ABOUT MORRILL COUNTY
[About Morrill County] - [About Charles H. Morrill] - [Morrill Family History]
Written and Complied by Matthew D. Friend
Morrill County is among a handful of Nebraskan counties that were organized after the turn of the twentieth-century. It was a part of the Cheyenne County where many of the early settlers were farmers and ranchers. Then later some have join the newest opportunity of employment when the railroad came through the North Platte region. Among the earliest towns were Angora, Bayard, Bridgeport, Broadwater, Northport and Redington. It was in 1907, when the first steps were taken to organize Morrill County. The citizens along the northern boundary of Cheyenne County petitioned the Board of Commissioners to approve a separation and the Nebraska State Legislature passed as act to provide a division of Cheyenne County.
A special election was held on November 3, 1908, and the local citizens approved the proposed new county commission and their future county seat. Today, Bridgeport stand tall with its beautiful courthouse built to mark it in history. Within nine days, Governor George L. Sheldon signed an official proclamation creating Morrill County. The county was then given its name in honor of Charles H. Morrill, who was once the President of the Lincoln Land Company and a prominent citizen of Nebraska.
A Proclamation was given to Charles H. Morrill for this honor from the Governor of Nebraska.
"WHEREAS, The Secretary of State has notified me that at the general election held on November 3, 1908, a new county, known as Morrill County was erected or established out of part of the territory of Cheyenne County, Nebraska:
Now, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority in me vested and in pursuance of the statutes of the State of Nebraska, I do hereby order an election of county officers for the new County of Morrill, Nebraska, which said election shall be held on Tuesday, the twenty-second day of December, 1908. Notice of said election shall be given by publishing a notice thereof in the Bayard Transcript and Bridgeport Blade, newspapers published and in general circulation in said new County of Morrill, for two consecutive weeks prior to said election, and by posting notices in three conspicuous places in the new County of Morrill. The county officers to be elected at said election shall be one county treasurer, one county clerk, one county judge, one sheriff, one county attorney, one county assessor, one coroner, one county surveyor, one county superintendent of public instruction, and three county commissioners. At such election, the voters of the county shall determine the permanent location of the county seat; for this purpose each voter may designate on his ballot the place of his choice for the county seat. The voting places of all of the various precincts in said new County of Morrill shall be the same as they were at the last general election except the voters in that part of Trognitz precinct and the west half of Davison precinct embraced in said new county shall vote at the voting, place of Redington precinct, and the voters of that part of the east half of Davison precinct and Union Valley precinct included in said new county shall vote at the voting place in Court House Rock precinct.
By virtue of the authority in me vested and in pursuance of the statutes of the State of Nebraska, I hereby designate Bridgeport, in Morrill County, Nebraska, as the temporary county seat until the permanent county seat is located at an election by the electors of said county, and I hereby declare Bridgeport as the temporary county seat of said Morrill County, Nebraska.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Nebraska.
DONE at Lincoln this 12th day of November, A.D. 1908.
[Seal.]
George Lawson Sheldon, Governor.
By the Governor.
Geo. C. Junkin, Secretary of State.
There are many distinguished Nebraska landmarks in Morrill County. Chimney Rock, Courthouse Rock, and Jail Rock, and the Mud Springs pony express, stagecoach and telegraph station were welcoming sights for those weary travelers during the early days before the train. These sights have been marked along the Mormon Trail, Oregon Trail and the Sidney-Deadwood Trail. Today, they are popular tourist attractions.
When the Kinaid Homestead Act in June 29, 1904 took effect in Nebraska. Like many of the other surrounding counties, Morrill County got its growth of new settlers. It was here where they built their new homestead and found that the high table of land bordering the North Platte River Valley was ideal for cultivating alfalfa, sugar beets and other crops in abundance. Many new ranches were developing in the region also, for the meadows were great for raising cattle and horses.
Before the immediate precede official organization of Morrill County, the railroads began advancing through the area. The first line was built in 1889 by the Burlington Railroad from Alliance to Guernsey, Wyoming. By 1917 the Union Pacific Railroad created its line from North Platte to Gering, dissecting the entire county. With both rail lines, it resulted in a numerous town sites development and prospers. One of these was Bridgeport, the county seat, which was established in 1900.
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