Stamford Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

Stamford Area Cameras

Village · Harlan County · Population 158 (2020 census) · ZIP 68977 · Founded 1887 · Peak population 302 (1920)

About Stamford

Stamford is a village of 158 in southwestern Harlan County, on Sappa Creek and NE 89, about 7 miles west of Orleans. NE 46 begins at the west edge of town and runs north to Oxford.

History

A. C. Robbins and a group from Iowa settled the south side of Sappa Creek in July 1871, the first settlement in the county away from the Republican River; "Sappa" is said to be an Indian word for beaver. The Burlington laid out Stamford in 1887 when it built up the Sappa valley, and the town was probably named for Stamford, Connecticut. George Zulauf built a flour and feed mill on the creek that year, the first school opened in 1888, and in 1890 Stamford was a station of about 100 people, 13 miles from Alma.

Stamford incorporated as a village in 1907 and reached its largest census count, 302, in 1920. A telephone exchange came in 1901, electricity in 1918 and waterworks in 1927. Trinity Lutheran Church, organized by German settlers in 1888, built its present church in 1928–29. The Stamford Star merged into the Harlan County Journal in 1964, and the Sappa Creek flood of 1966 did its worst damage here. The Nebraska, Kansas & Colorado Railway's Orleans–Cedar Bluffs line still runs through town.

Highways and trails through Stamford

Route	One way	Other way
NE 89East–west through the village	East to Orleans (about 7 mi) and Alma	West to Beaver City
NE 46Begins at NE 89 at the west edge of town	North 7½ mi to US 136 at Oxford	South end at NE 89

Nearby towns

Orleans	about 7 mi east	NE 89
Oxford	about 8 mi north-northwest	NE 46
Alma	about 12 mi east	NE 89 and US 136
Beaver City	about 12 mi west	NE 89
Edison	about 14 mi northwest	NE 46 and US 136
Huntley	about 17 mi east-northeast	NE 89, US 136, US 183 and S-42A

Things to see

The Sappa Creek Bridge, 2 mi east on County Road D: a 1916 steel Pratt pony truss on the National Register, scheduled for replacement · Trinity Lutheran Church (1928–29) · Stamford Cemetery and the German Lutheran, Pleasant Hill and Delimont cemeteries · Stamford Pork Day in September

Schools and health care

Schools: Most of the village is in Southern Valley Schools (district 33-0540): Southern Valley Elementary (PK–6) and Southern Valley Junior/Senior High (7–12), on NE 89 west of Orleans (Oxford mailing address), (308) 868-2222; part is in Alma Public Schools

Health care: No clinic in Stamford; Harlan County Health System runs a clinic in Oxford; hospital: Harlan County Health System, 717 N. Brown St., Alma, (308) 928-2151, a 19-bed critical access hospital, about 12 mi

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882); Johnson's History of Nebraska (1880); Nebraska State Gazetteer (1890); Who's Who in Nebraska, Harlan County (1940); Harlan County history (Rogers, 1967) and NEGenWeb Harlan County; Harlan County and City of Alma websites; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Recreation.gov; National Register of Historic Places; History Nebraska; Nebraska Department of Transportation; Nebraska Department of Revenue; Nebraska Game and Parks; Nebraska Extension; school, hospital and library websites. Distances marked "about" are straight-line estimates.