Randolph, NE

Randolph is a Cedar County city of 881 people in the 2020 census, and its story starts with rail speculation. The Northern Nebraska Land Improvement Company began developing the town after the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad announced a line through the area in 1886. Randolph incorporated in 1889 and took its name from Lord Randolph Churchill. A second railroad arrived in 1890; its successor, the BNSF line, remains along the north edge of town.

Honey gives Randolph a second, distinctly local signature. The city calls itself the Honey Capital of the Nation because of the per-capita number of beekeeping families, a tradition that grew into commercial operations in the surrounding area. Randolph Public Schools maintain elementary and high school programs in town, and the school district's history reaches back to an 1887 schoolhouse. U.S. 20 serves the city, with U.S. 81 just west, so the routes that bring travelers through also connect residents to Cedar County communities.