Pint-Sized Justice | A Place to be Ourselves and More | Nebraska Stories | Nebraska Public Media

Published: Apr 28, 2024 Duration: 00:03:52 Category: Entertainment

Tags : Nebraska PBS UNL Nebraska Public Media Nebraska Stories Kay Hall Michele Wolford A Place to be Ourselves Pint-Sized Justice Arthur County Nebraska Arthur County Courthouse Smallest county courthouse Jail made of 2x4s National Registry of Historic Places Ripley's Believe It or Not

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-(soft western music) -(wind blowing) (wind blowing) - [Narrator] Nestled in the Sandhills of Nebraska, Arthur County is renowned as the smallest county in the state, and the fifth smallest in the United States by population. While cattle ranching stands as its predominant occupation, friendly faces and a slower pace of life are hallmarks of this close-knit community. (soft western music) - [Ruth] Most of the businesses have been here for a long time. We still have a grocery store. We have the bank, which is open one day a week. (soft western music) We have a high school, and a grade school, junior high. Our kids that graduate do very well. (soft western music) - [Narrator] In its early days, Arthur County grew to nearly 2,500 residents because of the Kincaid Act of 1904. As the population in Arthur grew, so did the need for law and order. Reflecting the size of Arthur, in 1914, a small courthouse was built. The 26 by 28 foot building was perhaps the smallest courthouse in the United States. (soft western music) (soft western music) - [Ruth] So in this courthouse right here, the sheriff sat here, the judge sat here, the judge sat up there. This was all the commissioners. This was the superintendent, which run all the schools. (soft western music) When they did have court, the court was actually held up the street past the Baled Hay church, at the grade school. So they never held court in this room. (soft western music) (door creaking) This is the vault. The vault has old records, land transfers, court dockets, divorces, death notices. (soft western music) This is filed today, 1924. (soft western music) - [Narrator] The multi-use courthouse received an addition the following year, with a similarly small county jail with unique features. (soft western music) - [Ruth] As you can see, the jail is made out of two by fours, not pipe like all old jails are made out of. (soft western music) It was little, it had two rooms and solitary confinement. The sheriff didn't stay here. If you were in jail, you were bad, you're on your own. (soft western music) I don't know that they had a lot of people in jail for a very long time. Mainly it was drunk and disorderly, horse thief, cattle rustling, just being bad, waiting for trial. Those were the main things. (soft western music) - [Narrator] Utilized until 1961, the courthouse gave way to construction of the present day courthouse, while the jail ceased operations a year later. Both structures earned recognition on the National Register of Historic Places. Ripley's Believe It or Not has hailed it as the world's smallest courthouse. This modest building has been preserved and transformed into a museum that draws visitors from far and wide to this unique landmark. (soft western music)

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