Big Horn County Courthouse turns 100 years old

BASIN –Despite the uncertain weather many Big Horn County residents assembled on the courthouse lawn in Basin to celebrate the 100th birthday of the courthouse Friday afternoon.

Big Horn County Commissioner Felix Carrizales welcomed attendees saying, "Welcome to all of you here today, we appreciate all of you turning out and coming out to celebrate the 100 birthday of our courthouse and your home of your elected officials and also your tax dollars. We would also like to invite you all to share in the ice cream, cupcakes, the popcorn and the drinks, they are free so please help yourselves to that. We'd like to thank the Wyoming Fiddlers for providing the musical entertainment for today," Carrizales said. "The courthouse is also holding some self-guided tours, you are welcome to go through the courthouse. There are some really neat displays that all the different offices have put out for your enjoyment and pleasure, so you can see all the interesting things from 100 years ago," he added.

He went on to ask the crowd if there was anyone attending that was present during the dedication of the courthouse 100 years ago. While no one attending was present for the dedication, Carrizales stated that he was sure that a lot of Big Horn County residents attending had a connection with the people that were involved with the construction of the building and that he felt sure that they, along with himself, appreciate what the courthouse stands for and the importance of the building to the county and the residents.

Local historian Jeanie Edwards Cook, whose grandfather W.B. Edwards was one of the speakers at the dedication of the building on June 19, 1918, explained to attendees the history of the building. "My grandfather W.B. Edwards came to the Big Horn Basin in 1908 from Boston, Massachusetts. He was one of the speakers at the dedication of this courthouse on June 19, 1918. He said that there had been great changes in Big Horn County in the past few years, but just 18 years ago, Judge Parmali had held court in a shack located just to the west of the present courthouse and he had heard the judge tell of hardships connected with holding court at that time," Cook said.

Cook stated that on Nov. 7 in 1916, the people of the county voted to have a new courthouse. They allotted $60,000 and W.M. Bowman was hired as the architect and had an artist drawing of the courthouse, which can be viewed in the county clerk's office, ready in February. "Bowman chose a federal style of architecture used for public buildings in Washington, D.C. and characterized by Greek ionic style columns that were fluted and topped with scroll-like ornamentation. Buildings were balanced and symmetrical with the central pavilion and elliptical motifs. The federal style had definite philosophical ties to the concept of Rome, as the republic which the new American country thought it reflected. The United States of America was set up as a republic, not as a democracy, based on the rule of law under the Constitution. The monarch engineer company of Denver won the bid to construct the courthouse. On the 6th of April 1917 war was declared but work continued until the building was completed in the spring of 1918. Many left to enlist and fight in World War I," Cook said.

After presenting the history of the courthouse Cook presented Big Horn County Clerk Lauri Smallwood with a picture from her grandfather's collection of E.J. Sullivan, mayor at the time of the construction, to be displayed in the county clerk's office.