THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the
Sebewa Association,
APRIL 1998, Volume 33, Number 5. Sebewa Township, Ionia County, MI.
Submitted with written permission of Grayden D. SLOWINS, Editor:
SURNAMES: CASWELL, MARTZ, MORIARTY, LEAK, BRIGGS, LOWE, VISSER, BROWN, SPITZLEY,
CONKRITE
RECENT DEATH: Jack A. CASWELL, 71, husband of Hazel MARTZ
CASWELL, father of Norma JOHNSON, Jacklyn TEDLOCK and the late Bob CASWELL,
brother of Helen BRACEY, son of Genevieve MORIARTY and Chalmer CASWELL, son of
Elizabeth LEAK & William CASWELL, son of Emaline BRIGGS & Henry CASWELL, Sebewa
pioneers.
BIRTHDAY GREETINGS: Happy 103rd Birthday to Fern CONKRITE, as
sharp a lady as ever came out of Sebewa!
IONIA – CLASSICAL QUEEN OF MICHIGAN COURTHOUSES by Grayden
SLOWINS:
COVER PHOTOS: The top photo shows some of the 700 sections of scaffolding and
thousands of feet of planking used in restoring the courthouse dome in 1994, at
a cost of $140,000. The bottom photo shows the finished product in all her
glory!
On March 5, 1833, what few white men were here – Indian traders mostly –
petitioned Territorial Governor George B. PORTER to appoint a commission to
locate the county seat for Ionia County, with the idea of having it located
where the village of Lyons now stands – then called GENEREAUXVILLE and formerly
ARTHURSBURG. The petition was signed by William HUNT, Elisha BELCHER, Louis
GENEREAUX, Samuel LASLEY, Mathew McGULPIN, Joseph PYATT, Isadore NANTAIS,
Frances FRARO, Matar PARCE, Francis BAILEY and Louis GENEREAUX Jr.
On May 28, 1833, before the above petition had been acted upon, the DEXTER
Colony of 63 permanent settlers arrived at Ionia, naming their settlement “IONIA
County Seat”. A second petition, dated July 12, 1833, and signed by Erastus
YEOMANS, Edward GUILD, Oliver ARNOLD, Sanford A. YEOMANS, Silas D. ARNOLD,
Abraham DECKER, Warner DEXTER, John DEXTER, Zenas G. WINSOR, W. B. LINCOLN,
Samuel DEXTER, Darius WINSOR, Alfred CORNELL, Thomas CORNELL and Lorenzo DEXTER
was delivered by messenger to Governor PORTER. On September 5, 1833, Governor
PORTER appointed James KINGSLEY, Stephen V. R. TROWBRIDGE, and Charles J. LANMAN
as commissioners to locate the county seats of Kent, Ionia, and Clinton
Counties. They took the oath of office from Justice of the Peace E. W. MORGAN in
the village of Ann Arbor, October 8, 1833, and proceeded by horseback to perform
their duties, first in Clinton, then Ionia, and lastly in Kent on November 8.
After due deliberation, the commissioners made choice of land owned by Samuel
DEXTER, situated upon the north half of section 19, township 7 north, range 6
west, Ionia. Mr. DEXTER paid one hundred seventy-one dollars to the
commissioners on December 12, 1833, compensating them for their time and
expenses in locating the county seat of Ionia County, as prescribed by law.
Upon hearing the news of their proceedings and determination regarding the Ionia
County Seat, a series of letters written by Charles D. FRIEND in behalf of the
residents in the east part of the county were dispatched. They argued that the
main population would be in the southeastern quarter of the county, between the
Grand River, the mouth of the Maple River, the Territorial Road (Grand River
Trail at Portland) and SHIMNECON. They also argued that the land on the north
side of the river was mostly swamps and wet prairies interspersed with oak
openings of poor quality, extending to the north county line, where Indian
reservations began.
