Gosper County is named for John J Gosper, who was secretary of state in Nebraska.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Dawson County
E – Phelps County
S – Furnas County
W – Frontier County
Created: August 29, 1873
County Seat:
Daviesville 1873 – 1884
Homerville 1884 – 1889
Elwood 1889 – present
County Courthouse – Elwood
Location: 507 Smith Avenue / Rochelle Street
Built: 1938 – 1939
Style: Moderne
Architect: McClure and Walker
Contractor: W L Phillips & Sons.
Description: The building faces west and is a two story light red colored brick, limestone and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Elwood. The rectangular shaped building has a projecting center section on the west side with concrete pavilion and recessed entrance on the first story. There are entrance pavilions on the north and south sides. There are limestone panels between the windows on the first and second stories. Above the second story windows are large decorative smooth stone disks. The roof line is flat. The district courtroom is located on the east side of the second story and has no wood bar between spectator seating and court uses, a highly unusual absence. The oak judicial furnishings are simple and have a repeated motif on wainscoting, the jury box, tables, and judge’s bench: a course consisting of a series of small triangular shapes. Six hanging light fixtures appear original. The building houses the District Court and County Court of the 11th Judicial District.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Gosper County Courthouse
See: The 11th Judicial District includes Arthur County, Chase County, Dawson County, Dundy County, Frontier County, Furnas County, Hayes County, Hitchcock County, Hooker County, Keith County, Lincoln County, Logan County, McPherson County, Perkins County, Red Willow County and Thomas County.
History: The county was created in 1873 and Daviesville was designated as the county seat. In 1884, the county seat was moved to Homerville. The county occupied a sod building and the first courthouse was a two story lumber structure built in 1884. The lumber had been hauled from Arapahoe. The county seat was moved to Elwood in 1889 and the courthouse was hauled to the new location. The courthouse was destroyed by fire on November 14, 1895. The second courthouse was a two story structure built in 1896. The courthouse was torn down and the third and present courthouse was constructed in 1938 to 1939 at a cost of $76,000.

County Courthouse – Elwood









Photos taken 2010