Historical Sites in Jefferson County

Jefferson County Courthouse

The Fairbury Journal-News once printed that the Jefferson County Courthouse was not a museum but maybe it qualifies. Business is still conducted daily but visitors may wish to stop in just to have a look at the building and it's contents. Built in 1891 at a cost of $60,000, the courthouse is full of unique furnishings and original fixtures. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district courtroom features oak woodwork and tables and theatre chairs with ornate wrought-iron work. There are several ceramic-fronted fireplaces and several marbled- top wash stands that remain original. The outside of the building is just as impressive. Arthur and Ferdinand Bower, stonecutters from England who settled here, cut the stones for the building by hand. The first offices were occupied in 1892. The clock on the tower was not installed until July 1910. The bell, which weighs 1000 pounds and still tolls every hour can be heard up to 2 miles away.

The courthouse is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Rock Island Depot

Located at 2nd and I Streets in Fairbury.  The historic two-story Rock Island Depot,  which housed the Western Division Headquarters of the Rock Island Railroad,  is now a railroad museum.  It houses Rock Island artifacts and memorabilla from Rock Island railroaders who worked out of Fairbury and the area.  Located at 2nd and I streets in Fairbury,  the depot is one of two remaining brick RI depots in Nebraska,  and the only RI depot of the original 36 in the state that is preserved as it was when it was built in 1914.  As the Western Division Headquarters, all Rock Island trains west of Chicago were dispatched from the depot.  With it's large main lobby, ticket office, lounges, and baggage areas,  the museum offers room for special programs and meetings,  and is home to a model railroad setup.  A gift shop specializing in train souvenirs is also housed in the museum.  The upper level of the building is under restoration,  but tours are available to see the trainmaster's office, superintendent's office,  telegrapher and dispatchers rooms  "in the rough".  They will eventually become a children's interpretive area,  conference room, curator's office,  model train room, and restored telegraph room.  The once splendid garden in front of the depot is being restored and should once again become a spot of beauty,  highlighted by the brick RI memory wall.  Special all-day programs are held the Saturday before Christmas,  the first week-end in June and during Germanfest in September.  Hours for the museum are 1-5 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday with tours by appointment by calling  (402) 729-5131 or (402) 729-9907.  Our mailing address is 910 Second St.,  Fairbury, NE 68352.

Smith Lime Kiln

(Inset) A long-abandoned lime kiln, looking very much like a large stone chimney, stands along the River Road northwest of Fairbury, NE.  There it has stood since the early 1870's.

For a period of at least 20 years, it was the sight of a lime-burning operation where limestone was heated, or "calcined," until it became lime.

Lime at that time was used mainly as mortar or plaster.  It was sold locally and shipped in barrels to points up and down the St. Joseph and Denver City Railroad, now part of the Union Pacific system. The kiln operator, Woral C. "Limekiln" Smith, used some of his own product in building the stone home a short distance away.

Here he, his wife and two sons lived and here he died in 1906.  The old kiln and home are relics of this once small but useful and thriving pioneer industry.

The old kiln and home now belong to the Jefferson County Historical Society, and are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  The house was restored in 1976 as a Bi-centennial project and contains displays depicting it's history and is open to the public Sundays 2-4 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Steele City Historical District

Four old restored buildings are the main attractions here;  1900  stone blacksmith's shop in working condition,  1902 stone livery stable, 1880's stone Baptist church and brick bank museum.  The third Sunday in September, the tiny village plays host to thousands of bargain hunters and history buffs who come for the annual flea market and old farm machinery show, sponsored by the Jefferson County Historical Society.  Rain or shine this event has hundreds of vendors, blacksmithing and horseshoeing demonstrations plus a working saw and shingle mill.

Located just 12 miles southeast of Fairbury on Hwy 8.

For more information contact Belva Cassel, at (402) 442-2218.

Four-Corner Survey Marker

This historic marker is located one mile west and one mile north of Mahaska, Kansas.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act of May 30, 1854, created the territories of Nebraska and Kansas, which had to be surveyed before settlement of the prairies could proceed.  On May 8, 1855, Charles A. Manners set a cast-iron monument on the bluff west of the Missouri river at 40-degrees north latitude.

In 1855-1856,  Manners surveyed westward, from the cast iron monument 108 miles establishing the base-line. The boundary between Kansas and Nebraska and the Initial Point of the Sixth-Principal Meridian.  This Initial Point, a red sandstone which lies under the manhole cover controls the system of sections, townships and ranges of the public land surveys in Nebraska, Kansas and parts of Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota. This Initial Point is referenced in all ownership records throughout the system.

On June 11, 1987, the Professional Surveyors of the Sixth-P.M. dedicated the memorial

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News: Reprinted from the Fairbury Journal-News

Downtown Gets Historical Designation

The Fairbury Commercial District, consisting of a 10-block downtown area of 97 contributing buildings, was officially entered in the National Register of Historic Places on June 20, 1997.

The Historic District is representative of architectural styles utilized in the evolution of a typical Nebraska regional trade center, according to Nebraska State Historical Society preservation specialist Bill Callahan.

"This district exhibits densely placed historic buildings, displaying high integrity," he said. "The brick pavement, which fills virtually all of the district's thoroughfares, contributes to the architectural cohesiveness of the downtown area."

Commercial trends in the district are represented by styles and property types found in typical Nebraska business districts. The period of significance of the district, which dates between 1873 and 1947, is supported by Fairbury's location along the former Rock Island Railroad main line, according to Callahan.

The growth and prosperity of Fairbury are represented by an abundance of early high style commercial buildings such as Italianate, Romanesque Revival, Queen Anne, Late Gothic revival and Neo-Classical Revival.

The district exhibits a healthy construction atmosphere throughout the first four decades of the 20 century and retains a significant number of these buildings, according to Callahan. Between 1900 and 1929, a total of 64 buildings were constructed. The properties comprise 55 percent of the buildings in the district. One of the strongest construction periods occurred during the 1920s, with the construction of 25 buildings.

The National Register of Historic Places is the nation's inventory of properties deemed worthy of preservation, according to Callahan. It is part of a national program to coordinate and support local and private efforts to identify, evaluate and protect the nation's historic and archeological resources. The National Register was developed to recognize historic places that contributed to our country's heritage.