Greeley County, Nebraska
Towns & Villages

Halifax

Is a thriving young village on the Cedar, in the northeastern part of the County. It has a good general merchandise store, hotel, school house, etc.

Johnson’s History of Nebraska, 1880
Submitted by Cathy Danielson

Lamartine

On the Loup, in the southwestern part of the County, was one of the first points settled. It contains a couple of dozen dwellings, a hotel, two general merchandise stores, a blacksmith shop, school house, etc., and is surrounded by a fertile farming country. The streams in the vicinity are spanned by substantial bridges. On Davis Creek, close at hand, there is a good flouring mill.

Johnson’s History of Nebraska, 1880
Submitted by Cathy Danielson

O'Connor

Is a nourishing young town recently laid out near the geographical center of the County. It was made the County Seat at the general election held in the spring of 1879. The town was settled by an Irish colony, and is improving very rapidly, having at present over 100 inhabitants. A large amount of land has been purchased from the B. & M. R. R. this year, for another Irish colony, who are expected in the early spring of next year.

Johnson’s History of Nebraska, 1880
Submitted by Cathy Danielson

......................................................................

In 1877, when the Irish settlement was established near the center of Greeley County, a town was laid out, platted and filed. Nothing, however, was ever done toward building up a town on this site, and in August, 1880, a new town was laid out about three and a half miles from the old site, and this, too, was called O'Connor, in honor of the Roman Catholic Bishop O'Connor, who was a member of the association, and selected this as a favorable location for a town.

Improvements in the town soon commenced. Patrick Hynes built and opened the first store in October, 1880. In December of the same year, Lanagan Bros. opened the second store.

The spring previous to the platting of the town, a Catholic Church was built, but, on June 20, 1881, was blown down. A new one was soon erected, however, which is, for a country church, an imposing edifice.

The first school in the settlement was taught in a sod schoolhouse, about midway between the two town sites, by Rev. Mr. Harris, a Baptist minister, in the summer of 1878.

The first death in the settlement was that of Mr. Cline, in the fall of 1879.

The first death in the present town was that of Mrs. Carr, August 8, 1881.

The Sisters of Mercy have bought 320 acres of land here, and are erecting a school building.

The town is beautifully situated on the uplands, nearly in the center of the county, and the country adjoining it is fast being settled, principally by Irishmen.

There is a good weekly newspaper published here--the O'Connor Democrat, by R. H. Clayton, who established it early in 1882.

History of State of Nebraska, 1882
Submitted by Cathy Danielson

Scotia

Scotia, On the Loup, four miles north of Lamartine, is the largest town in the County, having about 250 inhabitants. It contains a hotel, blacksmith shop, several stores and other business houses, and a weekly newspaper, the Tribune.

Johnson’s History of Nebraska, 1880
Submitted by Cathy Danielson

........................................................................

This town is the county seat of Greeley County, and is situated on the left bank of the North Loup River. Its location is a pleasant one, on the nearly level bottom lands, in a broad valley.

This was the place of the very earliest settlement in the county, and, at an election in November, 1874, the county seat was located here, since which time its history as a town commences. The town grew but slowly, however, and in 1877 the only buildings were the small court house and two other small buildings

In October, 1877, a newspaper, the Greeley Tribune, was established by E. O. Bartlett and A. B. Lewis, two young men from St. Paul, Howard County, which did much to call attention to the town and county, and thus contribute to their development. The Tribune is still published here, by W. T. Buchannan.

The town is small, having a population of less than one hundred. The business houses are few, but these have a very good trade.

There is a good school here, and the religious societies are well represented, taking into consideration the smallness of the town.

History of State of Nebraska, 1882
Submitted by Cathy Danielson

Spaulding

This is a town site located by the Irish Catholic association, in the Cedar Creek Valley, in the northeastern part of the county. It is surrounded by a good country, which is fast being settled. There is one store here, built and opened in the summer of 1881, by McDonald, and now a fine Catholic Church building is in course of erection

History of State of Nebraska, 1882
Submitted by Cathy Danielson