About Carleton
Carleton is a village in the north central part of Thayer County, in south-eastern Nebraska, on Nebraska Highway 4. The 2020 census counted 94 residents, close to the 91 counted in 2010 and down from 136 in 2000. Elevation is 1,562 feet and the village covers 0.79 square miles, all land. The country around it is cropland raising corn, soybeans, milo and alfalfa, some of it dryland and some irrigated.
History
The town was established in 1872, when the railroad was extended to that point. Its first name was Coldrain. It was renamed Carleton in honour of a boy named Carleton, the son of a man connected with the original town site. Sources describe the father differently, as the owner of the town site in one account and as an early settler in another.
People
Two men from Carleton are noted elsewhere. Roy Hitt played professional baseball. Marling J. Ankeny served as the tenth director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines.
Visitor & Travel Categories
Business & Economic Categories
Carleton was established in 1872 with the arrival of railroad service and named for Carleton B. Emory, son of one of the area's early settlers. Like many of Thayer County's smallest villages, it has seen its population contract significantly since the 20th century.
At 94 residents (2020), Carleton is one of Thayer County's smallest incorporated villages, notable chiefly for its connection to federal mining official Marling J. Ankeny and its proximity to the Prairie Marsh West wildlife area.
Navigate & Explore Carleton
Get directions: search "Carleton Nebraska" in Waze or Google Maps
Road Conditions: Nebraska 511 — 511.nebraska.gov
Thayer County County Cameras: View Thayer County County cameras