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306

NEBRASKA BLUE BOOK, 1930

POST OFFICES IN NEBRASKA--Continued

Post Office	County	Post Office	County
Papillion	Sarpy	Sacramento	Phelps
Parks	Dundy	St. Ann	Frontier
Paul	Otoe	St. Columbans	Sarpy
Pauline	Adams	St. Edward	Boone
Pawnee City	Pawnee	St. Helena	Cedar
Paxton	Keith	St. Libory	Howard
Pender	Thurston	St. Mary	Johnson
Peru	Nemaha	St. Michael	Buffalo
Peters	Sheridan	St. Paul	Howard
Petersburg	Boone	Salem	Richardson
Phillips	Hamilton	Santee	Knox
Phoenix	Holt	Sarben	Keith
Pickrell	Gage	Sargent	Custer
Pierce	Pierce	Saronville	Clay
Pike	Brown	Schuyler	Colfax
Pilger	Stanton	Scotia	Greeley
Pinecamp	Keya Paha	Scottsbluff	Scotts Bluff
Pine Ridge	Dawes	Scribner	Dodge
Plainview	Pierce	Sedan	Nuckolls
Platte Center.	Platte	Seneca	Thomas
Plattsmouth	Cass	Seward	Seward
Pleasantdale	Seward	Shelby	Polk
Pleasanton	Buffalo	Shelton	Buffalo
Plymouth	Jefferson	Sheridan	Wheeler
Polk	Polk	Shickley	Fillmore
Ponca	Dixon	Shippee	Red Willow
Poole	Buffalo	Sholes	Wayne
Potter	Cheyenne	Shubert	Richardson
Powell	Jefferson	Sidney	Cheyenne
Prague	Saunders	Silver Creek	Merrick
Prairie Home	Lancaster	Simeon	Cherry
Preston	Richardson	Smithfield	Gosper
Primrose	Boone	Snyder	Dodge
Princeton	Lancaster	Somerset	Lincoln
Prosser	Adams	South Bend	Cass
Purdum	Blaine	South Omaha	Douglas
Quick	Frontier	South Sioux City	Dakota
Rackett	Garden	Spalding	Greeley
Raeville	Boone	Sparks	Cherry
Ragan	Harlan	Spencer	Boyd
Ralston	Douglas	Sprague	Lancaster
Randolph	Cedar	Springfield	Sarpy
Ravenna	Buffalo	Springranch	Clay
Raymond	Lancaster	Springview	Keya Paha
Red Bird	Holt	Stafford	Holt
Red Cloud	Webster	Stamford	Harlan
Redington	Morrill	Stanton	Stanton
Republican City	Harlan	Staplehurst	Seward
Rescue	Saunders	Stapleton	Logan
Reynolds	Jefferson	Star	Holt
Rice	Arthur	Steele City	Jefferson
Richfield	Sarpy	Steinauer	Pawnee
Richland	Colfax	Stella	Richardson
Ringgold	McPherson	Sterling	Johnson
Rising City	Butler	Stock Yards (Omaha Sta.)	Douglas
Riverdale	Buffalo	Stockham	Hamilton
Riverton	Franklin	Stockville	Frontier
Riverview	Keya Paha	Stoddard	Thayer
Roca	Lancaster	Story	Sioux
Rockford	Gage	Strang	Fillmore
Rockville	Sherman	Stratton	Hitchcock
Rogers	Colfax	Stromsburg	Polk
Rohrs	Nemaha	Stuart	Holt
Rolf	Cherry	Summit	Thomas
Rosalie	Thurston	Sumner	Dawson
Roscoe	Keith	Sunol	Cheyenne
Rose	Rock	Superior	Nuckolls
Roseland	Adams	Surprise	Butler
Rosemont	Webster	Survey	Cherry
Round Valley	Custer	Sutherland	Lincoln
Royal	Antelope	Sutton	Clay
Rulo	Richardson	Swanton	Saline
Rushville	Sheridon	Swedeburg	Saunders
Ruskin	Nuckolls	Sweetwater	Buffalo

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POST OFFICES IN NEBRASKA--Continued

