USA > Nebraska > Lancaster County > Lincoln > Lincoln, the capital city and Lancaster County, Nebraska, Volume I > Part 7
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TAX LEVY
July 4, 1864-The commissioners procceded to levy a tax on the county. For the general fund $300 was levied ; for territorial tax 21/2 mills on the dollar was levied ; for school tax 112 mills on the dollar; for road tax 5 mills on the dollar; for the poor tax the sum of $50. It was ordered that each voting pre- cinct should constitute a road district.
LOT DONATIONS
August 1, 1866-The account of Josiah Chambers, amounting to $34, for the care of John Hunt, was allowed; the bill of Dr. John Crim for professional serv- ices in the case of John Hunt, amounting to $15, was also allowed. Proposition of I. M. Young in regard to donation of lots and blocks in the Town of Lancaster for the county seat was taken up and Jacob Dawson was appointed agent to select said land for the county and procure deeds for the same. The precincts of the county were reorganized to correspond with the commissioners' districts, except the east line at the end.
August 19, 1866-Jacob Dawson selected lots according to order of commis- sioners, commencing with block No. 2, then No. 6, 10, etc., taking every fourth block and selecting block No. 6 for the county buildings.
OFFER TO BURLINGTON
January 2, 1865-The commissioners ordered that the county clerk be author- ized to propose to donate one-half of the county interest in the Town of Lan- caster to the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Company, provided they ran their road through the said town and established a permanent depot therein.
TERRITORIAL BRIDGE
April 3. 1865-The board relocated the territorial bridge which was erected at the mouth of Oak Creek, but washed off by high water, at the section line between sections 23 and 26, town 10 north, range 6 east, where said line crosses Salt Creek. Petition of P. S. Shamp and others, twelve in number, for a road to commence at or near the northeast corner of town 8, range 8, running thence
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to Saltillo postoffice granted and Henry Simmons appointed commissioner. Peti- tion of Thomas B. Prey and thirteen others for an alteration of the territorial road from Nebraska City to Fort Kearney granted and L. W. Haskin appointed commissioner.
July 3, 1865-Resolved that one lot in Lancaster be donated to Joseph Ben- nett, provided he builds a business house in Lancaster Townsite and keeps up a mercantile establishment.
MORE LOT DONATIONS
April 16, 1866-The commissioners ordered that donations of lots in Lan- caster be made from the county lots to persons who would build respectable houses on the same. No lots in block 6, which was for courthouse, were to be included in this arrangement. Oak Creek Precinct was set off from Lancaster Precinct.
April 15, 1867-Buffalo Precinct was formed.
PRICE OF LOTS
June 18, 1867-It was ordered that W. T. Donovan be allowed to build on lots 3 and 4, in block 22, in Lancaster. It was ordered that all town lots not reserved for county purposes be sold for the prices and under the conditions following : inside lots for not less than twenty-five dollars each; corner lots for not less than fifty dollars ; each or none to be sold unless 25 per cent of purchase price was paid immediately and the balance in six months.
July 1, 1867-Upper Salt Creek Precinct was formed.
STATE CAPITAL INDUCEMENT
August 1, 1867-The commissioners proceeded to consider the question of donating the interest of the county in the Town of Lancaster to the state. Upon due consideration it was ordered that the interest of Lancaster County in the Town of Lancaster be quit-claimed to the State of Nebraska in consideration of the permanent location of the capitol and other state buildings thereat adjoining, also that one block of lots in Lincoln, of the new survey, be reserved for the county courthouse, also suitable grounds for the county jail. Richard Wallingford was authorized to execute and acknowledge the deed to said land.
April 6, 1868-It was ordered that a license be granted to Phillip Moll for the sale of malt, spirituous and vinous liquors and that he pay $too for the same. (This is the first liquor license recorded in the commissioners' records. )
INCORPORATION OF LINCOLN
At this same meeting it was ordered that the Town of Lincoln be declared a body corporate and that the powers and privileges be granted as by the statute in such case made and provided. The following persons were appointed trustees for the said corporation : L. A. Scoggins, B. F. Cozad, Doctor Porter, W. W. Carder and A. L. Palmer.
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April 21. 1868-The county commissioners counted thirty-four wolf and sixteen wildcat scalps and paid bounty on the same.
July 6, 1868-The total assessed valuation of property in Lancaster County was declared to be $466,425.
July 17, 1868-Antelope Precinct was formed.
