MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW FOR THE
HIGHWAY 97 RANCH
PUBLIC LAND AUCTION!
January 21, 2026
1:15 P.M.,
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
at the
Farm House Event Venue
3102 East State Farm Road, North Platte, NE
Offering 4,111.18+/- Taxed acres & 640 Acre BELF Lease
as 3 parcels and 1 Combination.
SELLER: James P. Manary Irrevocable Trust, Adams Bank & Trust, Trustee
Location! Location! Location!
Named for it’s access off of Highway 97, the 4,111 acre Highway 97 Ranch is a sandhill range opportunity offered as 3 Parcels and 1 Combination. Detailed Parcel information is outlined below.
The ranch is located approximately 12 miles north of North Platte, NE in Lincoln County. This location offers the opportunity for the cattleman to be close to an abundance of grass hay and stalk grazing for winter nutrition. An ethanol plant at Sutherland, NE is a source of distillers by-products.
The carrying capacity of the sandhill range land on this ranch is considered to be approximately 12 acres to the moderate sized cow calf pair and 7 acres for a stocker. The fences on the ranch are primarily 4 wire barbed wire on wooden posts.
Stock water is provided by windmills and two submersible wellsjust east of the building site. The region's static water table is from 50 - 100 feet supporting consistent water supply for livestock grazing.
The Highway 97 Ranch has been and will be sought after by many Buyer's. Plan now to tour this opportunity before the snow flies.
Parcel 1 - 2,189+/- taxed acres & 640 ac BELF Lease
Parcel 1 of the Highway 97 Ranch is the home unit of the ranch. Highway 97 forms the western boundary of the Parcel and Viersen Road provides access to the eastern edge of the Parcel.
The Parcel is divided into 10 pastures of various sizes. Stock water to each pasture is provided by windmills with exception to the 3 around the building site that water from site well.
There are several very nice mature tree windbreaks to the north of the building site that offer storm protection for calving the cows.
The modest building site includes a 2,060 sq ft house built in 1978. The house includes 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. There is a full basement to the house.
Additionally there is a cinderblock barn and outbuilding. An old house is also located in the building site and is considered uninhabitable.
Just east of the building site is a prairie dog town that is about 40 acres in size. Some contract has been made and the County will be adding more control this winter.
At listing time of the auction the building site is subject to a modified life estate to a third party. More information about this life estate will be provided by the Broker upon request.
Board of Education Lands & Funds Section 36 Lease
The Board of Education Lands and Funds Section 36 will be included with the sale of Parcel 1. The lease expires December 31, 2034. At Closing the Buyer of Parcel 1 shall be required to assume the assignment of the lease from the Seller, pay the Seller for the first year’s rent for the amount of $16,541.72, pay Seller for the total of the personal property for the amount of $8,300.00 and pay the Seller for the bonus amount of $22,000 that the Seller was required to pay at the BELF lease auction on November 13, 2025 to secure the lease.
LEGAL DESCRIPTION:
Township 15 North – Range 30 West of the 6th P.M., Lincoln County, NE
Section 6: W½ & W½SE¼
Township 15 North – Range 31 West of the 6th P.M., Lincoln County, NE
Section 1: All
Section 2: All less Highway 97 ROW
Section 11: All lying east of Highway 97 ROW
Township 16 North - Range 31 West of the 6th P.M., Lincoln County, NE
Section 36: ALL (BELF School Section Lease)
ACRES: 2,189.25 taxed acres - 640 acre BELF Section = 2,829.25 total acres
RE Taxes: 2024 Taxes paid in 2025 were $17,017 after exemption
PARCEL 1 PICTURES
Parcel 2 - 640+/- taxed acres
Parcel 2 consists of a section pasture located on the northern side of the ranch. Access is available from Highway 97 at he southwest corner of Parcel 2.
Rural electric power does cross the southwestern portion and along southern boundary of Parcel 2. The access to power lends this parcel to be considered a building site opportunity for the Buyer looking for a section of land to build on.
Stock water is provided by one windmill and a bottomless stock tank.
Parcel 2 will be offered separately and in combination with Parcel 1 as Combination A.
LEGAL DESCRIPTION:
Township 16 North - Range 31 West of the 6th P.M., Lincoln County, NE
Section 35: All
ACRES: 640 taxed acres
RE Taxes: 2024 Taxes paid in 2025 were $4,204 after exemption
PARCEL 2 PICTURES
COMBINATION A - Parcels 1 & 2 offered together
After Parcels 1 & 2 have been offered for bidding and a total bid of the two Parcels has been established, Combination A will be offered for bidding to Buyers to purchase all of the ranch laying east of Highway 97.
Combination A bidders will compete with bidders of Parcels 1 & 2 until it has been established how this portion of the ranch will be sold. Once it has been established if it will be sold as Parcels 1 & 2 or as Combination A, one more round of bidding will be offered before announcing the property SOLD.
Parcel 3 below will not be offered for the final round of bidding until either Parcels 1 & 2 or Combination A have been announced SOLD. This will give Buyers a chance to purchase the complete ranch at auction.
The complete ranch will not be tied together at the auction.
Parcel 3 - 1,281+/- taxed acres
Parcel 3 consists of 2 sections of sandhill rangeland located about 1 mile west of Highway 97, west of the Parcels 1 & 2. Access to Parcel 3 is via a recorded access easement across the neighboring landowner from Highway 97 to the pasture.
Each section pasture of Parcel 3 includes 2 windmills with bottomless stock tanks. The perimeter fences are in good condition and consist of 4 wire barbed wire on wooden posts.
Parcel 3 will sell after Parcels 1 & 2 or Combination A has been sold. This will allow the a Buyer that wants all the ranch to bid accordingly.
LEGAL DESCRIPTION:
Township 15 North - Range 31 West of the 6th P.M., Lincoln County, NE
Section 4: All
Section 9: All
ACRES: 1,281.93 taxed acres
RE Taxes: 2024 Taxes paid in 2025 were $8,802 after exemption
PARCEL 3 PICTURES
ABOUT THE REGION
Here in late 2025 Lincoln County is experiencing it’s third year of tremendous economic growth. Industry being developed will create very good paying jobs.
North Platte is home to a regional hospital, community college, shopping and commerce.
North Platte’s Regional Airport offers daily flights to Denver and as they say from Denver you can fly to anywhere.
Don’t fly? Denver and Lincoln are both about a 3.5 hour drive away.
Sale day is Tuesday at North Platte Stockyards located on the eastern edge of North Platte.
