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Nebraska County
Nemaha County, Nebraska
Brownville's historic Missouri River town and Nebraska's oldest community - from Brownville State Historical Park (Brownville - established in 1854 as one of Nebraska's first permanent settlements - preserves a remarkable collection of 19th-century Missouri River town architecture, including the riverboat museum aboard the docked Captain Meriwether Lewis - the museum ship and the historic buildings make Brownville one of Nebraska's most authentic frontier river town experiences) to Auburn's Nemaha County heritage as one of Nebraska's oldest agricultural communities.
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Office: Nemaha County Emergency Management Agency – 601 J Street, Auburn, NE 68305, (402) 274-2552
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US Highway 75 and Nebraska Highway 67 serve Auburn, the county seat, in southeast Nebraska near the Missouri River
Transit: Limited; primarily auto-dependent – confirm current regional options directly with the county.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Nemaha County Clerk – 1824 N Street, Auburn, NE 68305, (402) 274-3008
Services: Auburn City Hall, 1101 J Street, (402) 274-3420, handles building permits within city limits.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Nemaha County Veterans Service Officer – Auburn, NE
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Auburn Memorial Library – 1810 Courthouse Ave, Auburn, NE 68305, (402) 274-4023
Services: An accredited public library in southeast Nebraska offering digital books, audiobooks, and magazines through the Libby app alongside its physical collection.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Nemaha County is genuinely one of Nebraska’s oldest political subdivisions – originally established in October 1854 as “Forney County,” one of only eight original counties created when the Nebraska Territory itself was formed, it was later renamed Nemaha County. The county genuinely forms the core of the historic Nemaha Half-Breed Reservation, land set aside under the 1830 Fourth Treaty of Prairie du Chien for the mixed-heritage children of traders and Native Americans. Nemaha County also genuinely hosted the Nebraska State Fair in 1870-71 at the Missouri River town of Brownville, before the county seat was moved to Auburn in 1883; the current, still-standing Nemaha County Courthouse had its cornerstone laid in 1900, replacing an earlier frame courthouse built literally in the middle of what were once the twin rival towns of North Auburn and South Auburn before they merged. The county is also genuinely home to Indian Cave State Park, a scenic 3,400-acre park shared with neighboring Richardson County along the Missouri River bluffs
Notes: Nemaha County’s status as one of Nebraska Territory’s original eight counties and its historic Half-Breed Reservation lands make it one of the more foundational counties in the state’s political history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Nemaha County GIS – accessible via nemahacountyne.gov
Parcel Search: Nemaha County Register of Deeds – 1824 N Street, Auburn, NE 68305
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Nemaha County Emergency Management Agency
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Hearts United for Animals (HUA) – PO Box 286, Auburn, NE 68305 | hua.org
Services: Genuinely a nationally recognized, no-kill nonprofit shelter and sanctuary that has facilitated thousands of dog and cat adoptions since 1989; specializes in long-distance adoptions and large-scale rescues from puppy mills, abuse, and neglect, and its dogs live in open fields rather than cages. HUA also provides low-cost spay/neuter services, emergency medical assistance for pet owners who cannot afford care, humane education programs, and safe temporary housing for pets of individuals fleeing domestic violence.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy – dee.nebraska.gov
Notes: Contact your specific municipality directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Nemaha County was genuinely one of the original eight counties of the Nebraska Territory (established 1854 as “Forney County”) and is home to Hearts United for Animals, a nationally recognized no-kill shelter operating since 1989. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Nemaha County
Nemaha County is southeast Nebraska’s oldest river town county – Brownville’s preserved Missouri River heritage and the Captain Meriwether Lewis museum ship preserve one of the most authentic 19th-century river town experiences in the Great Plains.
Auburn (the county seat, population ~3,300) and Brownville (population ~100) serve the county’s agricultural and heritage tourism communities on the Missouri River bluffs.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Nemaha County Assessor at 1824 N Street, Auburn, NE 68305, phone 402-274-4747. NE property assessed at actual value.
Courts & Legal
Nemaha County District Court at 1824 N Street, Auburn, NE 68305, phone 402-274-4213, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
1824 N St., Auburn, NE 68305
(402) 274-3655
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Nemaha County Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Nemaha County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Nemaha County Court, Probate Division 1824 N Street, Auburn, NE 68305 (402) 274-3616 Nemaha County is in southeastern Nebraska near the Missouri River, seated in Auburn.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Nebraska adopted the Uniform Probate Code, codified as the Nebraska Probate Code (Neb. Rev. Stat. Chapter 30). In Nebraska, the COUNTY COURT has exclusive original jurisdiction over probate matters.
Small Estate Affidavit (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125 for personal property; § 30-24,129 for real property) – as of a July 2024 statutory amendment, available when personal property does not exceed $100,000 and real property does not exceed $100,000 (both thresholds raised from $50,000). At least 30 days must have passed since death, and no application or petition for a personal representative may be pending. For personal property, the affiant presents a notarized affidavit directly to the institution holding the property along with a certified death certificate. For real property, the affidavit is filed with the register of deeds in the county where the property is located.
Informal Probate – the most common path for uncontested estates, handled by the county court registrar with minimal judicial involvement.
Formal Probate – required when there’s no will, when a will’s validity is contested, or when there’s disagreement over the personal representative or how assets should be distributed. Handled by a county judge.
Step 2: filing for formal or informal probate
File an application (informal) or petition (formal) with the County Court in the county where the decedent resided.
The court appoints the personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gives direct notice to known creditors, who have a limited window from the date of first publication to file claims.
The personal representative inventories the estate’s assets and completes the required Probate Inventory Worksheet.
The personal representative completes and files any required Nebraska inheritance tax paperwork before the estate can be closed.
After debts, taxes, and expenses are paid, the personal representative distributes the remaining assets and closes the estate.
What it costs
Nebraska does not set statutory percentage-based fees; personal representative and attorney fees are generally based on reasonable compensation for time and services.
UNIQUE TO NEBRASKA: Nebraska is one of only six states with an inheritance tax, collected at the COUNTY level. Transfers to a surviving spouse are exempt; close relatives get reduced rates; more distant relatives and unrelated beneficiaries are taxed at higher rates.
No separate state estate tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
1824 N St., Auburn, NE 68305
(402) 274-3139
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
1824 N St., Auburn, NE 68305
(402) 274-3655
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Nemaha County Public Health services coordinated through regional Nebraska public health district.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Auburn
Population: 6,800
Area: 408 sq mi
Established: 1855
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Nemaha County residents.
