There is nothing like the sound of chainsaws on a hot sultry Sunday to make the deep snows of winter a bit more attractive. A few weeks ago I reported that an individual said that it seems like the fireworks tents attract storms here annually in Nodaway County and I said my opinion is that there is some electromagnetic force from the rotation of Ferris Wheels that brings storms. We were both correct this year but the Ferris Wheel storm that generally hits the county fair did wait until it was over and then struck with a vengeance in the early morning hours Sunday. I do not believe I ever experienced such a long sustained high wind that blew 75 to 80 miles per hour for approximately 30 minutes. The center of Maryville was the hardest hit between First and Fourth streets all across town with lighter damage to the north but sustained damage across the south side. The city crews were out early getting trees and branches off of the main streets for Sunday morning worship services but it will probably be several weeks before all the mess is cleaned up. Reports of damage are coming in from several rural areas as well.
I certainly was alarmed with the high winds due to the construction efforts on the courthouse and all of the scaffolding that surrounds the tower. The construction company's foreman and I went up the scaffolding Sunday morning and had to do some minor work on walkways and bracing but, generally speaking, the courthouse and the scaffolding both held together better than we expected. The company that owns the scaffold will be up today (Monday) and do some work on it and check it out to make certain it is safe to work on.
The courthouse, which I am most concerned about, held up well. The work has began in earnest up on the roof portion with several areas already dismantled and on the ground. The four balcony areas have been removed and the window louvers on the bell section are also gone. There was concern that the tower roof may be a bit unstable due to all the openings but it all held up well. There was some scaffolding that was moved up in the top sections and the job foreman informed me that it was guaranteed to withstand winds up to 100 miles per hour, so maybe the higher up, the stronger the winds were Sunday morning. Nevertheless there was no damage to the structure and the crews are back on the job site.
I am making my "rounds" all over the county, more than usual due to the season that is upon us, and even though I have made a concerted effort at communicating the efforts at the courthouse, there still appears to be confusion on just exactly what is being repaired and what is being replaced. The only portion of the tower that will be replaced is the roof, the metal trim that surrounds the tower on all four sides at several levels, and the window areas at the old bell section. The brick will be repaired where necessary, wood repaired where there is any rot, and joints and seams soldered and caulked. When the job is finished, the tower will be weatherproof and more importantly, will look just like it did when it was constructed in 1882.
The four balconies, one on each side of the tower, have been removed and then the best pieces of all four are being put back together and will be shipped to the fabrication company to make certain that the new replica is identical in design. An engineer will be on site today to look at the wood that was inlaid in the brick that the balconies were nailed into for support. Some of the wood has some signs of decay due to the metal trim getting leaks in the seams and then water running down into the timbers for the past 128 years. The engineer will determine just how much of the support wood needs replaced and what portion of the brick tower needs new mortar and tuckpointing. These areas were no surprise to the engineers, architect, and construction company that had looked at the areas prior to dismantling and informed the commission that there would be some necessary additional carpentry involved to mount the new metal trim to the building.
The metal work was sublet to another Saint Joseph company that is very familiar with duplicating the trim style.The metal is bent and formed to look just like the original style, then will be fastened on the new wood substructure, all seams soldered tight, and then painted. We believe that this will keep the structure weather tight for many decades and protect the brick and wood from getting moisture in it.
A constituent called the commission recently and expressed concern that the slate that was being removed from the roof of the tower was going to be thrown away and asked that it be saved. She suggested that it could be given or sold to local residents and that it also could be used by artists for renderings of the courthouse to be painted upon. She was informed that the slate, metal trim, and all other components of the tower that were being removed were either to be sent to the replica company or saved by the county. Some of the slate will be saved for repair materials just in case we ever need some for the main roof of the structure and a decision will be made on what we do with the remainder.
The county fair was considered a great success by all and I hope that everyone took the opportunity to view the work that is going on at the courthouse. There obviously is more that will be needed but the commission is moving forward with all the necessary work that will get the building weatherproof and attractive. I will detail next week the work on the building and the road and bridge crews' efforts all around the county.
Call or come by the commission with any concerns and since I have been asked several times recently, I will once again give my personal e-mail address to all that wish to use it. It is: sales@baumliauto.com. I will respond to any and all inquiries or comments.
–Joe Baumli is the presiding county commissioner of Nodaway County and provides a weekly column for the Maryville Daily Forum
