Crawford County is named in honor of William Harris Crawford. He was a Georgia senator, Secretary of War, Secretary of the Treasury and a presidential candidate in 1824.
The county seat has always been Denison. It is named after its founder and promoter Jesse W. Denison. Born in New York, Denison knew that the settlement of the Mississippi Valley was the future of the United States. He formed the Providence Western Land Company of Providence, Rhode Island. He soon was successful in filing for 23,000 acres in Harrison and Crawford counties. With the help of a surveyor, Denison laid out his “dream city.” With its central location in the county, Denison was the logical choice for the county seat.
The first courthouse was a brick building built by H. C. Laub in 1857. Only the upper floor was completed for an assembly room; county offices did not move in until the summer of 1859. By 1878 county offices outgrew the building and an addition the same size was added. During the spring, summer and fall of 1902, much agitation occurred for the need of a new courthouse. The advocates of a new courthouse cited many reasons: the county records and papers were in danger of being destroyed by fire, the old courthouse had run out of space, and the county was wealthy enough to afford one.
Construction of the new courthouse started on November 10, 1903, a whole year after an election approved it. The courthouse was to originally cost $75,000, but additions and changes, added $40,000 to that figure. The first story is constructed of Port Wing sandstone and the second and third stories are made of Bedford White stone. The dome and all marble work were done by Morzen and Rokahr at a cost of $20,850. After much heated discussion, the Board of Supervisors ordered the removal of the dome for safety reasons in 1946. A complete restoration of the courthouse, including interior paint, new wiring and new windows and doors was done in 1976. A celebration was held in May of that same year.
Source:
History of Crawford County, Crawford County Recorder.
Cecilia M. Fineran, Crawford County Recorder.
