Reynolds, Nebraska         

History

Reynolds, population 88, was co-founded in 1880 by William Menary, and early homesteader, and W.H. Debuse and established when Menary convinced the Republican Valley Railroad to build its railroad through his property by donating every other lot to them in the south half of the town. DeBuse owned all of the lots to the north.

The town was given the name Reynolds in honor of the father of a conductor on the Republican Valley line. The town was also served by the Burlington and Missouri Railroad, which eventually bought out the Republican Valley and became the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.

The birth of Reynolds meant the demise of Rose Creek City,  located about two miles northwest of Reynolds. Rose Creek was established in 1871 by the Rev. Ives Marks and his wife Emily and officially platted in 1874. When it became clear  that the railroad had bypassed Rose Creek City for Reynolds, many of the buildings, including the blacksmith shop, drug store, church, hotel and school were put on skids and pulled by horses over the hills to Reynolds.

Walter Parker, the first postmaster of Reynolds, was commissioned in 1880. He was also the first mayor and bought the very first lot in the village. By  1890, the town had a population of 500 and two churches, a railroad depot and a lumberyard. There was also several general stores, two hotels, a furniture store, two millineries, a barber, livery and a pump and windmill business. Today, the village has 88 people and offers a general store, two grain elevators, a community building, park and a volunteer fire department.