OXFORD -- FURNAS/HARLAN COUNTY The beginning of Oxford was on
December 20, 1879, when William Gillan was given his "final
receivers receipt" and handed abstract title No. 767 for certain
lands at the eastern edge of Furnas County. Nine days later
William and his wife Caroline deeded a portion of this land to
Jacob Struve for $200. Through a legal pre-arrangement, Struve
had granted the Republican Valley Railroad Company (later to
become part of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy) a right of way
over the land to construct their railroad. Actually, railroad
stakes had been driven on what was to become the town site in
October 1879, before the title for the land had been cleared.
The arrival of the first train as it crossed the Harlan County
line into Oxford was greeted with a large crowd of onlookers,
February 17, 1880. The main line still runs right through the
middle of town, but the trains do not stop to leave-off mail or
take on passengers. It is believed that the first schoolhouse
was a sod structure northwe