Orchard, Nebraska

Orchard History

The town came into being as a result of the extension of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad west from Sioux City to O'Neill. The railroad company spaced towns along the route to serve the area (and provide fuel and water stops for its steam-powered locomotives). The first train came into Orchard over the new railroad, June 20, 1890.

The Pacific Townsite Company was organized in 1890 took advantage of this expansion and bought land from a homesteader who had settled earlier. A town was then platted and an advertising campaign described in glowing terms the "important trading center" that was developing. According to the ad, nearly 200 people had already settled in the town.

Orchard has often been called the “Windmill Town.” At least half of the homes in the town had a well and most of them had windmills in the early days of Orchard.

Had you (or a visitor of that day) come to Orchard in 1893, looking for land or business opportunities, you would have found a lively community. A post office, established in 1881 south of the present town, had been moved to a location nearer the depot when the first train came through in 1890. There were rooms at the Pacific Hotel, while two general stores provided a place to shop, or you could have stopped at Clausen Bros for a game of billiards. (John Clausen was also the justice of the peace.) J.H. Yokom, the carpenter, could handle any building project. The Orchard State Bank was open for business, as well as a harness shop, a blacksmith, an implement dealer, hardware, furniture, and lumber stores, and two physicians -- E.J. Austin and J.S. Livingstone.

By 1915 the population had increased to 650. There were five churches, a public grade school, and a high school. The town had an electric light plant and water works, and all the businesses needed to serve the growing community.

 In  2020, 349  people  call Orchard their home. The people of Orchard are known for their ability to work together for the good of the community. 

 A well-equipped rescue unit and fire department, made up of well-trained public-spirited citizens, provides emergency service to the community and surrounding area.

Today, Orchard boasts a busy Main Street.   Orchard has a hardware store, grocery store, sports card shop, lumber yard, two fertilizer plants, three  beauty shops, farm repair shop, post office, a bank, a modern library, bar, convenience store, insurance office, a restaurant, car repair business, and many home based businesses.    

The Orchard Historical Society provides many activities for the community to preserve the history of Orchard and the surrounding area.

One hundred and thirty years later Orchard is a thriving community with some of the same families still living here that lived here in 1890. 

Orchard may not have achieved all the predictions of the 1890 promotional ad, but it is a pleasant town with tree-lined streets, well-cared for homes, active churches, and a busy commercial area. The citizens of Orchard are a charitable people. The people of Orchard care about their neighbors.

Certainly Orchard has become a substantial community, worth the faith of the early pioneers.