Steinauer Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

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Village · Pawnee County · Population 59 (2020 census) · ZIP 68441 · Founded 1856 · Peak population 248 (1910)

About Steinauer

Steinauer is a village of 59 in northern Pawnee County, about 8 miles north-northwest of Pawnee City, reached by spur S-67B west from NE 50; NE 4 runs 2 to 3 miles north. Locals pronounce the name "Steener."

History

Famine and hard times drove the brothers Anton (Anthony), Nicholas and Joseph A. Steinauer from Switzerland in 1852, and in September 1856 they settled here, steering clear of "bloody Kansas." Swiss, German, Austrian and Bohemian families followed. A post office opened in 1874 with Joseph A. Steinauer as postmaster, the town was laid out in 1886–87 when the Rock Island railroad arrived, and it was incorporated in March 1893. Joseph Steinauer built the brick opera house, with the Bank of Steinauer on the ground floor, about 1888–94; it hosted touring shows, dances and lectures until about 1917. The population peaked at 248 in 1910.

St. Anthony parish was formed in 1882 on land given by Anthony Steinauer, and the first church site is now the parish cemetery. The present Romanesque church, begun in 1926 and dedicated in 1927, has German-made stained glass and a pipe organ and was restored in 2013. The parish school closed in 1970, and in 1993 the old convent became the Convent House Bed & Breakfast.

Highways and trails through Steinauer

Route	One way	Other way
S-67BSpur into the village	East to NE 50	Ends in Steinauer

Nearby towns

Burchard	about 7 mi west-southwest	County roads and NE 99
Pawnee City	about 8 mi south-southeast	S-67B and NE 50
Table Rock	about 8 mi east-southeast	S-67B, NE 50 and NE 4
Elk Creek	about 8 mi northeast	S-67B and NE 50
Lewiston	about 10 mi west-northwest	NE 4
Tecumseh	about 11 mi north-northeast	NE 50

Things to see

St. Anthony Catholic Church, 201 3rd St. (1927; open to visitors) · the Steinauer Opera House, 215 Main St. (National Register) · the Steinauer Community Heritage House (open by request) · the "Village of Steinauer" historical marker on spur S-67B, about 3 mi east · St. Anthony's Cemetery · Salem United Church of Christ, 71693 617th Ave. · Bowwood WMA, 320 acres, 2 mi south

Schools and health care

Schools: Humboldt Table Rock Steinauer Public Schools (HTRS): HTRS Elementary School (PK–6) and HTRS High School (7–12), both at 810 Central Ave., Humboldt

Health care: No clinic in Steinauer; Pawnee County Memorial Hospital and Pawnee County Rural Health Clinic, 600 I St., Pawnee City, 402-852-2231

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882); Fitzpatrick, Nebraska Place-Names; History Nebraska markers; National Register of Historic Places; Nebraska Game and Parks; Nemaha NRD; Nebraska Department of Transportation; county, school, museum and parish websites. Distances marked "about" are straight-line estimates.