July 27, 1868-It was ordered that Lancaster County be redistricted into com- missioners' districts as follows: the first district to include the first two tiers of townships in the south part of the county running east and west ; the second dis- trict to include the second two tiers of townships lying east and west ; and the third district to include the third two tiers of townships lying east and west in the north part of the county. C. H. Gere was appointed attorney for Lancaster County. It was ordered that one tier of sections be set off from the north side of Antelope Precinct and added to Buffalo Precinct.
OFFER TO RAILROAD COMPANIES
September 14, 1868-It was ordered that 500 propositions for ballots be printed, containing-first, proposition of giving $100,000 to the first railway company to come to Lincoln; second, proposition of using bonds for building bridges in the county ; and third, the use of bonds for courthouse and jail. The propositions as printed were as follows :
I
"Shall the county commissioners of Lancaster County issue bonds to the amount of $100,000, payable on or before the expiration of twenty years from date and bearing interest at the rate of 10 per cent per annum, payable annually, to be used in the construction of the first railroad that shall be completed to Lincoln, the county seat, prior to the 1st day of December. 1869; forming a connection by rail with the Missouri River?
II
"Shall the county commissioners in case the said railroad shall be completed according to the above conditions, as soon after such completion as may be, levy an annual tax of $15,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to pay the interest on the said railroad bonds, and to redeem and cancel one-twentieth part of said bonds, provided such tax does not exceed the amount allowed by law to be levied in such cases upon the county valuation in one year ; or in the case it does exceed such amount, so much thereof as may be lawfully levied ?
TII
"Shall the county commissioners issue bond to the amount of $10.000, pay- able on or before the expiration of ten years from date, and bearing interest at the rate of 10 per cent per annum, payable annually, to be used to build a court- house and jail for the county ?
View showing high school, about 1870. Look- ing southeast from Postoffice Square
Looking southwest from Capitol, showing Governor Butler's residence in distance
Looking northwest from Capitol. about 1870
View looking southwest from Capitol, about 1870
EARLY SCENES IN LINCOLN
[From Clement's Collection of Early Nebraska Photographs. Property of and used by permission of Nebraska History Seminar, State University ]
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IV
"Shall the county commissioners levy an annual tax of $2,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to pay the interest on said courthouse and jail bonds, and to redeem and cancel one-tenth part thereof.
V
"Shall the county commissioners issue bonds to the amount of $10,000, pay- able on or before the expiration of ten years from date, and bearing interest at the rate of 10 per cent per annum, payable annually, to be used in the construction of bridges upon the public roads in the county ?
VI
"Shall the county commissioners levy an annual tax of $2,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to pay the interest on said bridge bonds and to redeem and cancel one-tenth part thereof?"
October 5. 1868-The railroad proposition was changed so that the depot should come within a mile of the courthouse square. The election was also postponed until Novembed 3d.
November 17, 1868-The commissioners met to consider submitting to popu- lar vote the proposition made by the Omaha & Southwestern Railroad Company to build a railroad to Lincoln by the Ist of September, 1870, provided Lancaster County would donate $100,000 in county bonds.
January 4, 1869-It was ordered that the sheriff of Lancaster County be authorized and empowered to secure a suitable place for the confinement of pris- oners provided it could be done without extra expense to the county.
April 6, 1869-Petition of Alfred Canfield and twenty-two others that town 9, range 8, and the east half of town 9, range 7 east, be set off from Stevens Creek Precinct as a voting precinct to be known as Stockton Precinct was granted by the commissioners.
April 7, 1869-James R. Deland, of Lincoln, came before the board and presented the petition of A. J. Cropsey and 182 others, all residents of Lincoln, asking that section 26, the west half of section 25, the southwest quarter of sec- tion 24 and the south half of section 23. all in town 10 north, range 6 east be incorporated as a town under the name of Lincoln. The petition was granted and H. S. Jennings, S. B. Linderman, H. D. Gilbert, J. L. McConnell and D. W. Tingley were appointed trustees.
BURLINGTON BONDS
A special election was ordered for May 24. 1869. for the purpose of voting on the proposition to issue $50,000 in bonds in aid of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Company, provided the railroad commenced work on or before June 3, 1869.
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OTHER RAILROAD BONDS
A special election was ordered for July 19, 1869, on the question of issuing bonds to the extent of $50,000 to the Midland Pacific Railway Company, pro- vided that the railroad commenced work on or before July 25, 1869, between Ne- braska City and Lincoln and that the work would be continued until regular trains were running over the railroad between Lincoln and the Missouri River.
