About Gilead
Gilead is a village on the east side of Thayer County, in southern Nebraska. U.S. Highway 136 passes just south of the village. The population was 32 at the 2020 census, down from 39 in 2010 and 40 in 2000. Gilead covers about 0.07 square miles. There is a church on the highway and a village park.
History
The village dates to the 1880s, when railroad building reached this part of Thayer County. It took its name from Gilead Precinct. The District 17 Rock School, built in 1873 of native limestone, predates the town itself.
Around town
The Pioneers Inn operates as a restaurant in an 1887 limestone building with a ceiling-high wooden bar. A roadside sign displays the phrase There is a Balm in Gilead. The surrounding land is farmed in corn, soybeans, milo and alfalfa, both dryland and irrigated.
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Gilead is Thayer County's smallest incorporated village, taking its name from Gilead Precinct and dating to the 1880s railroad expansion into the area. Its tiny footprint (0.07 square miles) makes it one of the most compact municipalities anywhere in the county.
With just 30-32 residents depending on the source year, Gilead is a barely-there but still legally incorporated village, continuing a long, slow population decline typical of the county's smallest rail-era towns.
Navigate & Explore Gilead
Get directions: search "Gilead Nebraska" in Waze or Google Maps
Road Conditions: Nebraska 511 — 511.nebraska.gov
Thayer County County Cameras: View Thayer County County cameras