Mead Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

Mead Area Cameras

Village · Saunders County · Population 617 (2020 census) · ZIP 68041 · Founded 1877

About Mead

Mead is a village of 617 on NE 92 in eastern Saunders County, about 7 miles east of Wahoo. It has Mead Public Schools, the public library and Alma Lutheran Church. The University of Nebraska's Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center lies south of town.

History

Mead was platted in 1877 on the Omaha & Republican Valley Railroad, and C. T. Condit built the first house that year. The railroad called the place Alvin; the post office opened as Saunders in 1877 and was renamed Mead in 1880. Alvin ran third in the 1873 county-seat vote. Swedish settlers built up the town and its Alma Lutheran church, founded in 1870.

In 1942 the Army built the Nebraska Ordnance Plant on about 17,000 acres just south of town; it loaded bombs and shells during World War II and the Korean War, and the site later held Atlas missiles. The University of Nebraska bought most of the land in 1962–64 for its research farm. The former AltEn ethanol plant near Mead was shut down by the state in February 2021 over pesticide-treated seed corn waste; cleanup by the seed companies continues.

Highways and trails through Mead

Route	One way	Other way
NE 92Through the village	East to Yutan (about 5 mi) and Omaha	West to Wahoo (about 7 mi)

Nearby towns

Yutan	about 4.8 mi east-northeast	NE 92
Ithaca	about 5 mi south-southwest	County roads
Wahoo	about 7 mi west	NE 92
Leshara	about 8 mi north-northeast	County roads
Colon	about 8 mi northwest	County roads
Wann	about 9 mi southeast	County roads
Fremont	about 15 mi north	County roads and US 77

Things to see

ENREEC, University of Nebraska research farm, south of town on NE 66 (open-house events) · Alma Lutheran Church and Alma Cemetery

Schools and health care

Schools: Mead Public Schools: Mead Elementary, 115 N. Elm St., and Mead High School, 114 N. Vine St.

Health care: Nearest hospital Saunders Medical Center, Wahoo (about 7 mi)

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882); Phillips, Past and Present of Saunders County (1915); Saunders County, Nebraska History (1983, NEGenWeb); Fitzpatrick, Nebraska Place-Names (1925); National Register of Historic Places; Nebraska Game and Parks; Lower Platte North NRD; Nebraska Department of Transportation. Distances marked "about" are estimates.