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History · Riverdale

Riverdale’s post office opened in 1890, and 40% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1896 on and the census since 1930.

1890first post office
0on the National Register
40%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Riverdale began, and where its name came from

When was Riverdale founded?

1890

The Riverdale post office opened in 1890, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 129 in 19302020 census: 247136 years

How did Riverdale get its name?

Riverdale was named from its scenic setting in the valley of the Platte River.

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

What stands out about Riverdale’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 Riverdale are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18963 editions of the USGS map, 1896 to 1985. Watch Riverdale change.Old housesHalf of Riverdale’s homes were built before 1949.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Riverdale’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Riverdale’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

Riverdale on the map, 1896 to 1985

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

Riverdale on the 1896 USGS mapRiverdale on the 1962 USGS mapRiverdale on the 1985 USGS map1896Kearney 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 Riverdale.

The story

How Riverdale came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Riverdale.

Read it all →

Riverdale was laid out in 1890 when the Kearney and Black Hills Railway was extended to that point. It was named from its scenic setting in the valley of the Platte River.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Riverdale, decade by decade

Today3 recent
Riverdale, Nebraska from SE 22010Riverdale, Nebraska from SE 2Riverdale, Nebraska from SE 12010Riverdale, Nebraska from SE 1NEMap-doton-Riverdale2005NEMap-doton-Riverdale
People over time

Riverdale, census by census

010020019401960198020002020Peak: 247

Between 121 and 247 people in every census since 1930.

10 censuses, 1930–2020.

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

Famous people

Famous people close to Riverdale

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

See all →
Dick CavettAmerican talk show host · b. 1936
Peter George PetersonAmerican businessman, investment banker, philan… · b. 1926
Carl CurtisAmerican politician · b. 1905
A
Andy PessoaAmerican actor · b. 1995
Dale E. WolfAmerican politician · b. 1924
S
Stephen R. LawheadUK-based American writer · b. 1950

Questions about Riverdale’s history

What year was Riverdale founded?

The Riverdale post office opened in 1890, 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 →
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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 (3), 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.