Arthur County First Courthouse, Arthur County NE - Courthouses on Waymarking.com

Although there are ten other counties with a population under a thousand, Arthur County, with 444 residents in the 2000 census, has the smallest population of any Nebraska County. The town of Arthur, population 145, is the only town in the county.

The county was originally under the jurisdiction first of Logan County, and then, McPherson County. In the early years of the 20th century The Kincaid Act, providing for larger areas of homestead land, brought many settlers into the area and division of the counties was deemed necessary. Arthur County's boundaries had been established in 1889 as a precinct of the neighboring counties but formal organization of the county was not completed until 1913.

The small white frame courthouse built in 1914, served the county for 28 years and during that time it was believed to be the smallest courthouse in the United States. The building measures 26 by 28 feet and lacks indoor plumbing.

When a new courthouse was constructed in 1962 the original building was moved a short distance into the city park where it is nicely preserved along with a little white frame jail. The courthouse and jail were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Year Built: 1914 Current Use of Building: Museum Level of Courts: County Dates this building was used to house judicial proceedings: 1914 -1962 Physical Address: City Park Marshall street between Fir and Elm Arthur, NE 69121 Related Website: [Web Link] Architect: Not listed Hours: Not listed

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