The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-08-15
RECALLS HOW
CITY OBTAINED.
COURT HOUSE
Old Settler Describes Last
Act of Long Fight With
Centerville, Ending Forty
one Years Ago.

4Oudy SCAlCINAAAO was A40A6OA
with merrymakers from all over the
county attending the annual Old Set
tiers Picnic. With broad smiles and
hearty handclasps Centervilie people
cordially welcomed their visitors to
the famed hospitality of the historic
little town.
What a different scene this Is from
the one presented in Centerville just
forty-one years ago today, August Is,
1873" remarked one white haired piO-
neer after he had greeted many old
friends and had pulled up chair in a
shady corner to rest
Yes, sir" continued the pioneer, q
farmer living north of Centerville,
the people of this town were not in
any mood to extend hospitality on this
day forty-one years ago. On that day
the last wagons were leaving town
loaded with books, papers, records and
furniture Of the old court house, still
standing here, enroute to Richmond to
be placed in the new court house. 1t
was the last act in the most historic
county seat fight in Indiana, raging
half q century before the seat of coun-
ty government was finally transferred
TO Richmond. On that day when the
old court house was abandoned, even
the prisoners in the county Jail being
removed to Richmond under guard,
the men, women and children of Gen.
terville lined the streets and broke into
q chorus Of sobs as the last wagon
moved east along the old National
road and was lost to view in the dusk
Of summer evening"
Story Of Fight.
Tho interesting story of how Cen
tefville secured the court house from
Salisbury, a town which is only a
memory now, only to lose her coveted
prize to Richmond, follows:
wayne county was organized Febru-
ary /, 1911, with Salisbury as it's coun-
ty seat. BY the legislative act of De-
cember Fl, 1916, it was changed to
Centerville. The act was to be effec-
tive on and after June I, 1917, and the
last meeting of the county commission
ers was held at Salisbury in August,
1917. While the change from Sails
bury to Centerville caused no little dis
sension, it is not to be compared to
the fifty-year struggle which followed
between Centerville and Richmond.
For more than half century the iOca-
ton of the Wayne county seat was not
only a question of local politics, but
it even played an important part in
State politics as well. The election of
county officials, circuit judges, mem.
bers of the Legislature, and even gov
errors, was affected by their prefere-
ence for one town or the other.
The struggle was the longest and
most bitter county seat fight in the
history of the State. The Richmond adj
vocates succeeded in getting several
acts passed by the Legislature which
furnished them basis on which to
fight for removal. While there were
other counties interested in some of
these acts, it was Wayne county which
led the fight for their passage. These
acts, six in number, are dated as fol-
lows: March 2. 1855; December %,
1858; March 7, 1861; June 4, 1861; De-
cember 18, 1866 and February "a, 1869.
The last Act provided that whenever
fifty per cent of the voters Of the cOur1-
ty petitioned the county commission
ers to relocate the county seat, pro-
vided suitable grounds, and guaran-
teed the erection of the proper build
ings that the commissioners must re-
locate the county seat. On June 3, 1872,
petition was drawn up and signed
by 1887 voters to be presented to the
board of commissioners. William A.
Peele filed a remonStrance on June 5,
against such action, setting forth his
reasons, and asking for continuance
Of the case. A majority of the board
refused to continue the case, A. S.
Virgins and William Brooks opposing
and o. T. Jones favoring the action of
Mr.. Peele. On June II, by the same
majority the board decided that, as out
of 6,S42 legal voters of the county,
ffty-flve per cent. had asked for the
relocation Of the county seat, it should
be removed to Richmond.
The board thereupOn ordered that
new county buildings should be erect
ed at Richmond if the citizens favor
ing that site, should, within three
months after estimates were made,
pay into the county treasury sum
equal to the value of the real property
belonging to the county of Centerville.
The petitioners Immediately accepted
the offer of the board. Governor Baker
on October 80, appointed Asabel Stone,
William Wallace and Simon Stansifer
10 appraise the real estate and inn
provements belonging to the county in
Centerville. They fixed the appraise-
ment at $4,000, and on November 6,
1872, George w. Barnes on behalf of
the petitioners for the relocation of the
county seat deposited with the board
of commissioners the full amount OF
$4,000 in Richmond city bonds as Sc
curity for the appraised value of the
.Centerville property
The board promptly accepted the de-
post. although Mr.. Jones objected
The auditor was then ordered to ad-
vertise for bids for the building Of a
new court house and Jail. George Hoo
yer was the architect and Thomas w
Roberts got the contract for both
buildings with the low bid of $22.700
BY August 4, 1873, the buildings we're
completed and the commissioners or
iered that all books, papers, furniture
and occupants of the county Jail should
lie removed to Richmond August 15
1873:
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