Julian grew from a French settlement of roughly 40 families and takes its name from Julien Bahuaud, a prominent early settler; a post office arrived in 1880 and a railroad station in 1887. The village’s history took a dark turn in June 1899, when Bahuaud himself was murdered for his money — a crime that went unsolved for 14 years until one of three suspects confessed during a bout of heatstroke in Kansas in 1913.

Today Julian is one of Nemaha County’s smallest villages, with just 48 residents (2020 Census). It provides the setting for Jon Volkmer’s 2023 novel Brave in Season.

Julian, population just 48, is one of Nemaha County’s smallest villages, named for early settler Julien Bahuaud, whose 1899 murder went unsolved for 14 years.