52 Days Until Gameday – Day #42 Harlan County, Nebraska

[HuskerInCarolina]

We have 52 days until our first game of the 2026-2027 football season against the Ohio Bobcats on 9/5/2026.
Yesterday we looked at Hamilton County, Nebraska.

https://www.on3.com/boards/threads/53-days-until-gameday-–-day-41-hamilton-county-nebraska.8894452/

Harlan County, Nebraska

• Established in 1871.
• Historians differ on where the county name comes from. One account suggests it is named after a settler named Thomas Harlan who settled near Alma. Another account says it was named in honor of James Harlan, Secretary of the Interior from 1865-1866.
• Harlan County was created by legislature that separated the land from Lincoln County.
• Alma is the county seat and only city in the county. Melrose, a settlement that no longer exists, was originally the county seat.
• There are also 6 villages in the county.
• Population is ~3,000 (2025) and has steadily declined since its peak of ~9,200 in 1910.
• The county is approximately 574 square miles.
• License plate prefix #51
• Harlan County used to be a prized hunting ground for Native American tribes.
• The Republican River flows through the county and empties in the Harlan County Lake.
• Harlan County Reservoir (Harlan County Lake) is one of south-central Nebraska’s most significant water and recreation resources providing flood control, irrigation support, boating, fishing, and camping opportunities.
• Harlan County Lake is Nebraska’s 2nd largest lake.
• As with most Nebraskan counties, agriculture is a big part of the county. Ranching and farming of corn, soybean, and wheat occupy most of the land in the county.
• Mascot, NE had a post office from 1886-1892 and a high school from 1923-1958.
• The Stamford Newsletter is published each week and is produced by volunteers.
• The original town site of Republican City sits at the bottom of Harlan County Lake and when the water level drops low enough, you can see remnants of the old houses and buildings.
• Republican City has a protected area for prairie dogs.
• Ragan, NE is one of the smallest municipalities in Nebraska, covering only 0.25 square miles.
• Once at 222 residents, Ragan is currently down to approximately 20 residents.
• Orleans, NE is known to be the first settlement in Harlan County.
• In the early 1900s, Alma was famous for the "Nightwalker," a mysterious, fast-running ghost in a veil who haunted the town streets. It was a massive news story that made national headlines.
• Alma was a host site of German prisoners during WWII where they worked local farms.
• Oxford is split between Furnas County and Harlan County.

Former Huskers and Spotlights (years are letterman years)
According to University of Nebraska-Lincoln records, there have been 3 letterman football players from Harlan County, NE.

John Peterson – MG 1971, Alma, NE.

• All-State player out of Alma HS in 1970.
• Only listed on the roster in 1971 where he was the 3rd string MG/DT.
• The 1971 team would go on to finish 13-0 and National Champions, Orange Bowl Champions, and Big Eight Champions; throttling Alabama 38-6 in the Orange Bowl.

Joe Byler – T 1941-1942, Alma, NE.

• 6’5” 210lb tackle wearing #45.
• Lettered at Nebraska in 1941-1942.
• He played for head coaches Biff Jones and Glenn Presnell, going 4-5 and 3-7 respectively.
• Played for the New York Giants in 1946.

Greg Fletcher – LB 1991, Oxford, NE.

• 6’1” 240 outside linebacker wearing #39.
• Played at Nebraska from 1989-1992, lettering in 1991.
• 4-year letterwinner and 2x All-State at Oxford HS.
• Played in 7 games making 11 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery and 1 QB hurry.

Other Notable or Prominent People from/born in Harlan County:

Robert Rundle – Born and raised in Orleans, NE. Prominent chemist and crystallographer in the 1940’s. Fellow of the American Physical Society.

Donald Ross – Born and raised in Orleans, he was appointed by President Nixon to serve as a federal judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit from 1970-2013.

Ashton Shallenberger – Grew up in Alma, NE. Founded the Bank of Alma. Served in Congress 1901-1903, 1915-1919, 1923-1929, 1931-1935. He was also Nebraska’s 15th Governor, serving from 1909-1911.


GO BIG RED


Resources:
https://storage.googleapis.com/husk.../ZD6pyAK8hFocPYXCFPaVccH8170tcm1uOYyc7u0R.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlan_County,_Nebraska
https://harlancounty.ne.gov/
https://harlancounty.ne.gov/about-our-county/
https://visitnorthshoremarina.com/

 

[GBR01]

I am going to add a few prominent Harlan County citizens:

Sidney M. Collins - C 1907, 1908, and 1910, Stamford, NE
Three year starting center. He did not play in 1909, because he did not have any money, so he worked as a probation officer that year. Collins also earned money for school by working as a coal miner in Wyoming and a prison guard at the state penitentiary. Amos Alonzo Stagg tried to recruit Collins away from Nebraska to play for the University of Chicago, but failed. Collins scored a touchdown in Nebraska 119 - 0 victory of Haskell in 1910. The Chicago Daily News named Collins as the 1st Team center on their 1910 All-Western Team. The Chicago Tribune named him 2nd Team All-Western that same year. Collins excelled on the university track & field teams in discus, shot put and hammer throw.

