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Wandermore in Nebraska, Newman Grove, NE (2026)

09/09/2026

Town Spotlight: Ithaca, Nebraska
Population: 160
County: Saunders
Town: 1/531
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William H. Dech was the first pioneer to settle the grounds that would become Ithaca, a stopping point for travelers between Ashland and Wahoo. Its name is an eponym for Ithaca, New York (derived from the Greek Island of Ithaca, the fabled home of Odysseus), the hometown of the early settler Fred Talbot. Three other "Williams" arrived–two others with the surname Dech and another named William Lucacs–with Elijah Dech and Russell Roberts, and the men built up the basic foundations of Ithaca that would lead to an impetus of growth and prosperity. A blacksmith shop and the flouring mill of James Jardine and Mr. Eberhardt were built in 1871, and August Wagner and Mr. Hatz furnished the first general stores. Later came liveries, meat markets, and grain elevators, the first of a line of businesses that extended throughout Ithaca's early history as a trading point on the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad. By 1907, it was home to a German Evangelical church and parsonage, a Methodist Episcopal church, a public school, a section house, a millinery, a lumber yard, stockyards, and many of the previously mentioned businesses. The school was established in 1892, enlarged in 1908 to accommodate more students, and rebuilt in 1948 for $30,000. School District No. 50 consolidated with District 102 in 1970 but ultimately closed due to low enrollment. One such business structure has withstood the test of time: a grain elevator located on the southeastern part of the tracks listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 2001. Harold D. "Swede" Hansen (not to be confused with the composer Howard Hanson from Wahoo) was born in Ithaca on June 27, 1904, and would become a brigadier general in the United States Marine Corps.
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These photos of Ithaca were primarily taken on April 22, 2020. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in Nebraska covers all 531 incorporated communities: wandermorepublishing.com/shop/p/nebraskatravelguide

09/09/2026

Hoodies, crewnecks, t-shirts, and long sleeves, oh my! 👕

For the first time in THREE YEARS, we’ve decided to bring back Wandermore apparel!! https://wandermorepublishing.com/shop/nebraska

This has been a looong time coming. Those of you who followed us through Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and Kansas may remember our “Home” shirts from 2020–2023. But if you joined the Wandermore Project during North Dakota, Minnesota, or Colorado, you’ve never had the chance to check them out!

We designed the new apparel with comfort in mind. I’m a blankey boy, and Eliese will be the first one to confirm that, lol. The t-shirts and long sleeves are made with ultra-soft material, the crewnecks are warm and cozy, and we intentionally went with a premium hoodie that should be perfect for cooler fall weather.

Between all seven states, each product comes in a bunch of different colors, with many options available from Small through 5XL.

Whether you’re heading to a 'Skers game, spending a weekend out in the Sandhills, cruising a small-town main street, or just trying to stay warm when that Nebraska wind kicks up, these were made to be a comfortable way to represent the place you call home.

And to celebrate the return of Wandermore apparel, everything is 10% OFF for the next week! Just use code HOME3 at checkout! 🎉

Introductory pricing runs through Wednesday, September 16, and everything returns to full price on Thursday, September 17.

So if you’ve been wanting some Wandermore gear—or you’re already thinking about Christmas gifts—now’s a pretty good time to grab one! These were a HIT with families during our first few state projects, and we’re so excited to finally bring them back.

If you have any questions about sizing, colors, or anything else, give us a shout in the comments! We’d be happy to help. There are also a few additional color options for each state and item, so if you don’t see exactly what you’re looking for, let us know and we’ll see what we can do.

Have a great rest of your week, y’all! Now it’s back to work on the Colorado book for us. 😂

