Creighton

History

The City of Creighton developed as a result of the “Bruce Colony” settlement in 1871. A charter was obtained in 1874 to plat the north side of what is now the mile-long Main Street. Some say the town was named for Edward Creighton, while others claim it was for John, for whom Creighton University was named. The most plausible explanation is “the Creighton family of Omaha.” In those early years, food staples and supplies were brought in by wagon from Yankton or West Point, being transported mainly during the winter so the rivers might be crossed while frozen. When the railroad arrived in 1881, insuring the existence of Creighton, it resulted in the near-demise of Bazile Mills to the north. The next year Main Street was widened, additions were made to the original town, and formal incorporation papers were filed. Dr. George Roberts established a medical center that continued until 1920. After 33 years without a hospital, the Lundberg family and other concerned citizens built a modern hospital in 1953 that serves as the only hospital in Knox County. Many tales of bravery and human endurance arose from the catastrophic blizzard of 1888. More recently the winter of 1948–49, starting with a blizzard in November, brought a resignation to weather's importance in northeast Nebraska. A newspaper started in 1889, the year a fire destroyed an entire block of the business district. This prompted the installation of a unique system that took water directly from Bazile Creek and stored it in a wooden tower to be used for fire protection. In 1894 a volunteer fire department was organized and today it still protects the city with one of the best-equipped units for its size. The first electric service was operated by Fred Largen and Andy Schneider in 1890. Later, Largen started…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  530
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  440
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  419
• Western Meadowlark

  Sturnella neglecta Audubon, 1844 · Aves
  333
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  295
• Common Grackle

  Quiscalus quiscula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  265
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  263
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  262

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2025-02-05
  8 km SSE of Tilden, Nebraska
• M 2.5 — 2024-03-06
  6 km SSE of Santee, Nebraska
• M 3 — 2023-12-10
  11 km ESE of Wakonda, South Dakota
• M 3.1 — 2021-06-04
  9 km ENE of Anoka, Nebraska
• M 3.7 — 2021-06-04
  10 km NE of Anoka, Nebraska
• M 3.1 — 2021-01-04
  5 km N of Tyndall, South Dakota