Papio circa 1909. Mouseover to see current version.

From a time before recorded history, this land near the Platte and Missouri rivers had been inhabited by several Native American nations. The Oto tribe called the region "Flat Water." [1] In the 1700s, a few French-speaking fur traders finally penetrated the native lands. [2]

According to legend, one group of trappers roaming this area stumbled upon a broad valley of luxurious grasses and wildflowers... and thousands of butterflies flying in the sunlight, causing one member of the exploring party to exclaim "Papillon!"— the French word for butterfly. Thus, the valley and the creek that ran through it were named. [3] [4]

In 1804, the Lewis & Clark expedition camped near the "Papillion or Butter Fly Creek", and recorded it as being "eighteen yards wide." [5] [6]

In 1851, Swiss artist Rudolph Frederick Kurz visited the Omaha Indians at a village above Papillion Creek. The Omaha called the site "Hill–Rising–From–A–Plain." The Indians were "removed" in 1855 [7] and over the next decade, dozens of families arrived to build homes in the area.

In 1869 the new Union Pacific railroad consented to "put down a side track and erect a suitable station house at the summit" of the settlement. The little town had a depot, and was given the name "Papillion." [8]

As the town grew over the next 140 years, residents began affectionately referring to it as "Papio". My name's Tom. Hence, I am "Papio Tom."

In 2007, CNN and Money magazine named Papillion the sixth–best place to live in America. [9] By 2009, it had moved up to third. [10]