On this day, a "bomb cyclone" dropped up to 4 inches of rain on several inches of wet snow on frozen soil. The rapidly melting snow caused flooding on the Big Blue River and Plum Creek. Traffic on Highway 34 west of town was closed, flood water . . . — — Map (db m182040) HM
On January 2, 1863, Robert T. Gale filed the first homestead in Seward County, then “Greene County.”
A surveyor, he chose an irregular tract along Plum Creek that provided shelter from the north winds and fresh spring water . . . — — Map (db m101844) HM
Since 1868, Seward has, with but few interruptions, sponsored a yearly 4th of July celebration which has gained national attention. This square, the original site of the festival, is today its focal point. Special trains once brought revelers here . . . — — Map (db m101843) HM