At a meeting of the Pawnee county commissioners in early 1879, the administrators decided the 10-year-old
county courthouse was in need of repair. G. A. C. Smith specified what work was to be done, and a call was issued
for contractors' proposals.
On Tuesday, April 1, the Pawnee county commissioners met again to open sealed bids for the required
courthouse work to be completed in four months time. Alex Walker from Humboldt petitioned for $4000, and
other offers of four separate Lincoln contractors ranged in relatively even-dollar amounts downward to $3040. But
the job was awarded to a Mission Creek team, David Wishart & Son, at $2608.80. Their conservative low bid for the stone work was impressive.
The satisfied editor of a Pawnee City periodical announced the commissioners' decision and praised the
reputation of David Wishart, while noting that G. A. C. Smith's own higher estimate was closer to $3000. The Enterprise newspaper revealed that Wishart had built the Rosenweed school house, the John Taylor residence,
and Mrs. Lindsly's house at Table Rock. The Enterprise described the Wishart firm as being thoroughly
competent, and stated the citizens should be very happy with the result.
Within the next few days, the pleased commissioners chose to have David Wishart do even more work on the courthouse and to pay him another $900. Citizens contributed to this additional fund, with David Wishart himself donating $100.
The following autumn, David Wishart built a nice big house on his farm over in Murray township of
Marshall county, Kan.
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