Blood, Trauma, and Biohazard Cleanup in Oxford, NE

Oxford is a village in south-central Nebraska that spans Furnas and Harlan counties, with most of the village lying in Furnas County.

The town was established in 1880 when the railroad was extended to that point, and its post office opened on May 3, 1880, under the name Grandview.

On February 15, 1881, the post office was renamed Oxford, a name probably chosen by Burlington Railroad officials for Oxford University in England.

Oxford grew as a railroad division point in the Republican River valley along the U.S. Highway 136 corridor.

In the early 20th century, the high riverbank behind the Oxford depot became a well-known resting place for hobo travelers riding the rails, remembered locally as "hobo haven."

The 2020 census counted 718 residents, down from 779 people in 349 households in 2010, and the village's population peaked at 1,270 in 1950.

Oxford established its first water system in 1906, gained electricity in 1913, and paved Main Street in 1938.

The first Oxford High School class graduated in May 1894.

Oxford is the headquarters of Southern Valley Public Schools, a district serving six Republican Valley communities, and Southern Valley Elementary School was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2024.

Oxford natives include Jeff Kinney, a fullback on Nebraska's 1970 and 1971 national championship football teams who went on to play in the NFL, and Fred Gustus Johnson, the 17th lieutenant governor of Nebraska.