Main Street

The Omaha and Republican Valley Railroad constructed a depot in 1885 to handle freight. The Union Pacific bought the existing railroad line in 1898. Raymond became a scheduled passenger and freight stop from the late 1905 to early 1952. In later years the depot was closed and the building removed.

The Bank of Raymond was established in 1901 with W.J. Weller as president and J.C. Denser as cashier. A new building was built in 1909 and during the depression of the 1930's the bank closed.

The first Presbyterian Church was organized in 1880 and was called Little Salt Church. By late 1882 a new building had been constructed in the village. In 1907 the church was remodeled. Due to the loss of members, the church was dissolved in 1979.

The Raymond Methodist Church was organized in March of 1882. The Board of Trustees bought land and constructed a new church building that is still located on the same land.

The post office was established in 1878, with William Breeden as postmaster. About 500 people were being served. In 1945, the Raymond Post Office was moved to the corner of First and Clark Streets. The same building still serves the needs of 85 local box holders and 225 rural box holders.

The Raymond Fire District was established in 1947, and the first fire barn was built in 1948. A larger building was constructed and dedicated in October of 1975. The new fire barn is located at First and County Road 670. The District has an excellent fleet of fire and rescue response equipment.

The Raymond CO-OP Grain was incorporated in 1916 by twenty-six local farmers as principal shareholders. Facilities were purchased from two independent elevator operators who were in business prior to this time. A new elevator was constructed in 1947 and during the following years the Co-op grew. Again in 1978 plans were made to construct a new steel building. In November of 1982, a propane explosion destroyed the building and the resulting fire killed four employees and one customer.

The first Raymond area school was in a dugout on the former Albert Carlson farm in 1864. In 1869 Charles White and his wife began a subscription school in their home. A school was organized in 1871 and

First log cabin built in 1870

classes were held in an unused grainery. A building was constructed one mile south of the present village in 1874. The County superintendent designated the school as District #19 in Lancaster County. In 1893, a one-story, two-room building was built in town. A second story was added in 1901 and the ninth and tenth grades were added. All grades K-12 were in place by 1919. The school continued until 1961 when the high school was closed. K-8 grades continued until 1966 when the board merged the district with Valparaiso and Ceresco into the new District No. 161. Raymond High School had been the only wooden K-12 school in the state of Nebraska at that time. The building was sold in 1974 and eventually torn down. The town acquired the land and built a park and tennis court.

Community developments have included all streets hard surfaced in 1973, street signs in 1978, the first water system in 1975 and a sewer system in 1966.

Because of heavy rains, Oak Creek has flooded and brought much destruction to farms, roads and homes throughout the years. In 1948 the streets were knee high with water and many crops and some livestock were lost. Again in 1951 Oak Creek flooded and covered acres of crops, washed out railroad tracks, and damaged the highway. The most damaging flood was on June 24, 1963. Heavy rains caused water to roll down the highway and cover all the land between Raymond and Agnew. Several families were evacuated from their homes, some by boat, and other families were stranded in their homes for a short time. Three people lost their lives in the flood waters south of Valparaiso.

Area developments include Branched Oak Reservoir, as a watershed dam, Willard Estates, a 160 acre subdivision one mile east of Raymond; and James Arthur Vineyards, a Nebraska-based winery.

The present population of the town is 190 people.