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AHistory
History · Burwell

Burwell dates to 1883, and 57% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 86% of U.S. towns. What drives it

2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 13 buildings. Below: maps from 1952 on and the census since 1890.

1883founded
2on the National Register
57%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Burwell began

When was Burwell founded?

1883

Burwell dates its founding to 1883 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1890.

First census: 378 in 18902020 census: 1,087143 years

How historic is Burwell?

A

More historic than 86% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1875.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Burwell’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Burwell is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Burwell’s overall grade.
Founding era1883, from Wikipedia: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194056.9% of homes (±10.5) · typical NE town 17.8% · U.S. 8.4%A+National Register2 listings, 14 historic buildings, 165 per 10,000 residents · typical NE town 16.3 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 86%
NewerOlder

Nebraska towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Nebraska town has 16.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Burwell’s 165 sits above most of its state (93% of Nebraska towns have fewer) while its 14 historic buildings outnumber those of 78% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±10.5 points). Two sources give 1883.

Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Burwell’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Burwell are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Burwell’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Burwell’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Burwell’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Burwell came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Burwell.

Read it all →

Burwell was platted in 1883. In 1887, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was extended to Burwell.

Burwell is host to "Nebraska's Big Rodeo", an annual event usually held the last weekend of July. This has been an important event for the town's economy and has been a staple for over 80 years. Burwell was one of the initial FFA chapters of the state of Nebraska. The chapter was chartered March 1929.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Burwell, 1875 to 1952

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1875Post officeThe The Forks post office opens
  3. 1883
    FoundingBurwell is established
  4. 1884Post officeThe The Forks post office closes
  5. 1884Post officeThe Burwell post office opens
  6. 20th century
  7. 1914BuiltBurwell Carnegie Library is built
  8. 1952On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Add from your album
On the map

Burwell on the map in 1952

The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Burwell.

Burwell on the 1952 USGS map1952Burwell sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Burwell.

On the National Register

2 listings protect 14 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
14
each building in a district counts
first listed
1985
Garfield County Frontier Fairgrounds
Garfield County Frontier FairgroundsBurwell Carnegie Library, built 1914
BuildingsDistricts
Garfield County Frontier FairgroundsDistrict
Burwell Carnegie LibraryBuilt 1914

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Burwell, census by census

02004006008001,0001,2001,4001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 1,425

Between 378 and 1,425 people in every census since 1890.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Burwell’s Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices and old corners

Burwell’s post office has been open since 1884. Another post office, The Forks, opened and closed inside today’s town.

The Forks
1875–1884
Burwell
1884–today
18701950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Rainbow Trailer Court

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Burwell’s history

What year was Burwell founded?

In 1883, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Burwell’s post office opened in 1875, and the census of 1890 counted 378 people here.

How does Burwell rank for history?

Burwell is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Burwell?

Two places: the Garfield County Frontier Fairgrounds (listed 1985) and the Burwell Carnegie Library (2006).

How old are the homes in Burwell?

57% of Burwell’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±10.5 points), against a typical 18% for a Nebraska town; the median home was built in 1938.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.