DeWitt came into
being in 1872 when the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad was
completed from Crete to Beatrice. Swan City (Saline County's first
seat) was located a few miles west of the proposed town of DeWitt at
the confluence of Swan and Turkey creeks. Said to have "one of
the finest flour mills in the state," it was faced with competing
with the railroad town. In a short time the Swan City citizens moved
their homes and businesses to the new town and thus helping it to
develop.
The railroad located its town about one mile west of the Big Blue
River on the very edge of the county. The village was first named
"Dennison" for the secretary of the land company. Mr.
Dennison prevailed upon the town, through a $500 gift to the
Congregational Church, to rename it "DeWitt" for his friend
the Rev. DeWitt Talmage of the Brooklyn Tabernacle.
DeWitt followed the pattern of most pioneer towns with its good times
and bad; its rough-necks and saints. It survived devastating fires,
blizzards, droughts, grasshoppers, and floods, as well as the Great
Depression.
The rural community was settled predominately by German immigrants. A
German Lutheran Church was a prominent influence in the village
although the Methodist and Episcopal churches were also important.
These congregations continue to serve DeWitt with only a slight
variation. The Lutheran Church is now affiliated with the American
Lutheran Synod, and the Methodist Church merged with the Evangelical
Church to become the United Methodist Church. In recent years the
Lutherans and Methodists have both built beautiful new buildings.
These institutions work in harmony and are basic to stability of the
community.
DeWitt's first school was built in 1873. It grew with the town through
the years. In 1966 the schools surrounding the district joined forces
to form a consolidated school called "Tri County". A school
built just four miles from DeWitt includes students from Saline, Gage,
and Jefferson counties. Providing good education to the youth of the
community continues to hold a place of high priority.
In the heyday of the horse and buggy, DeWitt was a flourishing little
town of 750 inhabitants. It supported two general stores, two law
offices, two or three doctors, several newspapers, two banks, some
saloons, and a dozen or more sundry and services. In addition to the
Burlington, the Rock Island Railroad also served the town with its
station a half mile south of the village.
With the advent of the automobile, DeWitt could no longer support so
many places of business. People could drive to larger cities to do
their shopping. DeWitt however, continued to serve its rural
clientele, and it remained a viable community. While it relies on
medical services and general merchandise services from larger towns,
it continues to provide many items locally.
During the agonies of the Depression, something occurred that was to
save the town. William Petersen, a Danish immigrant and blacksmith by
trade, invented the "VISE-GRIP" wrench. He, his three sons,
and a daughter developed a business from the idea. That was in the
days when "real jobs were not to be had." It was a great
victory for the town when the last WPA worker got employment at the
VISE-GRIP plant. The enterprise that started in Petersen's shop has
continued to grow so that upwards of 700 people is currently employed.
Merchandise, which now includes an entire line of hand tools, is
shipped to all parts of the world. In 1984 the Petersen family, now
into retirement age, decided to divest themselves of ownership of the
corporation. The company became a subsidiary of American Tool
Companies and continues to grow through inward expansion and
acquisition of other companies.
While having the factory is a godsend to DeWitt and surrounding
communities, agriculture continues to be the basic industry in
Nebraska, of which DeWitt is a part. At noon on any weekday, farmers
and factory workers alike can be found enjoying a good meal at one of
the local restaurant-pubs. Mornings find retired men and women
enjoying a visit over coffee and rolls.
DeWitt, while a town of only 650 people, is a community that has a lot
going for it. It has made its mark worldwide through its good people,
the products of the factory, and the purebred breeding stock of its
specialized agricultural ventures.
Edited by Jane Graff, Seward NE. Processed for the Saline county
web pages by Pauli Mullin, Mesa AZ. This file may be freely
copied for non-profit purposes. All other rights reserved.
