HGB Ep. 573 - Carlinville Courthouse

Moment in Oddity - Colored Honey Candy Eating French Bees (Suggested by: Mindy Hull)

Honey has many restorative qualities, especially raw honey. Many people use it for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Back in 2012, beekeepers in Alsace, France discovered that the bees in their apiaries were producing honey in unnatural shades of blue and green. Puzzled, the beekeepers determined the cause of the unusually colored honey was due to a nearby M&M's processing plant. The waste which was housed outside was attracting the bees who were bringing the colors back to their hives. Although the colored honey still tasted like honey, the apiculturists considered the colored honey being produced as tainted and unsellable. This problem affected about a dozen beekeepers who were already dealing with high bee mortality rates after a harsh winter. France is one of the largest honey producers in the European Union with approximately 18,330 tons being produced annually at the time. The Mars plant discovered the problem around the same time that the beekeepers discovered the colored honey. The company cleaned its containers and moved the incoming waste indoors to keep it away from the local bee population. Although colored honey is unique and somewhat visually pleasing in its own right, honey bees snacking on sweet shades of scrumptious treats only to serve up a seriously strange product, certainly is odd.

This Month in History - Norman Rockwell Birthday

In the month of February, on the 3rd, in 1894, Norman Perceval Rockwell was born in New York City, New York. He had an older brother, Jarvis Jr., and his parents were Jarvis and Anne Rockwell. As a fourteen year old boy, Rockwell transferred from his high school to Chase Art School. From there he attended the National Academy of Design and then he went on to study at the Art Students League of New York. Norman took small jobs while still in school and at 18 he landed his first major artistic job illustrating Carl H. Claudy's book, "Tell Me Why: Stories about Mother Nature". At the age of 19, Rockwell became the art editor for Boys' Life, which was a magazine published by the Boy Scouts of America. The next evolution in Rockwell's career came when his family moved to New Rochelle, New York. With the assistance of cartoonist Clyde Forsythe who worked for The Saturday Evening Post, Norman garnered his first cover painting titled, "Mother's Day Off". He was only 22 years old. Over the next 47 years, Norman Perceval Rockwell illustrated 322 magazine covers for The Saturday Evening Post. The majority of his pieces highlighted subjects from everyday family life and small town life, often with a bit of humor. His art was quite detailed with a realistic feel. Although his art was disregarded by most critics as lacking artistic merit and authentic social observation, in 1977, Rockwell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Gerald Ford.

Carlinville Courthouse 

Carlinville is a small town stop along the original Route 66 and is located in Macoupin (MuhCoop en) County, Illinois. The town is home to the "Million Dollar" Courthouse, which seems a bit out of place because it is so massive and cost so much to build. The building began as a small project that ballooned out of control, surrounded by money laundering schemes and scandals. Today, the courthouse is a top tourist attraction and is the final stop on the local ghost tour. Someone who knows a thing or two about that tour and has had her own experience at the courthouse is Courtney Egner. She will be joining us as we explore the history and hauntings of the Carlinville Courthouse.

The city of Carlinville and Macoupin County were established around 1829. Interestingly, they are the only town and county to have their respective names in the world. Carlinville was named for Thomas Carlin who was a state senator that helped found the county. Carlin would go on to be the governor of Illinois in 1838. Growth was slow, but it had the standard tavern and shops in the center square. Storms and a fire destroyed some buildings before 1853. The town was the seat of government in the area, so a courthouse was built. This first rendition was made from logs for under $160 - quite the difference from the future "Million Dollar Courthouse." The building served the county until 1840 and was replaced by a two-story brick structure. This courthouse was used until 1870 and housed court cases involving Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas, and Lyman Trumbull. In the Macoupin County courthouse, Lincoln appeared five times and one case resulted in a 43-page reply, believed to be the longest existing document in Lincoln’s handwriting. The Chicago-Alton rail line eventually made its way here and that helped with the economy of the region. The Great Rail Road Festival was held in 1852 when the rail line was completed. One of the reasons this was needed is because Carlinville became a mining town when the Carlinville Coal Company founded its first mine in 1867 and hired 45 men. Five hundred thousand bushels of coal were mined every year. Standard Oil also opened the Berry Min a little while after that. Around that same time, it was decided that Macoupin County needed a new, bigger courthouse.

