Richardson County, NE

Richardson County

Welcome to our Tri-State Corners Genealogy Society NEGenWeb page. In our recent move, some links may not be correct. Please address any comments or suggestions for improvements to this page to me, Norma Thompson, the coordinator.

Richardson County

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This page last modified onSaturday, 25-Apr-2009 23:30:37 CDT

©Tri-State Corners Genealogical Society, NKT 2000

Richardson County is found in extreme southeast Nebraska and is bordered by Nemaha County on the north, Pawnee County on the west, Brown County, KS and Nemaha County,KS on the south and across the Missouri River by Holt County, MO on the east. This county was opened for settlement by the passing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 and took its name from William A. Richardson, a sponsor of the bill and later the 3rd governor of Nebraska Territory.

New/Updated Items-

Google Map of Cemeteries
Surnames- Links to persons who have information to share on county families
Queries - Requests by people seeking specific information on their county families

Census & Other Lists

Link to 1883 Military Pensioners List - transcribed by Alice Miller
School Lists & Pictures- (Falls City 1924-1927, Stella, Williamsville, Salem)
Link to Greater Nemaha Reservation Allottees list - Half-Breed Tract - Uploaded by Lance Foster
Extracts from Nebraska State Journal (one death notice)
Bits & Pieces- 1854, 1855, 1856 Census from the NE & Midwest Genealogical Record
1860 Census Index - Look here first for correct surname spellings and census item number
1860 Census - Link to census transcribed from microfilm in the NEGenWeb Archives
1890 Gazatteer Farmers List - Closest we have to a census for 1890- lists county farmers
1890 Gazatteer Business Index - List of business men and women in county towns
Veterans Reunion List 1896 - Reunion in Falls City of Civil War Veterans from nearby towns in 4-State area
1917 Draft Registration - WWI Draft Registration List, 1918 Updates, Richardson County Roll of Honor
Cemeteries - Locations of 57 county burial sites, surnames index from cemetery book project, some maps

Resources

Tri-State Corners Genealogical Society - About our organization
Richardson County Historical Society
County Sources - Library and Courthouse information
State Sources - Information available from state
USGenWeb Project - Links to other states and counties
WorldGenWeb Project - Links to other countries

County Information

Bits & Pieces- Articles from Pioneer Reminiscences, NE & Midwest Genealogical Record, Johnson's History, & NE History & Record of Pioneer Days
Postcards from Richardson County - Link to page created by MaryLynne R. Ellis
Past and Present Communities -Brief histories of Richardson County communities
Dawson Reporter 1914 Anniversary Edition- early account of Dawson, Richardson County, Nebraska
1887 Immigrant Promo (town profiles) - Published in Nebraska State Journal
County Economics/Demographics - Link to State Department of Economic Development
1895 Atlas for Nebraska and its Counties - Map of County
Andreas' History of Richardson County - Over 100 pages published in the Andreas' History of NE in 1882
Who's Who in Nebraska 1940 - Short sketches of several county residents and a brief county history
Link to Edwards History of Richardson County 1917 - 2-volume set placed online by Erin Wilhelm O'Brien and Dennis Tangney

Miscellaneous

Family Pages - Links to county family web sites
Pennsylvania Colony of Nebraska - Link to a site created by the Pennsylvania Colony of Nebraska near Dawson -includes Heim Cemetery
Stories and Legends - Accounts, family stories and legends of earlier days contributed by our volunteers and visitors.
Genealogy Links - A few personal favorite sites for research

1896 Plat Book of Richardson County

NEGenWeb Project

NE Sites of Interest

Thanks to RootsWeb we have now added a search option to this web page. Not finding a name by searching does not necessarily mean that what you seek isn't on this site, so take a look at the pages here also before abandoning your search.

