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History · Gurley

Gurley dates to 1913, and 35% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1899 on and the census since 1920.

1913founded
0on the National Register
35%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Gurley began, and where its name came from

When was Gurley founded?

1913

Gurley dates its founding to 1913 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1920.

First census: 291 in 19202020 census: 187113 years

How did Gurley get its name?

Gurley was named for Fred R. Gurley, superintendent with the Burlington Railroad.

Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1914. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Gurley’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 Gurley are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18993 editions of the USGS map, 1899 to 1985. Watch Gurley change.Old housesHalf of Gurley’s homes were built before 1959.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Gurley’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Gurley’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

Gurley on the map, 1899 to 1985

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

Gurley on the 1899 USGS mapGurley on the 1972 USGS mapGurley on the 1985 USGS map1899Sidney 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 Gurley.

The story

How Gurley came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Gurley.

Read it all →

Gurley was founded in 1913 when the railroad was extended to that point. It was named for Fred R. Gurley, superintendent with the Burlington Railroad. The first Gurley depot station was opened during the winter of 1915-1916. Three bunk cars served as a station building. One was the office, one was for freight and one was for living quarters for the agent and his family. The first agent was George Wallen. Fred Gurley was the agent from 1916-1919. During the time that Fred was the agent he started a park north of the depot. He planted flowers and made the trellis that was in the center of it and there is still a park there today. The Gurley Lumber Company was one of the first businesses in Gurley. S.J. Flora came in 1914 to be the manager of this business. The first person born in Gurley was Clara Anneva Flora, later to be named Clara Lessig. As of December 2008, Clara is still an …

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Gurley, 1899 to 1914

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1899On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  3. 20th century
  4. 1913
    FoundingGurley is established
  5. 1914Post officeThe Gurley post office opens
By decade

Gurley, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Gurley, Nebraska 52011Gurley, Nebraska 5Gurley, Nebraska 42011Gurley, Nebraska 4Gurley, Nebraska 32011Gurley, Nebraska 3Gurley, Nebraska 22011Gurley, Nebraska 2Gurley, Nebraska 12011Gurley, Nebraska 1NEMap-doton-Gurley2005NEMap-doton-Gurley
People over time

Gurley, census by census

0100200300192019401960198020002020Peak: 329

Between 187 and 329 people in every census since 1920.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

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

Famous people

Famous people close to Gurley

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

See all →
D
Dan ChaonAmerican writer · b. 1964
K
Ken RamosAmerican baseball player · b. 1967
L. Steven GraszUnited States Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circ… · b. 1961
R
Robert BrachtenbachAmerican politician · b. 1931
P
Potter P. HowardAmerican politician · b. 1890
R
Richard N. CabelaEntrepreneur · b. 1936

Questions about Gurley’s history

What year was Gurley founded?

In 1913, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Gurley’s post office opened in 1914, and the census of 1920 counted 291 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 (6), 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.