The Macoupin County Courthouse at 210 East Main in Carlinville, Illinois, would become that third courthouse and was constructed between 1867 and 1870. The architect was Elijah E. Myers and the original plan was to spend $150,000 on construction, funding the project with bonds and taxes. Myers would go on to design the capital buildings for Michigan, Texas and Colorado. When construction was halted in 1870, the cost of construction had reached $1.3 million. And that's why the building was stopped. The cost had gotten outrageous. This was the second largest courthouse in the country at the time, with a courthouse in New York City taking the top spot. Since the construction was stopped, the planned ornamentation for the third floor courtroom was never finished. No fancy sculptures and the like would be added. It took the county 40 years to pay off the debt. At least they can claim that it is the most magnificent courthouse in the state. When finished, the courthouse stood four stories and was topped by a dome. The exterior of the courthouse was made from magnesium limestone and fashioned in a couple of styles, Century Victorian Classic Revival and French Second Empire. There are these large Corinthian columns and the way the building is proportioned, it makes the structure look taller. Some describe it as awkwardly tall. 

The interior ceilings and walls are sheet iron and the walls are three feet thick. The floors throughout are laid with tile. The architecture in this courthouse gets more detailed as you move through the floors. Much of the "extras" are made out of cast iron, which gave the courthouse the ability to declare itself fireproof. The courthouse claims to be the first building to be built fireproof in the United States. One of the really interesting details on the banister posts, relates back to our previous episode about the Rathskellar at the Seelbach Hotel. There are three pelicans formed out of the cast iron on these posts. So this made us want to dig in a little deeper to the symbology of the pelican. The first is death, as we mentioned on that previous episode, and the legend that inspires this goes that a mother pelican will give her life for her young if she can't find food. She will wound herself in some way, so that she can feed her young with her blood. In the process, she slowly dies. Another reason for the symbol is Christian in origin. The church has used it to represent Christ's sacrifice on the cross of giving His life and atoning for sins with his blood. So clearly, pelicans and blood and death have some kind of connection. Pretty fitting to have it inside a courthouse. The balustrade of the main stairway at the north are ornamented with wolf and dog heads done in iron.

The main doors to the main courtroom on the second floor are massive and absolutely amazing. They are twenty feet tall and weigh over a ton. The interior of the courtroom features stained-glass windows, large wooden pews,  several medallions on the ceilings with hanging chandeliers and at the front are massive columns framing the judge's chair and desk. The chair cost $1500 to make back in 1868 and hand carved from oak and walnut. The hand-carved walnut judge's chair is seven feet in height. Lions are carved in each of the huge arm rests.A cast iron banister with spindles separates the judge's area from the rest of the courtroom. The interior of the dome on the courthouse is here. The courthouse houses records going all the way back to 1829. One of the main people behind the push to build this new courthouse was also one of the judges. He was called "The Iron Chancellor" but, his real name was Thaddeus Loomis. He studied at the Illinois College at Jacksonville and went on to get his law degree at the University of Kentucky at Louisville in 1849. He became ill and decided to head west with a group of men to seek their fortune in gold. Loomis stayed in California for five years, mining and exploring. He returned to Illinois in 1854 and in December of that year, married Sarah Duckels, who had been born in England. The couple had five children and lived on a farm just outside of Carlinville. 

In 1861, Loomis was nominated for the office of county judge and he won it, holding the office for eight years. It was for his relection in 1865, that the idea of the courthouse was born and it was understood by voters that if they chose Loomis, they were also choosing to build a new courthouse. It was said of Loomis, "He started upon his mission to build the Courthouse, and he built it; and it stands today a monument to his indomitable courage and will that brooked all defiance and set at naught every will opposed to him. He set his hand to the plow, so to speak, and would not turn back; and time, the great leveler which makes all things even, is slowly but surely applauding him for his courage and constancy in doing what he then youth, and yet thinks, was for the best interests of the whole county. And let it be here said to his credit, that in all the transactions and handing of immense sums of money necessary in that undertaking he came out of it without a stain upon his personal integrity. Of the many who opposed him, none have charged him with official corruption or dishonest."

