xt7dbr8md89q https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7dbr8md89q/data/mets.xml Gaines, B. O. 1905  books b92-114-28158719v2 English B.O. Gaines Printery, : [Georgetown, Ky.] : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Scott County (Ky.) History. B.O. Gaines history of Scott County  / B.O. Gaines. (vol. 2) text B.O. Gaines history of Scott County  / B.O. Gaines. (vol. 2) 1905 2002 true xt7dbr8md89q section xt7dbr8md89q 









Mb a. o gaines Iistory i
4 of Scott gounty'



I pM'gatI

 






















       THE B. 0. GAINES HISTORY
             OF SCOTT COUNTY

                 IX August, 1904, the writer started
           4 Z to issue a simall pamphlet, giving a
                 blrief sketch of the early history of
                 Scott county. A number ot our
                 closest friends knew we had been
                 s-ekitig in rorlniation of a historieal
                 n-.ture fromii old citizens an(d col-
                 lecting likenesses of the oldest
                 citizens and houses. They urged
                 that this pamphlet be made a econa-
plete history, and probably our soi, Oliver Wallace
Gaines, iii late years might take uip the work and
publish it in three volumes, as the writer intended
to do within the niext five years.
   The size in which the history appears was urged
ly some of the leadling historians. in the country.
fistories pIltblished in book forim the size of the
family Bible to be plaeed in the cornier of a parlor or
library to catch the dinst of the room is a thing dTr
,he past. The obhject n10w is to catch the eye of the
younger generation, and for this reason and sugges-
tion the history apl)ears in this shape. The publica-
rioii of this book hlas required a long time, hard labor
titld a great expellse. We have had inany things to
eon te n(d wit fi- or instance, a flre. The writer has
beeni pulllishter, prinlter, pressman, pllhotographer,
besides editing the Georgetown News, the Scott
County Democrat and looking after the business of
tile B. 0. Gai aies Printery, anid twler such condition-s
there are bound to be iany errors and the work
badly eoipiled. The purchaser of tile book, how-
ever, will feel that he miade a good investment wheta
he btiys one at tie dollars.

 




           WHERE COURT WAS HELD.               213


 will notice on pages 9 and 10 of this history a surmise
 of the erection of a Clerk's office, when the reason
 for it was the fact of it having been burned and
 being replaced. It would be but a repetition for the
 writer to go into detail of the Court Houses and Jails
 that have been erected in Georgetown, as complete
 accounts of them can be found on pages 9, 10, 11 and
 12 in this history as we show from records when and
 where the first Court House was built and when
 George Town was made the County Seat. This infor-
 mation has been conveyed to us by Mrs. Eliza
 Thompson.
       MRS. ELIZA THOMPSON'S STATEMENT.
   Mrs. Eliza Thompson in her brief history of Georgetown
states that "the first Court House stood on the corner of Mrs.
James E. Cantrill's yard on Main street. It was an old one-
story frame building, with very small windows and had been
painted red."
         MRS. MARY HAWKINS' STATEMENT.
   Mrs. Mary Hawkins, who was the mother of John
Hawkins, the first County Clerk, and who died in 1870 in her
92nd Year, left the manuscript of a history of Georgetown
with the late Dr. Paul Rankins, who died in 1872. She states
that "the first Court House in Georgetown was near the site
of the present one, but it was afterwards moved up Main
street to where Charles Cullen lived, the lot on which Dr.
Henry Craig's house now stands and which is now owned by
Mrs. James E. Cantrill."
        DR. STEPHEN GANO'S STAiEMENT.
   Dr. S. F. Gano states in his history written of the town in
182 that "the first Court House stood on the Public Square
where the Court House now stands. It was pulled down in
1816, the framework removed upon the north side of Main
street, near the lot occupied by Dr. Craig's late residence, and
converted into an oil factory by Charles Cullen."
                 The Records Show.
   In Order Book B, page 345, shows that at a term
of the County Court held in 1817 the following order
was made:
    f The Commissioners appointed to sell the
present Court House reported that they had sold the
ftne to the Institute of the Rittenhouse Academy
for 155, and returned the bond of said Trustees with
M. W. Henry their security, payable, etc."
                   Just Mistaken.
   The proceedings of the first session can be found
on page 2 of Order Book A, establishing the County
Seat at George Town and purchasing the site-one
acre of land-from Elijah Craig for the sum of six
pounds, for the first Court House. The residence of
George Boswell, in which sessions of the Coufity
Court were held until the Court House was built,
might have been located on Main street, the place
now owned by Mrs. Cantrill, instead of where the
Wellington now stands, and no doubt it was, and if
such was the case, then Mrs. Hawkins and Mrs.
Thompson are correct so far as the place where the
first sessions of the County Court were held.
        Governor Appointed Boswell Sheriff.
   At a session of the Court held Monday, January
27th, 1803, in Order Book A, we find this order:
   George W. Boswell produces in open Court a commission
from His Excellency, James Garrard, Governor of Kentucky.
appointing him Sheriff for this county, whereupon he took
the oath of office and the several oaths to Government and
entered into and acknowledged his bond with Wm. L. Curry
and Robert Sanders. his security agreeably to law.
   Boswell died before his term of office expired and
the county was put to a great expense in getting a
settlement with his administrators.

