This is a NEGenWeb Project On-Line Library presentation.

        This county was named for James A. Garfield (1831-1881), president of the United States, 1881. It was formed from Wheeler county by vote on November 8, 1881.

• Ballagh. The town of Ballagh was named in honor of its first settler, Robert A. Ballagh.
  
• Blake. Blake was named after Blake Maher who was a business partner on the ranch of L. B. Fenner, the first postmaster.
  
• Burwell. This town, the county seat of Garfield county, was platted by Frank Webster in 1883 on his home farm and for many years was called "Webster's town." It was named after a Miss Burwell who was the fiancée of Mr. Webster's brother but died before marriage.
  
• Deverre. This post office was named for Deverre Cass who was instrumental in procuring its establishment.
  
• Dumas. The town of Dumas was named for the French author, Alexandre Dumas, and is in Erina precinct.
  
• Erina. In the spring of 1880 a colony of Irish emigrants settled in this vicinity. Erin was the name chosen for the post office, after Erin, the Irish name for Ireland. As there was at the time another office of the same name in Nebraska, Erin was transformed to Erina. The post office has been discontinued. The township also has the name Erina.
  
• Gables. This town was so named because the house in which the post office was first established had a very high gabled roof. It is in Roosevelt precinct.
  
• Rosevale. This locality is situated in Rose Valley which was so named because of the profusion of wild roses. Rosevale was named after Rose Valley by contracting the name. The post office has been discontinued.
  
• Sheridan. This town was named in honor of General Philip H. Sheridan (1831-1888), the Civil War hero. The post office has been moved into Wheeler county.
  

        Gosper county was named in honor of John J. Gosper who was secretary of state in Nebraska at the time when the county was organized, August 29, 1873. The organization was legalized and the boundaries defined by an act approved March 2, 1881.

• Ceryl. This place is inland, near the center of the county, in Turkey Creek precinct, and was probably named for a local resident. The post office has been discontinued.
  
• Elwood. Ewood, the county seat of Gosper county, received its name in honor of Elwood Thomas, a farmer who lived near by at the time the railroad was built through the county. The precinct has the same name.
  
• Gosper. This is an inland village in East Muddy precinct, and received its name from John J. Gosper after whom the county was named. The post office has been discontinued.
  
• Smithfield. The quarter section on which this town is located was at one time owned by E. B. Smith, now of Lexington, Nebraska. The site was located in the midst of Mr. Smith's field; hence the name Smithfield
  

        Grant county was named after General U. S. Grant (1822-1885). Its boundaries were defined by an act of the legislature approved March 31, 1887.

• Ashby. This village is a station on the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad in Hyannis township and was named by an official of the railway company after Ashby, Massachusetts.
  
• Duluth. This place is a station on the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad in Whitman precinct. It was named by the officials of the railroad, probably after Duluth, Minnesota, which in turn was named for Grecylon Du Luth, an early French explorer in the vicinity.
  
• Elva. An inland place in the southeastern part of Grant county, in Collins precinct. It was probably named for a local resident.
  
• Hyannis. The site of Hyannis was owned by John S. Dellinger. The citizens of the community wished to name the future post office Dellinger, for Henry R. Dellinger, an early local settler, the father of J. S. Dellinger. This place was named by an official of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad after Hyannis, Massachusetts. A local tradition says that when the railroad was being built through the vicinity, some of the men working for the road were from Hyannis, Massachusetts, and that they named the new town-site after their former home. Hyannis is the county seat of Grant county and is in Hyannis precinct. Hyannis, Massachusetts, was named for the Indian chief, Hianna, and is situated in Barnstable county, Cape Cod region.
  
• Lucky Valley. A vicinity located near the southeastern corner of Whitman township. It was so named because of its fortunate situation. The post office has been discontinued.
  
• Whitman. This town was named by the railroad company after Whitman, Plymouth county, Massachusetts. It is situated in Whitman township.
  

        Greeley county was named in honor of Horace Greeley (1811-1872) to whom is accredited the saying: "Go west young man and grow up with the country." The first settlements in this county were made in 1871-1872. It was organized and the boundaries defined by an act approved March 1, 1871.

