Biography of County Organization Henry County, Ohio
Henry County, Ohio,
County Organization
Pages 671 - 675
As indicated in a preceding chapter, the settlement and development of Henry county for various reasons were considerably retarded and for a period of fourteen years the public affairs of the people residing within its territory were under the jurisdiction of the neighboring counties of Wood and Williams. By 1834, however, the population had so increased as to justify the organization of the county into an independent jurisdiction. Accordingly, the legislature during its session of that year passed an act authorizing the people to elect their own officers and administer the affairs of the county in accordance with the laws governing such procedure. The act also made provision for the appointment of three nonresident commissioners whose duty it should be to select an eligible site for the seat of justice, in the performance of which trust the parties appointed visited the county and after viewing the several localities proposed, and carefully weighing and comparing their respective advantages and claims, and hearing arguments advanced by the champions of each, finally decided upon Napoleon as the proper place, the village being admirably located near the geographical center of the county and possessing advantages superior to those of its competitors, besides giving promise of ultimately becoming an important commercial and industrial center.
After completing the preliminary organization, an election was held, resulting in the choice of the following officials: Judges, Pierce Evans, Reuben Waite and Davin J. Cory; clerk of the courts, Newton Evans; auditor, Hazael Strong; treasurer, Israel Waite; sheriff, Elkanah Husted; coroner, William Bowen; prosecuting attorney, Frederick Lord; county commissioners, Xenophon Mead, Amos Cole and Allen Brougher, all of whom were to hold their respective positions until the general election in October following. At the ensuing election the polls showed a total of ninety-seven votes, all of the above officials being re-elected except Elkanah Husted, who left the county the meantime, the choice for sheriff falling to Samuel Bowers.
The first term of court was held at the public house of Daniel Stout, a short distance north of the Maumee river, Judge David Higgins presiding, but of the proceedings nothing is known, the records having been destroyed in the burning of the court house in 1847.
The county being duly organized and the official machinery set in motion, it became necessary to provide a suitable place in which to hold court and transact other public business. Accordingly, one of the first duties devolving upon the commissioners was to enter into a contract with George Stout to build an addition to his tavern for the purpose indicated, the scarcity of funds in the hands of the treasurer rendering impossible the erection of a court house at that time. In due season the extra room was completed and, although built of logs, it was found amply sufficient for the purpose to which applied, and during the intermission of court was used by Mr. Stout as a storeroom. In this modest structure court was held for a number of years, but as population increased and public business assumed greater magnitude a building of enlarged proportions and more in keeping with the dignity of the county and its flourishing seat of justice became a necessity; hence, in 1844 a contract for a frame courthouse, costing the sum of two thousand dollars, was let to Michael Shuman. This building, which was completed in due time according to plans and specifications, was a two-story edifice with court rooms on the second floor and the various county offices on the first, being plain and modest in appearance, but substantially constructed and well adapted to the purposes for which designed. It was in use but three years, however, having been destroyed by an incendiary fire in 1847, many of the most valuable public records and papers being consumed by the devouring element, entailing a severe loss upon the county. Through the heroic efforts of James G. Haley, county auditor, the tax duplicates, together with certain other documents pertaining to his office, were saved, but having gained rapid headway before being discovered, the flames were soon beyond control, rendering futile all attempts to remove the contents of the other offices. The effect of this disaster for a time was paralyzing, as the majority of the people were poor and could ill afford the extra taxation necessary to replace the building, but in due season the commissioners met to consider the exigency and take action towards providing for the same. The burning of the court-house gave rise to a question which for a time caused the board to hesitate before taking final action in the matter of building, namely the propriety of removing the seat of justice from Napoleon to some other place, the towns of Florida and Damascus competing for the honor, the former being favored by the people of the western part of the county and the latter by those in the eastern part. Another matter which also caused no little concern, but which appeared to have met with scant favor by the public, was the proposition to form a new county, in the erection of which Henry would again be obliged to surrender a certain portion of territory, the opposition to the measure being so determined as to render official action unnecessary. In the meantime the commissioners had entered into a contract for the erection of a new jail, but in view of the disturbed feeling on the part of the public growing out of the above questions, they induced the contractors to cease work on the latter building and subsequently, March 7, 1848, the board after duly considering every phase of the situation adopted the following resolution:
"Whereas, a majority of the people of the county are opposed to the erection of such building, or any contract for the same until the subject of the removal of the county seat shall have been fairly and fully canvassed by the people at the next annual election and their wishes acted upon by the legislature at its next session, therefore,
"Resolved, That the subject of erecting, contracting for or constructing public buildings for the county of Henry be postponed until after the next general assembly."
