Barton County KS Archives History - Books .....Building The COurt House 1912
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 4, 2007, 5:30 pm

Book Title: Biographical History Of Barton County

BUILDING THE COURT HOUSE

A PETITION signed by E. L. Morphy and fifty-one others was presented to the
board of county commissioners on September 2, 1872, asking for an election to be
called for the purpose of issuing bonds to the amount of $25,000 for the
building of a court house and jail.

   On October 8, a special election was held at which the bends were voted on
and resulted as follows:

Township.            For.     Against.     Total.
Lakin                 1          32          33
Great Bend          156           1         157
Buffalo               5           3           8
 Total              162          36         198

   On March 26, 1873, a contract was made with John McDonald of Emporia to build
the court house for $24,200 in bonds of the county, the court house to be
completed during that year, according to the plans and specifications on file
with the clerk. Bonds in the sum of $50,000 were given by McDonald for the
faithful performance of his part of the contract, W. T. Soden and P. B. Plumb
being sureties.

   In April the A. T. & S. F. railway got out an injunction restraining the
issuing of the bonds for the building of the court house and certain bridges. A.
A. Hurd was employed by the defense. The matter was finally adjusted, the bonds
issued and the necessary taxes were paid by the railroad company.

   In May, 1873, John H. Taylor was appointed to superintend the work of
construction on the court house building, and at the close of December, 1873,
the building was not completed according to contract and McDonald had stopped
work after drawing all the money that was due him. Early in 1874, the board of
county commissioners took possession of the building and materials on hand in
the name of the county. The work was finished and the cost of the part undone
when McDonald quit was assessed against his bondsmen and suit begun to collect
the amount. This matter hung fire in the courts for some time and was finally
settled in November, 1879, by McDonald's bondsmen, Plumb and Soden paying the
county the sum of $2,000, and paying all expenses of the litigation.


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Biographical History Of Barton County


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