Manley Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

Manley Area Cameras

Village · Cass County · Population 167 (2020 census) · ZIP 68403 · Founded 1883 · Peak population 249 (1940)

About Manley

Manley is a village of 167 in central Cass County, reached by Manley Road (S-13F) east of NE 50, about 3.6 miles north-northwest of Weeping Water. The Lofte Community Theatre on the east edge of the village stages six productions a year.

History

The Missouri Pacific built its Atchison–Omaha main line through here in 1881–82. August F. Wendt acquired the land in 1880 and on April 27, 1883, surveyed and named the town, and the post office opened that June. It was first called Summit, for its wide view, and then Manley, probably for one of three local ranchers of that name. St. Patrick's parish dates from 1881; the present church was finished for its centennial in 1981.

School District 96 formed in 1888, and the Craftsman-style Manley School of 1931 replaced an 1889 schoolhouse; it was listed on the National Register in 2004. Electricity came in 1927, and the village incorporated in 1954. Students now attend Weeping Water, Elmwood-Murdock or Louisville schools. The Lofte Community Theatre began in 1977 in a converted hog barn.

Highways and trails through Manley

Route	One way	Other way
Manley Rd. (S-13F)Spur east from NE 50 into the village	West to NE 50	Ends in Manley
NE 50West of the village	North to Louisville (about 5 mi)	South to the Weeping Water spur and US 34
NE 1Meets NE 50 just south of Manley Rd.	West to Murdock and Elmwood	East past the fairgrounds to Murray

Nearby towns

Weeping Water	about 3.6 mi south-southeast	NE 50
Louisville	about 5 mi north	NE 50
Wabash	about 5 mi west-southwest	County roads
Murdock	about 6 mi west	NE 1
South Bend	about 7 mi northwest	County roads
Elmwood	about 9 mi southwest	NE 1
Cedar Creek	about 9 mi north-northeast	NE 50 and NE 66
Murray	about 12 mi east	NE 1
Plattsmouth	about 15 mi east-northeast	NE 1 and US 34/75

Things to see

Lofte Community Theatre, 15841 Manley Rd., about 12,000 visitors a year · St. Patrick Catholic Church, 101 N. Broadway (Saturday 5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.) · Manley School, 115 Cherry St. (1931; National Register) · Weeping Water, about 3.6 mi south-southeast · Louisville and its lakes, about 5 mi north

Schools and health care

Schools: No school in Manley; students attend Weeping Water, Elmwood-Murdock or Louisville Public Schools

Health care: No hospital in Manley

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882); History Nebraska; National Register of Historic Places; Nebraska Game and Parks; Nebraska Department of Transportation; Cass County and village websites; school district, library and museum websites. Distances marked "about" are straight-line estimates.