The result of this agitation showing the majority of the people to be in favor of retaining the seat of justice at the original location, determined the board in the matter of providing the necessary public buildings. Accordingly, in December, 1849, two town lots were donated by the proprietors of Napoleon, to be used in addition to ground already owned by the county as a site for the proposed court house and jail. In January, 1850, the contract for these buildings was awarded to James Durbin, Achilles Smith and William Russell, who agreed to construct them according to plans and specifications for the sum of seven thousand four hundred and ninety-five dollars and seventy-five cents. The plans provided for two separate and distinct buildings, one to be used for the twofold purpose of court house and jail, the other to be occupied by the various offices, the former to be two stories high and forty by sixty feet ground space, the latter twenty by sixty feet in area, one-story high and divided into four apartments of equal size. These buildings, combining convenience and utility rather than elaborate ornamentation, were completed in due time and answered all the needs of the county until, like the original structure, they too fell prey to the fire fiend, being completely destroyed on the night of November 8, 1879. The fire appears to have originated in what was known as "Dutch Row," thence spread rapidly to adjoining buildings, which were soon a mass of flames, the court house being ignited from the latter. By united effort on the part of the assembled crowd the records were rescued before the flames had reached the places of keeping, thus fortunately saving to the county what otherwise could never have been replaced.
On March 25, 1880, the commissioners let the contract for the present handsome and imposing temple of justice to Jacob Karst and William Woodruff for the sum of seventy-nine thousand eight hundred and twenty-five dollars, the same parties also entering into a contract to construct a jail and sheriff's residence for twenty-thousand dollars, the latter being finished and accepted in the latter part of the above year. The courthouse was completed early in 1882 and when furnished cost the county the sum of ninety-five thousand dollars. It is a handsome four-story brick edifice, with finely cut Berea sandstone trimmings, and from its elevated site on the corner of Perry and Washington streets commands an extensive view of the city and surrounding country, the tall tower in the central part, which rises to a height of one hundred and forty feet from the ground and surmounted by an imposing figure of Justice, being visible for many miles from every point of the compass. Beneath the figure in the upper part of the tower is a large four-dial clock which can also be seen from every approach to the city and the sound of whose bell as it tolls away the hours is a sweet though solemn reminder of the rapidly passing years and the brevity of all things human. The interior of the building is admirably adapted to the purpose for which designed, being well arranged, the main floor containing the more important county offices. In addition to the spacious and well lighted court room, the second story contains the offices of the prosecuting attorney, sheriff and clerk; the surveyor, infirmary directors and janitor occupying apartments in the basement, where is also a commodious engine room, besides public lavatories and ample halls. The building is a model of architectural art, beautiful and sufficiently ornate to be attractive, but in no respect is the latter feature overdone, as it is in too many public edifices. The structure is complete in all its parts and it is not too much to say that it is one of the finest and best arranged court houses in the northern part of the state.
The sheriff's residence and jail are in keeping with the temple of justice, being a model of good taste and substantially constructed of brick, with cut stone trimmings and combining beauty and utility in harmonious proportions.
The first jail in Henry county was a small log building which stood a short distance south of the present structure, on the south side of the canal. During the early years all classes of criminals and law breakers were incarcerated within its rough and inhospitable walls, but some of the more desperate prisoners having found means of escape from time to time, it was finally deemed insecure for a place of detention and punishment; nevertheless it continued to be used until the completion of the first brick court house, when cells were constructed in the basement of the latter for violators of the law. But in due time these places of incarceration were found inadequate and no longer secure; consequently a number of the more serious offenders were removed to the stronger jails of Maumee City and other places for safe keeping. From the destruction of the original brick court house until the completion of the present jail Henry county depended upon neighboring counties for accommodations for her criminal classes, but since I880 her own prison has been so strong and secure as to render impossible any escape therefrom.