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By act of the Territorial Legislature in March, 1855, the town of Brownville
was made the county seat of
Nemaha County.
But from the earliest time of
settlement there have been clamors for a removal.
Three years after the location
was made, a petition of a number of the people of the county, an election for a
relocation of the county seat was held. The election took place August 28, 1858,
and resulted as follows:
In this contest the opponents of Brownville polled 429 votes.
This was sufficient to carry a removal, but
the enemies of Brownville could not
unite their forces, and hence failed of success.
No further effort for a
relocation was made until June 3, 1876, when, in answer to a petition, an
election
was held with the following result:
Brownville -
825
Sheridan -
658
Peru -
66
On this trial it will be seen that Brownville obtained a clear
majority.
The friends of removal feel confident that on the next or third trial,
the county seat will be removed to a
point midway between Sheridan and Calvert,
now North and South Auburn. Whether they will be able to
muster the required
three-fifths vote is for the future to decide.
Brownville was organized by the Territorial Legislature on the 23d of
February, 1856.
The first meeting of the Town Council was held at the house of
H. S. Thorpe. The first officers were:
The following is an
official transcript of the proceedings of the first meeting:
"February 23, 1856. According to previous meeting, the members of the
Brownville Town
Council, consisting of the Mayor and three Aldermen, met at the
residence of H. S. Thorpe.
The meeting was called to order by the Probate Judge,
who proceeded to administer to the Mayor
the oath of office. The Mayor having
taken the required oath, proceeded to qualify each of the
Aldermen.
On motion,
the Council adjourned, to meet on the third Monday of March, at 7 o'clock P.
M.
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HENRY S. THORPE,
Recorder pro tem.
On the 9th of February, 1857, the Territorial Legislature passed this act :
"To
amend an act incorporating the town of Brownville," declaring:
First, that all
the territory within the geographic limits of Brownville, with the
additions
thereto, is hereby declared to be the city of Brownville.
Second, said city was
declared to be a body corporate and politic.
Third, vested city authority in the
Mayor and four Aldermen.
Fourth, all persons who had resided in the city thirty
days and were legal voters in the
Territory were given the elective franchise.
Fifth, all legal voters were declared entitled to hold city offices.
Sixth,
provided the manner of holding elections.
Seventh, provided for giving
certificates to persons elected to city offices.
Eighth, defined the powers of
the city government.
The first election under the new city charter resulted in the election of the
following offices:
A. S. Holladay, Mayor
J. T. Whyte, J. D. N. Thompson, George
W. Bratton, Aldermen
B. B. Thompson, Recorder
Homer Johnson, Marshal
J. T.
Dozier, Treasurer
A. L. Coates, Surveyor
The first ordinances for getting the
young city into running order were passed at two or three meetings held
during
the latter part of February, 1857.
February 25, 1864, the Legislature passed an act incorporating "the city of
Brownville." This enactment
greatly extended the powers of the city authorities,
especially in the matter of taxation.
Prior to the passage of this act, a large
amount of city property in the hands of non-residents was non-taxable,
owing to
defects in previous enactments, but under the law of 1864 the defects were
remedied, and non-resident property-owners were compelled to bear a portion of
the burdens of the city government.
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