Minneola's Capitol Building
["Ottawa Daily Republican," February 14, 1901, page 2, column 1]
My Byron Reed, who has been a resident of Franklin county for nearly 43 years, has brought to the office of the REPUBLICAN-TIMES the register of the Wilkerson House, kept by Thos. Wilkerson, covering a time from May 3rd, to Dec. 27th, 1868. Early settlers will remember the genial big hearted Tom Wilkerson wo sold large quantities of goods at old Stanton, near the east line of the county as far back as 1857. This register contains many familiar names; some of persons now residents of the city.
The Wilkerson House was located on the corner now occupied by the People's National bank. This old land mark, long since removed, was the Constitutional Hall erected at Minneola. It was built in April 1858, by the Town Company, to accommodate the constitutional convention, provided to be held there by a law passed by the first free state legislature, at the time this territorial legislature located the capital at Minneola. This whole capital scheme and convention collapsed. When Ottawa became the county seat in 1864, the Constitutional Hall was torn down, moved to Ottawa and rebuilt on the lots before mentioned. The lower rooms of this ancient building were occupied by John Walruff, then county treasurer, and P. P. Elder & Co., bankers. One room was occupied by the venerable G. S. Holt, the first merchant in Ottawa. The upper rooms were a hall wherein courts were held; also for a chapel wherein Kallock and the well remembered Parson Sawyer held forth to the Baptist people on the Sabbath.
In the register are the advertisements of many well remembered early business men. Among them are J. O. W. Pane, attorney at law; Tom W. Pickrell's Hotel de Horse; Smith & Case, stove and hardware merchants. The register indicated a large number of arrivals. Ottawa was even then a lively, growing village.