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History · Nickerson

Nickerson’s post office opened in 1871, and 10% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1966 on and the census since 1920.

1871first post office
0on the National Register
10%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Nickerson began, and where its name came from

When was Nickerson founded?

1871

The Nickerson post office opened in 1871, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 141 in 19202020 census: 312155 years

How did Nickerson get its name?

Nickerson was named for its founder, Reynolds K. Nickerson.

Founding year: the first Nickerson post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Nickerson’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 Nickerson are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 431 in 2000; 312 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Nickerson’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Nickerson’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
People over time

Nickerson, census by census

0100200300400192019401960198020002020Peak: 431

Peaked at 431 in 2000; 312 people lived here in 2020.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

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

The story

How Nickerson came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Nickerson.

Read it all →

Nickerson was platted in 1871 by Lucius D. Richards when the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad was extended to that point. It was named for its founder, Reynolds K. Nickerson. Nickerson was incorporated as a village in 1910.

In 1906, a second railroad began to serve the village. The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad tracks were constructed. Those tracks are now a part of the BNSF Railway network.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Nickerson, 1871 to 2000

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1871Post officeThe Nickerson post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1966On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 21st century
  6. 2000CensusPopulation peaks at 431
By decade

Nickerson, decade by decade

Today4 recent
Nickerson, Nebraska downtown 32012Nickerson, Nebraska downtown 3Nickerson, Nebraska downtown 22012Nickerson, Nebraska downtown 2Nickerson, Nebraska downtown 12012Nickerson, Nebraska downtown 1NEMap-doton-Nickerson2005NEMap-doton-Nickerson
On the map

Nickerson on the map, 1966 to 1986

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

Nickerson on the 1966 USGS mapNickerson on the 1986 USGS map1966Nickerson 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 Nickerson.

Famous people

Famous people close to Nickerson

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

See all →
Marg HelgenbergerAmerican actress · b. 1958
Jordan LarsonVolleyball player · b. 1986
Harold EdgertonAmerican engineer and inventor · b. 1903
Julie SommarsAmerican actress · b. 1940
R
Royal RifeAmerican inventor · b. 1888
George DernAmerican politician · b. 1872
Places that used to be

Old corners

Nickerson’s post office has been open since 1871.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Green Acres Mobile Home Community

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

Questions about Nickerson’s history

What year was Nickerson founded?

The Nickerson post office opened in 1871, 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, 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.