              The First Court House.
  At a time of the County Court in 1792 Bartlett
Collins, Wm. Henry and John Mosley were appointed
a Committee to draw a plan for a Court House for
for Scott County. The Committee made its report
and the contract, according to the plans, were let to



01



-



=



I























L






I

 




  214       COUNTY COURT ORDERS.

  John Garnett for 319 pounds (in United States money
  -1,600). It was erected where the present Court
  House now stands in 1792 and completed in 1793.

            Hand Rails Along the Stairs.
   At a term of the Court held in 1801 the following
 order was made: "Ordered that John Hawkins be
 appointed to employ some person to make hand rails
 to the steps and in front of the Court House and
 report a settlement thereof to the Court."

          First Fence Around Court House.
   The first fence around the Court House was au
old post and rail, built in 1806. At a term of the
County Court held in that year, a committee com-
posed of Samuel Shepard, William Story and
Wm. Warren, was appointed to have a post and rail
fence put around the Court House.

             First Stove in Court House.
   A Committee, composed of Josiah Pitts and John
Hawkins, was appointed at a session of the Court in
1814 to ascertain the cost of placing a Franklin stove
in the Court House. The report of the Committee
was burned in theold Court House.

             Props Under Court House.
   At a term of Court held on Monday, December 3rd, 1806. it
was ordered that Job Stevenson. Jno. Branham. Elijah Craig
-and Asa Smith be appointed Commissioners to have the floor
of the Court House supported by pillars and report their
proceedings to this Court

          Other Court Houses Were Built.

  Other Court Houses were built, torn down and
burned, accounts of which are given on pages 9 and
10 of this history and it would be but a repetition to
reproduce it. A  likeness of the present Court
House will be found below:



THE PRESENT COURT HOUSE.



On Mtin Street, in Ceorgetown, Looking East.



 



