The corner stone was laid by the Master Workmen of the Grand Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Nebraska, May 15, 1915, A. L. 1915, Thomas M. Davis, Grand Master. The board of county commissioners at that time consisted of : Simon Hopper, chairman, George Kalb, and James Brown; their names being cut in the corner stone with those of J. J. Huddart, architect, and M. J. Kenney, builder. The cost of the building at that time was about half what such a fine building would have come to later. In the new structure the county offices were suitably and well housed with every modern convenience to facilitate county work and Deuel may well be proud of her court house.

In 1919, an effort was made to build a

$100,000 county high school at Chappell and an election called for May 13, of that year, but on May 28, the election was reordered for July 8. The vote when counted stood five hundred and sixty-three for and four hundred forty-two against the building of the school, and there was not the necessary two-thirds majority to carry. A protest was made against counting the vote of Big Springs, as it was mostly adverse as that town already had a high school. The county commissioners overruled the protest and declared the election lost. On July 28, 1919, a committee was appointed for redisricting the county according to the new law with the following people as its members : Retta F. Brown, H. R. Busse, and J. R. Holcombe.