Evelle J. Younger - Former California Attorney General
Born in Stamford, Nebraska he earned a law degree from University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Younger was appointed to the California Municipal court bench in 1953 by Gov. Earl Warren. Later he was elected to the Superior court, and eventually elected as the Los Angeles County district attorney. While serving Los Angeles County his office presided over the successful convictions of Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan, and cult leader Charles Manson. In 1970 Younger was elected California Attorney General and served two terms. He ran for California Governor as the Republican nominee in 1978, but lost to Jerry Brown.

Raymond J. Caffrey - Federal Agent
Born in McCook, but grew up in Harlan County. Attended Creighton Law School. Became a Federal Agent. One of the victims of the Kansas City Massacure, when Pretty Boy Floyd, Adam Richetti and Vernon Miller, ambushed law enforcement officers at the Union Station train depot on June 17, 1933, in a bloody attempt to free captured federal prisoner Frank Nash.

Charles Caffrey - Federal Agent
Born in Harlan County. Brother to Raymond J. Caffrey. Became a federal agent. J. Edgar Hoover assigned Charles to be President Elect FDR's bodyguard on inauguration day March 4, 1933.

Margaret Mackprang MacKay - Author
Born in Oxford, Nebraska, but lived in Harlan County. Studied at UNL and California - Berkeley. Wrote hundred of articles for popular magazines like Redbook, Saturday Evening Post and Harper's Bazaar. She also authored 19 novels. Lived in China, Hawaii, and later London, England. She was living in Hawaii at the time of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.

 

[HuskerInCarolina]

I am going to add a few prominent Harlan County citizens:

Sidney M. Collins - C 1907, 1908, and 1910, Stamford, NE
Three year starting center. He did not play in 1909, because he did not have any money, so he worked as a probation officer that year. Collins also earned money for school by working as a coal miner in Wyoming and a prison guard at the state penitentiary. Amos Alonzo Stagg tried to recruit Collins away from Nebraska to play for the University of Chicago, but failed. Collins scored a touchdown in Nebraska 119 - 0 victory of Haskell in 1910. The Chicago Daily News named Collins as the 1st Team center on their 1910 All-Western Team. The Chicago Tribune named him 2nd Team All-Western that same year. Collins excelled on the university track & field teams in discus, shot put and hammer throw.

Evelle J. Younger - Former California Attorney General
Born in Stamford, Nebraska he earned a law degree from University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Younger was appointed to the California Municipal court bench in 1953 by Gov. Earl Warren. Later he was elected to the Superior court, and eventually elected as the Los Angeles County district attorney. While serving Los Angeles County his office presided over the successful convictions of Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan, and cult leader Charles Manson. In 1970 Younger was elected California Attorney General and served two terms. He ran for California Governor as the Republican nominee in 1978, but lost to Jerry Brown.

Raymond J. Caffrey - Federal Agent
Born in McCook, but grew up in Harlan County. Attended Creighton Law School. Became a Federal Agent. One of the victims of the Kansas City Massacure, when Pretty Boy Floyd, Adam Richetti and Vernon Miller, ambushed law enforcement officers at the Union Station train depot on June 17, 1933, in a bloody attempt to free captured federal prisoner Frank Nash.

Charles Caffrey - Federal Agent
Born in Harlan County. Brother to Raymond J. Caffrey. Became a federal agent. J. Edgar Hoover assigned Charles to be President Elect FDR's bodyguard on inauguration day March 4, 1933.

Margaret Mackprang MacKay - Author
Born in Oxford, Nebraska, but lived in Harlan County. Studied at UNL and California - Berkeley. Wrote hundred of articles for popular magazines like Redbook, Saturday Evening Post and Harper's Bazaar. She also authored 19 novels. Lived in China, Hawaii, and later London, England. She was living in Hawaii at the time of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Thank you for all of those!! Wicked stories about the Caffrey brothers! Pretty Boy Floyd and his posse were some serious criminals back in the day.

