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Prehistory Early Settlement The Railroad and the Stone Men Days of Glory Hard Times WWII and Beyond Looking Into the Future

(Winter on the Beaver Creek, early 1900s)

Prehistory

Around the end of the last Ice Age, the first settlers to the area that would one day become St. Edward migrated in from the north and west. A number of Native American tribes have lived in this region during the past 10,000 years. The most recent Native American tribe to have lived in the St. Edward area were the Pawnee, who lived in earth lodge villages along the Beaver and Bogus creeks. The Sioux and the Omaha tribes also hunted bison in the area. In the mid-1800s, the U.S. government removed these tribes from their home areas through treaties, which cleared the way for white settlement in the area. In 1871, Boone County was organized, and the settlers who would found St. Edward began to arrive.

Early Settlement

J. North of nearby Columbus, Neb., platted a townsite and named it Beaver City in 1871. This attempt at settlement was unsuccessful, but in 1872 a post office was established in the vicinity named Beaver. Two years later, the Waterville Mills began operation along Beaver Creek, and other businesses began to spring up. That year, the post office changed its name to Waterville. In 1876, A. T. Coquillard of South Bend, Indiana, platted a new townsite, St. Edward. He named it after Rev. Edward Sorin, the president of Notre Dame University. His attempt at founding a town was successful, and the town grew quickly after that.

The Railroad and the Stone Men

In 1880, the Union Pacific Railroad laid track for a branch line extending from Columbus to Albion. The line passed through St. Edward, though some in the town feared its coming and the "immorality" associated with it. On July 4, 1881, the first train came through town, causing much celebration. Just two years later, the town had enough residents to be incorporate as a village under Nebraska law. However, at a meeting held to determine exactly how many residents St. Edward had, the count turned up two short of the required population of 200. So, according to local legend, the citizens built two men of stone and used them to meet the requirement. Either way, St. Edward was incorporated and continued to grow quickly through the rest of the 19th century.

(Midsummer Day Celebration, 1909)

Days of Glory The years between 1880 and 1930 were very good to the young community. During this time, the population soared from less than 200 to 1,029. The town expanded greatly, adding many new stores and businesses. Four general stores; one grocery store; a blacksmith shop; a furniture/undertaking business; two drug stores; three banks; two newspapers; several bars/restaurants; a movie theater; a car dealership; two lumberyards; four implement dealers; four grain elevators; and many other businesses sold almost everything a St. Edward resident could need. In this era of growth, the town added several improvements. A park was established with a baseball diamond, football field, bandshell, and swimming pool; in 1920 Beaver Street was paved with bricks; electricity came around the turn of the century; and in 1929, St. Edward legally became a second-class city. Unfortunately, that same year brought on the Great Depression and ended the little city's days of glory.

Hard Times The 1930s saw an end to many a rural Nebraskan's dreams as low farm prices and the Dust Bowl made many people decide to pack up and move away. This affected the town since nearly all of the businesses were directly or indirectly influenced by the farm economy. About 200 people in town moved away. But, despite all odds, many area residents weathered the times and stayed in St. Edward. They would form the core of the town once better times returned. World War II and Beyond During and after the second World War, St. Edward rebounded as the rural economy improved. The population climbed back up to 950, and some new businesses were started. At this time, though, the way of life in the surrounding area, started to change. New farm equipment combined with smaller farm families resulted in fewer farms with larger amounts of land. The car made it easier to drive to the nearest bigger city and buy needed goods than it was to buy them at home. The one-room school was quickly becoming a thing of the past. However, in St. Edward's centennial year of 1971, its residents were optimistic that the changes happening around them would still allow the small town to survive in this changing world.

(St. Edward Skyline - 1999)

Looking Into the Future

The residents of St. Edward look forward to the challenges of the 21st century and while continuing to live and enjoy life in our wonderful little town.