Stafford Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

Mailing ZIP code: 68742

Former railroad town · Holt County · founded about 1882

About Stafford

Stafford was a railroad town in eastern Holt County, at today's junction of US 20 and US 275, 13 miles southeast of O'Neill and about 8 miles northwest of Ewing. The town grew around the depot, about a mile southeast of the junction on the southwest side of US 275, where a farmstead stands today. The post office later stood on the northwest corner of the junction, where Nielsen Hosting is now, at 50196 US Highway 20; the US 20/275 weigh station is also at the junction.

History

Stafford was founded around 1881–82 as a depot on the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad and named for Mike Stafford, the line's first roadmaster out of Norfolk. Dan O'Donnell, who built the first store, is believed to have platted it. The post office opened in 1888, and in 1900 Edwin Crandall moved it a mile northwest.

Six passenger trains and six freight trains of 25 to 35 cars each passed every day, with extra freights in hay season, and three hay barns stood in town. Mass was said in Peter Ryan's house until a Catholic church was built in 1894, and the school served 35 or more pupils. In the summer of 1920 Stafford still had two stores, the post office, the church, the school, a hay office, two hay barns, the depot, stockyards, a section house and a blacksmith shop. The town faded once trucks replaced rail shipping.

Read the full History of Stafford →

Highways and trails through Stafford

Route	One way	Other way
US 20 and US 275Split at the Stafford junction	Northwest together to Inman (about 5 mi) and O'Neill (13 mi)	US 275 southeast to Ewing (8.4 mi); US 20 east into Antelope County
Spur 45AState spur road	Leaves US 20 about 2 mi east of the junction	North to Page (about 5 mi)

Nearby towns

Inman	about 5 mi northwest	US 20/US 275
Page	about 7 mi north	US 20 east 2 mi, then Spur 45A north
Ewing	8.4 mi southeast	US 275
O'Neill	13 mi northwest	US 20/US 275

Health care

Avera St. Anthony's Hospital, O'Neill (13 mi)

Sources: Yost, Before Today: A History of Holt County (1976); U.S. Census; Wikipedia; History Nebraska; Nebraska Department of Transportation route mileposts; Cowboy Trail mileage chart. Site details from Norman Nielsen, who lives at the junction.