Click Image to Enlarge
Nebraska Counties
There is ninety-three counties in state of Nebraska. Despite the fact that Sarpy County contained the oldest settlement in the state, it was one of the last lands along the river to be recognized by law. Finally, on February 1, 1857, the land "where the cities meet the country" was officially created.Hall County, Nebraska
Hall County Education, Geography, and History
Hall County is a county located in the state of Nebraska. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 58,607, making it the fourth-most
populous county in Nebraska. Its county seat is Grand Island. The county was formed in 1858 and named after Augustus Hall, an early judge of
this territory.
Hall County is part of the Grand Island, NE Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Etymology - Origin of Hall County Name
Namedin honor of Augustus Hall, who was Chief Justice of the Territorial Supreme Court at the time the county's original boundaries were created.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Hall County History
When Maj. Stephen H. Long, a Union
government engineer, passed through this area in 1820 while returning from an
expedition in the Rocky Mountains, he reported the area was "wholly unfit for
cultivation and uninhabitable by a people depending on agriculture for their
subsistence." Long's harsh observation would prove to be erroneous, however.
Agriculture in the lush Platte River Valley dates back to the days when the
Pawnee Indians located their villages along the south bank of the river. The
Pawnee would depend more on their crops of corn and pumpkins than they would on
the buffalo that roamed the area. Early white settlers lived off the land as
well, selling corn to nearby Fort Kearny.
Hall County was created by the Territorial Legislature on Nov. 4, 1858. The
county's original boundaries would be redefined again in 1864 and 1871. This new
county was named in honor of Augustus Hall, who was Chief Justice of the
Territorial Supreme Court at the time the county's original boundaries were
created.
The Mormon Trail brought many of the first settlers to the Hall County area. But
like so many other counties that border the Platte River, the westward
advancement of the Union Pacific Railroad in the 1860s can be credited with
contributing to the most significant development.
One of the sidings located along the rail line was approximately two miles north
of a settlement on the north bank of the river. The settlement was relocated to
the site of the siding and renamed Grand Island City. Within six years it would
be incorporated and become the county seat. The name, later shorted to simply
Grand Island, was derived from a large island in the river.
The stately courthouse that today serves the county was completed in 1903 and
has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1980 the county
added an Administration Building directly across the street. The courthouse is
used primarily for the courts and county corrections, with the other county
offices housed in the Administration Building.
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 552 square miles (1,430 km2), of which 546 square miles (1,410 km2) is
land and 5.9 square miles (15 km2) (1.1%) is water.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Merrick County (northeast)
- Hamilton County (east)
- Clay County (southeast)
- Adams County (south)
- Kearney County (southwest)
- Howard County (west)
- Buffalo County (north)
Education
Click Image to Enlarge