• Belfast. A station on the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad in Mount Pleasant precinct, doubtless named for Belfast, Ireland.
  
• Brayton. This village is on the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad in Brayton precinct. Both were probably named for a local resident.
  
• Greeley Center. This town was so named because it is located in almost the exact center of Greeley county. The post office here is named Greeley, but the town itself is named Greeley Center. It is the county seat of Greeley county. The precinct is named Center.
  
• Horace. This town is named in honor of Horace Greeley, the noted editor of the New York Tribune and candidate in 1872 for president of the United States.
  
• Homestead. A former post office near the northwest corner of Greeley county in Homestead precinct. Both derive their names because the settlers located on homesteads.
  
• Parnell. A village in Parnell precinct both probably named for Charles S. Parnell, the Irish, home-rule leader.
  
• Scotia. The settlement of Scotia antedates 1874. The town was named by an early settler in honor of Scotland, his former country. Scotia is the poetic name for Scotland.
  
• Spalding. The town of Spalding was located by an Irish Catholic association and was named in honor of Bishop Spalding who was president of the association at that time.
  
• Wolbach. This town was named for S. N. Wolbach of Grand Island, Nebraska. Mr. Wolbach at one time owned a great deal of land around what is now the site of Wolbach.
  

        Hall county was organized and its boundaries defined by an act of the legislature approved November 4, 1858. Its boundaries were re-defined February 1, 1864, and again March 1, 1871. It was named in honor of Augustus Hall (1814-1861), chief justice of the territory of Nebraska, 1858, and a former congressman from Iowa.

• Abbott. This town was named in honor of Othman Ali Abbott of Grand Island, the first lieutenant governor of Nebraska, elected in the fall of 1876.
  
• Alda. The first settlement was made in this vicinity in May, 1859. The town was first named Pawnee, but was renamed Alda in honor of the first white child born in the town, the daughter of a section boss.
  
• Cairo. The town of Cairo originated in the spring of 1886. It was named by the Lincoln Land Company, presumably after Cairo, Egypt. Some of the streets in the town have Egyptian names.
  
• Doniphan. This town was named in honor of Colonel John Doniphan, of Saint Joseph, Missouri, who was then attorney for the railroad on which it is located. The town was surveyed in 1879. Gannett's work on place names states that it was named for Colonel Alexander William Doniphan, a distinguished western soldier.
  
• Grand Island. The present city of Grand Island was laid out by the Union Pacific Railroad Company in the spring of 1866 just opposite the old Grand Island settlement. It was named Grand Island after the large island in the Platte river and also after the original settlement by that name. Grand Island is the county seat of Hall county.
  
• Schauppsville. This town was founded about 1880 by a Mr. Schaupp for whom it was named.
  
• Spencer. A post office was established here in July, 1878. George J. Spencer was the first postmaster and the town is named for him.
  
• Underwood. This town was established on January 16, 1885. It was named for Mrs. Cleanthe A. Underwood, postmistress, who established the post office on the farm of B. G. Underwood.
  
• Wood River. The town of Wood River is named after the famous Wood River valley in which it is located. It was first laid out in 1869, but did not exist in its present location until 1871. The town is situated on the banks of Wood river.
  

        Hamilton county was named for Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804), secretary of the treasury in George Washington's cabinet. Its boundaries were defined by an act approved February 16, 1867.

• Aurora. This town was surveyed and platted in 1882. Its name was suggested by David Stone, an early settler, as a compliment to his wife who was a native of Aurora, Illinois. Mr. Robert Miller has the distinction of having named the town because he cast the two votes that determined the selection of the name. Aurora is the county seat of Hamilton county.
  
• Giltner. Glitner was named in honor of the Reverend Mr. Henry M. Giltner, a Presbyterian minister and missionary of the early days in Nebraska and in this vicinity in particular. It was surveyed and platted in the spring of 1886 and was originally named Bromfield.
  
