Custer County, Nebraska - Merna, Nebraska (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 115. Not illustrated. Chapters: Merna, Nebraska. Excerpt: Merna, Nebraska - In 1972, Gerald F. Merna, the Executive Assistant to the Postmaster General at the U.S. Postal Service Headquarters in Washington, DC, learned there was a Third Class Post Office named Merna, in Custer County, Nebraska. Curious as to his namesake Post Office, on Feb. 16th Mr. Merna wrote a letter to Kenneth L. Bergstrom, then the Postmaster of Merna, Nebraska 68856, inquiring how the town got its name "Merna." Postmaster Bergstrom sent Mr. Merna a small pamphlet, STORY of MERNA and AREA. Selected excerpts from that pamphlet disclosed the following information: Merna is located in Kilfoil Township of Custer County. The first Merna Post Office was located about one-half mile north of the present townsite and was established on March 2, 1880. It was located in a home built of cedar logs, rather than sod, occupied by the first Postmaster, Samuel N. Dunning. Postmaster Dunning and a few neighbors petitioned the United States Government at Washington to grant them a mail route from Kearney and a Post Office, to be called Clifton. The name Clifton was rejected but the mail route was granted. The Post Office and town were later named for Postmaster Dunnings daughter, Merna. In 1881, W. G. Brotherton and his wife took a claim where the town of Merna now stands. He built a small sod house and this became a Post Office and a store, he being the second Postmaster. In 1883, the Post Office and store, which comprised the town, was moved about two miles west and north, and a townsite, company formed. In 1886, the Lincoln Townsite Company purchased Postmaster Brothertons claim, relocating the Post Office and town back in the former location. Early in April, the year 1883, a small train of prairie schooners came from Iowa and Illinois looking for the valley which was alr...