[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14100]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  PIERCE COUNTY COURTHOUSE CENTENNIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 22, 2005

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a historic 
building in my home district in Wisconsin. Listed on the National 
Register of Historic Places, the Pierce County Courthouse has served as 
a grand symbol of law and order to the people of western Wisconsin 
since 1905. I am pleased to honor the 100th anniversary of this unique 
building.
  As early French pioneers made their way westward, they met the 
pristine beauty and abundant natural resources of the Mississippi River 
and its surrounding lands. Where the Mississippi meets the St. Croix 
River, they also encountered one of the most dense concentrations of 
native American villages in the upper Mississippi River Valley. It was 
here where many decided to settle, including those who began the first 
permanent settlement of Pierce County at Prescott in 1827.
  By 1853, the population had grown and pierce became its own county, 
separating from St. Croix County. Prescott served as the first county 
seat, but in 1861 the people of the county voted to change the seat to 
Ellsworth. A brick courthouse then was constructed on the site of the 
current building.
  The present courthouse was erected in 1905 in Ellsworth, and its 
evolution mirrors that of the city and of the county as a whole. The 
first courthouse in Ellsworth was made of logs. The next was a wooden 
frame building. Finally, in 1869, the brick courthouse was constructed, 
which included a jail. By the turn of the century, however, even this 
building was deemed inappropriate to the image and need of the growing 
county, and the current courthouse was erected as a true testament of 
the supremacy of law and a match to the beauty of the surrounding area.
  Designed out of the neoclassical and Beaux arts architectural 
traditions, it is constructed from several types of native stone and 
accentuated by Tennessee marble. Inside, vaulted ceilings depict the 
beauty of western Wisconsin, rising to a baroque dome covering the 
five-story hexagonal rotunda. Mr. Speaker, this building truly brings 
well-deserved pride to the people of Pierce County.
  On March 3, 1982, the Pierce County Courthouse was recognized by the 
National Register of Historic Places, honoring the courthouse as a 
historic place with great importance to the Pierce County community and 
the State of Wisconsin, as well as notable architectural significance. 
The residents of Pierce County also demonstrated their own appreciation 
for this unique courthouse when they chose to repair the beautiful 
building rather than allow the decapitation of its dome, a fate that 
often befalls historic buildings.
  A centennial celebration will be held at the courthouse on June 26, 
2005. I commend the people and the local public officials of Pierce 
County for having the vision to erect such a monument to justice, law, 
and beauty, and the foresight to maintain this local treasure. This 
building truly has been a source of pride to Pierce County for 100 
years, and it will continue to do so for generations to come. Mr. 
Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to honor this milestone before 
you today.

                          ____________________