Norton County Courthouse
From 1873 to 1889, there was no permanent courthouse building in Norton. There are early records of buildings rented for county purposes. In January 1878, the Register of Deeds stated there was no building at the county seat suitable for him to keep his office and asked permission to keep his office at his place of business in Leota. Marriages licenses were dated at Leota during the greater part of 1878-1879.
*postcard postmarked 1919 – owned by Ardie Grimes
According to “Seventy Years in Norton County” by D. N. Bowers, bonds to build this courthouse failed to pass in 1887, and again early in 1888. “A petition was presented asking that an election be held to vote twenty six thousand dollars for the purpose of erecting a suitable court house for the county. The motion was granted and an election ordered to be held at the time of the general election November 6, 1888. The vote was taken and the bonds carried 1197 to 1029.”
The contract to build the court house was awarded to Kuhn and Waller of Norton, Kansas for the sum of twenty four thousand eight hundred seventy five dollars.
This court house served the county for many years until it was destroyed by fire on the night of December 1, 1926.
After the fire, the county commissioners rented the American Legion building, located on the southeast corner of E. Main Street and S. Wabash Avenue.
In August 1928, voters approved erecting a new courthouse and a bond issue. The general contractor for the building was Gurtler & Co. of Topeka, Kansas. The total cost of the building, jail and furnishings was $208,576. Moving-in day was December 20, 1929. This building still serves the county.