LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND STATISTICS COUNTY GOVERNMENT County government in Nebraska began with the proclamation of Acting Governor Cuming in November, 1854, establishing the boundaries of the eight original counties and appointing places and officers of election in the designated precincts. These counties were Burt, Washington, Dodge, Douglas, Cass, Pierce (afterwards Otoe), Forney (afterwards Nemaha) and Richardson. The first territorial legislature, in a series of acts passed in March, 1855, redefined the boundaries of the original counties, located the county seats in some of them and changed two county names. This legislature also provided for the organization of Gage, Loup, Greene, York, Lancaster, Buffalo, Blackbird, Dakota, Pawnee, Clay, Cuming, McNeal, Saline, Jackson, Johnston and Izard counties. None of these counties retain their original boundaries, and the names of several of them and of other counties subsequently created have disappeared from the map. The original Clay county was divided and merged with Lancaster and Gage in 1864. The original Loup county afterwards became Platte and Colfax counties. Many other counties have been created-the latest being Arthur county in 1913. The first county officers were appointed by the territorial governor. The legislature of 1855 provided for the election of "one probate judge, one register, one sheriff, one treasurer, and one surveyor for each county," and fixed the amount of their official bonds. The legislature of 1856 provided for the election of county commissioners, justices of the peace, and constables. The election of county superintendents was provided for in an act of March 16, 1855. The first definite method of organizing new counties was specified in an act of March 14, 1855. It provided that "whenever the citizens of any unorganized county desire to have the same organized, they may make application by petition in writing, signed by a majority of the legal voters of said county, to the judge of probate of the county to which such unorganized county is attached, whereupon, the said judge of probate shall order an election for county officers in such unorganized county." The probate judge was to appoint three distinterested commissioners from his county to locate the seat of government in the new county. Some of the early acts describing county boundaries included the names of the commissioners of location for the county seat. The passage of a legislative act establishing a county did not necessarily signify that the county had been or would be established. The act creating Lancaster county was approved March 6, 1855, while the first steps to perfect a county organization were not taken until the fall of 1859-over four years later. Meanwhile, the legislature had changed the original boundaries of the county so that it covered comparatively little of its original territory. This is typical of the early period of county government in Nebraska. The functions of pioneer county government were simple. The heaviest item of taxation was that levied for roads. It consisted of a poll tax and a land tax of three dollars on a quarter section. These taxes could be paid in labor or money at the option of the taxpayer. Both territorial and county roads were being made, and the work of surveying, grading and bridging took much of the time of the early settlers. The tendency was to put all public offices on the elective basis, so that by 1864 all county and precinct officers were elected. These included practically the full complement of officers that obtains today, except that, for a time, the county clerk was also register of deeds, and that from 1858 to 1867 there was no provision for the office of county superintendent. In 1883 the legislature provided for the township form of county government at the option of the county. At present twenty-seven out of the ninety-three counties have adopted the township form of government. The governing boards of these counties consist of supervisors elected from seven supervisor districts, or, at the option of the electors of the county expressed by ballot, supervisors elected from each of the townships. At present but one county (York) has adopted the latter system. The law provides for changes from one form to the other of county government. In all counties 125,000 or less in population under commissioner government three commissioners resident in their respective districts but elected by the entire county constitute the county board. Such counties, however, under the provisions of chapter 69, laws of 1919, have the right to increase the number of districts from three to five, by popular vote. The other elective county officers are clerk, treasurer, surveyor, county superintendent, county judge and sheriff; in counties having more than two thousand inhabitants, a county attorney; in counties having sixteen thousand or more inhabitants a register of deeds, and a county assessor unless the county by legal process elects to abolish the office. Terms of office are four years. In 1915 the state was divided into 94 justice districts. Each justice appoints one constable. Road overseers are elected for road districts. The terms of these officers are two years. Township officers include town clerk, town treasurer, justices of the peace and constables. Road overseers are appointed by township boards. Election officers are appointed by the clerks of the district court. ORGANIZATION OF COUNTIES IN NEBRASKA NOTES REGARDING CHANGES IN COUNTY BOUNDARIES Antelope.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1871. Present Arthur Arthur.-Old Arthur county organized from unorganized territory in 1887 Boyd.-Formerly part of Dakota; annexed to Nebraska between 1880 and Cherry.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1883. Cheyenne.—Parts taken to form Banner, Deuel, Kimball, and Scotts Bluff in 1888 and Morrill in 1909. Custer.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1877. Dakota.--Part ceded from Union county, South Dakota, in 1908. Dawes.-Organized from part of Sioux in 1885; part taken to form Box Butte in 1886. Deuel.-Organized from part of Cheyenne in 1888; part taken to form Dundy.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1873. Furnas.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1873. Garden.-Organized from part of Deuel in 1910, but prior to thirteenth census date (April 15); part annexed to Grant in 1919. Garfield.—Organized from part of Wheeler in 1884. Gosper. Organized from unorganized territory in 1873. Grant.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1887; part of Garden annexed in 1919. Greeley.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1871. Jefferson.-Jones annexed in 1866; part taken to form Thayer in 1872. Keya Paha.—Organized from part of Brown in 1884. Kimball. Organized from part of Cheyenne in 1888. Lincoln.-Part taken to form Keith in 1873. Logan.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1885. Loup.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1883. McPherson. Organized from unorganized territory in 1887; old Arthur county annexed between 1890 and 1900; part taken to form present Arthur county in 1913. Morrill. Organized from part of Cheyenne in 1909. Nance. Organized from the Pawnee Indian reservation in 1879. Perkins. Organized from part of Keith in 1887. Phelps.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1873. Red Willow.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1873. Saunders.-Calhoun annexed in 1862. Scotts Bluff.-Organized from part of Cheyenne in 1888. Sheridan.-Organized from part of Sioux in 1885. Sherman.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1873. Sioux.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1877; parts taken to form Dawes and Sheridan in 1885. Thayer.-Organized from part of Jefferson in 1872. Thomas.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1887. Thurston.-Name changed from Blackbird in 1889. Valley.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1871. Wheeler.-Organized from unorganized territory in 1877; part taken to form Garfield in 1884. |