Thayer County Cameras
Thayer County, Nebraska
County seat: Hebron · Created: 1856 as Jefferson County; named Thayer County when the old Jefferson County was divided in 1871 · Named for: John Milton Thayer, Civil War general, U.S. senator and governor of Nebraska · License plates: prefix 32 · Population: 5,034 (2020 census); peak 14,775 in 1910 · Area: 575 sq mi
About Thayer County
Thayer County lies on the Kansas line in south-central Nebraska, crossed by the Little Blue River, Big Sandy Creek and Rose Creek. This ground was the original Jefferson County, created in 1856. In 1867 it was joined with Jones County to the east under the Jefferson name, and in 1871 the legislature divided them again along the Sixth Principal Meridian: the eastern half kept the name Jefferson and this western half became Thayer. The first county election was held in October 1871, and Hebron became the county seat.
The Oregon–California Trail, the Pony Express and the overland stage followed the Little Blue across the county, with stations at Thompson's Ranch north of Hebron and at Kiowa northwest of Deshler. Raids in August 1864 struck ranches and stations along the trail, and in 1869 a militia company built Fort Butler, a stockade south of Hebron. Hebron's editor Erasmus Correll brought Susan B. Anthony (1877) and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1879) to town, and the county's woman suffrage association of April 15, 1879, was the first in Nebraska.
Railroads made the towns. The St. Joseph & Denver City, now a busy Union Pacific main line, crossed the north half in 1872 and named its stations in alphabetical order from east to west: Alexandria, Belvidere, Carleton and Davenport. The Burlington built Hubbell, Chester and Harbine, now Byron, along the Kansas line in 1877–80 and reached Hebron in 1884, the Rock Island founded Deshler and Gilead in 1887–89, and Bruning grew up on a railroad in 1887. Six-man football was devised at Chester and first played at Hebron on September 26, 1934, and on October 22, 1960, Ed Yost made the first free flight of a modern hot-air balloon from the old Bruning Army Air Field.
Towns of Thayer County
Cities and villages
Hebron
The Thayer County seat, a city of 1,458 on the Little Blue River where US 81 meets US 136. The giant covered porch swing, the 1903 courthouse, a 1937 post office with its buffalo mural, and the first six-man football game in 1934.
Deshler
The county's second city, 739 people on US 136, founded on the Rock Island in 1887 and named for landowner John G. Deshler. Home of Reinke Manufacturing and, since 1913, the Thayer County Fair.
Davenport
Village of 321 on NE 4 in the county's northwest corner, the "D" town of the 1872 railroad, named for Davenport, Iowa. Home of the Little Blue Natural Resources District office.
Bruning
Village of 285 just east of US 81 in the county's north, founded on the railroad in 1887 and named for Frank Bruning. The 1907 opera house, Bruning Bank, and the World War II airfield where the modern hot-air balloon first flew in 1960.
Chester
Village of 224 on the Kansas line where US 81 meets NE 8, laid out on the Burlington in 1880 and named for Chester A. Arthur. Six-man football was devised here in 1934; Chesterfest is the last weekend of June.
Alexandria
Village of 148 on NE 53 at the county's east edge, the first of the alphabetical railroad towns of 1872, named for S. J. Alexander. Alexandria Lakes State Recreation Area is about 3 miles east-southeast, across the Jefferson County line.
Carleton
Village of 94 on NE 4, the "C" town of the 1872 railroad, first known as Coldrain. Milo Day each September; birthplace of pitcher Roy Hitt and Bureau of Mines director Marling Ankeny.
Byron
Village of 83 on the Kansas line just south of NE 8, platted in 1877 as Harbine and renamed Byron in 1889. The Kansas half of the old townsite is still called Harbine, Kansas.
Hubbell
Village of 63 on the Kansas line just south of NE 8, laid out by the Lincoln Land Company in 1880 and named for landowner H. H. Johnson. The Sixth Principal Meridian initial point is about 7 miles east.
Belvidere
Village of 51 a mile east of US 81, the "B" town of the 1872 railroad. The Thayer County Museum fills ten buildings here, and a train-watching platform overlooks the busy Union Pacific main line.
Gilead
Village of 30 just north of US 136 in the county's east, which grew up around a Rock Island station in 1889 and took its name from Gilead Precinct. The old bank building is now the post office.
