The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1910-08-19
COUNTY CLEARS
) 40 YEARS. Debt
Illinois Famous $1,500,C00
white Elephant Paid For.
COURTHOUSE BEGUN IN 1867

Macoupin's Officers Built More Extrav-
agantly Than They Anticipated,
Though Without Graft, and Two
Generations Have Worked to Burn
the Last Bills.
Residents Of Macoupin county. ILL.,,
had two independence days recently
at Carlinville, the county capital, when
the last bond of Indebtedness OF what
Is probably the most famous court
house in the United States was burned.
For over forty years a debt large
enough to stagger some states has
been hanging over the heads of the
taxpayers. The amount of bonds and
interest bearing orders issued by the
county court in the construction of a
fine courthouse was about $1,4OO,OOO,
but the cost of litigation plus inter-
est added large amount to the origi-
nal sum.
In some respects the courthouse at
Carlinville is mystery. Just why
such fine building was built has
never been fully explained. There are
two reasons given by friends of the
commissioners who had charge of the
construction.
One Of these is that county pride
prompted the construction of the build
ing. 1t is claimed that the commits
sioners never expected to erect such
a fine structure, but overreached their
plans. The second excuse is that a
building of the kind would prevent the
county from ever being divided and
the capitol removed from Carlinville.
Building Started In 1867.
1t was at the March term of the
county court in 1867 that an order was
issued for the construction of the new
building.
T. L. Loomis was appointed county
agent to close and sign all contracts
made by the commissioners. During
, the summer and autumn of 1867 the
work Of excavating for the foundation
and getting the building under head
way progressed rapidly.
The Carlinville citizens were sur
prised at the scope OF the plans, but
their shock was mild in comparison
with that of large landholders. who ex-
pressed their Indignation when they
went to town. The first report made
by Loomis showed q total expense
of $49,942.53. A year later this had
grown to $4496O4G7, and the building
was only a skeleton Of the completed
structure. total Of the expenditures
for 1869 was $S3S,540.77.
At last the building, with its spen-
did dome towering skyward, was ready
for occupancy. And then the troubles
of the taxpayers really began. It
seemed for several years that the debt
would be the ruin of the county.
There were lawsuits, then indignation
meetings of taxpayers.
A majority of the board Of super
visors was fined for contempt of the
federal court for refusing to make
levy to start the payment of the bonds
and orders. The supervisors calmly
voted to make the county pay their
fines and went ahead with their other
duties.
'Macoupin's big white elephant" was
TIC tSi III uSCu ny lhuuy III cApTeSSluS
their disapproval Of the courthouse.
County Pride Triumphs.
But at last majority Of the sub
stantial citizens realized that an injury
to the county debt would forever
blight the development of the coun-
| tvs resources and voted to effect a
compromise and pay off the bonds and
| orders. This was made possible by a
special act passed by the state assem-
bly, in 1877, due in large part to the
efforts Of the late United States Sen
ator John NJ. Palmer, whose body lies
in the Carlinville cemetery.
The original interest on the bonds
and orders was 10 per cent, but in the
processes Of refunding the debt this
was eventually cut down to AZ per
cent.
Accusations have often been made
that there was lot of graft In con-
nection with the building Of the court
house. 1t was never really shown that
| those directly interested in the erection
| of the building had withheld any Of
| the county's money. However, there
was a woeful waste Of money in the
lconstruction Of such large building,
| according to the general belief Of the
| taxpayers.
The Carlinville courthouse is a mas
sive structure Of brick and iron. faced
with limestone. 1t was built with the
Expectation that it would endure
century. So far there have been but
few repairs made. most of these being
changes in the system Of heating.