USA > Nebraska > Dodge County > History of Dodge and Washington Counties, Nebraska, and their people, Volume I > Part 11
USA > Nebraska > Washington County > History of Dodge and Washington Counties, Nebraska, and their people, Volume I > Part 11
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April 6, 1857, the commissioners met and created the precinct of "Logan" and designated the place for the first election to be at C. H. Liser's. The judges were to be Hiram H. Ladd, Willis Carr and Martin Sherer.
At the same session they also created "Fremont" precinct and fixed the place of election at the house of Barnard and Kuntz at Fremont Vil- lage. The judges were E. H. Rogers, Jackson Davis and A. McNeal.
The commissioners in 1858 were Thomas Fitzsimmons, W. E. Lee and C. A. Whiteford. In June of that year they assisted in the organi- zation of Platte County; also of Monroe County; their chief business, however, being looking after county roads and routine work of no great historic interest. At the August meeting they authorized the sheriff of the county to proceed to assess the taxable property within Dodge County.
The commissioners for 1859 were Thomas Fitzsimmons, C. A. White- ford and J. M. Hancock. At the January session they created "Maple Creek" precinct and ordered a bridge built over the Elkhorn River to cost $1,500; ordered the making of a county seal to be paid for in county warrants at not less than 75 cents on the dollar. In July they fixed the assessment at 6 mills per dollar. In August they created "Bell Creek" precinct.
From October, 1859 to 1860. the board consisted of Thomas Fitzsim- mons, G. A. Turton and Jared Blasett. John Evans appeared before them and gave bonds as county registrar of deeds. The treasurer's report made to the board was as follows:
Territorial fund $300.00
County fund
624.00
School fund 201.20
397.18
Poll and road fund.
Total $1,522.38
The commissioners were George Turner, Thomas Fitzsimmons and George Turton. The Minute Book shows an exhibit of Dodge County taxes for that year as follows :
Territorial taxes
$167.00
County taxes
972.00
School taxes 214.00
Poll and road tax. 831.00
In 1862: During this year the board was George Turner, Thomas Wilson and W. H. Ely, who met at the "Valley House," Fremont.
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DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
In 1863 the board met at the clerk's office and in 1864 at the Congre- gational Church building. During the Civil war but little business of interest was transacted.
January 1, 1866, the board was George Turner, J. E. Dorsey and George Young. During that year the building of a courthouse, or county house, was agitated. J. J. Hawthorne offered the county block No. 96, at Fremont, for such building site and a building was finally advertised for. It was to be 30 by 60 feet, built of frame and boards. In July they contracted for 125,000 brick suitable for a foundation, paying $12 per thousand for the same.
These plans were discarded and at the October session that year the board decided to build a brick courthouse, which they did. (See court- house history elsewhere.)
In 1867 commissioners were Christopher Knoell, George Young and George Turner.
In 1868 the commissioners were Robert Graham, A. C. Briggs and George Turner. A room in the southwest part of the courthouse was fixed up suitable for jail purposes. They also submitted the Sioux City & Pacific Railroad bond question to the voters of the county. It resulted in a majority for, of 185 votes out of 413 votes polled. The same year the board rented a room of the county building for the use of a printing office, to A. S. McAlister. They also required the following official bonds to be filed: County treasurer, $25,000; county clerk, $8,000; sheriff, $5,000; probate judge, $5,000.
In 1869 the commissioners were Robert Graham, George Blanchard and A. C. Briggs. One hundred and twenty-five thousands dollars in railroad bonds were approved by this board for the aid in securing the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad. The popular vote was- for 432 and 120 against the proposition. These bonds drew 8 per cent interest and run twenty years.
In 1870 the precinct of "Webster" was created at the June meeting. At the November meeting when John P. Eaton, George Blanchard and A. C. Briggs were on the board. Fremont Township voted bonds in the sum of $50,000 for a bridge over the Platte River, which caused the board much work.