Former towns and post office communities
Kiowa
Pony Express and Overland Stage station on the Little Blue, northwest of Hebron, where troops were posted in the 1860s and 1870; later a country post office from 1873 to 1903.
Stoddard
Burlington railroad stop between Hebron and Chester with a post office from 1886 to 1934, a grain warehouse and a Lutheran congregation.
Travel Corridors
US 81 — north–south from Kansas at Chester past Hebron, Belvidere and Bruning toward Geneva and York. US 81 Corridor →
US 136 — the Heritage Highway, east–west through Deshler, Hebron and past Gilead toward Fairbury. US 136 Corridor →
NE 4 — east–west across the north through Davenport, Carleton and Bruning. NE 4 Corridor →
State highways — NE 8 along the Kansas line through Chester, past Byron and Hubbell; NE 5 north from Deshler to NE 4; and NE 53 from US 136 near Gilead through Alexandria to NE 4.
Historic trails: Oregon National Historic Trail → · Pony Express National Historic Trail →
Cameras: View Thayer County cameras → · Road conditions: Nebraska 511
Things to See
In Hebron, the World's Largest Covered Porch Swing, the 1903 courthouse, the 1937 post office with its buffalo mural and the Majestic Theatre; the Thayer County Museum and the train-watching platform at Belvidere; the Bruning Opera House and the Bruning Army Air Field and balloon-flight markers; Chester, the home of six-man football; and the Sixth Principal Meridian initial point on the Kansas line east of Hubbell.
Outdoors
Alexandria Lakes State Recreation Area, just across the line in Jefferson County, has two lakes and 54 campsites. The Little Blue NRD's Bruning Dam has free primitive camping, and Hebron's Riverside Park and Deshler City Park have RV sites. Hunters can use the Little Blue, Little Blue East, Meridian, Dry Sandy, Father Hupp and Prairie Marsh wildlife management areas.
Thayer County Business Directory
Businesses within 20 miles of: Hebron · Deshler · Bruning · Davenport · Chester · All listings →
Adjacent Counties
Fillmore County (north) · Jefferson County (east) · Republic County, Kansas (south) · Nuckolls County (west); Saline County (northeast), Washington County, Kansas (southeast) and Clay County (northwest) touch only at the corners
Events
2026 dates: Chesterfest (June 26–28, with the main-stage concert June 27); Deshler Daze in June; the Hebron Fourth of July celebration; the Thayer County Fair at Deshler (August 5–8); Toad Jam in Belvidere and Hay Days in Hubbell in August; and Milo Day in Carleton on the second Saturday of September.
Events in Thayer County
- Thayer County Fair (Deshler)
Thayer County Fair, a county fair in Hebron, Nebraska.
Know of another event in the county? Tell us about it.
Thayer County Road Map
Download the printable county road map (PDF, Nebraska Dept. of Transportation)
Thayer County at a Glance
Thayer County, Nebraska — on the Kansas line along the Little Blue River. County seat Hebron; Deshler is the other city, with nine villages.
Getting there: US 81 from York or Kansas, US 136 from Fairbury or Superior, and NE 4 across the north.
For visitors: Hebron's porch swing, courthouse and post office mural, the county museum at Belvidere, Bruning's opera house and balloon-flight marker, six-man football's home at Chester, and camping at Alexandria Lakes and Bruning Dam. Hospital: Thayer County Health Services in Hebron.
Vehicles registered in Thayer County carry license plate number 32. See what every Nebraska county number means.
Thayer County Businesses & Places
207 listings in Thayer County.
Click a category to see the businesses.
