Longest term in office: Roy Whalen (1926-1962)

Elected to two separate terms: Norman S. Lehman 1970 and 1986

The First Sheriff

The appointment of M.B. Sharp as Stanton County Sheriff in 1867 began the current history of the 139-year old office. The office has seen many changes over time, from the building of the first courthouse in 1884 at a cost of $10,624 to the current courthouse, completed and first used on July 19, 1976.
The first Sheriff to be issued a county-owned patrol car, was Norman S. Lehman in 1970 and the first full-time deputy was not employed until 1977.
Today Sheriff Mike Unger has 6 full-time deputies and 4 reserve deputies. The county does not have a jail and houses the prisoners at a variety of locations in northeast Nebraska. The last county jail was occupied in the mid-1970’s and was located in the Stanton City Hall.
It still stands today, but would not even meet the jail standards of most third world countries.

First Murder

The first verified and recorded murder in Stanton County, took place on February 20, 1891 in the Ramshorn Township. At that location some 16 miles straight south of Stanton on the Stanton/Colfax County line, it is alleged Henry McCubbins killed his beloved wife Nettie McCubbins with a pistol. McCubbins is believed to have caused a pistol wound to one Frank Yob and, in conjunction with that would, caused a gash to the throat of Yob, by butcher knife resulting in his death.

McCubbins then came to his death by administering and taking poison, to-wit: Aconite. It is alleged McCubbins came home to find his wife and the recently hired farm hand Yob in a romantic interlude and then immediately caused their deaths. The deaths were ruled a double murder-suicide by the county coroner, following an inquest at the scene of the incident.

Early History

Stanton County was named in honor of Edwin M. Stanton, secretary of war from 1862-1867 under presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson.
The county was organized by the Legislature on January 10, 1862. It had previously been called Izard County after Territorial Governor Mark Izard.
Stanton County is bordered to the north by Wayne County; to the east by Cuming County; to the south by Platte and Colfax Counties and to the west by Madison County.

County Seat

The County seat is Stanton. It was previously known as Pleasant Run.

Other previous and current towns and townsites in the county are: Bega, Berry, Butterfly, Canton, Clinton, Craig City, Degen, Devon, Dimick, Donupe, Farmington, Gassey Hollow, Haymow, Hoosier Hollow, Horace, Hunton, Kingsberg, Orlon, Pilger and Scwedt.