 

[Anon1752115983]

We have 52 days until our first game of the 2026-2027 football season against the Ohio Bobcats on 9/5/2026.
Yesterday we looked at Hamilton County, Nebraska.

https://www.on3.com/boards/threads/53-days-until-gameday-–-day-41-hamilton-county-nebraska.8894452/

Harlan County, Nebraska
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View attachment 1362307
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• Established in 1871.
• Historians differ on where the county name comes from. One account suggests it is named after a settler named Thomas Harlan who settled near Alma. Another account says it was named in honor of James Harlan, Secretary of the Interior from 1865-1866.
• Harlan County was created by legislature that separated the land from Lincoln County.
• Alma is the county seat and only city in the county. Melrose, a settlement that no longer exists, was originally the county seat.
• There are also 6 villages in the county.
• Population is ~3,000 (2025) and has steadily declined since its peak of ~9,200 in 1910.
• The county is approximately 574 square miles.
• License plate prefix #51
• Harlan County used to be a prized hunting ground for Native American tribes.
• The Republican River flows through the county and empties in the Harlan County Lake.
• Harlan County Reservoir (Harlan County Lake) is one of south-central Nebraska’s most significant water and recreation resources providing flood control, irrigation support, boating, fishing, and camping opportunities.
• Harlan County Lake is Nebraska’s 2nd largest lake.
• As with most Nebraskan counties, agriculture is a big part of the county. Ranching and farming of corn, soybean, and wheat occupy most of the land in the county.
• Mascot, NE had a post office from 1886-1892 and a high school from 1923-1958.
• The Stamford Newsletter is published each week and is produced by volunteers.
• The original town site of Republican City sits at the bottom of Harlan County Lake and when the water level drops low enough, you can see remnants of the old houses and buildings.
• Republican City has a protected area for prairie dogs.
• Ragan, NE is one of the smallest municipalities in Nebraska, covering only 0.25 square miles.
• Once at 222 residents, Ragan is currently down to approximately 20 residents.
• Orleans, NE is known to be the first settlement in Harlan County.
• In the early 1900s, Alma was famous for the "Nightwalker," a mysterious, fast-running ghost in a veil who haunted the town streets. It was a massive news story that made national headlines.
• Alma was a host site of German prisoners during WWII where they worked local farms.
• Oxford is split between Furnas County and Harlan County.

Former Huskers and Spotlights (years are letterman years)
According to University of Nebraska-Lincoln records, there have been 3 letterman football players from Harlan County, NE.

John Peterson – MG 1971, Alma, NE.

• All-State player out of Alma HS in 1970.
• Only listed on the roster in 1971 where he was the 3rd string MG/DT.
• The 1971 team would go on to finish 13-0 and National Champions, Orange Bowl Champions, and Big Eight Champions; throttling Alabama 38-6 in the Orange Bowl.

Joe Byler – T 1941-1942, Alma, NE.

• 6’5” 210lb tackle wearing #45.
• Lettered at Nebraska in 1941-1942.
• He played for head coaches Biff Jones and Glenn Presnell, going 4-5 and 3-7 respectively.
• Played for the New York Giants in 1946.

View attachment 1362320
Greg Fletcher – LB 1991, Oxford, NE.

• 6’1” 240 outside linebacker wearing #39.
• Played at Nebraska from 1989-1992, lettering in 1991.
• 4-year letterwinner and 2x All-State at Oxford HS.
• Played in 7 games making 11 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery and 1 QB hurry.

Other Notable or Prominent People from/born in Harlan County:

Robert Rundle – Born and raised in Orleans, NE. Prominent chemist and crystallographer in the 1940’s. Fellow of the American Physical Society.

Donald Ross – Born and raised in Orleans, he was appointed by President Nixon to serve as a federal judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit from 1970-2013.

Ashton Shallenberger – Grew up in Alma, NE. Founded the Bank of Alma. Served in Congress 1901-1903, 1915-1919, 1923-1929, 1931-1935. He was also Nebraska’s 15th Governor, serving from 1909-1911.


GO BIG RED


Resources:
https://storage.googleapis.com/husk.../ZD6pyAK8hFocPYXCFPaVccH8170tcm1uOYyc7u0R.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlan_County,_Nebraska
https://harlancounty.ne.gov/
https://harlancounty.ne.gov/about-our-county/
https://visitnorthshoremarina.com/

The best I can do ... The Long brothers" father, Doug, now an Omaha doctor, is from Alma. Good athlete who played frosh football at NU

 

[HuskerInCarolina]

The best I can do ... The Long brothers" father, Doug, now an Omaha doctor, is from Alma. Good athlete who played frosh football at NU

Thank you for sharing that!! I really appreciate it.
Spencer Long was a stud for us on the OL. So thank you, Doug, for that contribution lol