Bellevue was temporarily named the county seat of Jackson County in 1837. The county seat soon moved to Andrew and the first courthouse was constructed there. Citizens of Andrew built the courthouse of stone for $6,000.
In an attempt to secure the honor of being the county seat, the city of Maquoketa offered to allow the county to use part of its new city hall building for county business. Jackson County agreed and signed a 99-year lease. Both levels of government used the large, two-story, stone building.
A new courthouse was built in Maquoketa in 1886 for approximately $7,000. This structure stood on the same ground as the present modern courthouse, which was built in 1958 for approximately $400,000.