Boelus

Boelus, Howard County. I surveyed it. The Railroad Company called it Howard City. Name was refused by the postal department because it was too much like Harvard, and the department gave the name Baelus. (Robert Harvey interview June 1923.)
When this town was established in 1885 it was named Howard City and the Post Office was the same, So much of the mail went to Harvard, Nebraska which was addressed to Howard City, Nebraska and sometimes caused quite a delay, so in 1887 or 1888 the post master, A.L. Johnson petitioned the post office department to have the name changed to Boelus which was granted. The town itself is still Howard City, but the post office and railroad is Boelus. (Pete Brandstrup Sr., E.W. Ericksen P.M. 6 - 6 - 24)
Howard City, now Boelus I do not know when it was changed to Boelus. It was changed in name because another post office by the name of Harvard City made so much trouble in the mail. (E.L. Hedglin 6 - 16 - 24)
The name of the village is Howard City, but the post office and railroad are named Boelus (C V. Svoboda 9 - 16 - 24).
It was named Howard City for the county and is still known as such in deeds and other conveyances of real estate, as the name of Howard City still holds good in the record plates, But as you say, the postal department rejected the name of Howard City on account of its similarity with Harvard City. I have always been under the impression that it is a transplanted Swedish name. Nearly all the original set-
tlers in that locality were Swedes, but I have made. no effort to investigate whether this belief of mine is correct. (Peter Ebbesen 9 - 29 - 24).
The name "Boelus" is neither Danish or Swedish. The name of this ,town and the post office was Howard Cit, but owing to the similarity -of that name to Harvard and the considerable mail being missent to the later place the name was changed to Boelus by Mr A.J.Johnson. Mr. Johnson was not a Scandinavian but an American by birth, and I think of English extraction. I knew him personally it was stated at the time that the name originated from some planet or star by that name. (John G. Schlytern 10-15-24)
A Mr. Herman suggested the name to Mr. Johnson. (Edward Ericksen 5. 14 - 25).
I remember they wanted to name it Boesen for Henry Boesen, a Dane from Wisconsin, 1872, but he said no so they named it Boelus. Never could find out whence the name. (P.M. Hannibal 2 - 16 28).
Name, crazy ideas of some R.R, official (C. V. Svoboda 2 - 25 - 28).

It was found necessary to change the name of Howard City, and I had been told by different ones that the "Boe" was taken from the Boesen, the "L" was taken from the name Larson, and the "US" was taken from "Uncle Sam". But not until Mrs. Jerena Christensen told me that her Grandfather, Henry Boesen had told her several times that, that was how Boelus got its name, (Ellen Larson in her writings of Our Heritage of 1971)
Now for this writers version of the naming of Howard City "Boelus". I believe Howard City was probably named by a survey engineer, or construction boss of the railroad so that they would have a location to identify to ship material and to name the depot. I also believe it was probably named Howard City because it was in Howard County I think the town of "Boelus" was probably named by an A.J.Johnson the post master of Loup Fork who got tired of the delays of the mail and the extra work of getting mail marked Harvard City. He probably petitioned the post office department to change it to Boelus. I don't believe the post office department had anything to do with naming Boelus, other than to approve that name as it was submitted I believe that Mr. Johnson considered submitting the name Boesen, after Henry Boesen, but because of Mr. Boesen's objections they compromised and called it Boelus. This name probably came about after some discussion with Mr. Boesen, Mr. Larson'and others. I believe that the "Boe" from Boesen. the "L" from Larson and the "US" from Uncle Sam is the most likely source'of the name "Boelus". So be it (Duane "Stoney" Berck 1 - 17 - 85)
In April of 1886 an article appeared that read "Boelus" is the name of our post office Brooks, Soulville and Loup Fork have been discontinued."
This is close to being accurate as the Federal Post Master list indicates the following dates that the respective post offices were disbanded and consolidated with Boelus. Brooks the 19th of March 1886 'Loup Fork, March 20, 1986, and,Soulville April 27, 1886.
In May 1886 work was started across the Loup River southwest of Boelus on the Pleasanton Branch and on the 1 2th of June track layers had run the track to the north end of the new bridge. In early July construction was completed on -the bridge with exception of laying the steel across it. This was completed sometime around the 15th of July and for the first time in history people of this area could walk across the Middle Loup without getting thier feet wet. By July there was a huge pile of railroad material stacked- up at Howard City "Boelus" and it was being increased daily. During the week of July 23, 1886 no... (This is all of the article that I have).

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