• Hampton. The town of Hampton was surveyed and platted in October, 1879, on land owned by Joshua Cox. Mr. Cox wished it to be named Plano because that was the name of his home in Illinois; but since there was another town by that name on the railroad, it was given the name Murray. Later the name was changed to Hampton, because there was a town on the Burlington and Missouri railroad named Murray and this caused confusion in freight shipments.
  
• Hordville. This town was named in honor of T. B. Hord who formerly owned a great deal of land in the vicinity. It was settled in 1907.
  
• Marquette. Marquette was surveyed and platted by the Lincoln Land Company in 1882. Thomas M. Marquette of Lincoln, a member of the company, was then general attorney for the Burlington railroad and the town was named for him.
  
• Orville City. This town was named in honor of Orville Wescott, the son of C. O. Wescott. It was surveyed and platted in 1870.
  
• Phillips. Captain R. O. Phillips of Lincoln at one time had charge of establishing town-sites for the Lincoln Land Company. The town of Phillips was named in his honor.
  
• Stockham. This town was named for Joseph Stockham who was a member of the town board of trustees. It was surveyed and platted in 1887.
  

        Harlan county was originally a part of Lincoln county and was separated from it by an act of the legislature approved June 3, 1871. It was named for a nephew of Senator James Harlan of Iowa. This nephew was at one time a revenue collector and lived near Republican City, Nebraska. Gannett states the county was named for James Harlan, secretary of the interior, 1865-1866.

• Alma. The town-site of Alma was selected by Mark Coad, N. P. Cook, and Thomas Murrin, members of the Cheyenne Colony, in the spring of 1871. It was named in honor of a daughter of N. P. Cook. Alma is the county seat of Harlan county. The precinct is also named Alma.
  
• Carter. A village on the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad in Emerson precinct. It was named probably for a railway official.
  
• Huntley. This town was named in honor of a Mr. Huntley, a railroad official who was very influential in getting bonds voted and in securing the right-of-way for the new railroad.
  
• Mascot. The town of Mascot was originally called Rouse, but because there was another town in the state by that name it was changed to Mascot. The latter name was given to the town by the railroad.
  
• Orleans. Originally the town was called Melrose and it was located a short distance from the present site. It was laid out and platted by D. N. Smith, the noted site locater for the Burlington and Missouri River railroad in 1872. It was probably named for Orleans, Massachusetts, though Gannett claims in his work on United States place names that it was named for Orleans, France. The precinct has the same name.
  
• Oxford Junction. A junction point for the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad in Emerson precinct. It is located a short distance from Oxford, Furnas county, after which it takes its name.
  
• Republican City. The first settlement was made in this vicinity by H. M. Luce in 1871. The town was given its name because of its location on the Republican river. Republican river was so named because it was the habitat of the Pawnee Republic or Republican Pawnee, this name being applied by white men to the tribe because of their form of government.
  
• Stamford. The original town was named Carisbrook. When the railroad was built through the valley, the Lincoln Land Company relocated the town and named the new town Stamford, probably after Stamford, Connecticut.
  

        Hayes county was named in honor of President Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893). Its boundaries were defined by an act of the legislature approved February 19, 1877.

• Hamlet. The town of Hamlet was originally named Hudson in honor of its founder. When a post office was established, however, it was necessary to change the name because there was already a Hudson post office in the state. The name Hamlet, which means "a small town," was chosen by the citizens.
  
• Hayes Center. This town is the county seat of Hayes county. It was so named because it is located almost in the center of the county. A post office was established here in 1885.
  
• Marengo. This post office was established in 1889. The petitioners proposed the name Suttler, after an old settler named Suttler, and after Suttler's canyon; but the United States post office department gave the office the name Marengo.
  
• Norris. This post office was named in honor of Senator George W Norris, through whose influence both the office and Norris route were established.
  
• Rain. Rain post office in Highridge precinct, was established in 1895 This was during the dry seasons in western Nebraska and religious and other organizations were holding weekly prayer meetings to pray for rain. C. B. French, a minister of the Church of Christ was the first postmaster here. It was his idea that the new office should be called Rain, in order that the patrons might remember the famine in western Nebraska. This office was discontinued rn 1920.
  
