The town of Bookwalter was founded by John W. Bookwalter, born June 30, 1839 in New York City.

In 1896 he made arrangements for the establishment of a number of villages.  He owned about 60,000 acres of land in the state and proposed to gather agriculturist into towns of about 500 and give the farmers many advantages of city life.

The town of Bookwalter was platted in 1889.  The railroad was built in 1888.  This was the Kansas City, Wyandotte and Northwestern railroad.  This was later acquired by the Missouri Pacific.  The town was not built at one time.  A school house was built in 1894 and averaged 40 pupils and taught by one teacher.  On July 31, 1904, the Bookwalter Church was built at the cost of $3,500 and it was stated that it was a thing of beauty.  J. W. Bookwalter of Springfield, Ohio gave the lots, and the fine art glass windows that cost $300 and a cash gift of $1,500.  Bookwalter had also built a general store which was operated by Ray Hartman and owned by W. H. Bookwalter, brother of John W. Bookwalter.  The store burned September 11, 1914.

It has been stated that the population in 1897 was 100.  After the fire a post office was established.  A large two story building between the post office and the school house was moved to Summerfield.  There were seventeen blocks in the town and 12 homes.

The farming was done French commune style.  They lived in Bookwalter and farmed in the country surrounding Bookwalter.  The rows of corn cribs and elevators were all in town.  Because of the hard winters it was impossible for the farmers to commute back and forth.  The hub deep mud in spring was hardly attractive to a farmer who had to travel two or three miles to farm or care for his livestock.  The farmers eventually built unpainted shocks on the quarter sections of land.  Although the farmers ideal village, French commune style did not materialize, at the time of his death in 1915, many of the goals Bookwalter had envisioned for the farmers were realized before World War I.

The farmers by this time were sharing expensive farm machinery and were moving from one harvest field to another.  Their activities included corn shelling, wood sawing and hay harvest.  The school house became the meeting place with musicals, plays or box suppers.  The church became a catalyst in bringing the communities together.  After the automobiles were available the congregation extended in every direction.

Then there came the telephones and transportation was improved and the village of Bookwalter started to disappear as with the decline of the railroad. Farmers started trading in Pawnee City, Beatrice and elsewhere, which left the business to decline in the second store that was built, along with elevators, etc.  In later years all of the businesses burned in a second fire destroying the store and elevators.  The only two things in operation was the church and school. Then in 1948 the church was destroyed by fire.  The old school house still stands.

At the time of John Wesley Bookwalters death September 27, 1915, the land was divided among the relatives.

When you consider the modern Nebraska farm home today, the impact on this state made by farm organization and the education opportunities available for farm boys and girls, he is reminded that an ideal agriculture community was a dream of a commune in southeastern Nebraska at the turn of the century. And the name associated with that dream was Bookwalter.

The Bookwalter Busy Bee Club was started in 1938 with 11 members: Iva Clark, Eliza Cameron, Sophia Ehmen, Hazel McLaughlin, Vesta Spier, Mae Root, Frieda and Grace Menninga, Agnes Ingles, Nora Bookwalter and Georgia Cameron.

The club met once a month through the summer and twice a month the rest of the year on Wednesday afternoons.

The afternoons were spent doing work for the hostess, such as quilting, picking out nutmeats, patching, cutting rag rug strips, cutting or piecing quilt blocks or anything else.  Some days each one worked on her own fancy work or just visited.

Two highlights were a summer picnic with the entire families and a Christmas dinner, with each member contributing a covered dish.  The afternoon was spent with games and gift exchange.

Mystery pals for the year were revealed and new pals drawn.  Mystery pals gave gifts at Christmas, your birthday and other special days such as Valentine's Day.

The club was disbanded in 1980 due to the lowered population in the Bookwalter area.