Places of Interest

Johnson County Museum

The historic Johnson County jail was constructed in 1872 of native limestone. The huge blocks for the jail proper were secured from a quarry on Yankee Creek, 4½ miles west of Tecumseh and were transported from the quarry by wagons. The top floor of the building served as the sheriff’s residence. The Jail is located between Broadway and Jackson on 4th Street.

The Veteran's Monument is located on the northwest corner of the Courthouse on the square in downtown Tecumseh. The Monument was erected in 1903 to honor all the soldiers and sailors from the county who served from the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic. (right)
The Square Pillar was a single, four-sided vertical pillar engraved on each side to honor those who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. It is pictured below and is located on the southwest corner of the Courthouse square.
The Roll of Honor is dedicated to those of Johnson County, Nebraska who in the "spirit of self sacrifice enrolled in the service of their country in the Great World War of 1914-1918." The Roll of Honor is pictured below, right, and is located on the northeast corner of the Courthouse Square.

The Community Band Shell is located on the southeast corner of the Courthouse square. Many community activities utilize the band shell including concerts in the summer and fall, pep rallies during homecoming and various other community activities. The band shell was recently refurbished and given a new coat of paint.

There are two cemeteries located in and near the City of Tecumseh. The St. Andrew Catholic Cemetery, pictured right, is located just north of Tecumseh on old highway 50.
The City Cemetery is located on the south edge of Tecumseh on Highway 50 and Webster. The entrance gate is pictured below.

The Tecumseh State Correctional Institution (TSCI) was established by LB 150 in 1997. In the spring of 1998 a site two miles north of Tecumseh, Nebraska on Highway 50 was selected for the institution and ground was broken in December of the same year. Hiring of initial staff commenced in late spring 2000. TSCI began accepting inmates in December 2001.

For more information about TSCI check out their website.

The Johnson County Courthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic places.

Established in 1857, Johnson County is one of the earliest counties in Nebraska. Tecumseh, which was designated the county seat, was platted in 1856. The present courthouse dates from the 1880s period of prosperity and replaced two earlier courthouses built on the square in the fall of 1857 and in 1868, respectively. In March 1888, Johnson County voters passed a bond issue to finance the new courthouse. Construction began the same year and the Romanesque, Classic Revival-style building was completed in 1889. In recent years, the steps, bricks and roof have been replaced, tuck pointed and shingled to keep the exterior in good repair.

As indicated by a plate on the bridge itself, the Keim Stone Arch was built in 1916 by the Keim Cement Company. The Keim Cement Company was one of the primary bridge builders in the county, and appears to have been the only builder of stone bridges and culverts. The Keim Stone Arch Bridge, located on 624 Avenue just south of 729 Rd near Tecumseh, is a rare, well-preserved example of early twentieth century stone arch bridge construction: the only surviving stone bridge built by this prominent local bridge builder.