Gosper County, Nebraska

Gosper County Education, Geography, and History

Gosper County is a county located in the state of Nebraska. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 2,044. Its county seat is Elwood. The county was formed in 1873 and later organized in 1881. It was named after John J. Gosper, a Secretary of State of Nebraska.

Gosper County is part of the Lexington, NE Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Gosper County Name

name of Nebraska Secretary of State John J. Gosper was chosen as the county name

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Gosper County History

Between 1873 and 1889, three different county seats served the inhabitants of Gosper County. These continuing changes were due to shifts in population that occurred during the 16-year period. As one might imagine, each relocation of the county seat did not go unchallenged.

A growing interest in having an organized county government for this area culminated when a petition requesting such was filed with Gov. Robert Furnas in July 1873. A month later a proclamation was issued for the county's organization and the name of Nebraska Secretary of State John J. Gosper was chosen as the county name. Daviesville, the site of the area's first post office, was named the county seat. It would not be until March 2, 1881, however, that the county's organization was legalized and its boundaries officially established by the Legislature.

In November 1873, county commissioners, who had been elected less than four months earlier, authorized the construction of a courthouse in Daviesville. They did not, however, appropriate the necessary funding and as a result a courthouse was never built. For a number of years, officials kept county records and books in their homes.

During those years a new settlement known as Homerville was developed with the anticipation that the railroad would pass through it. Rapid growth of the settlement led to an election in August 1882, and Homerville became the county seat over two rivals. But the railroad never came to Homerville.

When the Burlington Railroad advanced westward toward Colorado, a townsite known as Elwood was platted in 1885. It was just three years later that a bitterly contested election ended with Elwood becoming the county seat. Homerville's businessmen and inhabitants followed the courthouse to Elwood, which today serves as the county seat. Fifty years after the local government offices were relocated to Elwood, voters approved a $42,000 bond issue to match a Public Works Administration grant to build the current courthouse.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 463 square miles (1,200 km²), of which 458 square miles (1,190 km²) is land and 4.6 square miles (12 km²) (1.0%) is water

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Phelps County (east)
• Furnas County (south)
• Frontier County (west)
• Dawson County (north)

Education

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