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County Seat Affairs
Men
& Women of Nebraska: A Book of Portraits, Washington Co.
Edition, 1903, Edited by Daniel M. Carr. pages 22-23
The territorial act reorganizing
Washington county, which was passed February 22, 1855,
designated Fort Calhoun as the county seat. The first sessions
of the United State., court and the District court were held
in 1855, in a log cabin, which in the fall of 1854, was built
by the town site company. In 1856, by popular subscription,
money was raised for the erection of a building of logs and
cottonwood board to be used for court purposes and also as a
schoolhouse. This was the first building erected for court
purposes west of the Missouri.
The first court held in this
building was in the summer of 1856, and was presided over by
Judge Elmer Wakely, and George W. Doane was the prosecuting
attorney. One of the first cases before the court was that of
the Territory vs. Peterson, for the killing of a man named
Coon, over a claim, Peterson having "jumped" Coon's claim, and
soon after the latter was found dead with a bullet hole
through his heart. Peterson was indicted, but escaped before
his trial was called. In 1858, when William Clancy was a
member of the territorial council and Potter C. Sullivan in
the house, both from the town of De Soto, the legislature
removed the county seat from Calhoun to De Soto, and remained
there until the fall election of 1866, when by vote of the
people the county seat of justice was again located at Calhoun
and there remained until 1869, when by popular vote, Blair was
made the county capital.
The first court-house at Blair was
of brick, a commodious structure, which was in use for some
years. It was built for school purposes by a firm of
contractors, and sold to the county. The time came when the
pride of many citizens of the county demanded that a more
elegant building be erected. Many in the farming districts
opposed this move, as it would be necessary to issue bonds for
the purpose. In order to convince the credulous of the
importance of erecting a new building, the commissioners
decided the building unsafe, and had it propped up by placing
heavy timbers about the exterior walls. This was a sight that
was a convincing argument, and the bonds were carried, and the
building—one of the most elegant county buildings in
Nebraska—way constructed at a cost of about $50,000, and
finished for occupancy in 1889.The first county jail was built
in 1870 at a cost of $8,000, and is still in use.
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