Greene County

Greene County was named for General Nathaniel Greene, a Revolutionary War hero. The first settler to Greene County in 1849 was Truman Davis, settling close to the present town of Rippey and near the Raccoon River, just South of Squirrel Hollow.

In 1854 Greene County was officially organized and in 1856 the first courthouse on the town square of Jefferson was built. Prior to 1856 Judge Phillips held court in a log cabin located southeast of Jefferson.

The present courthouse was dedicated in 1917. Three structures have been located on the present site in Jefferson. The first, a wooden structure, was built in 1856 at a cost of $1,825.00. The second building on this site, more often referred to as the Red Brick courthouse, was built in 1870.

The current building was built at a cost of nearly $180,000.00 and was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Some of its most prominent features, materials and architecture are modeled in many State Capitols throughout the United States.

The Abraham Lincoln Statue on the Courthouse grounds was erected in 1918 as a gift from local resident E. B. Wilson to honor the first highway across the United States. This monument serves to commemorate the Lincoln Highway, which crossed through Jefferson and directly in front of the monument.

You can visit the Greene County website by clicking Here.

You can visit the Greene County Chamber and Development website by clicking Here.