[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 96 (Thursday, July 1, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF WYANDOT COUNTY COURTHOUSE

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                         HON. MICHAEL G. OXLEY

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 1, 1999

  Mr. OXLEY. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to acknowledge the one 
hundredth anniversary of the Wyandot County Courthouse in Upper 
Sandusky, OH, in this year of its renovation and rededication.
  Established in February of 1845, Wyandot County used as its first 
official meeting place the old Council House of the Wyandotte Indians. 
The sale of land in and around present-day Upper Sandusky provided the 
funds for the first permanent courthouse, which was used until close to 
the turn of the century. Construction of the current courthouse started 
in 1897 and was a completed in June of 1900.
  At the original dedication of the Courthouse in August of 1900, it 
was described as a ``magnificent public edifice, combining the 
classical beauties of Grecian, Doric, and Romanesque architecture'' 
that was declared ``one of the finest structures of its kind in the 
State of Ohio.'' With its majestic dome dominating the city's skyline, 
the Courthouse remains an equally magnificent sight to this day.
  Perhaps the most noteworthy aspects of the Courthouse, though, are 
the murals that adorn the courtroom and dome. Sandy Bee of Centerville, 
OH, took painstaking care to restore the paintings of Mercy, Truth, 
Justice, and Law that tell the history of the Wyandotte Indians. She 
also hand-painted new murals for the dome area that depict Spring, 
Summer, Fall, and Winter in the farming community. In addition, 
pictures taken by Harry E. KInley and used during the celebration of 
Wyandot County's sesquicentennial now adorn the Courthouse hallways.
  I salute the Wyandot County Commissioners, Sandy Bee, and other 
officials, workers, and citizens of Wyandot County whose hard work has 
made this centennial renovation and rededication a success.

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