Brown

Formed January 1, 1883 (69^th county)

Brown County (2,902), Ainsworth (1,617)

The Modern 1959 tan brick courthouse is located on a square surrounded by 4^th, Court, 5^th, and Main streets.  United States Highway 20 is 4^th Street in the town.  An 1888 version existed prior to this facility in Ainsworth, the only county seat.  B. H. Backlund & Associates are the architects.  The building has been enlarged.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  The county was established on January 1, 1883 from Native American Territory as the 69^th county.  The county is named for two State Legislators.  The county seat is named for railroad official James E. Ainsworth. 

Brown County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Two District Court Judges and Three County Court Judges serve Brown, Blaine, Boyd, Cherry, Custer, Garfield, Greeley, Holt, Howard, Keya Paha, Loup, Rock, Sherman, Valley and Wheeler counties.  The county is in the northern part of the state.  Omaha, Nebraska is southeast and Scottsbluff, Nebraska is southwest of the county.  The county center is 14.1 miles Southwest of Ainsworth.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Keya Paha, Rock, Loup, Blaine, and Cherry counties. 

The area of the county is 1221 square miles.  It is 10 out of 93 in the state.  It ranks 67 out of 93 in population in the state.  It has a density of 2.4 persons per square mile making it 75 out of 93 in the state.  Brown County has 67.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 20 passes east to west in the county from Rock County to Cherry County.  United States Highway 183 enters from the north, Keya Paha County, and joins United States Highway 20 to go east into Rock County.  The county is a rectangle with the top eaten off.  Ainsworth is located in the northeast quarter of the county.  Ainsworth is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 55.7% of the county population.