- Seth & Eliese

09/08/2026

Town Spotlight: Wahoo, Nebraska
Population: 4,818
County: Saunders (County Seat)
Town: 531/531
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Long before Wahoo appeared on a map, Native Americans occupied and traveled throughout this portion of what is now Saunders County, with historical accounts describing both Pawnee and Otoe ties to the surrounding region. The first permanent non-Indigenous settlement in the future community was established in 1865, when Moses Stocking established a homestead near what is now the southern portion of the town. John and James Lee arrived at the future townsite in 1869, and the following year they joined William B. Lee, H. Dorsey, E.H. Barnard, J.J. Hawthorne, and George Miner in surveying and developing the new community. The founders initially considered the name "Leesville" in honor of the Lee brothers but soon settled on "Wauhoo," most likely after the wahoo shrub that grew along nearby waterways, with the spelling eventually shortened to Wahoo. As Saunders County filled with settlers, residents increasingly pushed to move the county seat away from Ashland and closer to the county's geographic center, and an election held on October 14, 1873, gave Wahoo 617 votes, compared with 549 for Eldred, 294 for Alvin, and 238 for Ashland. The county records were moved to Wahoo that December, although local lore maintains that several Wahoo men helped the process along by slipping into the Ashland courthouse under the cover of darkness and hauling the documents away. Railroad connections helped turn Wahoo into one of the region's most important commercial centers, while waves of Czech, German, and Scandinavian immigrants added greatly to its culture and population. Education also became an important part of Wahoo's identity after Swedish Lutheran immigrants founded Luther College and Academy here in 1883; the school operated until 1962, when it merged with Midland College in Fremont. Wahoo returned to the college scene in 1965 with the opening of John F. Kennedy College, whose softball team won the first three Women's College World Series championships in 1969, 1970, and 1971 before the school closed in 1975. For several decades, Wanahoo Park served as one of the community's favorite gathering places, offering swimming, boating, dancing, picnicking, skating, softball, and other forms of recreation before floods, fire, and declining use eventually brought the park's era to an end. Its name was revived decades later for Lake Wanahoo, a major flood-control and recreation project north of town whose dam was completed in 2010 before the recreation area officially opened on April 28, 2012. Today, the 1,777-acre recreation area surrounds a 662-acre lake where visitors can fish, camp, hike, bike, picnic, and enjoy no-wake boating. Wahoo even earned a bizarre little piece of pop-culture immortality during the 1990s thanks to The Late Show with David Letterman, when residents campaigned to have their town declared the fictional home office responsible for producing the show's Top Ten Lists. Their efforts included giving Letterman a 1976 Ford Pinto, a wall clock made from cow manure, the title of Admiral in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska, and even local teenagers Jeff and Josh Price; in February 1996, Wahoo officially became the fictional home office of the Late Show Top Ten List. History buffs should make time for the Saunders County Museum, where multiple buildings preserve local stories ranging from pioneer life and agriculture to Wahoo's former colleges and the nearby Nebraska Ordnance Plant. The museum also celebrates Wahoo's famous five: Hollywood producer and 20th Century Fox co-founder Darryl F. Zanuck, Nobel Prize-winning geneticist George Beadle, Baseball Hall of Famer Sam Crawford, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Howard Hanson, and acclaimed artist and children's author C.W. Anderson. Another worthwhile stop is the Wahoo Meat Locker, a family-owned business purchased by Charlie and Kristi Emswiler in 1998, which has become known for award-winning meats and sausages, as well as the locally famous "Wahoo Wiener." Other notable people with Wahoo connections include former Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman, Hollywood screenwriter Jack Natteford, Klondike Gold Rush figure Fannie Quigley, and, of course, yours truly, Seth Varner, founder and CEO of Wandermore Publishing—the only person to have visited every incorporated municipality in seven states (3,896 communities)! ;)
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These photos of Wahoo were primarily taken on July 12, 2020. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in Nebraska covers all 531 incorporated communities: wandermorepublishing.com/shop/p/nebraskatravelguide

09/08/2026

Town Spotlight: Santee, Nebraska
Population: 424
County: Knox
Town: 529/531
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The early Nebraska settlement of Santee, named after the Santee Sioux tribe inhabiting the reservation, had a long history of relocation before the formal establishment of their "forever home" in a remote corner of Knox County. After the Lake Shetek Massacre of 1862 that occurred in southwestern Minnesota, the Santee took the majority of the blame and were banished to the Dakota Territory's Crow Creek area. A few years later, President Abraham Lincoln deemed it cruel to sentence their people to such hardship, so a 115,000-acre parcel of land was carved out of Nebraska Territory along the Missouri River. Over 1,000 tribe members relocated here in June 1866, as did an additional 247 Santees from Davenport, Iowa. It was initially located just a mile east of Niobrara, but the Agency was moved a few miles further east that winter and then to the north in the summer of 1867. Samuel D. Hinman built a church that doubled as a school, and in 1868 a more permanent schoolhouse was erected. A hospital was added to that structure in 1869. Further improvements were made, including the Santee Normal Training School, which even published its own paper, the Lapi Oaye. About 1,200 copies were circulated each week starting in May 1871. The Normal Training School, which was highly scrutinized for outlawing the Dakotah language in its classrooms as of February 2, 1887, closed for good in 1936. A three-story sawmill on Bazile Creek was the first of several modern business establishments, alongside a lumberyard, a store, a smokehouse, an ice house, a harness shop, two granaries, and warehouses. Several schools and a park were also developed. A major event in the reservation's history occurred in 1873, when 300 Santee elected to move to homesteads near present-day Flandreau, South Dakota, in search of a better life. The Santee post office was established in the 1860s and provided mail service until 1956. It was incorporated on February 18, 1974, and its highest recorded Census population was 424 in 2020. A branch of the Nebraska Indian Community College is located on the city's east side.
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These photos of Santee were primarily taken on July 12, 2020. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in Nebraska covers all 531 incorporated communities: wandermorepublishing.com/shop/p/nebraskatravelguide

