On a courthouse wedding, building tour, Centennial Farms - and more

It didn't take long for history to be made at the new Clinton County Courthouse.

Probate Court Judge Marv Robertson took care of that April 28 when he performed the first official act in the building - the wedding of Charles Butler and Bobbette Keck.

What a happy event to mark the start of a new beginning for the grand structure.

CW - as he's known by his courthouse chums - is the director of Management Information Systems for Clinton County, and as such, spends a majority of his time making sure the multitude of modems and other computer-type gadgets are all working properly.

In fact, CW was quite content to let the historic occasion pass quietly by, not wanting the private ceremony to become a media mini-circus with T.V. cameras, lights and reporters juggling for position in the first-floor conference room where the wedding took place.

We commend him on that decision - but we also thank the 'little birdie' who filled us in on the happening.

Leave it to Therese Koenigsknecht to spill the beans. She thought the first wedding in the courthouse was worth noting - and we agree with that, too.

Thanks, Therese - and keep up the good 'scoop' reporting.

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Information on CW's courthouse wedding leaked out during an impromptu - and very unofficial - tour of the building last week. In the course of discussing some CAPIT and Rotary business, former St. Johns City Commissioner Ben Munger and I thought it would be a good idea to take a look inside the structure that will also house city government.

We were aided in our meandering by Clinton County Administrator Ryan Wood, who helped us from getting lost in the mammoth building and made it crystal clear that the construction process is far from complete.

A guide really was not needed for us to reach that conclusion, however. Hordes of workmen are scurrying around inside doing every construction task imaginable - in all honesty, we probably were somewhat of a nuisance. It's really in no shape for John Q. Public at this stage in the process - I'd advise everyone to heed the county's plea and wait for the official opening June 22.

But - since we were inside, here are some quick, general impressions of the building.

• It's big - really, really, big. That may seem foolish to say, considering everyone and his brother has already said it based on the exterior appearance. Amazingly, it seems even bigger once you're inside. Incredible.
• There are a number of nice, 'extra' touches that will make it quite lovely when it's finished, but nothing is elaborate by any stretch of the imagination. Items to note are the gorgeous light fixtures in the main circuit courtroom on the fourth floor; rich woodworking in the main meeting room on the second floor that will be shared by the county and city; and geometric-style floor tile in the main hallways that lends color to the interior.
• The view to the north from the third and fourth-floor windows that overlooks the downtown business district is striking. You can literally see for miles and miles.
• The city's suite of offices on the first floor is a huge improvement from the cramped and outdated space that employees are used to working in. Again, nothing fancy - but it will surely seem palatial compared to the Municipal Building.

Even in it's unfinished state, it's an impressive building. When all the final touches are put in place - including the exterior landscaping - it should be a stately home for county and city government for many years to come.

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I'd like to put a personal plug in for all our readers to check out the information on Centennial Farms in Clinton County that is part of this issue. As a farm girl from Riley Township, agriculture remains near and dear to my heart - and, in a few years, the homestead of my maternal grandparents, Henry and Doretta Witt, where I live today will hopefully join the Centennial Farm listing.

Thanks to Don and Alma Davis - and Jim and Debi Davis - for allowing us to use their Sesquicentennial Farm as the standard-bearer for all the centenarian farms in the county. The information you provided was wonderful, and your hospitality was much appreciated.

To check out Centennial Farm information on-line, log on to the St. Johns Independent site at www:sjindy.com. The database on the site includes addresses of the farms, along with names of the original owners and dates the farms were established.

It's a valuable resource tool which we hope will be helpful for anyone interested in our county's rural heritage.

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One final note. Several weeks ago, I wrote a column containing information on Olive Township that was submitted by a number of folks. One of the items dealt with an Interurban bridge on DeWitt Road near the old Olive Grange Hall and Muskrat Lake.

John Chimko, who provided the information, wants to make it clear that the bridge as it stands today is no where near the original Interurban line that ran along Loomis Road through Olive Township .

In fact, after doing a little more research, he's no longer sure the bridge actually served the Interurban line at all.

Anyone out there who can clear up this unsolved mystery of the old bridge?