• Robert. An inland post office in Fairfield precinct. It was probably named for a local resident.
  
• Strickland. An inland post office in Deerfield precinct. It was probably named for some local settler.
  
• Thornburg. This post office in Thornburg precinct, was esblished in 1878 or near this time. It is thought the post office was named after another one in another state.
  
• White. This town was named in honor of Arthur White, a homesteader in the locality. Mr. White is at present living in Oregon.
  

        Hitchcock county was named in honor of Phineas Warrener Hitchcock (1831-1881) who was a United States senator from Nebraska at the time of its organization in 1873. Its boundaries were defined by an act approved February 27, 1873.

• Beverly. A village on. a branch of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad in Beverly precinct. It was probably named for Beverly, Essex county, Massachusetts.
  
• Cornell. A former, inland post office in Cornell precinct. The name is probably local in origin.
  
• Culbertson. This town was named in honor of the well-known Indian agent, Culbertson, and is in Culbertson precinct.
  
• Meeker. A station on the branch line of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad near the line between Riverside and Pleasant Hill precincts. The name apparently has reference to a local settler.
  
• Palisade. This name was given by Samuel True because of the breaks, resembling palisades, around the town. Palisade is in Palisade precinct.
  
• Poe. A station on the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad in Pleasantview precinct.
  
• Rupert. A station on the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad in Riverside precinct. The name is probably for a local resident.
  
• Stratton. The town of Stratton, in Stratton precinct, was founded in 1883 and named in honor of a Mrs. Stratton, one of the first settlers in the vicinity.
  
• Trenton. The Lincoln Land Company laid out and named the town at the time when the Burlington railroad was extended through the vicinity to Denver. Trenton is the county seat of Hitchcock county. A neighboring precinct has the same name. Trenton was probably named for Trenton, New Jersey.
  

        Holt county was named in honor of Joseph Holt of Kentucky who was a member of President Buchanan's cabinet, being postmaster-general and secretary of war. Later he was judge-advocate of the army under President Lincoln. Its boundaries were defined by an act of the legislature approved January 9, 1862.

• Agee. An inland place in Paddock precinct, established in 1882. It was named for A. W. Agee, lieutenant governor of Nebraska for 1883-1884.
  
• Amelia. The village of Amelia was named in honor of Amelia A. Bliss.
  
• Anncar. Anncar post office was named for Mrs. Ann Carroll O'Neill at whose home the office was established. The last syllable of Carroll was omitted because there already was a Carroll post office in the state.
  
• Atkinson. John Carberry made the first settlement here in 1876. The town was named in honor of Colonel John Atkinson of Detroit, Michigan, who had large landed interests in the vicinity. The precinct has the same name.
  
• Badger. This place is situated on the Niobrara river, near Big Sandy creek, in Sand Creek precinct. Apparently it was so named from the presence of the badger, once common in the vicinity. The post office has been discontinued.
  
• Biscuit. A local name for an inland locality in the northern part of Paddock precinct.
  
• Blackbird. Blackbird is the English translation of the name of an Indian chief of the Omahas who lived and died in the vicinity of Blackbird, Nebraska. Gannett gives the word as Washingasahba, meaning, "blackbird," in his book on place names. The town of Blackbird was named for the Blackbird river which in turn receives its name from that of the Indian chief. Blackbird is the first Omaha chief of whom there is definite knowledge. He died in 1800, according to Lewis and Clark, who visited his grave in 1804.
  
• Bliss. An inland post office in Lake precinct. It was probably named for a local resident.
  
• Brodie. An inland village in the northwestern part of Holt county in Cleveland precinct. The name is probably for a local settler.
  
• Catalpa. When this post office was established it was named Catalpa for the reason that there is a group of catalpa trees in the vicinity.
  
• Celia. An inland village and a former post office in Sand Creek precinct, named probably for a local settler.
  
• Chambers. In 1883 R. C. Wray homesteaded on the land which is now the site of Chambers, Nebraska. Mr. Wray built a post office in which he also kept a store, and also marked out a few town lots. W. D. Matthews of the Frontier office at O'Neill, Nebraska, named the new town in honor of his friend B. F. Chambers, register of the land office at Niobrara.
  
