-Chapter V- GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Building The Courthouse
A week after Governor Slaton signed the bill making Chatsworth the county seat, the regular August term of the Superior Court convened-in the second floor meeting room of Louis Thompson's store building on Fort Street. The North Georgia Citizen of August 14, 1913, tells the story like this:
A secret order hall in Chatsworth was prepared as a temporary courthouse; but when officers went to Spring Place for the benches of the courthouse there, they were forced to return empty-handed to Chatsworth, for they were not permitted to remove the benches- Then the benches were removed from the churches at Chatsworth, and the secret order hall was fitted out for the term of court . . . court spread out all over town . . . The main courtroom is in the secret order hall, and when a jury goes out for deliberation, a bailiff accompanies the jury to a church about three hundreds yards distant, where the members, if they desire, can pray to reach a correct verdict under the advantage of excellent surroundings. The grand jury is housed in a room in the Chatsworth Bank.
The Citizen of October 9, 1913 stated that there was to be a $60,000 bond referendum for the erecting of a courthouse. Almost a year later, in September, 1914 the County Commissioners levied a special tax of six mills to finance the construction of a new jail. (Levying a tax for a specific number of years avoids paying interest on bonds.) The Citizen recorded the event as follows:
". . . this action will bring the county seat matter to a definite showdown . . . jail cost . . . approximately $12,000 . . . rumored that those opposed to removal . , .will file an injunction to restrain the commissioners from collecting the special tax ... if no injunction is filed, the tax will be collected, and the jail built, causing the final settlement of the whole matter.
That Murray county people as a whole will welcome the final settlement is certain, for the question has kept the people aroused since the election for removal was held. With things settled either way, the people will dismiss the matter and take up other affairs, working together for the upbuild of the good county . . .
By 1915 construction on the jail was well underway, but "the matter" was not settled. Another battle had been fought over the courthouse.
On September 15. Judge A.W. Fite ordered Commissioners D.R. Dunn, J.A. McGhee. and Tom Hemphill arrested and held in the recently completed jail for contempt of court. Their attorney. J.M. Sellers, joined them. At the time, the length of their stay was unknown, but they were made comfortable, and "maintained their spirits" and "affirmed that they were right." Chairman Dunn gave the following account of the proceedings after stating that the point under dispute was just how the building would face:
"We went to the expense of having plans drawn, and later let the contract for the courthouse. Then came the injunction to restrain us from building as planned. This injunction was argued in Supreme Court in July, but no opinion has been handed down. At a recent meeting, we levied a tax for the erection of the courthouse, and we were held in contempt of court because the other question had not been settled by the Supreme Court." The "Citizen" September 16, 1915
When notice of this tax was published. Judge Fite granted an injunction restraining the board from levying the tax and when the commissioners went to Atlanta to obtain legal advice, Fite ordered them arrested for contempt.
During their stay in jail, the men seemed confident of their eventual release and justification. Mrs. Grace Brown, of Spring Place, a granddaughter of Commissioner McGhee, said that Sheriff Wilbanks treated his prisoners well. They had good food, plenty of visitors, and were often even permitted to go home at night to return to jail the next morning. Attorney Sellers placed his business sign over a jail window.
The men stated that they were in jail because they "failed to cater to Judge File's wishes in location of the courthouse." According to the Citizen of September 23, "the people of Murray County are divided over the matter."
By this time, the Atlanta Constitution had picked up the story of the Chatsworth Courthouse and carried a story saying that Judge Fite might be impeached, or at least they had heard rumors to that effect. Before such proceedings could begin, the Slate Supreme Court reversed Fite's decision, and as the Citizen reported, "the commissioners scored a decided victory." In the opinion of the higher court, judges should not interfere with a county's affairs unless the commissioners were abusing the rather broad discretion vested in them by law. However, this ruling settled only the question over the plans for the courthouse. The men would remain in jail until the higher court heard the appeal of the contempt case.
On October 11, Judge Fite was reversed again and the commissioners were freed. In the October 14 issue of the Citizen, Fite at last issued a statement:
"Of course, I am somewhat surprised at the decision . . . but it is not the first time 1 have been reversed when I was right. However, I presume the Supreme Court did the best they could with the facts before them . . . The decision may or may not end the case ... if there are additional facts which can and should come before the court, the defendants should be discharged conditionally,"
That is exactly what he did, immediately granting a conditional release.
