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Lemoyne, Nebraska
Lemoyne, NE Close.jpg
Lemoyne, Nebraska is located in Nebraska
Lemoyne, Nebraska
Lemoyne, Nebraska
Location in Nebraska
Lemoyne, Nebraska is located in the United States
Lemoyne, Nebraska
Lemoyne, Nebraska
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Nebraska
County Keith
Founded 1911
Area
 • Total 0.51 sq mi (1.32 km2)
 • Land 0.51 sq mi (1.32 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
3,347 ft (1,020 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 44
 • Density 86.27/sq mi (33.33/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
69146
FIPS code 31-26595
GNIS feature ID 2583887

Lemoyne is a small community in Nebraska, United States. It's known as an "unincorporated community," which means it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. It's also a "census-designated place," meaning the U.S. Census Bureau counts its population separately.

Lemoyne is located in northwestern Keith County. You can find it along Nebraska Highway 92, right on the northern shore of Lake C.W. McConaughy. It's about 20 miles (32 km) north of Ogallala, which is the main city in Keith County. Even though it's small, Lemoyne has its own post office with the ZIP code 69146. In 2020, 44 people lived there.

History of Lemoyne

Lemoyne has an interesting history, especially because it had to move!

How Lemoyne Started

The town of Lemoyne began in 1911. Before that, in 1909, the Union Pacific Railroad built a train line through the North Platte Valley. A local landowner named Lemoyne Jacobs really wanted this train line. He even let the railroad build it on his property. Because of his help, the town was named after him when it was officially mapped out in 1911.

In its early years, Lemoyne grew steadily.

  • In 1915, the Lemoyne School District was created for 19 students.
  • The next year, a company built a bridge over the nearby North Platte River.
  • By 1918, local business people invested $3,500 to build a hotel. This amount would be worth about $59,000 today!
  • By 1924, Lemoyne had grown to 200 residents. They had a church, Bethany Presbyterian Church, and a bigger school.

Moving the Town

A big change came to Lemoyne in the 1930s.

  • In 1935, a special dam was built near Keystone, Nebraska.
  • By 1937, people living in Lemoyne were told they had to move. The reason was that a new lake, Lake McConaughy, was going to be built, and their town would be underwater.
  • Some residents tried to stop the lake from being built, but it didn't work.
  • Starting in 1937, buildings in Lemoyne were taken apart. They were then moved to the hills north of the original town site and put back together.
  • By 1941, all the buildings were moved. The original town site was then covered by about 50 feet (15 meters) of water.

The new town was first called "New Lemoyne," but eventually, everyone just called it "Lemoyne" again. After the move, some people decided to live somewhere else. Because of this, the community didn't grow as much as it had before.

In 2004, there was a serious drought (a long period with very little rain). The water level in Lake McConaughy dropped a lot. This drop was so big that the foundations of the original town site could be seen for the first time in 63 years!

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