Sargent, NE

George W Sherman, born in New York on September 7, 1835, and his wife the former Ruth Courtney a native of West Virginia, came in the spring of 1879 to take a homestead of 160 acres a half mile east of what was later to be the Village of Sargent. Acting on a petition by the settlers for mail service, David M. Key then Post Master General of the United States, appointed Mrs. Ruth A. Sherman postmaster July 23, 1879 authorizing her to establish an office. Her office was named Sargent in honor of her close friends Mr. and Mrs. E.D. Sargent of Illinois. It was located in a Soddy a half mile east of the now corporate limits of town. 

With the establishment of a post office, contact with the outside world became easier and more settlers came into this fertile valley to make a life for themselves and their families. J.K. Spacht built the first store in what is now Sargent, in July 1883, in the middle of a wheat field. After the establishment of his store, Mr. Spacht persuaded Mrs. Sherman to let him move her post office to his store. Mrs. Sherman agreed with one condition that the name would remain Sargent.

The town of Sargent quickly formed on two adjoining quarters of land owned by J.W Thomas and E.P Savage. Savage promoted the town vigorously after plotting out the town with Thomas on their adjoining quarters. Thomas opened the first bank in Custer County; which set where the TK Repair building is located now. The J.K. Spacht store and Bank were quickly joined by other businesses, and at the end of 1883 Sargent boasted the Spacht store, Custer County Bank, The Windsor Hotel, Pioneer Drug Store, Bradenbury Furniture and a Livery Barn. 

The town of Sargent quickly formed on two adjoining quarters of land, the town grew to over 300 people by 1888. Much of this growth was because of the expansion of the B&M Railroad into Sargent. A railroad strike stifled those plans, and the town fell into a deep economic regression for most of the 1890s. In 1899, the first train rolled into Sargent rescuing her from economic demise. By 1900, Sargent had two newspapers, two banks, two churches, two grain elevators, many businesses, a creamery, a school and phone lines from Broken Bow Independent Telephone. In 1919 the town was described as a “Hustling Little Village“, with over 800 people. In 1920 Sargent peaked with over 1000 residents. Many milestones and hardships were in front of her but a little village that rose from a wheat field had secured its place in Custer County and in history. As of 2019, Sargent has a population of 525.