And yet, the vast cost of the building was not held as a positive and the cries of corruption were loud.
Allegations of corruption started flying against Judge Loomis and the county clerk at the time, George Holliday and soon there were lawsuits and indictments. The courthouse was planned in secrecy under a four-man court commission, which had absolute power by law in Macoupin County. The other two members were A. McKim Dubois and Isham J. Peebles. The secrecy continued as construction got underway with a ten-foot-high board fence around the construction site. Despite hiding information, local officials soon caught wind of just how much money was being spent and they started protesting. Citizens got involved also and they complained about taxation without representation. The battle went to the state legislature and the politicians stuck together, so the commission won. 

Later, the county records revealed that the commissioners voted themselves heavy appropriations for travel and other expenses. An audit of the build revealed that it should have only cost $643,867, so where did the other $736,633 go? Another interesting tidbit is that Carlinville native Gen. John M. Palmer was elected governor of Illinois while the courthouse was being built and he wasn't about to not have that courthouse finished, so he used his influence to get it done too. People may ask, why was there such an ambitious plan? Apparently, the commission was hoping to inspire a move of the capital to Carlinville with this prestigious courthouse. The final bond was paid in July of 1910 and a celebration was held and the bond was burned. And this was a big affair. There was bunting decorating everything, there were balloon rides and an automobile parade a mile long. The Chicago Tribune reported in August 2021 the "At the time investigators began looking into the finances of the courthouse, George Holliday was observed carrying a small suitcase and waiting calmly on the station platform to board the train to St. Louis. And then he vanished." That didn't keep him from being indicted for embezzlement and fraud. And well, why not throw another log on this fire? The good Judge just happened to be building his Loomis Hotel in the town at the same time as the courthouse. The same materials were used to build the hotel and the judge claimed it was left over. He was never charged with anything.

Carlinville hosts a ghost tour because several buildings in the town are reputedly haunted and this includes the courthouse. It is thought that Judge Loomis and George Holliday haunt the courthouse. Staff at the courthouse claim to hear disembodied footsteps and the doors open and close by themselves and remember, these are incredibly heavy doors. At night, the haunting activity ramps up. Troy Taylor's American Hauntings launched the ghost tour here headed up by Kaylan Schardan, who also wrote "Haunted Carlinville: History and Hauntings That Shaped Macoupin County." And someone who helped out with that ghost tour, joins us to share her incredible experience.

Courtney Egner experiences with the courthouse, "This is an experience I had while working for a local haunted history tour in 2015. I went to a small liberal arts school in central Illinois and there I wrote for the school paper. In one issue, I wrote a story about supposed haunted spots on campus. I have always been a believer in the paranormal, but had never experienced anything myself, but had heard countless stories from students on campus. There are endless stories I could tell about the alleged ghosts of the campus, but that would take hours to chronicle. Our school paper was also distributed around the local community, and when the campus ghosts story was published, I had gotten an email from a local reporter at the county paper, Kaylan. She was someone I had met and talked to before but she didn't know I was into the paranormal. She asked me if I wanted to help her with the local haunted history tour of the town. This was the first haunted history tour in Carlinville, and it was being sponsored by Troy Taylor, a pretty prominent writer, historian, and paranormal investigator in the Midwest. I told her I would be happy to help her and joined the team, which was mostly her, with some help from Troy. The tour was a walking 'haunted history' tour around the town. The tours were around 2 and a half hours each, and occurred twice on Fridays and Saturdays (6:30pm and 9:30pm) all through September and October. The small town had a town square and a MASSIVE courthouse that was built as a result of a money laundering scheme. It was at the time, and still is I believe, the biggest courthouse in a small municipal city.

Kaylan and I would meet at this courthouse half hour before each tour. We would have to meet a local police officer who would give us the keys to the courthouse each night. Kaylan and I had a few experiences while we were alone doing walk-throughs prior the tour, but nothing like what I experienced. The tours started and ended at the courthouse. So the participants would gather outside the courthouse and we would start the walking tour there. My role in these tours was the 'caboose.' Kaylan led the group (there was never more than 20 people) and did ALL of the talking. I was behind the group, keeping a headcount and making sure everyone stayed where they were supposed to be. The tour itself covered everything from local crimes committed, alleged hauntings, and historical buildings. The courthouse was the grand finale, so to speak, since it was the last stop on the tour and we would take everyone inside and end the tour in the largest court room, with all the lights off, and Kaylan would tell stories of the most infamous cases to take place in the room. 

