Magnet was platted in 1893 when the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway was extended to that point.
- CountyCedar County
- Population43 (2020 U.S. Census)
Magnet was platted in 1893 when the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway was extended to that point.
Magnet, Nebraska gifts and souvenirs: 25 designs made from Magnet's own map, landmarks and history, from $16 to $95. Printed to order and shipped free in the USA.
| Popular | Price |
|---|---|
| Magnet Hometown Ornament | $23 |
| Magnet Vintage Travel Poster | from $40 |
| Magnet Varsity Crewneck | from $57 |
| Magnet Est. Tee | from $33 |
| Magnet Town Line Mug | from $26 |
| Magnet Market Tote | $37 |
Ceramic keepsake, gold ribbon
Its landmark photo in a classic travel-poster layout
A local landmark photo as a gallery print
Classic large-letter postcard art, filled with local photos
The town's story in dates, from its own records, for home or classroom
Heavy-blend fleece, street map printed on the back
Red heavy-blend crewneck, knit-stitch town print
Soft Bella+Canvas jersey
Kids' Bella+Canvas jersey, youth sizes
Bella+Canvas toddler jersey
Bella+Canvas baby bodysuit
Large-letter postcard art filled with local photos
Glossy ceramic, dishwasher safe
Large-letter postcard art filled with local photos, 11 oz ceramic
Weatherproof, for the front walk
24″×16″, printed coir-look fibers, rubber back
12″×12″ printed wood, ready to hang
Soft-touch, zip cover
A local landmark photo with the town name, 18″×18″
Sturdy all-over-print tote
Large-letter postcard art on a sturdy tote
Foam-front trucker, printed (not embroidered) with local photos
Glossy top, cork back
Soft fleece, 50″×60″
20 oz, double-wall stainless
Magnet was platted in 1893 when the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway was extended to that point. Magnet was so named by its founder B. E. Smith, who hoped to attract settlers to the region "as the magnet attracts iron".
Magnet's motto: "Magnet: The town too tough to die!" came from a variety of disasters that have struck the town over the course of its history. In February 1925 a fire burned one block of Main Street. The first tornado of two to strike Magnet happened on June 18, 1937. It tore through the town, destroying many businesses and homes. Thousands of people came to survey the damage on the Sunday following the storm. Over the summer of 1937 the town was cleaned up and through the help of neighboring towns, buildings and farms were restored.
The second tornado struck Magnet on May 6, 1975 at 2:45 pm. The devastating tornado ripped through the town, destroying 2 homes and heavily damaging many more. A Carhart Lumber truck from Randolph came into town, bringing a load of plywood sheets. They were used for temporary repairs to protect damaged homes from the elements. The town was without lights and water, so the fire department from the neighboring town of Wausa brought in emergency generator units. Workers from the power company labored throughout the night to restore electrical service to the main part of town. It took over a week to replace broken poles and wires. Drinking water was brought in milk creamer cans. Help from neighboring towns came during the summer to assist with the clean-up.
The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Omaha Railroad went from Randolph to Magnet, then on to Bloomfield. Travelers who came to Magnet in 1894 had only a platform and an old box car to unload on when they arrived. During 1905–06, everything came by mail, groceries, farm goods, etc. In 1948–49, there was a very bad winter; at one time there was no train for six weeks. In the 1950s the train only came through three times a week. The tracks were eventually torn up in 1965.
The jailhouse was built circa 1902. Bars on the windows were set to keep the prisoners in. Before it was moved it was an old voting booth. In the 1960s the building was moved and added on to serve as the county shed. It was one of the buildings that was destroyed by the tornado in 1975.
Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Magnet, Nebraska, revision 1374535719 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
We share a part of every Magnet sale with local partners, and we'd love to print from your collection. Old photographs, maps and postcards make the best keepsakes.
Partner with usA favorite landmark, your street, a school or team, an anniversary gift, a different product. Tell us and we'll get back to you by email.
3 free coloring pages of Magnet, each traced from a photo of a local landmark. Print them at home, at school or for story hour.
Magnet's population was 43 in the 2020 U.S. Census, down from 57 in 2010.
A view of Magnet
A view of Magnet
A view of Magnet