Unhappy with their allotment of tax dollars, citizens in northern Colusa were successful in 1891 in their effort to establish Glenn County, named for Dr. Hugh Glenn, its largest landowner.

The new county made Willows the county seat and began construction of a courthouse and jail. When it was rumored that the contractor would go bankrupt before the buildings were completed, supervisors ordered the addition of a dome on the courthouse to keep the contractor solvent.

The building, minus the dome, which was removed for safety reasons in 1951, remains in use.

Source: California Supreme Court Historical Society