Marquette County Courthouse – city of Marquette
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MARQUETTE -- In its nearly 120 years of existence the Marquette County Courthouse has become of one of the city's most iconic and storied landmarks.
Built in 1904, the Marquette County Courthouse story dates back two years earlier when city of Marquette residents approved $120,000 in funding to replace the city's previous wooden courthouse but the final price tag ended up doubling the original cost.
Made mostly of locally sourced sandstone, the interesting design of the building features a copper dome which is visible throughout much of the city.
The building earned its place in the record books in 1913 when it hosted to a notable trial that saw then former President Theodore Roosevelt win a libel case against Ishpeming newspaper Iron Ore and its publisher George Newett after the paper accused Roosevelt of public drunkeness, a case which Roosevelt was awarded six cents.
The courthouse then went on to make its big screen debut as the setting for the 1959 film "Anatomy of a Murder" starring Jimmy Stewart, which was based off of the book of the same name written by Ishpeming native John D. Voelker.
Randy Crouch can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 542. His email address is rcrouch@miningjournal.net