McCook, the new Red Willow County seat

The Meeker Building (300 block Norris) under construction. It was the temporary McCook Red Willow County Courthouse, in 1896

In 1882, McCook came into being, thanks largely to the coming of the Burlington Railroad. This also signaled the beginning of the animosity between Indianola, the Republican Valley Metropolis of the day, and McCook, the upstart community, with aspirations of greatness.

For some years, beginning in the 1870s, Indianola, the largest town in Red Willow County, and the County Seat, had held a great advantage over all the communities in the County, largely because Indianola had the only bridge over the Republican, forcing settlers south of the River to travel all the way to Indianola to have a safe passage over the river.

This all changed in December, 1883, with the construction of a river bridge, at McCook, again thanks largely to the Burlington Railroad. Now, settlers from as far away as Oberlin, in Kansas, could make their way to McCook to shop, and to import supplies via the railroad, without having to make the long journey to Indianola.

The first Red Willow County Courthouse, 1897, 500 Block of Norris.

Being a trade center for the area might have seemed like enough for a new community like McCook, but those first settlers in McCook were an ambitious bunch -- even cocky about their new status, and wanted more. They began to look greedily at the possibility of wresting the Red Willow County Court House away from the good folks at Indianola.

For some years, the possibility of McCook becoming the County Seat of Red Willow County was just talk, an idle dream. But by 1890, McCook had become the dominant population center in Red Willow County, "The Magical Little City on the Plains" and its citizens were using that as a lever for moving the County Seat to McCook. Petitions were circulated, and signatures were gathered in McCook and in its immediate surrounding area, to be presented to the County commissioners -- with the goal that the County Government be moved to McCook.

Indianola, the reigning "Queen City of the County," was well aware of the situation going on in McCook, and on the same day that the McCook petitions were presented to the Commissioners, the Indianola backers presented their own petition to the Commissioners---with the goal of having the County Government stay in Indianola.

Red Willow County Commissioner Steve Bolles.

In 1890 Red Willow County was represented on the Board of Commissioners by Henry Crabtree, of Indianola, Stephen Bolles, of McCook, and Dr. Isaiah Bennett, of Lebanon. Mr. Crabtree favored keeping the Court House in Indianola. Steve Bolles favored McCook, and Dr. Bennett claimed to be neutral on the issue. The board had the power to call an election to decide where the Courthouse would be. To reach that decision they met day after day---but could not even reach the decision to call the election.

Not surprisingly, the people of the County became disgusted with the Board's inability to act, and there was a movement to file a suit in the Nebraska Supreme Court -- to "get a writ of mandamus to force the commissioners to call an election."

In 1892 a new Red Willow Board of County Commissioners was elected -- Samuel Young, of Bartley, Samuel Graham, of Danbury, and Stephen Bolles, of McCook. By July 6th they had thrashed out an agreement -- to bring the question (of where the Courthouse would be), before the people of the County, in the form of an election.

This election, scheduled for Aug. 1, turned out to be a very exciting contest -- to say the least. Because of a good wheat harvest both sides had plenty of money to spend getting their point across. Each side accused the other of dishonesty -- buying votes, and telling lies.

During the campaign McCook partisans circulated a poster, which showed the kind of Courthouse they would build in McCook. The promise, backed up by the signatures of 300 backers, was that the new Courthouse would be similar to the one just recently completed in Furnas County. It would cost over $13,000 to build. Indianola countered with promises of an even grander Courthouse.

When the votes from August 1st were counted it came out 876 votes for Indianola and 1,339 votes for McCook. The McCook backers were elated, of course, but they were still lacking a few votes of having the necessary 3/5 majority to move the Courthouse. The Commissioners decided that they would look again at the 31 ballots that had been thrown out of the election for one reason or another.

What followed was a period of four long years of verbal, newspaper, and court battles, rehashing old arguments, stirring up new resentments, and furthering the mistrust between the two communities.

Finally, on April 18th, 1896, the Nebraska Supreme Court handed down its decision, which determined that the Red Willow County Seat be moved to McCook.

Immediately, the McCookites descended upon Indianola, transferring nine rail cars of records, safes, and furniture used in the Indianola Courthouse, via freight train No. 147, to McCook. County officials followed on passenger train No. 5. The McCook Tribune reported, "The last card in the famous Red Willow County Seat Removal Contest has been played and the game is finished. Naught now remains to be done but secure suitable quarters in McCook for the accommodation of several county offices and their respective records."

Of course, McCook had not begun to build its new Courthouse, pending the outcome of the verdict by the Supreme Court, so for the next 13 months the business of Red Willow County was conducted at its temporary home in the newly constructed Meeker Building, in the 300 block of Main St. (Norris Ave.) In July, 1897 the citizens of McCook were able to make good on their campaign pledge -- with the completion of the fine, new (Furnas County type) Courthouse, in the 500 block of Main Street, in downtown McCook. The bond issue was sweetened by a $10,000 contribution from the businessmen and citizens of McCook to help finance construction.

The Red Willow County Courthouse fight had garnered considerable notoriety in local and state newspapers. Some of the editorial comments were not kind to the McCook leaders who had advanced the struggle; however, most observers acknowledged that "the tenacious citizens of McCook were usually successful in accomplishing their purpose".

Thus, ended the 25-year history (1872-1897) of Indianola as the County Seat of Red Willow County -- a sometimes tumultuous history, which had begun with the initial organization of Red Willow County.

Source: Early History of McCook -- McClelland