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History · Culbertson

Culbertson’s post office opened in 1873, and 49% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1970 on and the census since 1880.

1873first post office
0on the National Register
49%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Culbertson began, and where its name came from

When was Culbertson founded?

1873

The Culbertson post office opened in 1873, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 108 in 18802020 census: 534153 years

How did Culbertson get its name?

Culbertson was named in honor of Alexander Culbertson, an Indian agent.

Founding year: the first Culbertson post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Culbertson’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 Culbertson are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 820 in 1930; 534 people lived here in 2020.Old housesHalf of Culbertson’s homes were built before 1942.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Culbertson’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Culbertson’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
People over time

Culbertson, census by census

020040060080018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 820

Peaked at 820 in 1930; 534 people lived here in 2020.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

The story

How Culbertson came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Culbertson.

Read it all →

Culbertson was founded in 1873 and served as the first county seat of Hitchcock County. It was named in honor of Alexander Culbertson, an Indian agent. The village of Culberton was incorporated in 1885.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Culbertson, 1873 to 1970

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1873Post officeThe Culbertson post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1930CensusPopulation peaks at 820
  5. 1970On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Culbertson, decade by decade

Today5 recent
Culbertson, Nebraska downtown2010Culbertson, Nebraska downtownCulbertson, Nebraska Taylor Ave 32010Culbertson, Nebraska Taylor Ave 3Culbertson, Nebraska Taylor Ave 22010Culbertson, Nebraska Taylor Ave 2Culbertson, Nebraska Taylor Ave 12010Culbertson, Nebraska Taylor Ave 1NEMap-doton-Culbertson2005NEMap-doton-Culbertson
On the map

Culbertson on the map in 1970

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

Culbertson on the 1970 USGS map1970Culbertson 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 Culbertson.

Questions about Culbertson’s history

What year was Culbertson founded?

The Culbertson post office opened in 1873, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
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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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (5), 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.