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The Christmas City


category : History
It all started in 1915 with a combination of bad weather and a community spirited City Light Commissioner. Local residents wanted to impress the state convention of the Grand Army of the Republic, so, City Light Commissioner J. W. Haws stretched strings of lights from the Railroad Depot to the town square. Three days of freezing rain made it impossible to use the uninsulated strings of lights.

At Christmas time the light commissioner decided to surprise the towns-people. Working alone he colored the lights and strung them on the Courthouse dome. He turned them on Christmas Eve.

For years Mr. Haws hand-dipped the bulbs and arranged Christmas designs on the dome of the Courthouse. Because of his efforts, Minden in known as "The Christmas City."


Address: Located in the Town Square
(5th and Colorado)
Phone: (308) 832-1811

Come visit us in Minden, Nebraska

Attractions and Upcoming Events

Burlington-Northern Depot

The Minden depot is a brick/stucco structure completed in 1913. The original frame depot was then used as a freight house placed to the west of the passenger depot. The engineering department of the old CB&Q, predecessor of BN, designed several floor plans during the period of 1910-1920

Minden, NE Railroad History

Kearney County Historical Museum

Memories of Kearney County since the Civil War.
Historical Articles Of All Kinds. Many school Pictures and other old pictures, books, magazines, newspapers.

Minden, NE Museums

WPA Post Office Mural

At the southeast corner of the square is the Minden Post Office. It was completed in 1937 in the style called by some "WPA Moderne". The mural over the postmaster's door was painted by Willow E. Bunn in the WPA artists' program in 1939.

Minden, NE Arts

Fort Kearny State Recreation Area

Campers will find south-central Nebraska's Fort Kearny State Recreation Area much to their liking. Once called Kearney County SRA, this rec area boasts excellent camping facilities. The attractive 152-acre area was acquired by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in 1960

Minden, NE Recreation

Harold Warp Pioneer Village

Minden, NE Museums

Things to do History near Minden, NE

Research Room, Furnas County Genealogical Society

The Christmas City

It all started in 1915 with a combination of bad weather and a community spirited City Light Commissioner. Local residents wa...