Broken Bow Town Square

Broken Bow was a federal land office town, and its square saw the crowds. A History Nebraska photograph from 1904, the year the Kinkaid Act opened 640-acre claims in the Sandhills, shows an enormous line of people in the land rush here. In October 1913 the town was one of three drawing points, with Valentine and North Platte, for a lottery of land from the abandoned Fort Niobrara military reservation and a forest reserve. More than 76,000 people registered for about 2,000 claims, and the registration at Broken Bow ran from October 13 to 25.

What the plaque says

Broken Bow Town Square Broken Bow was platted 1882 by Jesse Gandy. He donated lots to people who would build a house or establish a business. He did this to influence voters to make the new town the Custer County seat, which they did in an election that fall. The Burlington and Missouri River Railroad reached Broken Bow in 1886. Anticipating new commerce, the Lincoln Land Company purchased large tracts of land. The town flourished with the arrival of the railroad. The region's rich agricultural territory was now open to distant markets, and Broken Bow became a regional trade center. Gandy's plat reserved one block as a public square surrounded by business lots. The square has served as the commercial district's focal point, landscaped with trees, walkways, and a bandstand. The town square centers on buildings dating to the late nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century, representing the town's periods of development. The Broken Bow commercial historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. City of Broken Bow Nebraska State Historical Society, 2017

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Broken Bow — steps away
• The Nebraska State Grange — 4.6 mi
• Westerville 1880-1980 — 13 mi
• Ansley 1886-1986 — 15 mi