Wilber Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

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City · Saline County · County seat · Population 1,937 (2020 census) · ZIP 68465 · Founded 1873 · Peak population 1,937 (2020)

About Wilber

Wilber is the seat of Saline County, a city of 1,937 on the Big Blue River where NE 41 crosses NE 103, about 10 miles south of Crete. Settled largely by Czech families, it was named Czech Capital of the USA in 1987, and the Wilber Czech Festival fills its streets each summer.

History

Charles Dana Wilber, a geologist and land promoter remembered for the slogan "rain follows the plow," and Jacob Mooney gave land to the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad on condition that it place a town here, and the town was platted in 1873 (Andreas gives 1872). The Blue Island post office of Tobias Castor, about 2 miles north, moved to the new town. Wilber and W. H. Mann built the Wilber Mills in 1874, and the town was incorporated on April 25, 1879.

After three elections in 1877, Wilber won the county seat from Pleasant Hill by 230 votes, and on January 28, 1878, about 300 people with 160 wagons drove to Pleasant Hill and brought the county records back. The present courthouse, a Classical Revival building by Marcus L. Evans, was begun with a cornerstone laid on June 5, 1928, and finished in 1929. By 1900 about nine in ten residents were of Czech descent. The Nebraska Czechs of Wilber held the first Czech Festival in 1962, Gov. Frank Morrison named Wilber Czech Capital of Nebraska in 1963, and in 1987 a measure signed by President Reagan named it Czech Capital of the USA. Basketball coach Dana Altman, Gov. Laurence Wild of American Samoa and humorist C. L. Edson were born here.

Highways and trails through Wilber

Route	One way	Other way
NE 41 (3rd St.)East–west through the city	East to Clatonia and US 77	West past the Swanton spur to NE 15
NE 103 (Main St.)North–south through the city	North to Crete (about 10 mi)	South to DeWitt

Nearby towns

Swan City	about 5 mi south	NE 103
Shestak	about 6 mi north	NE 103
Clatonia	about 6 mi east	NE 41
DeWitt	about 6 mi south-southeast	NE 103
Swanton	about 9 mi southwest	NE 41 and S-76D
Crete	about 10 mi north	NE 103
Western	about 14 mi west-southwest	NE 41 and NE 15
Beatrice	about 19 mi southeast	NE 41 and US 77

Things to see

The Saline County Courthouse, 215 S. Court St. (1928–29; National Register) · the Wilber Czech Museum, 102 W. 3rd St.: three floors of rooms from Czech settler life (free; by appointment) · the Hotel Wilber, 203 S. Wilson St. (1895; National Register), with guest rooms and the Czech Cellar · the Sokol Pavilion, 315 S. Wilson St. (National Register) · the Czech Heritage Room at the Dvoracek Memorial Library, 419 W. 3rd St. · the Czech Capital historical marker at NE 103 and NE 41 · Legion Memorial Park, with more than 80 electric campsites · the Wilber Czech Festival on the first full weekend of August

Events in Wilber

Nebraska Czech Festival

Know of another event here? Tell us about it.

Schools and health care

Schools: Wilber-Clatonia Public Schools: Elementary School at Wilber (PK–5), Wilber-Clatonia Middle School (6–8) and Wilber-Clatonia High School (9–12), 900 S. Franklin St.

Health care: Wilber Medical Clinic, 203 W. 4th St. (Crete Area Medical Center); nearest hospital: Crete Area Medical Center (Bryan Health), 2910 Betten Dr., Crete, a 15-bed critical access hospital opened in 2003

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.