Battle Creek Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

City · Madison County · Population 1,194 (2020 census) · ZIP 68715 · Founded 1867 · Peak population 1,207 (2010)

About Battle Creek

Battle Creek is a city of 1,194 people (2020) in Madison County, at 1,591 feet on Battle Creek about 10 miles west-southwest of Norfolk. NE 121 (4th Street) runs along the west side of town, north less than 2 miles to US 275 and south to NE 32 and Madison. The city has Battle Creek Public Schools, St. John Lutheran School, the Lied Battle Creek Public Library, the Community Pride Care Center and a 60-acre city park with a pool. Battle Creek is on Central Time.

History

On July 12, 1859, about 300 territorial militia and U.S. Dragoons under Gen. John M. Thayer prepared to attack a Pawnee village on the creek here. The Pawnee surrendered at once, ending the “Pawnee War” without bloodshed, but the creek was named Battle Creek anyway, and the town took the name when it began in 1867. Battle Creek was incorporated in 1873. In the county-seat election of October 12, 1875, it lost to Madison by six votes, 368 to 362. St. John’s Lutheran parochial school opened in 1882. Battle Creek won the grand prize in Nebraska’s Community Betterment Contest in 1963, and its 1980 census count of 948 made it a second-class city. The population peaked at 1,207 in 2010.

Highways and trails through Battle Creek

Route	One way	Other way
NE 121North–south along the west side of town	North to US 275	South to NE 32 and Madison
US 275Less than 2 miles north	East to Norfolk	West to Meadow Grove and Tilden

Nearby towns

Meadow Grove	about 7 mi west-northwest	US 275
Norfolk	about 9 mi east-northeast	US 275
Enola	about 10 mi southeast	County roads
Tilden	about 12 mi west-northwest	US 275
Madison	about 14 mi south-southeast	NE 121 and NE 32
Pierce	about 14 mi north-northeast	County roads
Stanton	about 20 mi east	US 275 and NE 24
Newman Grove	about 20 mi south-southwest	County roads

Things to see

the Battle Creek historical marker (Pawnee War of 1859), on NE 121 about a mile south of US 275 · the 60-acre city park: pool, ball fields, tennis and a rental clubhouse · Evergreen Hills Golf Course, 3 miles south, 9 holes · Oak Valley WMA (640 acres) to the south and Yellowbanks WMA (664 acres) on the Elkhorn to the northwest · Battle Creek Fun Days, the third weekend of June · the Cowboy Trail, which crosses Battle Creek on the west edge of town, about 10½ trail miles west of Norfolk

Events in Battle Creek

Battle Creek Fun Days
Battle Creek’s summer celebration on the third weekend of June.

Know of another event here? Tell us about it.

Schools and health care

Schools: Battle Creek Public Schools: elementary (PreK–6), 305 S. 4th St.; high school (7–12), 605 W. Martin St.; <a href="/directory/st-john-lutheran-school-battle-creek/">St. John Lutheran School</a> (preschool–8), 102 W. Martin St.

Health care: Community Pride Care Center (assisted living and nursing), 901 S. 4th St.; Hospital: Faith Health (formerly Faith Regional Health Services), Norfolk, about 9 mi

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882); Encyclopaedia Britannica; NEGenWeb Madison County; History Nebraska and its markers; National Register; Madison County; City of Norfolk; City of Newman Grove; City of Battle Creek; Nebraska Game and Parks; Nebraska DHHS; Norfolk Daily News; school districts. Distances marked "about" are straight-line estimates.