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Overview
- What's in a name?
Alvin, the original town name, was
designated by the railroad April 23, 1877 but the name only lasted
four years. When the postal department opened an office at the
railroad depot, February 15, 1877, the name was officially
designated as Saunders. But even that name did not stick. On
August 4, 1880, the postal officials changed the name of the post
office to Mead. Reports differ as to whether the name means
"meadow" or if the town is named after Charles W. Mead,
Assistant Railroad General Superintendent.
1876, Union Pacific Railroad
During the 1800's it was customary for the
Union Pacific Railroad to build a station every few miles and plat
a town around it. During the summer of 1876, a 16 square block
area was set aside to become for the village. By Christmas 1876,
railroad tracks were laid in the area and the line through town
became a part of the Omaha and Republican Valley Railroad,
Beatrice Branch. Building commenced in early 1877.
Early Settlers
Joseph Sturdevant, the railroad agent, was
the first resident, sharing his time between his farm 3 miles to
the north and the railroad depot. He was joined in early 1877 by
Charles Ostenberg and Cyrus Truman Condit, the first of several
businessmen to set up shop in Mead. Condit, a carpenter,
originated in Ohio. Ostenberg, a native of Germany, opened the
first store and was later joined by his fourth son,
Thomas.
Charles Ostenberg, Cyrus Condit and Joseph
Sturdevant bunked in the depot's living quarters. These
entrepreneurs built the first grain elevator and lumber yard.
Condit was the first home builder in Mead and his home still
stands today at the corner of 4th and Elm Street. Henry Ostenberg,
the youngest son of Charles, built the home next door to the south
of Condit.
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Today, the
depot is located at the Village Park |
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Sturdevant moved into town and became the
postmaster. The post office was located in the depot. The railroad
opened the area to marketing activity for grain and livestock. By
year's end, five businesses, four homes and a town water pump were
in place. Mead flourished.
Community Development
In 1879, the town had a new hotel and a
second general store. The June 1880 census indicated that there
were forty three people in Alvin, 27 adults, 16 children. Of the
adults, 21 were under 40 years old. Fifteen were born in this
country, seven in Canada, two in Germany and one each in England,
Scotland and Sweden. Shortly after the census was taken, the name
was changed to Mead. When the next census was taken in 1885,
population had quadrupled and about 30 vocations could be counted.
A significant shift in nationalities had occurred. Of the 99
adults in Mead, 43 had been born in the U.S., 38 in Sweden, 14 in
Germany, 2 in Canada and 1 in England. By the end of 1885, the
population swelled to 200. In early 1886, a formal governing body
was formed.
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| Aerial photo
taken about 1915, white building is the former school
which was located in what is now the Mead Park |
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| With any growth comes a few problems. The
first capital improvement to conquer was sidewalks, wooden, of
course. By 1890, the village had reached its full growth in
population and business. A town hall had been constructed about
1882, a new school in 1886, a new post office in 1890. A variety
of businesses and trades were firmly established in the village.
Four congregations had built new churches in Mead in the 1880's
and a fifth came in 1891. A new century brought electric lights
and a water system. Even though the electricity and water was
installed in 1914, gas was unavailable until 1954. The sanitary
sewer system was installed in 1955 and paved roads followed in
1963.
The War Years, Nebraska Ordnance Plant
The 1940's brought the Nebraska Ordnance
Plant located just south of Mead. The new plant forced many
farmers to relocate to other communities and also disrupted the
lives of residents. New people with new interests arrived in far
greater numbers than the community could accommodate. Many of the
single family homes were open to boarders or divided into
apartments to accommodate the war workers. Housing needs were
greatest at this time. Anything served as shelter, a chicken coop,
even a barn haymow.
For the school system, the bomb plant
presented a greater challenge. The tax base was reduced by one
sixth due to 17,000 acres of prime farm land being removed from
the tax roles. Additionally, plant workers brought their children
into the school system, requiring additional teachers and
resources. When the war ended, many returned home but some
remained as part of the community. When construction was
completed, the plant was community offering water, sewer, paved
streets, railroad station, dormitories, and twelve residences in
addition to the equipment and structures required to operate a
community.
Mead Reading Club and the Library
The Mead
Public Library was organized by the Mead Reading Club in 1937.
The first library was quartered in an unheated building on the
main street. This served the needs of the community until cold
weather forced finding new accommodations. The library moved two
more times until in 1975, the town board designated a library
board and provided the old fire barn as the library. The public
library was dedicated Nov. 17, 1975.
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Mead
Library 1940 - 1975, this building was the Ostenberg Store
Salt House
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