The Saga of Our County Courthouses

Originally published in the Moberly Monitor-Index.

The courthouses of Randolph County have seen murder trials, public meetings, fires, church revivals, ice cream socials, political rallies, and more in the county’s 187 years. On May 20, Saturday afternoon another historic event will take place. On May 20^th the new Randolph County Courthouse will be dedicated. The new building is the product of years of hard work by the Randolph County Commission, as well as many citizens of the county. Plans for a new courthouse were underway in January of 2013 when then Presiding Commissioner Susan Carter and Commissioners Wayne Wilcox and Jerry Crutchfield met with nForm Architecture's Jennifer Wilson of Columbia to discuss recommendations for county facilities. Part of that discussion involved the construction of a courthouse with an unfinished basement.

The Commission saw a need for a new building. The old courthouse in Huntsville was falling in on itself, and the one in Moberly was very much in need of extensive and expensive repairs. Storage space for county archives and records for many years has been inadequate. Also there were concerns for building security. And neither building was fully ADA compliant. By the time public meetings were held in March, 2014 plans had been made for a new two story courthouse at the building formerly known as the Randolph County Justice Center. In April, 2014 voters approved a quarter cent sales tax to pay for the new building, and ground for the new building was broken a year later. As of this date construction continues.

New Courthouse is 4^th Built

The new building in Huntsville is the fourth the county has built, and the first in Huntsville, courthouse (outside of the home of William Goggins where court was held prior to the first building) not to be located in downtown Huntsville. When Randolph County was organized out of Chariton County on January 22, 1829 by the Missouri General Assembly, the County Court (what is now the County Commission) sat in people’s homes. These log-cabin homes served the county for official purposes for over two years. Despite the humble surroundings of the County Court, many important decisions were made in the homes of these early Randolph County citizens.

The first County Court was convened on February 2, 1829 in the home of Blandeman Smith. Older readers will remember a time when the County Commission was referred to as the County Court. It was not a judicial court, but rather an administrative body that functions much as a county commission does today. According to Smith’s land patent from the 1820s, the first County Court sat somewhere near what is now the northwest corner of Huntsville. This session dealt primarily with the creation of the four original townships, the appointment of officers of the county, and the appointment of justices of the peace and constables for each township. The men that served on the first County Court were James Head, William Fort, and Joseph M. Baker. The next session of the County Court held in March, 1829 established the temporary seat of justice at the home of William Goggin which was somewhere in the northwest section of what is now the town of Huntsville.

It was at the home of Goggin that the first hearings of a circuit court in Randolph County sat with the Hon. David Todd of Boone County, uncle of the future Mary Todd Lincoln, on the bench. The first grand jury and perhaps the most interesting in the county sat there. It was the grand jury that put Ioway leader Moanahonga or “Big Neck” and his tribesmen on trial. That jury did not return an indictment. Many sources err in saying this was a criminal trial before a petit jury. However, the earliest information states it was a hearing before a grand jury. Moanahonga and other Ioway had been involved in a fight with settlers in what is now Adair County that resulted in deaths on both sides. Given the attitudes towards Native Americans in the 19^th century the verdict handed down by a grand jury of Randolph County is quite historic.

In August of 1830, steps were made towards establishing a county seat for the county. At that session of the County Court, Robert Wilson was appointed Commissioner of the County Seat. Wilson later became a United States Senator. William Goggin, Gideon Wright, Daniel Hunt, and Henry Winburn stepped forward to donate land to be used for the seat of justice. Each of these men gave the twelve and a half acres that constitute the fifty acres of the original town of Huntsville. The center where these four properties met was designated as the site for the future courthouse. It was not until nearly a year later on June 13, 1831, the County Court commissioned a courthouse. The building was to be two stories high made of brick, and perfectly square. It was built by Henry Owens for $2,400. The courtroom was on the lower floor with three more rooms upstairs.

Early Courthouses

In the early days, courthouses were used for more than just administrative and judicial business. They were also used for public meetings of a religious or social nature, sometimes even for business dealings unrelated to the county. The first post office in the county was in the first courthouse. It was in the first Randolph County Courthouse that the first Masonic Lodge meetings in the county were held. It was also at the first courthouse that some of Huntsville’s religious congregations first regularly held services. It was there the first large Christian revival in the county was held in 1838. The debates on the location of what would become the West Branch of the Wabash Railroad took place in its courtroom. And finally, a sad fact of our early county history, slave auctions were held on the steps of the first and second courthouses.

