Swanton Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

Swanton Area Cameras

Village · Saline County · Population 82 (2020 census) · ZIP 68445 · Founded 1883 · Peak population 285 (1910)

About Swanton

Swanton is a village of 82 in southern Saline County, at the south end of a state spur from NE 41, about 9 miles southwest of Wilber. First Tri-County Bank, founded in 1894, has its main office here.

History

A Burlington-affiliated line was built between DeWitt and Tobias in 1883, and the Lincoln Land Company bought land and laid out a town it wanted to call Morris; postal officials rejected the name as too close to another, and Swanton, for nearby Swan Creek, was chosen. The post office opened on May 29, 1884. The older hamlet of Loudon City, 2 miles west, faded away.

The village had a Fairmont cream station for many years, and its bank came through the Depression; a water tower went up in 1936. The school opened in 1884, moved into a brick building in 1909, ended its high school about 1961 and joined Tri County in 1966. The United Methodist church, organized in 1884, is the last of seven churches that once served the area. Willard Schmidt, born here in 1910, won gold in basketball at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The population peaked at 285 in 1910.

Highways and trails through Swanton

Route	One way	Other way
Spur S-76D (County Road 1600)North from the village	North to NE 41	South end in Swanton

Nearby towns

Western	about 6 mi west	County roads
Swan City	about 7 mi east-northeast	County roads
Plymouth	about 7 mi southeast	County roads
DeWitt	about 8 mi east	County roads
Wilber	about 9 mi northeast	S-76D and NE 41
Tobias	about 14 mi west-northwest	County roads

Things to see

Swanton United Methodist Church, 211 Nemaha St. · South Fork Cemetery, west of town, with an 1860 grave believed to be the oldest marked burial in the county · Swan Valley Cemetery · First Tri-County Bank, 105 Main St.

Schools and health care

Schools: Tri County Public Schools: Tri County Elementary and Tri County Jr.-Sr. High School, one building at 72520 NE 103, south of DeWitt (the campus is just across the line in Jefferson County)

Health care: No clinic in Swanton; nearest: Wilber Medical Clinic, 203 W. 4th St., Wilber; hospital: Crete Area Medical Center (Bryan Health), 2910 Betten Dr., Crete, a 15-bed critical access hospital opened in 2003

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882); Saline County and NEGenWeb Saline County histories; History Nebraska and its historical markers; National Register of Historic Places; Nebraska Game and Parks; Lower Big Blue NRD; Nebraska Department of Transportation; Bryan Health; city, village, school, museum and hospital websites. Distances marked "about" are straight-line estimates.