Nine men stand in a staggered line on a paved walk beside a brick building. All wear suits and waistcoats, several with visible watch chains; bow ties alternate with long neckties. Tall windows and a doorway frame the group, with grass bordering the walk and a light-colored hat resting in the foreground.
The photographic caption identifies the group as the “COURT HOUSE GANG” at “COLUMBUS, NEB.” A separate identifier at the lower left reads “NO F.” The reverse credits L. W. Snow as publisher in Columbus. The caption establishes the group's courthouse association, but does not state the men's offices, the occasion, or the building's formal name.
Ink identifications fill the lower front margin. Readable names include Mr. Graf, Mr. Becher, and Mr. Leary; other entries require closer examination. Seven names appear to be supplied for the nine men, without an unambiguous key matching each inscription to a sitter. The writer and date of these annotations are unknown.
This is an undated real photo postcard with a divided back and a KRUXO stamp box. The reverse has no message, address, stamp, or cancellation. KRUXO identifies the photographic postcard stock, not the photographer; Snow is credited only as publisher.
- Title on card
- No. F. COURT HOUSE GANG COLUMBUS, NEB.
- Medium
- RPPC
- Subject
- neb, Nebraska, Occupational, Outdoor Scene
- Dimensions
- 5.47 × 3.46 in (139.1 × 87.9 mm)
- Condition
- Clear image and otherwise sound card, with ink identifications in the lower front margin and a few small stray ink marks along the caption band. No major crease, tear, or loss is visible.
- Catalogue no.
- MRPPC3476
Catalogue details
Location
Columbus, Nebraska · Columbus, Nebraska, United States
Photographed subject · Locality (town) · 95% confidence
The supplied front caption explicitly identifies Columbus, Nebraska; this is depicted-subject evidence, not an inference from Snow’s publishing address. Independent research found a particularly strong match: Margaret Curry’s History of Platte County, page 516, reproduces a nine-man photograph captioned “The Old Court House Gang.” Its brick wall, doorway, tall windows and staggered arrangement closely match the supplied description. The accompanying names include John Graf, O. A. Becher, Jerry Carrig, Thomas Jaworski and Louis Leavy, corroborating several handwritten readings and suggesting that “Leary” may be Leavy. ([usgennet.org](https://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/topic/resources/OLLibrary/Platte/pages/hpcn0094.htm)) The likely setting is the original Platte County courthouse: the 1915 Columbus directory places the courthouse at 10th and Washington and lists Graf and Carrig among county officials. ([usgenwebsites.org](https://usgenwebsites.org/NEPlatte/1915dir_m.html)) National Registe
Source: Margaret Curry, History of Platte County, p. 516: The Old Court House Gang
