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History · Laurel

Laurel’s post office opened in 1892, and 30% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1971 on and the census since 1900.

1892first post office
0on the National Register
30%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Quick answers

How Laurel began

When was Laurel founded?

1892

The Laurel post office opened in 1892, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Claramont (1884), opened inside today’s city and later closed.

First census: 514 in 19002020 census: 972134 years
Founding year: the first Laurel post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Laurel’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 Laurel are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Laurel’s homes were built before 1961.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Laurel’s collection

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

From Wikipedia’s history of Laurel.

Read it all →

Laurel was founded circa 1893. It was originally named Claremont Junction. The present name is after Laura Martin, the daughter of one of the founders.

In 2021 the city completed its last phase of a $2.6 million Downtown Revitalization Project which included removing the median from and pouring new concrete on East 2nd (Main) Street, widening the downtown sidewalks, and constructing a new city hall which houses the city offices, senior center, and can be used for parties and events.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Laurel, 1884 to 1971

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1884Post officeThe Claramont post office opens
  3. 1892Post officeThe Claramont post office closes
  4. 1892Post officeThe Laurel post office opens
  5. 20th century
  6. 1928Born hereJames Coburn is born here
  7. 1960Born hereMark Calcavecchia is born here
  8. 1971On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Laurel, decade by decade

Today4 recent
Laurel, Nebraska downtown 22010Laurel, Nebraska downtown 2Laurel, Nebraska downtown 12010Laurel, Nebraska downtown 1Laurel, Nebraska 2nd St E from Elm St2010Laurel, Nebraska 2nd St E from Elm StNEMap-doton-Laurel2005NEMap-doton-Laurel
On the map

Laurel on the map, 1971 to 1985

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

Laurel on the 1971 USGS mapLaurel on the 1985 USGS map1971Laurel 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 Laurel.

People over time

Laurel, census by census

02004006008001,0001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 1,031

Between 514 and 1,031 people in every census since 1900.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Laurel

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
James CoburnAmerican actor · b. 1928
Mark CalcavecchiaAmerican golfer, PGA Tour member, British Open … · b. 1960
Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Laurel’s post office has been open since 1892. Another post office, Claramont, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Claramont
1884–1892
Laurel
1892–today
18801950today

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Laurel’s history

What year was Laurel founded?

The Laurel post office opened in 1892, 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 →
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, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.