Garden

Formed November 2, 1909 (92^nd county)

Garden County (1,872), Oshkosh (810)

1921 was the construction year for the tan and red brick Classical Revival structure.  The courthouse is at Main and Charlton streets.  The building is five blocks north of United States Highway 26 passing through town.  The building has been enlarged.  John J. Huddart is the architect.  The facility features columns and the grounds have veteran memorials.  The county was formed on November 2, 1909 from Deuel County as the 92^nd county.  Oshkosh has always been the county seat.  Its name is a descriptive attempt to attract settlers.  Oshkosh is named for Oshkosh, Wisconsin. 

Garden County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Four District Court Judges and Five County Court Judges serve Garden, Banner, Box Butte, Cheyenne, Dawes, Deuel, Grant, Kimball, Morrill, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan and Sioux counties (judicial.)  Garden County is in the Nebraska panhandle.  Scottsbluff, Nebraska is west and Grand Island, Nebraska is southeast of the county.  The North Platte River flows through the county.  The county center is 14.9 miles North of Oshkosh.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Sheridan, Grant, Arthur, Keith, Deuel, Cheyenne, and Morrill counties. 

The area of the county is 1705 square miles.  It is 6 out of 93 in the state.  It ranks 75 out of 93 in population in the state.  It has a density of 1.1 persons per square mile making it 82 out of 93 in the state.  Garden County has 52.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 26 crosses the county southeast to west from Keith County to Morrill County.  The county is shaped like a tall coffee mug.  Oshkosh is in the southern quarter of the county.  Oshkosh is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 43.3% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced OSH-KOSH.