Marsland, Nebraska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marsland, Nebraska
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Overview of Marsland, looking south from the former school, April 2012
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 Marsland, Nebraska
Location in Nebraska
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| Country | United States |
| State | Nebraska |
| County | Dawes |
| Elevation | 4,160 ft (1,270 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP codes |
69354
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| GNIS feature ID | 831064 |
Marsland is a small, quiet place in southwestern Dawes County, Nebraska, in the United States. It's not a big city or town with its own government, but rather an "unincorporated community." This means it's a group of homes and buildings that are part of the larger county. Marsland is located right by the Niobrara River and sits along Nebraska Highways 2 and 71. It's about 18 miles south of Crawford and southwest of Chadron, which is the main town for Dawes County. Marsland is quite high up, at 4,160 feet (about 1,298 meters) above sea level. Its special mail code, called a ZIP code, is 69354.
A Look Back at Marsland's Past
Marsland began on August 28, 1889. It was one of many communities that grew up along the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad line. The town was named after Thomas Marsland, who was an important manager for the railroad at that time. Around the same time, the local post office from a nearby place called Corbin moved to Marsland.
Originally, Marsland's economy depended on building the Belmont Tunnel. This tunnel was a few miles north of Marsland, near Belmont. The tunnel was finished in 1890. That same year, many new businesses opened in Marsland. These included a local newspaper, a grocery store, and a blacksmith shop. In 1895, a hotel was built in the town center. The next year, two churches were established. Over the years, other businesses helped people find jobs. These included a flour mill and places that produced ice.
Marsland's population was largest in 1910, with about 200 people living there. In the years that followed, several fires destroyed a big part of the town's business area. Over the next few decades, many families left Marsland. They moved because of dry weather and money problems. Some even took their houses with them! Today, only a few houses and some commercial buildings remain. Even though a small number of people still live there, Marsland is mostly known as a ghost town.
Learning in Marsland: The School's Story
The very first school in Marsland was built in 1890. Later, in 1915, a new, bigger school was constructed. This school was two stories tall and had a basement. It was made of bricks created by a local person named Mr. Bell. Both floors had two large rooms, with a hallway separating them. This school taught children from Marsland and the nearby farms. It had classes for both younger kids (primary grades) and older kids (secondary grades).
In 1947, the school building was declared unsafe. It would shake whenever the wind blew! Because of this, the second story was removed, and the rest of the building was fixed up. The school stopped offering high school classes in 1951. Then, in 1992, the elementary school closed. All the students from Marsland began going to school in the Hemingford school district instead. The old school building is still standing today, but it is now owned by a private person.
