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History · St. Libory

St. Libory’s post office opened in 1878, and 57% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1899 on.

1878first post office
0on the National Register
57%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How St. Libory began, and where its name came from

When was St. Libory founded?

1878

The St. Libory post office opened in 1878, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Grantville (1875), opened inside today’s town and later closed.

2020 census: 241148 years

How did St. Libory get its name?

St. Libory was named after the village of St. Libory, Illinois.

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

What stands out about St. Libory’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 St. Libory are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18993 editions of the USGS map, 1899 to 1985. Watch St. Libory change.Old housesHalf of St. Libory’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start St. Libory’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how St. Libory’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

St. Libory on the map, 1899 to 1985

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

St. Libory on the 1899 USGS mapSt. Libory on the 1961 USGS mapSt. Libory on the 1985 USGS map1899St Paul 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 St. Libory.

The story

How St. Libory came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of St. Libory.

Read it all →

St. Libory got its start when the Union Pacific Railroad was extended to that point. It was named after the village of St. Libory, Illinois. The first post office in St. Libory was established in 1878.

On May 17, 2026, a high-end EF3 tornado hit north of the community, significantly damaging at least three homes.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

St. Libory, 1875 to 1899

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1875Post officeThe Grantville post office opens
  3. 1878Post officeThe Grantville post office closes
  4. 1878Post officeThe Saint Libory post office opens
  5. 1899On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

St. Libory, decade by decade

Today4 recent
St. Libory, Nebraska from S 12013St. Libory, Nebraska from S 1St. Libory, Nebraska Spruce Street 32013St. Libory, Nebraska Spruce Street 3St. Libory, Nebraska Spruce Street 22013St. Libory, Nebraska Spruce Street 2St. Libory, Nebraska Spruce Street 12013St. Libory, Nebraska Spruce Street 1
Famous people

Famous people close to St. Libory

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

See all →
Henry FondaAmerican actor · b. 1905
Edith AbbottAmerican economist · b. 1876
J
J. P. GuilfordAmerican psychologist · b. 1897
George BairdAthletics competitor · b. 1907
Grace AbbottSocial worker · b. 1878
Grover Cleveland AlexanderAmerican baseball player · b. 1887
Places that used to be

Lost post offices and old corners

Another post office, Grantville, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Grantville
1875–1878
Saint Libory
1878–today
18701950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Saint Libory

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

Questions about St. Libory’s history

What year was St. Libory founded?

The St. Libory post office opened in 1878, 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 (4), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.