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 Missouri Pacific
Railroads ensured the growth and prosperity needed for the Papillion
Town Company to incorporate in 1870. Businesses soon lined the
center of the village as German immigrants cultivated the land. New
schools and churches enhanced the establishment of the booming
community, which became the seat of Sarpy County. The pioneers
persevered through fire, pestilence, and flood to establish Papillion, a
town destined to survive.