In December, 1915, Judge Fite was again reversed in Murray matters. The Supreme Court said that Fite had erred in granting an injunction restraining the commissioners from collecting the courthouse tax. So, at last work could begin on the building, located in what was the Woods family's cotton field and more recently a pasture!
In late 1916 The Chatsworth Times reported:
"New Courthouse Nearing Completion"
The keys to the new courthouse will be turned over by H.J. Carr & Co. to Murray County authorities in the next few days. Murray will have the best one to its size and the amount paid for it in North Georgia-if not in the state. Messers Carr and Co. with their superintendent Mr. Jim Brazell are to be congratulated as well as Mr. Blair the architect. Murray should be and is proud of her new home for their is none better."
Jack Kelly, teenage son of one of Chatsworth's founding fathers, was nicknamed "Water Jack" by the construction workers since he obtained the job of carrying water to them.
Finally, after many battles, the beautiful building was completed and the first court session was held in it in February 1917. The cornerstone reads:
MURRAY COUNTY COURTHOUSE
Erected 1916 Commission for Roads and Revenues
D.R. Dunn Chairman T.M. Hemphill J.A. McGhee
Jesse M. Sellers, Attorney
W.B. Robinson Clerk of Court
J.M. Campbell, Ordinary
T.P. Ramsey, Tax Collector
W.J. Holcomb, Tax Receiver
B.H. (Mike) Wilbanks, Sheriff
R.N. Steed, County School Commissioner
Alexander Blair, Architect
H. J. Carr & Co., Builders
Judge File, by holding the commissioners in jail probably forced them to alter a few of their plans for the courthouse. Original drawings called for a clock tower rather than the low, flat dome to be place on the edifice. (Murray has one of only three domed courthouses in Georgia.) The commissioners' plans had also provided for some office space in the basement and for the judge's bench to face west (so the judge would sit in the sun according to one story). However there were never any basement offices and the judge's bench faces east-toward the mountain and the rising sun.
The courthouse became the home for all the various county officials for many years. In the recent past, additional office and storage space was needed, so an annex was purchased on Fourth Avenue, some duties combined into one office, and other facilities built. Two original occupants—the Clerk of Court and the Probate Judge (formerly Ordinary) still maintain offices in the building along with a few others. Improvements and renovations have been made.
The handsome, often-photographed Doric-styled Murray County Courthouse standing majestically in the center of town was accepted on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. This is the highest honor our country gives to places of historical significance. County Commissioner Kirby Patterson, the North Georgia Area Planning and Development Commission, and the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society count this selection as a great accomplishment. The building truly deserves this recognition since it occupies such a prominent spot in Chatsworth and Murray County-physically and historically.
HIGHLIGHTS OF MURRAY COUNTY GOVERNMENT
1873-Board of Commissioners of Revenue, Roads, Bridges, and Paupers established.
1875 - Tax Receiver and Tax Collector duties assumed by Sheriff and a Deputy (temporarily).
1892 - A 'Third Party" (possibly the Populists) nominated C.C. Howell for the State Senate and M.M. Bates for the House.
1907 - No. 1506, District, G.M. - Taxable Property Returned, $2.00. Office of Tax Collector, Murray County, Georgia. Received of Robert 0"Neal, Two Dollars, and no Cents, State, County and Poll Tax, including Wild Lands, for the Year 1907. $2,00.
Signed - John P. Gregory, Tax Collector.
1915 -Office of County Treasurer abolished.
1916 - From the North Georgia Citizen: Murray Commissioners and Fite Mix Again. Books Have Not been Secured by Sheriff Who Was Ordered to Seize Them.
Judge A.W. Fite and the board of commissioners of Murray county are on outs again. This time the question of the commissioners' books has brought the clash.
In the recent primary, the Murray people voted on the matter of abolishing the board of commissioners, and changing the method of handling the county's affairs, and the matter carried by a big majority.
So Judge Fite ordered the commissioners to turn over the books to the ordinary, but, instead of doing so, the board held the regular meeting in October. Then Judge Fite ordered the sheriff to seize the books; but when Sheriff Willbanks took possession of their office Wednesday morning, he searched but failed to find the books.