It was in this courthouse that George Bruce, a slave charged with killing Benjamin Bruce was put on trial in the late 1850s. This was the first capital murder trial in the county that resulted in a legal hanging. Bruce had slipped into Benjamin Bruce’s bedroom with a club, and struck him about the head. He then stole some money and fled only to be apprehended later, and put on trial.

Unfortunately, no photographs or drawings are known to exist of this building. The first courthouse was used until 1859 when it was torn down to make room for a new, bigger building. The people of Randolph County were in much the same situation we were a couple of years ago, their current building could not house all their needs. The bricks from the first courthouse were used to construct the first Huntsville Christian Church building in Huntsville in 1860.

The Second Courthouse

In Sept. of 1858, $15,000 was appropriated for a new building by the County Court with $1,500 to be paid when the foundation was completed, $2,000 when the first story was completed, $2,000 when the second story was completed, and $2,000 when the roof was on. The balance was to be paid upon completion of the building. This building had three times the space of its predecessor. Henry Austin of Huntsville was the contractor for the second building and produced the brick used in its construction using his own brick plant. The outer shell of the building was built with a harder variety of brick than commonly used at the time. In 1860, a clock was added to the tower.

Like the previous courthouse the second saw at least one murder trial. Peter Casper was put on trial for the murder of Clement Jeter. Jeter had a mare that had on several occasions gotten into an oat field owned by Casper. Finally, Jeter came to retrieve his mare, but was told by Casper he could not have the mare until the damage to the field could be assessed. At this point Jeter struck Casper over the head with a bridle, and Casper shot him. After much deliberation, Casper was found innocent.

In March of 1876, voters defeated a proposition to build a new $25,000 seat of justice. As the courthouse was deemed unsafe, the County Court had no choice, but to attempt to renovate the second courthouse. As a result the building was extensively remodeled based on plans by architect C.B. Clarke of St.Louis. The total cost of this renovation was $9,979 which was done by contractor Sandison and Murray of Huntsville. The remodeled building had in addition to the tower built by Austin, a towered extension across the rear of the building and a complex roof arrangement. It was considered quite a handsome building with its large clock tower and two smaller towers. It was the largest courthouse the county would see until the new courthouse was built in 2016. It was said one could see a great deal of the county from its clock tower.

On August 12, 1882 the second courthouse burned. A fire had started between the two rear towers, and witnesses claimed to have seen a person running from the scene. Some people suspected arson as at the time there was a great deal of contention about whether the county seat should be in Huntsville or Moberly. A proposition on the ballot in 1882 to move the county seat to Moberly had failed as it did not achieve the two-thirds majority necessary. As a compromise the Court of Common Pleas was located in Moberly as well as some county offices. In December of 1883, the County Court made plans to build the third Randolph County Courthouse in Huntsville.

Third Courthouse Served the Longest

The third courthouse in Huntsville was in use until recently and stands on the same site as its predecessors. It was originally two stories tall and cost $35,000 to build. James McGarth of Saint Louis was the architect and the contractor was J.M. Hammett, W.T. Rutherford and Company of Huntsville. The building originally had 11 rooms. County offices were on the first floor with the courtroom occupying the second story. This building was completed in April of 1884. In 1937, this courthouse in Huntsville was extensively remodeled with the work being done by the WPA. Central heating was installed, the copper dome of the courthouse lowered, the interior walls repaired, and the exterior redressed. The intent was to make the building look more modern.

On July 30, 1955, the second story of the third courthouse at Huntsville burned due to faulty wiring in the courtroom on the second floor. A bid was accepted on August 23, 1955 for $71,962 from Wisdom Brothers Construction Company by the County Court to repair the building as well as build two additions. The second story walls were tore down, a new roof put on, and the first floor remodeled. A vault room was added, as well as the new courtroom which was most recently used as the County Assessor’s office. While the courthouse in Huntsville was being rebuilt, the county offices operated out of the upper story of a drug store across the street. There are remains of the upper floor still. However, that upper floor has long been unusable. The third courthouse in Huntsville remained in operation until December of last year making it the building to serve the longest as a courthouse in the county.

