Fillmore County, Nebraska

Fairmont welcomes you!

Note:  Historical information from The Fillmore County Story, Wilbur G Gaffney, 1968.

History:

The section of land where the town of Fairmont, Nebraska now sits was originally pre-empted by four soldiers for the South Platte Land Company in the spring of 1871.  In order, to be eligible to keep the claim, the soldiers had to make improvements which consisted of four board shacks, one in each corner of the 4 sections that came together.  The South Platte Land Company used these buildings as their offices for land sales and completion of title transactions.  The land company surveyed the town and sold off lots.  By the fall of 1871, there were several businesses established.

The town continued to prosper because the Burlington Railroad came through and one train stayed overnight in Fairmont each night.  By the fall of 1872 Fairmont was a bustling prairie town with:

• bank

• doctor and dentist

• 3 brickyards

• Fairmont Creamery

Photo of historical marker

Photo of old Creamery Office

• hotels

• hardware store

• lumber yards

• coal and feed yards

• General stores including:  J. E. Porter's General Store and Dan Spade's General Merchandise

• Chase & Clark Hardware, Tin and Cornice Works

• a bakery

• opera house

• school

• library

Fairmont Cemetery:

Photographs:

• Entrance

• Cemetery

The Fairmont Cemetery Association has prepared a transcription of the Fairmont Cemetery.  This book can be purchased for $20.00 by writing to:

Fairmont Cemetery Association

P.O. Box 428

Fairmont, NE 68354

Fairmont Churches:

• Catholic

• Congregational

• Federated Church (Congregational & Presbyterian)

• Methodist Church

• Presbyterian

Residents living in or near Fairmont:

Some of the early residents in or near Fairmont were:

• Bert Aldrich

• Dr. S. F. Ashby- medical doctor

• Samuel Atkinson

• Milton Bailey

• Samuel Bair

• A. Bergstrand - tailor

• David R. Bivins

• Abraham Black

• Delazon M. Black

• H. G. Bliss

• James Bratt

• Charles D Brower

• M. H. Brown

• W. H. Brown- 1st postmaster

• Reason A Burge

• James Campbell

• J. O. Chase - Fillmore County Bankl

• Fred M. Chapin

• Mrs. A. Christian - dry goods and millinery

• Frederick G. Clark

• Joseph R. Coffin

• F & J Conroy - marble yard

• Elvira Cramer

• Isabell Cramer

• S. A. Crawford

• John Crum

• J. Cubbison - dry goods

• H. Curtis - agricultural implements

• C. J. Cushman - meat market

• Wilson Dart

• J. Lewis Davis

• Thomas H. Davis

• P. P. Dawson - hardware and tin shop

• C. W. Dumont - confectionery

• George Enderly

• Roy Finney - 2nd postmaster

• Charles Fosdick

• D. H. Freeman

• Andew Frey

• Ella M. Gaylord

• Luther T. Gaylord

• S. G. Gaylord - Gaylord House Hotel

• Sylvanus T. Gaylord

• Will. R. & L. T. Gaylord (brothers) - dry goods store

• R. G. Hall

• Jerome Halsey

• T. J. Heaton - restaurant

• James M. Hill

• J. H. Hohn - boots and shoes

• Dr. Horner-dentist

• Ezekiel Horton

• Jonathan A. Horton

• William G. Hunt

• William Hunt, Jr.

• James Jones

• David Kelly

• Rice Kelly

• H. S. Kingory

• Hiram Lee

• James M Lowder

• E. L. Martin - livestock dealer

• Joseph Michael - blacksmith

• Charles S. Miller - Bank owner

• O. E. Miller

• James Morehead

• John G. Morris

• Richard Morris - organ and musical instruments

• Mr. and Mrs. Henry Muller

• Frank H. Newton - dentist

• Agnes Noble - furniture

• W. F. Patterson - furniture

• William Peck - blacksmith

• Charles Peterson

• George Peth - harness and saddlery

• D. J. Phillips - Confectionery and Fruit

• Charles N. Phillips

• Mary F. Phillips

• Jacob Pflug

• J. N. Pollard - groceries

• S. J. Richards - Fairmont House Hotel

• Napoleon B Roe

• Thomas Roe

• Peter Rose

• George Rullison - groceries

• M. Sargent - drugs

• E. C. Sawyer - drugstore and stationery

• Phillip Schwab

• Obediah Scott

• James Seely

• Louis Steiger - groceries

• Virgil A. Stewart

• W. N. Steward - coal dealer

• W. L. Stewart

• Aaron B. Stonerook

• J. W. Talmadge - agricultural implements

• Cyrus B. Thompson

• Henry Thompson - Feed and Livery

• H. Thompson - confectionery

• Noah M. Thompson

• William H Tidyman

• J. Ferdinand Torge

• B. H. Turner

• E. B. Welch - flour mill

• J. H. Welch - flour mill

• I. W. Williams - harness

• W. Willson - jeweler

• George W. Winand

• Richard H. Wirts

• Jacob Witter

• W. C. Ziegler - general merchandise

Photo of Post Office and other businesses in Fairmont

May 2001

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