Strasburg History

On August 15, 1870, the rails were joined at Comanche Crossing to form the nation’s first continuous chain of railways from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Five years later a rail siding was installed and the settlement was renamed Strasburg in honor of burly John Strasburg, the section foreman responsible for the project. The much touted ‘joining of the rails’ at Promontory, Utah, on May 10, 1869, did not, in fact, join the two coasts because the railway only went as far as Sacramento on the west and cargo was ferried across the Missouri River at Omaha until 1872.
From 1875 until 1907, the Strasburg site saw little activity, except for the occasional cowboy or settler who would flag down a train from there. Commerce went to Byers or Bennett, since business houses had already been established. But it 1907, that changed when Mr. and Mrs. D. H. Weaver moved to the east end of their homestead, close to the site and build a large two story building, which remains standing at 1407 Main St. The structure became the local gathering place as well as post office, general store and social hall for the area. Families bought everything from kerosene to pickles there. Purchases were weighed, measured and sacked to order. Clothing was also available and customers would often find a sack of candy tucked in with their goods for the children.
By 1915, the boom period brought new settlers daily. The previous depot agent, Glen Huston, in partnership with a Mrs. Harrington erected a large two-store hotel. The building was typical of western hotels with a generous awning providing shade, gas light, and rooms for rent on the upper floor. The ground floor housed a grocery, barber shop and dining room. This structure stands today as the historic Strasburg Inn.
When the new state of the art railway depot was finished in 1917, four passenger trains stopped at Strasburg daily. The town had become a growing, bustling center with a rich heritage.
Hometown Days, in mid-August, is Strasburg’s annual celebration.