TOBIAS, SALINE COUNTY
The Village of Tobias was platted in 1884 by the Lincoln Land
Company as the town of "Castor" on the new rail line west of
DeWitt. It came into being because officials of the Burlington
Railroad believed there was a need for "greater convenience"
to the settlers. The closest railroad was approximately 18 miles away
and those producing the cattle and hogs were having "a difficult
time marketing them."
In establishing the
route, the small hamlet known as "Atlanta," that had been a
post office address since 1871, was bypassed. A new town was platted a
short distance away and given the name "Castor" by the
right-of-way official for the railroad, Tobias Castor. Postal
authorities, however, turned down the name because they felt it would
be too easily confused with the Custer post office in Custer County.
Undaunted by the
refusal, Castor submitted his Christian name," Tobias,"
which was approved on March 17, 1884. Not only was it the only town by
that name in Nebraska, it is still the only Tobias listed in the
official postal directory. The first postmaster was Jennie Bamer.
The town grew so quickly
that it was very-nearly incorporated before its name was approved.
Incorporation papers filed "in early spring" 1884. Early
shops and businesses lined two blocks of Main Street by the close of
1886 with up to 60 "going business ventures." By 1887 Tobias
had a population of 500. The official peak in population was in 1900
with 672 residents recorded.
In 1891 a major fire
destroyed 22 buildings, which drastically changed the face of the
community. The shops that rebuilt used fireproof construction, which
greatly improved the town's appearance. But, some businesses waited
before rebuilding. By 1893 times were hard, and people struggled just
to survive as a drought and money panic gripped the nation for several
years.
The first Tobias
schoolhouse was the District 81 building moved 1884 from its location
one mile west of town. A four-room school was built in 1887. Because
of crowded conditions in this building, another two-room school was
built nearby in 1908. Three students were in 1981 graduating class:
Anna Ainsworth, Mary Lippincott, and Ralph Jones. A brick high school
with grades K-12 was built in 1914. The district continued until 1967
when Tobias consolidated with the Daykin and Alexandria School
District #303. A new brick building was constructed in 1977, seven
miles south of town, on Nebraska Highway 4.
The early settlers were
of German, Czech, Irish, and English decent. Today the citizens are
mainly of German heritage with a smaller percentage of Czech and
English. The role of the small railroad town began to change after
automobiles and trucks became popular. During the Depression years,
Tobias lost many businesses, including its two banks. Since then there
has been a continual decline to its present population of about 140.
A State Historical
Marker, honoring Sgt. Leodegar Schnyder, who served in the Army 53
years (longest of any non-commissioned officer), is located near
Tobias. Schnyder, who enlisted in 1837, first saw action in the
Seminole War. In 1849 he was transferred to Fort Laramie, which was at
that time an isolated outpost on the overland trails. After he retired
in 1886 he settled on a farm north of Tobias. He died in 1896 and is
buried at the old Atlanta Cemetery. The Tobias Community Historical
Society, instrumental in documenting this story, assisted in the
dedication that took place on October 1, 1973
A volunteer fire
department was organized in 1905 with 30 members. In recent years
modern equipment and a fire truck were purchased, plus a rescue unit
in 1976.
At this time our town
has a grocery store, two garages, two beauty shops, a cafe and bar, a
lumberyard, an elevator, a post office, a library, and a museum. A
feed store in located on the edge of town. The citizens of Tobias are
proud of their boulevard, decorated with flowers and pine trees, which
are cared for by volunteers from the community. The "twin flag
poles" were dedicated on June 14, 1974, in honor of the nation's
bicentennial, and now proudly fly the "fifty star" and
Nebraska flags.
Tourists and townspeople
alike enjoy the tree-shaded park, which has playground equipment and a
shelter with picnic tables. Tobias, located in the southwest corner of
Saline County on Highway 74, is our town, and we invite you to stop by
for a visit.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL:
Saline County Nebraska History, By J. W. Kaura, 1962; Centennial
History of Tobias, Nebraska, compiled by American Legion Auxiliary
Unit 311, published in 1964, and updated in 1984.
By Helen Kottas, P.O.
Box 45, Tobias, NE 68453, with the help of Marie Francis. Edited by
Jane Graff, Seward NE. Processed for the Saline county web pages by
Pauli Mullin, Mesa AZ.
