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History · Deweese

Deweese dates to 1885, and 31% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1898 on and the census since 1920.

1885founded
0on the National Register
31%homes built before 1940
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Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Quick answers

How Deweese began, and where its name came from

When was Deweese founded?

1885

Deweese dates its founding to 1885 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1920.

First census: 144 in 19202020 census: 42141 years

How did Deweese get its name?

Deweese was named for James W. Deweese, a railroad attorney.

Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1987. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Deweese’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 Deweese are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18983 editions of the USGS map, 1898 to 1985. Watch Deweese change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Deweese’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Deweese on the map, 1898 to 1985

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Deweese. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Deweese on the 1898 USGS mapDeweese on the 1960 USGS mapDeweese on the 1985 USGS map1898Superior sheet · 1:125,000

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

The story

How Deweese came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Deweese.

Read it all →

Deweese was platted in 1885 when the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad was extended to that point. It was named for James W. Deweese, a railroad attorney.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Deweese, 1885 to 1987

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1885
    FoundingDeweese is established
  3. 1898On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  4. 20th century
  5. 1987Post officeThe Deweese post office opens
By decade

Deweese, decade by decade

Today3 recent
Deweese, Nebraska from E2010Deweese, Nebraska from EDeweese, Nebraska downtown2010Deweese, Nebraska downtownNEMap-doton-Deweese2005NEMap-doton-Deweese
People over time

Deweese, census by census

0100192019401960198020002020Peak: 156

Between 42 and 156 people in every census since 1920.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

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

Famous people

Famous people close to Deweese

Nobody well known was born in Deweese itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Sandy DennisAmerican actress · b. 1937
Ivan SutherlandAmerican computer scientist and Internet pioneer · b. 1938
N
Neal HeftiAmerican jazz trumpeter, composer, songwriter, … · b. 1922
Gwen LeeActress, model · b. 1904
Sheila HicksAmerican artist · b. 1934
Tom OsborneAmerican football player and coach, college ath… · b. 1937

Questions about Deweese’s history

What year was Deweese founded?

In 1885, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Deweese’s post office opened in 1987, and the census of 1920 counted 144 people here.

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (3), 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.