County Seat & Papillion's First Courthouse

County Seat and Papillion's First Courthouse. . , Battle for the County Seat , In 1873, a heated battle began to develop between Papillion and Bellevue over which town would be the county seat. Bellevue previously held the distinction. Sarpy Center, purposely located at the center of the county, was hastily formed in 1874 with the sole purpose of capturing the county seat and joined in on the heated battle immediately after forming. In order to settle the battle, it was agreed that a preliminary vote among the three towns would be held, with the two towns receiving the most votes going to a head-to-head popular vote for the ultimate winner. In the preliminary vote, Sarpy Center came in first and Papillion came in second. , Prior to the second and final election taking place, several business-minded Papillion leaders started a group called the "Papillion Town Company" to organize an effort to construct a county courthouse. The group formed to raise funds and coordinate construction of the building. Prominent Papillion residents, such as Samuel M. Pike and Dr. David E. Beadle, donated several large plots of land to be used in fundraising. Local residents also donated smaller tracts of land and cash to help with the efforts. It did not take the Papillion Town Company long to accrue $10,000, which was enough money to secure the construction of a county courthouse. , Albert H. and William Sander, brothers and owners of the prospering Sander Store on Washington Street, donated land on the southwest corner of Second and Jefferson streets for the site of the second Sarpy County Courthouse, first for Papillion. The cornerstone for the new county courthouse was laid on July 3, 1875, with a large crowd observing the historic moment in Papillion and Sarpy County's history. It was a day-long occasion that included firing cannons, events, parades, a prayer, a free community dinner, and a celebratory atmosphere. For residents of Sarpy County, Papillion now made the most logical place for the courthouse to be located. The people of Papillion were optimistic that their efforts to build a county courthouse would pay off when the official election was held in the fall of 1875. , Seeing Sarpy Center losing leverage in the battle for the coveted county seat honor, their leader, Capt. Spearman, introduced a bill that appointed Sarpy Center as the county seat without holding the second election. County Commissioner Alois Gramlich loudly opposed the bill and won the support of other elected officials, which resulted in the bill failing. Papillion won the head-to-head election held on April 6, 1875, and immediately began to prosper as a result. , Papillion's First Sarpy County Courthouse , Located at the present-day address of 136 N. Jefferson St., the first Sarpy County Courthouse in Papillion was a two-story, 48-foot square structure that included several offices and a large entertainment and concert hall. The first floor housed courtrooms and offices for the county clerk and treasurer. The second floor had a large auditorium and an office for the superintendent of county schools. The building also housed the library for a period of time. , The original Papillion courthouse was expected to last at least 100 years; however, the elements and the county's rapid growth did not allow for the structure to serve its original purpose for as long as intended. In 1914, a vote for a $60,000 bond issue for a new courthouse was defeated. After numerous community meetings, a second vote was held on September 12, 1921, for a larger $150,000 bond issue. The vote was overwhelmingly approved. Construction began on the second Sarpy County Courthouse in Papillion on the north side of Third Street, between Washington and Jefferson streets, on land that was purchased for $7,000 from George P. Miller, owner of The Papillion Times. The original Papillion courthouse was purchased by Hugo Cordes in 1923 for $925. Cordes tore down the top floor in March 1925 and reused the bricks to add onto the back of the building. The building became an icehouse. The first floor of the building remains today in its original location.