Irvington is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

located just outside the northwest city limits of

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

."Burnett, James R., Irvington enclave under fire. Omaha World Herald. July 13, 2010.
Irvington enclave under fire
/ref> As of 2010, Irvington's estimated population was 451, making it the smallest village in the Greater Omaha Metropolitan area, according to the

Nebraska State Historical Society History Nebraska, formerly the Nebraska State Historical Society is a Nebraska state agency, founded in 1878 to "encourage historical research and inquiry, spread historical information ... and to embrace alike aboriginal and modern history." I ...

. The community was named for author

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...

Geography

Irvington is located at (41.19.16,N 96.03.17 W).

History

Located in

Douglas County, Nebraska Douglas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population is 584,526. It is the state's most populous county, home to well over one-fourth of Nebraska's residents. Its county seat is O ...

's Union Precinct, Irvington had established a post office by 1882, the year Andreas' ''History of the State of Nebraska'' was published. According to the same text, farmers and stock-raisers began settling in the area as early as 1856. The community later became a

Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad (FE&MV), sometimes called "the Elkhorn," was a railroad established in 1869 in the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. About The company constructed several lines in Nebraska, inclu ...

depot location between Omaha and

Arlington, Nebraska Arlington is a village in Washington County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,243 at the 2010 census. Arlington is named after Arlington, Virginia. History Arlington was originally called Bell Creek (after nearby Bell Creek) and un ...

, a line that opened in 1887. In 1908, a local surveyor employed by the

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pac ...

, Zenis Stevens, recommended the area be used for a Union Pacific storage facility. This was met with some resistance, until it was determined that the local geography and several natural land barriers made the area ideal for development. It was in fact the area's immediate proximity to Papillion Creek which led many original residents to refer to it as Pappio. The area was then used as a sundries depot for the Union Pacific, and several other small businesses opened in the area that serviced the local farming community and surrounding area. In 1965 local residents led by William Ray Stevens, Zenis's great-grandson, voted to incorporate and a name change was proposed, but this was rejected. Expansion and annexation by greater Omaha has all but caused the disappearance of almost all cultural and historical entities, and it now is represented by a few small retail shops and rural homes." Irvington is also represented by its own volunteer Fire department which was established in 1952 and serves not only Irvington but surrounding communities.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Douglas County, Nebraska Unincorporated communities in Nebraska