In 1871 the board was composed of John Eaton, J. J. Hawthorne and A. C. Briggs. During that year the old courthouse was remodeled, plastered, etc. In 1872 "Everett" precinct was formed by the board.
In 1874 the board was as follows : John C. Seeley, F. M. Tillman and B. Nicodemus. They advertised for bids for the erection of a jail in August of that year. Finally McShane, Quimby and Clagg, of Omaha, received the contract at $9,832 for the building of a brick jail.
In 1875 when Theron Nye, F. M. Tillman and John C. Seeley were on the board "Elkhorn" precinct was formed. Also "Platte" precinct.
In 1878 the commissioners looked after the interest of the North Bend precinct which had voted bonds to the amount of $7,000 for the building of roads.
In 1881 the board was as follows: E. C. Burns, H. J. Lee and Milton May. During that year $10,000 bonds were issued for building a portion of the Platte River bridge. These bonds were for twenty years at 7 per cent interest.
In 1882 Commissioners J. H. Caldwell, Milton May and H. J. Lee looked after the North Bend bridge bonds voted to the amount of $10,000, running twenty years at 7 per cent interest.
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DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
In 1884, when the board was composed of J. H. Caldwell, M. Weich and Milton May, a contract was let to A. Zimmerman for the erection of a county poor house to cost $3,645. July 3d, that year, a severe storm damaged the courthouse to the extent that the county clerk send word to the board to meet at once. Upon meeting they decided to repair tem- porarily and then arrange for building a new courthouse. The matter came up to the people at the following election.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Eighteen eighty-six ushered in a new era in the government of Dodge County, for it was during that year that the people voted in favor of "Township Organization," after which time they were to be represented by a Board of County Supervisors instead of County Commissioners. By the new plan a supervisor was to be elected from each township in the county. All but the months of November and December of 1886 was under the old commissioner system, the first Board of Supervisors meeting in November. The last commissioners were J. H. Caldwell, George C. Laird and M. Weich, while the first Board of Supervisors was composed of M. Weich, John P. Dierks, William E. Lee, A. E. Jen- sen, F. M. Tillman, H. E. Wolcott, H. H. Robinson, J. B. Foote, John Emanuel, J. A. Sill, B. F. Laird, H. Christy, James S. Jennings and Nels Johnson.
The first important act of the newly constituted board was to reorgan- ize the precincts into "Township Organizations." By that act the civil subdivisions were set apart and bounded by the lines of the Congressional townships, except along the Platte and Elkhorn rivers, where they remained fractional as before. A few slight changes were subsequently made, but for the most part they were bounded as they appear on the county's plat books today.
In 1887 a report was made by the overseer of the poor to the county board in which it stated the number of paupers then to be eighteen. In that year the board created the office of county physician and ordered two steel cages for uncontrollable insane people at the poorhouse.
The last day of the year 1887 was an unfortunate day for the county, as it was then that it sustained a loss of more than $3.000 in the partial burning of the courthouse. Many valuable books were lost and much expense incurred in making transcripts by experts for court records.
The supervisors rewarded the firemen for the faithful work at the courthouse fire by presenting them with $60 in cash. Three hundred dollars were spent in trying to locate and arrest the person who set the fire, but all to no purpose-it still remains a mystery.
In March, 1888, the chairman of the board was H. G. Wolcott.
The material left from the fire of December, 1887, was offered for sale by the board. That year George W. Davy was paid $1,200 for repro- ducing new court record books and papers to take the place of those lost in the fire. It was during this year (1888) that the board had its mind occupied with planning for a new courthouse. (See Courthouse History.)
It was in this year that the board was called to act in the case of trying to enforce the state law compelling the Union Pacific trains within Dodge County to stop at all railroad crossings, as two persons met with accidents and one was killed at such crossings within ten days' time. The board entered suit against the company.