Post Office	County	Post Office	County
Sybrant	Rock	Wakefield	Dixon
Syracuse	Otoe	Wallace	Lincoln
Table	Custer	Walnut	Knox
Table Rock	Pawnee	Walnut Hill (Omaha Sta.)	Douglas
Talmage	Otoe	Walthill	Thurston
Tamora	Seward	Walton	Lancaster
Tarnov	Platte	Wann	Saunders
Taylor	Loup	Washington	Washington
Tecumseh	Johnson	Waterbury	Dixon
Tekamah	Burt	Waterloo	Douglas
Thayer	York	Wauneta	Chase
Thedford	Thomas	Wausa	Knox
Thompson	Jefferson	Waverly	Lancaster
Thuene	McPherson	Wayne	Wayne
Thurston	Thurston	Wayside	Dawes
Tilden	Madison	Weeping Water	Cass
Tobias	Saline	Weissert	Custer
Touhy	Saunders	Wellfleet	Lincoln
Trenton	Hitchcock	Wells	Cherry
Trumbull	Clay	Western	Saline
Tryon	McPherson	Westerville	Custer
Uehling	Dodge	Weston	Saunders
Ulysses	Butler	West Point	Cuming
Unadilla	Otoe	Wheeler	Wheeler
Union	Cass	White	Hayes
University Pl. (Sta. Lincoln)	Lancaster	Whiteclay	Sheridan
Upland	Franklin	Whitman	Grant
Utica	Seward	Whitney	Dawes
Valentine	Cherry	Wilber	Saline
Valley	Douglas	Wilcox	Kearney
Valleyview	Loup	Williams	Thayer
Valparaiso	Saunders	Willow Island	Dawson
Valyrang	McPherson	Wilsonville	Furnas
Velma	Arthur	Winnebago	Thurston
Venango	Perkins	Winnetoon	Knox
Venus	Knox	Winside	Wayne
Verdel	Knox	Winslow	Dodge
Verdigre	Knox	Wisner	Cuming
Verdon	Richardson	Wolbach	Greeley
Verona	Clay	Wood Lake	Cherry
Vervine	Grant	Wood River	Hall
Vesta	Johnson	Wrage	Cherry
Vian	Cherry	Wymore	Gage
Violet	Pawnee	Wynot	Cedar
Virginia	Gage	Wyoming	Otoe
Wabash	Cass	York	York
Waco	York	Yutan	Saunders
Wahoo	Saunders

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      County government in Nebraska began with the proclamation of Acting Governor Cuming in November, 1854, establishing the boundaries of the eight original counties and appointing places and officers of election in the designated precincts. These counties were Burt, Washington, Dodge, Douglas, Cass, Pierce (afterwards Otoe), Forney (afterwards Nemaha) and Richardson.
     The first territorial legislature, in a Series of acts passed in March, 1855, redefined the boundaries of the original counties, located county seats in some of them and changed two county names. This legislature also provided for the organization of Gage, Loup, Greene, York, Lancaster, Buffalo, Blackbird, Dakota, Pawnee, Clay, Cuming, McNeal, Saline, Jackson, Johnston and Izard counties. None of these counties retain their original boundaries, and the names of several of them and of other counties subsequently created have disappeared from the map. The original Clay county was divided and merged with, Lancaster and Gage in 1864. The original Loup county afterwards became Platte and Colfax counties, Many other counties have been created--the latest being Arthur county in 1913.
     The first county officers were appointed by the territorial governor. The legislature of 1855 provided for the election of "one probate judge, one register, one sheriff, one treasurer, and one surveyor for each county," and fixed the amount of their official bonds. The legislature of 1856 provided for the election of county commissioners, justices of the peace, and constables. The election of county superintendents was provided for in an act of March 16, 1855.
     The first definite method of organizing new counties was specified in an act of March 14, 1855. It provided that "whenever the citizens of any unorganized county desire to have the same organized, they may make application by petition in writing, signed by a majority of the legal voters of said county, to the judge of probate of the county to which such unorganized county is attached, whereupon the said judge of probate shall order an election for county officers in such unorganized county." The probate judge was to appoint three disinterested commissioners from his county to locate the seat of government in the new county. Some of the early acts describing county boundaries included the names of the commissioners of location for the county seat.
     The passage of a legislative act establishing a county did not necessarily signify that the county had been or would be established. The act creating Lancaster county Was approved March 6, 1855, while

