The L.R. Ranch motel greets travelers on U.S. 30 heading into Lexington, Neb. (Photo by Michael E. Grass)
LEXINGTON, Neb. — The approach to this city 11 miles west of Overton is just like most other settled spots along the Union Pacific Railroad and the Lincoln Highway. Railroad tracks? Check. Grain elevator? Check. Town grid starts north of the highway? Check, check, check, complete with the aging L.H. Motel and its faded sign declaring “Quality for Less.” (Since I was just passing through, I couldn’t confirm the accuracy of that claim.)
Washington Street is one of Lexington, Neb.’s principal commercial streets. (Photo by Michael E. Grass)
Since Lexington stands out as a somewhat larger town than most along Nebraska’s stretch of the Lincoln Highway — the 2010 Census found 10,230 people living here — the town’s main commercial area stretches a little bit farther north from U.S. 30.
Heading north on Washington Street, this could be any town’s main street, lined with one- and two-story commercial buildings.
It looks ordinary. But look closer. It’s in Lexington where you really start to grasp just how diverse some rural Nebraska communities can be.