Land for Auction in Giltner, Nebraska

Hamilton County, Nebraska, Farmland Auction – Mark your calendar for Thursday, November 5th, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Peoples Company is honored to present 309.61 m/l acres of productive irrigated farmland located southwest of Aurora, Nebraska. These properties contain highly productive tillable acres and offer an opportunity to purchase a tract that meets the needs of farm operators or land investors.

Positioned along the south side of U.S. Interstate 80, the properties offer excellent access and proximity to major agricultural markets and nearby communities, including Giltner, Aurora, and Grand Island. In total, the tracts include 306.43 FSA tillable acres featuring high-quality Hastings silt loam soils.

Tract 1: Consists of approximately 154.25 M/L total acres and approximately 153.18 M/L FSA tillable acres. There is one active registered well and one center-pivot irrigation system. This tract also includes four older grain bins on the southwest corner of the field and a brand-new 75 HP US electric motor on the west well.

Tract 2: Consists of approximately 155.36 M/L total acres and approximately 153.25 M/L FSA tillable acres. There is one active registered well and one center pivot. The power unit on Tract 2 is tenant-owned.

Edgerton Family Legacy:

Dr. Harold “Doc” Edgerton (1903–1990) and Esther (Garrett) Edgerton were childhood sweethearts raised in Aurora, Nebraska. Together, they built a remarkable life dedicated to science, education, family, and the arts.

Born in Fremont, Nebraska, Harold grew up in Aurora, where he developed an early interest in photography and electrical work. After earning a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 1925, he went on to earn his master’s and doctoral degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Known affectionately as “Papa Flash,” Doc Edgerton invented the modern electronic stroboscope, or strobe light, revolutionizing high-speed photography. His iconic images—including a bullet passing through an apple and a milk drop forming a delicate coronet—made fleeting moments visible to the human eye and transformed both science and photography.

Edgerton co-founded the technology firm EG&G and pioneered side-scan sonar and underwater photography technologies. He collaborated with famed undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau, contributed to night-aerial photography during World War II, and helped locate historic shipwrecks, including the USS Monitor and RMS Titanic.

Esther grew up in Aurora, where she met Harold in 1915. A talented pianist and singer, she married Harold in 1928 and remained his devoted partner throughout his decades-long career at MIT. She supported his academic, philanthropic, and community endeavors while helping create a welcoming home for students, colleagues, and visiting scholars. Together, Harold and Esther raised three children—William, Robert, and Mary Lou.

Today, the Edgertons’ legacy lives on in their hometown of Aurora through the Edgerton Explorit Center, a hands-on science museum that inspires curiosity, discovery, and a lifelong appreciation for science.

The live, public auction with simultaneous online bidding will take place on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Bremer Community Center in Aurora, Nebraska. Both tracts will be offered on a price-per-acre basis using the "Buyer's Choice" auction method, where the high bidder can take, in any order, any or all tracts for their high bid. The "Buyer's Choice" auction will continue until both tracts have been purchased and removed from the auction. Tracts will not be offered in combination at the conclusion of the auction. This auction can also be viewed via a Virtual Online Connection, with online bidding available.

This offering presents a unique opportunity for a wide range of buyers, including established farming operations seeking to expand their land holdings or investors looking to add highly productive irrigated Nebraska farmland to their portfolio. Don't miss your opportunity to purchase these high-quality farms that have not been publicly available in over 50 years.