Court of Common Pleas

The courthouse in Moberly as it served for nearly fifty years as one of the county’s courthouses deserves a mention. The first courtrooms in Moberly were on the upper floor of a building that stood at the north corner of Fourth and Reed Streets in Moberly. It was here in the Court of Common Pleas that the trial of Hade Brown took place. Brown was notorious for the murder of his mother in law, and the last man to be legally hanged in Randolph County. The crime itself, the trial, and even Brown’s execution were all of a highly sensational nature covered on the front pages of newspapers in Saint Louis and Kansas City

Hade Brown was the son of Bill Brown, a man who had murdered William Penney of Randolph County in 1865, and Hade like his father was known to be a hard character. He and his young wife and mother of his son had had a tumultuous relationship. When she left him for the last time to be with her family, Hade came after her. When all was said and done he had shot and wounded his father in law, Dr. J.C. Parrish, and killed his mother in law Martha Hunt Parrish. Brown went on the run and a year later was apprehended in Rochester, Minnesota. His trial which took several days often had graphic testimony. The crime had happened outside a home in Cairo Township and was witnessed by several people. Hade was found guilty, and sentenced to hang.

Between the time of his trial and his execution his wife had committed suicide, and he had attempted suicide as part of a suicide-pact. This, in addition to escape attempts attracted the attention of newspapers around the country. When Brown was hung near the junction of what is now East Elm Street and Route JJ in Huntsville on June 25, 1880, 10,000 people attended to witness it. He and his wife were buried together in a double coffin. Perhaps no other courtroom in Randolph County saw such drama as the trial of Hade Brown.

Certainly, the last Moberly auxiliary county courthouse had never seen such a trial. It was originally built as a post office in 1905. In the early 60s it was deeded to the city which then deeded it to the county with the intention of it being used as an auxiliary courthouse. It replaced the second story of the Monitor-Index building which had been used for county offices and courtrooms until then. The second story of the Monitor-Index building was not liked by attorneys of the day. Its courtrooms were deemed too small and there were numerous other complaints ranging from not enough seats to uncomfortable chairs. In 1947 the Randolph County Bar Association presented a resolution seeking an extensive remodel.

This remodel was completed in 1949, and at that time it was considered far more than adequate with the Bar adopted another resolution, this time commending the county on a job well done with the rennovation. But by the 1960s, neither it nor the courthouse in Huntsville had enough storage space for the county records. It seemed to be a reoccurring theme in the county over the years of county facilities not having sufficient space. Another building would have to be found or built. Nevertheless, when the old Moberly Post Office on Williams St. was obtained by the county in 1961 there was much debate on how the county should proceed. The need for more room for county records was brought up, the question of whether two courthouses were needed in the county was discussed, and the cost involved in the extensive remodel that would be needed was debated. At one point the county even wanted to deed the building back to the City of Moberly.

Finally, in August of 1965, the remodel began. Wisdom Brothers Construction was awarded the contract for the nearly $70,000 renovation. The architect was J. Kay Cleavinger of Moberly. The plan of the renovation was to have the circuit court courtroom on the first floor as well as facilities for the probate court and the magistrate court and an office for the County Sheriff. In the basement was to be a room for the County Court as well as a jury deliberation room, a vault for records, and holding cells for the sheriff to detain prisoners. This building continues to serve as a courthouse, and will until the new courthouse is completed.

Fourth Courthouse

This brings us back to the new Randolph County Courthouse. Outside of the home of William Goggin where court sat, the new building is the first courthouse in Huntsville not to be located in downtown Huntsville. Yet the land upon which it rests has been owned by the county since the late 1870s. The land was purchased from John H. Austin in 1878 for $2,000 and was originally used as a poor farm. In the years since, it has been the site of a nursing home, as well as the county maintenance barn.

With all the county offices having moved into the new Randolph County Courthouse, it marks the first time in over 120 years that most all county offices other than township offices (formerly constables and justices of the peace operated out of precinct houses in each township) are in one location. Until recently, county offices had been scattered about Cairo, Huntsville, and Moberly. The new seat of justice cost around $4.9 million to build, a contract that was awarded to the Little Dixie Construction Company. The new building is connected by a hallway to the $7.8 million building formerly known as the Justice Center that was built in the last decade. Some of its features are a state-of-the-art security system, as well as climate controlled records vaults, a new courtroom, and a small county museum. It is fully ADA compliant. It is hoped the new courthouse, the fourth to be built by the county can serve the county for many decades.

While our courthouses may not have had the elaborate histories of some in the nation, they have served the county well. They have seen everything from Masonic Lodge meetings to religious services. Murder trials, political rallies, ice cream socials, slave auctions, and hearings on the route of a railroad through the county have all taken place on the confines of their grounds. We certainly have come a long way from holding court in the log-cabin homes of county residents nearly 200 years ago. Whereas once County Judges deliberated alongside fire places in drafty log cabins, we now enjoy central air and heating surrounded by the brick walls of a new and modern building.