WAYNE, WAYNE Co NEBRASKA
Immigrant Issue - Lincoln State Journal, Sunday 5 June 1887

This special edition was intended to promote Nebraska 
as a state and provide the towns of with an opportunity to 
advertise their status and attract new residents.

The county seat of  Wayne Co -- On the Chicago, St Paul,
Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad. One hundred and sixty 
three miles from Lincoln. Population, one thousand.

Wayne the county seat of Wayne county, is situated 
forty five miles southwest of Sioux City Iowa, on the 
Norfolk branch of the Chicago, St Paul, Minneapolis and 
Omaha railway.

The population of the town is now one thousand,
composed almost entirely of Americans, a few Germans
and Swedes comprising the foreign element. Nearly all
lines of business are well represented. There are at
present six general merchandise stores, two dry goods
houses, two groceries, three drug stores, two hardware
stores, one furniture store, three lumber yards, two
grain elevators, one boot and shoe store, one book and 
music store, four millenary establishments, two 
restaurants, two livery stables, two meat markets and 
the usual compliment of professional men and mechanics.
The financial interests of the town are cared for by
two strong and well managed banks, with an aggregate 
capital of $100,000 their deposits running to $150,000
and over. In manufacturing industries Wayne has a new 
roller mill, with a capacity of fifty barrels, a
broom factory employing six to twelve men, according to
the season of the year and two fine and well equipped
creameries.

Wayne has never had a boom, owing principally
to the fact that there is no government land in the 
county, but has had constant and solid growth ever
since its founding. The building improvements for 
the past three years have averaged about $60,000
a year and that amount will be equaled or surpassed
the present year. Wayne is the cleanest, brightest
and most attractive town of its size in the state.
Its residence especially are of a far better class
than are generally to be found in western towns of
the same size and brick buildings are beginning to
take the place of the first business houses built.
With a handsome school building and well conducted
school and five churches the town affords all
needful church and school privileges. Wayne without
a doubt will make on of the best country towns in
the state and has flattering prospects of an 
increased and more rapid growth in the near future.

The foundation upon which the towns prosperity 
rests is the magnificent farming community
surrounding it and which is nowhere surpassed in
the state. The territory tributary to the town is
scarcely one tenth under cultivation yet and 
there is not a single quarter section of it that
will make a good farm. When it is all settled it
will insure Wayne a trade sufficient to support
a town of four or five thousand people at least.

Our railroad facilities are yet confined to
a single road, with a branch from here to Randolph,
but this branch will undoubtedly be extended to the
northwest at an early day. The building of the road
from Omaha to Yankton is certain to come soon and a 
proposed line to be called the Omaha, Wayne and 
Yankton is now being vigorously pushed. Wayne is on 
the natural route between the two cities and in fact on 
the only direct and practical. With the building of 
this road Wayne will at once take her place as the best 
trading and shipping point in northern Nebraska, with 
the single exception of Fremont.
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Copyright © 2006
Donna Shufelt
Kathie Harrison
Wayne Co., NEGenWeb Project