The History of the Courthouse

Welcome Time Machine History of the Courthouse Wabash: the First City Lighted by Electricity Read the News Stories & Legends Who was Charles Brush? What are Arc Lamps? Timeline Photo Gallery Letters from the Community 100th Anniversary 125th Anniversary How We Did This Project Bibliography Credits Other Links
	We got this picture from the vertical file at the library.	This is a picture of the new courthouse. In 1870 the old one burnt down. Its nickname was "Old Barracks". So, without a courthouse for seven years, they finally signed a contract in 1877. Mr. Caldwell built the 1,250,000 bricks to use for the courthouse right here in Wabash!! The walnut chairs (that were very nice) were made by inmates of the State Penitentiary. The flag staff was 178 feet tall!! On April 23, 1879 they put the clock on the tower. But in 1938 one of the weights came crashing down beside the sheriff's office and almost crashed through the floor. They put a lot of things in the cornerstone. A cornerstone is the place where they put a copper box containing items to preserve for the future. The things that the copper box contained: Holy Bible, squares and compass, map of city of Wabash, specimens of coins of the United States, specimens of wheat, flax, oats, and barley, copy of the Masonic Advocate, Wabash Plain Dealer, Wabash Courier, North Manchester Journal, Lagro Express, Eel River News, piece of the Old Courthouse Bell and other important items.
	This is a picture of the new courthouse after they remodeled it. It used to have a lot of chimneys, but then they removed all of the fireplaces.
	Go to the Courthouse Quiz	We took this picture of the courthouse.
This web site was created by the 2004-2005 fourth grade Quest class of the Metropolitan School District of Wabash County, Indiana.

Made by Connor R. and Acacia C.