               TAVERN RATES FIXED.              215


                   First Sidewalk Paved.
      The first sidewalk paved with brick was laid
   around the Court House in 1817. William Story and
   Samuel Shephard composed the Committee.
                 The First Tavern Keeper.
         THE first tavern keeper in GeorgeTown was Josiah
         Pitts. He was granted license to keep a tavern at the
         June term of the County Court in 1793. 'The order
         was as follows: On motion Josiah Pitts be and is al-
         allowed to keep an Ordinary in George Town where-
   upon he together with Elijah Craig his security entered into
   bone as the law directs." Cider was a great drink with the
   pioneers, but after it became so intoxicating, the Court liscen-
   sing the sale of it just like other liquors.
     The Court fixed the rates of tavern keepers as follows:
                                    Shillings. Pence.
      Dinner, breakfast and supper, each ........1  6
      For lodging, per night ................................ 6
      Horse, hay, per night ..................... 1 ....... ....16
      Grain, per gallon .................... . 8
      Pasturage, per night ................... . 6
      Whiskey, per half pint .................... . 8
      Spirits Jumaica, per pint ...................... 2  6
      Wine, Lisbon, per pint........................... ......2  6
      Wiae, Sherry, per pnt ....................... 2  6
      Wine, Madura, per pint ................ .6...6
      Wine, Malaga, per pint .....................2  8
      Wine, Teneriffe, per pint ......................  28
      Peach Brandy, per pint   ...................... 12xc
      Cider, per quart   .     .         :. 12c
      Beer, per quart   .     .            124c
             First Election Held in Town.
    The first election held in Scott county was in 1798.
  It was held for the purpose of electing a Representa-
  tive'. There was only one voting precinct and that
  at the County Seat-George Town. Wm. Henry was
  elected.
               Officers of First Election.
    Elijah Kutty, Toliver Craig and John Hawkins
 were the election officers appointed by the County
 Court. Kutty and Craig were the Judges and
 Hawkins the Clerk. The election was held for two
 days and the officers were allowed twelve shillings
 for two days' attendance each.
             First Trustees of Georgetown.
    At a Court held for Georget6wn at the Court
 House on Monday, the 22nd day of April, 1799,
 present John McHatten, James M. McCrosby, John
 A. Miller, Jas. Johnson and John Payne, Gentlemen
 Justices, ordered that John Hunter, William Warner,
 Samuel Shepherd and William Story be appointed
 Trustees of George Town.
           The Trustees Appointed in 1800.
   The following is the order of the Court in 1800:
 "The appointment of Trustees for George Town was
 made at the April Court and confirmed, except
 George Boswell, who declines serving, and Toliver
 Craig, who has resigned his appointment."

               Elected by the Voters.
   In February, 1804, the County Court ordered.
the County Court Clerk, John Hawkins, to give
notice to the citizens of the town that an election
would be held on March 10th, 1804, for the purpose of
electing a Board of Trustees. The Trustees prior to
this time had been appointed by the Court, and not
elected by the qualified voters.
                The Board Elected.
   Those who were elected as the Board of Trustees
were Wm. Storey, Samuel Shephard, John Branham,
John Hawkins, R. M. Gano, Lynn West and Robert
Hunter.
      The Increase and Decrease of Population.
  The official census of 1800 gave Scott County 8.007. In 1904
it gave 18,000. a gainin 104 Years of 9.993. The greatest increase
in any ten Years of that time was from 1800 to 1810 increasing
4,412.



11



=



IV



I
I














i
I

 




216      TOWN LAID OFF IN 1792.


  GEORGE TOWN LAID OFF 4


               A BRIEF OF THE PLACE I
     Jr     FROM 1792 TO 1816 t it   J



  If the town was ever surveyed and laid off and
its limits established prior to 1804 the records fail to
show it. In 1792 the Cincinnati pike was made the
dividing line. All the creek on the east side was
South Elkhorn and all on the west side was North
Elkhorn. The street now called Broadway was the
Main street of Georgetown from 1792 to 1804. Nearly
all of the houses were of log and brick that were
erected from 1777 to 1798, and were built in the
squares from Jackson to Jefferson between Broadway
and Water streets, along the Big Spring. If the
town had been laid off prior to or after 1804 there
was no mention of it in the act passed by the Legis-
lature in 1816.

     FIRST CHILD BORN IN GEORGE TOWN.



WILLIAM TOMPKINS SHEPARD



Was born in Georgetown in I793 in a house on Broadway that
stood where the old Catholic church stood. He was the son of
Samuel Shepard, who was one of the most distinguished pioneers
in county and State.

            The Tax Rate Fixed in 1793.

    For a number of years land was not taxed. All
 levies made for several years were those of head
 tax, or what is now known as poll tax. In 1793 the
 Court laid the levy for head tax at four shillings and
 six pence, or 1.00, based on Virginia value of old
 English money at that time. The Court made the
 following order:
    "Ordered that the Sheriff collect of each titheable
 in this county four shillings and six pence in order
 to defray the expense."

    The Population of Georgetown from 1800 to 1816.
    George Town was the sixth town out of twenty-
rnine towns showing a census report in 1800, when it
had a population of 350. The population of George-
town from 1800 to 1816 is shown below:
                                   YEAR. POPULA-
                                            TION.



Population in..........          1800
Population in..........          1810



850
524



- .



