6 | Dawson & Gosper County Travel Guide 2025
NEBRASKA Elwood
A Great Place to Call Home
Gosper County Courthouse
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 banks, and gas stations, to the medical clinic and insurance businesses, there is always something going on. Elwood boasts many businesses, 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. There is so much to do and see in the Elwood area! For those who love the great outdoors, Elwood boasts a fantastic Village Park. There are attractions for all ages — playground equipment for little kids and big kids, picnic shelters and grills, restrooms, the municipal swimming pool, disc golf and horseshoe pits. The ball fields and rodeo arena sit just adjacent to the Park. The annual Easter egg hunt takes place in the Village Park. Hundreds of eggs are stuffed full of goodies, and area children are invited to gather up as many as they can carry. Coffee and doughnuts are available along with Easter crafts for people to enjoy. The annual Elwood Spring Gala, hosted by the Elwood Area Foundation, takes place in late March every year. This elegant affair is a community fundraiser disguised as a fantastic night out. Each year, a sold-out crowd is treated to an incredible dinner, beverages and live entertainment. Proceeds from the Gala auction are used for youth grants and grants for community projects. The House on the Hill Bed & Breakfast and Catering holds classes ranging from crafting to cooking to gardening. In July, Gosper County increases in size as alumni, family members and folks from neighboring communities come to Elwood to celebrate the Gosper County Fair and Rodeo.
BY JOSE PEREZ Lexington Clipper-Herald T
he 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 community of Homerville, an inland town that had been bypassed 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
Gosper County Fair Parade
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