Hiawatha Area Cameras
Former town · Dundy County · post office 1886–1933
About Hiawatha
Hiawatha is a former town on the divide in northern Dundy County, about 20 miles north-northwest of Benkelman. Its cemetery remains; the location of the town is approximate.
History
A post office named Neel opened here on February 10, 1886, named for its first postmaster, James Neel, and a town was founded in 1887 during the homestead boom. In 1888 Neel was one of the new towns that challenged Benkelman for the county seat. The post office was renamed Hiawatha on October 10, 1889. The Society of Friends (Quakers) built Hiawatha Academy here, and in 1890 the gazetteer listed Hiawatha as a village of about 35 in the northwestern part of the county.
Like many divide towns, Hiawatha could not survive the drought and depression of 1893–94 and the loss of settlers that followed. It lingered as a rural post office until 1933. Hiawatha Cemetery remains.
Nearby towns
| Ough | about 7 mi east | County roads |
| Lamont | about 12 mi west | County roads |
| Enders | about 11 mi northeast | County roads |
| Imperial | about 13 mi north | County roads and NE 61 |
| Benkelman | about 20 mi south-southeast | County roads and NE 61 |
Things to see
Hiawatha Cemetery · Ough, about 7 mi east · Benkelman, about 20 mi south-southeast
Navigate & Explore Hiawatha
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Road conditions: Nebraska 511 — 511.nebraska.gov
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Hiawatha Businesses & Places
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