVaNg Lad
mark OF Omaha. with the single exception
OF the high school building.
The excavating and laying OF the founda-
lions took up a greater part of the building
season OF 1881, and it was not until in Oc-
tober. 1852. that the cornerstone was finally
laid. This interesting ceremony took place
on the afternoon OF October Is, lSS2. and
was one OF the most brilliant and elaborate
functions occurring in Omaha up 10 thar
time. The day was made a holiday and
all Omaha was decked in gala attire. with
bunting floating from all the business
blocks. The ceremonies were conducted
under the auspices of the Masonic Grand
Lodge of Nebraska, Of which George w
LininEer Was then grand master, The day
was extremely chilly and raw. but the
ardor and enthusiasm OF the good people OF
Omaha and Douglas county was at fever
heat.
Long before the ceremonies began Court
House square was thronged with people ad-
mlring the symmetrical foundations which
had been more or less obseured by the ar
tistic stone water tables and some four
feet Of the stone superstructure. giving a