Duncan is a village in Platte County,

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

, United States. The population was 351 at the 2010 census.

History

The

transcontinental railroad A transcontinental railroad or transcontinental railway is contiguous railroad trackage, that crosses a continental land mass and has terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single ...

reached the site of Duncan in 1866. Among the first settlers in the area were Polish and Swiss immigrants. Retrieved 2010-04-11. In June 1869, the post office of Cherry Hill was established on the site. In October 1871, the townsite of Jackson was laid out by officials of the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

.Phillips, G. W. (1915).
''Past and Present of Platte County, Nebraska''.
p. 374. Retrieved 2010-04-11. Jackson was chosen in 1879 as the southern terminus of the Omaha, Niobrara, and Black Hills Railroad, a Union Pacific subsidiary, purportedly because railroad magnate

Jay Gould Jason Gould (; May 27, 1836 – December 2, 1892) was an American railroad magnate and financial speculator who is generally identified as one of the robber barons of the Gilded Age. His sharp and often unscrupulous business practices made him ...

was angry at the town of Columbus for promoting a rival railroad in the region. In 1880, the settlement's name was changed to Duncan, owing to the existence of another

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

in Dakota County.O'Brien, Irene.
"Duncan--Platte County".Nebraska... Our Towns.
Retrieved 2011-04-11. The new name honored General Wood B. Duncan, a prominent onetime local resident.Curry, Margaret (1950).

Murray & Gee. p. 217. Retrieved 2010-04-11. In the following year, an ice jam destroyed the Omaha, Niobrara, and Black Hills Railroad bridge across the

Loup River The Loup River (pronounced /lup/) is a tributary of the Platte River, approximately long, in central Nebraska in the United States. The river drains a sparsely populated rural agricultural area on the eastern edge of the Great Plains southeast ...

; the line was later moved to branch off the main line of the Union Pacific at Columbus. A Baptist church was organized in Duncan in 1881. In the following year, St. Stanislaus Church was built by the Polish Roman Catholics of the Duncan area.Hagedorn, Rev. Eugene, O.F.M. (1931).
''The Franciscans in Nebraska''.
p. 413. Retrieved 2010-04-11. In 1883, St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church was established. The Village of Duncan was incorporated in 1913.

Geography

Duncan is located at (41.389993, -97.495171). It lies between the

and the

Platte River The Platte River () is a major river in the State of Nebraska. It is about long; measured to its farthest source via its tributary, the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which itsel ...

, on

U.S. Route 30 U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...

, west of Columbus."Welcome to the Village of Duncan, Nebraska".
Retrieved 2010-04-11. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the village has a total area of , all land.

Transportation

Lincoln Highway, Duncan, Nebraska from NE 2

Duncan lies on the natural overland route across Nebraska running up the Platte and the Loup valleys, and transportation has always been a major factor in its history. The village is located on the main line of the Union Pacific Railroad, running into and out of Columbus with 60

freight train Rail freight transport is the use of railroads and trains to transport cargo as opposed to human passengers. A freight train, cargo train, or goods train is a group of freight cars (US) or goods wagons (International Union of Railways) haul ...

s daily. The railroad carries 60,000 inbound cars (excluding through cars) and 40,000 outbound cars annually."Duncan, Nebraska".Nebraska Public Power District.
Retrieved 2010-04-11. In 1913, the cross-country

Lincoln Highway The Lincoln Highway is the first transcontinental highway in the United States and one of the first highways designed expressly for automobiles. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated October 31, 1913 ...

was established. The highway, which paralleled the Union Pacific tracks through Duncan, was enthusiastically supported by the citizenry. It ran through central Duncan until 1928, when it was shifted to the south side of the tracks in order to eliminate grade-level crossings between Columbus and Grand Island. The south-side route is now used by U.S. Highway 30.Puschendorf, L. Robert (2007). Retrieved 2010-04-11.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 351 people, 137 households, and 99 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 142 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, and 1.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.3% of the population. There were 137 households, of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were married couples living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.7% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age in the village was 39.4 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.9% were from 25 to 44; 30.4% were from 45 to 64; and 14% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 54.1% male and 45.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 359 people, 138 households, and 93 families residing in the village. The

was 890.2 people per square mile (346.5/km²). There were 145 housing units at an average density of 359.6 per square mile (140.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.82%

, 0.56% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 1.67% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.67% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.23% of the population. There were 138 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.24. In the village, the population was spread out, with 30.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 127.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.0 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the village was $36,932, and the median income for a family was $42,031. Males had a median income of $26,023 versus $21,023 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $15,475. About 4.2% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 7.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 9.5% of those 65 or over.

Economy

The economy is based on

farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peopl ...

, cattle feeding, hogs,

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...

and retailing. Duncan is where all Dorothy Lynch salad dressings are manufactured. In 1964, Tasty-Toppings, Inc. purchased the recipe and rights to Dorothy Lynch and built a production facility in Columbus, Nebraska. The company later expanded its production capacity with a modern plant in Duncan, and is the town's largest employer.

Culture

Landmarks

The former route of the Lincoln Highway on the north side of the railroad tracks can still be seen today. A concrete marker at the southeast corner of 8th Street and Main Avenue indicates the northeastern end of a section that has not changed significantly since the 1920s. This section of road, including the marker and an avenue of hackberry trees through which the old highway passed just south of downtown Duncan, is listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

as Lincoln Highway-Duncan West.

Religion

The only remaining organized church in Duncan is St. Stanislaus Catholic Church."All About Duncan"
(Village of Duncan website). Retrieved 2010-04-11. The current church was built in 1939; the patron saint's name is inscribed on the cornerstone in

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

.Photo of cornerstone.
Retrieved 2010-04-11. In the past 25 years, many changes have taken place in the parish. 1971 saw the formation of the first Parish Council which assists the pastor and congregation in decision making and leadership. A parish center was constructed and dedicated in 1979. Also in 1980, a senior citizen group named the Golden Age Club was formed. Plans for the church's future include ongoing remodeling for the old parish hall, recently renamed Pulaski Hall. In the fall of 1992 a church youth group was formed for the parish's high school students. Membership currently is about 25 youth who once a year transform Pulaski Hall into a "Haunted Hall" at Halloween as one of their fundraisers. The group promotes fellowship and responsibility.

Fairs and festivals

The Duncan Ribfest is a two-day summer street festival that usually takes place the last weekend of June. The 2008 event attracted an estimated 5,000 people over a two-day period. Ribfest is the largest summer event in downtown Duncan. Festival entertainment including live polka, classic rock, and country music. The members of the Duncan Fire Department have been volunteering their time each year and have raised funds to help purchase new equipment through this event. Along with the fire department, it is also sponsored by Duncan Wrestling members.

Notable person

* Cory Schlesinger (June 23, 1972-), NFL fullback, former Nebraska Cornhusker football player

References

External links

Village website
{{authority control Villages in Platte County, Nebraska Villages in Nebraska Polish-American culture in Nebraska Swiss-American culture Roads on the National Register of Historic Places in Nebraska National Register of Historic Places in Platte County, Nebraska