Courthouse rededicated at Homecomers

At Saturday night's rededication of the county courthouse in Jackson, Circuit Judge Ben Lewis challenged the hundreds in the Homecomers crowd to maintain a courthouse of the standard outlined by the county's residents a century ago.

Lewis cited the words of then-Circuit Judge Henry C. Riley, who wrote the courthouse "is considered commensurate with the wealth, population and progress of Cape Girardeau County." The county court accepted the new courthouse July 2, 1908.

"This is a beautiful, elegant old courthouse," Lewis said in prepared remarks. "It should always be maintained and preserved. But today, we need to consider whether Judge Riley's opinion about our courthouse still stands."

Lewis called for improvements to the building: Residents who appear for jury should have a safe place to wait before their court session, women who have been victims of abuse should not wait "shoulder to shoulder" with their alleged abusers as their cases are called, clerks should be protected from "angry" or "disturbed" individuals who come in off the street, and disabled residents should have unrestricted access to the building.

To measure the value of the courthouse, Lewis outlined the differences in the County between 1908 and 2008. He said crime had increased significantly, notably crimes related to illegal drug possession. He said 21 divorces were granted in 1908, but 1,523 domestic relations cases were filed in 2007.

The county's three commissioners, dressed in historical attire, were present. Commissioner Jay Purcell listed what was in the 1908 cornerstone of the courthouse and what will be placed in the 2008 cornerstone. In 1908, a Bible, names of county officers and a copy of the Jackson Herald were placed in the cornerstone. Purcell said the 2008 cornerstone will include paper and CD photos of present-day landmarks, a copy of the Southeast Missourian and Cashbook Journal and a tribute to the late Marybeth Williams.