The Green Forest tribune., 1912-01-19
HISTORY OF
 CARROLL COUNTY
Compiled bY inc Goodspeed Publish ing Go. and Was First Published
 in the Year 1889.
COUNTY BUILDINGS.


 missioner October 15, 1880, and in- structed to prepare plans and specifca- tions. December 6, 1880, he awarded the contract for the erection of the building to J. P. Fancher, his bid of S8,997 50 being the lowest from any responsible person. The contract, and bond in double that amount, were ap- proved by the court The building is forty-six feet wide and fifty-six feet long, outside dimensions. A hall ten feet wide extends through the building in the direction of it's greatest length. On one side there are three rooms, one of which is occupied as an office by the sheriff; on the opposite side there is one room. 28x15 1-2 feet, the clerk office, connecting with which is the vault, 10x15 1-2 feet. A stairway as- cends to the upper story from the front end of the building This foor comprises the court hall, fortyfour feet wide, and two jury rooms. The roof is flat. This building was first oc- cupied in the autumn of 1881. The old courthouse was sold by R. H. Jones to Ii. A. Pearce for S100, in county scrip, June 30, 1881, and Dr. w. P Georges store building was occupied for county offices, and during the session of the courts, until the completion of the new I building
 Jails. The first county jaii was built about 1840, and stood upon a lot in Car rollton now owned by Len Nunnally. The builder was James C. Cheney, of Osage. The jail was about tWenty-two feet square and two stories high. The walls of the first story were triple thick, the logs on the outer and inner sides being built horizontally, in the usual way, with wall of logs per pendicularly between them. The latter extended to the top of the building, making an upper story but little used. The floor and ceiling were made of twelve inch hewed timber, securely i'm bedded in the walls, and the door was attached with massive iron hinges. The upper story was reached by an oa--sie stairway This building stood until the war, when 1t shared the fate of hun dreds of others, and was reduced to ashes. It embodied the prevalent ideas upon jail architecture at the period when it was built, and like many others Esefore and since was frequently left tenantless by the miscreants confided to it's keeping.
 There was no jail in Carroll county from this time until 1876, after the county seat was changed, and during this time prisoners were confined at Huntsville, Fayetteville or Benton vile. The contract for the jail at Berryville was awarded to w. W. Davis and Charles Pyron, at their bid of $2, 800, April 5, 1876 The specified tions called for a brick building with stone foundations, 20X30 feet. A hall extended across the building; there were two rooms west of the hall 7x10 feet, and one room east 10x16 feet. The ceiling was twelve feet high. There were three windows on the south side, two windows and door on the north, and one window on each of the other sides. The contractors were re- leased July 3, 1876, and the building was soon thereafter occupied.
 "Jail delivery has on a number of occasions heen effected by other than the ordinary and lawful method. No particulars are obtainable so far as the old jail is concerned. A single instance will be given with regard to the jail built at Berryville: Wednesday night, October 10, 1888, five of the six inmates of the jail succeeded in escaping from their cells; the watchman was over powered, his pistols secured, and him. self compelled to open the door and ac- company the prisoners mile from the town. On the following day Sheriff Freeman organized a posse and started in pursuit One of the prisoners was captured that evening near White River, and two others on Rock Creek. A fourth was overtaken Friday morn ing, and the fifth in the evening of that day. At 3 p. m. on Saturday all were again ''behind the bars" if that phrase may be applied to the jail, sixty six hours after their escape.
 The Berryville iail was burned in 1887, and with it single occupant, supposed to have planned the fire in order to effect his escape. The walls are intact, but no effort has yet been made to rebuild.
 Present Agitation. The destruction of the jail and the necessity for ex- tensive repairs to the courthouse have recently induced the people of Green Forest to offer the county liberal bonus for the removal of the county seat to that place. It is urged that since the erection of the western judi cial district Berryville is no longer centrally located upon the territory within the jurisdiction of it's courts, and that the change to Green Forest would greatly convenience majority of the people. At this writing (July, 188S) the court has ordered an election in the autumn, when the matter will be decided.