Michigan historical collections. [Vol. 17]

ALLEGAN COUNTY COURT HOUSE.

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afterward the circuit court held its session in a building, known as the
Methodist chapel, which was located near the present site of the
Methodist Episcopal church. The chapel was afterward burned down
and the different courts, for a time were held in a basement to the
building occupied by the jailer. This basement was fitted up for
county offices and was used for county and court purposes. It stood
on the north side of Hubbard street, in the southwest corner of this
public square. The courts were afterward held in the basement of the
Baptist church. This church was a brick building, the upper part
being unfinished, and in 1856, the county purchased the building of the
Baptist society for court purposes and the upper part was then finished
off for a court room, and the sessions of the circuit court were held
there until the building was condemned by the village and county
authorities, in the year 1887, and the court then moved its quarters to
the dining room of the Chaffee block, where two sessions of court were
held, and since then, to the present time, the circuit court has occupied the room over DeLano's store on Locust street, known as Grange
hall. The business of the court, instead of being disposed of in one
day as in November 1836, has increased to such an extent, that it now
has, sometimes, a eession of three or four weeks with a jury, besides
cases heard and determined by the judge himself. But the present place
of holding the court is not very much in advance of the modest
old building, which, as I before said, has retired to the business
of sheltering agricultural implements.
The first session of the county court held in this county was on the
fifth day of April, 1847. This court was held in the Methodist chapel
then occupied as a court room in this village, and no business coming
before the court at its first session it was adjourned without day.
The first official act of this county court was the appointment of E.
B. Bassett as county clerk in the place of N. Manson, jr., deceased.
The Hon. Henry H. Booth, was the first judge of the county court,
having been elected to that office in November, 1846, and retiring from
that position on the first day of January, 1851. He was a gentleman
of refinement and learning and although not educated to the law he
discharged the duties of the office with dignity and ability. The Hon.
Abram L. Dedrich was next elected to the position of county judge at
the November election in 1850, taking his seat January 1, 1851, and
presiding over that court until it was abolished by the legislature in
1853. Since that time the business of the county court has been done
in the circuit court of this county.
Since its organization in Allegan county the circuit court has been