-9--



I




















































I



 




                 FIRST TRUSTEES.               217


 FIRST TRUSTEES OF GEORGETOWN
           THE OLD BUILDING ERECTED

        SEEKING   information concerning the
           City of Georgetown, its citizens and the
       o- buildings erected one hundred and twelve
           years ago, with nothing but old burned
 records, badly copied and miserably juggled, is all
 interesting task to one that assumes it.
                Valuable Information.
    From Judge Kelly, the oldest member of the Scott
 County Bar and one of the ablest lawyers in the
 State and who has served as a'member of the City
 Council a number of times, and a citizen who hlas
 done more for the town and received less for his ser-
 vices as an attorney, while looking over thle old
 records in Scott and in Woodford counties for sonme
 record as to the Big Spring, says that while search-
 ing the old records he found that the town was laid
 off in thirty-seven town lots by Elijah Craig in 1792.
            First Trustees of Ceorgetown.
   And that the first Trustees were Robin Johnson,
 Win. Cox, Rhodes Thompson, Toliver Craig, Johbt
 Grant, Archibald Campbell and Win. Henry. This
 was very valuable information, because the state-
 ment made oil the preceding page "that if the town
 was ever surveyed and laid off and limits established
 prior to 1804, the records failed to show it.
          Owned the Land Along Spring.
   Rev. Elijah Craig laid off the town and
owned the land along the Spring from the head to
the culverts. He sold an acre of ground to the
county for the location of the Court House for
twenty dollars. 'The little frame Court House was
erected and completed in 1793. A post and rail fence,
was erected around it and this building served as the
Temple of Justice until 1816, when it was sold to the
Trustees of Rittenhouse Academy and moved to Sci-
ence Hill. The College campus was then called
Science Hill and this old Court House was moved
from the Public Square there and stood where the
Academy now stands and used as a school building.
            FIRST BRICK DWELLING




























       NOW OWNED BY MISS ANNA GRISSUM
  There are very few of the first brick dwellings-
erected in G4eorgetown now standing, but it is a fact
and thle likeimesses of those that are standing comnpare
favorable with tbose that have been and are being
erected at present-in both architeceture and durablIP  
ity. Trie likeness above is of a t'wo-story brick housi;6
erectedl by Win. Brown in 180Q'anq which now stahdo  
onl South Broadway amnd belongs to,.Miss Anmia.Grig-



iI



Ii



=



i



I



 




218            OLD DWELLINGS.


sum. With a few exceptions it is as good as the day
it was built. A stone was placed in the north side of
the house on which was cut the year "1809"-in
which it was built.
           ANOTHER OLD DWELLING




















        THE HOME OF MRS. BEN F. BRADLEY

l    HIS house was erected by Job Stevenson
      between 1807 and 1812. Mr. Stevenson was a
      very successful business man until he bEgan
      to engage in politics and by going securities
he lost his fortune as well as his mind. Mr. Steven-
son was a very valuable citizen to Georgetown, even
up to the time of his death. The above is a splendid
likeness of his home, which is now the property of
Mrs. Bradley, and whilst it has been built for almost
a century it is today a house of comfort, with its
large front yard and the tall trees make it one of
beauty.
               Prison snd Stray Pen.
  A Prison and Stray Pen was built at the corner of
Court street and Market alley, where the City Hall
and Prison now stands.
                  Sinking Wells.
  At a term of the court held in 1805 the following
order was made: "John Hawkins and Martin Haw-
kins be and they are hereby appointed Commissioners
to meet the Commissionners appointed by the Trustees
(F Georgetown in order to consult and fix on a place
on the public ground for sinking a well, and report
to the court their proceedings therein."
      Committes for County and Town to Meet.
  IAtanother meeting of the County Court held in
the same year (1805) this order was made: "Wm,
Warren is appointed a Commissioner in the room of
Martin Hawkins,who is about to meet the Commis-
sioners on the part of the Trustees of Georgetown in
order to fix a placejon the grounds of the Public
Square for sinking a well."
          A Place Selected in Stray Pen.
  The well was finally made. The place the Com-
missioners agreed upon was where the City Building
now stands. It was then the stray pen. The Com-
missioners gave as their reason for having the well
sunk there that it would furnish water to the stock in
the stray pen and would be as convenient to the pub-
lic and to the fire department as it would if located
at any other place on the Public Square.
       Captain James Mahoney Erects Hotel.
  In 1799, at the corner of North Broadway and
Court streets to the line of the Stray Pen and Prison,
Capt. James H. Mahoney erected a frame building
and conducted a tavern. Several years later he pur-
chased the grounds where the Stray Pen and Prison
stood, removed the frame building and erected a
two-story brick, extending from North Broadway
along Court street to Market alley, where he con-
ducted a tavern on a much larger scale. After his
death this property was sold to General Pratt.



