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C−History
History · Waverly

Waverly’s post office opened in 1870

More historic than 21% of U.S. towns · #52 of 57 in Nebraska. What drives it

Most of Waverly was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1996. Below: maps from 1897 on and the census since 1880.

1870first post office
0on the National Register
7%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Waverly began, and where its name came from

When was Waverly founded?

1870

The Waverly post office opened in 1870, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 132 in 18802020 census: 4,279156 years

How did Waverly get its name?

Waverly was named after Walter Scott's 1814 historical novel Waverley; several of the city's street names were taken from the novel as well.

How historic is Waverly?

C−

More historic than 21% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

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

What drives Waverly’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Waverly is more historic than 21% of U.S. towns, #52 of 57 in Nebraska. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.

C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Waverly’s overall grade.
Founding era1870, from the first post office: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19407.0% of homes (±4.3) · typical NE town 17.8% · U.S. 8.4%C+National RegisterNo listings counted · typical NE town 16.3 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 21%
NewerOlder
Nebraska towns of 2,500+ (57)Ahead of 9%

Nebraska towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Nebraska town has 16.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Waverly’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (11% of Nebraska towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.3 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.

Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Waverly’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 Waverly are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost half of its people between 1890 and 1900, then grew more than tenfold.On the map since 18974 editions of the USGS map, 1897 to 1986. Watch Waverly change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Waverly’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Waverly’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

Waverly, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,50018801900192019401960198020002020490 in 1890Low: 266

Lost half of its people between 1890 and 1900, then grew more than tenfold.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

On the map

Waverly on the map, 1897 to 1986

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

Waverly on the 1897 USGS mapWaverly on the 1964 USGS mapWaverly on the 1972 USGS mapWaverly on the 1986 USGS map1897Lincoln 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 Waverly.

The story

How Waverly came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Waverly.

Read it all →

Waverly was platted in 1870 when the railroad was extended to that point. It was named after Walter Scott's 1814 historical novel Waverley; several of the city's street names were taken from the novel as well. Waverly was incorporated as a village in 1885. From 1921 to 1966 Waverly consolidated its school district with several surrounding school districts, allowing for the school system in Waverly to grow.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Waverly, 1870 to 2020

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1870Post officeThe Waverly post office opens
  3. 1897On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  4. 20th century
  5. 1906Born hereHenry Beachell is born here
  6. 1927Born hereJerome Warner is born here
  7. 21st century
  8. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 4,279
By decade

Waverly, decade by decade

Today5 recent
Burlington Northern 3012 at Waverly, NE in May 19802016Burlington Northern 3012 at Waverly, NE in May 1980BN Waverly, Neb. May 19802016BN Waverly, Neb. May 1980Waverly, Nebraska 142nd from Kenilworth 32013Waverly, Nebraska 142nd from Kenilworth 3Waverly, Nebraska 142nd from Kenilworth 22013Waverly, Nebraska 142nd from Kenilworth 2Waverly, Nebraska 142nd from Kenilworth 12013Waverly, Nebraska 142nd from Kenilworth 1
Famous people

2 famous people were born in Waverly

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

See all →
H
Henry BeachellAmerican plant breeder · b. 1906
Jerome WarnerAmerican politician · b. 1927

Questions about Waverly’s history

What year was Waverly founded?

The Waverly post office opened in 1870, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Waverly rank for history?

Waverly is more historic than 21% of U.S. towns, #52 of 57 in Nebraska. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Waverly?

7% of Waverly’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.3 points), against a typical 18% for a Nebraska town; the median home was built in 1996.

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).

From Wikimedia Commons (5), 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.