Governor PORTER died July 6, 1834, without confirming or rejecting the work of
the county-seat commissioners. Stevens T. MASON, twenty-two year old Secretary
of the Territory, succeeded as Acting Governor, then Ex-officio Governor, and
finally as first Governor of the State of Michigan in 1835. The residents of
Ionia County Seat sent a petition letter to Governor MASON in rebuttal to the
letter by Charles FRIEND, and explaining how they were overcoming the marshy
conditions on the north side of the river. But Gov. MASON was too busy with
preparations for the “Toledo War” to reply at that time.
Again they wrote: “Petitions have been forwarded to you praying that measures
may be taken to alter the site which was established by commissioners duly
appointed for the seat of justice for the county of IONIA. We boldly and frankly
declare that a petition above alluded to, which was drawn by Charles D. FRIEND
and signed by himself and some others in the east part of this county, was
filled with falsehoods and willful misrepresentations respecting the present
location and the lands contiguous. We crave your indulgence whilst we shall
refute these statements and exhibit some important facts in relation to the
county seat and the quality of lands in different directions from the same.
“The spot selected for the court house by the Commissioners was not suddenly or
inadvertently fixed upon. They carefully examined the county for six days, and
determined the site upon the lands of Samuel DEXTER, a few rods east of the
centre of the county seat and west, and about two miles north of the centre
north and south. For beauty and healthiness it is believed that this location is
not surpassed by any in Michigan. A large spring of excellent water issues near
the county seat, which affords a sufficient quantity for one hundred thousand
inhabitants, and, with trifling expense, might be conducted to every man’s door.
Near this spot are mill-seats and excellent hydraulic privileges. A grist mill
is already under contract to be built immediately, one-fourth of a mile from the
county seat. South of the River, which has been grossly misrepresented as a
swamp, not susceptible of being drained. A part of this prairie is wet, but
there being a descent of at least twenty feet to the river, a chance is afforded
for laying it dry by a drain or ditch, which for the most part is already
accomplished by Mr. DEXTER, and can be finished in the ensuing season.
“Almost the whole of the southwest quarter of the county appears to be
first-rate timbered land. A large portion of the timber is superior fencing
timber, and an abundance of sugar-maple is found. We have commenced cutting a
road from Ionia centre south upon the centre section-line of the county, to
continue through EATON County to Marshall, the shire of CALHOUN County. We have
progressed eight miles with the road without meeting with any obstacles that
would require a deviation from the section-line. It passes through beautiful
country, which is believed will be settled at no remote period by a dense
population.
“In view of these facts, can it be reasonable, just, or proper that the county
seat, after having been located near the centre of the county by three competent
and judicious men, be removed five or six miles east, to the great inconvenience
of all who will hereafter settle in the county west of the centre? Therefore we
earnestly request that you exercise the authority vested in you by issuing your
proclamation confirming the location of the county seat for this county
according to the determination of the commissioners.
This last petition seems to have settled the matter, for the Governor issued his
proclamation and the seat of justice of Ionia County remains where it was first
located in 1833.
Ionia ultimately prevailed, but Lyons and their supporters in Portland avenged
their supposed wrongs by steadfastly opposing and voting against all
appropriations for the next fifty years for the construction of a proper
courthouse on the beautiful grounds which were set apart for such purpose in
1833 by Judge Samuel DEXTER. Actually Judge DEXTER donated the west half of the
public square at the time of making his original plat of the village of “Ionia
County Seat”. On June 3, 1850, the east half of the square was granted to the
county by James M. KIDD and Edwin C. HART in consideration of the sum of ten
dollars. Thus the plat known as the “Public Square” embraces an area sixteen
rods square.
A proposition to build the first structure for county offices was submitted to
the people in April, 1842, and by a vote of one hundred and fifty-two for – to
one hundred seventeen against, it was decided to erect the building. The returns
from Lyons Township were thrown out however, by reason of not having been signed
or certified by the township inspectors of election. This one-story, probably
wooden, building was completed at the back of the square in 1843, and in 1874
eleven hundred dollars were expended for repairs and an addition.