-



I




I

 



THE HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY. 219



JOHN PRATT



BE



DAME A GENER
IN THE WAR OF 1812



!AL



  General Pratt for inany years conducted the Pratt
Hotel in Georgetown. He never had but two photos
made in his life, and the above is a likeness of him
made from one of those.



THE PRATT HOTEL



  One of the most noted taverns in the State from
1825 to 1870. It stood on the corner of Court and
Broadway, where the.Carter Moore block now stands.



I



-

 




Ii



220 THE HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY.


THE PRATT HOTEL

    FTER the death of Captain James Mahoney thiis hotel
         Property was purchased by'John'Pfat, ho was
         General in the War of 1812 and was in the Battle of
         the Thames in October. 1813. at the time Col. Dick
Johnson killed Tecumseh). The General was noted for bis
hospitality and he conducted this hotel in such a way that it
was one of the most popular hotels in Kentucky. After 1878
his wife died and age began to to tell on him and the hotel
began to go down. Mrs. Pratt had charge of the servants an(d
looked after the meals and the serving of them. The General
died in 1885 and the property changed owners a number of
times. Mr. Carter Moore purchased the property and for a
number of Years rented the rooms, and has since torn the old
building entirely away and erected a handsome brick busi-
ness block.
ness block,       The Moore Block.
    In 1895 he sold the lot and part of the old hotel building at
 the corner of Court street and Market alley to the town for
 the City Jail (on which the new City Hall now stands). This
 portion of the old hotel building had been used as a hotel
 bar. Prior to the time the hotel was erected, this corner
 was used as a Prison and Stray Pen, and, strange to say, but
 nevertheless it is a fact, that the place where the pioneers of
 Georgetown selected a location for a Prison more than one
 hundred years ago is today where the Prison now stands.


























             THE OLD CITY BUILDING
   The above is a likeness of the portion of the old hotel as
purchased from Mr. Moore and converted into a City Build-
ing. Jail and Fire Department by the town. This old build-
ing served as such until 1899. when it was torn away and the
elegant new City Building erected. The likeness of the old
building was made from a photograph talken just as the work
ttearing it down was commenced. The old well as sun1k in
the 'Jtray Pen is now under the vault of the new building.
When ttiis old well was discovered one of the newspapers of
the thiMade this mention of it:
               "Old Well Unearthed."
   "In excavating for the new City Building an artesian
well, 117 feet deep, was found. It was just in the rear of the
building Purchased from C. D. Moore. and the opening was
covered with earth. There is a Pipe in it: which the workmen
were not able to remove. No use can be niade of the well, as
it will be just underneath the vault of the new building."
       Some Interesting Orders of the Court.
   Below will be found several orders of the County Court in1
1807. which are evidence of the fact that the location for a
Prison and Engine House as selected by the officers of Scott
county nearly one hundred Years ago, is the same location
where the new City Building now stands and serves that
purpose:       The First Fire Engine,

   "At a session of the County Court in 1807 an order was
made allowing Elijah Craig, Samuel Sheppard and Job
Stevenson 200 for a Fire Eng9ine."
          Engine House on Public Square.
   In the same year the County Court made this order: "Thje
Commissioners appointed to have the floor of the Court
     Houseproppd up re auhorized to h ave an y repairs mna de i n
     an  par  oftheHoue t atthey may deem  best and  report to
     theCout  lso hav  bulton  the  Public  Square an  Engine
                       House an report to the Court."



Ii



-



r



a



I



=

 




BRICK BUSINESS HOUSES.



221



FIRST BRICK BUSINESS HOUSE


                     ERECTED IN


           GEORGE TOWN.



