🎥 Courthouse rededication: ‘This stone will be here almost forever’

The Ellis County Courthouse, 1204 Fort, was a WPA project built in 1942.

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

Members of the Ellis County community gathered under a sunny sky on the western steps of the county courthouse Friday morning to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the original dedication and ribbon cutting.

The event, put together by the Courthouse Preservation Committee, began with the American Legion Riders presenting the colors to the VFW Honor Guard and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Ellis County Counselor Bill Jeter served as the Master of Ceremonies during Friday’s event, just like his father Norman did at the original dedication in 1942.

“My father on numerous occasions expressed to me how proud he was of the then-current county commissioners for not only have the foresight to build this courthouse but to also spend an additional $45,000 — which is $700,000 in today’s money — for the beautiful marble that’s in the interior of the building,” Jeter said.

Norman Jeter served as the county attorney at the time.

(Video and photos by Becky Kiser, Hays Post)

Friday’s event also featured a welcome by Ellis County Commission Chair Barb Wasinger and musical entertainment from Trilogy and Crossroads.

Harold Kraus, former Ellis Co. Commissioner — Harold Kraus, former Ellis Co. commissioner

Former Ellis County Commissioner Harold Kraus served as the guest speaker and talked about the history of the Works Progress Administration and the courthouse.

Kraus said the courthouse and Larks Park are two examples of WPA projects, both built of locally sourced limestone, that are still standing today.

“You’ll see this all over Kansas and the whole United States, very similar type construction,” Kraus said. “That’s permanent and very useful to our communities.”

Kraus said the courthouse has served as a location for a number of departments, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation, draft board and the Health Department.

“All through school we had chest X-rays, every four or five years it seemed like, for tuberculosis,” Kraus said. “Those were held in the basement here.” Kraus said they also went to the courthouse for their inoculations.

“Nobody’s going to change this building for a long time as a courthouse,” Kraus said. “It’ll be remodeled and so on, but the stone will be here almost forever.”

Ellis County Commissioners Marcy McClelland, Dean Haselhorst and Barb Wasinger cut the ribbon for the courthouse rededication ceremony.

The Hays Area Chamber of Commerce also marked the event with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The two earliest Ellis County courthouses were destroyed by fire.

Committee member Guy Windholz unveiled a pair of limestone corner pieces from the 1898 courthouse that will be used to replace broken stones on the west steps.

The rededication closed with the Honor Guard retiring the colors inside the courthouse and a 21-gun salute and the playing of taps.

The Preservation Committee is continuing its efforts to raise money to restore the granite and limestone on the western side. Donations can be made through the Ellis County Historical Society.