Sabetha, the second largest town in Nemaha county, is located near the east line of the county, 18 miles northeast of Seneca, the county seat, at the junction of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and the St. Joseph & Grand Island railroads. It has banking facilities, planing mill, iron foundry, cement block works, creamery, hosiery factory, cider mill, grain elevators, waterworks, electric lights, two weekly newspapers, express and telegraph offices, and an international money order postoffice with six rural routes. The population in 1910 was 1,768.

The first settlement was made in 1857 by Capt. A. W. Williams, who started a store and received a commission as postmaster. The few settlers had previous to this time been obliged to go to the Missouri river, 50 miles away, for their mail. During the same year the following persons located in the neighborhood: George, John L. and William Graham, Edwin Miller, William Slossen, Isaac Sweetland, Lawrence R. Wheeler and Noble H. Rising, the last named starting a store soon after his arrival. The old store built by Williams was a historic place. (Sabetha was at that time on the "California road" and this store having a good well in front became a favorite stopping place. During the Pike's Peak emigration the sales amounted to an average of $200 per day. Williams was justice of the peace and runaway couples from Nebraska used to get married at his store. It was closed as a place of business and became a church, in which the first sermon in this part of the country was preached, in 1861, when Williams entered the army.

A town company was organized in 1859, but failed to incorporate the village. It was incorporated by another company in 1874, as a city of the third class, and became a city of the second class in 1906.