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the first steps to perfect a county organization were not taken until the fall of 1859--over four years later. Meanwhile, the legislature' had changed the original boundaries of the county so that it covered comparatively little of its original territory. This is typical of the early period of county government in Nebraska.
     The functions of pioneer county government were simple. The heaviest item of taxation was that levied for roads. It consisted of a poll tax and a land tax of three dollars on a quarter section. These taxes could be paid in labor or money at the option of the taxpayer. Both territorial and county roads were being made, and the work of surveying, grading and bridging took much of the time of the early settlers. The tendency was to put all public offices on the elective basis, so that by 1864 all county and precinct officers were elected. These included practically the full complement of officers that obtains today, except that, for a time, the county clerk was also register of deeds, and that from 1858 to 1867 there was no provision for the office of county superintendent.
     In 1883 the legislature provided for the township form of county government at the option of the county. At present twenty-seven out of the ninety-three counties are operating under the township form of government. The governing boards of these counties consist of supervisors elected from seven supervisor districts, or, at the option of the electors of the county expressed by ballot, supervisors elected from each of the townships. At present but one county (York) has adopted the latter system. The law provides for changes from one form to the other of county government.
     In all commission governed counties having a population of less than 125,000 the county board consists of three commissioners, living in their respective districts. They are nominated by districts but elected by the county as a whole. Counties of more than one hundred and twenty-five thousand inhabitants have five commissioners, but counties of a smaller population may, by a majority of votes cast at an election, change the number of commissioners from three to five. The duties of the governing board in either commissioner governed counties or in counties under township organization are similar. A partial list of the duties of the county board are (1) to care for all real and personal estate owned by the county, (2) to manage county funds, (8) to sell or buy public buildings or grounds, (4) to lay out, alter or discontinue county roads, (5) to settle claims or judgments in favor of the county, (6) to cause taxes to be levied and collected for county purposes, (7) to provide supplies for county officers, (8) to publish an account of each regular annual meeting, (9) to prepare an estimate of county expenses, (10) to be overseers of the poor, and (11) to subdivide voting precincts when petitioned by a majority of the legal voters of the precinct.
     The salary of members of the county board is largest in Douglas county where a commissioner receives $2500 annually and must devote his entire time to the work of the county board. In smaller counties

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members of the board receive five dollars per day for the time actually employed though the total amount for the year cannot exceed a certain specified amount depending upon the population of the county.
The other elective county officers are the clerk, treasurer, surveyor, county superintendent, county judge, county attorney, sheriff, clerk of the district court, county assessor, unless the electorate, voting at a general election, abolish the office, and in counties having sixteen thousand or more inhabitants, a register of deeds. Terms of these officers are four years. All were elected in 1980 except the county judge who was elected in 1928.
     The county clerk is required to attend all sessions of the county board and to record its proceedings, to keep the county seal, countersign all warrants, preserve and file all accounts acted upon by the board, and keep a record of the work done on county roads. In counties of over 150,000 the county clerk is ex-officio comptroller of the county. In some counties the clerk acts as assessor, and in counties of less than 16,000 population as register of deeds. The maximum salary of the county clerk is $3,000; the minimum, $1,800, depending upon the population of the county.
     The county superintendent visits each of the schools in the county at least once a year, furnishes each district with a copy of the course of study prescribed by the state superintendent, conducts examinations and examines the reports of district boards, subject to the rules of the state superintendent. The minimum salary is specified by law, depending upon the school population of the county, but the county board determines the compensation of the county superintendent. In counties having a school population of less than 1500 the minimum salary is seven dollars per day; in counties having a school population of 15,000 or more the minimum salary is $2,500 per year.
The county attorney files complaints against persons guilty of misdemeanors, appears in court to prosecute and defend in behalf of the county, and gives legal advice to the county board and other county officers. The salary varies from $400 to $4,000 depending upon the population of the county.
     The county treasurer receives all money belonging to the county and pays it out only upon warrants. He publishes a semi-annual financial report, showing the receipts and disbursements of the county for that period. At least once in two years two competent accountants from the state auditor's office examine the books of each county treasurer. The county treasurer is ex-officio tax collector, keeps record of funding bonds, collects taxes on sanitary drainage and drainage districts, and is the fiscal agent of the county. The payment of indebtedness of any of the civil subdivisions of the state is made at the office of the county treasure?. The salary is fixed according to the population of the county, $1,800 in the counties of fewest inhabitants to $3,000 in Douglas county.

