Belvidere’s three-story brick school
The Thayer County Historical Society and Museum (TCHS) began on June 14, 1970. “The purpose of TCHS is to: Collect, preserve, and display articles and information about Thayer County, and to arouse public interest, and provide education, about the collection, the county, and its history.” The museum began in Belvidere’s three-story brick school, which had been vacant for several years. TCHS now has ten buildings on eight acres.
The “Business Building” was built next to the brick school, and a one-room school was moved in, along with a railroad caboose and two WPA-built outhouses. Donors provided a new building called the “Annex” and a large building resembling a big barn. TCHS also built an open building to store all the farming machinery they have acquired and later added on to it. A Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) building, used as part of a Prisoner of War camp during World War II, was donated and moved to the property.
The church moved from Hubbell
A church from Hubbell was purchased and moved to the site a few years ago. It is nearly fully restored. Concrete blocks made in Thayer County were repurposed from a barn that was falling into disrepair and were used to build a blacksmith shop at the museum site. The last building donated is the Williamson gas station. Located a few blocks south of the museum grounds, it sits on its original location.
There is plenty for TCHS to take care of with only two part-time staff members, plus volunteers. TCHS gets some money from the county; the rest comes from donations and some proceeds from the Fall Festival.
One interesting thing about the Museum site is its vicinity to many crossroads. The Union Pacific railroad goes through Belvidere, being the “B” of an alphabet of towns. The others are Alexandria, Carleton, Davenport, Edgar, Fairfield, Glenvil, Hastings, Ingleside, Juniata, and Kenesaw.
The Toy Room
The Williamson Gas Station was built on the Meridian Highway, named for its proximity to the Sixth Principal Meridian, established by the region’s early surveyors. The Museum is also close to the Union Pacific dual tracks, previously the St. Joseph and Grand Island Rail Road, the Main street of Belvidere, the Oregon Trail, the Forty-Niner Trail, and is also near the former CB&Q railroad, known earlier as the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad and originally as the Fairmont and Chester Line.
The county is also proud of its “Famous Locals” and features noteworthy Thayer County natives on its website–including movie stars, athletes, scholars, and others who lived the “American Dream.” You can read about them here: https://www.thayercountymuseum.com/famous-locals.
You can visit the Thayer County Historical Society at 110 9th St Belvidere, NE 68315, just west of the water tower. TCHS is open Sundays and Wednesdays from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. or by appointment. You can also contact TCHS at 402-768-2147 or visit their website at https://www.thayercountymuseum.com/.
-Thayer County Historical Society, March 2025
