The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗White people began settling in southwestern Butler County around 1866. In 1881, George Miller built a gristmill on the Big Blue River. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that so much waterpower was available so close to the river's headwaters, and this led him to name the mill "Surprise". Businesses and homes were established near the mill; and in 1883, a post office was established under the name "Surprise". The town plat was registered in 1884. In 1887, the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad established a depot in Surprise, resulting in further expansion of local businesses. See also possible relationship with Surprise, Arizona.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Start Surprise’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Surprise’s history is told.
0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Surprise
See all 3 →Surprise, decade by decade
2000
1 historic place in Surprise
1 place in Surprise is on the National Register of Historic Places, the country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
Where they are
When they were listed
Then & now
When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.
From Wikimedia Commons (5) and the National Register (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.