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History · Wausa

Wausa dates to 1882, and 55% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1955 on and the census since 1900.

1882founded
0on the National Register
55%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Quick answers

How Wausa began

When was Wausa founded?

1882

Wausa dates its founding to 1882 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 441 in 19002020 census: 592144 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1884.The full story ↓

What stands out about Wausa’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 Wausa are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Wausa’s homes were built before 1938.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Wausa.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Wausa’s collection

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

From Wikipedia’s history of Wausa.

Read it all →

In 1882 Theodore T. Thorson was the first resident. He named the town Thorson, Nebraska. He also became its first postmaster, and resided in the town's post office. He was returning from a five-month journey over the West Coast, Montana and Wyoming, in search of a good location for stock raising.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices and places now gone

Wausa’s post office has been open since 1890. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Thorson
1884–1890
Thurson
1884–1890
Wausa
1890–today
18801950today
Gone or out of use
Wausalocale

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

Timeline

Wausa, 1882 to 1955

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1882
    FoundingWausa is established
  3. 1884Post officeThe Thorson post office opens
  4. 1884Post officeThe Thurson post office opens
  5. 1890Post officeThe Thorson post office closes
  6. 1890Post officeThe Thurson post office closes
  7. 1890Post officeThe Wausa post office opens
  8. 20th century
  9. 1915Born hereGeorge E. Danielson is born here
  10. 1955On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Wausa, decade by decade

Today19 recent
Wausa, Nebraska welcome sign S2010Wausa, Nebraska welcome sign SWausa, Nebraska library from SW2010Wausa, Nebraska library from SWWausa, Nebraska library from NW2010Wausa, Nebraska library from NWWausa, Nebraska Broadway from Sherman 22010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway from Sherman 2Wausa, Nebraska Broadway from Sherman 12010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway from Sherman 1Wausa, Nebraska Broadway from Hampton2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway from HamptonWausa, Nebraska Broadway 13 Viking Lumber2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 13 Viking LumberWausa, Nebraska Broadway 12 Viking Lumber2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 12 Viking LumberWausa, Nebraska Broadway 11 Commercial State Bank2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 11 Commercial State BankWausa, Nebraska Broadway 10 Commercial State Bank2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 10 Commercial State BankWausa, Nebraska Broadway 09 Creutz Drug Store2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 09 Creutz Drug StoreWausa, Nebraska Broadway 082010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 08Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 07 Carlson H-A2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 07 Carlson H-AWausa, Nebraska Broadway 06 lounge2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 06 loungeWausa, Nebraska Broadway 052010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 05Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 04 Larson-Engdahl2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 04 Larson-EngdahlWausa, Nebraska Broadway 03 Larson-Engdahl2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 03 Larson-EngdahlWausa, Nebraska Broadway 022010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 02Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 01 Bill's Place2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 01 Bill's Place
On the map

Wausa on the map, 1955 to 1980

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

Wausa on the 1955 USGS mapWausa on the 1980 USGS map1955Sioux City sheet · 1:250,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Wausa.

People over time

Wausa, census by census

02004006008001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 754

Between 441 and 754 people in every census since 1900.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

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

Questions about Wausa’s history

What year was Wausa founded?

In 1882, according to Wikidata. Wausa’s post office opened in 1884, and the census of 1900 counted 441 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 (19), 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.