Baldwin won the county seat, then stole the records
Baldwin won a county-seat election in 1874, but Chase held onto the records until a group from Baldwin took the county safe.
Lake County’s early records were kept in Chase, close to the county’s eastern edge. Baldwin supporters thought their growing village would make a better county seat. Voters settled that question in 1874: Baldwin won.
Winning the election did not immediately move the paperwork. Chase would not give up the county records, so a large group from Baldwin went there and took the safe that held them. Baldwin’s master plan uses the word steal, which is why this story has lasted.
The safe did not stay in Baldwin forever. It was eventually returned to Chase and now serves as a historical memento at Chase Township Hall. So the careful version is better than the legend: Baldwin won the county seat first, then took the records when Chase refused to hand them over.
The village kept growing after the fight. Courthouse plans were approved in 1886, and Baldwin formally incorporated the following year.
Sources
Last reviewed against the listed sources: July 20, 2026.