Melbeta Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

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Village · Scotts Bluff County · Population 108 (2020 census) · ZIP 69355 · Founded 1911 · Peak population 151 (1980)

About Melbeta

Melbeta is a village of 108 (2020) on the south side of the North Platte in Scotts Bluff County, at 3,829 feet, about 8 miles east-southeast of Gering. NE 92, the old Oregon Trail corridor road to Chimney Rock, runs through the village, and Link 79E crosses the river north to Minatare. Melbeta is in the Gering Public Schools district and on Mountain Time.

History

Melbeta was established in 1911, when the Union Pacific extended its south-side branch to the site. Its name is said to come from a word for "sugar beet," and Volga German families settled in and around the village to raise beets for the valley's sugar factories. The population was highest, 151, in 1980. The town hall at 303 Main St. serves as a polling place.

Highways and trails through Melbeta

Route	One way	Other way
NE 92Through the village	East to McGrew and Bayard	West to Gering
Link 79ENorth across the river	North to Minatare and US 26	Ends at NE 92

Nearby towns

Minatare	about 2 mi north-northeast	Link 79E
McGrew	about 6 mi east-southeast	NE 92
Bradley	about 7 mi east	County roads
Gering	about 8 mi west-northwest	NE 92
Scottsbluff	about 10 mi northwest	NE 92
Bayard	about 10 mi east	NE 92

Schools and health care

Schools: Gering Public Schools

Health care: Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff, about 10 mi

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Who's Who in Nebraska, Scotts Bluff County (1940); Grant L. Shumway, History of Western Nebraska (1921); Nebraska State Gazetteer (1890); Fitzpatrick and Link, Nebraska Place-Names (1960); National Park Service; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Nebraska Game and Parks; History Nebraska and its markers; National Register nominations; Nebraska Department of Transportation; Bureau of Reclamation; city and village websites; school districts; Regional West Health Services; Visit Scottsbluff; Star-Herald; KNEB; KHYY. Distances marked "about" are straight-line estimates.