WAYLAND

NAME: Wayland COUNTY: Polk ROADS: 2WD GRID: 4 CLIMATE: Cold, snowy winters; hot, dry summers. BEST TIME TO VISIT: Anytime, but late fall is probably best.

COMMENTS: Now unpopulated, but it had a population of approximately 100 at its peak if one includes the nearby "Hoffer settlement". Wayland was in Hackberry Precinct, Polk County, Nebraska, about three miles north of Gresham on Highway 69 and then west on old Nebraska Highway 66. From 1883 to 2008, the United Church of Christ of Wayland stood one mile west, at the northwest corner of county road T and old Nebraska Highway 66, Latitude: 41.0761248,Longitude: -97.445326. REMAINS: Cemetery, parts of church foundation, possibly building ruins on private property

Now unpopulated, but it had a population of approximately 100 at its peak if one includes the nearby "Hoffer settlement". Wayland was in Hackberry Precinct, Polk County, Nebraska, about three miles north of Gresham on Highway 69 and then west on old Nebraska Highway 66. From 1883 to 2008, the United Church of Christ of Wayland stood one mile west, at the northwest corner of county road T and old Nebraska Highway 66, Latitude: 41.0761248, Longitude: -97.445326. 1/4 mile west of the church's former location, on the north side of the road, is a private farmstead. North of it is a wooded grove where some Wayland buildings once stood. Some remains may still exist. Two miles west of the church, 1/2 mile north on County Road R, on the west side of the road, is the Wayland Cemetery, also known as the Hoffer Cemetery. REMAINS: Cemetery, parts of church foundation, possibly building ruins on private property SHORT BIOGRAPHY: The Wayland Post Office was established in 1873, and Kinsney Michner appointed Postmaster. In the winter of 1873-74, a society of the church of God was organized by Rev. Mr. Warner in the neaby Hoffer settlement, with a membership of thirty, and in the spring of 1876, Rev. Mr. Earnhart organized a society of the Baptist Church, also with a membership of nearly thirty. In 1883, the United Church of Christ of Wayland was built. In 1913 this Wayland Church building was remodeled, and physical improvements continued throughout the years, though the town completely faded away. Regular services were held in this church until February of 1963. The building itself stood until 2008, in recent years being used for storage of farm supplies. In 2008, having deteriorated badly, the church was torn down and as of this writing in 2009, nothing remains but a few chunks of concrete from the foundation. Sources include: Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska http://www.kancoll.org/books/andreas_ne/polk/polk-p5.html Cemetery Records http://polk.ancestralwhispers.com/cemetery_records.html Nebraska State Historical Society http://www.nebraskahistory.org/lib-arch/research/manuscripts/church/wayland-ucc.htm And personal observation. Submitted by: Ron Burke

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