In 1890 the chairman of the board was W. D. Thomas. The com- mittee on county buildings was M. Weich, A. P. Shephard and H. Christy.
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DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
It appears from statements made in board meetings in 1890-91 that the manner of keeping the county's records has materially improved after 1887-88.
In 1892 A. J. Sill was chairman of the board and J. H. Fletcher was appointed overseer of the poor at a salary of $50 a month.
Up to 1893 the Minute Books of the Commissioners and Board of County Supervisors had reached five in number and were devoted to all manner of resolutions and business transactions connected with the hun- dreds of wagon roads and no less of bridges, public ditches, county build- ings, with other improvements needful to the safety and comfort of the people of the county. But with the expenditure of much money in way of taxes, the people were benefited and the increased value in lands and town property proved this assertion. And what was true thirty years ago is doubly true of the advancement made since that date.
With the passing years the supervisors have been kept busy looking after the establishment and maintenance of public roads, drainage ditch systems and the general routine of county improvements, including the erection and repair of public buildings and the hundreds of highway crossings and bridges.
The supervisors have always tried to spend the money paid into their treasury to the best advantage of the taxpayers-giving value received. And even the general comfort of the people has been looked after in the providing of ladies' rest rooms in the basement (first floor) of the new courthouse. At first this room or set of rooms was furnished and cared for by the Retail Business Men's Association of Fremont, which society paid the expenses for a year or more until these rooms had been proven a success, after which the county board took them over and really cares for most of the expenses of keeping them up. They are duly appre- ciated by ladies of this county, as well as "strangers within the gates."
CONCERNING TAXES
All taxes become due November 1st each year.
Taxes become a first lien on real property October 1st.
Taxes become a first lien on personal property November 1st.
Personal taxes become delinquent December 1st, after due.
Real estate taxes become delinquent May 1st, after due.
Real estate advertised for sale for taxes October 1st, after due.
Real estate is sold for taxes the first Monday in November.
Taxes draw 10 per cent interest after delinquency.
Tax sales certificates draw 15 per cent interest.
Personal assessments are made in April and May of each year.
Real estate is valued every four years and equalized every two years.
ASSESSED VALUATIONS-1919
(Townships)
Assessed Value
Mills Levy
Union
$679,881 10
Pleasant Valley
443,781
14
Webster (including Dodge and Snyder) ..
703,837
12
Ridgeley
602,521
14
Cotterell
677,353
12
Platte
860,115
12
Maple
455,798
10
Everett
497,356
6
65
DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
Assessed Value
Mills Levy
Cuming (including Scribner )
$645,971
14
Logan (including Uehling)
587,396
14
Hooper (including Hooper and Winslow)
790,969
14
Nickerson (including Nickerson)
558,919
8
Elkhorn
425,822
12
CITIES AND TOWNS WITH RAILWAY TERMINALS
Fremont
55
North Bend
288,245
35
Dodge
114,855
35
Snyder
104,146
25
Scribner
234,100
50
Uehling
75,422
25
Hooper
206,880
45
Nickerson
48,880
13
Winslow
48,543
20
Total of county (1919-20)
$10,669,623
Total railway terminals.
301,657
STATE AND COUNTY LEVIES-1920
(State Levy)
Mills
General fund
4.80
University
1.00
State aid bridge.
.20
Special university fund.
.75
Normal school
1.00
Capitol building fund.
1.50
State aid road.
3.00
University act fund.
.75
Total
13.00 mills
(County Levy)
General fund
7.07
Bridge
4.00
Emergency bridge
1.00
Road
2,07
Drainage
.80
Soldier's relief
.06
Courthouse bonds
1.00
Total
16.00 mills
AVERAGE VALUE OF FARM LANDS-1920
The county clerk recently published the following concerning the farm lands in Dodge County-the same being for assessment purposes : Per Acre
In Union Township
$76
In Pleasant Valley Township.
