Berwyn, NE

The village of Berwyn began when, in the spring and early summer of 1886, the Burlington, Missouri River & Wyoming Central, which soon became a part of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy system, laid its rails through this area. The Lincoln Land Company platted the village of Berwyn on May 10, 1886 on the north side of the railroad grade. It is believed to have been named for Mr. Berwyn, a railroad surveyor. The first train came through Berwyn, August 26, 1886. J.O. Taylor, a nearby farmer, built the first grocery store in 1886, followed soon thereafter by a combination general merchandise store and café put up by R.P McKnight. Mr. McKnight applied for a post office and for an appointment as postmaster. The application was granted. The Berwyn post office opened Nov. 9, 1886 with Mr. McKnight as the first postmaster. The following winter the Dierks Lumber Company established a branch office and put in a fine stock of lumber and other accessories. An elevator was erected and a blacksmith opened the next spring. W.H. Mauk and H.S. Wayse put in a general hardware store. This marked  Berwyn’s humble beginnings.

Berwyn is almost level, except for the hill which forms the northern boundary, just at the edge of town. In early days the first ball diamond was located northwest of the Tennant implement store. To the north and east of the old blacksmith shop was the village pasture where the cows grazed. The J.O Taylor store built in 1886 was eventually replaced by a two-story building containing a hall, which was used for dances, plays, basketball and even as a roller skating rink.  The Berwyn State Bank was opened in 1914. The building also housed the Farmers State Bank form 1924 to March of 1934 when the bank moved to Mason City. Berwyn’s first power plant was in Nightengale’s Garage until Western Public Service built a transformer here; followed by Consumer Public Power District. Through the Rural Electrification Act, Custer Public Power built lines in Berwyn and the surrounding rural area. In 1970, a steel building was erected on the east side of Main Street on city-owned lots to house the fire truck and other equipment. Park development began in 1968 when grass and trees were planted. In 1976 with the approval of grants from the federal and state governments, a $16,000 recreational project was begun. It included the construction of a tennis court and installation of playground equipment, and a picnic shelter.