FRIEND, SALINE COUNTY
A Souvenir post card, courtesy of the Friend Chamber of Commerce,
showing Friend, Nebraska, as the "midway point of the nation on
Highway 6," invites tourists and visitors to "write a friend
from Friend." Many do.
The town had its beginning in 1870. That year Charles Friend arrived
in Nebraska and with his team of horses, worked on the new railroad
grading that was heading west out of Lincoln. He decided to homestead
along the proposed route in Saline County. After spending the spring
and summer "sleeping on his claim," he went back to Lincoln,
where he clerked in a store during the winter. The following spring he
returned to his land, bringing with him a load of goods to sell.
With a few boards and a new door, Friend opened a general store on the
front of his house. In June a post office as established in his store
and he was appointed the postmaster. The settlement name,
"Friendville," was approved on August 1, 1871.
The Burlington and Missouri River Railroad reached Friendville, which
of course played an important part in the actual development of the
town. While on the "alphabet line" it did not come in the
proper sequence, a detail that didn't seem to bother anyone, however.
A second store came into existence, followed by a blacksmith shop, and
flourmill. In 1873 when the railroad station was completed it was
named "Friend," which later became the official name of the
town.
That fall, 56 acres of Friend's homestead was surveyed for a town. The
plat contained 16 blocks. The settlement began to take the shape of a
frontier town, as trees were planted along the roughly graded streets,
and the business district expanded. The population quickly increased
and as it did, a hardware store appeared, closely followed by a hotel,
a bank, and a lumberyard.
In 1874 there was a grasshopper plague and the town's growth come to a
standstill, temporarily. The people of Friend, however, were hardy,
optimistic, and ambitious, and soon the town bounced back. A
schoolhouse was built and the first church societies were established
and well supported. Another bank was established, and a cheese factory
was opened.
The first newspaper was published in 1882, the same year that the town
was incorporated. That was also the year that the district agriculture
society chose Friend as the site for its fairgrounds. The society
built a large dining hall, an exhibit hall, two long rows of stalls
for horses, and pens for cattle, hogs, and sheep. Of special interest
were the half-mile racetrack and a grandstand. It was said to be
"the best race track west of Chicago" which enabled them to
bring in many big-name racehorses. Dog races were also a great
attraction and people came from all over to see them.
Friend continued to grow, and by 1890, there were 1,347 residents, not
far from today's 1,108.
Some industrial activities that were part of Friend's development and
no longer on the scene include a cabinet and wagon shop, a brick
factory, a broom factory, a cigar factory, a barbed wire factory, a
hatchery and several produce stations. These were in addition to the
butcher shops, livery barns, a photographer's studio, tailors,
millinery shops, a theater, an opera house, and a grand hotel that are
also long-gone. There still is however, a very active business
district, supplying many of the needs of the city and surrounding
farming community.
Good medical facilities are important in making a city thrive. In this
respect, Friend has been very fortunate. In 1919 Norman E. Warren
bequeathed land and money to the city for the purpose of building a
hospital. Today, in addition to a modern hospital, there is a manor
and medical clinic.
Friend's school system has been maintained as a progressive,
accredited institution. Excellent recreational facilities are also
available. An active chamber of commerce provides community activities
which include a pancake breakfast Fourth of July fireworks and
barbecue and Christmas festivities.
Friend's centennial, celebrated in 1971, brought beards, beautiful
dresses, and a complete array of action to commemorate our first
century. In 1983 community leaders received the "Tree City
U.S.A." award by Governor Bob Kerrey.
Visitors to our town, traveling on U.S. Highway 6 are greeted by the
colorful billboard signs that say "WELCOME TO FRIEND!
Additional Material: The Friend Centennial Booklet, compiled
in 1971.
By Darlene Shippen and Dorothy Kelso, Friend, NE. Edited by Jane
Graff, Seward NE. Processed for the Saline county web pages by Pauli
Mullin, Mesa AZ. This file may be freely copied for non-profit
purposes. All other rights reserved.
