Leigh Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

Leigh Area Cameras

Village · Colfax County · Population 435 (2020 census) · ZIP 68643 · Founded 1872 · Peak population 692 (1930)

About Leigh

Leigh is a village of 435 in northwestern Colfax County, on the south side of NE 91 where NE 57 heads north to Stanton. It has been home to the Colfax County Fair since 1922. It has Leigh Community Schools, the public library, the House of Yesteryear museum, Centennial Park with a pool and campground, Club 91 golf course and, just northwest of town, Maple Creek Recreation Area.

History

Civil War veterans settled here in 1872–73. A post office opened in 1875 and was named Leigh for the maiden name of Mary Margaret Walling, wife of the postmaster. When the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad reached the area in 1886, the business district moved from the "old town" to the tracks, and Leigh incorporated on March 7, 1887, with 210 people. The population peaked at 692 in 1930. The tracks were removed in 1963.

The Colfax County Fair moved to Leigh in 1922. The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District's Maple Creek dam, an $8.2 million project opened on May 21, 2011, protects the village and the fairgrounds from floods and made the 160-acre lake. Leigh and Clarkson shared sports teams from 2012 until 2026. Lt. Gen. Carl H. Jark, commander of the Fourth U.S. Army, was born in Leigh, and biochemist Audrey Stevens Niyogi, co-discoverer of RNA polymerase, was born nearby.

Highways and trails through Leigh

Route	One way	Other way
NE 91Along the north edge of town; spur south into Leigh	East to Clarkson (about 6 mi) and Howells	West to Creston (about 6 mi) and Humphrey
NE 57Begins at NE 91 just northeast of town	North to Stanton (about 17 mi)	Ends at NE 91

Nearby towns

Clarkson	about 6 mi east-northeast	NE 91
Creston	about 6 mi west	NE 91
Wilson	about 9 mi south-southeast	County roads
Humphrey	about 13 mi west	NE 91
Stanton	about 17 mi north	NE 57
Columbus	about 20 mi south	County roads and US 81

Things to see

Maple Creek Recreation Area, Road 1A: a 160-acre lake split by NE 91, with a swimming beach, two ramps (no-wake), a 2.4-mile trail and horse trails; 50 RV sites at $25 and tent sites at $10, reserved through the NRD · Centennial Park, 18 acres with a pool, a fishing lake and 18 campsites ($20) · House of Yesteryear, South Beech St., Leigh's first store and post office (1875), furnished as a late-1800s home · Club 91 Golf Course, 1500 W. Church St., 9 holes · Colfax County Fairgrounds, west side of town

Events in Leigh

Colfax County Fair
Colfax County Fair, a county fair in Schuyler, Nebraska.

Know of another event here? Tell us about it.

Schools and health care

Schools: Leigh Community Schools, 222 W. 4th St.: Leigh Elementary and Leigh High School

Health care: No clinic in Leigh; nearest CHI Health Clinic Clarkson (about 6 mi); hospitals in Columbus (about 20 mi) and Schuyler

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882); Fitzpatrick, Nebraska Place-Names (1925); NEGenWeb Colfax County; History Nebraska; National Register of Historic Places; Nebraska Department of Transportation; Lower Elkhorn NRD; CHI Health. Distances marked "about" are estimates.