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History · Silver Creek

Silver Creek dates to 1866, and 23% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1896 on and the census since 1900.

1866founded
0on the National Register
23%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Silver Creek began, and where its name came from

When was Silver Creek founded?

1866

Silver Creek dates its founding to 1866 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 291 in 19002020 census: 320160 years

How did Silver Creek get its name?

Silver Creek was named from the Silver Creek nearby, which was noted for the clarity of its waters.

Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1877. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Silver Creek’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 Silver Creek 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 Silver Creek change.Boom and bustPeaked at 625 in 1990; 320 people lived here in 2020.Old housesHalf of Silver Creek’s homes were built before 1963.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Silver Creek’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Silver Creek’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

Silver Creek on the map, 1896 to 1985

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

Silver Creek on the 1896 USGS mapSilver Creek on the 1958 USGS mapSilver Creek on the 1985 USGS map1896Stromsburg 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 Silver Creek.

People over time

Silver Creek, census by census

01002003004005006007001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 625

Peaked at 625 in 1990; 320 people lived here in 2020.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

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

The story

How Silver Creek came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Silver Creek.

Read it all →

Silver Creek was platted in 1866 when the Union Pacific Railroad was extended to that point. It was named from the Silver Creek nearby, which was noted for the clarity of its waters.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Silver Creek, 1866 to 1990

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1866
    FoundingSilver Creek is established
  3. 1877Post officeThe Silver Creek post office opens
  4. 1892Born hereMargaret Wooster Curti is born here
  5. 1896On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 20th century
  7. 1960Born hereAlex Kava is born here
  8. 1990CensusPopulation peaks at 625
By decade

Silver Creek, decade by decade

Today4 recent
Silver Creek, Nebraska from SW2012Silver Creek, Nebraska from SWSilver Creek, Nebraska Vine Street 22012Silver Creek, Nebraska Vine Street 2Silver Creek, Nebraska Vine Street 12012Silver Creek, Nebraska Vine Street 1NEMap-doton-Silver Creek2005NEMap-doton-Silver Creek
Famous people

2 famous people were born in Silver Creek

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

See all →
A
Alex KavaAmerican writer · b. 1960
M
Margaret Wooster Curti1892-1961 , psychologist · b. 1892

Questions about Silver Creek’s history

What year was Silver Creek founded?

In 1866, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Silver Creek’s post office opened in 1877, and the census of 1900 counted 291 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, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.