Match: Format: Search:

Richardson County Family Genealogy Pages

To have your family genealogy homepage included contact the coordinator

John Crook Family
Lovan-Lewis Family
McElvain/McIlvain Family
Velvick/Yocum/Wittwer Families
Utermohlen/Jorn

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Past and Present Towns, Communities and Post Offices

Athens, Arago, Archer,Athens
Barada, Breckenridge
Cottage Grove
Dawson/Noraville, Dorrington
Falls City, Fargo, Flowerdale, Franklin
Geneva, Gere, Gilbraltar
Highland,Humboldt
Long Branch
Middleburg,Miles Ranch, Monterey, Mount Roy
Nemaha Falls,Nims City, Nohart
Peora, Poteet, Prairie Union, Preston/Blufton/Sac
Rulo
St. Stephens, Salem, Shasta, Sanktown, Shubert, Silver Creek, Stella, Straussville
Verdon/Springfield
Wells Mills, Williamsville, Winnebago
Yankton

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Brief Histories of Selected Richardson County Communities

Arago

Arago was a port of entrance for many pioneers who came up the Missouri River on steamers. It was settled in 1858 by a sizeable group of persons from Buffalo, NY, most of German descent. They had formed the German Colonization Society for the purpose of buying land on some western river for a home. The first 12 settlers landed at Arago on July 4, 1858. Some of the land was purchased from Stephen Story who had founded St. Stephens in 1855. It was the first town in Richardson County to be incorporated by an act of the Legislature. This was January 10, 1860. Population grew to as many as 400-500. When the railroad built on the Missouri side of the river, steamboat commerce almost ceased and many businesses moved to Falls City in the 1880's. Many laborers had moved to farms and buildings had either burned or been moved to farms or to Falls City. For some reason when the post office was discontinued at Arago and moved west a few miles, the name Arago went with it while the village of Arago became known as Fargo or "old Arago." There was a post office at Arago from 1862 to 1903 and one at Fargo "Old Arago" from 1895 to 1913. Many descendants of the original Arago settlers still reside in Arago Precinct. Return to Towns

Archer

The town was laid out in 1855 and named for founder, Robert T. Archer, the county's first sheriff. The post office was established in 1856 and discontinued in 1865. Archer was the county seat until the site was found to be partially on the Half-Breed Tract and abandoned in 1857. There were 10 houses, 2 stores, and a log house used as a hotel and kept by the county's first judge, John C. Miller, who held court in his home and served as post master. Also there was a school house, a doctor, and a saw and grist mill. Only an abandoned cemetery remains at the site 1 mi east and 2 mi north of Falls City. Return to Towns

Athens

This Post Office was established in November, 1860 and discontinued November, 1881. The town was named for Athens, Ohio, from where the area's early settlers had come. Only an abandoned cemetery is there now in the southwestern part of the county in Speiser Precinct. Return to Towns

Barada

Barada and Barada Precinct are named after first settler, Antoine Barada (1807-1887). In 1856 he received a patent of 320 acres from the U.S. Government in what was known as the Half-Breed Tract. He settled on the grant, built a house, and raised his family. This land became the site of the village of Barada in northeast Richardson County, Barada Precinct. Exact date of original town plat has not been established. A post office was established in a village general store in 1877 and, until its close in 1966, had never been located in a separate building. The population increased from 70 in 1880 to 200 in 1910 and then steadily declined to its present 23 citizens. Even without a railroad the community remained a stable trading center for a large rural area. At one time there were 3 stores, a bank, a hardware store, a photo gallery, 3 blacksmith shops, a drug store, a dance hall, a saloon, a doctor, a veterinary, and a barber shop. Prominent residents included John H. Morehead, Nebraska Governor and U.S. Representative to Congress; Byron Dunn, former president of National Bank of Commerce in Lincoln; Henry Gerdes, state senator and member of State Board of Control; and Louis Buchholz, former State Secretary of Agriculture.

1890 Business Gazatteer

Return to Towns

Dawson

Joshua Dawson built a grist mill in 1867 on the bank of the Big Nemaha River just south of the present village of Dawson. In 1872, W.F. Draper founded the town of Noraville which with the post office of Dawson Mills became known as Dawson. The village currently has a population of about 156 and is the site of the Dawson-Verdon Consolidated School.

