HALL COUNTY
HISTORY
Hall county was organized and its boundaries defined by an act of the legislature approved November 4, 1858. Its boundaries were re-defined February 1, 1864, and again March 1, 1871. It was named in honor of Augustus Hall (1814-1861), chief Justice of the territory of Nebraska, 1858, and a former congressman from Iowa.
COURTHOUSE
Hall County Courthouse
111 W 1st St, Grand Island, NE 68801
308-385-5135
PLACE NAMES
Abbott – post office opened March 16, 1887 through 1937. Named in honor of Othman Ali Abbott of Grand Island. Peak population was 50 in 1930.
Albeville – post office opened October 30, 1866 through August 12, 1868.
Alda – post office opened September 7, 1871. First named Pawnee, but was renamed Alda in honor of the first white child born in the town, the daughter of a section boss. Peak population in 1970 was 956.
Berwick – post office opened May 3, 1881 (formerly Zurich), through April 29, 1887.
Burkett – post office opened May 28, 1906 through June 30, 1930. Originally named Home. Possibly named for US Senator Elmer J Burkett.
Cairo – post office opened November 17, 1886. Named by the Lincoln Land Company, presumably after Cairo, Egypt. Some of the streets in the town have Egyptian names.
Cameron – post office opened December 10, 1875 through April 23, 1903. Originally named Northfield.
Doniphan – post office opened October 21, 1879. Originally named Orchard in 1874, changed in honor of Colonel John Doniphan, of St Joseph, Missouri, who was then attorney for the railroad on which it is located. Peak population in 1980 was 696.
Easton – post office opened January 28, 1885 through December 20, 1886. Originally called Runnelsburgh.
Grand Island – post office opened 1873 after changing the name from Grand Island Station. Original Grand Island settlement was laid out in 1866 by the UP Railroad. Named by French trappers for the large island in the Platte river. Grand Island is the county seat of Hall county.
Junctionville – post office opened August 22, 1865 through October, 1866. Reestablished December 3, 1872 through December 19, 1873.
Loyola – post office opened May 14, 1883 through December 21, 1886. Originally named Rundlett. Possibly named for Ignatius de Loyola by Catholic residents in the community.
Orchard – post office opened August 11, 1874, name changed to Doniphan.
Ovina – post office opened December 8, 1920 through April 6, 1923.
Schauppsville – this town was founded about 1880 by John G Schaupp for whom it was named. Never incorporated.
Spencer – post office opened July 12, 1878 through April 9, 1884. Named for the first postmaster, George J Spencer.
Underwood – post office opened January 16, 1885 through May 23, 1902. Named for Mrs Cleanthe A Underwood, postmistress, who established the post on the farm of B G Underwood.
Wood River – post office opened August 3, 1868. Named after the famous Wood River valley in which it is located. It was first laid out in 1869, but did not exist in its present location until 1871. Peak population was 1,334 in 1980.
Zurich – post office opened August 19, 1873, changed to Berwick in 1881. Likely named for Zurich, Switzerland.
CEMETERIES
Alda Cemetery
Berwick Cemetery, Cairo
Cameron Cemetery
Campbell Cemetery. Doniphan
Cedar View Cemetery, Doniphan
East Grand Island Cemetery
First Presbyterian Columbarium, Grand Island
Grand Island Cemetery
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Cairo
Poor Farm Cemetery, Grand Island
Rosedale Cemetery, aka Highland Cemetery, Doniphan
Saint Marys Catholic Cemetery, Wood River
Saint Stephens Church Columbarium, Grand Island
Shelton Cemetery
Soldiers and Sailors Cemetery, aka Nebraska Veterans Memorial Cemetery
Trinity United Methodist Church Columbarium, Grand Island
Westlawn Memorial Cemetery, Grand Island
Wiegert Cemetery
Wood River Cemetery
Wood River Mennonite Church Cemetery
CHURCHES
Alda United Methodist Church – 202 E Pine St, Alda, 308-381-7008
Apostolic Faith Tabernacle - 702 S Sycamore St, Grand Island, 308-384-3566
