About Leigh
Leigh is a village in Colfax County. The 2020 census counted 435 residents, up from 405 in 2010. The village covers about 0.61 square miles and sits 1,578 feet above sea level. Downtown Leigh is on the east side of Main Street.
History
Four families of Civil War veterans settled in the Stanton Precinct in 1872. A post office was established in 1875. The village takes its name from Mary Margaret Leigh, the maiden name of A. M. Walling's wife, who was one of the first postmistresses. A branch of the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley railroad arrived in 1886, and businesses moved from the old town to sit near the station. Leigh incorporated on 7 March 1887, with 210 residents. The railroad ran until 1963.
Local institutions
The first public school opened in 1874 with nine students in a one room building. The Methodist church was finished in the autumn of 1879. The fire department organised in 1907, and the American Legion post was chartered on 2 June 1921. The Colfax County Fair moved permanently to Leigh in 1922. The 1875 building that housed the first post office and general store is kept as the House of Yesteryear Museum. Maple Creek Recreation Area opened on 21 May 2011.
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Leigh is a village in northern Colfax County, Nebraska, settled in 1872 and incorporated in 1887. The town takes its name from Mary Margaret Leigh, the wife of an early postmaster. Leigh has hosted the Colfax County Fair every year since 1922, making the village a longtime hub for county agricultural life. Notable natives include Lieutenant General Carl H. Jark, and biochemist Audrey Stevens Niyogi was born near Leigh. As of the 2020 census, the village had a population of 435.
Leigh, settled in 1872 and incorporated in 1887, takes its name from postmaster’s wife Mary Margaret Leigh. It has hosted the Colfax County Fair since 1922 and is the hometown of Lt. Gen. Carl H. Jark.