Diller Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

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Village · Jefferson County · Population 248 (2020 census) · ZIP 68342 · Founded 1880 · Peak population 506 (1910)

About Diller

Diller is a village of 248 in eastern Jefferson County on NE 103, about 13 miles east of Fairbury and 15 miles southwest of Beatrice. It has three National Register buildings, including the Anna C. Diller Opera House, and Diller-Odell Elementary School.

History

The Lincoln Land Company laid out the town in October 1880, when the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad arrived, through its agents David R. Kelley and Patrick Lavelle. Kelley opened the first store that month and named the town for Samuel Diller, a settler who lived just north of the site. The land had been part of the Otoe reservation, and many early settlers were Pennsylvania Germans. A town board was formed in 1885, and the population peaked at 506 in 1910.

The People's State Bank was founded in 1884 and its building put up in 1892–93; the Anna C. Diller Opera House, named for Samuel Diller's daughter-in-law, followed in 1912–13. The Diller Picnic has been held every year since August 12, 1897, except for two years during World War II.

Highways and trails through Diller

Route	One way	Other way
NE 103North–south through the village	North to US 136 near Harbine (about 6 mi)	South to NE 8, toward Steele City and Odell

Nearby towns

Harbine	about 6 mi north-northwest	NE 103
Steele City	about 7 mi southwest	NE 103 and NE 8
Odell	about 8 mi east-southeast	NE 103 and NE 8
Ellis	about 8 mi north-northeast	County roads
Endicott	about 9 mi west-southwest	County roads
Jansen	about 9 mi west-northwest	NE 103 and US 136
Fairbury	about 13 mi west	NE 103 and US 136
Wymore	about 14 mi east	NE 8 and US 77

Things to see

The Anna C. Diller Opera House, 421 Commercial St. (1912–13; National Register), with a second-floor auditorium, balcony and orchestra pit and stenciled decoration by Danish immigrant painters; its society holds a shrimp feed every February · the Diller Museum in the People's State Bank (1892–93; National Register), open by appointment and during the Diller Picnic · the Colman House, 501 Lavelle St. (National Register; private) · Diller Village Park, with the Diller Campground (12 full-hookup sites) · Diller Locker · the Diller Picnic each summer

Schools and health care

Schools: Diller-Odell Public Schools: Diller-Odell Elementary (PK–6), 315 Smith St., Diller, and Diller-Odell Secondary School (7–12), 506 Perry St., Odell

Health care: No clinic in Diller; nearest hospital: Jefferson Community Health & Life, 2200 H St., Fairbury (the county hospital, with a 24-hour emergency room; called Fairbury Hospital until 2017)

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882); Nebraska State Gazetteer (1890–91); Fitzpatrick, Nebraska Place-Names; History Nebraska and its historical markers; National Register of Historic Places; Nebraska Game and Parks; Little Blue and Lower Big Blue NRDs; Nebraska Department of Transportation; NEGenWeb Jefferson County; Visit Oregon Trail (Jefferson County tourism); city, village, school, museum and hospital websites. Distances marked "about" are straight-line estimates.