Eat & Drink (3)
- 3 Compadres — Mexican Restaurant, Hebron
- Blue Bison — Diner / Family Restaurant, Hebron
- Subway – 1325 Dove Rd, Hebron — Subway, Hebron
Stay (1)
- Riverside Motel — Motel, Hebron
Outdoors & Recreation (11)
- Alexandria State Recreation Area — Campgrounds & RV Parks, Alexandria
- Bruning Dam — Campgrounds & RV Parks, Bruning
- Deshler City Park — Campgrounds & RV Parks, Deshler
- Dry Sandy WMA — Public Hunting Areas & WMAs, Bruning
- Father Hupp WMA — Public Hunting Areas & WMAs, Bruning
- Hebron Country Club — Country Club, Hebron
- Little Blue East WMA — Public Hunting Areas & WMAs, Hebron
- Little Blue WMA — Public Hunting Areas & WMAs, Hebron
- Meridian WMA — Public Hunting Areas & WMAs, Alexandria
- Prairie Marsh WMA — Public Hunting Areas & WMAs, Bruning
- Riverside Park Campground — Campgrounds & RV Parks, Hebron
Places to Visit (9)
- Alexandria State Recreation Area — RV Camping, Alexandria
- Belvidere Train Watching Station — Attraction, Belvidere
- Bruning Army Air Field Historical Marker — Historic Marker, Bruning
- Chester City Park — City Parks, Chester
- Gilead Bank Building Marker — Historic Marker, Gilead
- Oregon Trail Marker (Hackney Ranch) — Historic Marker, Deshler
- Thayer County Museum — History & Heritage Museums, Belvidere
- Women's Suffrage Legacy of Courage Park — Attraction, Hebron
- World's Largest Covered Porch Swing — Attraction, Hebron
Events & Venues (4)
- Bruning Opera House — Event Venue / Banquet Hall, Bruning
- Majestic Theatre — Movie Theater, Hebron
- Thayer County Fair — County Fair, Deshler
- Thayer County Fairgrounds — Fairground, Deshler
Health & Emergency (8)
- Davenport Medical Clinic — Medical Clinic, Davenport
- Hebron Dental — Dentist & Dental Office, Hebron
- Miracle-Ear Hearing Aid Center Hebron — Hearing Aids, Hebron
- Thayer County Health Services — Hospital, Hebron
- Thayer County Health Services Deshler Medical Clinic — Medical Clinic, Deshler
- Thayer County Memorial Hospital d/b/a Bruning Medical Clinic — Medical Clinic, Bruning
- THAYER COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL dba Hebron Medical Clinic — Medical Clinic, Hebron
- Thayer County Pharmacy — Pharmacy, Hebron
Shopping & Gifts (1)
- Central Market — Grocery, Hebron
Community & Faith (68)
- Alexandria Cemetery — Alexandria — Cemeteries, Alexandria
- Alexandria Presbyterian Church — Presbyterian Church, Alexandria
- Amateur Radio Repeaters - Thayer County (via RepeaterBook.com) — Amateur Radio Repeater, Nebraska
- Antioch Cemetery — Bruning — Cemeteries, Bruning
- Belvidere Rural Cemetery — Belvidere — Cemeteries, Belvidere
- Bethel Church of the Brethren Cemetery — Carleton — Cemeteries, Carleton
- Bethlehem Cemetery — Deshler — Cemeteries, Deshler
- Bruning Public Cemetery — Bruning — Cemeteries, Bruning
- Bruning UMC — Methodist Church, Bruning
- Carleton Cemetery — Carleton — Cemeteries, Carleton
- Chester Cemetery — Chester — Cemeteries, Chester
- Christ's Lutheran Church — Lutheran Church, Davenport
- Church of Christ in Davenport — Other Denomination, Davenport
- Dan Schafer Family Farm Cemetery — Hebron — Cemeteries, Nebraska
- Davenport Cemetery — Davenport — Cemeteries, Davenport
- Davenport UMC — Methodist Church, Davenport
- Deshler City Cemetery — Deshler — Cemeteries, Deshler
- Faith Lutheran Church — Lutheran Church, Hebron
- Friedensau Cemetery — Hebron — Cemeteries, Hebron
- Grace Lutheran Church — Lutheran Church, Hebron
- Hebron Cemetery — Hebron — Cemeteries, Hebron
- Heinrich Schardt Gravesite — Deshler — Cemeteries, Nebraska
- Henry Maxson Gravesite — Hebron — Cemeteries, Nebraska
- Hubbell Cemetery — Hubbell — Cemeteries, Hubbell
- Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery — Deshler — Cemeteries, Deshler
- John Aden Lone Grave — Deshler — Cemeteries, Nebraska
- John Brott Lone Grave — Chester — Cemeteries, Nebraska
- Keim Cemetery — Bruning — Cemeteries, Bruning
- Kennedy Lone Grave — Gilead — Cemeteries, Nebraska
