Excerpt from reference materials at the Oshkosh Library, Oshkosh, Nebraska
Author: Unknown Date of Writing: March, 1920
In 1884, S. P. Delatour, the first settler in this part of the county, selected his home on Blue Creek and with abundance of water and unlimited range, he prospered in the cattle business from the start.
The next year, 1885, D. C. Hooper came with a company of settlers among them Ed. Hartman, Ira Paisley, Bergeson, Colyer and Duvall. W. D. Marsh came in the same year. All settled in the river valley and on Blue Creek. Soon afterward, about 1886, John Mevich, James Wilson, James Winters and Mr. Meeker settled on Blue Creek. Ora Meeker was the first girl born in the present limits of Garden County, June 4, 1886; and Dick Wilson was the first boy, in April 1887.
About this time, 1886, Frank Lewellen started a store and post office in his residence four miles east of the present site of Lewellen. The mail was brought up from Ogallala; in fact, all of the hauling was done from there as the Keith county bridge near Ogallala gave a much better way than fording in crossing the North Platte river.
About seven miles northeast of Lewellen, on the present site of Lutherville, a post office was started by Mr. Ramsey, about 1887, called Ramsey post office. The mail also came from Ogallala. This post office was moved to the John Mevich home on Blue Creek in 1890.
Up the creek about ten miles, a branch post office was established in 1891, at a settlement composed of Levi Prouty, Mary Flock, P. S. Peterson, Hans Madison, John Twiford, A. S. Kingery, John Lamberty, Davis Bros., Gus and Paul Rentzch, Jake Miller, Jim Usher, Dave Sleezer, Tom Snell and possibly other families. This post office was called Hutchinson and was located at John Lamberty's house. He was the first mail carrier, bringing the mail from Ramsey twice a week.
In 1893, the Ramsey post office was discontinued and Lewellen post office was moved to the present site of Lewellen into Robert Graf's store. He was appointed postmaster at that time.
One of the first enterprises of Lewellen after the store and post office was the Bank of Lewellen, organized in 1905, a history of which is given in "Banking and Finance." The frame building in which it carried on its business is now occupied by the telephone exchange.
The first telephone line was one coming in from Big Springs. Its stockholders were the farmers along the line and it was put up in 1900, in order to get in touch with the rest of the world. It has since been extended to surrounding towns as well as a number of rural lines. In 1903 the Wehn Telephone Company extended its lines from Bridgeport and Oshkosh to Lewellen and also leased the farmers line from Big Springs.
After the railroad was surveyed through the valley, J. C. McCoy laid out the village of Lewellen in July 1906. The first addition was soon needed and was platted in October 1907. Two additions have since been added, making about sixty acres altogether.
The completion of the railroad to this point in 1907 gave new life to the village. The first station agent was W. A. Hostetter who remained there a number of years. F. J. Ritter is agent in 1920.
Dr. Hall, a druggist, came in 1907, and opened up a drug store in a tent. A frame building was soon put up and the stock moved into it.
An electric light plant was established in December 1917. This gives Lewellen good light for business houses and homes.
The village hopes to be incorporated this year (1920), but some are opposing it, so it is rather uncertain.
