On January 16, 1836, a new County was fromed and named after Elias Kent Kane, a highly-respected attorney who helped draft the Illinois constitution and was the first Secretary of State. Kane was later elected to Congress and represented Illinois in the U.S. Senate.
On the night of March 13, 1890, Kane County lost one of its most prized buildings when the Courthouse burned. Fortunately, the records of the recorder, County Clerk, and the Circuit Clerk were locked in fireproof vaults and not damaged.
The original construction cost for the new courthouse was $195,000. The square dome rises high above the rotunda. Decorative ironwork railings encircle each floor and eleven murals, depicting various scenes from the County, are painted on the arches of the 4th floor.
