LASR.net Homepage



Menu

Saunders County, NE

Saunders County

For many years, Saunders County had drawn people with its offer of a better life. The Otoe and Pawnee Indians followed the buffalo into this area and settled along its rivers and streams. Before the arrival of settlers, a Pawnee Indian village,
containing 50 or more lodges covering a four-block
area, was located in what is now the southeast part of
Wahoo. In the vicinities of Cedar Bluffs, Leshara, and Yutan there are other historic sites of early Pawnee and Otoe Indian villages.


The earliest settlers were predominantly Czech, German, and Scandinavians whose hard work, determination, and ingenuity turned their dreams into realities. The Ox-Bow Trail traversing across Saunders County is historically marked by one of the twin rocks that the Mormon travelers and other pioneers used as an identifying point along their journey west. In Ashland, built along the Ox-Bow Trail, the Beetison home is still in family ownership since its construction in 1874.



As the railroad came to the area, towns sprang up in the county with business, schools and churches to serve the area's growing needs. The Saunders County Historical Society invites you to relive the rich heritage of Saunders County at the museum in Wahoo, the county seat.


Explore Saunders County

Czechland Lake Recreation Area

Czechland Lake Recreation Area is a multipurpose reservoir located one mile north of Prague and 15 miles northwest of Wahoo, Nebraska on Highway 79. The area offers a variety of outdoor activities for all seasons.

The 82-surface-acre lake is situated on 177

Wahoo, NE Recreation

Early Churches

Some of the early churches that are serving Valparaiso are:

Mary A. Johnson Episcopal Church was dedicated in 1881.

Church of Christ was dedicated in October, 1883.

The Baptist Church was built and dedicated about 1885 or 1886.

Saints Mary &

Valparaiso, NE Historic Churches

Ashland Stir-Up Celebration

Street Dance * Beer Garden * Carnival * Parade * Car Show * Teen Dance

Ashland Chamber of Commerce will host the Annual Stir-Up Days in July in downtown Ashland. The festival has been a continuous source of fun for over 60

Ashland, NE Festivals

Saunders County Historical Society Museum

Experience Saunders County history through its complex of seven buildings and caboose on 5 acres of land.

The Main Building completed in 1994 and the newer Anderson-Nelson addition house displays and exhibits about Wahoo'

Wahoo, NE Museums

Willow Point Gallery

Visit the Gallery and Museum that people are talking about. Mentioned

Ashland, NE Arts


David Letterman Late Show

Wahoo is the Home Office of the Late Show with David Letterman.

To see Wahoo as part of the Late Show website, look for Wahoo at:

www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow//

Wahoo, NE One Of A Kinds


First Congregational Church

The First Congregational Church was organized at Eldred, 12 miles northeast of Wahoo. Rev. Mr. Giddings was the preacher for both Eldred and Wahoo. The organizational meeting was headed by Rev. J.E. Heaton and took place on May 28, 1871. In 1880, a church was erected on the southeast corner of 5

Wahoo, NE Historic Churches

Saunders County Courthouse

In the early1900s the old courthouse building became inadequate which led to the construction of a new building. In 1903 a vote was held for the issuing of bonds and the construction of a proper kind of building for county purposes. It passed by a vote of 1,967 to 524

Wahoo, NE Historic Courthouses

Strategic Air and Space Museum

The new Strategic Air Command (SAC) Museum stands as a tribute to the men and women of SAC who safeguarded liberty around the globe for nearly 50 years. The story of SAC and its people is preserved for future generations within the wall of this extraordinary Museum. The Strategic Air &

Ashland, NE Museums

Valparaiso Library

The library occupies the building that originally housed the Oak Creek Valley Bank from 1907 to 1980

Valparaiso, NE Libraries

Explore Saunders County