NRHP: First Custer County Courthouse

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First Custer County Courthouse

First Custer County Courthouse

NRHP Reference #: 89002213

NRHP Listing Date: 19900110

Location

Pacific St & Cameron Ave, Callaway, Custer County, Nebraska

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Summary

Custer County was organized in 1877 when the governor designated the county seat to be located on the Milo Young ranch, which was in the southwest part of the county. The first courthouse was a log building on the ranch that was constructed the previous year. The log courthouse suited the needs of the sparsely populated county in the early settlement years, but with increased settlement came an interest in a more centrally located county seat. In an 1883 election, Broken Bow, which was nearer the county's geographic center, won the county seat contest. The first Custer County courthouse continued to be used as a house for the Young family for years, but by 1933 was in disrepair and abandoned. Residents of Callaway worked to preserve the old courthouse. Led by civic organizations, they secured approval from Milo Young's heirs in 1933 to move, rehabilitate, preserve, and reuse the log building.

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About the National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the country’s official list of historically significant properties. To be eligible for the NRHP a property must generally retain their historic appearance, be at least 50 years old, and have the potential to be documented as historically or architecturally significant at either the local, state, or national level. The National Register of Historic Places is a National Park Service program administered by the Nebraska State Historical Society for the state of Nebraska. Visit the Nebraska State Historical Society's website to learn more about the program.