Communities
Oketo
The crossing over the Big Blue was established in 1860. In 1862-1863 it was known as the Oketo cutoff to the overland Trail. The town progressed up the river to “Skunk Hollow.”
Irving Chapman established a grist and saw mill on the river there in 1867. In 1876 they started to quarry limestone rock for buildings. In 1879 the railroad was build from Marysville to Beatrice. In 1881 the town was platted on the hill.
Z.H. Moore built the first rock store on the hill in 1884; it is now the Oketo Museum. Moore opened a bank in 1889 and built the present stone building in 1890. The building is now the Oketo Bank Museum.
The Oketo Bank Museum now has some of the original fixtures back in the bank. Prebyl Antiques stores antiques in the former Root & Hedge store, C.M. DeLain Hardware and Abe Eley’s farm Equipment buildings.
The Methodist Church was built in 1888 and dedicated in February in 1889. The wooden school was built in 1886 and replaced with a new brick one in 1908. The first two year high school class graduated in 1895 and the first four year class in 1916. The school closed in 1976.
The museum is open by appointment by calling Kent Obermeyer at 785.744.3497 or Bill Hellmer at 785.744.3245.