The first building erected were a clerk's office and the jail. The former was built on the public square, early in 1840 by Gabrial Sanders, who took the contract to build it for $108, and the first term of court was held in it begining 04 May 1840. The jail, which was a log building, was erected in the same year by Squire Howell for the sum of $370. It stood on Lot No 2, in Block No 5 of the original plat of the town. It stood until 1865 when the second jail was erected by RM Hundley, the contractor, for $9000. This building was erected on Lot #2 in Block #5, in the original plat of the town, and its dimensions were 20x44 feet square and two stories in height. The walls of the first story were made of brick, and were 18 inches in thickness. The walls of the 2nd story consisted of 9 inches of brick on the outside and of timbers squared 8x10 inches on the inside, the floor and ceiling being made of these timbers also. This building stood until Nov 1882, when it was consumed by fire. Since then the county has been without a jail. The prisoners are kept in the Perry Co jail at Pickneyville. John G Sparks was the first jailor of Wmson Co and received 37½ cents per day for keeping the prisoners. The first courthouse was built by John Paschel, and completed to the acceptance of the county commissioners in 1842. It was a two-story brick building, 40x40 feet, and stood on the public square, and cost the county about $3500. This building was used until 1859, when it was removed. In 1858 a new courthouse was erected by R Hundley, the contractor, on Lot #2, in Block #5, of the original plat of the town. This building was also a two-story brick structure, being about 50x70 feet square, with a hall and stairs, county offices and jury rooms, on the 1st floor, and the courtrooms on the 2nd. The contractor received $7700 in money orders, bearing interest at 8% from date until paid and $1800 in cash from the swamp land fund, making $9500 in all which he received for erecting the building. He was then paid $245 for painting it, and NB Calvert was paid $305 for furnishing the court room. On the 30 May 1875, the whole structure was consumed by fire, together with all the buildings on the same square, the whole loss being about $25, 000. In 1840, the organization of the county being completer, Warrington K Spiller was employed and paid the sum of $46 for copying the land records pertaining to the county from the old Franklin County records, and when the courthouse was burned in 1875, as above mentioned, the public records of the county were nearly all saced, and have been preserved in good order to the present time.
Mr Erwin says in his history; "The courthouse was a plain brick building, without any parapets, turrets or ramparts. Many have been the scenes of revelry and romance within its courts. Its walls have resounded with the commotion of war-like preparations, and the still poisonous breath of treason has been whispered in its precincts. Again, it has been the scene of festive occasions where our native belles vied with each other in a perfect blaze of beauty."
The lot on which the house sttod was sold in Jun 1875, for $1775. Since the courthouse was destroyed the county has rented and occupied the rooms of the second story of the Goodall & Campbell Block, on Lot 3, in Block 13, of the old town plat, for the courtroom and public offices. For the first 10 years, the annual rent paid by the county for the use of these rooms was $1000, and since then the rent has been reduced to $800 per annum. At the Nov elections in 1875, a proposition to levy and collect an annual tax for 5 years, to raise a sum suffcient to build a new courthouse, was submitted to the people, by whom it was defeated. A proposition to lay and collect a special tax of 35 cents on each $100 of taxable property within the county, for a period of 3 years to raise a sum suffcient to build a new courthouse, was submitted to the people at an election held 02 Nov 1886, and carried. Accordingly preparations are now being made for the construction of a brick courthouse on the center of the public square, at the estimated cost of $18, 000; but no contracts have as yet been entered into. In 1864, the county purchased from Hugh Lamaster and wife the east half and the SW quarter of the NE quarter of Sec 12, in T9-2, containing 120 acres, for the sun of $900, and procured a deed for the same dated 07 Sep of that year. This farm was fitted up as a home for the poor of the county. In 1870 a one-story brick building, 18x80 feet was erected thereon for the county in the NE quarter of said quarter section was sold by the county to W J Spiller for the sum of $362.50, and conveyed by deed dated 23 Sep of that year, the consideration being applied in payment of the cost of said building. A frame house of the same dimensions had previously been erected, and the cost of both buildings was about $2500. These buildings are ample and comfortable, as an asylum for the paupers, who average about 30 in number from year to year, and who are supported by the county at an average annual expense of $1300 to $1500. Prior to the purchase of this farm, the dependent poor were supported by appropriations made by the county court, and in this manner a few are yet partially supported outside of the county poor asylum.