Beacon of Hope Baptist Church – 2525 W State St, Grand Island, 308-370-2594
Calvary Lutheran Church ELCA – 1304 N Custer Ave, Grand Island, 308-
Calvary Tabernacle UPC – 515 S Oak St, Grand Island, 308-383-7701
Christ Lutheran Church WELS - 1300 N Grand Island Ave, Grand Island, 308-382-1988
Church of Christ – 2822 W Stolley Park Rd, Grand Island, 308-384-2613
Church of God of Prophecy – 1620 N Broadwell Ave, Grand Island, 308-389-3574
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – 212 W 22nd St, Grand Island, 308-381-7062
Community of Christ – 1728 N Lafayette, Grand Island, 308-384-2126
Cristo Cordero De Dios Lutheran Church - 512 E 2nd St, Grand Island, 308-389-4611
Evangelical Wesleyan Church – 611 N Kimball St, Grand Island, 308-384-2982
First Christian Church - 2400 W 14th St, Grand Island, 308-382-6738
First Church of Christ Scientist - 309 N Broadwell Ave, Grand Island, 308-382-5650
Grace Lutheran Church – 1100 East St, Wood River, 308-583-2820
Grand Island Spanish Foursquare Church – 524 W 4th St, Grand Island
GI Spanish Seventh-Day Adventist Church - 3205 Garland St, Grand Island
Harvest Time Baptist Church – 1125 Beal St, Grand Island, 308-384-2268
Iglesia Evangelica Pentecostes Redencion Eterna - 318 W 3rd St, Grand Island , 308-850-5555
Iglesia Monte Sinai Inc - 603 Bismark Rd, Grand Island, 308-370-1901
Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Hispana – 306 N Walnut St, Grand Island, 308-210-2324
Northridge Assembly of God – 3025 Independence Ave, Grand Island, 308-381-7985
St Mary’s Catholic Church – 1108 Dodd St, Wood River, 308-583-2464
St Paul Lutheran Church – 207 N 4th St, Doniphan, 402-845-2340
United Congregational Church – 405 E Bismark Rd, Grand Island, 308-382-6166
FUNERAL HOMES
All Faiths Funeral Home
2929 S Locust St
Grand Island, NE 68801
308-398-2929
Apfel Funeral Home Inc
1123 W 2nd St
Grand Island, NE 68801
308-384-0590
Curran Funeral Chapel
3005 S Locust St
Grand Island, NE 68801
308-384-8862
Livingston Butler Volland
123 W Plum St
Doniphan, NE 68832
402-845-6820
Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home
601 N Webb Rd, Grand Island, NE 68803
308-382-7070
LIBRARIES
Grand Island Public Library
1124 W 2nd St, Grand Island, NE 68801
308-385-5333
Includes LARGE genealogy resource room with Nebraska DAR collection
* Grand Island Public Library is a Family Search Affiliate Library
Maltman Memorial Library
910 Main St, Wood River, NE 68883
308-583-2349
Doniphan Community Library
105 W Plum St, Doniphan, NE 68832
Shelton Township Library
313 C St, Shelton NE 68876
308-647-5182
MUSEUMS
Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer
3133 US Hwy 34, Grand Island, NE 68801
308-385-5316
Cairo Roots Museum
306 S Berber St, Cairo, NE 68824
308-485-4159
NEWSPAPERS
Grand Island Daily Independent
422 W First St
Grand Island, NE 68801
308-382-1000
Wood River Sunbeam / Shelton Clipper
P O Box 640
Shelton, NE 68876
308-647-5158
Doniphan Herald
P O Box 211
Doniphan, NE 68832
402-845-2937
Hall County, Nebraska Community Archives
SCHOOLS
Grand Island Public Schools
123 S Webb Rd
Grand Island, NE 68801
308-385-5900
Northwest Public Schools
2710 N North Rd
Grand Island, NE 68803
308-385-6398
Heartland Lutheran High School
3900 W Husker Hwy
Grand Island, NE 68803
308-385-3900
Grand Island Central Catholic
1200 Ruby Ave
Grand Island, NE 68803
308-384-2440
Doniphan Trumbull Public School
P O Box 300
Doniphan, NE 68832
402-845-2282
Wood River Rural Schools
13800 W Wood River Rd
Wood River, NE 68883
308-583-2249
SOCIETIES
Prairie Pioneer Genealogical Society
P O Box 1122
Grand Island, NE 68802
Hall County Historical Society
P O Box 1683
Grand Island, NE 68802
WEBSITES
Family Search Wiki, Hall County, NE
Hall County GenWeb
Hall County at Genealogy Trails
Hall County at Cyndi’s List
Hall County at Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness
Hall County Cemeteries at Nebraska Gravestones
Hall County Cemeteries at Nebraska Cemeteries
Hall County Linkpendium
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