1890 Business Gazatteer

Return to Towns

History from 1914 Dawson Reporter

Falls City

A notice of the new townsite of Falls City was filed in the courthouse at Archer on March 27, 1857 and a plat was filed on April 29, 1858. It gained citizens from flooded Nemaha Falls and the village of Archer. On the Nemaha River south of the townsite was a water fall, a potential source of power for mills and machinery. In its first 20 years, Falls City won a struggle to become the county seat, saw the end of the Civil War, was reached by its first railroad, and a newspaper was established. In the second 20 years (1877-1897) the town made big gains with another railroad, German immigrants, public utilities, corporate banking, and many businesses and social clubs. In the third period, (1898-1916), apple buying from local orchards began on a large scale, the Lydia Bruun Woods Memorial Library was established, and the city faced the problem of finding a good supply of water. The fourth period of time from 1917-1932 saw prohibition, WWI, several major fires including the court house, many more automobiles and services and brick streets for them, an outbreak of Spanish Influenza, suffrage for women and election to offices, and shippment of 300 train car loads of poultry and eggs a year. From 1933-1953, Falls City saw the WPA put people to work on such stone landmarks as the Jug Brown Stadium at the high school and Prichard Auditorium, banks closed and were consolidated, Prohibition was repealed, many served in WW II and those at home experienced war bond sales and rationing, the Missouri Pacific Railroad closed its shops in the early '50's. Since the celebration of its centennial in 1957, Falls City has seen the beginnings and ends of businesses and industries, the start of KTNC radio station, the change in publication of the Falls City Journal from 6 times to 5 times to twice weekly, creation of a Mini Park where fire had destroyed buildings on Stone Street, the expansion of the Community Hospital into the Community Medical Center, and the expansion of Brenner Field, the city's airport. Current population of Falls City is about 4800.

1890 Business Gazatteer

1887 Immigrant Promotion

Return to Towns

Falls City Home Page

Humboldt

Located in northwest Richardson County, Humboldt was incorporated in 1871 although there were families in the area as early as 1855. The post office was established in 1861. In 1880 the population was 917 and peaked at 1455 in 1930. Today it numbers about 934. School District 37, Colonial Acres nursing home, and the Bruun Memorial Library are sources of pride for this community.Efforts are being made to reopen the Hospital.

1890 Business Gazatteer

1887 Immigrant Promo

Humboldt Page

Return to Towns

Middleburg

The post office was established here on the South Nemaha River in July, 1858 and discontinued in March, 1901. It was presided over for many years by "Uncle" Jacob Frey, pioneer. Citizens of Speiser Township received their mail here.

1890 Business Gazatteer

Return to Towns

Miles Ranch

This post office was located four miles southwest of Dawson in northern Nemaha Township. It was named in honor of Stephen Miles, settler and mail contractor of stage lines from Independence, Mo to Salt Lake City, UT. It was established July, 1858. In 1867, the name was changed to Wells Mills and moved further southwest to Middleburg. Miles Ranch was also a place where hundreds of horses and mules used in mail and stage lines were recuperated. A large house and a barn built with hand-hewn walnut timbers are still used on the ranch. More Miles Ranch History || Return to Towns

Nims City

Nims City was platted in 1903 several miles south of Dawson in Nemaha Township by Betsy U. Nims. It was at its height in 1906-1908 when there was a church, blacksmith shop, barber shop, large public hall or opera house hotel and several stores. Return to Towns

Nohart

The post office at Nohart was established October, 1860 near the Kansas Line in southeast Rulo Township. It was named for a chief of the Iowa Indian Tribe and discontinued in 1888. Return to Towns

Preston

Preston dates from January 31, 1881, when Philip R. Shelly purchased 40 acres and had the land surveyed, streets and lots staked, and began building. Earlier the post office was know as Sac and the railroad station as Blufton. Although the population was only 149 in 1900 and 122 in 1910, the families there were large. A railroad serviced the village with fare to Falls City costing 17 cents. Preston was a center for farmers to market their produce. Entertainment was found at second story dance halls, debates, an occasional medicine show and most often at programs at the school. The town of the 1890's had two each of hotels, barber shops, livery stables, blacksmith shops, drug stores, and harness shops (one employed 6 girls to help manufacture flynets for horses.) Also there were 3 general stores and a two-story bank. The cyclone of 1896 caused extensive damage. After 1900, hotel and bank buildings were torn down and moved to Falls City. The automobile made it possible for residents to travel farther to merchants and Preston continued to decline. The population is now about 40.

