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Security First Bank Crawford, NE

Crawford, Nebraska

Crawford, Nebraska

Welcome to Crawford, Nebraska! The Garden Beyond the Sandhills. Whether in Crawford for business, recreation or raising a family, Crawford truly is a garden of opportunity! Located in the scenic Pine Ridge of Northwest Nebraska, it is just three miles east of Fort Robinson State Park and 50 miles south of the Black Hills of South Dakota. U.S. Highway 20 and State Highway 71-2 intersect at Crawford.

Crawford was established in 1886 as the Fremont Elkhorn Railroad pushed west. Located at the edge of a military post, Crawford was rough and rowdy in its early days. Tales of "shoot outs" and revelry fill the towns early history. An enterprising city editor obtained signatures from fort soldiers so he would have the number needed to file for the incorporation for the town. Named for a soldier stationed at the fort who was killed in Mexico about the time the town was organized, many streets in Crawford also carry the names of soldiers. Now a peaceful city, Crawford is home to more than 1,150 people.

Fort Robinson, whose existence has greatly influenced the history of Crawford, served the West for more than 70 years. Its activities include the breeding and training of horses for the army and later for the Olympic equestrian teams. Many horses and mules were shipped overseas to Italy, Burma and other locations. During World War II, it expanded to train dogs for wartime duty. Fort Robinson was also one of 20 prisoner of war camps located in Nebraska. The prisoners worked on farms in the area, taking the places of the young men who had gone to the service. Deactivated in 1948, Fort Robinson is now a state park, with many buildings restored as a part of the State Historical Society's out-state museum system. Tourism plays a sizable part of the local economy.

Known as "The Little Badlands of Nebraska," it is a popular rock and fossil hunting area. The Northwest Nebraska Rock Club of Crawford hosts yearly shows in August.

Crawford's annual rodeo was started in 1945 as a fund raiser to build the Crawford Hospital. In 1949 the date was moved to July 3rd and 4th. The rodeo became a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) event early in its history and since 1979 the purses have been raised to attract nationally known contestants. Starting with Fort Robinson's centennial in 1974, the Western Art Show is also held during this event and a big parade on the morning of the Fourth.

Lover's Leap Vineyard, one of only three wineries located in the state, is located in Crawford!

Attractions and Upcoming Events

Trailside Museum

Located at Fort Robinson State Park at the University of Nebraska State Museum at Trailside, you can view paleontology and geology exhibits on Nebraska's rich fossil history. A 14-foot mammoth skeleton unearthed nearby

Crawford, NE Museums

The Museum of the Fur Trade

The museum is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the North American fur trade and is located three miles east of Chadron, Nebraska, on U. S. Highway 20.

Combining an outstanding collection and scholarship

Crawford, NE Museums


Chadron State Park

Nebraska's oldest state park (1921), Chadron might well be the best kept secret of the state park system. With the majestic beauty of the Pine Ridge as its backdrop, Chadron covers 974 acres of natural beauty to awe any visitor. Located off U.S. 385

Crawford, NE Recreation

Fort Robinson Museum

Welcome to Fort Robinson, an active U.S. Military post from 1874 - 1948, now a Nebraska State Park. From Crazy Horse to Olympic horsemen, Fort Robinson's history spans seven decades. Crazy Horse, the great Oglala warrior, met his death here in 1877. Thirteen years later, black "buffalo soldiers"

Crawford, NE Museums

Things to do near Crawford, NE

Lovers Leap Vineyards

Established in 1999, Lovers Leap Vineyards is nestled in the Panhandle of Western Nebraska amongst the exquisite Pine R...

Warbonnet Battlefield Site

On the summit of a conical hill on the Oglala National Grassland is a monument honoring Col. Wesley Merritt and troops of the...

Warbonnet Battlefield Site

On the summit of a conical hill on the Oglala National Grassland is a monument honoring Col. Wesley Merritt and troops of the...