Conterra Nebraska

Conterra, Nebraska

Conterra is a small populated place in Cherry County, Nebraska, in the Cleveland Election Precinct, between Brownlee, Kennedy, and Simeon in the ranch country of central Cherry County. Its name is unusual among Sandhills post offices in being drawn straight from Latin rather than from a settler's surname.

The Conterra post office was established October 8, 1913, named by first postmaster Max Wendler for the Latin phrase meaning "out in the country" -- a fitting description for this remote stretch of the Sandhills. The office closed in 1935.

History

Conterra's post office opened October 8, 1913, with Max Wendler as first postmaster. Wendler chose the name Conterra from the Latin for "out in the country," a deliberate and somewhat wry choice of name for a post office serving one of the more sparsely settled parts of Cherry County. The office remained open until 1935.

Location & Access

County: Cherry County
Region: Nebraska Sandhills
Coordinates: approximately 42.448° N, 100.630° W
Designation: Populated place (former post office site)

Adjacent Counties

Cherry County borders Brown, Keya Paha, Blaine, Grant, Thomas, Hooker, and Sheridan Counties in Nebraska, along with Bennett, Todd, Tripp, and Oglala Lakota Counties in South Dakota -- more neighboring counties than any other county in Nebraska.

Nearby Towns

Brownlee (about 11 miles south) · Kennedy (about 12 miles northwest) · Simeon (about 12 miles north-northwest) · Wood Lake (about 24 miles east-northeast) · Valentine (Cherry County's seat, to the north)

Points of Interest

• Latin place-name origin: Conterra's name, meaning "out in the country," is a distinctive touch among the Sandhills' typically pioneer-named post offices.
• Nebraska Sandhills ranch country: Conterra sits amid the rolling grazing land typical of central Cherry County.

Events

Community events for the Conterra area are being added to the directory. Browse the Cherry County directory for current listings.

Education & Health

Schools: The Conterra area is served by schools in Valentine.
Health: Nearest hospital and clinic services are in Valentine.