Also, for the same special election, the proposition of giving $50,000, for which bonds were to be issued, to the Bellevue, Ashland & Lincoln Railroad Company, if the railroad should commence work on or before July 25, 1869, and have trains running between Lincoln and Bellevue on the Missouri River, was placed on the ballot.
Both of these propositions carried at the election on July 19th.
COUNTY OFFICE ROOMS
August 3, 1869-It was ordered that the rooms rented by the county com- missioners for the use of the county officers of James Sweet & Brock be assigned to the following officers in this manner : The east two rooms should be occupied by the county clerk and the county attorney; the room formerly occupied by Pound & Robinson should be used by the county treasurer ; the west two rooms should be assigned to the probate judge and the county sheriff.
The election places in the different precincts for the year 1869 were as fol- lows: Lancaster Precinct, county treasurer's office; Saltillo Precinct, house of John W. Prey; Stevens Creek Precinct, house of Jonathan Ball; Buffalo Pre- cinct, Brunton's schoolhouse; Antelope Precinct, house of James Platt ; Stockton Precinct, house of Aaron Woods; Camp Creek Precinct, the Camp Creek school- house ; Oak Creek Precinct, house of Silas Pratt; Upper Salt Creek Precinct, house of Robert Falkner.
April 6, 1870-The petition of Amos Lippincott and others that town 10, range 5, be formed into a new precinct to be known as Middle Creek Precinct granted. The same was to be taken from Lancaster Precinct.
May 4, 1870-It was ordered by the county commissioners that a new pre- cinct be formed to contain town 9, range 7, and to be known as Pleasant Hill Precinct.
MORE RAILROAD BONDS
August 9, 1870-A special election was ordered by the commissioners on the proposition of issuing county bonds for $150,000 to the Midland Pacific Rail- road Company as soon as the railroad should tie and iron ten miles of their road in Lancaster County, also part of the fund when trains should run from Nebraska City to J Street in Lincoln. To this proposition the railroad filed a remonstrance, claiming that the commissioners had changed the original proposition. The com- missioners met on August 25th and denied this allegation.
September 7, 1870-Town 12, range 8, was set apart and Mill Precinct was formed.
A special election was again ordered for October 11, 1870, on the bonds for
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$150,000 to the Midland Pacific Railroad Company. The proposition carried by a vote of 528 to 469.
The people voted 659 to 315 in favor of giving $100,000 to the Nemala Valley, Lincoln & Loup Fork Railroad.
Also, by a vote of 535 to 456. $125,000 was given in aid of the Omaha & Southwestern Railroad Company, from Lincoln to the south line of the county.
NEW PRECINCT DIVISION
December 9. 1870-On motion it was ordered that from this date the several congressional townships of the County of Lancaster each should constitute a precinct for election and other purposes. The same were divided and set off and were known and designated as follows: Town 7, range 5, was set off as Olive Branch Precinct ; town 7, range 6, as Buda Precinct ; town 7, range 7, as South Pass Precinct ; town 7, range 8, as Panama Precinct; town 8, range 5, as High- land Precinct ; town 8, range 6, as Centreville Precinct ; town 8, range 7, as Saltillo Precinct ; town 8, range 8, as Nemaha Precinct ; town 9, range 5, as Denton Pre- cinct ; town 9, range 6, as Yankee Hill Precinct ; town 9, range 7, as Pleasant Hill Precinct ; town 9, range 8, as Stockton Precinct ; town 10, range 5, as Middle Creek Precinct ; town 10, range 6, as Lincoln Precinct ; town 10, range 7, as Lan- caster Precinct ; town 10, range 8, as Stevens Creek Precinct; town II, range 5, as Elk Precinct ; Town II, range 6, as Oak Precinct ; town II, range 7, as North Bluff Precinct ; town 11, range 8, as Waverly Precinct ; town 12, range 5, as West Oak Precinct ; town 12, range 6, as Little Salt Precinct ; town 12, range 7, as Rock Creek Precinct; and town 12, range 8, as Mill Precinct.
District No. 1 in each precinct was designated as sections 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. District No. 2 should include sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17 and 18. District No. 3 should include sections 19, 20, 21, 28, 29. 30. 31, 32 and 33. Dis- trict No. 4 should include sections 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 34, 35 and 36. This excepted Oak Creek, West Oak and Little Salt Precincts, which came to be known as one road district, designated as No. I.
FIRST COURTHOUSE AND JAIL ACTION
September 5, 1871-The lease of the east rooms over the State Bank of Ne- braska for the county clerk's office for year ending July 12, 1872, was accepted.
