Destination Elwood/Johnson Lake 2025 | 9
THE HISTORY OF Elwood, Nebraska
The town of Elwood, the Gosper County seat and home to Johnson Lake and the Elwood Reservoir, is surrounded by lush pastures filled with cattle and table-like irrigated fields full of grain. It is hard to imagine how the area appeared in May 1885 when the railroad and land company decided to start a town at this location. Elwood became a terminal for the railroad when a roundhouse was built on the west edge of the town. People flocked to the area and began to build homes and businesses. Soon, a clamor rose to move the Gosper County seat away from the “current” community of Homerville, an inland town that had been by-passed by the railroad, to the up-and- coming village of Elwood. Ultimately, Elwood was selected as the Gosper County seat. The buildings and homes in Homerville were moved nine miles north, across the hills to Elwood. The population of Elwood steadily rose, and then took a jump
in 1940 when the town was filled with construction workers building Johnson Lake and the irrigation canal system that is now Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District. Irrigation brought with it the ability to weather droughts. Agriculture income remains the primary base of the community. Downtown Elwood was and still is the hub of the community. From the cooperative grocery store, banks, and gas stations, to the medical clinic and insurance businesses, there is always something going on. Elwood boasts many businesses, including a convenience store and motel, a senior center that provides lunches for folks of any age, several retail businesses, and a caring and well-staffed care center/assisted living center. This small town with humble beginnings is still a close-knit and proud community. We take pride in the appearance of our community, in our public school, and we proudly support our local businesses.
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