Schuyler County ILGenWeb 

1901 New Jail

GENEALOGICALLY SPEAKING
April 23,  2008

 

The year 1901 began with good news for the city of Rushville, the building of a new jail.

The New Jail – Contract Let for $12,000 to Complete It. –“The contract for building Schuyler county’s new jail was let Wednesday afternoon to the Champion Iron Works, of Kenton, Ohio, for $12,000. For this amount the contractors will do the whole job; no extras to be allowed.

“The building will be erected on the lot west of the court house. The jail and residence connected therewith will be 65 feet long and 45 feet wide. The residence will be constructed of brick, two stories high, with an eight-foot basement, and will contain nine rooms.

“The walls will be thirty inches wide at the base. The building will set six feet back from Lafayette street and extend to the alley on the west side. A space of about fifty feet will be left between the court house and jail, and a court or open space of about thirty feet at the rear of the jail.

“Mr. A. Woodward, representative of the contractors, filed a bond in the sum of $25,000 for the faithful performance of the contract. The building is to be completed by Sept. 1st, and the committee who let the contract and any architect they may select will have ten days after that date to inspect the building and receive or reject it. The committee agrees to pay 75 per cent of the cost as the work progresses, but provision is made that $3,000 be held until the building is accepted.

“The indications are that the laboring men as well as skilled mechanics of this city will get as much benefit from the erection of the building as possible. All local labor will be employed except the men who will put up the iron work, which requires men especially adapted for that business. One of the committee says the contract for constructing the apartments for the Sheriff'’ family will be let to a local builder if possible. The brick used will perhaps be Rushville brick.

“The heating apparatus now in the court house will be placed in the jail basement, and both buildings will be heated by the same apparatus. A change in the location of the boiler will be made in order to facilitate drainage. The contractors bear all expense of changing the heating system.

“Arrangements will be made for commencement of construction as soon as possible.” The Schuyler Daily Citizen, January 17, 1901.

Great Truths That Adults Have Learned:

  1. Raising teenagers is like nailing Jell-O to a tree.

  2. Wrinkles don’t hurt.

  3. Families are like fudge…mostly sweet, with a few nuts.

  4. Today’s mighty oak is just yesterday’s nut that held its ground.

  5. Laughing is good exercise. It’s like jogging on the inside.

  6. Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.

The Schuyler Jail Museum and Genealogical Center – 200 S. Congress St., Rushville, IL. 62681

Hours: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., daily

 

 

     




 
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Genealogically Speaking  April 23, 2008 - copyright 2007 The Rushville Times - Written by Edie Fishel
Used by permission Schuyler County Historical Jail Museum
and Genealogical Center.

Copyright 2007 The Rushville Times; all rights reserved. For personal use only. Commercial use of the information contained in these pages is strictly prohibited without prior permission. If copied, this copyright must appear with the information.