Papillion

Papillion's name is derived from French fur traders who ventured near the valley of the Papio Creek as early as 1739. The butterfly-filled meadow was so beautiful that one of the men is said to have exclaimed in his native tongue, Papillon! (meaning butterfly). The land would later come to be known as Papillion. Native Americans roamed freely across the local prairie until 1857, when John L. Beadle obtained a land grant and platted a town. Successful negotiations with the Union Pacific and ...