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PAST AND PRESENT OF PIKE COUNTY.
the completion of the State house, and submitted funds available for carrying on the work of
act until 1877, at which time, there being no that city, and Chicago, in protest against the in-
at the November election of that year. The proposition
building, they were relieved, by act of the Gen-
received but 80,222 affirmative votes out eral Assembly, from further duty. After the
of a total of 389,189 cast at the election. Again, favorable vote of 1884, ratifying the legislative
in 1881, a similar appropriation was made and appropriation of 1883, Governor Hamilton appointed,
again submitted at the election in November,
December 30, 1884, a new board, con-
1882, and was again defeated, receiving but 231,- sisting of General John Cook, Rheuna D. Lawrence
632 votes out of a total of 532,683. Again, in
and John O'Neill ; but, on the assembling
1884, the same proposition was once more submitted
of the Legislature the Senate failed to confirm
to a vote at the November election, and se-
these appointments, and Governor. Oglesby ap-
cured the endorsement of the people, receiving pointed George Kirk, William Jayne and John
364,796 votes out of a total of 673,086. June 29, McCreery, who directed the expenditure of the
1885, an act was passed to render effective the
appropriation and completion of the building.
final
act of 1883, and the final appropriation of $531,- In response to an advertisement by the first
712 was made available after October A
i, 1885.
new State house commission was appointed by
the Governor to superintend its expenditure, and
board of commissioners offering a premium of
$3,000 for the best design for the building, twenty-one
designs were submitted, from which that
the capitol was completed in 1888, twenty-one John C. Cochrane, of Chicago, was chosen,
years after its building was authorized. The several
July 2, 1867, m ancl J anuar I >' 868, Mr. Cochrane
appropriations enumerated above, together was appointed architect and superintendent of
with smaller sums appropriated during the progress
the works, on a contract of two and one-half
of the work, as well as during the years per cent of the cost of the building and W. D.
when work was practically suspended, made for Clark, of Davenport, was appointed assistant superintendent.
repairs, for protection and preservation of work
In 1886 Alfred H. Pinquenard,
already done; for vaults, laying walks upon the of the firm of Cochrane &Pinquenard, undertook
grounds, planting the personal supervision of the work, and acted
trees, and other items, not,
perhaps, properly chargeable to the first cost of as resident supervising architect until his death,
building, amounted in the aggregatte to nearly November 19, 1876. M. E. Bell, who had been
four and one-half million dollars.
appointed assistant superintendent in 1874, vice
The first Board of State House Commissioners,
W. D. Clark, assumed the personal supervision
named in the act of 1867, consisted of seven of the work after the death cf Mr. Pinquenard.
members as follows: John W. Smith, John J. This great work, continuing through twentyone
S. Wilson, Philip Wadsworth, James C. Robinson,
years, was not carried forward without de-
William T. Vandeveer, William L. Hambleton
lays and embarrassments. From the first there
and James H. Beveridge. March 12, 1867, was a strong element in the State opposed to the
Jacob Bunn was appointed, vice John J. construction of the building. At first this opposition
S. Wilson,
and on the organization of the board was
was confined to interested localities that
elected president of the commission. In 1869 wanted the capital located elsewhere, but as times
the board, by act of the General Assembly, was got "hard" and the appropriations began to
reduced to three members, and the Governor reappointed
Jacob Bunn, James C. Robinson and
mount into the millions, the opposition became
more wide-spread and of deeper significance. As
James H. Beveridge, of the old commission, to early as 1871, petitions, carrying 40,000 names,
constitute the new board, of which Mr. Bunn were presented to the Generaly Assembly, asking
was made president and Mr. Beveridge secretary.
that further appropriations be withheld until
In 1871 Mr. Robinson resigned his appointment
the questions of location and cost could be sub-
and John T. Stuart was named to fill mitted to a vote of the people. Peoria made a
the vacancy. These commissioners continued to munificent bid for the transfer of the capital the to