The Origins of the Name Neligh

I was named Neligh Coates Jr. after my father who, for some unknown reason was named after a town in Nebraska—perhaps he was conceived there.

Naming the town “Neligh” almost didn’t happen.    

John D. Neligh, a former Representative of the Nebraska Territory Legislature and an inventive brick maker from West Point, Nebraska, traveled with William B. Lambert, and John B. Thomson to Antelope County in 1872. “They were impressed by the Elkhorn River, bordered by cottonwood trees, and an uninhabited valley filled with clumps of green and gold grasses swaying in the August breeze.” Neligh decided that the valley area was an ideal town site, and he went to Omaha to buy the land.

The Omaha & Northwestern Railroad had already chosen the property for a future town and depot location. “Fortunately, a careless clerk failed to check the railroad’s choice of town locations, allowing Neligh to purchase the 500-acre tract for $6 per acre. His friends encouraged him to name the town Neligh.”

After the Homestead Act passed, widespread settlement across Nebraska led to an increased need for flour mills and sawmills. John D. Neligh immediately arranged to build a brick flour mill and a dam across the Elkhorn River. He also installed machinery for a sawmill. The fledging town prospered as did John Neligh.

Located in the middle of Antelope County, Neligh became the center of Antelope County government. Major improvements in milling occurred with each new owner of the Neligh Mill, and unlike mills in some neighboring towns, it survived the Great Depression, operating for over seventy-five years. Now the Neligh Mill, still fully equipped with vintage machinery, is an area tourist attraction.

Neligh is the only town in the U.S. with my name.