|
Stories and Stats
from
America's Loneliest Counties
Arthur County,
Nebraska
 The
Hay Bale Church and the Tiniest Courthouse in America
Arthur County, Nebraska
Population: 372
Seat: Arthur
Arthur County, the fourth smallest county in America
(by population) is home to the Baled Hay Church, and
the smallest court house in the United States, which serves as
a museum.
The Pilgrim Holiness Church, located in Arthur, was built
in 1928 of baled rye straw. Baled hay or straw proved an
alternative to lumber or sod as a building material and was
used throughout the Sand Hills. The structure is the only
known church built of baled straw, and the building is a
unique example of Nebraska folk architecture.
 The
one story Arthur County courthouse was built of wood in
1914 and was used until 1962 when a new facility was built.
The smallest courthouse now serves as a museum.
Nebraska Life describes downtown Arthur as a Main
Street with a gas station, a body shop, Rose Saddlery,
Graham's Ranch Supply, an art gallery, a fledgling co-op
grocery, a meat market, a bank in an 18 by 26-foot concrete
block building, another museum in a former courthouse that's
not much bigger than the bank, and the Long Branch Tavern. If
you know where to look, there's even a motel, the Bunk House.
In the 2004 presidential election, Arthur County was one of
the most Republican-leaning counties in the country; 90.2% of
its electorate voted for Republican incumbent George W. Bush
(compared to 9.1% for Democratic challenger John F. Kerry). |
