The James E. Boyd House, from Gibbon, was the first framed house in Buffalo County in 1864. James, and his brother Joseph came to the area in the early 1850s and started a road ranch for overland travelers heading west. The Boyd Ranch consisted of several buildings, including a barn, blacksmith shop, and post office. By 1854 the Boyd Ranch also became known as Nebraska Centre and considered the territorial county seat. Mr. Boyd attained most of his wealth in overland freighting during the 1860’s and when he secured a contract with the Union Pacific to grade the land used for the tracks. He then moved his family to Omaha in 1868 where he remained active in many business ventures. After a long entrepreneurial career, James E. Boyd then became heavily involved in politics as mayor of Omaha and the seventh governor of Nebraska from 1891-1892.

 

The Boyd House was moved to the grounds of the Trails & Rails Museum in 1993.

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Photos of the Boyd Ranch House are of the current Prairie Pioneer Preservation Project at Trails & Rails Museum. Stay tuned for more photos when the building is complete!