Superior is a city in
Nuckolls County, Nebraska. Superior bills itself as the "Victorian Capital
of Nebraska", and holds an annual Victorian Festival. The downtown area is
listed in the National Register of Historic Places; along with many of the
older houses in the city, it has been maintained or restored to its Victorian
appearance.Superior was platted in 1875. It was named from the
quality of their land.
In 1887, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a branch line from Neva
(3 miles west of Strong City) to Superior. At some point, the line from Neva to
Lost Springs was pulled but the right of way has not been abandoned. This
branch line was originally called "Strong City and Superior line" but
later the name was shortened to the "Strong City line". In 1996, the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway merged with Burlington Northern Railroad
and renamed to the current BNSF Railway. Most locals still refer to this
railroad as the "Santa Fe".
Superior was one of the smallest cities in America that supported a
professional minor league baseball team, the Superior Senators (1956–58) of the
Nebraska State League. Superior was the first professional stop in the career
of pitcher Jim Kaat, who went on to win 283 games in a 24-year Major League
career.