WESTERN, SALINE
COUNTY
The village of Western, in southern Saline County, was laid out by
Dr. L. E. Goodell in 1872. There were 39 people living here at that
time. Buildings included a schoolhouse, a post office, a blacksmith
shop, and a few dwellings, mostly made of sod. George Hunt built the
first store two blocks east of the present main intersection.
There are several
theories about how the town got its name. Many think it was named for
homesteader Wesley West, on whose land the post office was established
in 1871. The name "West" was not accepted, so another
syllable was added, making it "Western."
The first settlers, most
of who were of German ancestry, settled a few miles east of town on
Swan Creek in the early 1860s. The Witt, Wahl, Gutzmer, and Fennes
families came from Wisconsin in covered wagons. They lived in their
wagons until dugouts, sod or log houses could be built. Stories are
told of bands of friendly Indians that visited the area, and of the
wild turkeys, deer, elk, and buffalo they saw.
The village was
incorporated in 1880, four years before Western became a station on
the Burlington line that went through the southern part of the county.
Western's population went from 412 in 1900 to a peak of 511 in 1930.
The population dropped to 430 during the 1950s, then held at about
350, with a present count of 264. Now predominantly of German and
Czech descendants, many residents are retired or self-employed. Some
of the younger folks commute to jobs in nearby towns
Western has two
churches: the United Methodist, established in 1865, and the United
Church of Christ, built in 1884. Both are noticing the effects of the
decline in population.
Western's first school
was built in 1871 of sod. The walls soon collapsed, so classes were
moved to Goodell's building while another school was built at that
location. The fourth building was located three blocks south. In the
late 1880s a two-story building was added just east of the present
building. The sixth and present building used for school purposes was
built in 1913. An auditorium was added to the grounds and dedicated in
1950.
When the high school
closed in 1968, Western became a Class I school. Approximately 60
children attended Western's elementary school. The community strongly
supports the educational program provided by the five classroom
teachers, one resource teacher, and an instrumental instructor. Eighth
grade graduates attend either Tri-County to the east, or Meridian High
to the west.
In 1972 Western
celebrated its centennial through the efforts and enthusiastic
cooperation of the community. A king and queen were crowned, and there
was a tea and style show, a box supper, a threshing bee, a beard
contest, a birthday cake, the burying of a time capsule, and greatly
enhanced version of the town's annual Old Settler's Picnic.
A highlight of the
summer season continues to be the Old Settler's Picnic sponsored by
the Western Community Club. The first picnic was held in 1897 on the
west edge of town in a pasture called "Stevens' Grove." The
early picnics were called "Old Settlers' Homecoming Picnic and
Fair." Except for a very few years, they have been an annual
event. Large crowds attend and people 80 years or older register for
prizes and awards.
At the center of town,
standing guard over the main street is the old Saline County Bank
constructed in 1887 by William Bench. George Sawyer operated the bank
in this building until his death in 1933. Placed on the National
Register of Historic Places in 1990, it currently serves as the post
office
There are 19 other
places of business in Western, plus a public library, the American
Legion Hall, a community hall, a volunteer fire department, a senior
center, and the county's transit office.
Plainview, Western's
cemetery, was established in 1888. American Legion Post 255 organizes
the traditional Memorial Day services. In 1987 the post installed and
dedicated an Avenue of Flags. The 43 flags, honoring deceased veterans
from as far back as the Civil War, are an inspiring sight as they wave
in a gentle breeze.
Today, well into our
second century, Western looks forward with confidence, meeting the
needs of her people, and providing them with a pleasant place to live.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL:
"This We Remember," a centennial booklet of personal
memories and experiences.
By Laurene Gillespie,
Box 415, Western, NE 68464 Edited by Jane Graff, Seward NE.
Transcribed for the Saline county web site by Pauli Mullin.