When we would get to the last stop prior to the courthouse, it was my job to then walk ahead of the group, go into the courthouse, and then let all the guests inside. While in the courthouse, I had to be one floor ahead of the tour groups to let everyone in the courtrooms, because these doors and various floors were locked at all times. This is where my encounter comes in. This occurred during my second year doing these tours (I did them during my junior and senior years at the school). It was pretty early in the season, I think we had only been doing them for 3 weeks that season at this point and it was the late tour (9:30pm) on a Saturday. The tour went on as usual and I went to unlock the courthouse and let the guests in. As always, I was one floor ahead. There were 3 total floors, and the third floor was where the biggest courtroom was where we ended each tour. The court room was huge and incredibly ornate. A lot of the fixtures were made of pure iron, so they were heavy and bulky.

On the third floor, at the back of the courtroom behind the judge's desk, two massive irons doors on either side wereeast 15 tall and had passive round door knockers/pulls on them. When I would go up to the third floor, I would have to go through one of those doors and turn all the lights in the room on and then walk to the far end to the entrance of the court room to let everyone in. I cannot stress enough how massive these doors were. They were tall and so heavy. It took both my hands to pull the door open and there is just absolutely no way that a draft, or anything else, would be able to open or close the door. It took a lot effort. These doors also had signs on them that said "DOORS MUST REMAIN SHUT AT ALL TIMES", and each night I would go up there and both doors would be closed. On this particular night, the door on the right (farthest from the light switches) was open. It was slightly ajar, but enough that a person could walk through it. There were two steps that went up to these doors, so they were slightly elevated. That's probably a terrible description but there were two steps. I went up to pull that door shut since, 1: it was supposed to be in the first place, and 2: it was the door farthest from the light switches. I pulled it shut and then walked back over to the other door to get to the switches.

As I go to pull the door open, I felt a hand physically grip my jacket and YANK me backwards. I was wearing a leather jacket and I still remember it so vividly, feeling it lift behind my neck and the pull I felt on the sleeves. I fell backwards on to the ground. I was on the same level as the doors, so there were two steps I fell down. Except I didn't. I didn't hit either step and ended up about 5 feet from the stairs. Luckily, I didn't hit my head, but I did land right on my ass on the hard marble floor. I sat there for a second before I really realized what had happened and looked around, both iron doors still closed. Now, I am TERRIFIED. I get to my feet and RUN down the stairs to the group. I run right to Kaylan and didn't explain what happened, but I told her that I wasn't going up there alone. She could tell I was shaken up and didn't question it. About 20 minutes later, the tour made it to the third floor, and the entrance to the courtroom. Normally, I would be at the entrance doors letting everyone in, so Kaylan and I had to use a different key to open it from the outside. Kaylan and I open the two entry doors and the courtroom is dark, but you can seen light pouring in from across the courtroom. The two iron doors behind the judge's desk were open. Wide open. I had pulled the one on the left shut and never even got to the right door to get to the light switches. At this point, I am audibly shaken. I explain to Kaylan what happened and how I shut the door on the left and the one on the right never got opened by me. The tour group that night obviously thought this was just part of the tour  and I was doing a prank or trying to scare them, but Kaylan believed me and I knew she did.

Kaylan finished the tour as usual. While Kaylan reviewed the court cases and stories, I sat at the desks that were in front of the judges desk (the place where the prosecution and defense teams sit) and Kaylan was standing between the two desks. I could tell that she was also shaken and I noticed that she kept looking behind me. During this part of the tour, all of the lights were off, but Kaylan had a flashlight she used to read the stories, so I could see her face. When the tour was over, we led everyone back outside and said goodnight. Kaylan and I walked to the police station to return the keys and she told me that she saw a man standing behind me the entire time we were in the courtroom. She believes it was the man who built the courthouse. That was always one of the stories told during the tours, how the man who embezzled the money to build the courthouse itself still stuck around. She firmly believes it was him based on his facial features and suit. I never saw him, but I absolutely believe she did that night. After that night, I never went into the courthouse again by myself. The entire experience not only shook me to my core, but also Kaylan. So we never left each other alone after that. Nothing else happened on those tours after this experience."

The Carlinville Courthouse is the pride of the town for good reason. It's a big beautiful courthouse and with a few resident ghosts, that makes it even better. Is the Carlinville Courthouse haunted? That is for you to decide!