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     The register of deeds preserves all records, books, maps and papers concerning real estate in the county and records all deeds and mortgages. He is elected in counties having a population of over 16,000; in counties where the population is less than 16,000 the county clerk acts as register of deeds. The salary is $1,500 in the counties having a population from 16,000 to 25,000 and increases according to the population of the county until it reaches the sum of $8,500 in Douglas county.
     The county sheriff has the custody of the county jail and prisoners. Delinquent, neglected or dependent children under fourteen years of age who cannot be committed to jail may be committed to the care of the sheriff. It is the duty of the sheriff to execute writs and other legal processes issued by lawful authority, to keep the peace and prevent crime. He is required to secure evidence, arrest criminals and investigate infractions of the law. The salary varies from $1,200 to $4,000 depending upon the population of the county.
     The county surveyor makes all surveys in the county, prepares plans, specifications and drawings for the use of the county in letting contracts, makes estimates of costs of contemplated public Improvements and superintends the construction of such public improvements as roads, bridges and culverts. His salary cannot be more than $1,800 in counties of less than 50,000 inhabitants, and in Douglas county is $8,500.
The county judge presides over the county court. This court handles matters of probate, settlement of estates, appointment of guardians, and minor criminal cases. The county judge may serve as juvenile judge in the absence of the district judge. The amount of salary is specified by law, depending upon the population of the county. The minimum is $800 and the maximum, $4,500.
     The county assessor is not eligible for more than two consecutive terms. He examines and corrects the records of the previous assessment, sees that the schedules and forms are in shape for the use of the precinct assessors, instructs the precinct assessors in the technique of their duties, checks over the lists made by the precinct assessors, makes up the assessment books after correction, and verification, and files the books with the county clerk. The office of county assessor has been abolished in thirty-seven counties; fifty-six counties have county assessors. In counties having an assessed valuation of less than seven hundred thousand dollars the compensation of the county assessor shall not be more than seven dollars per day for the time actually employed. In counties having a population of five thousand o less the annual salary of the assessor is $250. The largest salary is paid in Douglas county where the yearly compensation is $8,000.
     The precinct assessors are elected for a term of two years. In Douglas county and in the eighteen cities having a population of four thousand And over, the precinct assessors are appointed by the county assessors by and with the consent of the county board. Their com-

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pensation is five dollars a day for the time actually employed in making the assessments. Their duty is to list property of most kinds for purposes of taxation.
     The clerk of the district court is elected in counties having a population of eight thousand or more. In counties having less than eight thousand inhabitants the county clerk acts as clerk of the district court. The clerk of the district court keeps the records, books and papers appertaining to the district court and records the proceedings of the court. He appoints the judges and clerks of election in each election precinct of the county except in those counties where there there is an election commissioner, furnishes the county clerk with a list of all persons who have served as petit jurors during the term for which they were drawn in counties of 80,000 population or more, and certifies and files certain papers connected with drainage districts. The amount of salary of the clerk of the district court, as of other county officers, is based on the population of the county. The minimum is $2,000 and the maximum, $4,000.
     In commission governed counties one justice of the peace is elected in each precinct, city or village having a population of five hundred or more, except in cities having a population of not less than forty thousand nor more than one hundred thousand, where there is a municipal court. Justices of the peace have jurisdiction in all cases where the sum in question does not exceed $200. In counties which are not under township organization one overseer of highways is elected for each road district. His term is two years.
     In counties under township organization there is elected, for terms of four years, one supervisor for each supervisor district. Justices of the peace are elected for a term of two years, as are also the township officers, the town clerk, and treasurer.

© 2002 for the NEGenWeb Project by Pam Rietsch, Ted & Carole Miller