Plans for the construction on the White Block continued as planned even after the death of Francis White in May 1900.
By the last week of May, the old block was gone and the workmen were expected to start the foundation for the new one soon. There was quite a hole where the “old timer” once stood. The editor again added his thoughts, “One more important step towards a well-built business section has been accomplished. Now if that row of shanties just south on [16th Avenue] could meet the same fate, there would be further reason for rejoicing. Sooner or later they will go, however, just as the rest of the worn out tumble down structures before them. Eureka!”
J. H. Durst and A. F. Rote met with architect Conover, who had completed the plans, in Madison on June 11. He was preparing specifications and expected to be ready for bids in two or three days. The contract read that the building must be completed and ready for occupancy by January 1, 1901. The updated plans were to reach Monroe at the end of that week or the beginning of the following week. The contract was to be let by July 1 with a push for the building to be completed by early winter.
Workmen were put to work digging out the corner for the White Block on the morning of June 20. It was reported two days later that, “Not less than 200 idlers stood about the old Trickle corner late yesterday afternoon to watch the tearing down by a half dozen men of what was left standing of the brick walls and foundation on the site where the new White Block will be built. It is surprising that on a quiet afternoon mere curiosity should bring together such a large crowd of men and boys.”
Conover, who was also designing the new armory for Company H, had the plans ready by July 7. Bids were received until noon on Thursday, July 19 at the office of J. H. Durst, cashier at the Citizens Bank. Separate bids were received for the erection of the building, for the heating apparatus, and for the plumbing. The administrators reserved the right “to reject any or all bids, or to accept any bid or combination of bids, which they may deem to the best interest.” The notice for bids was signed by J. H. Durst, A. F. Rote, and E. A. White, administrators of the White estate, with J. D. Dunwiddie as their attorney. A certified check for five percent of the amount of the bid was to accompany each bid, as a guarantee of good faith.
It was announced on July 12 that Dr. F. M. Confer would have three of the front office rooms in the new block. “The plans for the block are quite elaborate and the building will be a lasting ornament to the square. The Citizens Bank and the Masonic lodge will each have splendid quarters in the block.”
On July 19, the deadline for bids was changed to Monday, July 23. The first set of bids was then opened that afternoon. Upon examination, the bids were found to be too high to satisfy the administrators, so some changes were made to the plans and the contractors were asked to bid again by Thursday noon. The administrators were prepared to invest about $17,000. The proposed changes would not affect the appearance of the building in any way. There had been a $5,000 difference between the total of the three highest bidders and the three lowest bidders. The heating and plumbing bids were satisfactory, but the contracts were not let.
The new bids were opened on the afternoon of the 26th with contracts being awarded at 5:00 p.m.
W. H. Caradine received the general contract for $15,790. E. H. Considine received the plumbing contract for $825.93 and the heating contract went to E. J. Manning for $2,088.98. Caradine’s bid was $400 lower than the next lowest bidder and $1,610 below the highest. The plans had been modified to get the lower bids, but “were only slight and not important to the building.”
The $18,701.86 total of the contracts did not include the tile flooring, metal ceiling, and hardwood finishing in the bank room; that would come later. Caradine’s contract called for the completion of the building by December 26. Otherwise he would have to pay a penalty of $10 for every day taken to complete it after that date. He planned to have men finish cleaning out the cellar early the following week. The laying of the stone would start the following Monday.
An article in the August 1 Sentinel stated that work had been started by contractor Caradine, who would “not let grass grow there any more.” Caradine subcontracted H. H. Walser, of Monticello, to do the brick and cut stone work. Walser, who had built the Fitzgibbons Bros. Block here, had put his men to work on August 29. It was reported at that time that the building was progressing rapidly.
It was announced that the contract for the carpenter work was awarded to David Stewart, of Janesville. Work had to be halted by September 10 because it took Mr. Caradine two weeks to obtain long leaf southern pine joists, which might then take another month to arrive. Masons and brick layers were laid off because of this. Instead of waiting any longer, Caradine was putting about a dozen brick layers back to work two weeks later on the 24th. A scaffold was built up from the basement to work on the center wall first. The long timbers finally arrived from St. Louis on October 3.
As one can see, there were delays in the construction of the White Block, but it was completed in 1901 as we will see in the next two weeks.
— Matt Figi is a Monroe resident and a local historian. His column will appear periodically on Saturdays in the Times. He can be reached at mfigi48@tds.net or at 608-325-6503.