Profile From 1890 Business Gazatteer

Return to Towns

Rulo

Rulo was laid out in 1856 on lands belonging to the wife of Charles Rouleau and her sister, Mrs. Eli Bedard, under the Prairie du Chien Treaty of 1830. It is the site of the only Missouri River Bridge into Richardson County from Missouri. In 1858, the first newspaper in Richardson County was started there and through the years until1936 several newspapers appeared and vanished. It was an important town on the Missouri River before before the advent of the railroad. Peak population was 877 in 1900. In 1903 Rulo had its own telephone company, in 1913 electricity was obtained, in 1926 many dirt streets were paved, in 1934 free movies sponsored by merchants began and continued into the '50's, in 1939 a W.P.A. limestone auditorium was built and in 1971, the community began restoration of the same. Population of Rulo is now 190. Students attend school in Falls City. There are presently two churches, a library, the auditorium, the post office, and three taverns and restaurants noted for special fish dinners.

1887 Immigrant Promotion

1890 Business Gazatteer

Return to Towns

St. Stephens

The post office name changed from Nemaha to St. Stephens in 1855 and was discontinued in 1868. This primarily Catholic community honors Stephen Story, the first postmaster. At its peak in 1860, this Missouri River ferry town had a population of 404 with 2 stores, a blacksmith shop, two saloons, and a school used for a church and general meeting house. Return to Towns

Salem

Salem lies 7 miles west of Falls City and at one time was the county seat. It was founded in 1854. Post Office was established in January, 1856. In May, 1857, J.C. Lincoln, a founder of the town and 2nd cousin of Abraham Lincoln, opened a store as the first general assortment of goods brought into the county. Before the course of the Nemaha River was changed by the drainage district, the river passed Salem at the foot of the hill and a mill was located there. Salem became noted for its Chautauqua and the facilities that went with it. It had a number of stores, followed by a blacksmith shop, cafes, bank, churches, school, and a grain elevator. The population of Salem peaked at about 694 in 1860. Today it has a population of about 160. Present businesses include a cafe, a tavern, and the headquarters of Salem Grain Corporation.

1887 Immigrant Promotion

1890 Business Gazatteer

Salem Webpage

Return to Towns

Shubert

Henry W. Shubert came to Nebraska Territory in 1865 and in 1869 purchased land in northern Richardson County from Edwin S. Towle. Railroad officials were eager to establish a town and build a depot in order to provide transportation for incoming supplies, outgoing produce, and more settlers. This railroad line from Nemaha to Salem passed Mr. Shubert's land and in 1883 he recorded his plat for the village, two days before the first railroad run. The post office was established in 1884. There have been a number of stores, cafes, taverns, doctors, dentists, an auto company, grain elevator, bank, school, and churches located there. Shubert is now part of the Southeast Consolidated School District. Population is about 238. Businesses today include a retail lumber company. Return to Towns

Stella

Stella, in north central Richardson County was founded in 1881 at the completion of the Missouri Pacific Railroad line being built from Hiawatha, KS to Omaha, NE. The station was completed in 1882, and the town began to grow. It was named after the deceased daughter of J.W. Clark on whose land Stella was built. Stella is part of the Southeast Nebraska Consolidated school district and is the location of its school. Besides the school, Stella has churches, a library, a bank, and a grain elevator. Population is about 250.

