Howells Nebraska 68641 - Nebraska Directory

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About Howells

Howells is a village in Colfax County, in east central Nebraska, three miles east of the junction of highways 15 and 91. The 2020 census counted 561 residents, the same figure recorded in 2010. The village covers about six tenths of a square mile. Crop production, cattle and hog feeding, and wholesale and retail trade are the main local businesses. Norfolk, Columbus and Fremont are each roughly 40 miles away.

History

Czech families reached Maple Creek by prairie schooner in 1870. The Sindelar, Jonas and Dostal households were among the first, and the settlement they started was known as Buschville. In 1886 the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad extended its line and platted a townsite south of the tracks on ground bought from Antonia Busch. The town was named for James Howell. The post office opened the same year and was spelled Howell, without the s, until 1937. Howells incorporated on 22 August 1887, with John Kloke as mayor. That summer the population was about 200 and lots were selling for 250 dollars.

Czech heritage

The Czech character of the settlement carried into the town. St John of Nepomuk was among the parishes established as Catholic and Czech residents organized their congregations.

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Howells is a village in northern Colfax County, Nebraska, originally platted in 1886–87 as “Buschville” along the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad before being renamed Howells and incorporated as a village in 1887. Sources differ slightly on the namesake — one account credits local resident James Smith Howell, while another points to surveyor James Howell — but both agree the name honors an early Howell associated with the town’s founding. Nebraska Highway 91 runs directly through Howells. The village is the birthplace of Olympic wrestler Brad Vering, and the Baumert & Bogner building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As of the 2020 census, Howells had a population of 561.

Howells was platted in 1886–87 as Buschville along the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad, then renamed for an early namesake named Howell. It sits on Nebraska Highway 91 and is the birthplace of Olympic wrestler Brad Vering.