Gosper

Formed February 27, 1873 (59^th county)

Gosper County (1,894), Elwood (659)

The Modern red brick courthouse in Elwood was built in 1939.  It is located on Smith Avenue between Rochelle and Rockford streets.  United States Highway 283 is Smith Avenue in the town.  The county was created on February 27, 1873 from Native American Territory as the 59^th county.  Daviesville, Homerville, and Elwood have all served as the only county seat.  The architects were McClure and Walker.  The grounds have veteran memorials.  Gosper County is named for Nebraska Secretary of State John J. Gosper.  The county seat is named for settler Elwood Thomas. 

Gosper County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Three District Court Judges and Five County Court Judges serve Gosper, Arthur, Chase, Dawson, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Hayes, Hitchcock, Hooker, Keith, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Perkins, Red Willow and Thomas counties.  Gosper County is in southern Nebraska.  Grand Island, Nebraska is northeast and Scottsbluff, Nebraska is northwest of the county.  The Platte River clips its northeast tip.  The county center is 11.7 miles South-Southeast of Elwood.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Dawson, Phelps, Harlan, Furnas, and Frontier counties. 

The area of the county is 458 square miles.  It is 79 out of 93 in the state.  It ranks 74 out of 93 in population in the state.  It has a density of 4.1 persons per square mile making it 65 out of 93 in the state.  Gosper County has 38.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 283 goes north to south through the county from Dawson County to Furnas County.  The county resembles a capital letter J.  Elwood is located in the northwest corner of the county.  Elwood is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 34.8% of the county population.  This county is in the Lexington Micropolitan Statistical Area.