Logan County, Nebraska

Logan County, Nebraska

County seat: Stapleton · Created: February 24, 1885 · Named for: Gen. John A. Logan · License plates: prefix 87 · Population: 716 (2020 census); peak 1,742 in 1940 · Area: 571 sq mi · Time zone: Central

About Logan County

Logan County lies on the southern edge of the Sandhills in west-central Nebraska, a square of ranch and farm country about 24 miles on a side, the smallest size the law allowed for a new county. It has two villages, Stapleton, the county seat, and Gandy, the first seat, 3 miles apart. It borders Thomas County on the north, Blaine at the northeast corner, Custer on the east, Lincoln on the south and McPherson on the west. Logan is part of the North Platte micropolitan area.

Before 1885 the area was unorganized land under Custer County. Civil War veterans organized by Lincoln lawyer J. S. Hoagland took up homesteads and tree claims, and the county was created on February 24, 1885, and named for Gen. John A. Logan (1826–1886). The town of Logan served as the seat for about 50 days until voters chose Gandy on July 25, 1885; Logan’s own courthouse ended up as a farm barn. In 1911–12 the Union Pacific extended its branch from Callaway, through Hoagland and past Gandy, to a new town at its end, Stapleton. Businesses followed the railroad, and Stapleton won the county seat in a special election on May 2, 1929; after a court challenge the records moved on February 24, 1930. Inland post offices such as Dorp, Augustus, Ford, Kirsch, Gem, Wagner and Ranger closed as roads improved, and Hoagland’s post office ran from 1912 to 1944. The county reached 1,742 people in 1940. It has no National Register properties.

Towns of Logan County

Travel Corridors

US 83 — north from Stapleton to NE 2 at Thedford, and south to North Platte and I-80. US 83 Corridor →

NE 92 — east–west through Stapleton and past Gandy, from Tryon to Arnold and Broken Bow. Highway 92 Corridor → US 83 and NE 92 share about 4 miles east of Stapleton. No Interstate enters the county; I-80 is about 27 miles south at North Platte and Maxwell.

Cameras: View Logan County cameras → · Road conditions: Nebraska 511

Things to See and Do

In Stapleton: Frey’s General Store, the Stapleton Cooperative Market & Deli, the Stapleton Enterprise and Herbie’s Speakeasy, and Augusta Wind Golf Course, nine holes on US 83. The Logan County Courthouse, 317 Main St., dates from 1962–63.

Camping

The Stapleton City Park campground on 3rd Street has six sites, four with 30-amp power, water, showers and a dump station, open all year. Milliron Campground on E Street, run by Steve and Cindy Frey, has full hookups with 30- and 50-amp service, (308) 636-8141.

Logan County Business Directory

Businesses within 20 miles of: Stapleton · All listings →

Adjacent Counties

Thomas County (north) · Blaine County (northeast) · Custer County (east) · Lincoln County (south) · McPherson County (west).

Events

The Logan County Fair & Rodeo is held in Stapleton in late July or early August.

Logan County at a Glance

Logan County, Nebraska — ranch and farm country on the southern edge of the Sandhills, with the county seat at Stapleton and the first seat at Gandy. 62 listings across 2 towns. Central Time.

Getting there: US 83 from North Platte (about 27 miles) or from NE 2 at Thedford; NE 92 from Arnold and Broken Bow on the east or Tryon on the west.

For visitors: Frey’s General Store, the co-op grocery, a nine-hole golf course and two campgrounds with hookups in Stapleton. No clinic in the county; the nearest hospital is in North Platte.