Want to get a look at where the early days of government happened in Lane County? Head over to the Lane County Historical Museum in Eugene.The county's first courthouse building sits right outside the museum. Local historian Doug Card tells us it was built in 1853—two years after Lane County was officially declared a county—the same year the county seat was moved to Eugene.
"They hired Pryor Blair. This is the same Blair from Blair Street to build this and it cost them 100 dollars,” Card explained. “The pioneers weren't just going to throw up an old log cabin to meet in. They wanted to have a beautiful, classic, Greek building."
But the trouble was the building wasn't very big, so if a trial was held, the proceedings actually took place outside. County leaders soon realized they needed more space and a bigger courthouse was built about three years later.