• Chelsea. A locality on the Niobrara river in Spencer precinct. Many places in the United States have this name, the most important one being Chelsea, Suffolk county, Massachusetts. All are named directly or indirectly for Chelsea, Middlesex, England.
  
• Cleveland. The post office at Cleveland was established in 1878. It was named in honor of L. M. Cleveland, the first postmaster and one of the early settlers.
  
• Deloit. An inland village and a former post office in the southern part of Deloit precinct, southeastern part of Holt county. It was probably named for Deloit, Crawford county, Iowa.
  
• Dorsey. The pioneer name of this place was Mineral. It was given its present name in honor of George W. E. Dorsey, member of the U. S. House of Representatives, 1885-1891.
  
• Doty. The first settlements were made here in May, 1879. The town was named for E. H. Doty on account of the interest taken by him in the establishment of the post roads.
  
• Dustin. An inland post office in Sand Creek precinct, probably named for a local resident.
  
• Emmet. This town was named in honor of the Irish patriot, Robert Emmet, (1778-1803).
  
• Emporia. A station on the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad in the southern part of Verdigns precinct. The Verdigris river rises in the precinct. The name Emporia is from the Latin emporium, meaning a commercial place, a mart, a place of trade, or a center of trade. The most important town in the United States with this name is Emporia, Lyon county, Kansas, which may have suggested the name for the Nebraska place.
  
• Ewing. On January 22, 1874, the post office at Ewing was established and named in honor of James Ewing, the first postmaster. The town was platted by the Pioneer Town-Site Company in 1882.
  
• Grand Rapids. A locality near the northwest corner of Sand Creek precinct, on the Niobrara river. The name has reference to the rapids in the river. Grand Rapids, Kent county, Michigan, on the rapids of Grand river, may have suggested the name.
  
• Gravel Pit. A locally descriptive name for a station on the Chicago and Northwestern railroad in Atkinson precinct.
  
• Greenvalley. An inland village in Green Valley precinct, a locally descriptive name for both the village and the precinct.
  
• Hainesville. This town was named in honor of S. S. Haines, who, with D. S. Ludwig, made the first settlement here in February, 1879.
  
• Harold. An inland locality and a former post office in Conley precinct, probably named for a local resident.
  
• Hay Point. A locally descriptive name for a station on the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad in the northeastern part of Inman precinct.
  
• Inez. An inland post office in Francis precinct, probably named for a local resident.
  
• Inglis. The name of an inland village near the southwest corner of Sand Creek precinct, apparently local in origin.
  
• Inman. The post office at Inman was named in honor of W. H. Inman, a pioneer store keeper, one of the earliest settlers in Holt county. It was established on September 16, 1881. The precinct has the same name.
  
• Josie. An inland locality and a post office in Swan precinct, probably named for a local resident.
  
• Joy. Originally established in 1886, about thirteen miles north of O'Neill, with C. W. Hagensick as postmaster. The locality was then being settled and the name was chosen as expressive of the feelings of the settlers over the prospect of having a post office. The location of the post office has changed several times but it has been in its present location about thirty years.
  
• Kola. The name of an inland locality and a post office near the center of Swan precinct, apparently local in origin.
  
• Laura. J. A. Estep made the first settlement in this vicinity on June 20, 1880. He was made postmaster of the office which was established on March 20, 1881, and named in honor of his wife, Mrs. Laura Estep.
  
• Lavinia. This post office was named in honor of Mrs. Lavinia Smith, wife of J. L. Smith, who was the first woman in the settlement. The office was established in June, 1878.
  
• Leonie. I. R. Smith was the first postmaster here and he named the office in honor of his first wife. The office has been discontinued.
  
• Little. The post office at Little was established in June, 1881, and named in honor of L. B. Little, one of the early settlers.
  
• Lucerne. An inland locality in Fairview precinct. The name derives from Lucerne, Switzerland.
  
