May 31, 2018 I The Lovell Chronicle 7
BY STEVA DOOLEY
Note: A celebration
marking the 100th birth-
day of the Big Horn Coun-
ty Courthouse has been
planned for Friday, June 1,
starting at 3:30 p.m. There
will be cupcakes, ice cream,
popcorn and drinks, plus
live music by the Old Time
Fiddlers. Commissioner
Felix Carrizales will wel-
come guests and visitors at
3:45 p.m. and area histori-
an Jeanie Cook will share
some history of the area
and the courthouse. The
departments of the court-
house will be open for vis-
itors to look at interesting
exhibits. The following is a
history of the buildings ini-
tial development.
Although the Big Horn
County Courthouse offi-
cially opened June 18, 1918,
it became a dream nearly
two years before that. The
first mention of the need
for a new courthouse was
recorded in the minutes
of the county commission
meeting of Sept. 16, 1916.
Undoubtedly there was
talk among the people, of-
ricers of the county and the
commissioners before that
time, but a resolution was
issue. There were many is- Bowman as the architect.
sues with the courthouse He then "visited with the
passed unanimously during
the Sept. 16 meeting, then in use. It was to small, county officers and went
"Whereas, Big Horn poorly built, beyond is use- over the plans with the idea
County has no Court ful life and had been added of getting suggestions for
House, nor has it any Jail onto many times in an ef- any changes which might
adequate for its needs;
"And Whereas the ex-
isting indebtedness of Big
Horn County, Wyoming,
which will be created by
the proposed construc-
tion of a Court House and a
fort to make it adequate.
The county had been forced
to rent offices around Basin
for the court chambers for
district court and report-
ers, the county and prose-
cuting attorney, the sher-
iff, the clerk of court, the
superintendent of public
instruction and the coun-
ty surveyor. The county as-
sessor's office was so small
and lacked records storage
that according to an article
in the October 20, 1916, is-
be desired" The public got
a preliminary glimpse of
suitable Jail will not exceed
two per cent on the pres-
ent assessed value of the
taxable property, in said Big
.Horn County, Wyoming, as
shown by the last gener-
al assessment preceding of
said County;
expected at any time. It was
hoped that the courtroom
would be in readiness for
the session of court start-
ing in the 20th of March,
but Judge Metz wasn't so
sure as he postponed call-
ing a jury.
In a resolution adopt-
ed during the county com-
missioners meeting on
April 2, 1918, the county of-
ricers were instructed to
vacate their rented offices
and move immediately to
the new courthouse. The
Commissioners stated that
there would be no more
rent paid after April 1, 1918.
And finally on June 18,
the formal opening of the
courthouse was held. Peo-
ple came from all sections
to be present even though
it meant many of them
worried about high water
in the rivers and creeks.
The people of the county,
to whom the courthouse
belonged and still does be-
long inspected the premis-
es and visited with the var-
ious county officers. The
Basin Band gave a fine con-
cert from tlae steps. Judge
Percy W. Metz welcomed
the people of the coun-
ty "to see what the com-
missioners had done with
possible and that from 30- ly February the architect,
40 men would be work- Wm. Bowman, informed
ing on the building. By the the editor that "the court-
middle of May the pile driv- house would be completed
er had arrived, the pilings and the furniture in place
for the foundation werefor use by the 1st of April:'
going in, but supplies were On March 1st, 1918, it
not arriving as quickly as was announced in the Big changes in Big Horn Coun-
what the courthouse might needed and the construe- Horn County Rustler that ty in the past few years. But
look like in the Dec. 22 edi- tion was not "proceeding as the "courthouse was corn- just 18 years ago Judge Par-
tion of the Big Horn Coun- quickly as was planned:' pleted and ready for the melee had held court in a
ty Rustler when a picture of On a side note, at the furnishings:' shack located just to the
the courthouse at Douglas time of the building of the The writer of the article west of the present court-
was printed, courthouse, the nation was went over the building and house and he had heard the
By the middle of Feb- entering WWI and men made this report: judge tell of the hardships
ruary Mr. Bowman had an were being recruited to "I am much impressedconnected with holding
artist's rendition of what serve the war effort. It was with the completeness of court at that time:'
the new courthouse would a turbulent time in the na- the accommodations pro- "At the end of the meet-
look like and the next step tion and even in the small vided. Onthe first floor are ing visitors again passed
was entered. Mr. Bowman counties of Wyoming. the rooms for the coun-through the court house
was certain that the court- It was the first of June ty clerk, the treasurer, the and noted its many ad-
the money entrusted to
their care for building pur-
poses" Mr. W.E. Edwards
of Germania Bench said
that "there had been great
"Now, Therefore, Be It sue of the Big Horn County house would be ready forbefore the pilings for the assessor and the coun- vantages, after which they
Resolved, that the ques-Rustler, "The county asses- occupancy by Nov. 1. Thefoundation were in and the ty commissioners. Each proceeded to Fraterni-
tion of whether the Board sor is cooped up in a small request for constructionwork of laying the wallsof these rooms is provid- ty Hall, where the evening
of County Commissioners,room, with his records bids was advertised and the could begin. Then, like all ed with an ante room andwas spent in dancing.
