Kimball County - American Courthouses

Kimball County is named for Thomas L Kimball, who was the vice president and general manager of the Union Pacific Railroad.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Banner County

E – Cheyenne County

S – Logan County, Colorado and Weld County, Colorado

W – Laramie County, Wyoming

Created: November 6, 1888

County Seat:

Kimball 1888 – present

County Courthouse – Kimball

Location: 114 West 3rd Street / South Walnut Street

Built: 1927 – 1928

Style: Classical Revival

Architect: E L Goldsmith & Company of Scotts Bluff

Contractor: Walter Knutzen & Son of Kearney

Description: The building faces north and is a three story gray Carthage stone, brick and concrete structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Kimball. The north front has three arched entrances on the first story. Columns rise from the second story to the top of the third story dividing the recessed windows. A wide cornice runs between the first and second stories. The south side of the building is buff colored brick facing. At the roof line is a wide eave. The roof line is flat. The courtroom is located on the northeast side of the third story. The building houses the District Court and County Court of the 12th Judicial District.

See: The courthouse is moldered after the courthouse in Oberlin in Decatur County, Kansas.

See: The 12th Judicial District includes Banner County, Box Butte County, Cheyenne County, Dawes County, Deuel County, Garden County, Grant County, Morrill County, Scotts Bluff County, Sheridan County and Sioux County.

History: The county was created in 1888 and Kimball was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a leased building on Burg’s Addition in Kimball. In 1892 the county offices were moved to C A Schooley’s Hotel in Martha. The second courthouse was a two story frame building on South Walnut Street and East 4th Street ( which is now a park ) designed by George E McDonald an constructed by William Yannayon in 1892 to 1893 at a cost of $4,998. The carpenter was Peter Clausen. In 1929, the building was sold to Guy Fleming for $710. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1927 to 1928 at a cost of $180,000.

Note: The highest point in Nebraska is Panorama Point (Constable Mountain) at 5,429 feet (1655 meters) which is located in the county.