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History · Halsey

Halsey dates to 1887, and 53% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1948 on and the census since 1960.

1887founded
0on the National Register
53%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Halsey began, and where its name came from

When was Halsey founded?

1887

Halsey dates its founding to 1887 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1960.

First census: 111 in 19602020 census: 68139 years

How did Halsey get its name?

Halsey was named for Halsey Yates, a railroad employee.

Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1892. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Halsey’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 Halsey are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Halsey’s homes were built before 1938.Boom and bustPeaked at 144 in 1980; 68 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Halsey’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Halsey’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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The story

How Halsey came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Halsey.

Read it all →

Halsey was established in 1887 when the railroad was extended to that point. It was named for Halsey Yates, a railroad employee.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

People over time

Halsey, census by census

01001960198020002020Peak: 144

Peaked at 144 in 1980; 68 people lived here in 2020.

7 censuses, 1960–2020.

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

Timeline

Halsey, 1887 to 1980

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1887
    FoundingHalsey is established
  3. 1892Post officeThe Halsey post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1948On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1980CensusPopulation peaks at 144
By decade

Halsey, decade by decade

Today4 recent
Halsey, Nebraska Purdum Ave 12012Halsey, Nebraska Purdum Ave 1Halsey, Nebraska Hwy 2 (2)2012Halsey, Nebraska Hwy 2 (2)Halsey, Nebraska Hwy 2 (1)2012Halsey, Nebraska Hwy 2 (1)NEMap-doton-Halsey2005NEMap-doton-Halsey
On the map

Halsey on the map, 1948 to 1986

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

Halsey on the 1948 USGS mapHalsey on the 1950 USGS mapHalsey on the 1986 USGS map1948Halsey sheet · 1:62,500

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

Famous people

Famous people close to Halsey

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

See all →
J
Jay Wright ForresterAmerican operations researcher · b. 1918
Clarence Arlen BeamUnited States federal judge · b. 1930
M
Milly BernardAmerican politician · b. 1920
L
Leo J. PowersUnited States Army Medal of Honor recipient · b. 1909

Questions about Halsey’s history

What year was Halsey founded?

In 1887, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Halsey’s post office opened in 1892, and the census of 1960 counted 111 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 (4), 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.