1887 Immigrant Promotion

1890 Business Gazatteer

Return to Towns

Straussville

Straussville, laid out by Gustave and Savilla Strauss, local land owners, is the youngest village of the county. It was platted in 1901 about 5 miles northwest of Falls City on the railroad, but was not filed for record until 1912. There was a post office from 1899 to 1912. There was also a store, blacksmith shop and grain elevator. Kentopp Elevator operated there for many years and has recently been sold to a granddaughter of its founders. Return to Towns

Verdon

Verdon, platted as Springfield in 1856, is in the center of the Richardson County. Springfield failed to materialize, but from its decayed remains, Verdon took root after a lapse of 26 years. The plat for the land was filed in 1882. Many of its first settlers were from Cottage Grove, northeast of Verdon. The main street once held a bandstand, a flag pole, and the town well for watering animals and fighting numerous fires. Main street was gravelled for the first time in 1926. Second floor of the grocery store was used for social functions and programs until the 1940's. Present businesses in this village of 244 people include the Richardson County Coop, a hardware store, and a newly-opened mini-mart, and craft shops. Verdon is part of the Dawson-Verdon Consolidated School District which has its school in Dawson now.

1887 Immigrant Promotion

1890 Business Gazatteer

Return to Towns

Williamsville

A post office was established here in 1867 and discontinued in 1879. It was named for the first county school superintendent. It was a German community southeast of Barada. Return to Towns

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State Resources

Nebraska State Genealogy Society
PO Box 5608
Lincoln, NE 68505-0608
NSGS Publications

Nebraska State Historical Society
1500 R. Street
PO Box 82554
Lincoln, NE 68501-2554
Phone: (402) 471-3270

Bureau of Vital Statistics
Department of Health and Human Services
1030 O Street
P.O. Box 95065
Lincoln, NE 68509-5065
Death & Birth Certificates
Nebraska Resource Center

Nebraska State Genealogy Society PO Box 5608 Lincoln, NE 68505-0608 NSGS Publications	Nebraska State Historical Society 1500 R. Street PO Box 82554 Lincoln, NE 68501-2554 Phone: (402) 471-3270
Bureau of Vital Statistics Department of Health and Human Services 1030 O Street P.O. Box 95065 Lincoln, NE 68509-5065 Death & Birth Certificates	Nebraska Resource Center

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Richardson County Resources

Falls City Library & Arts Center
1400 Stone Street
Falls City, NE 68355
Phone: 402-245-2913
Hours: M-Th 12:00-8:00 ; Fri. 12:00-6:00 ; Sat. 11:00-4:00
Bruun Memorial Library
730 3rd Street
P.O. Box 368
Humboldt, NE 68376
(402) 862-2914
mailto:bmemorial@neb.rr.com
Hours: Mon. 2:00 - 8:30; T & Th -10:00-12:00 & 2:00-5:30; W &F - 2:00-5:30; Sat. 9:00-12:00.
Richardson County Courthouse
"office name"
1700 Stone Street
Falls City, NE 68355
Hours: M-F 8:30-5:00

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Falls City Library & Arts Center Genealogy Resources

Library Homepage

Newspapers:

Falls City Journal (Falls City, NE) ..........................1869-Present
(note: Obituary summaries for the year begin in January, 1922.)
Auburn Press-Tribune (Auburn, NE).June 21, 1955-December 12, 1961
Falls City Tribune (Falls City, NE) ........June 16, 1905-July 14, 1911
Falls City Daily News (Falls City, NE) ........................1875-1900
Nemaha Granger (Auburn, NE) .................................1885-1890
Nemaha Transcript (Stella, NE) ..........June 22, 1888 - June 24, 1892
Rulo Reporter (Rulo, NE) .......................................1860-1872
Shubert Citizen (Shubert, NE) ..................................1897-1942
Falls City Broad Axe (Arago, NE) ..............................1860-1872
Stella Tribune (Stella, NE) ......................................1887-1893
Stella Press (Stella, NE) ...................April 15, 1898-June 14, 1955
Verdon Vedette (Verdon, NE) ...................................1885-1891

