The Courthouse 100 committee is gearing up again, planning a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Greene County courthouse in October.
Don Van Gilder, Courthouse 100 chair and unofficial courthouse historian, found the following article, which notes work done on the tile floors, particularly the Horn of Plenty in the center of the rotunda. The article was published in the March 14, 1917, edition of The Bee:
“The work of laying the tile floors in the new Court House, which has been in progress the past month, has been of a most interesting character, as this is a highly specialized line of work and good workmen in this line are not plentiful.
“Last week the crowning feature of the floor decorations was installed, in the center of the rotunda on the ground floor, the design being the famous Iowa Horn of Plenty at the San Francisco Fair, which especially ‘belongs’ to Greene county, for the reason that Mr. Willard Zeller furnished all the corn which made up the big pile flowing from the mouth of the horn.
“In the reproduction of this intricate design with pieces of tile, varying in size from three-fourths inch square to very tine and irregular shaped pieces, a great deal of skill and ingenuity has been displayed.
“In the circular frame enclosing the design are the words ‘Greene County, the Land of Plenty’.”
The names of the workmen have not been found despite a diligent search.