   The old Bull's-Eye," that stood on the corner of West Ma n
and South Broadway, was the first brick business house erected
in Georgetown. It was built in I799 and I8oo by Wm. Brown, who
built the brick residence, now owned by Miss Annie Grissum, on
South Broadway, in x8o9. In the early history of the town it
was a noted place and for many years was a house of public en-
tertainment. It was the birth place of Rev. John A. Gano and
the late Dr. S. P. Gano and possibly Gen. Richard Gano. Rev.
Gano was born in this old building in I805, and Dr. Gano in i807.
Their mother died in it in 1812. The old building was used for
many purposes, from that of a dwelling to a place of entertain-
ment, a meeting house and a factory. In the last eighty years it
was used mostly by dealers in groceries. Among those who kept


          THE    OLD      BULL'S-EYE."



E RECTE D I N 1799-1800.



[The gentlemen in front of the building are Wm. C. Owens.
              Richard Coghill and K. Stone.]


groceries in the old building were Jimmy Haun, Elijah Snell,
Robt. Snell, Jimmie Kelly, Newton Stone, S. S. Jones, Kinzea
Stone and many others. Fires have occurred time and again
around and even burned buildings adjoining it, but none of
these many flames ever fazed the old " Bull's-Eye."
   It was a two-story brick house and was torn away in x894
and a new two-story block erected in its place by Victor F.
Bradley. A likeness of the old "Bull's-Eye" is shown on this
page, made from a photograph of it -while Col. Kinzea Stone used
the first floor of it for his grocery and the second floor for the
manufacture of "Maud S." tobacco. Along the side of this build-
ing on Brtadway Col. Stone kept a-number of salt barrels, a most
inviting place for all the old darkies to sit around and talk. The
old darkies would sit on these salt barrels in the broiling hot sun
all the live long day, but they were not loud and boisterous and
if they had not been there it would not have been the old
"Bull's-Eye." They are shown in the likeness of the old build-
ing. Old "Uncle Elly,"-the old water hauler, spent the happiest
days of his life basking in the sunshine on the salt barrels at the
old "Bull's-Eye."



e



I



I



Lt



I.



I



i



 


ii



. 222        PRISONS AND PATROLMEN.


         Rock Walk Laid Around Public Square.

     At a Court held in 1806 Samuel Shephard was
  appointed to have the sidewalks around the Public
  Square paved with rock and to have the post and rail
  fence around the Court House repaired.

                Props Under Court House.

     At a term of Court held on Monday, December
  3rd, 1811, it was ordered that Job Stevenson, Jno.
  Branham, Elijah Craig and Asa Smith be appointed
  Commissioners to have the floor of the Court House
  supported by pillars and report their proceedings to
  this Court.

               Patrolmen Instead of Police.

         __     OFFICERS employed in 1792 to 1816 to
                fill the duties of policemen were called
                patrolmen. Below will be found a-
                Court order appointing a patrolman:
                   At a Court held for Scott county in
         -     December. 1800, ordered that Frederick Zim-
  inerman be appointed a patrolman for the George Town
  District in the Place of James Mahoney.

                   Prison and Stocks.

     The first, prison and stocks were erected in 1792
  on the ground where the City Hall now stands,
  Israel Grant was appointed to erect them. The
  stocks were very important. There were no fences
  at that time, and all stock such as horses and cattle
  wore.,bells. All stock was marked. The order of the
  Court was as follows:
    Israel Grant is appointed to erect a prison and stocks, 60
  feet by 10 feet. to be well Posted and railed and fiislhed by
  the next Court, at the northeast corner of the Public Square,
  for which he is allowed the sum- of six Pounds.
    In 1794 the Court appointed Commissioners to
  view a place to erect a new prison. The Commis-
  xioners made their report, but the building was de-
  layed by John Hunter claiming the ground that had-
  been selected, which claim he refused to give up
  until the Court gave him a ten years' lease. For the.
  boundaries of ground selected to erect prisons see
  County Court Orders under head of Early Courts of.
  1797 and 1799 in this history.