Census Records:

1860 Nebraska (Entire Territory)
(note: Have alphabetical index for Richardson County)
1870 Pawnee, Platte, Polk, Richardson, and Saline Counties
1880 Pierce, Polk, Platte, Red Willow, and Richardson Counties
1885 Nebraska State Census
1890 Union Veterans and Widows (Civil War), Nebraska Counties
1900 Red Willow, Richardson, Rock, and Saline Counties
1910 Richardson County
1920 Richardson County
1930 Richardson County
1881-1901 Falls City School Census

County History and Biographical Sketches

Edwards History of Richardson County (2 vol.), 1917
History of Richardson County, 1985
Andreas History of State of Nebraska (2 vol.) 1882
Nebraska - Our Towns (7 vol.) 1992
Falls City Centennial 1857-1957
Shubert - The First 100 Years 1883-1983
Richardson County Nebraska Residents as Shown by the Souvenir Stella Press,1901
Morton Illustrated History of Nebraska (2 vol.) 1907
Who's Who in Nebraska 1940
Pages of History of Nebraska High Schools (2 vol.) 1854-1994
Rural Education in Richardson County 1860-1990
Edmunds Pen Sketches of Nebraskans 1871

Family Histories

Albin
Baker
Barada
Bauer
Butler
Chaney/Dore
Clark (of Stella)
Culp, Lyanna, Hopper, Hall
Curran
Daeschner
Deckinger/Oberst
Doane
Driftmeier/Field
Duerfeldt
Foster

Gatz
German
Goodloe
Hall (with Antoine Barada)
Harris
Heim (Westward Bound)
Heim/Ulmer
Hilgenfeld
Holcombe/Doane/Henke
Hulbert/Renner
Jorn
Karst/Constantine
Long (of Pennsylvania)
Mayfield
McElroy

Parchen
Phillips of Kentucky
Pribbeno
Seward
Shallenberger
Smith (Eva Abigail)
Sloan/Hale/Smith
Stalder
Strauss/Crissinger
Suess
Vaughn
Werner/Miller
Wiltse
Wittwer

From Other Counties

History of Nemaha County, NE 1987
History of Otoe County, NE 1983
History of Gage County, NE 1983
Butler County NE History 1981

Cemetery Records

Richardson County Cemeteries have been walked and indexed by the Tri-State Corners Genealogical Society as a project for the Nebraska State Genealogical Society (NSGS). Jorene Herr and Dorothy Lewis have compiled the records of all the county cemeteries into six volumes divided by precincts. A set of these volumes is in this library. These are also available for purchase from NSGS Nebraska State Genealogical Society
1. Volume I-Franklin, Porter, East Muddy, West Muddy Precincts (NW part of County)
2. Volume 2-Barada, Ohio, Arago Precincts (NE part of County)
3. Volume 3-Grant, Liberty, Salem Precincts (Central)
4. Volume 4-Falls City (except Steele Cemetery) , Jefferson, Rulo Precincts (SE County)
5. Volume 5-Humboldt, Speiser, Nemaha Precincts (Western part of County)
6. Volume 6-Steele Cemetery (Falls City) (Now Available)
  Cemetery Names/Locations
Holt County, MO cemetery records - Gone Home - 1991 & Gone Home vol. II
Atchison County, MO cemetery records - Gone But Not Forgotten - 1981

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Other References:

Atlases & Pictorial Atlases
1896 (also an indexed reproduction), 1913 (also an indexed reproduction), 1924, ca1930, 1963, 1967, 1986, 1996
Zion Reformed United Church of Christ Records (1895-1973)
Pee Wee Erwin Scrapbooks
Naturalizations - alphabetical list
Falls City School Census 1882-1903

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Church Histories

St. Ann's Catholic Church (Shubert)1885-1980
Shubert Christian Church 1871-1971
First Methodist Church (Falls City)1855-1955
First Presbyterian Church (Falls City)1866-1966
Mount Zion Brick Church 1881-1985
St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran (20th & Towle, Falls City) 1913-1953
Rulo Trinity United Methodist 1865-1965
Four-Mile Congregational Church 1980
St. Mary's Catholic (Dawson) 1873-1973
Zion United Church of Christ (rural Falls City)

