[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 149 (Thursday, September 14, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S4520]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHASE COUNTY COURTHOUSE

 Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, the Chase County Courthouse is a 
striking monument situated in Cottonwood Falls and visible across much 
of the surrounding prairie. Built in 1873, the courthouse's limestone 
exterior, walnut staircase, and distinctive red roof have made it a 
landmark on the plains. Designed in French Renaissance style by John G. 
Haskell of Leavenworth, the courthouse is the oldest Kansas courthouse 
still in use.
  This year marks the courthouse's 150th anniversary of service to the 
community. In 1856, several families moved to the south side of 
Cottonwood River, and soon after, the Chase County boundaries were 
drawn. The pioneers who established Cottonwood Falls decided to build a 
local courthouse and workers began construction on the courthouse. The 
community chose a courthouse that would stand 113-feet tall, containing 
a three-story spiral staircase made from trees near the Cottonwood 
River. The limestone used to construct the courthouse came from Chase 
County and is known as Cottonwood limestone. This same limestone was 
used in the Kansas State Capitol, Kansas State University, and can be 
found in the U.S. Capitol forming the base for the statue of Amelia 
Earhart. In 1917, the courthouse was entered in the National Registry 
of Historic Places and the Kansas Historical Site Register and serves 
as a tribute to the pioneers who made the Flint Hill their home and the 
builders who constructed the courthouse.
  I have visited downtown Cottonwood Falls many times and have seen the 
community grow over the years. Rural county courthouses play an 
important role in preserving these communities. The courthouse is a 
place where justice is administered, wedding vows are made, election 
votes are tallied, wills are signed, and disputes are resolved.
  On the 150th anniversary of the Chase County Courthouse, I am honored 
to recognize and commemorate this courthouse which is the pride of 
Cottonwood Falls and a monument on the plains.

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