RANDOLPH, "The Good Life" "Located just a half hour northeast of Norfolk, NE, the city of Randolph is ready to WELCOME YOU! With a population of nearly 1,000 and virtually zero crime rate, it is an excellent community in which to live, work and play!" WHAT'S NEW? Randolph is proud to announce development of the Country Club Drive Subdivision with eleven residential building lots!


History

1879   August F. Huwaldt located on a homestead southwest of town

 
1880   Frank Whitney emigrated from Wisconsin and staked out 320 acres. First man to make his home in the Randolph township

 
1882   Wisconsin native W.M. Totten bought 160 acres three miles northeast of Randolph

 
1883   Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Omaha Railroad extended its road from Wakefield up the North Logan Creek to Coleridge

 
1886   A.L. Morse and Ida Bell Morse deeded the land Randolph sits on to the Northern Nebraska Land and Improvement Company on May 21

Northwestern Nebraska Railroad Co. put down a line from Wayne to Niobrara in June

Frank H. Peavey and E.W. Backman, of St. Paul, Minnesota came to Wayne and went over the line to lay town sites at this location in June

Frank H. Peavey and E.W. Backman, of St. Paul, Minnesota came to Wayne and went over the line to lay town sites at this location in June

Mr. Peavey named “Randolph” in honor of Lord Randolph Churchill of England in June

Mr. Andrew from Ponca established a blacksmith shop in the summer

Mr. Atkins built the first house in the summer

Nebraska Land and Improvement Company filed a plat and dedication that officially established the name “Randolph” on October 6

Auction of lots in the new town of Randolph on October 7

Paul Buol began building a hardware store on October 7

Building of the first hotel known as the “Atkins Hotel” in the fall

G.N. Le Valley, Pioneer Lumber Yard, and Edward and Bradford Lumber Co. established in the fall

 
1887   Boughn Hotel built 

C.S. Whitman located the Randolph State Bank in a corner of the Boughn Hotel lobby

J.L. Stewart opened the first drug store

H.S. Fisher the first lawyer can to town followed by Dr. Sharpe a medical doctor and Dr. Webb a dentist

 
1888   J.L. Stewart put in a line of furniture in his drug store and was engaged in the undertaking business

 
1889   Second bank was founded by C.H. Randall, W.P. Hill, A.F. Huwaldt, and Paul Buol known as Security National Bank

Officially recognized as a village on May 7

First meeting of the village Board of Trustees held on May 13

First election held to pass bond issue in July

Mr. Mallory established brickyard

Boughn’s Big Store established

 
1890   Railroad became more important in development of town

Randolph Mill built

Lorge store established

Hill’s Pharmacy established

 
1891   Kerosene street lamps installed

 
1894   Overhead bridge built on Jackson Street

 
1894   First phone strung between Hill’s Pharmacy and the Short Line Depot

 
1901   Volunteer fire department organized

 
1903   Rural mail routes established in the summer

Randolph reorganized as a second-class city in July with a population of 1165

 
1904   S.W. Mosher elected Mayor in the Spring

Randolph Fair Association formed

 
1905   Soldiers Monument at Randolph Cemetery dedicated by the G.A.R. in October

Streetlights installed

 
1906   Light plant installed

 
1908   John Boughn installed moving picture machine in the opera house

 
1910   Randolph merchants bought 100,000 eggs in one week in April

Tilton Weber killed in April in one of the first car wrecks in the area

Catholic School dedicated in July

 
1913   C.O.D. feature and insurance added to mail service

Businessmen organized a “Good Roads Association”

Farm Bureaus in each county of Nebraska with a county agent were established

Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and Ross Crane, the cartoonist came to Randolph

Randolph Methodist Church dedicated in March

 
1914   Tennis court built east of the Omaha depot

 
1916   Helen Keller came to Randolph

War comes to our shores

St. Frances Parish plans new church

Methodist Church destroyed by lightning on September 13

 
1917   Five railcars full of autos delivered and sold in the community in three months

School board sees need to enlarge school

Methodist Church rededicated on July 19

Dee Wilson was first from Randolph to die of wounds in the war on August 12

Third bank added to the community

 
1918   Spanish Flu Epidemic broke out

First mass held at the new St. Frances Church on June 6

Library opened on November 21

First auto stolen

 
1919   American Legion formed in Randolph

Women given the right to vote

 
1920   Bricks layed on business streets of town

First x-ray machine installed by Dr. G.E. Peters

Census shows population of 1493

 
1922   Radios installed in the community

 
1923   Boughn Opera House closed

 
1924   First golf course opened on Dr. Cook’s land

 
1925   Swimming pool built

Tractor school held to teach area men about this new machine

 
1926   Smallpox outbreak

Beginning of Randolph rise to the title, “Honey Capital of the Nation”

 
1929   Flu and diphtheria outbreak

 
1931   Night watchman appointed

 
1938   Work began on the Randolph Community Auditorium

 
1940   Hard-Time skating party held on February 29 at the West Randolph Ballroom


Randolph Community Club formed on November 19

 
1941   First air conditioning unit installed at the Cottage Beauty Shop


Tenth year of the Junior Fair in August


Auditorium formally dedicated on November 7


Bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7

 
1942   Building of St. John’s Lutheran Church began

 
1943   McLean’s Cash Store closed

 
1945   War in Europe ended on May 8


Japan surrendered on August 14

 
1950   Korean Conflict began

 
1951   First television installed on February 1

 
1953   Largest fire in town’s history swept through three buildings on May 3


Natural gas service arrived on October 6

 
1962   New Randolph Post Office dedicated in June

 
1966   Randolph and Belden school districts consolidate in March

 
1968   Colonial Manor held open house in March


Final service held at the Presbyterian Church on March 28

 
1970   St. Frances Catholic School closed in the spring

 
1971   Phone system switched over to dial in October


Swimming pool built

 
1974   Sunday mail delivery terminated

 
1975   Completion of Fire Station

 
1977   Numbers assigned to homes and businesses

 
1979   Randolph Haven Apartments held open house


Patent Electric built new store

 
1980   Second ballfield established at the City park

 
1982   Double tennis court constructed

 
1984   First computer installed in the City


Randolph Senior Citizens Center organized in the spring


Randolph Senior Citizens Center held ribbon cutting in September

 
1987   New fencing and lighting completed at the baseball field

 
1993   Randolph Community Golf Course opened

 
1994   Clubhouse added to the Community Golf Course

 
2000   Colonial Estates Assisted Living facility completed

 
2007   New Lied Randolph Public Library opened


City of Randolph
212 E. Broadway
PO Box 457
Randolph, NE 68771
citrand@cableone.net
P: (402) 337-0567
F: (402) 337-0571