09/06/2026

As of this past week, Eliese and I have now been to every incorporated community in Colorado!! 🎉 The Wandermore in Colorado book will be out in mid-October 🤩 wandermorepublishing.com/colorado 📚

Thanks to everybody who followed along with us this year! ❤️

09/06/2026

Town Spotlight: Niobrara, Nebraska
Population: 365
County: Knox
Town: 528/531
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Ní Ubthátha, better known as "Niobrara," is an Omaha and Ponca word meaning "spreading water." It refers to the village's sprawling boundaries that cross the river of the same name. The modern townsite dates to 1856, when Dr. Benneville Yeakel Shelly and his L'eau Qui Court Company established a log garrison on the banks of the Missouri River. Although the company was already defunct by the following year, the Niobrara Township Company took hold, and the young hamlet began to grow with the arrival of a sawmill from St. Louis, Missouri, on June 29, 1857. The post office was established in 1859, and as more homes and businesses were built, Niobrara became a leading town in Knox County (est. 1877) with a population of nearly 500 residents as of 1880. An enormous flood in 1881 led to a mass exodus from the first townsite, and a new one was settled to the southwest. Other noteworthy accomplishments before the turn of the century included the construction of Niobrara's first schoolhouse in 1886, the completion of the artesian well in 1892, and the establishment of an electric light plant in 1899. Niobrara served as the judicial seat throughout this time until enough county residents complained about the "long treks" they had to endure to reach Niobrara to conduct legal business. A new town called "Center," more appropriately aligned with the settlers' needs because of its location at the county's center, took the title in 1902. Thankfully for Niobrara, its growth was largely unaffected by the presence of the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad. It peaked at 761 permanent residents according to the 1930 Census. However, it experienced another growth spurt in 1952, when the Fort Randall Dam was being completed not far outside modern-day Pickstown, South Dakota. Nearly twenty thousand people attended Niobrara's centennial celebration. Yet another devastating flood forced the town to relocate again in 1974 to a new site, where the village remains today. Niobrara State Park, the historical Niobrara Museum, and the Ponca Tribal Museum and Library offer a variety of activities for visitors. At its 1910 opening, the park was initially called "Niobrara Island Park" and was founded on land that the U.S. Department of the Interior had gifted to the village in 1881. It was annexed into the Nebraska Park System in 1930. One of the Acting Territorial Governors of Montana from March 1869 to April 9, 1869, James Tufts, and Anton Krupicka, an ultramarathon runner with dozens of long-distance records, have ties to Niobrara.
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These photos of Niobrara were primarily taken on July 12, 2020. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in Nebraska covers all 531 incorporated communities: wandermorepublishing.com/shop/p/nebraskatravelguide

09/04/2026

Town Spotlight: Verdel, Nebraska
Population: 38
County: Knox
Town: 527/531
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This settlement was established at its present location on December 23, 1902, with the introduction of the Chicago & Northwestern (later the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley) Railroad. Called Verdel because of the Spanish word "verde," which means "green," it was resurveyed on Mr. Glick's land to the west of its initial site so the railroad had more room to work with. J. J. Herald served as the railroad agent and saw to it that the town made the appropriate preparations to meet the needs of the Chicago & Northwestern. An elevator was raised on the south side of the tracks, and to the north was Main Street. Within a year, Verdel had a livery, a store, a meat market, a blacksmith shop, a land office, a jail, and some homes. H. C. Hansen occupied the store and ran a restaurant, and Robert Walker was in charge of a hotel, the livery stable, and a sorghum mill. Charles Benton erected a second hotel. The Presbyterian Church was founded in 1907, the only church to ever serve the religious needs of Verdel's residents. A two-story brick schoolhouse was completed during the 1930s but closed for good in the early 1960s after the district split between Niobrara and Lynch. It was incorporated on January 16, 1903, with a maximum of 162 folks living within its boundaries according to the 1910 and 1920 Censuses. Not far east of Verdel was once a Ponca Fort called "Nanza," estimated to have been occupied between 1700 and 1865. It was placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 1973.
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These photos of Verdel were primarily taken on July 12, 2020. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in Nebraska covers all 531 incorporated communities: wandermorepublishing.com/shop/p/nebraskatravelguide

