Planners for the Doniphan County Courthouse Dedication Centennial celebration are looking for descendents of those who made building the current courthouse possible. The following information was gleaned from County Commissioners’ Minutes for the years 1905 – 1907, by Pat Dill. Descendents of those persons mentioned in this article are invited to contact the committee at P.O. Box 700, Troy, KS 66087, so they can be included in plans for next summer’s celebration.
            On April 12, 1905, the Doniphan County Board of Commissioners were presented a petition from  “many tax payers of Doniphan County, requesting that the new Court House be commenced this year, and that steps be taken at once for the building thereof, and that it be located in the center of the public square, and upon the site now occupied by the old Court House in the center of said public square.”  (Commissioners’ minutes, April 12, 1905, pp 138.) That very day the Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to begin the project immediately.
            Three days later the commissioners accepted a proposal by Cyrus Leland, Jr. to dismantle the west wing of the then current courthouse and use the brick from it to “build at his own expense a brick building in size not less than 20 feet by 60 feet diagonally across the corner northwest from the public square, and to furnish the same rent free for the use of the county Officers…; for and during the said period of one year from July 1st, 1905, and in addition thereto the said C. Leland Jr. is to furnish the Opera house for holding terms of the District Court for and during the same period of time, and two office rooms over his present store building during the same period for the use of County Officers.” (Commissioners’ minutes, April 15, 1905, pp 139.)  Mr. Leland was allowed $500.00 to make certain all the above was accomplished and the rubbish from the old courthouse was carted away.
            By May 4th, F. H. Drosselmeier had requested a special meeting to be called to examine preliminary plans submitted by several architects. Plans for the new courthouse had been submitted by Eckel and Maum of St. Joseph, Mo., George P. Washburn and son, of Ottawa, Kansas; G E. McDonald of Warrensburg, Mo.; Alfred Myer of St. Joseph, Mo. and Chesney of Kansas City, Mo. At the specially called meeting held May 11, 1905, the Board of County Commissioners voted as follows:
            N. L. Nelson voted to accept the plans presented by Geo. P. Washburn and Son.
            F. H. Drosselmeier also voted to accept the plans presented by Geo. P. Washburn and Son.
            A. B. Symns Jr. voted to accept the plans presented by Alfred Meier.
            Geo. P. Washburn receiving the majority of the votes cast, a contract was entered into with the said Geo. P. Washburn and Son. (Commissioners’ minutes, May 11, 1905, pp 144-145.)
            The County Clerk was instructed to publish a notice for sealed proposals to be received at the office of County Clerk of Doniphan County, Kansas, by 1:00 p.m., July 6th, 1905, for the erection and completion of the Doniphan County Court House at Troy, in accordance with plans and specifications for same, copies of which were available at the Office of the County Clerk or at the Office of Geo. P. Washburn and Son, architects, 413 South Main, Ottawa, Kansas.
            On July 6th, 1905, proposals were received for the erection and completion of the Doniphan County Court House at Troy, Kansas, as follows:
            “From Cuthbert & Sargent                             for        $46,994.00
              “ Latimer & Benning                                    “            41,829.00
              “  Shaul & Assenmacher                               “            42,985.00
              “  G. H. T. Schaefer & Co.                           “            44,500.00
              “  J. H. Wagenknecht                                    “            44,511.00
              “  Kaaz, Brown & Seip                                 “            47,747.00
              “  Jno. Fusselman & Co.                               “            57,200.00

            The bids being more than $40,000, which is the highest amount allowed, the bids were all rejected, and the architect allowed to change the plans so that bidders could make their bids lower.  It was ordered that sealed proposals be received tomorrow, July 7th, 1905.” (Minutes page 169) The next day J. H. Wagenknecht, being the lowest and best bidder, was awarded the contract to build the new Court House. His bid was $39,950.00.
            For his high bid of $140.00, R. M. Steele was allowed 30 days from the 15th of July, 1905, to tear down and remove the then current courthouse. The county reserved the right of ownership to the vault doors and their casings, the corner stone and its contents and the furniture and fixtures.
            July 13, 1905, is the date an extensive 16-point contract was signed by Mr. Wagenknecht and the Doniphan County Board of Commissioners. To build the structure, the following acted as sureties and guaranteed a bond in the amount of $79,900.00.
                        J. H. Sallee                                               G. L. Stuart
                        Jno. A. C. Gordon                                   Ernest Fuger
                        B. N. Forbes                                            C. H. Bowman
                        G. A. Dubach                                          Rullman & Rullman Co.
                        Martin Maag                                            J. W. Bauer
                        James A. Stewart                                    Adam Groh
                        W. W. Carter                                           M. A. Boeh
                        Jacob Miller                                             Andy Boeh
                        Jacob Groh                                              J. A. Cordonier
                        Peter A. Manville                                    F. Sinker
                        H. N. Winn                                             Wm. Gutzman
                        P.A. Pettis                                                A. M. Kiehnhoff
                        Chas. Laipple                                          James Gladden
                        Lucas Studer                                            Perry Gladden
                        H. Moskau                                              Matthaus Rapp
                        Aug. Haupt                                             Geo. J. Gummig
                        John Euler                                               Geo. Schuler
                        B. Schmille                                             Joseph Schuler
                        Theo. Moskau                                         Fred Hoffman
                        Henry Hoffman                                       J. F. Schofelder   
                        Samuel Lehmann
            In August an advisory board was appointed to oversee the work on the new building and report to the commissioners any defects or unskilled workmanship they might find. This board consisted of  R. H. Larzelere, Cy Leland, Henry Boder, Jr. and Charles Reeder. Judge W. I. Stuart was also appointed but he resigned because he did not want to encounter any conflict of interest as Judge of the District Court. Payments for materials and labor were allowed to Mr. Wagenknect beginning in September. By December of 1905, bids were being accepted for installation of the steam heating system, for electrical work, for metal furniture and fixtures and for wooden furniture and fixtures that were expected to be in the new courthouse by April 1, 1906.

            The building was insured against fire and tornado in April of 1906. June 4, 1906, W.C. Bailey received the contract to build sidewalks as soon as possible. O. W. Urich and O. W. Urich Planing Mill Company contracted to build all the wooden furniture to be finished and set up 90 days from May 21, 1906. This contract was dated June 25, 1906. All the furniture was to be constructed of honey oak and to include for the court room one Judges’ desk on bench, one jury box, one stenographer’s desk, one District Clerk’s desk, two tables, three feet six inches by seven feet, bar railing and gates, also one witness stand.  The stenographer’s desk to be a step lower than the judge’s desk and to be an extension of the same; gates in bar railing to be in the center. In addition, for the district clerk’s office, one counter and gate as per drawing of architect. Also to be constructed, one desk for County Commissioners’ Office, one Counter and gate and one double desk for County Clerk’s Office, one counter and screen and one wall desk for County Treasurer’s Office, one counter and gate, and one double desk for Office of Register of Deeds and one table for Office of Probate Judge.

            The Fourth of July Celebration held in 1906 included a flamboyant parade and the dedication of the new courthouse. On that date ten people were paid to guard the building. During July county officers moved from their temporary quarters in Cyrus Leland’s building and by September payment of $1829.00 was made for delivery of the honey oak furniture.
            This July 4th will mark the centennial of the dedication of the Doniphan County Courthouse. At that celebration planners hope to recognize descendents of those county residents who offered surety for the building of the beautiful edifice that today graces our Courthouse Square.