Photo crop exposure date: unknown.
Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1890-1892
Subject: Photo crop of the front (east elevation) of the City Hall/County Courthouse and Jail Compound (1852). The view is WNW from a point in Military Plaza. This is an excellent rendition of the facade that appears as stone blocks emplaced vertically at the front corners of the building. It is a cosmetic stucco application added in 1866. The photograph is also of interest as it is one of the very few examples of a hitching rail. Such Hollywood western staples apparently did not actually exist in front of businesses or saloons in the manner or construction as depicted in the movies. The two located in this photograph seem to have been of temporary construction and were, most likely, for the horses of the mounted officers. Notice that the wooden cross beam is above the level of the saddle. The animal is “hitched” to a much lower rope. The building is being razed. The foundation outline of the new City Hall can be seen clearly.