History of First Presbyterian Church of Niobrara
	First Presbyterian Church of Niobrara is the oldest church in the Homestead Presbytery of Nebraska. The first pastor was Rev. George Williams, a missionary among Standing Bear's people of the Ponca Tribe. The church was organized November 12, 1880. In 1881, the church had 21 members; the Sunday School 60, and Rev. William's salary was $235 annually. In the spring of 1881 an ice gorge broke above the town and the flood forced people to leave by boat to makeshift housing in the hills. That same year the town was moved to higher ground where in 1882 the first church building was constructed at a cost of about $2500. A September 15, 1884, record shows $107 paid to Mrs. Matties J. Campbell for windows. It is believed these are the beloved stained glass windows salvaged in 1978 and placed in the new church when Niobrara was once again on the move.
	First Presbyterian Church continues to faithfully serve in the community of Niobrara today. Our church tries to bring many ecumenical programs to the community. We sponsor a Kids for Christ program, an All-Youth group, a Bible
	Study, and a Coats for the Kids program open to all members of the community. We participate in the ecumenical Vacation Bible School program each summer. Three events that our church has promoted are the Walk of the Cross on Good Friday, the Last Supper pageant during Holy week and the Journey to Bethlehem. Other traditional events
	include our annual Easter bake sale and our Harvest Supper on the first Saturday of deer season with turkey and all the trimmings. We welcome visitors to our community to come and worship with us.
	History of Niobrara Evangelical Lutheran Church
	Niobrara Evangelical Lutheran Church is a member of the Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
	Niobrara Lutheran's roots extend back to a time when a group of Norwegian immigrants settled west of Niobrara in 1890. The first organized Lutheran Church was the Ponca Lutheran Church founded in 1891. This congregation survived until 1894 when the pastor left.
	On January 7, 1896, the Niobrara Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized with a membership of 28. Church services were held in a schoolhouse
	until July, 1908, when a church building, located nine miles west of Niobrara, was dedicated. Services were conducted in the Norwegian language until 1918. Due to the unpopularity of foreign languages during World War I, services were held in both Norwegian and English from 1918 until 1927, with English becoming the language of choice after 1927.
	On September 15, 1946, the Norwegian Lutheran Church merged with the Bethany Lutheran Mission to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Niobrara and the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lindy, Nebraska, formed one parish with one pastor.
	In 1977, with the town of Niobrara being moved to higher ground along with the Missouri River, the Niobrara Evangelical Lutheran Church constructed a new church  that it now occupies.
			Currently Niobrara Evangelical Lutheran Church worships an average of 63 members and guests each Sunday. If you would happen to be visiting Niobrara or just passing through, please join us for Sunday worship. We would enjoy having you.
	History of St. William Church in Niobrara
	The Catholic way of praying and teaching began in our part of the Missouri River Valley when Jesuit priests from St. Paul's Indian Mission, Marty, South Dakota would cross the river and teach, say mass, offer the other sacraments for the people at Santee Sioux Reservation beginning in 1912. In 1915 Henry Westropp S.J. came from Marty, South Dakota and built the Sacred Heart Chapel in Santee. Fr. P.F. Sialm S.J. and others came from Holy Rosary Mission in South Dakota.
	In 1948, the first Catholic Church was built in Niobrara. Fr. Benno Fellinger, O.S.B. pastor was able to use some of the lumber from the Sacred Heart
	Chapel of Santee. The Church was built on two lots donated by Dr. Benjamin Ewing, a surgeon in Omaha who was born and grew to manhood in Niobrara. The wooden frame church was dedicated by Gerald T. Bergan, the new archbishop of Omaha.
	The Benedictine priests of Marty, South Dakota continued to serve the parish until 1959. Fr. Benno Fellinger, O.S.B. served from 1943 to 1948, Fr. Daniel Madlon, O.S.B. served from 1948 to 1949, Fr. Benno served from 1949 to 1956, Fr. Gerald Busche, O.S. B. served from 1956 to 1958. Fr. Francis Suttmiller, O.S.B. announced in 1959 that the Benedictine priests will no longer serve at Santee and Niobrara. From then on priests of the Omaha Archdiocese would serve us.
	Besides the help of the priests of St. Benedict, the Missionary Benedictine Sisters from Lynch provided religious education for our children in the summer.
	Fr. Charles Kamber, pastor of Lynch, served St. William Church from May 1959 to March 1960. In March 1960 a flood destroyed the Highway 12 bridge across the Niobrara River. Fr. Kamber was unable to come to Niobrara so Fr. Melvern Wiese of Creighton served us until June 1960.
	In June 1960, St. William Church received it's first resident pastor, Fr. John McNally. Fr. Hugh Schwartz came in 1964.
	Fr. Duane Lukes began serving us in 1966. The parish was getting too large for the white frame church. In April 1967 construction of a new church began. The church was 75' by 50' with a full basement. It was located on the same site as the old church. The altar was of native walnut top with its legs made from native stone taken from the Maiden's leap area. The church's exterior was brick. It was dedicated by Archbishop Gerald T. Bergan in November 1967. The old white Catholic Church was purchased by the Full Gospel Church of Niobrara and was moved into "Church Square" in the "New Niobrara".
	Starting in February 1969 the following Lynch pastors came to serve us: Fr. Michael Printy (1969), Fr. Joseph Ortli (June 1970), Fr. William Guthman (September 1971), and Fr. Rick Arkfeld (June 1973).
	In June 1974 we became a mission to Constance and Fr. Donald Stortz was our priest. Fr. Ronald Battiato of Verdigre became our pastor in June 1978.
	No parish can go year after year without change. St. William and the town of Niobrara have had their share of changes. Because of the water level rise in the Gavins Point Dam basin, the town of Niobrara had to move up into the hills south of the old town. Our 1967 brick church was moved with all the businesses and homes, but it sustained many cracks and structural damage. That church was abandoned and taken apart. Many of the church's furnishings were salvaged and placed in a new church built in 1978 and 1979. Fr. Battiato, with many parish members, directed this building project.
	On June 22, 1979 the new brick church of St. William was dedicated in the "New Town" of Niobrara on the corner of Juniper and Buckeye streets by Archbishop Daniel E. Sheehan.
	Our bell and it's tower have had a long history. Alice and Joe Robinette sold some cattle to buy the bell for the Santee Church in the 1920s. The bell was then placed in the wooden frame church in Niobrara that was built in 1948 and was used until it was placed in storage from 1966 until 1994. Lorraine Robinette began a fund for the new bell tower. With additional gifts from Daisy Keene and other parishioners the old bell in the new bell tower was in place June 1994.
	From June 1994 to June 1997 Fr. Gregory Baxter served the Verdigre and Niobrara churches.
	Fr. Michael Malloy became pastor of Verdigre and Niobrara with residency at Verdigre in 1997.
	Father Jay Kruse became pastor of St. William Church in June 2002. Father Doug Scheinost is the present pastor.