                Rock Fence Around Jail.
    A solid rock fence, 12 feet high, was built around
 the jail in iIl. At a session of the Court held in
 September, 1811, the following order was made:
    "Ordered that Richard M. Gano, John Thomson,
 Thomas Hawkins, William H. Richardson and Cary
 Clarke, or any of them, be appointed to let the-build-
 ing of a wall around the jail, of stone or brick, to
 extend entirely around and to be 12 feet high, and
 the same commissioners are appointed to let the re-
 pairs of the jail and the roof and windows of the
 Court House and such new repairs as they may think
 necessary; to be paid out of the next levy."
   These rock walls are still seen around the lots
 now owned by Geo. Fitzgerald and Mucci.

               The Old Watch House.

   The Trustees of the town many years ago pur-
 chased a little two-story brick building oil Court
 alley for a city prison. This house was used for
 years  as a prison. It was called "Old Watch
 House." The prisoners were kept on the lower floor
 and the upper floor was used for holding courts. The
l town sold this house to Dr.- Geo. 0. Brown, and he
sold it to Ford Bros., for a law office.



WI



I



-



I



=



c



I











I



 




CITY BUILDING.



THE



223



CITY HALL



         AND CITY JAIL.
ERECTED IN 1899 AT A COST OF S1O.CCO.



t    Eff new City Hall was built in the fall of 1899.
       It is a structure two and a hpilf stories high,
       the frort elevation being of free stone and
       the rear portions of the building of briek. It
contains not only offices for all of the city tfficils,
but a place for the Fire Department as well. In the
basement of the building are placed the cells for the
prisoners who are arraigned in police ecurt, the
court room being on the first floor of the building.
   The building is located on the east side of the
Court House, on the corner of Court street and Pub-
lic Square. It stands where the first stocks and stay
pen stood, which were erected in 1792. The east
corner of the lower floor is taken up ill the room for
the fire department. This room is about twenty-five
feet by forty-five feet and is well fitted out for the
needs of the department. A cement roadway is built
in front of the double doors leading from this room.
Back of the fire department are offices for the Chief
of Police and City Judge. The front room on the-
west side of the building is used as an office for the
City Solicitor and the City Clerk. Just back of
these offices is the large room for holding City Court.
There is a stairway leading down from this room
into the basement that the prisoners may be brought
up from their cells directly into the court room.

              The Council Chamber.
  On the second floor is located the Council Cham-
ber, a large room thirty-six feet square on the west
side of the building. On the eastern side of the
dividing hallway are the offices of the Mayor and
City Attorney. The rear part of the building is
taken up with a large room for the Odd Fellows'
Lodge. This portion of the building is really divided
for the present into two large rooms by means of a
stud partition, but in case of a need for larger quar-
ters for the lodge this can be taken down and the



II



-



I



=



AI



 


I



224       MANUFACTURING CENTER.


two rooms thrown into one, witji but little trouble
and expense. The upper story consists of a large
garret and what is known. as the chemical room,
This room is in the tower and is used for the storage
of the batteries used in the fire alarm system.
            Gamwell Fire Alarm System.
   Georgetown has the Gamwell system and has lo!
 cated in various parts of the town about nine fire alarni
 boxes. The attic room will be finished off as the
 other rooms, when needed, so that it can be
 used in case of necessity. In the 'lofty tower above
 the eastern part of the building will be placed some
 day a town clock and it is probable that a bell
 will be selected to be placed there for the purpose
 of tolling the hours. The building is neatly fin-
 ished throuhout, and is a structure to which the
 citizens of Georgetown can point with pride when
 showing strangers over tne city.-'
                -The American Flag.
   At the end of the spire of the tower, which is
something like 125 feet high from the sidewalk)
floating over the building, is a large American fag,
presented to the city by the_ Elks' Lodge in 1900,
when the building wrs dedicated.v

         Georgetown a Maimfacturing Center.
      HE pioneers of Georgetown were men of
      brains, excellent minds, great in thoughtj lib4
  W eral in views, wonderful in talent and quick
       to grasp opportunities. They at once saw the
advantages of Scott county, with its many large
streams of water, and realized it as a place for facto-
ries, and consequently paper mills, woolen mills
tanneries and many other factories were started and
successfully conducted and Georgetown was kn