Circuit Court was never held in this building, however. During the earliest
years, sessions of court and of the Board of Supervisors were held in the
schoolhouse, and soon after in a building occupied by Daniel BALL (John BALL’S
brother) as a store. As early as 1845, Abel AVERY furnished rooms for the use of
courts and supervisors, and continued to do so until 1850. Then Smith’s Hall was
rented and occupied until 1868. Dr. BAYARD’S Hall then became the place for
holding court, etc., and continued to be so used until May, 1879, when Armory
Hall was leased on the site now occupied by the Post Office.
By October of 1882, the County Board of Supervisors agreed that new
accommodations had to be provided for county business and court proceedings. A
motion was passed to submit to county voters, at the April 2, 1883, election, a
proposition to build a new courthouse at a cost not to exceed $45,000. Tax
levies would be made over a three-year period to liquidate the debt. In the
April election, Danby, Portland, Orleans and Keene voted NO; surprisingly Lyons
did not. Even more surprising is the fact that only one NO vote was recorded in
Ionia City!
Now-a-days it stands to reason that a county that votes to build a court house
needs an architect. That was less true in 1883 than today; architects were not
then required by regulation and statute. Ionia County Board of Supervisors had
appointed a building committee, with Chauncey WATERBURY as chairman. WATERBURY
was an Ionia builder and supervisor of the Third Ward. He could have asked his
younger relative, Ora WATERBURY, who was to have a long and distinguished career
as designer and builder, to plan the building. Ora had designed and built First
Baptist Church, St. John’s Episcopal Church and many other Ionia buildings, as
well as some in Belding and Greenville. But a courthouse to cost not more than
$45,000 was a larger building than either WATERBURY had ever undertaken. Little
did they know that a couple years hence they would have a pick up after a
defunct contractor and complete the job.
News of the successful courthouse vote traveled rapidly. An architect presented
himself within the month. He was David W. GIBBS of Toledo, Ohio. He wrote from
Toledo on April 21, 1883, to WATERBURY: “We have just learned through a friend
that you are Chairman of the building committee for your contemplated Court
House and write to say that our GIBBS will be in Charlotte next Tuesday to stake
out Court House for EATON County, and would be pleased to call on you day
following – Wednesday. In event of your not being able to meet him in Ionia on
that day, be kind enough to write D. W. GIBBS care SHERWOOD House, Charlotte,
Michigan and oblige. Very Resp’y D. W. GIBBS”
GIBBS was engaged to provide the plans for the court house. On April 25, 1883,
The IONIA SENTINEL reported: “D. W. GIBBS, an architect of Toledo, was in town
this morning and in company with Chauncey WATERBURY, of the building committee,
looked at the site for the court house, and obtained information as to the kind
of building desired, with a view of submitting a plan. His firm makes a
specialty of plans for buildings of this kind and are architects of the new
EATON County Court House”. He had also done the CLINTON County Courthouse at St.
Johns in 1869, so was known to the area.
After meeting with WATERBURY, GIBBS returned to Toledo and sent a copy of the
EATON County Courthouse plans to WATERBURY. On June 9, 1883, he wrote to
WATERBURY saying, in part: “The tower covering would have to be of galvanized
iron – on account of economy – and would be really no detriment to the
building”. Work proceeded on the plans in Toledo, with several exchanges of
letters between GIBBS and WATERBURY. On August 23, 1883, GIBBS & Co. wrote to
WATERBURY to say all drawings were complete: “We enclose to you this morning by
express all scale drawings and copy for your proposed Court House as also
specifications”.
In that same letter, on a separate sheet, GIBBS asked WATERBURY for his fee for
the plans. GIBBS said, in part: “The Institute of Architects, of which I am a
member, meets at Providence, R.I., (August) 29, 30 & 31. I have just concluded
to go, provided I can accomplish certain results. And one of them is the $600 in
question. You must not think we are always so hard up. The $12,000 house we are
now building is what’s the matter, besides the money we have put into your
drawings”. This is the only indication of how much the plans for the court house
cost the county, and it appears WATERBURY sent GIBBS the $600, since no other
letters touch on the matter.