09/04/2026

Town Spotlight: Monowi, Nebraska
Population: 1
County: Boyd
Town: 526/531
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Known as the smallest incorporated town in America, "Monowi" is a Native American word for "flower. It was named because of the numerous wildflowers growing throughout the village, particularly a flower called snow-on-the-mountain. The earliest settlers of Boyd County came after its organization in 1891, but Monowi didn't truly begin until the arrival of the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad in 1902. With the railroad station of the Pioneer Townsite Company in order, a move was made by the Levi Brunson family to be the first "permanent" settlers of the townsite. They built a livery stable, and soon after, John Marcellus, Fremont Persons, Christ Johnson, and Dr. Frank Keep each started their own business lines (a general store, restaurant, hotel, and drug store, respectively). Banks, a hardware store, and livery barns followed, as did a post office. It remained in operation from 1902 until 1971. Despite growing to a population of 123 in 1930, Monowi began to experience significant population losses in the following years. In 1978, the Chicago & North Western Railway ceased providing rail service to the little town. Its population count has since been the subject of a couple of controversies due to methods used by the Census to artificially inflate it to "protect the identity of its residents." 88-year-old Elsie Eiler is the town's true sole resident. She is the mayor, postmaster, tavern owner, operator, and librarian. While serving on the city council in the 1990s, she contacted noted ABC News Radio broadcaster Paul Harvey to make it known that it was erroneous. At that time, the population was reported as six. By the year 2000, it was just Elsie and her husband Rudy. Since his passing, Monowi has remained at a population of one, although the 2020 Census "added some noise" and artificially increased the town's population to 2. Elsie has since been the subject of hundreds of news articles and interviews, and people from all around the world have visited her. She was featured in a 2018 Arby's commercial, in which the company constructed the World's Largest Advertisement, a 212,000-square-foot banner that read, "Arby's now has Coke." Coke presented Elsie with her unique set of bottles, which are displayed at the local bar: the Monowi Tavern. The eatery celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021. Casual visitors and even some celebrities (most notably the comedian Larry the Cable Guy, the voice of Tow Mater in the Cars film series by Pixar, and several YouTubers) have visited Elsie, although the typical crowd consists of locals and members of the Sheriff's department from the three nearest counties. She was named an honorary deputy of the Boyd County Sheriff's Department and proudly sports a badge to prove it.
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These photos of Monowi were primarily taken on July 12, 2020. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in Nebraska covers all 531 incorporated communities: wandermorepublishing.com/shop/p/nebraskatravelguide

09/02/2026

Town Spotlight: Lynch, Nebraska
Population: 194
County: Boyd
Town: 525/531
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Lynch, a village of 194 located in the north-central portion of the state, was named for one of its early settlers, John Lynch. He came to the area in 1890 and petitioned the postal service for a post office, which was granted. Other settlers followed suit, and Lynch's proximity to Fort Randall in South Dakota and to Niobrara greatly aided its growth. The Mulhair general store was established in 1890, and the Methodist and Catholic congregations came about two years later. General, drug, and hardware stores opened on Main Street, and a mill was in operation by 1895. Shortly after the turn of the century, the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad reached Lynch, and the population boomed to a high of 589 by 1920. Other early businesses noted were the Chambers Brickyard (est. 1900), the Nebraska State Bank (1946), and a 1950s honey factory. Lynch has experienced a population loss every year since the 1920s, with its largest percentage drop (20.8%) occurring between 2010 and 2020.
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These photos of Lynch were primarily taken on July 12, 2020. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in Nebraska covers all 531 incorporated communities: wandermorepublishing.com/shop/p/nebraskatravelguide

09/01/2026

Town Spotlight: Bristow, Nebraska
Population: 70
County: Boyd
Town: 524/531
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A rural post office was established near present-day Bristow in 1890 and named in honor of Benjamin Helm Bristow, the United States Secretary of the Treasury during Ulysses S. Grant's presidency. It would be another dozen years before the townsite was laid out by members affiliated with the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. Prime land on Ponca Creek was selected in 1902, on which a depot, section house, and stockyards were built. This critical infrastructure was joined by nearly three dozen businesses in the years to come, the most important of which were a cheese factory, a pop factory, a creamery, and a photo gallery. Two elevators, a lumberyard, two banks, and a hotel were designated on a 1904 plat map as other noteworthy landmarks of early Bristow. By 1920, the little railroad community had grown to a population of 255. The first school was typical of the era. It was first a one-room sod structure, then replaced by a wood-frame building, and finally by a two-story schoolhouse. A Baptist Church, the Rosedale Evangelical Covenant Church, a Methodist Church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church were all conducting services before the turn of the century.
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These photos of Bristow were primarily taken on July 12, 2020. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in Nebraska covers all 531 incorporated communities: wandermorepublishing.com/shop/p/nebraskaguide

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