After the construction of the courthouse and before Courthouse Park could be laid out, the shanties that occupied the area to the east of the building had to be removed. In 1909, the Madera County Supervisors entered into some heavy negotiations with the owners of the buildings, but the talks did not go well. The property owners and the County could not get together on a price. The dispute was settled on the night of June 5, 1909, when the shacks mysteriously caught fire. The next week, the landlords revisited their demands and settled the issue with the supervisors.
