Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1910-08-03
CORNER STONE EXERCISES.

cornef Sne of the new! courthouse
last evening were carried out &C.
cording to the published program
In the presence of a large number
OF citizens from different sections
OF the county. After the choir re-
n1ered the Star Spangled Banner,
District Attorney Taber called the
people to order and spoke briefly of
the object of the gathering. He
concluded by introducing Hon.
George S.Brown. Judge Brown was
greeted with around Of applause as
he stepped forward. He spoke as
follows:
Mr.. Chairman, friends and
fellow citizens, it is we'll known to
most of you. that the place on
(Which we stand was, little over
two months ago, the site of Elko
County's first County Court House.
We have gathered here to witness
the ceremony of laying in its place,
the corner stone for a new home
for our County Government, a
new temple of Justice for our
people. Before that corner stone
is set, it is fitting that we should
spend little while in contempla-
ton of events, and men and
memories connected with the
former building. By an act of the
Legislature of Nevada approved on
the fifth day of March, 1869, the
County of Elko was created. Its
territory had previously been
portion of Lander County. BY the
law of its creation, a temporary
government was established for the
new County, and provision made
for the election of district Judge
and County officers. At this special
election, which was held on the
.twentyNSrst day of June. 1869, the
Hon. George D. Keeney was chosen
as district judge for the county
which had become the Eleventh
Judicial District of the State, and
Len Wines, ]. Pierson, and J. H.
Leffingwell were selected County
Commissioners. Among the earli-
est acts of these commissioners
were the necessary steps for the
erection of court house and Jail.
Acting under the order of the
Board the County Surveyor drew
the plans and made out the simple
specifications. Bids for the
material and work were then adj
vertised for and on the twenty
eighth day of August, 1869, w. P.
Monroe, who offered to erect the
building according to plans and
specifications for $17,744 in COUNTY
bonds, was awarded the contract
Four months were sufficient fo1
the completion of the work, and or
January 10th, 1887, the Commits.
@ioners accepted the building, de,
livered to the Contractor his bonds
and allowed him an additional pay
ment Of $5,198.48 for extra work
not called for by the contract
Thus the total original cost of the
former building, amounted to the
sum of $22,942.48.
None of those directly connected
with the first county government
or with the building of that first
Court House, are with us today.
Most of the sturdy men who laid
the foundation of this community
have removed to other fields OF
labor, or sought in other places
shelter for their declining years,
or have passed from the ken of
mortal eye into the great beyon d
1t is our good fortune, however, tc
have still among us, some of the
men of so. L. E. Morgan, Joseph
Gardne-, Thomas Hunter, william
Hunte! and w. T. Smith. all re-
spected citizens of our town tod ay,
pWere among those who then lived
in Ellko, and whose eyes saw the
growth of that old Court House, as
brick on brick it arose under the