| What makes it historical? |
Originally, the seat of Washita County was further east in the town of Cloud Chief, but a local election in the late 1890s moved it to New Cordell. The idea was that New Cordell was in a more central location, but that idea didn’t take into account that this election was going against an Act of Congress! This led to a long court battle that didn’t end until 1904, when Congress finally agreed that New Cordell should be the seat.
The origial courthouse here burned to the ground in 1909, so the following year, this neat courthouse arose, designed by the firm of Layton, Wemyss, Smith, and Hawk and built by Donathan and Moore in 1910! They specifically built this courthouse on a higher level than the rest of the town so its domed clock tower could be seen for miles in all directions! |