On January 14, 1884, WATERBURY wrote GIBBS complaining about some drawings which
stone cutters could not understand. The complaints, as GIBBS quickly made clear,
arose from the fact he had been contracted to draw plans only, and not to act as
supervising architect – and he did not feel responsible for what stone cutters
could not understand.
After this, the correspondence dwindled – a letter February 7, 1885, asked about
progress. The final letter is dated February 25, 1886, with GIBBS writing: “How
are you getting on with your Court House and when do you expect to dedicate? I
would like very much to see it when fully finished. Will you have it
photographed? If so, will you send me one? I had expected great things from your
Court Room & Rotunda, and if you make no mistake in fresco they certainly will
be fine.”
Narrative description of the plans in part: “The style is Classical or
Renaissance (Now properly called Classic Revival or Renaissance Revival, due to
Mid-west American adaption). The court house will be 117 feet, 2 inches east and
west; 83 feet, 8 inches north and south, exclusive of projections. Height of the
building from grade line to eaves is 48 feet. The basement is 3 feet below grade
(the foundation 3 feet below that) and 10 feet in the clear, bringing the
basement 7 feet above grade.
“First and second floors above the basement are 14 feet each; third floor 10
feet in the clear; court room, 24 feet to the ceiling; tower 62 feet; from grade
line to top of tower, 120 feet. Exterior finish: Basement, Ohio blue stone,
beveled, rock-face finish, up to and including the window sills of the first
story. First story, Ionia sandstone, rock-face finish. Above that, Ionia
sandstone smooth finish. (Construction is double-row ivory brick, with the
above-named stones as facing.)
All steps and piers, Ohio blue stone. Front portico 36 feet wide, projecting 7
feet, 8 inches, on which, supporting the balcony, are to be four piers, 3 feet
square, of stone, with heavy carved capitals. The projecting roof above is to be
supported by four iron columns. The approach to the portico will be ornamented
with the Michigan Coat of Arms; on top of the gable, an eagle will be supported
by a pedestal. The tower will be topped with a figure of Justice.”
The architect, David W. GIBBS, was born about 1834-1835, being age 82 when he
died October 20, 1917, in Toledo, Ohio. He came to Toledo about 1869-1870, after
serving in the Civil War, and built a home there in 1883 for $12,000, a palatial
sum at that time. He designed the Wyoming Territorial Capitol in Cheyenne, and
many other important buildings. Besides the CLINTON, EATON and IONIA Courthouses
in Michigan, there were courthouses at Norwalk, Newark, Napoleon, Marion,
Hamilton, and other places in Ohio; jails at Tiffin, Marion, Delaware, Urbana,
and Sandusky in Ohio; churches at Columbus Grove and Urbana, Ohio, and at Auburn
and Goshen, Indiana. Also infirmaries, children’s homes, schools, opera houses,
and lodge halls. In Toledo there were the Masonic Temple, Soldiers’ Memorial
Hall, First & Second German Methodist Churches. Also Hotel Marion in Marion,
Ohio, and the High School in Eaton, Ohio.
On October 1, 1883, bids were opened for construction of the courthouse. Four
contractors bid on the project, three from Ionia and one from Detroit. The
Detroit bidder, COLLINS & JAMES, bid only on specifications using Ohio blue
stone entirely – at $65,000. The three IONIA bidders all bid on the
specifications required a mix of Ionia sandstone and Ohio blue stone: Chauncey
WATERBURY - $44,500; G. W. BADGER - $44,350; Claire ALLEN - $42,380. ALLEN was
awarded the contract. After the contract was let, Ohio stone and other materials
were ordered. Stone began arriving by rail freight on October 25, 1883. Stone
and other materials continued to arrive into February. At the same time,
temporary quarters for some county offices were being constructed, and all
county officers were moved to temporary quarters by the first week in April,
1884.
