Burton Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

Burton Area Cameras

Village · Keya Paha County · Population 11 (2020 census) · ZIP 68778 · Founded 1884 · Peak population 105 (1940)

About Burton

Burton is a village of 11 people (2020) on NE 12 in Keya Paha County, at about 2,139 feet, 10 miles northeast of Springview, which handles its mail (ZIP 68778). It is one of only two incorporated places in the county. The Burton Cemetery is on the east edge of the village, north of the highway. Burton is on Central Time.

History

Burton's post office opened on June 5, 1884, and was named for George W. Burton, a general merchant. When the new county chose its seat on March 24, 1885, Burton lost a bitter contest to Springview, which had the more central location. In 1890 the gazetteer listed Burton only as a post office. The present townsite was platted in 1905, and the census first counted the village in 1920, when it had 98 people; the population peaked at 105 in 1940. The post office closed in 1973. Civil War veterans Ralph Lewis, Seth R. Munger and George W. Palmer are buried in the Burton Cemetery, where the earliest recorded death is 1898.

Highways and trails through Burton

Route	One way	Other way
NE 12The Outlaw Trail Scenic Byway, through the village	West to Springview	East past the NE 137 junction to Naper

Nearby towns

Mills	about 8 mi east-northeast	NE 12 and county roads
Springview	about 10 mi southwest	NE 12
Carns	about 13 mi south-southeast	County roads
Jamison	about 16 mi east-northeast	NE 12 and NE 137
Bassett	about 23 mi south	US 183
Naper	about 25 mi east	NE 12

Things to see

the Burton Cemetery, east edge of the village (wear good shoes; there is cactus) · the Lewis Bridge, a 1922 Pratt pony truss over the Keya Paha River on the South Dakota line, about 6 miles north-northwest (National Register)

Schools and health care

Schools: Students attend Keya Paha County Schools in Springview

Health care: Nearest hospitals: Rock County Hospital in Bassett, about 23 mi

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; NEGenWeb Keya Paha County (history and place names); Nebraska State Gazetteer (1890); History Nebraska and its markers; National Register nominations; Nebraska Department of Transportation (2026 renumbering, Carns Bridge); National Park Service (Niobrara National Scenic River); The Nature Conservancy; Middle Niobrara NRD; Nebraska Game and Parks; Keya Paha County; Nebraska Secretary of State; Keya Paha County Schools; 10/11 NOW; Nebraska Farmer; KRVN. Distances marked "about" are straight-line estimates.