Cumminsville Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

Cumminsville Area Cameras

Former town and post office · Wheeler County · post office 1881–1937

About Cumminsville

Cumminsville is an unincorporated community in the Beaver Valley of Wheeler County, on US 281 about 7 miles north of Bartlett, at about 2,070 feet. NE 70 leaves US 281 for Elgin north of Bartlett, near the old townsite. Little of the town remains.

History

Frank Cummins homesteaded the site in 1880, and the town grew almost overnight in 1881 on hopes that the Union Pacific would build up the Beaver Valley from Albion: two general stores, a livery barn, a blacksmith shop, a hotel and a church in its first year. The post office opened in 1881 with Sam E. Chambers as postmaster, and A. J. Stewart started the Wheeler County Gazette there the same year. In 1882 Cumminsville outpolled Cedar City for county seat, 101 to 80, but short of the three-fifths needed; in the final election of 1885–86 it lost to Bartlett, 193 to 90. The railroad never came. The post office later moved about 3 miles west of the old site and closed in 1937.

Nearby towns

Bartlett	about 7 mi south	US 281
Ericson	about 16 mi south-southwest	US 281 and NE 70/91
Chambers	about 18 mi northwest	US 281
Elgin	about 24 mi east	NE 70
Neligh	about 28 mi east-northeast	NE 70
O'Neill	about 33 mi north	US 281