Romanesque-Revival style, the Edgar County Courthouse looks like a fancy wedding cake. It was…read moredesigned by architect Henry Eliot of Chicago and was constructed from 1891 to 1893. At the top is a galvanized steel and zinc sheet metal-clad, tiered bell and clock tower topped with a copper dome. The tower and dome are topped by a "Lady Justice" statue. The courthouse's exterior has four main sides and four entrances situated between each adjacent pair of sides. Each side includes two towers at each end and a central section with a tall gable. It's a stunning structure located at the center of Paris. Don't miss out on this and if you're able to do a tour, please do! [Review 1288 of 2024 - 215 in Illinois - 22311 overall]

After reading my pal Bruce K's review, I'm almost convinced this is not the world's largest gavel -…read morewell, maybe the world's largest wooden one. But who knows; I'll read up on it later. As part of the City of Casey's "large things" promotion, they decided to spread the love of large to their county seat's court house. The court house does have a lot of history, especially Abraham Lincoln-related. There is a quote attributed to Lincoln under the gavel. If you're cruising through Marshall and/or the Historic National Road, don't miss out on this!

Lest I get smacked by the actual World's Largest Gavel (that appears to be in Columbus OH), this…read moreone is perhaps the World's Largest WOODEN Gavel and it is in the entranceway to the Clark County Courthouse in Marshall, Illinois. The city has it on their website as such, https://marshall-il.com/places/united-states/illinois/marshall/worlds-largest-gavel/. A plaque on the base reads, "'The best way to predict the future is to create it.' -Abraham Lincoln." Dedicated to the past, present and future judges of Clark County Illinois. There is street parking and the area was very quiet on a Sunday morning. Plenty of parking. [Review 19667 overall - 122 in Illinois - 639 of 2023.]

The Monroe County Courthouse sits on a grand square surrounded by thriving restaurants, bars and…read moreshops. There is an energy around the square that I have not seen at other county courthouses. The courthouse building, completed in 1907 is constructed of Indiana limestone (of course). There is a large copper dome on top and four large clocks around the tower. A limestone-carved Lady Liberty sits over the main entrance with a male figure sitting beside her. The building is National Registered as a Historic Place. The Courthouse is surrounded by memorials. The is a really nice Viet Nam memorial on the West side with beautifully cared for flowering plants. On the East side is a War Memorial commentating those who served in multiple wars back to the Spanish American War. Other memorials honor local public servants. This is very much a working Courthouse housing the Circuit Court. Residents can register to vote here. Landscaping is variable around the courthouse with parts needing care. Many of the statues and the exterior of the courthouse building are in need of cleaning.

Monroe County was formed by the Indiana General Assembly and Bloomington was selected as the county…read moreseat in 1818. A one-story two-room log cabin was the original. The second courthouse was built here between 1819-1826 and was two stories with brick and a stone foundation. It was expanded a couple of times but was eventually demolished for the construction of this new courthouse. The current stricture was build in 1908 and is in the Beaux Arts style. It is large, majestic and absolutely lovely. You'll want to try spotting the weather vane on the top of the dome which was saved from the original courthouse. The grounds of the courthouse have a number of memorials including a Civil War monument and a World War monument (because back then, there was only the one). There is metered street parking on all four sides of the courthouse and the square is surrounded by bars and restaurants and retail shopping. [Review 20563 overall - 101 in Indiana - 1544 of 2023.]

Like many things in Champaign County, the courthouse is plagued with problems. Specifically, the…read morecircuit clerk and her staff are unable or unwilling to provide timely and competent services. Filings are often delayed for several days and/or returned for invalid reasons. The delays make it hard to get things timely filed.

