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THE REPUBLICAN July 29, 1881 The
work upon the new courthouse has progressed well this week. The excavation is complete and considerable
of the basement well laid. THE REPUBLICAN December 2, 1881 What Will be Done With It? Of
late we have often heard the question asked, what will be done with the old
Court House when the new one is completed and ready for occupancy? As far as we are concerned it is a question
that we cannot answer, and if there is any one who knows, we would be glad to
have them inform us. A move was on foot
during the late session of the County Board to have the county give it to the
city, but for some cause or another the request was not granted. And now we would ask, what does the city
want of it and what would they do with it?
Certainly it will have to be moved from its present location, but where
it will be put is a question in the minds of many who have given it any
thought. We believe the majority of the
County Board were in favor of selling it for what it would bring, the proceeds
to go into the general county fund, consequently nothing was done in regard to
disposing of it. December 16, 1881 Is it a Barn Yard? Main
Street, especially in front of the Court House and the most prominent location
of all presents a sight that equals if not eclipses, a good old-fashioned
barnyard. Our city authorities allow
teams to be unhitched there, and hay, straw, and corn stalks scattered all over
the ground for the horses and oxen to eat and trample on. The whole length of
the Court House Square on Main Street is a disgrace to any city. The best way to remedy this evil is to
prohibit farmers from feeding or unhitching their horses on such sightly
locations. March 10, 1882 The New Court House Monday
morning last work was again commenced on our new court house by the building
committee. Mr. Melcher had locked all
the doors to the building and refused to give up the keys, but the doors were
forced open and men set to work. There
is some talk of Mr. Melcher making trouble for the county for taking possession
in this way, but just what it will amount to we are unable to say at
present. We hope, however, that the
committee will go ahead and complete the building as soon as possible. It ought to have been completed some time
ago and we can see no good reason why it was not; but the building committee
have come to the conclusion that forbearance has ceased to be a virtue, and
taken the matter into their own hands, and the county will bear them out in
their actions. April 7, 1882 On
account of dampness in the new Court House, the vault doors have been taken off
and placed in the old building to prevent their further rusting during the
plastering of the building. ************* Those
who have cows that are permitted to run at large, must bear in mind that, all
damage done by them can be collected from the owners. May 26, 1882 The Unabated Nuisance Again
we notice that the nuisance of feeding teams on our Main Street in front of the
court House has commenced. But a few
weeks ago the street was thoroughly cleaned by the Street Commissioner and
already it is becoming strewn with hay and rubbish more appropriate for a
barn-yard than the main business street of a city. We have agitated the matter through the columns of this paper
several times of having an ordinance passed, prohibiting the practice of
unhitching and feeding teams on Main Street, especially in front of Court House
Square. This is a matter that our city
fathers ought at once to take some steps to prohibit. What must those who are attending court here from other cities
think of such practices? We do not
know, but we venture to say if they were questioned on the subject their
opinions would not be very complimentary.
If there is not pride enough in our citizens to stop this practice for
their own sake, it would be a good thing to have it done away with on account
of strangers who are daily visiting our city and who in speaking of the place
will no longer have cause to say that our Main Street looks more like a
barn-yard than any thing else. To those of our citizens who are in the habit if
seeing it every day it is not noticed very much, but to a stranger it is seen
and noticed very quickly. We trust
something will be done in regard to this practice and that it will soon be
abated. ************* Judge
Park was somewhat disappointed that the new Court House was not in readiness
for this term of Court, but it couldn’t very well be helped under the
circumstances. The
calendar for this term of court is the largest the county has ever had, many
suits having been brought here on change of venue from other counties. Our
city is over-run this week with gentlemen of the legal profession. On
seeing Gabe Houck in the court room in this city the other day, a stranger
asked what Indian that was, and if he knew anything about law? From the manner in which Gabe wears his hair
at the present time, and his dark complexion, the stranger evidently thought he
was a full-blooded Indian. (Also
noted in this May issue: This city was
visited with a slight snowstorm last Monday morning. There was not enough for sleighing, but it was snow just the
same. The heavy frost of Tuesday night
last seems to have prevailed though out the entire northwest, and by reports
from different localities we see that vegetables and nearly all small fruits
have been injured to some extent) July 14, 1882 Our
Court yard is getting to be a public pasture for cows. July 14, 1882 The Cow Nuisance How
natural it is for some people to always want to maintain something at the
expense of others. This fact is daily
demonstrated in our city by those owning cows which are permitted to run at
large about the streets. They are a
nuisance in more respects than one: 1st,
shade trees are injured, and in many cases totally destroyed by them; 2d, if a
gate is left open they are sure to enter and destroy the garden, if there
happens to be one; 3d, the constant jingle of the cow bell early in the
morning, about day-light when a person would like to sleep, is one of the most
provoking of all. It is not an uncommon
sight to see from five to a dozen cows at a time on almost any of our streets,
even Main Street and many times in the Court yard, and from one to thereof them
with bells on. It is not an uncommon
thing in a village to see such thins, but in a place like Waupaca that pretends
to be a city, it is certainly something that ought to be remedied. We venture to say that there is not another
place in the State the size of our city where such things are permitted to exist,
and it certainly ought not to be permitted here, and would not if there was
back-bone enough in our city council to pass an ordinance to that effect, but
of course it could not be done without incurring the displeasure of some of our
citizens, especially those owning cows, and it would never do to incur such
displeasure. If cows that are allowed
to run in the streets would bother no one but the owners of them, it would be a
different thing, but who ever knew a cow to remain around the premises of its
owner when turned out in the street? THE REPUBLICAN August 25, 1882 The New Court House The new Court House
is nearing completion. The carpenters
have finished the wood-work on the interior, the blinds are being hung and the
painters have but a few more days work to finish their job. The interior of the court room is a model of
perfection. It is large and airy. The finish of the walls and ceilings are
decorated with the most beautiful frescoing, making the room cheerful and
pleasing to the eye. The rooms of the
county officers are neatly painted in the different shades of olive and
finished off with a dainty border of frescoing. The furniture has not yet been put in, but will correspond with
the general finish of the interior of the building. The balastrade around the main part of the roof has added much to
the outward appearance of the structure.
