The Third Court House in Carroll County, 1883
(Has Carroll County had two court houses or five? Yes. Let us explain.)
Courthouse location fixed by Legislature in 1805
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Carroll County Court |
1906 | Carroll County |
c. 1910
 |
 |
 |
|
| From a Facebook post by Darrell Maines | Courthouse | Courthouse From a Facebook post by Claudia Spenneburg |
Court House
From a Facebook post by Bill Davis
 |
 |
 |
 |
| 1910 | Carroll County Courthouse & Square |
unknown year | 1947 |
| Carroll County Courthouse | |||
| “We notice that the Court House is being painted. It is time, as it is needed it very badly. Let us make a little suggestion to our court officials: The court yard is in a miserable condition; have it drained and filled up, or if we want a beautiful lake in the summer and an excellent skating rink in the winter, let it be walled up so that it will be of some use. Don't spend money on the Court House and leave the yard in such conditions that we can't get into the house.” - Carrollton Democrat, May 24, 1868 | |
| “Carrollton boys go in bathing in a pond in the court-house yard.” Courier-Journal, June 19, 1882 | |
| Legislature authorizes a new courthouse, 1805. | The 1839 Courthouse is remembered as it's being razed in 1884. |
| Controversial Kentucky gubernatorial candidate Wm. Goebels (Wikipedia) comes to Carrollton, 1899. Parade to Carrollton from Worthville. | History of Carroll's several early court houses is here. |
 |
 |
 |
| Carroll County Court House, 1906 |
Aerial of Court House in the 1937 Flood |
The Carroll County Courthouse. The key to the men in this photo is here. |
 |
 |
| Carroll County Scene, March 16, 1907 “to Miss Anna Walesly, 102 Hepburn Ave. Louisville, Ky. Still Lonesome, Laura May” |
Carroll County Courthouse, 1932 |
1954
 |
 |
| Carrollton Fire Department | Carter Harrell takes five, August, 1950 |
 |
 |
 |
| “Custom House,” 1909 | Carrollton Post Office, c. 1941 | Carrollton Post Office, c. 1945 |
 |
 |
| Carrollton Post Office, April 25, 1911 “Miss Cecil Hendrix, Jett, Ky. Dear Cuz, I received your card this week was glad to hear from you. I had begin to think you wasn't going to answer my card. Jack and May's baby is dead it is going to be buried at Oakland today at 11 o'clock died yesterday morning at six clock. Ans soon, Homer ” |
Carrollton Post Office “Mrs. Mary Brooke, Eaton, Ohio, This office is not bothered much with letters from you. All are well, and think and speak of you often. Could tell you something funny if you come and give me half a chance. All will send love, as well as, WB. ” |
| “Josh Gibson, of Logansport [Indiana], was the lowest bidder, to-day, for the construction of the public building at Carrollton, Ky. His bid was $15,731.” The Indianapolis Journal, October 17, 1900 | |
| A Carrollton paper in 1885 gave this account of the towns postmasters. In those days, the post office frequently consisted of nothing more than a small box with a bunch of letters in it, and a big sign out front of an already established business. And while the memory of the man remembering the postmasters is not infallible (see the official list here), we include it so you can see that the post office moved with great frequency, depending on who won the last election. |
 |
 |
| James Knox Taylor was the supervising architect at the Carrollton Post Office. These drawings appeared in the November 3, 1900 issue of American Architect and Building News. Knox at the time was also the supervising architect for post offices in Menominee, Michigan, Monmouth, Illinois, and St. Cloud, Minnesota. (Note the resemblance of the other three.) Note the IRS office on the floor plan. | |
“The cornerstone of the new post-office at Carrollton, Ky., was laid Tuesday” from the Mt. Sterling Advocate, Tuesday, June 25, 1901 |
|
 |
 |
| Carrollton Post Office was built in 1901/1902 |
Post Office Construction Scene, 1900 |
| “Post Office hours for Sunday in the future will be from 7 to 9 o'clock A.M. and 3 to 5 P.M.” the Carrollton Democrat, May 13, 1868 |
In 1837, you could pay the road tax, or be forced to take a shovel and get to work on the roads. More here.
Looking East
| “Washington, September 1.- Representative D. Linn Gooch, of the Covington, Ky., District, was in town to-day from his inland home, on Department business. He has arranged for the establishment of of several rural postal routes, and has also arranged nine hundred bound volumes of valuable Government reports for the library of Carrollton, Ky.” Cincinnati Enquirer, September 3, 1903 |
 |
 |
| Carroll County Library, 1978 | War Memorial of Carroll County |
The founding of the Carrollton Library Society in 1851
A Carrollton water bill from 1900. Note how they allocate the charges
Carroll County Friends Dinner Honoring J. Lyter Donaldson,
1932
warning: larger than usual images
Carrollton Fire Company #1 founded in 1858.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Carroll County Jail, Built 1899 * |
Carroll County Jail | Historical Carroll County Jail |
unknown date | Carroll County Jail |
| *Message on back says “Jail is still in use 3 men in it. a woman too.” August 22, 1964. | ||||
In a remodeling of the jail in 1987, workmen found hidden in the base of the second floor eight hacksaw blades, three 12" files, four spoons, three homemade knives, a pack of rolling papers and an ace of diamonds. |
||||
There were 12 pages of specs (pdf) defined for the building of the jail and the jailer's house.
But what jail are they specs for? Bill Davis offers some thoughts.
