About McGrew
McGrew is a village in Scotts Bluff County, in the Nebraska panhandle. It lies along State Highway 92 and the Union Pacific Railroad, roughly 15 miles south-east of Scottsbluff, and is part of the Scottsbluff micropolitan area. The village covers about 0.36 square miles. The 2020 census counted 75 residents, down from 105 in 2010 and 103 in 2000.
History
Land for the townsite was bought in 1910 and the Union Pacific Railroad reached the point in 1911. A post office opened on 30 August 1911, inside a general store. Accounts of the incorporation date differ: some give 1911, others July 1912. A Presbyterian church was built in 1912, and the McGrew State Bank opened in 1914.
Boom and decline
McGrew peaked in the 1920s, when the town supported general stores, a bank, a hotel, a saloon, a grain elevator, a creamery, a blacksmith, a barbershop, a butcher shop, a cafe, a hardware store, a Chevrolet dealership and a school. The post office was discontinued on 1 January 1986. Most of the village's buildings now stand empty, though McGrew remains incorporated.
The name
The town was named for C. F. McGrew, an Omaha banker who promoted the townsite.
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McGrew was established in 1911 with the extension of the Union Pacific Railroad, growing during the 1920s to include stores, a post office, a railway depot, a grain elevator, a saloon, and a hotel. The origin of its name was not confirmed by any source found.
McGrew, population 75 in 2020, has seen most of its historic buildings fall into disuse since its post office closed in 1986; its 1912 Presbyterian church survives today as the Oregon Trail Chapel.
Navigate & Explore McGrew
Get directions: search "McGrew Nebraska" in Waze or Google Maps
Road Conditions: Nebraska 511 — 511.nebraska.gov
Scotts Bluff County Cameras: View Scotts Bluff County cameras