Not only was this courthouse interesting from a material standpoint but also for its outstanding usefulness to the whole community. In addition to housing the courtroom and county offices, it often served as a town hall, meetings of various kinds being held in the courtroom or in the attic above the second floor. In these same rooms, many eminent lecturers, evangelists, and other visiting speakers drew appreciative audiences of town and country folks. Some of the county’s able lawyers made their first speeches there. Directly to the north of the courthouse lay a vacant block which, in those early days, was called the “Courthouse Square.” Also, closely associated with the courthouse was the square, two-storied brick jail which stood on the southeast corner of the block. It was erected in 1871 at a cost of $9,550. When the second courthouse was enlarged and remodeled, the addition of a third story, two towers, a town clock, a statue of justice, and other adornments changed the style and appearance of the building completely, and the old courthouse became only a memory to those who had loved it. [Illustration: STATE of OREGON] Portland West Union Baptist Church Joe Meek Donation Land Claim Old College Hall, Pacific University George Gay House George Fox College Belleque House Champoeg Farmland Amity Church of Christ Wheatland Ferry Salem Monmouth Normal School Stump House Fort Hoskins Bishop Simpson Chapel Albany Octagonal House Lynn County Court House St. Charles Hotel Montieth House White Spire Presbyterian Church Eugene Villard Hall Wilkins House Christian House Condon House Walton House Cartwright House (Lorane) Applegate House (Yoncalla) Transcriber’s Notes —Silently corrected a few typos. —Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication. —In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Oregon Historical Landmarks: Willamette Valley, by Various