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Bruun Memorial Library (Humboldt, NE) Resources Bruun Memorial Library On-line

Newspapers:

Humboldt Standard 1884-Present ( note: many gaps in early years)
Farmers Advocate 1881-1883
Humboldt Enterprise 1888-1905
Humboldt Leader 1899-1909
Humboldt News 1909-1912
Humboldt Leader-News 1912-1923
Dawson Herald 1921-1930
Dawson Reporter 1914-1920
Dawson NewsBoy 1888-1909
The Dawson Outlook 1909-1910

County History and Biographical Sketches

Edwards History of Richardson County (2 vol.), 1917
History of Richardson County, 1985
Nebraska Militia
Perkey's Nebraska Place Names
Rural Education in Richardson County 1860-1990

Vertical Files

United Methodist Church History 1961 &1996 editions
Pleasant View 1957
United Methodist Pictorials 1977, 1989, 1995
Faith Lutheran Pictorial 1989
First Presbyterian Pictorial 1971
Dawson Bicentennial History 1976
Pawnee County Pictorial Album 1976
History of Humboldt 1867-1976
Photocopy of 1893 Richardson County Commercial Directory

Family Histories

Letters of Edward Tinker
The Wittwer Family (4 books)
Andrew and Sarah Watson
Heim 1490-1979
Westward Bound (Gottlieb Heim Family)
Czech Heritage Families
Frank and Frances Dvorak
The Virginia Albins
Scheidegger-Miller Families
Boop Family
Rist Family -John Rist, the genealogy of the Rist family 1854-1997 (on microfilm)

Cemetery Records

Richardson County Cemeteries have been walked and indexed by the Tri-State Corners Genealogical Society as a project for the Nebraska State Genealogical Society (NSGS). Jorene Herr and Dorothy Lewis have compiled the records of all the county cemeteries into six volumes divided by precincts. A set of these volumes is in this library. These are also available for purchase from NSGS Nebraska State Genealogical Society
1. Volume I-Franklin, Porter, East Muddy, West Muddy Precincts (NW part of County)
2. Volume 2-Barada, Ohio, Arago Precincts (NE part of County)
3. Volume 3-Grant, Liberty, Salem Precincts (Central)
4. Volume 4-Falls City (except Steele Cemetery) , Jefferson, Rulo Precincts (SE County)
5. Volume 5-Humboldt, Speiser, Nemaha Precincts (Western part of County)
6. Volume 6-Steele Cemetery (Falls City) (Now Available) Cemetery Names/Locations

Naturalization Records

Roll 1--Vol. 1, Index to Declarations thru Vol. 10, p. 66, Aug. 28, 1924
Roll 2--Vol. 10, p. 67, Dec. 22, 1925 thru Vol. 15, "Z" 1928

Marriage Records

Roll 1--Vol. A, Index thru Vol. 2, p. 213, Sept 3, 1881
Roll 2--Vol. 2, p. 216, Sep. 9, 1881 thru Vol. 4, p. 582, Feb. 16, 1899
Roll 3--Vol. 5, Index thru Vol. 7, p. 341, Jan. 27, 1917

Other Resources

Video tapes (VHS) of Richardson County Fairs
Video tapes (VHS) of early Humboldt Community & Pleasant View Church Life
Four-Mile Church Records 1880-1980 (microfilm)
Naturalizations - 2 rolls microfilm
Marriage Records - First 3 rolls microfilm

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Richardson County Courthouse Resources

Note: For the best service, please avoid Monday and Wednesday which are court days.

