The Green Forest tribune., 1912-01-12
HISTORY OF
 CARROLL COUNTY
Compiled by the Goodspeed Publish ing Go. and Was First Published
 in the Year 1889.
COUNTY BUILDINGS.


 COUNTY BUILDINGS.
 The first Courthouse of Carroll county was log building about twenty feet square, two stories high. The pur- chase of the sight and the disposition of lots in the town of Carrolton was entrusted to three commissioners, Henry Keys, John S. Blair and Barnett Cheatham. presumably appointed by the county court, and given charge over all matters pertaining to the erection of county buildings. Owing to the destruction of the county records, there is no certain information as to the time when this was done; but it is known that the courthouse was intended to serve a temporary purpose only, and was built south of the center of the public square in Carrollton, in order not to interfere with the erection of it's successor. There was a substantial stone chimney at the east end, built after the completion of the remainder of the building, There were two en- frances to the lower floor, on the north and south sides, respectively. This floor was provided with benches, and was occupied during the sessions of the court. There was an inside stairway to the upper floor, which does not ap- pear to have been used for any particu- lar purpose. The roof was made of heavy hoop-sawed boards. The chim- ney was built in 1887, and the building proper the year previous, probably. The office of the clerk was usually in one of the stores at Carrollton, in which he oficiated in similar capacity.
 The second courthouse was built in 1844-45, at cost of $3,000. It was brick building about 30x40 feet in dimensions, two stories high, and stood in the center of the square at Carroll ton. The lower floor was entered by doors on the north and south, and was used as courtroom. The upper floor was reached by an interior stairway; it was partitioned into three rooms, one of which, at the southwest corner, was used as the clerks office, and the two others as jury rooms. The stairway was at the west end. The contractors for the erection of. this building were Louis Rains and William Young; lne former built the walls, the latter had charge of the woodwork. This build ing was destroyed by fire in the winter of 1859-6O. It was supposed to have been the work of an incendiafy, but no positive proof of this has yet been pre- sented There appears to have been but little necessity for a courthouse during the civil war.
 Third and fourth court-houses. Up on the close of hostilities in 1865; and the return of the soldiers to their homes, one of the first considerations that engaged their attention was the provision of what was essential to the administration of justice. A log build ing, closely resembling it's first pre- decessor, was built in the public square to the southeast of the center, and was one of the first houses built in Carroll ton after the war. It was one story high, without a chimney, and did not remain long enough to receive that necessary addition. It was destroyed by fire in 1866 or the following year, and with it such of the county records as had escaped the previous similar catastrophe. They had been removed by s. w. Peel, the clerk, to vault in the Carrollton cemetery, and there pre- served during the war. The loss of these records is most unfortunate and deplorable.
 A frame store building was purchased from Crump & Berry, removed to the center of the square and, with triiing alterations, transformed into temple of justice June term, 1870, James Stanphill commissioner of public build ings, was directed to purchase six chairs and have seats sufficient to ac- commodate jurymen before August l, following May 1, 1871, Lot No. 2 in Block No. IS, purchased of Crump & Berry, was sold by the sheriff, J. J. Grim, to w. W. Davis for $102.
 REMOVAL OF THE COUNTY SEAT.
 The creation of Boone county in 1889