Blair, Nebraska: A Railroad Baron's Town He May Never Have Seen
Railroad builder John I. Blair owned the ground under Blair, Nebraska, and the town took his name. A local history doubts he ever set foot there.
The man who owned the ground
When Lilian Fitzpatrick wrote up Washington County in 1925, she gave Blair a full introduction. The town, platted in 1869, “was named in honor of John I. Blair (1802-1899), of New Jersey, the great railroad builder and controller of railroad operations, who owned the land on which the town is located.” She adds that he was once president of the Sioux City and Pacific Railroad and “well known for his philanthropic work.”
Why here?
Blair History, the local history site, says the railroad picked this spot to cross the Missouri River, and Blair bought the land and platted the town, naming it after himself.
The absent namesake
Here’s the odd part. The same local history site says it’s doubtful that John Blair ever visited the town that carries his name, and that he, or his business manager, handled the platting. So if you visit Blair, you may be seeing more of the place than its namesake ever did.
Sources & further reading
- Lilian Linder Fitzpatrick, Nebraska Place-Names (University of Nebraska, 1925). Free to read online; it covers every county. John I. Blair, the land and the railroad.
- Blair History, “John I. Blair.” The river crossing, the town named after himself and the doubt that he ever visited.
- GNIS feature 827479 (U.S. Geological Survey). The federal record for Blair. Platted 1869; incorporated 1872.
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