Dorchester Times: NEWS ROUND-UP: Pickleball Comes To Dorchester

Sunday, March 1, 2026

NEWS ROUND-UP: Pickleball Comes To Dorchester

Pickleball Comes to Dorchester: Pickleball is sweeping the nation. It's a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, played on a compact court, making it easy for all ages to learn. Now pickleball is coming to Dorchester. Starting March 7 at the school gym, Dorchester Community Pickleball will kick off its casual, open-court Saturday mornings, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. This non-competitive gathering will prioritize connection over scores, inviting players of all ages and skill levels — regardless of whether they live in Dorchester or are just passing through — to drop in for a game. No teams to join or sign-up sheets to navigate, the focus remains entirely on friendly play. See the group's Facebook page.

Earthquake Rattles Southeast and Southern Nebraska: If you felt your house shake and rumble early this afternoon (Sunday, March 1), yes -- that was an earthquake. Early reports indicate that a 4.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Cowles, Nebraska, which is near Red Cloud. More information available at the USGS website. Developing...

New Business Coming to Dorchester's Main Street: According to a social media announcement, "Country Cheesecake Co. will be transitioning into Lola Sue's LLC. Same delicious cheesecake and more! We will be moving into a storefront, where Tiffy's Cafe was formerly located in downtown Dorchester ... Stay tuned for hours we will be available." According to the announcement, the store on the northeast corner of Washington Ave. and 8th Street is expected to be open in June. The owners say that coffee and other drinks will be available, along with limited breakfast and lunch menus, as well as baked goods/desserts.

Village Job Openings: The Village of Dorchester is still in search of a qualified individual to serve as a full-time assistant utility superintendent, according to the Village government's site. This long-term position will perform duties in the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the sewer and water systems; streets; storm drainage; parks; city equipment; public buildings; heavy equipment operations; and other tasks as assigned for the Village of Dorchester. The village is also seeking a dependable Dump Site Attendant responsible for monitoring disposal of branches, leaves, and grass clippings. Call the Village Clerk at (402) 946-3201, if interested.

Basketball Seasons End For Both DHS Teams: On Feb. 19, the DHS girls basketball season concluded following a 65-33 loss to Falls City Sacred Heart in the sub-district final. Earlier that week, DHS beat Diller-Odell 38-31 in the first-round sub-district contest. The Lady Longhorns end the season at 15-9. Coach Brandon Bruha told The Crete News he was proud of his team, despite finishing short of their goals. The team loses three seniors. Meanwhile, the DHS boys lost to Nebraska Lutheran 21-38 in their sub-district game, finishing 1-21 on the season. It's been a tough decade for the DHS boys basketball program, but an influx of young talent starting next year promises to flip the script.

March 15 Soup Luncheon: The ladies at the Methodist Church are planning an event that's sure to tantalize the taste buds. The annual soup luncheon will be held Sunday, March 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Dorchester Methodist Church. Whether you fancy chili, clam chowder, chicken noodle, or liver dumpling, you'll savor every spoonful. This is a free-will offering event.

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Dorchester: A Good Little Family Town

Dorchester, Nebraska (est. population 630) is located in northern Saline county. Close in proximity to Interstate 80, Dorchester is only 25 minutes from the state capital of Lincoln (est. population 250,000) and about 55 minutes from Omaha (metro population 725,000).

Dorchester's median resident age is 37 years. In 2005, Dorchester had a median family income of approximately $35,600. The median house value was about $63,000. About 95 percent of Dorchester residents commute to work via Interstate and highways.

The village has a quality public school, which received a $4.1 million expansion and modernization in 2008; it offers a small classrooms and individualized attention. Total enrollment of grades K-12 is around 230-250 students.

Ancestries of the Dorchester area are primarily German (42.4%), Czech (24.9%), Irish (12.5%), English (5.4%), and Dutch (4.9%).

Dorchester Historical Facts

* On July 4, 1871, the railroad reached Dorchester.
* Incorporated in 1881, Dorchester's population grew from 200 to 500 by 1882.
* In 1882, Dorchester had 90 buildings, 35 of which were businesses or public facilities. Brick buildings lined both sides of Washington Avenue for two blocks.
* Dorchester's longest-running newspaper was The Dorchester Star, which was published until the late 1940s.
* By 1889, Dorchester's population is said to have reached 800, while the town housed an opera house, a two-story brick schoolhouse with a bell tower, and four churches.
* By the 1910s, Dorchester had electricity, a water tower and a fire department.
* Dorchester's main arteries, Highways 6 and 33, were graveled in the 1940s.
* Dorchester's first irrigation well was drilled on Chris Weber's farm and rural electrification was finished following WWII.

A Village with History

Dorchester is one of the "alphabet towns" on the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad line built west from Lincoln. The town site was selected for its pleasant location in the northern part of Saline County, about eight miles west of Crete. This situation is an attractive one, being on the level prairie land, midway between the West Blue River and Turkey Creek. The first named stream is three miles north, and the latter about the same distance south from the town. Dorchester was platted in 1870 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Dorchester" came from either for a suburb of Boston by that name or a town in England. No one is sure. Two of the very first settlers were James Seely and Edward McIntyre, who both made Dorchester their permanent home.

Dorchester: In The Beginning

Here is a look at Dorchester around 1890, less than a decade after its official incorporation, as documented by Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska:
* POPULATION: "About 300, and is made up of a substantial and progressive class of citizens, who are moral and industrious. ... The town grew but very little until the year 1879, for the reason that Pleasant Hill, on Turkey Creek, a short distance south, was the county seat and naturally drew a trade for quite a large scope of country."
* BUSINESS: "The business and professional interests of the town are represented by three general merchandise stores, two drug, one grocery, one furniture, two hardware, and two millinery stores, one bank, two restaurants, two hotels, three livery stables, a post office, one newspaper office, two elevators, two lumber yards, two coal yards, two blacksmith shops, two lawyers and four physicians."
* SCHOOL: "The schoolhouse is a good one. The schoolhouse was built in 1872, since which time the public schools have been continually kept up. The present schoolhouse is 24' x 40' in size, two stories high. The school is graded and consists of three departments. The house is found too small, and arrangements will soon be made to increase its size."
* CHURCHES: "There are three substantial churches."
* HOMES: "The residence portion of the village is made up of neat houses of different styles of architecture, but none of them very large."
* NEWSPAPER: "The Dorchester Star, which was established August 21, 1881, by H. C. Bittenbender, who edited it until January 19, 1882, when he sold it to Ryerson & Bullock, the present proprietors. The Star is a bright weekly paper, five-column quarto, in size, and is Republican in politics."