Idea: Guide to Wayne, Nebraska

This is one of my projects that started when my cousins and I met in Wayne, Nebraska for a reunion and to spend time with Uncle George.  It’s a Cousins’ Guide to Wayne because many had no idea of how to find family history in this small town.  The first time I took a draft copy for everyone and they helped fill in the blanks.  Actually it’s still in draft form – there are always things to add.  Uncle George is gone now, but the cousins might still gather in Wayne, so there will be a new edition of the guide.  I offer it as an idea for a town that’s important to you.

I printed it out in booklet form which didn’t transfer to the blog format so I’ll just include a few pages.  Printing on plain paper with room for folks to make notes or additions seem to work well.  I felt no need to have all the answers, so I included many questions – let everyone contribute!

Residences of the family, or places where the residences had been and have now been replaced.  Some of the photos are old, some are current.  

I included several places downtown that had meaning for the family – either many years ago or our current favorite restaurant.  In Wayne, I had to include Swan’s Apparel which has been important to the women in the family for generations!  Consider schools, employers, neighbors, clubs, and of course, cemeteries.

I also wanted to include the surrounding area.  I started pages for all the side trips Uncle George would take us on for a day’s drive.  Didn’t finish all of George’s portion before he died.  And I don’t have a photo of the Green Diamond restaurant in St. James, Nebraska.

Hope this encourages you to try a guide to your family’s town.