Stanton County, Nebraska

Stanton County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Stanton
Year Organized: 1865
Square Miles: 430

Court House:

804 Ivy Street, P.O. Box 347
County Courthouse
Stanton, NE 68779-0347

Etymology - Origin of County Name

In 1856 the Territorial Legislature defined boundaries for what was to be called Izard County, in honor of Mark W. Izard who was Nebraska's territorial governor at the time. The county would remain unorganized for some time and in 1862 the county boundaries would be redefined. The legislative act which redefined the county's boundaries also changed the county's name to Stanton, after Edward M. Stanton, who served as Secretary of War under President Abraham Lincoln.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Although Stanton County was officially created in 1862, it would not be formally organized until five years later when the first local election was conducted.

Early settlers in the county were of German heritage. As word spread of quality land being available for low prices, the county's population steadily increased along the Elkhorn River and the rolling hills that surround it. These settlers were determined to make a living off the land and soon large areas within the county's boundaries had been cultivated.

The first large-scale attempt at farming and livestock production came in 1867, when an entire township was purchased. It later became known as Township Farm and is credited with the early development of the county's agricultural base.

This population increase led to the need of a courthouse. After some controversy about where a county seat should be located, county commissioners directed that a temporary courthouse be built in the townsite of Stantonville, which was later shortened to Stanton. In May 1871 a contract was let and a 350-square-foot frame building was erected. Because of its small size, this first courthouse would be occupied only by the office of the county clerk.

In 1874 additional room was needed for the county to conduct its business. Efforts were begun to build a new courthouse, which opened that same year. This building would be used until 1976, when county officials moved in the present courthouse.

Neighboring Counties:

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Cities and Towns:

- Pilger	village	Incorporated Area
- Stanton (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

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County Resources

The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of this country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."