The cornerstone was laid in May, 1884, and thereafter work moved fairly rapidly,
considering the absence of power tools or power equipment of any kind. On August
27, 1884, THE IONIA SENTINEL reported: “The first story of the court house is
nearly completed, that is the walls are up.” All stone work was completed by
November, 1884, and the frame of the tower was in place by December 17, when
work was suspended for the winter. The SENTINEL did not describe the scaffolding
or means of lifting loads. But scaffolding must have been extensive and raising
of stone and timbers must have been slow and dangerous. Some block and tackle
device must have been used – with teams of horses for power, since no mention of
a steam hoist is made. It is likely a steam hoist would have been mentioned if
it was used.
Sometime during the summer of 1884, Claire ALLEN, the builder, declared
bankruptcy. Amazingly, he went on in succeeding years to declare himself an
architect as well as a builder. He made a few “improvements” to David W. GIBBS’
courthouse plans and used them at ITHACA, GRATIOT County, in 1900; at Paw Paw,
VAN BUREN County, 1901, and Corunna, SHIAWASSEE County, in 1903. The Hillsdale
Courthouse, HILLSDALE, late 1880s, is almost identical to IONIA’S and the INGHAM
County Courthouse build at Mason in 1904 is very similar, but no credit is given
to either GIBBS or ALLEN for those two. He undoubtedly used the plans elsewhere
around the Midwest from his offices in Jackson.
But construction at Ionia resumed in the spring of 1885, with Chauncey WATERBURY
in charge. He lost his bid for re-election to the Board of Supervisors, but they
hired him at $2 a day to supervise the construction. He let a contract for a
steam heating system in late April. Decorative items began arriving, including
the Michigan coat of arms which was installed in the gable of the front portico
April 8. On April 25, 1885, exactly two years after David W. GIBBS first laid
scales on the site, the stature of Justice, without blindfold, bearing scales in
her left hand and a sword in the right, was placed on her pedestal atop the
tower.
On May 20, The IONIA SENTINEL observed “The design of the court house
contemplates a clock in the tower. Either the Supervisors or some public
spirited individuals should provide the funds and place one there”. No clock was
ever installed. The Supervisors, aware of exceeding the voted amount, probably
didn’t dare. All seven of the other courthouses designed by these same two
architects and built in the same time period have clocks, and most if not all
are still working. IONIA County Courthouse never had a clock in its tower.
Interior finish work – stairs, banisters, shutters, bookcases, faux marble
fireplaces for decorative gas burners, plastering, desks, doors and fresco –
continued through the summer of 1885. D. W. GIBBS’ plans called for an eagle to
perch on the front portico, over the Michigan coat of arms in the gable. The
eagle arrived October 28, 1885. THE SENTINEL reported: “The new eagle for the
court house has arrived, and is said to be a screamer. He measures 12 feet from
tip to tip, and when safely anchored above the entrance, may well put to shame
the loftiest flights of Fourth of July oratory that will, in the years to come,
resound beneath the lofty dome”.
Shortly after the first of the year, county officials began to move into the
building. The Supervisors held their January quarterly meeting in what is now
the Probate Courtroom on the second floor, and announced themselves pleased with
the steam heat. Circuit Court met in its new courtroom for the first time on
February 24, 1886, with short special ceremonies. Workmen had been busy all
night putting in the seats and getting the room ready. It was a very handsome
and convenient courtroom and the judge, jury, attorneys and spectators were all
in a smiling mood. Gas jets in a circle, 32 in number in each of the two
burners, reflected down on the crowd.
Frescoing had to be completed. Dry fresco was used, a technique of painting
walls with oil pigments in lieu of wallpaper or other decoration. The extent of
frescoing is not recorded. Some offices appear simply to have been plain
painted, with only stencil borders. Other areas were extensively decorated and
one such scene remains on the landing between the rotunda and second floor.
Carefully uncovered, it was restored several years ago. The rotunda walls, the
courtroom walls, and other areas appear to have been extensively decorated.
