Origin of Town Names

A settlement might be made by people from the same place in an eastern state, then the name

of the town which they came would be given to the new Nebraska town.

 

The names of generals and statesmen of the Civil war period are generously given the counties

and towns of Nebraska, reflecting the patriotic ardor that ruled in the days of settlement.

 

Sometimes the desire to find a name that was different  ruled in selecting a town's name.

 

Generally there is a reason for every name of every town and the towns in Ceder County

were named as follows:

 

Cedar County

Cedar County got its name because of the presence of Ceder Trees in the locality.

It was organized and the boundaries defined by an act of legislature

approved February 12, 1857.  Its boundaries were redefined January 13, 1860.

Aten

The town of Aten started in 1881.  It was named for its postmaster, John Aten,

who was a former state senator from Cedar County.

Belden

This town was named for Scott Belden who was pay master on the Shortline

Railroad built from Sioux City to O'Neill in 1890.  Mr. Belden came from Maquoketa,

Iowa, to Sioux City.

Coleridge

Mr. Whitten, general superintendent of the Chicago, St. Paul Minneapolis and

Omaha railroad named the town in honor of Lord Coleridge who was visiting

the United States at that time.

Fordyce

The town was named in honor of William B. Fordyce who was a train dispatcher on

the railroad for over twenty-five years.

Harington

About a year before the county was visited by Lord Coleridge, Lord Harington

had visited the United States, and Harington was named after him.

Laurel

This town was plated by W. M. Martin who organized the original Town-Site Company

of Laurel.  It was named for Mr. Martin's daughter, Laura, who is now Mrs. Elmer Everett

of Sibert, Colorado.

Magnet

M. E. Smith , owner of the town-site, named the town after the magnet stone, with the

hope that it would attract people as the magnet attracts iron.  The town was established

in 1893.

Obert

This town was originally Oberton in honor of an officer on the railroad.  The government,

however, had trouble because of the confusion of mail of Oberton and Overton.

So the "on" was dropped from Oberton and the office was called Obert.

Randolph

The town of Randolph was named by F. J. Peavey of Minneapolis, in honor

of Lord Randolph Churchill, 1849-1895, of England.

St. Helena

The location for this town was selected and named by Carl C. P. Myer who was the

first settler in the vicinity in 1858.  It was incorporated by an act of legislature approved

October 1858.

St. James

This place ia an inland locality in precinct five.  A village was laid out and named by

Col. C. C. Van and Moses H. Deming who came here in 1856 from

Des Moines, Iowa.

Saint Peter

An inland village in the northeastern part of Cedar County, named for

John Peter Abts, the first settler.

Wareham

This is a station on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad.  It was

probably named for Wareham, Massachusetts.

Wynot

The name Wynot is an amalgamation of why not which was the reply given to the

person who suggested the name when asked, "Why not name it Wynot".  It is said,

according to a local tradition, that there was an elderly German gentleman in the

vicinity whose answer to all questions was "W'y not"?

 

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