The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922; / Clarence M. Burton, editor-in-chief, William Stocking, associate editor, Gordon K. Miller, associated editor. [Vol. 2]

CITY OF DETROIT

1489

and are dark, dingy places, more suitable for cattle stalls than public offices.
The courtroom is also much too contracted and wholly inferior to the just
demands of the first county in the state. In fact there is not a county in
Michigan that has not more eligible and commodious as well as beautiful
buildings than Wayne. Its jail is a by-word and reproach that is a disgrace
to it. The Court House is but little better. We hope there will be no attempt
to patch up the old concern, but let a commendable spirit be displayed, and a
new building erected that can accommodate the large and increasing business
of the county and be an ornament to the city."
This is from the Tribune of June 11, 1859:
"The board of county auditors on June 11, 1859, agreed to allow F. Buhl
$500 to repair the County Building 'after which the property is to be sold at
auction.
"The register's office has been removed to the second story of Crane and
Wesson's Building, corner of Congress and Griswold streets."
Another extract from the Free Press of June 18, 1859, reads as follows:
"Patching Up-The old County Court House is being repaired, preparatory
to being sold at auction. At least this was the determination of the Board of
Auditors at their last meeting. A new foundation has been put in on the dilapidated side and the crumbling wall has been displaced and a new brick wall
is now in process of being built."
The building and site were sold to Christian H. Buhl for $12,500, July 30,
1859, but the county continued to occupy the property until the new city hall
was completed in 1871.
In connection with the completion of the brick block of Christian H. Buhl
in 1860 an incident occurred that was related in the Free Press of June 19,
of that year. Mr. Buhl was mayor of the city at that time and a prominent
member of the republican party, then just coming into ascendancy. The editor
of the Free Press was the noted Wilbur F. Storey. Mr. Storey was a rabid "fire
in the rear" democrat of the species usually called "copperheads. " He omitted
no opportunity to abuse the republicans and universally referred to them in his
paper as "black republicans." He related the story as follows:
"A Family Quarrel-The Mayor a Prisoner
-The Sidewalk Ordinance Enforced by the
Mayor against a Prominent Ex-Alderman
and by the Ex-Alderman against the Mayor.
"A very amusing episode in the municipal history of our city is now transpiring, which, while it affords abundant opportunity to the people for laughter,
verifies an old adage, slightly modified: when officials fall out the laws will be
enforced. The drarmatic persoma of this laughable entertainment are no less
personages than the present black republican, Mayor Christian H. Buhl, and
Ex-Alderman Alanson Sheley, one of the bright lights of that party in this state.
"It will be remembered that a few months since an ordinance was passed by
the present black republican common council requiring all walks thereafter to
be built on certain main avenues and streets, including Woodward Avenue from
the river to the Grand Circus, to be constructed of flag-stones at least two feet
square. The ordinance, since its passage, has been generally observed in respect
to the material of the walks built, but no attention whatever has been paid to
the size of the stones used, many walks being laid with stones, scarcely a foot