Rains County Leader
June 12, 1908
Court House Burned
Wednesday night about 12:30 o'clock the Court House was discovered to be on fire in the southeast corner upstairs, and the flames were under such headway when discovered that nothing could be done to put it out. The buildint is a total loss, insured for $18,000. At the time of going to press the Clerk's Vault containing the county records seems to have stood the fire alright. Judge Clendenin's library and law books were a total loss, and Judge Crabb lost most of his law books. There were other losses but the Leader cannot give them this week.
Rains County Leader
May 29, 1908
To Move Court House
Point citizens have been working industriously this week getting up a petition to be presented to the commissioners court today, asking that an election be ordered to determine whether or not the courthouse shall be moved to Point. There is about 1100 qualified voters in the county and 750 votes would be required to move the court house to Point, which is more than 5 miles from the center of the county. If ordered, the law required the election to be held within not less than 30 nor more than 60 days. Emory people are taking no action, as there is nothing for them to do until an election is ordered, as the county site is located at Emory now.
More A bout the Fire
The burning of the Court House here on the night of the 20th threw everything in such confusion and "pied" up the Leader office so badly that we could not give a full report of the fire. The fire originated in the southeast corner of the building, up near the cupola, and it is generally thought that it was set on fire. The loss to the county will not be much as the building and contents were practically covered by insurance, but the inconvenience will be hard on the county officials. The insurance was divided up in five different companies and is as follows:
$15,000 on building, $2,000 on Vault and $1,000 on furniture, and the commissioners think that every cent of it will be collected. Dockets, records, blanks, etc., in the Justice of the Peace's office will be a considerable loss. Everything in the Vault was all right. Personal losses and others are about as follows:
Judge Clendenin's law library, valued at $800, total loss, insured for $500.
Judge Crabb's law library valued at $500, nearly all destroyed; no insurance. But his abstract records were in the Vault and were not injured.
Treasurer Weatherly's personal loss was about $185. Some of the records in his safe were so badly scorched that they will have to be copied, but none were lost.
Sheriff Clark's loss was about $150.
Clerk Fitzgerald had everything in the Vault and only lost an office chair, but this he prized highly, as it used to belong to his father when he was Clerk.
The commissioners' court met in the sample room just north of the Leader office last Saturday to talk over the situation. Nothing was done of any importance except to employ George Lindsey, an architect of Greenville to assist in adjusting the insurance, and to employ a man to watch the Vault at night. Sam Fitzgerald was employed at $1.50 per night to watch the Vault, and the twon has employed DeWItt HEbisen to watch the town. We understand it is the intention of the commissioners to erect a small frame building near the Vault, as soon as the insurance is adjusted, to be used by all of the county officers till the Court House can be rebuilt. The commissioners meet again today to discuss the situation.