79
Assessed Value $2,179,132
Mills Levy
66
DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
Per Acre
In Pebble Township $ 76
In Ridgeley Township
85
In Cotterell Township 78
In Cuming Township 77
In Maple Township 84
In Everett Township 82
In Platte Township
91
In Hooper Township 80
In Logan Township 85
In Nickerson Township 85
In Elkhorn Township 71
In Webster Township 89
Total estimate for school purposes (not including bond levy), $260,- 176.73.
The school bond levy is $17,555.11.
PROPERTY VALUATIONS
At various periods the property valuations in Dodge County have been as follows (figures from official reports made to the state auditor) :
In the year 1870 the assessed valuation was. $1,910,000
In the year 1878 the assessed valuation was. 2,319,000
In the year 1885 the assessed valuation was 3,160,000
In the year 1891 the assessed valuation was. 3,162,000
Twenty-nine years ago (1891) when property was being assessed at about one-third of its actual value, the record shows the following valu- ation of all realty and personal property by townships and precincts : Cotterell $145,706 Pebble $104,113
Cuming
131,606
Pleasant Valley 95,944
Elkhorn
77,015
Platte
151,308
Everett
98,494
Ridgeley 95,629
Hooper
71,871
Union
116,625
Logan
105,904
Webster 105,613
Maple
107,030
Fremont (city) 824,844
Nickerson 110,830
North Bend (city) 112,600
Coming down to the present time the records show the following property valuations in the county; also the value in various townships and cities and villages, as a whole :
The total assessed valuation in the various townships in this county in 1919 was $7,930,019.
The assessed valuations in cities and towns with the railway terminals was $2,378,980.
THE COUNTY'S FINANCES
It is now about sixty years since the county was really organized and the following statements as to its finances show its condition at the end of the first thirty years (1890), and that of 1920, thirty years later.
In 1860 the county treasurer's report for Dodge County read as follows :
Territorial fund
$308.80
County fund
612.12
School fund
201.20
Poll and road fund.
397.94
Total $1,512.06
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DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
BOARD'S ESTIMATE IN 1891
Bonded indebtedness, liberalty towards railroad enterprises, bridges, drainage and county buildings, had brought the following demands by the close of the year 1890:
County general fund
$35,000
County bridge fund
18,000
County sinking fund
3,500
County insane fund
2,000
County road fund
2,000
Courthouse fund
4,000
Interest on railroad bonds
12,000
Interest on bridge bonds
7,500
Soldier's relief fund
1,050
Total
$85,050
COUNTY TREASURER'S REPORT
The county treasurer's report for the last half of the year 1891 shows the following balances :
Balance general fund (state) $ 4,232
873
Balance insane fund
441
Balance soldier's relief fund
762
Balance general school district fund.
10,960
Balance general road district fund.
1,850
To balance on hand.
49,750
Total disbursements
108,397
COUNTY TREASURER'S SEMI-ANNUAL STATEMENT-1920
The subjoined is a statement issued to the public by the county treas- urer of Dodge County for the first six months of the year 1920:
July, 1920
Disbursements
Balance
State general fund paid.
$38,317.52
$5.202.30
State capitol fund
11,904.18
1,618.50
State university fund
8,004.87
1,085.21
Special university fund.
5,952.08
809.25
State land fund interest paid
12.60
State aid bridge fund.
1.600.17
216.96
Special university building fund.
57.50
Overdraft
State normal school fund
7,993.45
1,083.75
State university activities fund.
5,993.37
812.33
State institution improvement fund
77.70
Overdraft
State aid road fund.
23.844.11
3,239.67
State highway fund
40,948.86
1,225.50
State hail insurance fund.
