Newaygo County MI Archives History - Books .....County Building 1884
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Jan Cortez http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00020.html#0004939 March 6, 2008, 10:26 pm

Book Title: Newaygo County Portrait & Biographical Album

County Building

The people took no step toward building a permanent edifice for county offices 
and court room until 1866.  Previous 

to that time the county owned a small building costing but a few hundred 
dollars, used as a clerk's office, and in 

which also the Supervisors met.  Court was held in rented quarters.

April 17, 1866, the Board passed the following resolution:

WHEREAS, it is deemed necessary and proper to erect a suitable county building 
on the "Court-House Square" in the 

village of Newaygo, for the offices of the County Clerk, Judge of Probate, 
Register of Deeds and County Treasurer, 

therefore Resolved, by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Newaygo, that 
there be submitted to a vote of the 

electors of the county of Newaygo, the question of raising by loan the sum of 
$3,000, to build and finish such county 

building for the purposes aforesaid, one-half to be payable on the first day 
of February, 1868, and one-half payable 

on the first day of February, 1869, agreeably to the provisions of section 20, 
being section 354 of the Compiled 

Laws, entitled "An act to define the powers and duties, and to confer upon 
them certain local administrative powers."

Resolved further, that such submission be made to the electors of Newaygo 
County on the Tuesday after the first 

MOnday in November, 1866, and that the votes thereon be taken, canvassed, 
certified and returned in accordance with 

the provisions of the above entitled act. 

When the vote was taken, out of 577 votes cast, 340 were given in favor of the 
loan, and 237 against it.  The 

Treasurer was instructed to negotiate the loan, and James Barton, MIlo White 
and William D. Fuller were appointed a 

building committee, with power to contract for and supervise the erection of 
such building.

This sum proved insufficient to complete the building as desired, and in the 
following fall the Board appropriated 

$1,000 out of the contingent fund towards constructing an additional story for 
a court room.  The old county building 

was sold, and the proceeds applied to the same purpose.  Still more funds were 
necessary, and $600 were advanced to 

the county by E.L. Gray, Sol. K. Riblet, the Newaygo Company, D. Millard, W.L. 
Stewart, and others, to finish the 

structure.  The building was ready for occupancy by mid-winter.

It was then considered a very neat structure, and is even now better than many 
other counties can show.  Still, it 

has become insufficient for county purposes, and the need of more room, is 
sadly felt.  Fire-proof vaults are needed, 

also, to preserve the county records from danger of fire.  Among the plans 
proposed to remedy the situation, is one 

to build a new court-house, and convert the present building into a sheriff's 
dwelling and jail.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/newaygo/history/1884/newaygoc/countybu59gms.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/

File size: 3.5 Kb