History of the Courthouse Complex
Before we can introduce you to the Three Bears, we need to provide some insight on how they came to be. John Seeley is often referred to as the “pioneer” of Ovid. This is because he bought 900 acres of land in 1792 including what is the heart of the village today. This includes the hill where the Three Bears now sit. Seeley came to realize that having a courthouse and jail would greatly serve the community so he sold a portion of his land for this purpose for $5 in 1806. Please see the wood cutting of the Northern View of courthouse hill.This is when the original courthouse was constructed. At this time, Ovid was the county seat, as the village sat in the middle of the county. This was the first courthouse in Seneca County. The frame was put up during an eclipse in June of 1806 and the building was prepared for holding court in 1808. There was actually a fire in the jail in 1817, but luckily, it was extinguished before significant damage could be done. Please see the wood cutting of the old courthouse.In 1817, Ovid lost its title as county seat, as the boundaries of the county were changed, making Waterloo the geographical center of the county. Waterloo remained the sole county seat until 1822, when Ovid was granted the title of Half-shire, as the county boundaries changed again, making Ovid the geographical center of the county again. Because of this, the county clerk would move between Ovid and Waterloo every three years.In the 1840s, there were concerns about the condition of the courthouse, as the building became increasingly dilapidated. They received permission to erect a new courthouse in the place of the old one. This new building is known today as Papa bear. They were also given funds to create a new fireproof county clerks’ office, known today as Baby bear. Both of these buildings were built in 1845. Mama bear was constructed in 1860. Please see the two stereoscopic views of the courthouse complex.When Papa Bear was built, the old courthouse was not simply demolished, it was picked up and moved across main street. Here it was used as a old fellows meeting place and was later turned into a school for girls. Later it was used as a multiple family residence, and it stayed this way until it burned down in 1865.
Papa Bear
Built in 1845, Papa Bear was the home of the first brick courthouse in Seneca county. It also holds living quarters for the undersheriff, and three jail cells in the basement. The jail cells held individuals who had committed misdemeanors or who were waiting for trial. The undersheriff's wife would cook for the prisoners. Sometimes prisoners would escape from their cells with notable escapes happening in 1846, 1848, 1852, 1857, and 1859.The courtroom itself held both grand and petite juries. The courthouse would also hold religious services for a variety of Christian denominations, concerts, and political services. This included a temperance lecture by Hon. Benjamin Joy in 1854 and special guest Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune in 1857.Today, Papa Bear houses the Friends of the Three Bears, a non-profit dedicated to preserving the buildings and building community. They hold various events and programs, including the annual strawberry festival, farmer's markets, free concerts, art classes and presentations, and an annual history series.For a 3D Tour of Papa Bear, please follow this link: Click Here for 3D Tour of Papa Bear
Mama Bear
The middle building, also known as Mama Bear was erected in 1860 and finished in 1862. This is because town members were beginning to petition for the original county clerks office (Baby Bear) to be expanded. This request was denied, as a new building could be erected at a lower cost, so they commissioned the construction of Mama Bear. This building was the county clerks’ office for many years. Every three years, the contents of the office would be taken back and forth between the two county seats of Ovid and Waterloo, a process that required ten teams of horses.Once the county clerks office was permanently moved to Waterloo, the building was used as the Ovid Free library from 1905 to 1962. After this, it was used as the health center for the health department.Today, it serves as a tourist/visitor center for anyone coming to the Three Bears. During our open hours in the summer, you will find a docent in Mama Bear, there to answer any questions you may have about the Three Bears or Ovid in general.
Baby Bear
The smallest building, also known as Baby Bear was built in 1845 to be the county clerks office. The office was built with a layer of ash in the ceiling to make it fireproof.Because of the dual county seat with Waterloo, the contents of the office would be moved back and forth every three years. To get the contents of the office to and from Waterloo, it took 10 teams of horses, and was a great endeavor. Once the new county clerks office was completed in 1860, Baby Bear was sometimes used as the office of the county surrogate.After a large fire in 1874 burned down the bank, Baby bear was used as a temporary bank. Finally, it was used as a Grand Army of the Republic Hall. The Grand Army of the Republic was formed in 1866 as a meeting place for Civil War veterans. When all of the veterans had passed, their children continued meeting as the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. They continued meeting until 1956 when their last member died and the group dissolved.Today, Baby Bear serves as a museum for local Civil War veterans. Upon special request, a tour of Baby Bear can be set up through the Mama Bear Tourism office.