of said county shall be au- piled on the floor and old bid opening was scheduled building projects, the news vault. On the second floor And so a little over 18
issue the reg- ! and ab !utely with- for Marchl9 of note began to- wane as are ,the-:: i:eo rt Ooi,the month af ei -
ist& ed c0upon bonds ofOiit ':any protection fromThe commis s the work'on the building judg g ':io m, for rfiis i6ners-fi St ipiit :bh
the County to the amount fire of theft." opened the bids on Tq[arch progressed pretty much the court stenographer, the the request for selling fh'e "f
of Sixty Thousand Dol- When the dust settled 21 and got a rude awaken- along expected lines. As county attorney, the clerk bonds, the people of Big
lars and bearing interest after the election, the bond ing when it became obvi- the building began to take of the district court and Horn County had their new
at the rate of rive percent
per annum payable annu-
ally, and to be issued, pay-
able and redeemable in the
manner following: Payable
at the option of the Coun-
ty ten years after date, and
absolutely due and payable
twenty years after date; for
the purpose of providing
means for the construc-
tion of a Court House and
an adequate Jail, and for the
necessary furnishings and
equipment of the same, be
submitted to the electors
of the said County of Big
Horn, at the ensuing gen-
eral election, to wit, on the
Seventh day of November,
A.D. 1916."
Beginning then the first
of October the commis-
sioners proceeded to edu-
cate the voters on the need
for the passing of the bond
issue was passed by a ma-
jority of 584, the unofficial
count, with two precincts
missing was 1458 for and
874 against. Big Horn Coun-
ty was going to get a new
courthouse. With this win,
the commissioners could
advertise for bids on the
bonds, hire an architect,
approve plans and then let
the contracts for building
and furnishing. The com-
missioners wasted no time
and at a special meeting
on Nov. 17, 1916, they in-
structed the county clerk
to advertise for bonds. At
this same election, Wood-
row Wilson was re-elect-
ed president of the United
States.
By Dec. 15, the bond bids
were back, a bond company
was chosen and the com-
missioners chose Wm. N.
ous that the $60,000 they shape, though, another counsel rooms for visiting
had allotted for the build- problem presented itself: attorneys. On the top floor
ing and furnishing of the money, or lack thereof,are to be found the head-
courthouse was not going In mid-October ameer- quarters for the jury, the
to be enough. They award- ing was announced asking janitor's sleeping room, the
ed the bid to the lowest people to come and give bailiffs room and a num-
bidder "with the under- their opinions on how theber of rooms which will be
standing that the plans and commissioners should pro-allotted later. In the base-
specifications would be so ceed. The bid for the fur- ment are to be located the
changed as to get the price nishings came in at $13,000 sheriffs office, the office
within the limits of the and the funds necessary for of the local justice of the
amount on hand:' them were not available, peace, the farmers' room
Groundbreaking took Then in the minutes of a in which the county agent
place on April 17, 1917, and special meeting the con- and the county demonstra-
the contractor in charge of tract for fixtures and furni- tor will have headquarters
the excavation estimated ture was let to the Monarch and the janitor's room."
that the excavation would Engineering Company "for By the middle of March
be finished in a week. At the S12,000 subject to modi- county officers were get-
groundbreaking ceremony, rications agreed upon be- ting impatient and the
Mr. C.C. Kirk, representing tween the Commission- County Attorney Gilmore
the Monarch Engineeringers, the Architect, and the Hartigan and the Clerk of
Company which had the Monarch Engineering" Court F.I Rue moved into
contract for the construc-News of the war and their rooms in the new
tion, assured the people happenings overseas filled courthouse. The court-
of the town that local help the papers during the win- room furniture was partial-
would be used as much as ter and into January. In ear- ly in place, the rest of it was
courthouse. The cost of
building was between
53,000 and $54,000. At the
time of the completion of
the construction the con-
tractor stated that he was
sure the buil.ding would
cost between $90,000 and
$100,000 to build. The cost
of materials was going up
at an alarming rate. The
nation was at war, and the
people were buying war
bonds to finance that war.
It was the beginning of a
great time in the history of
Basin and Big Horn County.
One of the speakers during
the program said this, "I am
deeply impressed with the
material evidences of prog-
ress, and believe that with
the return of our boys after
the war, the Big Horn Basin
will enjoy a wonderful era
of development.
rth (Big 9-1orn q-lospital istrict
1115 Lane 12, Lovell, WY- 307-548-5200 www.nbhh.com
ORTHOPEDICS
Jimmie Edwards, PA-C
June l&15
307-578-1955
PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES
Jenny Titus,
DNP, FPMHNP-BC
June 4, 11, 18 & 25 888-504-4074
PODIATRY
Big Horn Foot Clinic
Lael Beachler, DPM
June 6 & 21* 888-950-9191
MIDWIFE
Sharae Bischoff, APRN
June 6&20
307-754-7770
t CARDIOLOGY
Kristin Scott-Tillery, M.D.
June 8
406-238-2000
ORTHOPEDICS
Jared Lee, M,D.
June 8&22
307-578-1955
ORTHOPEDICS
Mark Ryzewicz, M.D.
Clint Merritt, PA
June 12 & 26 307-578-2180
DERMATOLOGY
Jared Lund, M.D.
June 14
800-332-7156
GENERAL SURGERY
Michael Hill, M.D.
June 22
800-332-7156
HEARING AID CLINIC
Alfred McClees, M.D.
June 27
800-331-6009
FOOT CLINIC
307-548-5213
for appointment and information
www.nbhh.com
Please use the
clinician's phone
number as listed
to schedule an
appointment.
ANYTIME DAY OR NIGHT the
North Big Horn Hospital and
New Horizons Care Center
provide services to persons
utilizing the facilities without
discrimination based on race,
color, national origin, age, sex,
religion or handicap.
FIND YOUR
NEXT
IN THE
LOVELL CHRONICLE
published ever)/Thursday/. Call 307-548-2217 to subscribe now.
