On August 29, 1854, shortly after the Kansas-Nebraska Act opened the territory west of the Missouri River to permanent settlement, Richard Brown arrived at the site of the town that bore his name, and other settlers soon followed. Brownville quickly became one of the leading towns and cultural centers in the new territory. Located on the river, it became a transfer point for westbound wagon caravans. Daniel Freeman filed his homestead claim there, recognized as the first in the nation, and Brownville was also the site of Nebraska's first telegraph office. In 1872, both party candidates for governor were from Brownville, and Robert W. Furnas, the Republican, won. Furnas had come to Brownville in 1856 and established one of the state's first newspapers, the Nebraska Advertiser. Another Brownville resident, T. W. Tipton, served in the U.S. Senate from 1867 to 1875. Hoping to attract a railroad, the town approved a huge bond issue in the late 1860's, but the contracting company built only ten miles of track. Deeply in debt and without a railroad, Brownville was abandoned by many residents. In 1970, Brownville's historic importance was recognized by its enrollment in the National Register of Historic Places.