On January 10, 1886, a resolution was introduced by Supervisor E. D. LAMBERTSON
of Orleans to prohibit smoking and spitting within the Courthouse. After being
tabled until later in the afternoon, it was amended to prohibit only smoking.
Then the report of the Furnishings Committee was approved, which included 126
brass cuspidors to accommodate the chewing & spitting. At 71 cents each, they
were a good investment, if only they had been preserved for today’s antique
hunters!
All county officers were established in their new offices by the first of May,
and the dedication was planned for July 3, 1886. The parade was lead by its
Grand Marshall, General James H. KIDD, who had served under George Armstrong
CUSTER in the Civil War and was now Inspector General of the Michigan State
Troops as well as Editor of the IONIA SENTINEL, on his old warhorse, Billy.
Meeting in special session on June 21, 1886, the Board of Supervisors had read
an itemized report of costs of the new courthouse to date at $63,018.42. Other
bills straggled in later, some almost ten years later, bringing the total to
somewhere between $66,000 and $70,000, depending on where you cut off “original”
and begin counting “restoration”. To be fair tho, the original estimate of
$45,000 had not given much thought to furnishings that were not part of the
structure.
The first telephone came in 1888, the first electricity in 1920. During the
1970s the interior woodwork and walls were restored, as well as installation of
heat-conserving windows. This was continued into the 1980s with restoration of
the third floor offices for the Prosecutor and County Commissioners. The 1990s
have brought exterior renovation from base to tip of Lady Justice on the dome.
The eagle cannot be rebuilt and must be replaced. The former glory of the
courtroom can be restored by uncovering the coved ceiling, installing fans, and
buying chandeliers that approximate what once was.
The first rebuttal letter from the residents of Ionia County Seat to Governor
Stevens T. MASON was signed by these pioneer residents:
Erastus YEOMANS William B. LINCOLN
Samuel DEXTER Asa SPENCER
Charles DOTY William DOTY
Thomas CORNELL Alfred CORNELL Jr.
Sanford A. YEOMANS Lorenzo DEXTER
John C. DEXTER Joseph HADSALL
Gilbert CASWELL William DUMPER
Alfred CORNELL Silas D. ARNOLD
Oliver ARNOLD John E. MORRISON
Darius WINSOR Jacob W. WINSOR
Zenas G. WINSOR Charles THAYER
N. G. BROWN Hezekiah FRANCIS
Daniel A. CORNELL Benjamin G. BARBER
George CASE Horace CASE
The second and convincing letter to Governor MASON was signed by:
Erastus YEOMANS Nelson BECKWITH
Jared CONNER Thomas CORNELL
Eli YEOMANS Daniel CORNELL
Zenas G. WINSOR Alfred CORNELL Jr.
Samuel DEXTER Gilbert CASWELL
William B. LINCOLN Benjamin G. BARBER
William DUMPER George W. CASE
Lorenzo DEXTER William DOTY
John C. DEXTER Eleazer MURRAY
Dexter ARNOLD James CROFFORD
Asa SPENCER Thomas H. CONNER
Lyman WEBSTER Elisha DOTY
Sanford A. YEOMANS Charles DOTY
Oliver ARNOLD Silas D. ARNOLD
Nathaniel J. BROWN Joseph HADSELL
Alfred ARNOLD Charles THAYER
Patrick M. FOX John E. MORRISON
Can you find an ancestor on one or both of these lists? A couple families who
came with the DEXTER Colony family went on within a year to found a suburb of
Ionia County Seat to be called Grand Rapids. More about that offshoot next
issue. We are indebted to John S. SCHENCK and his History of IONIA and MONTCALM
Counties – 1881 and to Russel C. GREGORY and his somewhat more recent research,
for materials used in this story.
LOWE UPDATE: Dayton & Henrietta LOWE’S cow pasture was on the
north side of Stoney Creek, across the creek from the John VISSER residence.
They owned 22 acres there, and it is now part of the Sid BROWN – Gladys SPITZLEY
farm.