434.24
County general fund
62,732.74
10,953,90
County bridge fund
14.076.42
22,725.44
County road fund
19,494.65
17,143.01
County sinking fund
.11
County drainage fund
4.909.54
6,204.29
Balance county road fund
68
DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
July, 1920
Disbursements
Balance
Special emergency bridge warrants
$ 667.13
$ 18,753.12
Soldier's relief committee fund
1,157.70
2,213.48
School district-general
200,005.27
59,364.75
School district-bonds
15,835.09
11,760.02
Township-general
67,060.87
44,055.09
Road district-general
5,695.74
8,075.56
Fremont Corporation
80,109.71
6,214.83
North Bend Corporation.
6,737.81
745.65
Hooper Corporation
7,005.10
1,490.59
Scribner Corporation
8,025.03
3,556.79
Dodge Corporation
4,196.96
798,59
Snyder Corporation
2,252.29
267.29
Winslow Corporation
618.02
467.85
Uehling Corporation
1,139.17
829.14
Nickerson Corporation
614.97
76.82
Fremont old precinct bridge bond.
.01
.11
Special assessment
4.45
335.29
Advertising
1,204.40
205.71
Protest fund
3,397.49
1,231.65
Fee fund
12,349.06
140.50
F. F. & R. R. Drainage Dist
1,388.42
278.68
GENERAL PURPOSES
F. F. & R. R. Drainage Dist.
321.39
22.53
BONDS AND INTEREST
Inheritance tax fund.
1,608.89
9,522.94
Auto license fund.
13,862.03
351.71
Elkhorn drainage district.
97.67
4,671.74
Courthouse bonds
18,705.00
6,637.96
Bloomendalh ditch
121.65
Overdraft
Scott ditch
4.77
219.23
Lincoln Highway Fund No. 1.
3,731.99
Disbursements to June 30, 1920.
$702,041.09
$289,304.49
Balance on hand July 1, 1920.
289,304.49
Less overdrafts
$ 8,836.18
COUNTY SEAT AND COUNTY BUILDING
Fontanelle was the first county seat (when that place was within Dodge County), but in the winter of 1859-60 the Territorial Legislature . changed the bounds of this county and in February, 1860, the Dodge County voters fixed Fremont as the seat of justice. Upon that occasion the vote stood: Fremont, sixty-two; Robinsonville, two; Blacksmith's Point, one.
A private house at Fontanelle served as a business office for the county. Much bitterness was engendered between Fontanelle and Fre- mont over the county seat fight. When the books came to be removed,
33.60
Redemption fund
30,931.06
Poor farm fund.
Fine and license fund.
1,500.00
69
DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
much trouble was experienced by the county officers, but as time heals all troubles like county seat contests, this was almost forgotten by the second generation.
Fremont has held the county seat, although a few attempts have been made to change its location, one of which was in 1884, when it was sought at various points, and the matter was finally submitted to a vote of the people in charge of the County Commissioners' Court, and this was the last important act this body had to attend to, before going out of office and the ushering in of the Township Organization system. The vote on relocating the county seat stood as follows :
For Fremont
For Centerville
Fremont (city)
1,206
8
Platte (precinct)
87
14
Elkhorn
92
Maple
83
36
Hooper
24
181
Pebble
66
80
185
Logan
..
8
74
Cuming
12
73
North Bend
202
81
Everett
224
Webster
3
162
Union
66
1
180
Totals
1,798
1,218
COUNTY BUILDINGS-COURTHOUSES, JAILS, ETC.
For the first ten years after Dodge County was organized it had no public buildings, worthy the name. Log cabins, and sod houses must needs be used before the pioneer is able and justified in building better buildings, either public or private. Most counties settled in the "fifties" and "sixties" did the same as Dodge County, but in due season excellent buildings were erected. Here, the county offices were kept quietly in some private house or later in leased apartments.