- King David Fisher Gravesite — Hebron — Cemeteries, Nebraska
- Lamb Cemetery — Hubbell — Cemeteries, Hubbell
- Letterman Cemetery — Deshler — Cemeteries, Nebraska
- Meridian Presbyterian Cemetery — Alexandria — Cemeteries, Alexandria
- Mount Gilead Cemetery — Gilead — Cemeteries, Gilead
- Old Hebron Cemetery — Hebron — Cemeteries, Hebron
- Old Meridian Cemetery — Alexandria — Cemeteries, Alexandria
- Peace Lutheran Cemetery — Deshler — Cemeteries, Deshler
- Pleasant Plain Cemetery — Bruning — Cemeteries, Bruning
- Rose Creek Cemetery — Hubbell — Cemeteries, Hubbell
- Rose Hill Cemetery — Hebron — Cemeteries, Hebron
- Sacred Heart Catholic Church Hebron — Catholic Church, Hebron
- Sacred Heart Cemetery — Hebron — Cemeteries, Hebron
- St. John Lutheran Church — Lutheran Church, Chester
- St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery — Chester — Cemeteries, Chester
- St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery — Deshler — Cemeteries, Deshler
- St. Mary Catholic Church Alexandria — Catholic Church, Alexandria
- St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery — Alexandria — Cemeteries, Alexandria
- St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery — Chester — Cemeteries, Chester
- St. Paul Lutheran Church — Lutheran Church, Byron
- St. Paul Lutheran Church — Lutheran Church, Gilead
- St. Paul’s Cemetery — Deshler — Cemeteries, Deshler
- St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery — Chester — Cemeteries, Chester
- St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery — Gilead — Cemeteries, Gilead
- St. Peter Lutheran Cemetery — Deshler — Cemeteries, Deshler
- St. Peter Lutheran Church — Lutheran Church, Davenport
- St. Peter Lutheran Church — Lutheran Church, Deshler
- St. Peter’s Lutheran Cemetery — Chester — Cemeteries, Chester
- Thayer County Poor Farm Cemetery — Hebron — Cemeteries, Hebron
- Trinity Lutheran Cemetery — Bruning — Cemeteries, Bruning
- Trinity Lutheran Church — Lutheran Church, Hebron
Government & Resources (44)
- ACCESSNebraska Office - Hebron — Developmental & Social Services, Hebron
- Alexandria Fire Department — Fire Station, Alexandria
- Alexandria Post Office — Post Office, Alexandria
- Alexandria Village Office — City Hall, Alexandria
- Belvidere Village Office — City Hall, Belvidere
- Blue Valley Lutheran Nursing Home — Assisted Living, Hebron
- Bruning Post Office — Post Office, Bruning
- Bruning Public Library — Libraries, Bruning
- Bruning Village Office — City Hall, Bruning
- Byron Post Office — Post Office, Byron
- Byron Public Library — Libraries, Byron
- Byron Village Office — City Hall, Byron
- Carleton Village Office — City Hall, Carleton
- Chester Village Office — City Hall, Chester
- Davenport Post Office — Post Office, Davenport
- Davenport Public Library — Libraries, Davenport
- Davenport Senior Center/ Community Building — Senior Citizen Center, Davenport
- Davenport Village Office — City Hall, Davenport
- Deshler Housing Authority — Housing Authority, Deshler
- Deshler Post Office — Post Office, Deshler
- Deshler Senior Center — Senior Citizen Center, Deshler
- Deshler Volunteer Fire Department — Fire Station, Deshler
- Gilead Village Office — City Hall, Gilead
- Hebron Chamber of Commerce — Chamber of Commerce, Hebron
- Hebron Fire Department — Fire Station, Hebron
- Hebron Post Office — Post Office, Hebron
- Hebron Secrest Library — Libraries, Hebron
- Hebron Senior Centers — Senior Citizen Center, Hebron
- Hebron USDA Service Center — USDA Service Center (FSA/NRCS), Hebron
- Hubbell Village Office — City Hall, Hubbell
- Jennifer Reinke Public Library - Deshler — Libraries, Deshler
- Little Blue Natural Resources District — Natural Resources District (NRD), Davenport
- Thayer County Assessor — County Assessor, Hebron
- Thayer County Attorney's Office — County Attorney, Hebron
- Thayer County Clerk — County Clerk, Hebron
- Thayer County Court — County Court, Hebron
