Clarks Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

Village · Merrick County · Population 344 (2020 census) · ZIP 68628 · Founded 1866 · Peak population 605 (1910)

About Clarks

Clarks is a village of 344 people (2020) on US 30 and the Union Pacific main line in eastern Merrick County, at about 1,621 feet, less than 2 miles northwest of the Platte River. Central City is about 11 miles southwest and Silver Creek about 11 miles northeast; NE 92 meets US 30 just southwest of town and crosses the Platte toward Polk and Osceola. Clarks has the High Plains Community elementary school, a Carnegie library still in use, a bank and churches. Clarks is on Central Time.

History

C. B. Hartwell opened the Junction Ranch three miles east on April 1, 1865, and the Union Pacific platted the town in the fall of 1866, naming it for S. H. H. Clark, its superintendent; the post office opened in 1869, and the place was long called Clarksville. Merrick County's first, paper county seat of Elvira was said to lie near here. By 1882 Clarks had two elevators, a lumberyard, three stores and three churches. The population peaked at 605 in 1910. The Clarks school joined Polk, Hordville and Marquette in High Plains Community Schools in 2000. Clarks Bean Day, begun in 1964, is held every other year.

Highways and trails through Clarks

Route	One way	Other way
US 30Through the village beside the Union Pacific	Southwest to Central City and Grand Island	Northeast to Silver Creek and Columbus
NE 92Meets US 30 just southwest of town	South across the Platte to Polk and Osceola	West to Central City and St. Paul

Nearby towns

Havens	about 6 mi northeast	US 30
Polk	about 10 mi south-southeast	NE 92
Central City	about 11 mi southwest	US 30
Silver Creek	about 11 mi northeast	US 30
Fullerton	about 12 mi northwest	County roads and NE 14
Osceola	about 15 mi east	NE 92
Genoa	about 17 mi north-northeast	US 30 and NE 39
Columbus	about 29 mi east-northeast	US 30

Things to see

the Clarksville Township Carnegie Library (National Register), 108 W. Amity St., open weekday afternoons · Clarks Trikes and Bikes, builders of custom trikes · Bean Day in odd-numbered years

Schools and health care

Schools: High Plains Community Schools: elementary (PK–6), 205 W. Pearl St., Clarks, (308) 548-2216; junior/senior high and district office in Polk, (402) 765-2271

Health care: Nearest: Central City Medical Clinic and Merrick Medical Center, Central City, about 11 mi

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882); Merrick County (history, offices); History Nebraska (markers); National Register listings; Nebraska Game and Parks; Nebraska DHHS; Central City Republican-Nonpareil; KOLN 10/11; KSNB; WOWT; TrailLink; VisitNebraska; Nebraska Passport. Distances marked "about" are straight-line estimates.