County Capitals

Ever hear of Richard M. Johnson, the namesake of Johnson County? Johnson served as vice president under President Martin Van Buren from 1837 to 1841. In the 1836 election, Johnson fell one vote short of the electoral votes needed. When the U.S. Senate acted and elected him to the vice-presidential office, Johnson became the first and so far, only, vice president elected under provisions of the 12th Amendment.

The Johnson County Courthouse is resplendent in cherry red St. Joseph brick and Nemaha County limestone and represents the Classic Revival/Romanesque style. Previous courthouses were built in 1857 and 1868.

The current courthouse was designed by Lincoln architect William Gray, known also for designing courthouses for Hamilton and Cass counties. At ground level, the two-story building begins with a raised foundation. The second story features arched window openings, and the weathervane atop the central dome overlooks Broadway Street, Tecumseh, and Johnson County from a height of 110 feet.

Built in 1889 for $40,000, the Johnson County Courthouse is a priceless point of civic pride for county residents.

The Independence Day celebration in Wayne on July 4, 1884, ended abruptly at midnight when smoke and flames began rising from the Wayne County Courthouse. This was not a Roman candle gone astray. Local lore recounts that two men, shackled to the floor in the sheriff’s office as punishment for being drunk and disorderly, started the fire in a escape attempt.

The current courthouse was built in less than four months in 1899, according to plans drawn up by prolific courthouse and school designer Fremont Orff. The building rests atop a raised foundation of Omaha pressed brick and Lake Superior red stone trim. An 80-foot-tall tower pierces the skyline, and the eight-sided roof features a quartet of conical corner turrets.

Occupying a 4-acre plot in a mostly residential area west of downtown, the courthouse stands across town from Wayne State College. This fine example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture demands attention on Pearl Street.

The Nebraska Territorial Legislature created Calhoun County in 1856. The name was not popular due to a government surveyor with the last name of Calhoun being suspected of corruption. In 1862 the county name was changed to Saunders in honor of Alvin Saunders, who served as the governor of Nebraska Territory from 1861 to 1867.

The county seat was located at Ashland briefly before voters chose to place it in Wahoo due to the central location. A courthouse was erected, but by the 20th century it was showing its age. A vote to pass bonds for a proper courthouse passed by a margin of 1,967 for and 524 against. The state auditor objected, since the time between the election notice and the election was short by one day. A second vote was held and passed.

The stately structure was built on Chestnut Street for $87,000. 

The community of St. Paul was designated the first seat of Howard County government in 1871. This did not sit well with the leaders of Dannebrog, a Danish village in the southwest portion of the county. An 1874 election settled the issue, and St. Paul remains the county seat today.

A wood frame courthouse was built in 1877. By 1912, county officials pointed out that the building was not “fire-proof,” and that the jail “is not of sufficient strength to hold prisoners and is unhealthful and unfit for use.” Voters approved a bond for a new courthouse. The cornerstone was placed in 1913.

The four-story building makes use of Bedford, Indiana, limestone in the trim, foundation and the smooth, round columns. Some of the building’s most elaborate stonework appears on the south side. A lintel includes a shield bearing the letter “H,” and ears of corn flank it on both sides. Marble counters, stairs, balusters and ornamental plasterwork, appear inside.

Only two courthouses have served this county during its history. Scotts Bluff County was founded in 1888. Gering, the county seat, was born a year earlier. Six decades before that, unfortunate fur trader Hiram Scott died in the nearby bluff country near the North Platte River. He lives on by way of lending his name to the county, a city and a national monument.

The east-facing main entrance of the current courthouse, which celebrated its centennial in 2021, features a massive portico held by a half dozen limestone columns. An ornamental header at the top is punctuated by a clock. The hallway on the main floor is cross shaped, the open center showing a view from the first through third floors.

The functional, artistic design was brought to life by C.E. Goodhand, a contractor from Ord. It still resides today in a shady lot on the west side of in Gering.

