Yoakum County

Yoakum County is named for Henderson King Yoakum, who was a soldier, attorney and Texas historian.

 

Surrounding County Courthouses: 

N – Cochran County

E – Terry County

S – Gaines County

W – Lea County, New Mexico

 

Created:  August 21, 1876                      Map of Texas highlighting Yoakum County

County Seat: 

Plains  1876 – present

 

County Courthouse – Plains  

 

Location:  601 Cowboy Way / Avenue G

Built:  1948 – 1949

Style:  Moderne

Architect:  Wyatt C Hedrick of Fort Worth

Contractor:  BMFP Construction Company, a partnership composed of F O Bennett, W S Moss and H A Padgett, Jr. of Lubbock

 

Description:  The building faces south and is a three story yellow colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious grounds in the center of the city. The south front has a projecting center section with entrance on the first story and with vertical yellow colored panels. The east and west wings are recessed. With recessed third story. The roof line is flat. The large courtroom is located at the center of the second story. On the north side is a large addition and on the east a smaller addition constructed in 1975 and connected by a bridge on the second story. The architect was Stiles, Roberts, Messersmith and Johnson of Lubbock and the contractor was Knox, Gailey and Meador. The consulting engineer was Zumwalt and Vinther.

 

See:  The architect, Wyatt C Hedrick of Fort Worth also designed courthouses in Austin County, Brazoria County, Coke County, Comanche County, Kaufman CountyKent County, Motley County and Walker County

 

Old County Courthouse – Plains  

 

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Location:  501 Cowboy Way / Avenue E

Built:  1925 – 1926

Style:  Federal

Architect:  The Butler Company

Contractor:  F M Wallace Construction Company

 

Description:  The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The square shaped building is located on spacious grounds on the west side of the courthouse in the center of the city. There are recessed entrances on the east, south and west sides. A white colored belt runs above the second story windows with decorative brickwork above. The roof line is flat. The building now serves as a museum.  The building was remodeled in 1971. The architect was Stiles, Roberts and  Messersmith of Lubbock and the contractor was Bayer Lumber Company.

 

Note:  The County was unorganized until 1907. The first courthouse was a two story frame structure built in 1908 and which burned in 1926. The second courthouse was constructed in 1925 and the third courthouse constructed in 1948 at a cost of $260,000.

 

 

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County Courthouse – Plains

 

 

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Old County Courthouse

 

 

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Photos taken 2014 and 2019

Lafayette County

Lafayette County is named for Marie Joseph Paul Lafayette, who was a French general who fought in the American Revolutionary War and who lived from 1757 to 1834.

 

Surrounding County Courthouses: 

N – Tate County and Marshall County

E – Union County and Pontotoc County

S – Calhoun County and Yalobusha County

W – Panola County 

 

Created:  February 9, 1836                                                        Map of Mississippi highlighting Lafayette County

County Seat: 

Oxford  1836 – present

 

County Courthouse – Oxford 

 

Location:  Courthouse Square / Jackson Avenue

Built:  1871 – 1872

Style:  Greek Revival and Italianate

Architect:  Spires Boling of Willis, Sloan and Trigg

Contractor:  Fletcher Sloan

 

Description:  The building faces south and is a three story white colored stuccoed masonry structure. The building sits on the landscaped grounds of the Courthouse Square in the center of Oxford. The south front has a central portico with three arches on the first story and four columns rising to a pediment at the roof line. There is a balcony on the second story. The north side has a similar portico. On the center of the roof is a high square white colored cupola with clock at the top. In the interior, the first story has a hallway running the length of the building with stone walls. There is an elegant stairway with subtly carved rail and turned balusters. The large courtroom is located on the second story with balcony at the back. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 3rd Judicial District. In 1952 to 1953, the east and west bays were added. The architect was Barton A England, Jr. and the contractor was Central Construction Company. The building was renovated in 1981. The architect was Godfrey Bassett Maisel and Tuminello and the contractor was Grantham Construction Company Inc. The building was further renovated in 2008. The architect was Howorth & Associates Architects and the contractor was Panola Construction Company.

 

See:  The architect, Willis, Sloan and Trigg, also designed courthouses in Marshall County and Hardeman County, Tennessee.

    

Note:  In 1864, the original courthouse was burned by Union troops under the command of General A J “Whiskey” Smith. Following the Civil War the present courthouse was built and completed in January 1872. The Marshall County courthouse is a similar style as the architect and contractor were the same.

 

See:  National Register of Historic Places – Lafayette County Courthouse

 

County Chancery Building – Oxford 

 

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Location:  300 North Lamar Boulevard / Monroe Avenue

Built:  2000 – 2002

Style:  Modern

Architect:  Johnson Bailey Henderson McNeel  Architects

Contractor:  ANCO Construction, Inc. of Corinth

 

Description:  The building faces west and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located in the center of the city to the north of the courthouse. The west front has a central portico with four columns rising to the roof line. A long two story porch extends along the west side. The roof is hipped.  In the inteerior, the courtrooms are located on the second story. The building houses the County Chancery Court and County Youth Court.

 

See:  The architect, Johnson Bailey Henderson McNeel  Architects, also designed the Justice Center in Lee County. 

 

 

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County Courthouse – Oxford

 

 

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County Chancery Building – Oxford

 

 

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Photos taken 2012 and 2017

Platte County

Platte County is named for the North Platte River which flows through the county, and “platte” is the French for “flat”.

 

Surrounding County Courthouses: 

N – Converse County and Niobrara County

E – Goshen County

S – Laramie County

W – Albany County and Converse County

 

Created:  February 9, 1911                     Map of Wyoming highlighting Platte County
County Seat:

Wheatland 1911 – present

County Courthouse – Wheatland

Location:  800 9th Street / Walnut Street

Built:  1917 – 1918
Style:  Classical Revival
Architect:  Baerreson Brothers Architects
Contractor:  Archie Allison of Cheyenne.

Description:
 The building faces west and is a two story buff colred brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Wheatland. The building has a raised basement. The west front projects from the main building and has four large stone columns supporting a header with pediment above. The main entrance is recessed and the second story is recessed behind the columns. The roof line extends beyond the building and has white colored trim. In the interior is a staircase with wood railings. The County District Court courtroom is located on the east side of the second story and has a large bison head on the wall. The building houses the County District Court and County Circuit Court of the 8th Judicial District. 

 

See:  The 8th Judicial District includes Converse County, Goshen County and Niobrara County and Platte County.

 

History:  The county was created in 1911 and Wheatland was selected as the county seat in 1912. The first and present courthouse was constructed in 1917 to 1918 at a cost of $85,000.

 

 

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County Courthouse – Wheatland

 

 

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County District Court courthouse

 

 

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Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site – Guernsey

 

 

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Photos taken 2007 and 2015