Blaine

Formed February 19, 1885 (74^th county)

Blaine County (432), Brewster (9), Dunning (79)                

The stone Federalist courthouse was built in 1908 and remodeled in 1967.  The facility is on Lincoln Street at Dorsey Street.  Nebraska State Highway 7 is two blocks east of the courthouse.  The building has been enlarged.  J. W. Crooker provided the designs.  Blaine County was founded on February 19, 1885 from Native American Territory as the 74^th county.  Ladora was the first county seat until 1887 when Brewster assumed the position.  The county is named for United States Secretary of State James G. Blaine.  The county seat is named for settler George W. Brewster. 

Blaine County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two District Court Judges and Three County Court Judges serve Blaine, Boyd, Brown, Cherry, Custer, Garfield, Greeley, Holt, Howard, Keya Paha, Loup, Rock, Sherman, Valley and Wheeler counties (judicial.)  Blaine County is in the central part of Nebraska.  Omaha, Nebraska is east and Grand Island, Nebraska is southeast.  The county center is 8.7 miles Southwest of Brewster nearer Dunning.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Brown, Loup, Custer, Logan, Thomas, and Cherry counties. 

The area of the county is 711 square miles.  It is 39 out of 93 in the state.  It ranks 92 out of 93 in population in the state.  It has a density of 0.6 persons per square mile making it 91 out of 93 in the state.  Blaine County has 20.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county is an overall rectangle.  Brewster is in the northeast quarter of the county.  Dunning is in the southwest quarter of the county.  Brewster is the county seat and Dunning is the largest city.  Brewster is 2.1% of the county population while Dunning is 18.3% of the county population.