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History · Jansen

Jansen dates to 1886, and 42% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1970 on and the census since 1900.

1886founded
0on the National Register
42%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Jansen began

When was Jansen founded?

1886

Jansen dates its founding to 1886 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 271 in 19002020 census: 101140 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1887.The full story ↓

What stands out about Jansen’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 Jansen are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Jansen’s homes were built before 1946.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Jansen’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Jansen’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 Jansen came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Jansen.

Read it all →

Jansen was platted in 1886 when the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad was extended to that point. The village was named after local rancher and politician Peter Jansen.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Jansen, 1886 to 1970

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1886
    FoundingJansen is established
  3. 1887Post officeThe Jansen post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1970On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Jansen, decade by decade

Today7 recent
Jansen, Nebraska from NE 12013Jansen, Nebraska from NE 1Jansen, Nebraska auditorium2013Jansen, Nebraska auditoriumJansen, Nebraska Broad from Maple2013Jansen, Nebraska Broad from MapleJansen, Nebraska Broad from Church 22013Jansen, Nebraska Broad from Church 2Jansen, Nebraska Broad from Church 12013Jansen, Nebraska Broad from Church 1RE 1016 Jansen, NE 3-23-11 32011RE 1016 Jansen, NE 3-23-11 3NEMap-doton-Jansen2005NEMap-doton-Jansen
On the map

Jansen on the map, 1970 to 1980

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

Jansen on the 1970 USGS mapJansen on the 1980 USGS map1970Jansen 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 Jansen.

People over time

Jansen, census by census

01002003001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 308

Between 101 and 308 people in every census since 1900.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

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

Questions about Jansen’s history

What year was Jansen founded?

In 1886, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Jansen’s post office opened in 1887, and the census of 1900 counted 271 people here.

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 (7), 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.