About Bertrand
Bertrand is a village in Phelps County, in south-central Nebraska. The 2020 census counted 709 residents, down from 750 in 2010 and 786 in 2000. The village covers about 0.55 square miles, all land, and stands roughly 2,510 feet above sea level. Holdrege, the county seat, lies to the east.
History
Bertrand came with the railroad in the middle 1880s. One account has the town established in 1884, when the line was extended to that point; another has it organized in December 1885. It was incorporated as a village in 1885, and the post office opened the same year. The name was taken from an official of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad.
People from Bertrand
A few names from the village travelled further than the village did. Charles L. Littel, an educator and college founder, Ben H. Williams, a labor leader and editor, and Karen Dahlgren Schonewise, a pioneer of the sport of volleyball, are all associated with Bertrand.
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Bertrand was established by the Lincoln Land Company in the mid-1880s as the Burlington Railroad arrived, and named for Alonzo Bertrand Minor, a railroad official who later became secretary of the Lincoln Land Company. Early settlers were predominantly Swedish and German immigrants, reflected in the seven churches historically built in the surrounding area. The Tri-County irrigation project, completed in 1941, helped stabilize the local agricultural economy after severe droughts in the 1890s and 1930s. Bertrand hosts the annual "Bertrand Days" festival each June, featuring a parade and a professional rodeo.
Bertrand, established in the mid-1880s by the Lincoln Land Company, hosts the annual "Bertrand Days" festival each June.
Navigate & Explore Bertrand
Get directions: search "Bertrand Nebraska" in Waze or Google Maps
Road Conditions: Nebraska 511 — 511.nebraska.gov
Phelps County Cameras: View Phelps County cameras