County History

In the year 1908 the Nebraska State Legislature passed an act providing for the division of Cheyenne County.

The county was divided by vote, the line of division running east and west a few miles south of the town of Bridgeport.

By vote the part north of the division line was called Morrill County.

An election was called by the Governor of the State to decide the location of the county seat and also to elect officers for the new county.

At the election it was decided that Bridgeport should be the future county seat.

The following is a copy of the Governor's proclamation:

 

 

PROCLAMATION

 

"Whereas, The Secretary of State has notified me that at the general election held on November 3, 1908, a new county, known as Morrill County was erected or established out of part of the territory of Cheyenne County, Nebraska:

 

Now, therefore, by virtue of the authority in me vested and in pursuance of the statutes of the State of Nebraska, I do hereby order an election of county officers for the new County of Morrill, Nebraska, which said election shall be held on Tuesday, the twenty-second day of December, 1908.

 

Notice of said election shall be given by publishing a notice thereof in the Bayard Transcript and Bridgeport Blade, newspapers published and in general circulation in said new County of Morrill, for two consecutive weeks prior to said election, and by posting notices in three conspicuous places in the new County of Morrill.

 

The county officers to be elected at said election shall be one county treasurer, one county clerk, one county judge, one sheriff, one county attorney, one county assessor, one coroner, one county surveyor, one county superintendent of public instruction, and three county commissioners.

 

At such election, the voters of the county shall determine the permanent location of the county seat; for this purpose each voter may designate on his ballot the place of his choice for the county seat.

 

The voting places of all of the various precincts in said new County of Morrill shall be the same as they were at the last general election except the voters in that part of Trognitz precinct and the west half of Davison precinct embraced in said new county shall vote at the voting place of Redington precinct, and the voters of that part of the east half of Davison precinct and Union Valley precinct included in said new county shall vote at the voting place in Court House Rock precinct.

 

By virtue of the authority in me vested and in pursuance of the statutes of the State of Nebraska, I hereby designate Bridgeport, in Morrill County, Nebraska, as the temporary county seat until the permanent county seat is located at an election by the electors of said county, and I hereby declare Bridgeport as the temporary county seat of said Morrill County, Nebraska.

 

In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Nebraska.

Done at Lincoln this 12th day of November, A.D. 1908. [Seal.]

George Lawson Sheldon, Governor. By the Governor. Geo. C. Junkin, Secretary of State.

Source:  The Morrills and Reminiscences