3 stars = 60% barely pass. I came here to ask the county clerk some questions about a civil lawsuit…read moreI intend to file. It looked as if the guards were non-verbally communicating with body language when I passed through the metal detectors. I have read both pick up artists books by Mystery. I have read The Game and Rules to the Game by Neil Strauss. I also paid $1000 for the Annihilation Method material Neil Strauss created. I have consumed and digested about 80% of it thus far. It consists of Books, DVD's, and audio seminars. I'm aware when people are winging for each other. The material isn't only for romantic relationships but rather for all forms of communication. Anyways I didn't have any metal on me. I put what metal I had in the tote on the conveyor belt. The second, tall guard, wanded me. I turned around to look at the brand of the metal detector. It was a Garrett. I asked him when the last time it was calibrated by using the specific manufacture and model name. All scientific instruments have to be frequently calibrated to be admissible in court. He told me that information was above his pay grade. I looked him dead in the face and said nothing is above your pay grade if you're willing to learn, that's just an excuse. He broke eye contact in an insecure manner. His saccades were incongruent with what he was saying. His pupils were very tiny. Most places now use thermal imaging cameras and communication devices to alert the guards if a person has a weapon. It is my opinion their behavior was meant to be harassing and to force compliance. I recommend everyone read the 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene. Books on NLP will also help a person recognize when they are being lied to and the method to these guards madness. I hope the guards learn to be more respectful. They deserve to have the proprietary knowledge above their pay grade for the sake of our community members. I'm going to go back sometime to write down the make and model of the metal detector. I intend to file a complaint to Garret. Hopefully the courthouse gets charged a hefty 5 figure maintenance fee to make sure the metal detectors are functioning properly for the sake of our community members. Also to make sure our tax dollars are being used properly in accordance with the Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Act. We know what is going on and we will NOT tolerate it. We will use science to defend ourselves from tyrannical authority if necessary. It helps I did biochemistry scientific research in my undergraduate. Y'all should see my resume. I bet the authorities there couldn't even pronounce the makes and models of the instruments I've listed on my resume that I'm proficient with. Have a nice day and thank you for reading. May the community be a better, safer, and more just place.

I suppose if you're a defendant you're not going to be thrilled with this building but it's worth a…read morestop if you're a traveler or a tourist. There's another photogenic white squirrel statue and this is such a friendly town if you stand next to this squirrel for even just a moment, some local will offer to hop out of their car and take a PIC of you with your phone. I grew up in Chicago so I initially thought this was a non-violent robbery attempt but instead this was a sincerely friendly encounter. It was so unusual to me that I hung around for a bit to observe and one by one and two by two other tourists stopped near the squirrel and other locals stopped to help them take pictures. There were a lot of tourists because of the total eclipse (of the sun not the heart), but I'm pretty sure that this town is always friendly. It's weird.

The Pioneer, Soldiers and Sailors Monument is the focal point on the Courthouse Square in Bedford,…read moreIndiana. She is a carved wonder remembering local heroes through the ages in the heart of limestone country. She looks pretty amazing for turning 100 years old in 2024. This is one of the most impressive monuments that I've seen in Indiana. The names of local heroes are posted around the little courtyard surrounding the monument. There is parking near the base of the monument. A few stone benches surround the statue but sitting on the massive limestone steps seems like the thing to do. The City of Bedford was sponsoring Memorial Day concerts across the street during our visit. Well worth a visit when in the area.

In the home of limestone, it seems fitting that one of the most prominent art pieces in the county…read moreis a multi-layered monument made from that material. Located on the west side of the court house, a monument to Pioneers, Soldiers and Sailors rises in a dedication plaza that seems to be a catch all for everyone/everything someone in the county wants to commemorate. The main monument was erected in 1924 and features the artistry of two sculptors. The base of the sculpture rises above eye level and features four sides, each with a relief chiseled into the limestone. The artist was Charles Dodd. Each of the sides is unique in the theme and each features several human images portraying a scene. Standing atop the square pedestal is an allegorical figure representing Indiana. The robed figure stands 14' and was created by artist Harry Easton. Review #2009

I haven't managed to make it to Riverside Iowa for Captain Kirk's birthplace but I'm here in…read moreBloomington and I got to visit this memorial to Captain Janeway's birthplace. Yes, the Star Trek: Voyager star was born (will be born?) on May 20, 2336. The monument is located not far from the courthouse square along a rail trail. It's not hard to find and if you're at all a Star Trek fan, make the effort. [Review 20565 overall - 102 in Indiana - 1546 of 2023.]

My nerdy Star Trek dreams come true. The future birthplace of one of the most popular characters in…read morethe Star Trek universe!