The question of building a suitable courthouse came up at the January session of the Commissioners' Court in 1866, when the com- missioners were-George Turner, J. E. Dorsey and George Young. Block No. 96 of the City of Fremont was offered the county by pioneer J. J. Hawthorne, as a building site, and finally it was accepted and bids solicited for the erection of a courthouse, to be 30 by 60 feet. This was to be built of lumber, but later the matter was entirely discarded, and in October that year, 1866, the commissioners decided to build a brick courthouse on the present public square. Such a building was erected, the contract being awarded to John Ray at $4,950, by the commissioners, Messrs. Christopher Knoell, George Young and George Turner. It was finished and accepted September 3, 1867. This structure served until 1871 without repairs. At that date it was remodeled and was in good form until a windstorm in 1884 damaged it, and December 31, 1887, a portion of it was burned, together with the records in the clerk of the court's offices. Repairs were temporarily made and in 1888 the question of building a new courthouse was submitted to the people, and the result was that the people declared for bonding the county in the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the purpose of erecting a good courthouse. In addition to this, the city of Fremont voted the
OLD COURTHOUSE, FREMONT, DESTROYED BY FIRE-DECEMBER 5, 1915.
-
71
DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) with the understanding that the city should have the use of three rooms in the proposed structure for city purposes for a term not exceeding five years.
Sixteen bids were received, and the commissioners accepted that of Seeley Sons & Co. of Fremont. The contract for the naked building was $50,533.50. It was an elegant pressed brick building, finished in hard wood, heated by furnaces, and had cheerful rooms for every county official.
At the corner-stone laying Dr. L. J. Abbott was chosen to deliver the oration which was a masterly effort and too lengthy for reproduction here. The completed structure was dedicated October 4, 1890, when Hon. E. F. Gray delivered an eloquent address, the closing paragraph of which runs thus: "This building is worthy of the wise generosity of the whole people who have contributed the funds for its erection. May their records be kept correctly and herein preserved."
From almost any reasonable human standpoint, it would have appeared at that time that the building of which Mr. Gray was then speaking, would stand intact and do service in Dodge County for a century, but alas, not so, for it must be recorded that on December 5, 1915, this beautiful temple of justice was so nearly destroyed by fire, originat- ing in the basement, that its entire walls had to be taken down and an entirely new structure from the ground up erected. Even the old founda- tion stones were found to be in bad condition so a new wall was run up on which rests the present magnificent building. Quite an amount of public records were also entirely destroyed, but the principal books were all saved. The loss in this respect was not nearly so great as in the fire that consumed the other courthouse.
Immediately after the burning of the courthouse in December, 1915, the supervisors made arrangements with the owners of the First National Bank Building on the corner of Main and Fifth streets by which the county removed its chief offices to this massive building, for which they paid a rental of $295 per annum for the period the new building was being constructed.
The bids for the present courthouse were advertised for January 22, 1917, and the lowest suitable bidders were Olson and Johnson Company, of Missoula, Montana. The contract price made with this firm was $119,675. The architects employed by the county were members of the firm of A. H. Dyer Company. The building is faced with Bedford lime- stone from the celebrated quarries in Lawrence County, Indiana. The detailed contract is found in Minute Book No. 12, page 30, of the County Supervisor's records.
One of the provisions was that the building should be entirely com- pleted by February 1, 1918, which provision was substantially carried out. This building is scarcely equalled in all Nebraska. Its exterior as well as interior are indeed models of beauty and strength. The solid Bedford stone surfacing the exterior and the pure marble and granite of the interior of the building render the whole absolutely "fire proof." A fur- ther description in a county history is hardly necessary as this structure will doubtless stand intact long after this volume has perished with usage and time's touch. This building stands as its own best memorial.
COUNTY JAILS
Before Dodge County had a courthouse, prisoners were kept in some dwelling house improvised for jail purposes. When the first court-
72
DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
house was built, two rooms were set apart for jail use. In 1874, Com- missioners Nicodemus, Tillman and Seeley awarded a contract to an Omaha firm for the sum of $9,832, to construct a county jail which was used until 1918. This jail was a two story brick building and it stood on the south side of the courthouse square. A portion of it was used as a residence for the sheriff of the county, or his deputy.
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