BEAVER CROSSING NE
"God's gift to the Blue River Valley"
VILLAGE GROWTH
The moving of Beaver crossing to the present site has been related. Now we will endeavor to show the growth of the town, at its present location, from the time when it was a part of Ross Nichol’s ranch.
The “Original Town Site” of blocks 1 to 9 was surveyed and platted on December 18, 1874 by G.A. Kilpatrick. This plat and description was filed at the county seat on May 18, 1875 by Mary E. Nicholas and Ross Nichols. This was the blocks beginning at the northwest corner, where the old Petty Hospital stands, south three blocks, than east three blocks the corner just south of Florence Amos’ house, than north three blocks to the east main street or Dimery Ave, and back west three blocks to the starting point.
Anyone living here or familiar with this area for nine blocks will know that street are not open for the full three blocks on the west, south or east sides of this site. Only the north side, which I have already stated to the east and west Main Street of town, or known as Dimery Ave was open.
For the early pioneers mail service was an important link to ‘back home” and the outside world. Consequently one of the first steps any settlement took was to secure a post office.
The first post office was established at the original town site in 1867.Roland Reed made the name of Beaver Crossing official when he secured the appointment as postmaster and located the post office in his ranch house under that name.
A railroad’s arrival was always heralded with a great deal of enthusiasm and anticipation. Its arrival practically always signified an increase of commercial trade and general growth for the community. It was expected that life would be easier, property would soar and communication with distant relatives would be more rapid.
Many of us in our present day world would be almost helpless without the use of electricity, and it is true that the majority of the people take it for granted, but the hardy pioneers survived and flourished without the use of that convenience. Thanks to some enterprising people in 1907, who started talking about lighting the village streets, and than went further and did something about it. On October 17, 1907, articles for incorporation were signed creating the “Beaver Crossing Electric Light and Power Company.” The total capitalization being $20,000.
Fire has always been a hazard that is very real to everyone in all periods of history. To the early residents of Beaver Crossing if must have been and especially desperate situation, with very little water or fire fighting equipment. In the early beginning of the town not much is known about the first equipment used for fighting the too frequent fires. It is known there was a city pump and windmill and probably each home owner had a well and a pump. An early account of a fire was described in the Beaver Crossing Weekly Review, June 18, 1895 the home of Mrs.Maule was on fire a bucket brigade was formed and was filled at Joe Mayhew’s fish pond and the roof fire was soon out, Dimery’s irrigation ditch was also a means of saving other homes.
This is just a part of the history of Beaver Crossing to find out more please come and visit us and explore our great city in Nebraska.
This web site is sponsored by the Beaver Crossing Chamber
County: Seward Primary Area Code: 402
Beaver Crossing, NE ZIP Codes: 68313
Time Zone: Central
Coordinates: Latitude 40.78 & Longitude -97.27