The petition of a large number of the citizens of the county was presented, asking for the issuing of bonds for the erection of a courthouse and jail. It was ordered submitted to the people at the next general election, October 10, 1871, provided that the new constitution of Nebraska be ratified and adopted on Sep- tember 19. 1871. and then election should be held on November 7th. The bonds were to be for the sum of $50,000.
RAILROAD AID
October 4, 1871-P. T. Abell, president of the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad Company, under date of August 29, 1871, accepted the proposition of the $120,- 000 in county bonds, the railroad to be completed in two years, the depot grounds Vol. I-4
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in Lincoln to be granted to the road, and that the right of way should not cost the company over five thousand dollars. It was also stipulated that the county board should make order rescinding the former vote made to the Nemaha Valley Road. The commissioners ordered a special election to be held on November 7, 1871, to learn the will of the people on this question. The vote resulted in a count of 767 to 367 in favor of the proposition.
At the same time a vote of 767 to 360 was given in favor of borrowing $20,000 for a jail building.
COURTHOUSE SQUARE EXCHANGE
A special election was ordered for November 7th on the following proposition : Shall the county commissioners be authorized to convey by deed blocks No. 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30, 34, 38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58 and 62 in the old Lancaster Townsite to the state in exchange for courthouse square in the City of Lincoln and suitable grounds for a jail? The people voted 871 to 249 in favor of this transaction.
October 30 1871-A special election was ordered held on November 28, 1871, on the issuing of bonds for $100,000 in aid of the Midland Pacific Railroad Com- pany, for the extension and completion of their road from Lincoln to the Union Pacific Railroad.
LANCASTER COUNTY POOR HOUSE AND POOR FARM
April 2, 1872-The following is recorded upon the official record : "Whereas, There has been built and completed by the county commissioners for the benefit of our said county, a commodious and comfortable building situated upon the north half of section 33 in town II, north of range 6 east, whichi said house and tract of land are to be hereafter devoted to the care and comfort of the paupers necessarily falling to the care of our said county and is to be known as the Lan- caster County Poor House and Poor Farm. Now, therefore, it is ordered and notice is hereby given, in accordance with section 21 of chapter 40, revised stat- utes, State of Nebraska, that said house is now ready for the reception of such paupers and that the ex-officio authorities and duties of justices of the peace as overseers of the poor shall cease from this date."
STATE FAIR PROPOSITION
June 4, 1872-A special election was ordered for July 6. 1872, to vote on the proposition to bond the county for $15,000, for improvements to the Lancaster County Fair Grounds, also for holding the State Fair here commencing on September 3, 1872.
September 1, 1873-The board of commissioners accepted the second bid of W. H. B. Stout to build the jail complete according to plans and specifications, with six cells, for $17,500. L. W. Foster was the architect.
September 1, 1874-Lincoln Precinct was divided into three separate pre- cincts, namely : Lincoln, Capitol and Midland.
September 12, 1874-Election ordered for October 13, 1874, on the question
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of buying the grounds on which were erected buildings and other improvements of the Lancaster County Agricultural Society for $9,000.
September 13, 1875-Special election ordered for October 16, 1875, to bond the county for $20,000 in aid of the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad Company.
September 16, 1875-A special election was ordered for October 16, 1875, in the precincts of Lincoln, Elk, Midland, Capitol, Little Salt, Oak, North Bluff, Rock Creek and West Oak for bonds in aid of the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad Company. All these precincts voted in favor of the bonds except West Oak, North Bluff and Elk.
AID FOR L. B. & R. V. R. R. CO.
May 9, 1876-A special election was ordered to be held on June 17, 1876, on the question of issuing the county bonds for $100,000 in aid of the Lincoln, Beatrice & Republican Valley Railroad Company. However, at a meeting of the board of commissioners on May 31, 1876, the above election order was revoked for several reasons.
FIRTII
January 28, 1879-A petition to incorporate the Town of Firth was granted, the boundaries to be the northwest quarter of section 35, town 7, range 7. W. H. Moore, Owen Evans, George Mellinger, C. M. Bailey, G. G. Beams were ap- pointed first trustees. Thirty-five signed the petition and eighteen signed a remonstrance against the incorporation.
O. & R. V. R. R. CO.
July 10, 1879-It is recorded that the precincts of Lincoln, Midland and Capitol voted bonds in favor of the Omaha & Republican Valley Railroad Com- pany by the respective votes of 208 to 154, 299 to 104. 342 to 94.