It is something that the citizens of Waupaca county may well feel proud
of, and we venture the assertion that, not a half dozen counties in the State
can boast of as fine a court house and grounds as this. It will be about two
weeks before the County officers can take possession of their respective
offices in the new building. When
finished, and the grounds are cleaned up, and the old building removed, the improvement
to our beautiful little city will be great.
How much more becoming it will be and how much better it will look to
have such a building in a beautiful little city, than to have it planted among
the trees and stumps of a place like Manawa.
The people of this county showed their good senses when they defeated
the move to make Manawa the county seat and erect a fine Court House there, and
it is well. September 8, 1882 The
old Court House will be sold to the highest bidder today. A good job will be done when it is removed
and the grounds put in proper order, and it is hoped as soon as this is done
that that grounds will not be used for a cow pasture any more. THE REPUBLICAN September 29, 1882 The
old Court House reached its future location at the foot of Main Street last
Monday. ************ Can
any one tell why the fence on the south side of the courtyard has not been put
back in its place since the removal of the old building? It looks very badly standing up there
against the trees. ************ The
musical cow-bell is the most prominent attraction in our city in the morning,
and were it to be banished from our Main Street and the court-yard by an act of
the Common Council, the people would mourn the loss very much. There is nothing so pleasant and soothing to
the ear as a cow-bell, and people who live in cities where the festive bovine
is not allowed to perambulate the main thoroughfares know nothing of its charms
and we cannot express it by words, it is inexpressible. It is astonishing what charms such music has
for some people. We think our city
fathers must be decidedly fond of music for the cow-bell seems to have great
charms for them and awakens their most tender feelings towards mankind. Verily, the cow-bell hath many charms in
Waupaca. THE REPUBLICAN November 17, 1882 A
resolution prohibiting smoking in the court room during the session of the
board was adopted almost unanimously. THE REPUBLICAN November 22, 1882 The
Board of Commissioners of the new court house made their report Wednesday
morning, and from it we get the exact cost of the new building. The total cost as it stands is
$23,270.92. There are outstanding bills
of Melcher, of $2,326.73 for material and labor, which the board refuses to
pay. If this were allowed, the total
cost would be $25,597.65. The cost of
the building proper is about $16,000.
The bills of the commissioners are about $1,800, and the balance of the
$23,000 is represented by heating apparatus and furniture. THE REPUBLICAN November 9, 1883 There
has been in some sections of the county considerable talk about the great
expense in building a Court House in Waupaca.
Now to get right down to plain facts and figures. In the first place the Waupaca Court house,
is the best Court house for the money in the State, and a first class county
building is a monument to the county it represents, and not only that, but as
ornament to the city that bears the name of the County – Waupaca, and the city
can take especial pride in it, because in addition to its share of the taxes to
help pay for it. $7,000 were given as a
bonus toward the construction of the same.
The total cost of the building including steam heating and furnishings,
less the $7,000 given by the city is about $18,000, and taking $3,538,211 the
value of the taxable property last year and it would entail the awful tax of a
half cent on each dollar of taxable property to pay for it all down. Or in other words, the farmer or merchant
that is taxed a thousand dollars on his real estate or personal property would
have to contribute just five dollars to pay his share in as good a court house
as there is in the State. A
conflagration in an old wooden building would cost the county full as much as
the expense of erecting the new brick building. THE REPUBLICAN January 4, 1884 Matteson has reason to be proud of its
chairman. It is true that he has
allowed its valuation to be raised $7,000 which will increase its taxes, but
then it is worth that difference to have the “cheer-manship” of the astute
county board. New London Times. Matteson is fast coming to the front as one of the
valuable farming towns in the County and it is to e expected that with her
increase in wealth and population her valuation should be raised. And this running down and slandering one of
its best citizens because he happened to vote for the Court House to be located
where it ought to be, is contemptible.
The Times will not gain friends very fast by such methods in journalism. But the Matteson people know the source from
which such slanders emanate and will not go back on a man that ever has the
welfare and the best interests of his town at heart, and that man is John
Morgan. THE REPUBLICAN May 5, 1892 The flag staff for the court house has been brought
down from Iola and will soon be placed in position. *********** An excellent suggestion has been made by a prominent
businessman of this city, and one that should be seconded by all.. It is that the courthouse square be improved
by laying it out as a park, with nicely kept lawn, well graveled paths, shade
trees set out in symmetrical order, and flower beds, etc. The work should be done by a landscape
gardener in artistic style. It is also proposed that a band stand be erected,
that the Waupaca band might give open air concerts during the summer. Strangers who come to any city naturally
look at the public buildings the first thing, and if they can see a beauty spot
in the center of the city, they will go away with a good impression of the
city, and of the enterprise of its citizens.
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