Probate Records - County Court -
descendant estates, conservatorships, guardianships - indexed
Land Records - Register of Deeds -
indexed by grantor/grantee, grantee/grantor, and by legal description
Marriage Records (1856 - Present) - County Clerk's Office
These records usually give age, state of birth, parents' names, witnesses, place of marriage and presiding judge/minister. Each large volume covers several years and is indexed by male and female.
Naturalization Records - District Clerk's Office
An index is also available at the local library.
District Court - suits, divorces cases, mortgage petitions, felonies

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Favorite Links

Illinois Land Sales searcheable index to public land sales in Illinois. For gif animation of sales across Illinois from 1813-1862, click here: Illinois Land Animation

Ancestry's Social Security Death Index

Gene Stark's Index of names for all Gen Web Sites

Cyndi's List for thousands of genealogy links

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The society was founded April 1, 1984 under the guidance of Lawrence Burkey, who designed the logo. As seen by the logo, we represent the 3 state corners of Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas. Several of our members hold memberships in other state/county genealogy societies. Meetings are 7:30 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at the Pioneer Plaza Meeting Room, 1820 Barada Street, Falls City, NE. Membership is open to everyone and we welcome guests and new members. Dues are $7.50 individual, $10.00 couples. Fiscal year is January 1- December 31. Election of officers is held in November. March is the annual potluck supper meeting. The newsletter, Tri-Corner Connections, is published 4 times yearly in February, May, August, and November. Queries are printed in the newsletter as space permits. Cost of queries in the newsletter is $1.00 for non-members and free to members. Back issues are available for $1.25 each. Address of the editor is:

Tri-State Corners Genealogical Society
c/o Jorene Herr, Newsletter Editor
PO Box 524
Humboldt, NE 68376

Our members volunteer to answer queries as time and resources permit. Please include a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope. These queries may be addressed to:

Tri-State Corners Genealogical Society
c/o Falls City Library & Arts Center
1400 Stone Street
Falls City, NE 68355

You are our 76771st visitor to this page since December 1, 1997.Thanks for stopping.

This page last modified onSaturday, 25-Apr-2009 23:30:37 CDT

NEGenWeb Project

Richardson County Family Genealogy Pages

Past and Present Towns, Communities and Post Offices

Brief Histories of Selected Richardson County Communities

Arago

Archer

Athens

This Post Office was established in November, 1860 and discontinued November, 1881. The town was named for Athens, Ohio, from where the area's early settlers had come. Only an abandoned cemetery is there now in the southwestern part of the county in Speiser Precinct. Return to Towns

Barada

Dawson

Falls City

The post office was established here on the South Nemaha River in July, 1858 and discontinued in March, 1901. It was presided over for many years by "Uncle" Jacob Frey, pioneer. Citizens of Speiser Township received their mail here. 1890 Business Gazatteer Return to Towns

Miles Ranch

Nims City

Nims City was platted in 1903 several miles south of Dawson in Nemaha Township by Betsy U. Nims. It was at its height in 1906-1908 when there was a church, blacksmith shop, barber shop, large public hall or opera house hotel and several stores. Return to Towns

Nohart

The post office at Nohart was established October, 1860 near the Kansas Line in southeast Rulo Township. It was named for a chief of the Iowa Indian Tribe and discontinued in 1888. Return to Towns

Preston

Salem

Stella

Verdon

Williamsville

A post office was established here in 1867 and discontinued in 1879. It was named for the first county school superintendent. It was a German community southeast of Barada. Return to Towns

State Resources

Richardson County Resources

Falls City Library & Arts Center Genealogy Resources

Newspapers:

Census Records:

County History and Biographical Sketches

Family Histories

From Other Counties

Cemetery Records

Other References:

Church Histories

Bruun Memorial Library (Humboldt, NE) Resources Bruun Memorial Library On-line

Newspapers:

County History and Biographical Sketches

Vertical Files

Family Histories

Cemetery Records

Naturalization Records

Other Resources

Richardson County Courthouse Resources

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The post office was established here on the South Nemaha River in July, 1858 and discontinued in March, 1901. It was presided over for many years by "Uncle" Jacob Frey, pioneer. Citizens of Speiser Township received their mail here.

1890 Business Gazatteer

Return to Towns