July 22, 1879 The freeholders of Little Salt Precinct petitioned for an election for precinct bonds for $3,000 in aid of the Omaha & Republican Valley Railroad and their line from Valparaiso, in Saunders County. into Lincoln, the road to be completed in 1880. The commissioners called the election for August 20, 1879, and the result was thirty to fourteen in favor of the bonds.
L. & N. W. R. R. CO.
The freeholders of Lincoln Precinct asked for a bond election to give $7,000 to the Lincoln & Northwestern Railroad Company for their line from Lincoln to the north line of the county. The commissioners ordered the election for August 20, 1879, and the bonds were voted by 192 to 140.
At the same time and under the same procedure Midland Precinct voted $11,500 in bonds by 296 to 94, Capital Precinct voted $9,500 in bonds by 318 to 114, Rock Creek Precinct voted $7,000 in bonds by 61 to 2, to the same road ; but North Bluff Precinct voted against a bond issue by 28 to 19.
August 30, 1879-Centreville Precinct petitioned for an election to issue bonds
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for $5,000 to the Omaha & Republican Valley, but at the election on September 30th voted sixty-nine to twelve against the proposition.
April 13, 1880-Capital Precinct was vacated and the territory taken over by Midland and Lincoln precincts.
The assessed valuation for 1880 of the whole county amounted to $4,331,970, and that of railroads $597,413, making a total of $4,920,383. Personal property in this sum amounted to $1, 170,402, among 28,097 people ; real estate, $2,099,808; and lots, $1,061,760.
August 31, 1880-It was ordered by the commissioners that at the first election in November a vote should be taken on the proposition to bond the county for $25,000 in order to construct a courthouse on the square reserved for that pur- pose in Lincoln. No further record of this order was made.
BENNETT 1
August 15, 1881-The petition of John P. Pratt, et al., for the incorporation of Bennett as a village, was rejected for the reason that it was not signed by a majority of the stockholders.
October 18, 1881-Remonstrance to the above order received.
October 25, 1881-Bennett was ordered incorporated as a village and J. E. Vanderlip. John P. Pratt, F. A. Sidles, J. G. Southwick and Austin Gribling were appointed trustees.
COURT HIOUSE LEVY
October 6, 1882-The commissioners on this date ordered an election in No- vember on placing a 5-mill levy in addition to previous levies on the county for five years in order to make up the sum of $125,000, which was to be used in the construction of a courthouse.
PRECINCT FORMATION
October 3, 1883-The precincts of Garfield, Lancaster, Government, Midland, Antelope and Capital were formed.
July 15, 1884-The $100,000 in bonds given to the Midland Pacific Railroad Company, bearing the date of January 1, 1873, were declared illegal and repudiated.
WAVERLY
June 23. 1885-The petition signed by H. Atkinson and thirty-two others asking that Waverly be incorporated as a village was granted. Charles Cook, James Schofield, J. N. Case, Harry Wells and Harrison Rose were appointed trustees.
HICKMAN
July 8, 1885-The petition filed by C. Wisner and thirty-four others asking for the incorporation of Hickman as a village was granted.
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ROCA
September 22, 1885-The petition for the incorporation of Roca as a village, signed by John Harrup, Fred Schwake and others was granted. A remonstrance had been filed by H. C. Demaree, George Cleveland and others August 12th.
COURTHOUSE BOND ELECTIONS
October 2, 1885-The commissioners ordered that the proposition of bonding the county for $125,000 for the erection of a courthouse be submitted to the vote of the people at the next general election on November 3, 1885.
April 23, 1887-The commissioners ordered an election for May 31, 1887, to vote on the proposition to issue bonds to the amount of $200,000 for the construc- tion of a county court house.
June 3, 1887-It was reported that 3,028 votes had been cast at the above election on May 31st-2,416 in favor of the bond issue and 612 against it. O. C. Bell, county clerk, notified the architects that plans and specifications to build a courthouse would be received by him until noon on Tuesday, July 5, 1887.
COMMISSIONERS' TOUR
June 30, 1887-The board agreed that they should make a tour through some of the eastern states and examine different courthouses, to better enable them to receive plans and specifications of the Lancaster County building.
July 14, 1887-The board met again, after a tour through the states of Indi- ana, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa and Ohio. They fixed dates for the various archi- tects to explain their plans as follows : E. E. Myers & Son, Detroit, July 15, 1887, by telegraph to Omaha ; G. W. Bunting, Indianapolis, July 15th, in P. M .; O. E. Placey, Lincoln, July 16th ; Schwage & Nichols, Kansas City, July 19th; F. M. Ellis, Omaha, July 20th ; J. Hodgson, Omaha, July 21st.
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