Crete Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

Crete Area Cameras

City · Saline County · Population 7,099 (2020 census) · ZIP 68333 · Founded 1871 · Peak population 7,099 (2020)

About Crete

Crete is the largest city in Saline County, with 7,099 people at the 2020 census, on the Big Blue River where NE 33 meets NE 103, about 25 miles southwest of Lincoln. It is home to Doane University, Crete Area Medical Center and Crete Public Schools, and the Saline County Fair is held at Tuxedo Park. The Smithfield pork plant south of town is the county's largest employer.

History

Jesse C. Bickle claimed land on the Big Blue in 1863, and the post office in his log cabin was named Crete, for the Illinois hometown of his first wife. In 1870 Bickle laid out Blue River City, and the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad's town company platted Crete beside it; the two joined as Crete on March 7, 1871, and the first trains arrived that June. The name also fit the railroad's alphabetical stations west of Lincoln: Berks, Crete, Dorchester, Exeter. Crete was incorporated in 1873 and lost county-seat elections in 1871 and 1877.

Doane College was founded on July 11, 1872, by Congregationalists and named for Thomas Doane, the railroad's chief engineer; it became Doane University in 2016. The Crete Chautauqua began in 1884 on the grounds that are now Tuxedo Park. On February 18, 1969, a derailed train broke open a tank car of anhydrous ammonia; the cloud killed six residents, three men riding the train died in the wreck, and 53 people were injured. Crete has grown in most censuses since and reached its largest population in 2020. Shot putter Teri Steer was born here.

Highways and trails through Crete

Route	One way	Other way
NE 33Through the city	Northeast to US 77 near Roca, toward Lincoln	Northwest along the railroad to Dorchester and US 6
NE 103Through the city, sharing a few miles with NE 33	North to US 6 at Pleasant Dale and I-80	South past Shestak to Wilber and DeWitt

Nearby towns

Berks	about 3.2 mi northeast	NE 33 and county roads
Shestak	about 3.9 mi south	NE 103
Pleasant Hill	about 7 mi west-southwest	County roads
Dorchester	about 9 mi west	NE 33
Wilber	about 10 mi south	NE 103
Denton	about 10 mi northeast	County roads
Hallam	about 11 mi east-southeast	County roads
Milford	about 12 mi north-northwest	NE 33 and US 6
Lincoln	about 19 mi northeast	NE 33 and US 77

Things to see

The Doane University campus (National Register), with the 1883 Boswell Observatory, open to the public at times, and the College Hill Historic District beside it · the Crete Downtown Historic District along Main Ave. (National Register) · the Crete Heritage Society, 800 W. 13th St.: Jesse Bickle's house built around his 1864 log cabin, the Star School and the Benne Memorial Museum (during exhibits and by appointment) · Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church, 14th and Juniper (National Register) · Tuxedo Park, W. 13th St. and Tuxedo Rd.: 96 acres with 21 RV sites, the county fairgrounds and a Chautauqua marker · Crete Public Library, 1515 Forest Ave. · College Heights Country Club (9 holes) · Walnut Creek Recreation Area, about 3½ mi north · the Saline County Fair in July and Crete's Great Pumpkin Festival on the first weekend of October

Events in Crete

Crete’s Great Pumpkin Festival
Crete's Great Pumpkin Festival is held in Crete, Nebraska, on the first weekend of October.
Saline County Fair
Saline County Fair, a county fair in Wilber, Nebraska.

Know of another event here? Tell us about it.

Schools and health care

Schools: Crete Public Schools: Crete Elementary (PK–2), 309 E. 11th St.; Crete Intermediate (3–5), 1700 Glenwood Ave.; Crete Middle (6–8), 1500 E. 15th St.; and Crete High (9–12), 1750 Iris Ave.; St. James Catholic School (PK–6), 525 E. 14th St.; Doane University, 1014 Boswell Ave.

Health care: Crete Area Medical Center (Bryan Health), 2910 Betten Dr., Crete, a 15-bed critical access hospital opened in 2003, 402-826-2102, with its clinic

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882); Saline County and NEGenWeb Saline County histories; History Nebraska and its historical markers; National Register of Historic Places; Nebraska Game and Parks; Lower Big Blue NRD; Nebraska Department of Transportation; Bryan Health; city, village, school, museum and hospital websites. Distances marked "about" are straight-line estimates.