The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1936-05-08
New Court
House Looms
New Court House for Big Horn
County Approved As a
WPA Project.

The WPA project for the build
ing of a court house for Big Horn
county was approved last week
by President Roosevelt and a few
days later the board of commits
sionerS were notified that as oon
as the bond issue for $4,000, the
total amount this county is re-
quired to contribute in cash to-
wards the $94.67O structure, is
voted, construction work will be-
gin.
The building is to be construct
ed of native white limestone, the
trimmings to be of a darker color
OF native limestone, or native
marble, all Of which is to be
Equarried by local men from the
Big Horn mountains a few miles
south of Hardin and hauled here
by means of trucks, manned by
local men. The skilled labor, such
as s~tone-cutters and masons, will
also be local men. so far as it
is possible to obtain them.
The site for the court house is
on the vacant block owned by the
county, fronting south on Third
street, west on Crow avenue and
north on Fourth street, a conf
plete half block, 40 by 800 feet
in size, just a half block west of
the Sullivan block, nov leased
for court house purposes. The
county also owns half of the same
block, fronting 140 feet on Fourth
street and rs feet on Custer ave-
nue..
The dimensions of the court
house building, including Jail are
lO2 feet, 8 inches on Third street
by 104 feet on Crow avenue. The
main building is to be two stories
with a full basement. The 4O-foot
ell addition for the county jail
will be two stories without base
ment. There will be ten cells on
each floor, the ground floor be-
ing connected with the sheriff's
office, and the second floor with
the district court room.
The main building will contain
a commodious court room, judges
chambers, jury rooms witness
rooms, county attorneys office and
consultation rooms as well as ap-
propriate fire-proof vaults, on the
top floor, and offices and fire
proof vaults for the various Of
ficials on the ground floor. The
basement will also contain sew
eral Office rooms.
The construction of the build
ing will furnish employment to
l25 men for a period of eight
months. When completed it will
! have a value of $94,670, of which
the federal government pays out
right as a gift, without any pro-
vision for repayment Of the same.
$64, 705, to be expended for labor
and material. In addition the
federal government allows the
county a credit of $9,965 for the
use of the county machinery and
equipment, thus taking care of
the difference between the coun-
tvs share of the cost, $40, 1865, and
the amount of the bond issue,
$4,000, the total amout the coun-
ty is asked to contribute in cash.
It now costs Big Horn county
to maintain its court house, ex-
elusive Of Jail costs, $557.5O per
month. a total of $500 per year.
A bond issue of $4,000, payable in
ten years, can be floated at an
interest rate of about four per
cent. Thus, to pay off the bonds
and interest and maintain the
new court house and jail will cost
not to exceed $3.4OO per year, al
lowing a savine to the county over
present costs of $3.290 per year.
The first act of the board Of
commissioners session this week
was the passage of a resolution
calling a suecial bond election
flor Friday, May 20. to vote on the
Continued on Page sevenl /