Just what will be the outcome of the matter is not known, for both the chairman of the board, Mr. D.R. Dunn, and the clerk, Col. J.M. Sellers, could not be reached by The Citizen, as they were away from home on important business.
1917 - A four-man Board of Supervisors of Roads, Bridges, and Road Funds to serve 2-year terms is begun.
1919 - From the North Georgia Citizen: Murray County Votes Bonds for Good Roads. Murray County continues on the progressive counties of Georgia last Thursday when it voted overwhelmingly in favor of bonds for good roads.
The call was for the issuance of $100,000 in bonds for road building, and the antis polled only 8 votes in the entire county. It was a magnificent victory for the good roads advocates and will mean much for the county, for with the funds, the roads will be improved to a wonderful extent.
Murray has been backward in the building of roads, and the patriotic citizens, seeing the pressing need for better highways, got busy with the result as announced above. It's Whitfieid's time next.
1919 - Judge Fite died on Christmas Day.
1920 - Murray County elected its only Republican State Representative. R. Porter Hufstetler defeated J.J, Bates.
1921 - July 25, "Women of Murray County are urged to register and vote" according to The Chatsworth Times.
September 30 -County Treasury amounted to $91.45.
1922 -January 31, Treasury boasted $10,489.26.
1924 • "Secret Ballot law makes big changes in election methods."
1929 - A one-man county commission was created.
When new board called for an audit of the county's books the books were stolen from Noel Steed's office. Mr. Steed was to be the new county clerk. Sheriff J.B. Butler found the books under the courthouse!
Nov. 1930 - Sheriff Butler was wounded when a would-be prisoner shoots him.
1931 • Sixteen candidates entered the race to fill the unexpired term of Tax Collector W.W. Keith who died in office. R.H. Shelton won.
1933 - Murray County as a whole voted 3 to 1 against the repeal of prohibition. Only Ball Ground, Cisco, and Alaculsey precincts voted for it!
1933 • People voted to end the one-man-commissioner government and establish a three-member Board of Roads and Revenues. The officials were to receive $3 per meeting not to exceed $90 during a year. They were authorized to hire a clerk (at $20 per month), an attorney (at $150 annually), and could appoint a road supervisor. Also the offices of Tax Collector and Tax Receiver were combined into that of Tax Commissioner effective in 1936.
1935 - Murray's J.Roy McGinty age 26 was the state legislature's "Baby Senator."
1936 - R.H. Shelton defeated P.H .Bond in the race for the new office of Tax Commissioner,
Value of taxable property in county is $1,569,676.
1939-41 - A return to a sole commissioner form of government "is favored."
1940's - World War II Ration Board consisted of Bob Gudger, Parker Anderson, and Fred Long. Hill Jones was Chief Clerk and Sam Maynard was assistant clerk while Ruth Springfield, (Catherine West Reed, Mrs. Roy McGinty, and Mrs. Sam Plott were secretaries.
1957 - Present sole commissioner government created and direct election of Board of Education members established.
1963 - Murray County elected Republican R.S. Thomas of Whitfield County State Senator from the 54th District to fill the unexpired term of C.A. Pannell who was appointed to the State Court of Appeals. The next year Thomas was soundly defeated by W.W. Fincher. Jr.
1966 - A new state law forbid the County Ordinary from serving as County Clerk as well. D. Ralph Mantooth succeeds Ordinary W.W. "Billy" Keith in the Clerk's position.
1978 - The Courthouse Annex on Fourth Avenue was purchased from builder Terry Edwards for $123,600.
1982 - In March a majority of the voters approved a 1% local option sales tax (1060 to 603). In the fall a display highlighting Murray's past opened in the courthouse to celebrate the county's 150th birthday.
1984 - Justices of the Peace abolished in favor of a Magistrate system which provided a Chief Magistrate and two assistants all elected countywide.
Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr. urged the Grand Jury to examine the needs of a new jail and also for county-wide zoning.
1985 - Murray's first female lawyer, Nancy Calhoun, is swrn in by the county's first major female official-Clerk of Court Loreine Matthews.
Murray County Heritage