We have 36 days until our first game of the 2026-2027 football season against the Ohio Bobcats on 9/5/2026.
Yesterday we looked at Logan County, Nebraska.
https://www.on3.com/boards/threads/37-days-until-gameday-–-day-57-logan-county-nebraska.8911341/
Loup County, Nebraska
Former Huskers and Spotlights (years are letterman years)
According to University of Nebraska-Lincoln records, there have been 0 letterman football players from Loup County, NE.
Other Notable or Prominent People from/born in Loup County:
Marah Sandoz – Artist from Taylor who started making the plywood figures for the Taylor Villagers in 2003.
Joseph Rusho – Known as the Father of Taylor. He owned the land where the original townsite, parks, and courthouse were developed.
Edward Taylor – Early settler and close friend of Joseph Rusho; the namesake of Taylor, NE.
George Brock – Sheriff of Taylor who was killed in the line of duty in 1940. Sheriff Brock attempted to serve eviction papers to the Birkes family at their fortified ranch in the northeast section of the county. They defied the eviction and 22-year old Richard Birkes threatened the sheriff’s life. Receiving a warrant, the sheriff waited at the Valleyview Store and Schoolhouse where the WWII draft registration was occurring. On October 16, 1940, it was the last day to register and 2 of the Birkes men arrived to register (Richard and his uncle, John). In an attempt to arrest the men, John Birkes shot Sheriff Brock twice, once in the face and once in the shoulder. Sheriff Brock would die at a hospital in Burwell later that day. The Birkes men fled the area in their vehicle while a Loup County commissioner opened fire on their vehicle, wounding both of them in the process. A large posse was formed out of neighboring Custer County authorities. A local resident of Loup County took his airplane and scouted the county until he found them men hiding in the hills and guided the posse to the Birkes men. John Birkes was sentenced to life in prison for 1st degree murder. He died in a mental asylum in 1953. Richard Birkes was sentenced to 25 years in prison for 2nd degree murder, which was later reduced to 20 years. Sheriff Brock was survived by his wife and 6 children.
GO BIG RED
Resources:
https://storage.googleapis.com/husk.../ZD6pyAK8hFocPYXCFPaVccH8170tcm1uOYyc7u0R.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loup_County,_Nebraska
https://loupcounty.nebraska.gov/
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~neloup/index.htm
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nelchs/
Yesterday we looked at Logan County, Nebraska.
https://www.on3.com/boards/threads/37-days-until-gameday-–-day-57-logan-county-nebraska.8911341/
Loup County, Nebraska
- Established in 1883 and named after the Pawnee Loup Native Americans that lived in the area before settlers arrived.
- The population is ~570 (2025) and has been steadily declining since 1910.
- Loup County is the 5th least populous county in Nebraska and the 10th least populous county in the United States.
- The county is approximately 571 square miles.
- Taylor is the county seat and only village in the county.
- Loup City is NOT in Loup County.
- License plate prefix #88.
- The Calamus River flows through the county and feeds into the Calamus Reservoir.
- The North Loup River flows through the county.
- The average age in the county is approximately 51 years old.
- Loup County has 2 ghost towns you can still see evidence of, Clothstock and Pickiner. Clothstock died out in 1907 and Pickiner ceased to be a thing in 1926. There are also over a dozen communities that briefly existed with no remnants of their existence to be seen today.
- The Taylor Villagers is a public art project that populates the village with life size plywood cutouts of settlers from 1890-1920 to reflect life in the Sandhills at that time.
- There used to be 17 post offices in the county, but today only one remains in Taylor and one in Almeria.
- The history of the Pavillion Hotel goes back to 1887 when Herman and Mary Carter built a hotel for when the railroad came. Even though the railroad didn't come, the Pavillion Hotel still stood. The Pavillion was the best Hotel between Grand Island, Nebraska and Rapid City, South Dakota. The meals were served on tables graced with real linen, silver, and crystal. The Pavillion Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- The Loup County Fair, referred to by locals as the 'World's Fair', is held every year in early August. The 4-day event features 4-H projects including arts and crafts, foods, displays, and animal exhibits, turtle and duck races, cakewalks, hay scramble, ping pong ball drop, kiddie parade, and more! Citizens proudly show off photography, art, produce, and other items. The Fair is wrapped up by one of the biggest and best community parades in the area on Saturday night followed by entertainment that is free for all.
Former Huskers and Spotlights (years are letterman years)
According to University of Nebraska-Lincoln records, there have been 0 letterman football players from Loup County, NE.
Other Notable or Prominent People from/born in Loup County:
Marah Sandoz – Artist from Taylor who started making the plywood figures for the Taylor Villagers in 2003.
Joseph Rusho – Known as the Father of Taylor. He owned the land where the original townsite, parks, and courthouse were developed.
Edward Taylor – Early settler and close friend of Joseph Rusho; the namesake of Taylor, NE.
George Brock – Sheriff of Taylor who was killed in the line of duty in 1940. Sheriff Brock attempted to serve eviction papers to the Birkes family at their fortified ranch in the northeast section of the county. They defied the eviction and 22-year old Richard Birkes threatened the sheriff’s life. Receiving a warrant, the sheriff waited at the Valleyview Store and Schoolhouse where the WWII draft registration was occurring. On October 16, 1940, it was the last day to register and 2 of the Birkes men arrived to register (Richard and his uncle, John). In an attempt to arrest the men, John Birkes shot Sheriff Brock twice, once in the face and once in the shoulder. Sheriff Brock would die at a hospital in Burwell later that day. The Birkes men fled the area in their vehicle while a Loup County commissioner opened fire on their vehicle, wounding both of them in the process. A large posse was formed out of neighboring Custer County authorities. A local resident of Loup County took his airplane and scouted the county until he found them men hiding in the hills and guided the posse to the Birkes men. John Birkes was sentenced to life in prison for 1st degree murder. He died in a mental asylum in 1953. Richard Birkes was sentenced to 25 years in prison for 2nd degree murder, which was later reduced to 20 years. Sheriff Brock was survived by his wife and 6 children.
GO BIG RED
Resources:
https://storage.googleapis.com/husk.../ZD6pyAK8hFocPYXCFPaVccH8170tcm1uOYyc7u0R.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loup_County,_Nebraska
https://loupcounty.nebraska.gov/
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~neloup/index.htm
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nelchs/
