Early History:

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The first settlers of the Thayer County area, were likely, Native American Indians.

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The first "permanent" settlers in Thayer County, it is fair to suppose, were George Weisel, John, Charles and William Nightengale, who located in the vicinity of Alexandria, in 1858.  Joseph Walker and James Reed came from Fort Kearney in 1859, and located on the little Blue, one mile west of the east line of the county.  Isaac Alexander also settled here in 1859, and H. M. Ross around then.

 

The Territorial Legislature of 1856 created the boundaries of the future Thayer County, but designating it as Jefferson County.   At the same time the area of Jefferson County was created, but it was designated as Jones County.

 

About 1860, a man by the name of Fox laid out a north and south trail from the Kansas "Fort Riley" road to the Government road, intersecting at Fox Crossing on the Little Blue. This was afterward used by Texas herders and became known as the Texas trail.

 

1864, Charles Wesley and Richard Wells purchased a mowing machine and mowed hay in Thayer County.

 

In 1867, Jones and Jefferson were united under the name of Jefferson County.

 

Up to the fall of 1871, all the official business of this county was performed by the officers of the then Jefferson County.   That is where all the records for this area previous to October, 1871 are kept.

 

The Legislature of 1879-71 provided for the division of the county.  Jones County succeeded in retaining the name of Jefferson County, so as to hold the old county records. What was at first Jefferson, the west portion, became Thayer, to honor General John Milton Thayer, a Civil War hero and one of Nebraska’s early U.S. Senators.  He later served as Nebraska governor.

 

Hebron, the county seat of Thayer, was established in 1871.  Thayer is 24 miles x 24 miles.

 

The Thayer County courthouse, completed in 1903, is constructed of Indiana Bedford limestone and Vermont marble.

 

Thayer County is represented by the prefix 32 (it had the thirty-second-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922).

 

Towns and other settlements in Thayer County:

 

Alexandria:  population in 1910 was 447

Bachelor's Ranch:  had a blacksmith shop in Jan. 1893

Belvidere:  population in 1910 was 475

Big Sandy:  post office 1872 - 1875

Brunning:  population in 1990 was 332

Bryant:  post office 1871 -  moved to Fillmore County 1873

Byron:  population in 1930 was 206

Carleton:  population in 1890 was 458

Chester:  population in 1940 was 634

Coldrain:  name considered for Carleton

Coleraine:  town name listed in early history

Davenport:  population in 1890 was 513

Deshler:  population in 1930 was 1176

Dry Creek:  South of Hebron circa 1880

Dryden:  post office 1870 - 1879

Elm Grove:  post office 1871 - 1873

Fort Butler:  southwest of Hebron approximately a mile

Friedensau:  population in 1910 was 30

Gazelle:  post office 1874 -  moved to Fillmore County 1879

Gilead:  population in 1910 was 181

Hebron:  population in 1950 was 2000

Helber:  post office Jan. 1884 - neighborhood about 4 miles south of Kiowa

Hillsdale:  town name listed in early history

Hubbell:  population in 1900 was 375

Jersey City:  post office 1872 - 1872

Kiowa:  population in 1875 was 25

Millersville:  also called Thompson's Station, and was Pony Express Station #5

Pioneer:  post office 1871 - 1873 when name was changed to Carleton

Prairie Star:  post office 1873 - 1884 when name was changed to Bruning

Rose Creek City:  Southeast portion of county

Sickler's Mill:  post office 1876 - 1881

Stoddard:  population in 1930 was 56

Williams:  population in 1930 was 126

 

Sources:   Andreas History of Nebraska (1882)    A Frontier Life by Charles Wesley Wells    Wikipedia    Nebraska State Historical Society    Perkey's Nebraska Place Names

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