Rural Sites
Bessey Nursery [TM00-001] Listed 1978/05/24
Located near Halsey, the Bessey Nursery, as originally established, comprised fifteen acres of land south of the Middle Loup River and included a two-story headquarters building, mess hall, barn, and shop building. The nursery was created in 1903 to produce seedling trees for planting on the Dismal River Forest Preserve, which later became the Nebraska National Forest. It was the first federal forest tree nursery and was developed by the U.S. Bureau of Forestry, which later became the Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Originally called the Halsey Nursery, the name was changed in 1915 in honor of Dr. Charles E. Bessey, former professor of botany at the University of Nebraska.
Urban Sites
Thomas County Courthouse [TM05-022] Listed 1990/07/05
Following the establishment of Thomas county, Thedford became the county seat in 1887, and a courthouse was built two years later. The courthouse served the county well until it was destroyed in a fire in 1920. After some delays a special election was held in 1923, where voters approved a bond issue to help finance the construction of a new courthouse. Work began that same year and in 1924 the county took possession of the new courthouse.
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