ClearwaterNe.com
Title
Clearwater, Nebraska
Description
The village of Clearwater (Clearwater Station) was plotted by the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley railroad in 1881 at the location where the Clearwater Creek enters the Elkhorn River in western Antelope county.
A depot with a windmill and storage tank was erected in order to have an available water supply for the old steamers which operated on this line. In addition, one mile of side track was laid by the railroad in order to make room for more than one train to pass going in different directions. It was very common to see two trains on the tracks here at the same time, maybe one taking on water at the windmill and the other loading cattle at the cattle yards heading for Omaha and the market.
Clearwater became an active village almost over night. By the year 1884, Clearwater had a population of more than two hundred with two hotel's, livery stables, lumber and coal businesses, postmaster with general merchandise, carpenter shop, hardware, painter, barber, general merchandise, meat market, furniture store, wagonmaker, two blacksmiths and a drug store. In 1871, Mr. George McGee built a saw mill just one half mile east of Clearwater Station on the Clearwater Creek. In 1886, just a little further down the creek, another saw mill was built by R. G. King. These two mills supplied most of the lumber used in the construction of the many homes and business buildings being built.
