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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 2015)
Wallowa County Chieftain wallowa.com Out of the Past COURTHOUSE: Space holds history January 28, 2015 B3 SQUINTS & GLANCES: Continued from Page B1 Nearly as historically sig- QL¿FDQW DV WKH FRXUWKRXVH WKH JURXQGVWKHPVHOYHVKDUERUWKHLU share of history, including the GHVWUXFWLRQE\D[RILO- legal liquor stills. The Wallowa County sheriff, a deputy and a VWDWH SURKLELWLRQ DJHQW SDUWLFL- pated in the slaughter. 6HYHUDO UHSODQWLQJV RI ERWK deciduous and coniferous trees on the grounds took place over the years, as well as, several ad- GLWLRQVRIKLVWRULFDOVLJQL¿FDQFH Sometime in the 1920s, the FRXQW\LQVWDOOHGDJUDQLWHEHQFK commemorating two Wallowa County pioneers who donat- ed the land for the courthouse square. The American Legion placed DJUDQLWHERXOGHURQWKHJURXQGV in 1925 with a plaque honoring the World War I (WWI) dead. In 1986, additional plaques were placed on the stone to honor vet- HUDQVRIVXEVHTXHQWZDUVXSWR that time. The year 1926 saw place- ment of a memorial WWI can- non. Melted for scrap during WWII, it was replaced with a Japanese cannon from the same FRQÀLFWFLUFD The county placed a 1936 concrete memorial arch on the grounds to honor Wallowa County pioneers. Even with the advent of the modern age, the courthouse maintains many of its original IXQFWLRQV6HYHUDOFRXQW\RI¿F- es originally housed there were relocated to other addresses in WRZQ$OVRJRQHLVWKHEDVHPHQW jail, which included a living space for the jailer and his wife. One of the former jail doors re- VLGHVLQDJURXQGÀRRURI¿FH The circuit courtroom is the crowning jewel of the court- Handwriting on the back of this local photo identifies the woman as Mrs. I.S. McDonald, of Promise, with her June cactus plant. S.F. Tool/Chieftain A room with a view — one of the five semi-circular windows on the third floor of the courthouse. house interior. Upon entering the courtroom (on a tour, in this LQVWDQFHRQHLVJUHHWHGE\WKH pleasant sight of its oak décor, nearly all of it original to the URRP 7KH EHQFK ZKHUH WKH judge presides) is of ancient oak DQG VXUURXQGHG E\ RDN EDOXV- trade. 7KH MXU\ ER[ IHDWXUHV WZR rows of original swiveling oak chairs with arm rests and cush- LRQHGVHDWV2QWKHÀRRUEHORZ ERWK URZV RI FKDLUV LV D UHDO EUDVV UDLO RQ ZKLFK MXURUV FDQ UHVW WKHLU IHHW &RXUW REVHUYHUV can watch proceedings from the comfort of oak pews that would QRWORRNRXWRISODFHLQWKH¿QHVW churches. At 100 years old, they look to easily last another 100. While the county replaced many of the courtroom’s origi- QDORDNEOLQGVVRPHUHPDLQLQ place to shield spectators and court employees from the sun. All the Circuit Court person- nel express great pride in their courtroom and it appears to re- ceive the care it deserves. $WRXUWKURXJKWKHWKLUGÀRRU and attic reveals the complex structure of the upper framing of the courthouse, which features QXPHURXVJDEOHVDQGWKHFXSROD 7KH EDVHPHQW FRQWDLQV WZR staircases for ingress/egress, and KRXVHV VHYHUDO FRXQW\ RI¿FHV 7KHEDVHPHQW¶VLQWHUHVWLQJIHD- WXUH LV WKH ORDGEHDULQJ ZDOOV and foundation of unhewn, nat- XUDOVWRQH6RPHWKLQJDERXWWKH stone in its natural state imparts the sturdiness and perpetuity of earth. Starting in 1995, a Wallowa County employee set the wheels in motion to examine the possi- ELOLW\RISODFLQJWKHFRXUWKRXVH on the National Historic Places 5HJLVWHU 7KH FRXUWKRXVH VXE- mitted the actual application in 'HFHPEHURIZLWKDSSURY- DO FRPLQJ LQ 6HSWHPEHU RI WKH following year. HAPPILY AT HOME BEHIND BARS Tells Officers He’s Insane And Insists on Going to Jail Chieftain, Oct. 9, 1920 7KHVKHULII¶VRI¿FHKDVEHHQ called upon to make a good many arrests and occasionally KDV KDG FRQVLGHUDEOH WURXEOH to locate the person or persons ZDQWHG VR LW LV QRW WR EH ZRQ- GHUHG DW ZKHQ D PDQ E\ WKH name of Maxwell went in search RIWKHVKHULIILQRUGHUWREHSXWLQ jail, there was some amazement H[SUHVVHGE\WKHRI¿FLDOV The man in question showed up Sunday evening, claiming to EHLQVDQHDQGDVNHGWREHSODFHG in jail. Janitor Sanders informed him that he had no authority to lock him up and he would have to see the sheriff. He was somewhat put out as he said the sheriff had agreed to meet him at the courthouse and attend to him. He was then informed that Sheriff Rinehart was in Portland EXWWKDWLIKHVRGHVLUHGKHFRXOG look up Harry H. Nottingham and state his case to him. So anxious was he to secure an audience that he walked to the Nottingham residence and gave himself up. He was placed in jail and so DQ[LRXV ZHUH WKH RI¿FLDOV WKDW he stay that they forgot to lock the door. Monday morning he was still there and seemed to think he had found a home. Dr. B.F. Roseman, the county phy- VLFLDQZDVFDOOHGEXWFRXOG¿QG no trace of insanity and very lit- tle else wrong except that there seemed no inclination to work and a desire for a home for the winter. 1RZ WKH RI¿FHUV DUH ZRQ- GHULQJLILWZRXOGQ¶WEHDJRRG idea to keep the jail doors se- curely locked at all times and post a special guard in order WR NHHS VXI¿FLHQW URRPV DW WKH county hotel to accommodate those who are really worthy of admittance. The county decided to send Maxwell to Pendleton, where he desired to go, Tuesday. They WKRXJKW WKDW WKLV ZRXOG EH D cheaper method of disposing of his case than keeping him as a free guest at the county hotel, and there is small likelihood that KHZLOOODQGLQDSXEOLFLQVWLWX- tion at that city. Feel like you're sleeping on a $15 bed? 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