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History · Wausa

Wausa’s history is
mostly unwritten

The public archives hold no old photos of Wausa. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.

1882established
0old images & papers
18recent photos

The story

from WikipediaRead it all ↗

In 1882 Theodore T. Thorson was the first resident. He named the town Thorson, Nebraska. He also became its first postmaster, and resided in the town's post office. He was returning from a five-month journey over the West Coast, Montana and Wyoming, in search of a good location for stock raising.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Start Wausa’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Wausa’s history is told.

0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Famous people from Wausa

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George E. DanielsonGeorge E. DanielsonPolitics & Law
By decade

Wausa, decade by decade

Before
2000
No old photos in the archives yetWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
📷 Add from your album
Today18 photos
Wausa, Nebraska library from SWCommonsWausa, Nebraska library from SW2010Wausa, Nebraska library from NWCommonsWausa, Nebraska library from NW2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway from Sherman 2CommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway from Sherman 22010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway from Sherman 1CommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway from Sherman 12010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway from HamptonCommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway from Hampton2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 13 Viking LumberCommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway 13 Viking Lumber2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 12 Viking LumberCommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway 12 Viking Lumber2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 11 Commercial State BankCommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway 11 Commercial State Bank2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 10 Commercial State BankCommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway 10 Commercial State Bank2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 09 Creutz Drug StoreCommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway 09 Creutz Drug Store2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 08CommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway 082010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 07 Carlson H-ACommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway 07 Carlson H-A2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 06 loungeCommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway 06 lounge2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 05CommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway 052010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 04 Larson-EngdahlCommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway 04 Larson-Engdahl2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 03 Larson-EngdahlCommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway 03 Larson-Engdahl2010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 02CommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway 022010Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 01 Bill's PlaceCommonsWausa, Nebraska Broadway 01 Bill's Place2010
National Register of Historic Places

Nothing in Wausa is on the National Register yet

That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Wausa has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church and School Complex in Crofton, 16.1 miles away.

Wausa and the nearest listed places

Dashed line = Wausa. Tap a dot.
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church and School ComplexAthletic Park Band ShellHartington Carnegie LibraryArgo HotelCedar County CourthouseCity Hall and Auditorium

Closest to Wausa

St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church and School ComplexCrofton · Building16.1miAthletic Park Band ShellPlainview · Built 194216.3miHartington Carnegie LibraryHartington · Building16.3miArgo HotelCrofton · Building16.3miCedar County CourthouseHartington · District16.4mi

How a place gets listed

1Talk to the stateEvery nomination goes through the State Historic Preservation Office. Owners, towns and historical societies can start one.
2Try a local or state list firstMany states keep their own register with a shorter form, a common first step for old barns, halls and schoolhouses.
3Write it upA nomination covers the history, photos and a map. St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church and School Complex’s page links to a real one.
Know an old place in Wausa?A mill, a schoolhouse, a cellar hole, a church: add a photo of it to Wausa’s story, or a memory of it.
📷 Add a photo of an old place
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places · photos from Wikimedia Commons

Then & now

When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.

Stories next door

nearby towns’ history
📜 Lincoln📜 Magnet📜 Dowling📜 Columbia

From Wikimedia Commons (18). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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