The Northern Nebraska Improvement Company founded Hartington, Nebraska, as a railroad stop town in 1883. Railway companies built these small towns across the Midwest to give trains frequent places to refuel. Today, Hartington serves as the county seat of Cedar County; this county consists of prairie and hilled terrain in the northeastern corner of Nebraska. The 2000 United States census reported that 1,640 people called Hartington their home.
The Hillcrest Motel sits in downtown Hartington, about a seven-minute drive from the Hartington Municipal Airport. Some local attractions include the Cedar County Historical Museum. This facility displays technology, furniture and housing, including a restored log cabin that illustrates the day-to-day living of turn of the 20th-century Nebraska. The Hartington Library and the Cedar County Courthouse, a structure first built in 1891, also lie within walking distance of the Hillcrest Motel. Some local dining options include a Pizza Hut and Subway.
Guests who want a bed-and-breakfast type lodging can stay at De Blauw's Home Away From Home. This B&B offers three rooms of lodging, all of which share the same bathroom. De Blauw’s provides a continental breakfast each morning; visitors can find other dining options in downtown Hartington, such as the Chief Bar or Z's Korner Kones, both of which lie within walking distance. Recreational activities include Felber Park and the Hartington Golf Course, an 18-hole public course. Guests of De Blauw’s need to take a short car ride to reach either of these attractions.
Visitors to Hartington can also stay at the Argo Hotel in Crofton, a 25-minute car ride from downtown Hartington. First built in 1912, today this hotel offers lodging in rooms and suites, and also provides space for catered events for up to 60 guests. Some of the local attractions in Crofton include the Lewis and Clark Visitors Center and Lakeview Golf Course; both of these sites require a short car ride. The Argo Hotel has an on-site restaurant and a lounge; some other dining options include the Sports Stop Bar and Mama Mech’s restaurant. Guests of the Argo can walk to both of these locations.
A Super 8 motel sits just across the South Dakota border in Yankton, a 25-minute drive from Hartington. This hotel offers rooms and suites and allows pets. Yankton sits on the Missouri River, and offers a number of local attractions, including the Gavin’s Point Dam, a hydroelectric dam that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed in the 1950s. The Lewis and Clark Theatre produces plays, musicals and Broadway-style revues; guests can arrive at this venue via a short car ride from the Super 8. Local dining options include Casey’s Carry Out Pizza and Taco John’s restaurant, both of which require a short drive.
