Welcome to Harrisburg
Harrisburg is one of two unincorporated villages in Nebraska to serve as a county seat. The other is Tryon, in McPherson County. In fact, Harrisburg and Tryon both represent the only communities in their respective counties.
Banner County Historical Day is the first Saturday of June and centers around the Banner County Museum.
Things to Do in Harrisburg
Banner County Historical Days
Every June Harrisburg celebrates their town with Banner County Historical Days.
Join in the fun on June 4, 2022!
Banner County Museum
The Banner County Museum is an 11 building complex that includes a 19th century log schoolhouse, sod house, log cabin, 1910 barn, pioneer church, and the old Banner County Bank.
200 N Pennsylvania Ave, Harrisburg, NE 69345
Harrisburg History
Founded in 1888, Banner County is located in the panhandle region of western Nebraska and has a total area of 746 square miles. The largest community is the county seat of Harrisburg. In 2014, the estimated population of the county was 764.
Banner County is one of two counties in Nebraska that received its name from the aspirations of the inhabitants. According to some, early settlers in this Panhandle region aspired to make it the “banner county” of the state since it was to be “the brightest star in the constellation of Nebraska counties.”
The area that today makes up Banner County was once part of a larger Cheyenne County. In an election held on Nov. 6, 1888, Banner, Kimball, and Scotts Bluff Counties were created from the western third of Cheyenne County.
Banner County was officially organized on Jan. 29, 1889, and the settlement of Ashford was designated as a temporary county seat. A special election was scheduled for the following month to select a permanent site from among four aspirants: Ashford, Banner, Freeport, and Harrisburg. It actually took two elections, with Harrisburg finally being chosen.
Banner County enjoys a rich history. Many, if not most, residents of the county today are direct descendants of the first settlers and much of the land remains in the same families that originally homesteaded on it. Farming, ranching, and oil drilling are the primary components of the county’s economy.