About Richland
Richland is a village in Colfax County, in eastern Nebraska. The 2020 census counted 70 residents, down from 73 in 2010 and 89 in 2000. The village covers about 0.21 square miles and stands at roughly 1,400 feet. Columbus lies about 7 miles west, Schuyler about 8 miles east, and Bellwood about 6 miles south. Grain elevators are visible from the village.
History
A post office was established at Richland in 1870. The place was called Benton before it was renamed. Richland served as a shipping point on the Union Pacific Railroad, which is the role most accounts give it through its early decades. One reference work notes that the earliest map it can document showing the community dates to 1895, and gives no firm founding date.
Today
Richland remains one of the smaller communities in Colfax County. The surrounding country is farmland, and the village functions as a residential cluster along the rail and highway corridor that runs between Columbus and Schuyler.
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Richland is a village in Colfax County, Nebraska, along US Highway 30 and the Union Pacific Railroad west of Schuyler. It was originally platted under the name Benton before being renamed Richland; the story behind that change is not well documented in available sources. Richland grew up as a small shipping point on the railroad and reached a peak population of about 156 residents in 1910, but has declined steadily since, standing at 70 residents as of the 2020 census. No notable landmarks or public figures tied to the village have been independently verified.
Richland is a small Colfax County village on US-30 and the Union Pacific line west of Schuyler, originally platted as Benton before being renamed Richland. Its population peaked near 156 in 1910 and has since declined to about 70.