- Thayer County Courthouse — Court House, Hebron
- Thayer County Driver License Office — County Driver License, Hebron
- Thayer County Emergency Management — Emergency Management, Hebron
- Thayer County Sheriff — County Sheriff, Hebron
- Thayer County Treasurer — County Treasurer, Hebron
- Thayer County Veterans Service Office — Veterans Office, Hebron
- Thayer County Weed Superintendent — County Weed Control, Hebron
- Tucker Memorial Library - Alexandria — Libraries, Alexandria
Professional Services (13)
- Affiliated Brokers Insurance – Deshler — Insurance, Deshler
- Brad Elting Real Estate — Real Estate Agency, Hebron
- Bruning Bank – Bruning — Banking, Bruning
- Bruning Bank – Hebron — Banking, Hebron
- Dageforde Agency — Insurance, Hebron
- Dan L. Werner PC — Attorney, Hebron
- Farm Bureau Insurance - Nate Casey — Insurance, Hebron
- Germer-Murray-Johnson — Attorney, Hebron
- GTA Insurance - Hebron — Insurance, Hebron
- McKernan Law Offices — Attorney, Hebron
- Thayer County Bank — Banking, Hebron
- Thayer County Title — Title & Escrow Company, Hebron
- Tom Posey Real Estate — Real Estate Agency, Hebron
Education (13)
- Bruning-Davenport Elem/Bruning — Elementary & Middle School, Bruning
- Bruning-Davenport Elem/Davenpt — Elementary & Middle School, Davenport
- Bruning-Davenport High School — High School, Bruning
- Bruning-Davenport Middle Sch — Elementary & Middle School, Davenport
- Bruning-Davenport Unified Sys — School District (K-12 / General), Davenport
- Deshler Elementary School — Elementary & Middle School, Deshler
- Deshler High School — High School, Deshler
- Deshler Preschool — Elementary & Middle School, Deshler
- Deshler Public Schools — School District (K-12 / General), Deshler
- Thayer Central Community Schools — School District (K-12 / General), Hebron
- Thayer Central Elementary — Elementary & Middle School, Hebron
- Thayer Central High School — High School, Hebron
- Thayer County Extension — County Extension Office, Hebron
Utilities (12)
- Chester Municipal Utilities — Electric Power Provider, Chester
- City of Deshler — Water Utility / District, Deshler
- City of Hebron — Water Utility / District, Hebron
- Davenport Municipal Utilities — Electric Power Provider, Davenport
- Deshler Municipal Utilities — Electric Power Provider, Deshler
- Hubbell Municipal Utilities — Electric Power Provider, Hubbell
- Village of Alexandria — Water Utility / District, Alexandria
- Village of Belvidere — Water Utility / District, Belvidere
- Village of Bruning — Water Utility / District, Bruning
- Village of Byron — Water Utility / District, Byron
- Village of Carleton — Water Utility / District, Carleton
- Village of Chester — Water Utility / District, Chester
Automotive (9)
- Action Auto - NAPA — Auto Parts, Hebron
- Casey's General Store - Hebron — Casey's, Hebron
- Deshler Motors — Used Car Dealer, Deshler
- Hebron Tire — Tire Shop, Hebron
- Highway 81 Auto Building & Pawn — Used Car Dealer, Hebron
- Kass Ford Sales — Franchised New Car Dealer, Hebron
- Rauner Repair — Auto Repair, Hebron
- Watson Auto Sales — Used Car Dealer, Deshler
- Wenske Automotive — Auto Repair, Byron
Agriculture & Farm (5)
- Cargill AgHorizons - Carleton — Carleton
- Healing Hooves Horsemanship — Horse Trainer, Carleton
- LandMark Implement – Hebron — Equipment Dealers, Hebron
- Norder Supply – Bruning — Feed & Farm Supply Store, Bruning
- Norder Supply – Hebron — Feed & Farm Supply Store, Hebron
Personal Services (3)
- Got Hair? — Beauty Salon, Hebron
- Massey-Kroll Funeral Home — Funeral Home, Hebron
- Price Funeral Home - Hebron — Funeral Home, Hebron
Transportation (2)
- Blue Rivers Area Agency on Aging - Hebron — Public Transportation, Hebron
- Hebron Municipal Airport — Municipal / General Aviation Airport, Hebron
Media (1)
- Hebron Journal-Register — News Paper, Hebron
Manufacturing & Industrial (1)
- Reinke Manufacturing — General / Custom Manufacturing, Deshler