• Maple Grove. An inland locality and a post office in the southeastern part of Saratoga precinct. The name has reference to a grove of maples in the vicinity.
  
• Martha. This office was established in 1904 and it was named after Mrs. Martha Rollin Porter, a pioneer of the vicinity and mother-in-law of the first postmaster.
  
• Meek. This town was named in honor of Samuel Meek who was at one time a butter maker in the vicinity. At present Mr. Meek lives in South Norfolk, Nebraska, and is engaged in truck farming.
  
• Middlebranch. Middlebranch is a country post office and store in Iowa precinct, twelve miles from the railroad. It is situated on the middle branch of Verdigre creek from which it derives its name.
  
• Mineola. An inland locality and a former post office in the southeastern part of Scott precinct. Probably named for Mineola, Queens county, New York. There is also a Mineola, Woods county, Texas, as well as a Mineola, Mills county, Iowa.
  
• O'Neill. The original town-site of O'Neill was platted by Thomas I. Atwood in May, 1874. An addition was platted in 1875 by General John J. O'Neill who brought a colony of Irishmen from Scranton, Pennsylvania. General O'Neill was the first settler on May 12, 1874, and the town was named in his honor. O'Neill is the county seat of Holt county.
  
• Opportunity. The founders of this town thought they would "take an opportunity to make good" if they started a little store and post office on one corner of a big ranch in this vicinity. Hence the town was named Opportunity.
  
• Paddock. This town was originally named Troy. The name was changed to Paddock in 1875 in honor of Algernon S. Paddock, United States senator from Nebraska, 1875-1881. The precinct has the same name.
  
• Page. In 1883 a family named Page took up a homestead in this vicinity and when the railroad was built a portion of the town site was located on their land. When the post office was established Mrs. Selinda Page was the first postmistress and the office was named in honor of the Page family. Later the railroad station was given the same name.
  
• Phoenix. The post office at Phoenix was originally called Greeley, but this office was discontinued because there was an older Greeley post office in the state. When an office was reestablished here it was named Phoenix by the settlers, because, like the Phoenix of the Egyptian myth, it had risen again from its ashes, young and beautiful. The office was originally named for Peter Greeley.
  
• Ray. Ray post office was named for the oldest son of N. T. Hoxie, one of the eariy settlers in the vicinity. The office was established about 1880 or 1881 but was later discontinued.
  
• Redbird. The town of Redbird was named after Red Bird creek on which it is located.
  
• Saratoga. A post office was established at Saratoga in 1879 and named after the Saratoga precinct in which it is located.
  
• Scottville. This place was named after a local pioneer, Barrett Scott, who later was treasurer of Holt county. The post office has been discontinued.
  
• Stafford. This town was named in honor of Michael Stafford who was the first road master of the Chicago and Northwestern railroad at the time when it was known as the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley railroad. He also had a land claim in the vicinity.
  
• Star. C. E. Downey of O'Neill, Nebraska, suggested the name Star for this post office. Mr. Downey says that in selecting the name he considered only the fact that it was short and familiar.
  
• Stuart. This town was named in honor of Peter Stuart, one of the early settlers who owned the land on which the village is located. The first settlement was made here in 1879.
  
• Swan. Swan post office was named after Swan lake which is located in the immediate vicinity. Swan lake was so named because of its shape. It has an oblong body with rather a long neck. There is also a Swan township which received its name from the same source.
  
• Tonawanda. The post office at Tonawanda was named in honor of an Indian girl by that name, the Indian form being Tonawando or Tonawanta. It has also been suggested, in all probability correctly, that this place took its name from Tonawanda, New York, which in turn is said to be an Iroquois Indian word meaning "swift water." Tonawanda ('confluent stream') is a Seneca settlement on Tonawanda creek, in Niagara county, New York.
  
• Tonic. An inland village and a former post office in the southwestern part of Deloit precinct.
  
• Turner. William Knollkampire named this post office in honor of a Mr. Turner, his partner in a grist mill. Mr. Turner was also a merchant at Niobrara and Springfield, Nebraska.
  

© 2001 for the NEGenWeb Project by Connie Snyder