A convention was held during the summer of 1886, and at that convention it was decided that steps be taken to secure a division of Dawes county and that the new county erected in the south half, if division succeeded, should be called Box Butte county. Committees were appointed, petitions were circulated and unanimously signed, asking the County Commissioners of Dawes county to submit the question of county division to a vote of the people at the general election to be held in November of that year. The Commissioners granted the request, and at the November election a majority of the votes were cast in favor of division. The governor of Nebraska, Honorable John M. Thayer, issued a proclamation designating a special election, at which election the people of the new county were to choose a location for their county seat, and elect a complete set of county officers.

Of the one thousand or more voters participating in that election held thirty-four years ago, but few are still residents of the county. Among those recalled are E. I. Gregg, who with his good wife were very industrious in circulating the petition asking for county division. Other residents of Alliance who participated in that, election are R. M. Hampton, F. M. Knight, Robert Garrett, John O'Keefe, Si

Coker, Moses Wright, C. H. Underwood, Julius Atz, Jack Mettlen, Henry Clayton, George Gadshy, and possibly a few others.

Prior to this special election, political conventions were held when Democrats and Republicans each nominated a complete ticket of candidates for the county offices. The country being rather thinly settled and no rapid means of communication, people were unable to become personally or intimately acquainted with the respective candidates, and apparently went to the polls and voted their party tickets. This resulted in the election of the entire Republican ticket.