Motorists traveling where Nebraska highways 11 and 70 become L Street in Ord can’t miss the historic Valley County Courthouse rising up through the center of the town square.

Valley County was established in 1871. A one-story courthouse was completed in 1876, the same year that Judge Thomas Griffey presided over the first session of district court ever held in Valley County. The current courthouse is a Beau-Arts-style structure designed by German-born architect William Germand. He also designed courthouses in nine other Nebraska counties.

The icon in downtown Ord features six columns at its west entrance, along with elaborate masonry including twin cornucopia flanking an ornate shield, sheaves of wheat, and “VALLEY COUNTY” centered below a US flag waving from a pole affixed to the roof.

A cafe, office buildings, shops, a brewery, and the local museum are among the establishments bringing vibrance to the square. The Valley County Courthouse, and all of Nebraska’s 93 county capitals, inspire pride and permanence every day of the year.

Dawes County was carved out of Sioux County 50 years before this courthouse was erected. At the time, in many ways, northwest Nebraska was still part of the American frontier. 

In Chadron: A Chronological View of the Early History of the Old Home-Town by H.D. Mead, an entry from 1890 mentions a vein of coal being discovered 2 miles south of Chadron. Another telling of a rumored Native American uprising is starker and reflects the fears felt by residents who sought out their county seat as a refuge of strength and stability. “Many families were camped in the court house square in Chadron,” Mead recounted in the book.

The Wounded Knee Massacre, also known as the Battle of Wounded Knee, took place later that year across the border in South Dakota.

The current Art Deco courthouse does not occupy the center of the town’s courthouse square. Why not? Well, the previous courthouse, which was centered within the square, remained open for county business while the current courthouse was being built. Talk about a perfect example of taking civic responsibility seriously.

Orville City had the distinction of being Hamilton County’s first seat of county government. The short-lived community occupied a scenic plateau overlooking two forks of the Blue River, with most of its buildings relocated to Aurora when voters chose that town as the new county seat in 1876 (it took five elections).

A new courthouse was completed in Central Park Square in Aurora the following year, but it didn’t last long. The Jan. 13, 1894, issue of the Hamilton County Register broke the story with the headline, “The Court House Burned.” 

The fire company responded promptly but was hampered by a broken hose and a fire hydrant that blew its top. A small fireproof safe was about all that was recovered from the destruction.

Even disaster can’t keep Hamilton County residents down for long. A new courthouse was completed the following year. That courthouse, which stands south of U.S. Highway 34 in Aurora today, was built to emulate parts of the U.S. Capitol. A spire towers in place of a central dome, and Colorado sandstone was used in place of more expensive marble. The interior gleams with white oak woodwork.

The colorful history of Gage County includes a government cover-up, but no whistleblowers were involved (as far as we know).

A fire in 1960 nearly led to the Gage County Courthouse, which went up in 1892, being bulldozed. Instead, paint, white Formica, suspended ceilings and wood paneling were used to cover up damaged parts of the building. Evidence remained: visitors could smell smoke on hot summer days.

In 2008, residents passed a $2.8 million bond to restore the cherished courthouse. The vaulted ceiling saw the light of day for the first time in decades. New benches, counsel tables and a jury box were built to match original furnishings. The local jail had an inmate with a talent for plaster work, and as a result of community service, the walls were restored.

This one-story structure at the corner of North Spruce and West Sixth streets is the most modern structure included in this feature. Hinde and Laurinat Architects from North Platte designed the building, and construction of the courthouse – the county’s third – was completed in 1962. A notable architectural features include the concrete grill work on the west facade.

The building that it replaced was a two-story brick structure erected from 1888 to 1889, as Ogallala was shedding its frontier moniker as “the Gomorrah of the Plains.” With its violent Old West days behind it, the community was experiencing massive growth.

Elsewhere on Spruce Street, a stately home built by L.A. Brandhoefer, was completed in 1888. That Victorian-style brick home, known as the Mansion on the Hill, still stands on the north side of Ogallala today.

This courthouse is home to the 11th Judicial District, which serves 17 counties.