Nebraska City is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Otoe County, Nebraska Otoe County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 15,912. Its county seat is Nebraska City, Nebraska, Nebraska City. The county was formed in 1854 and was name ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 7,222. The Nebraska State Legislature has credited Nebraska City as being the oldest incorporated city in the state, as it was the first approved by a special act of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature in 1855. Nebraska City is home of

Arbor Day Arbor Day (or Arbour Day in some countries) is a Secularity, secular day of observance in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date v ...

, the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

Basin

Lewis and Clark Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohe ...

Center (which focuses on the natural history achievements of the expedition), and the Mayhew Cabin, the only site in the state recognized by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

as a station on the Underground Railroad.

History

Early European-American official exploration was reported in 1804 by

as they journeyed west along the

. They encountered many of the historic Native American tribes whose ancestors had inhabited the territory for thousands of years. During the years of early pioneer settlement, in 1846 the US Army built Old Fort Kearny at Nebraska City. Several years later, the army abandoned it to relocate the fort to central Nebraska, now south of present-day Kearney. Shortly after the post was vacated, John Boulware developed an important river-crossing and ferry service from

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

to present-day Nebraska City. He and his father expanded their business and in 1852 or 1853 built a ferry house, the first residence in Nebraska City. In 1854 the Kansas–Nebraska Act allowed legal settlement in the regional area. Three townships were incorporated by settlers including Stephen Nuckolls, one of the fathers of Nebraska City. Nebraska City and Kearney City were incorporated in 1855, and South Nebraska City was incorporated in 1856. During those years, Nebraska City competed fiercely to become the Nebraska Territory capital. On December 31, 1857, these three town sites along with Prairie City joined, incorporating as present-day Nebraska City. Before the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, Nebraska City was noted as having the Territory's largest population of slaves. Many worked on the riverfront as laborers, involved with moving freight and luggage associated with steamboat traffic. By the mid-19th century,

steamboats A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

on the Missouri River were the vitalizing force behind Nebraska City's growth, bringing commerce, people and freight to the west. In the spring of 1858 Russell, Majors and Waddell started freighting from Nebraska City on a government contract to transport all provisions for all western forts. The supplies were brought up the Missouri River by steamboat and then taken out by wagon train. Nebraska City's favorable position (with a gradual slope from the river to the table land above) and good trail made it an important link to the west. Since that beginning, the city became established as a regional transportation, economic, and agriculture hub for the three state area. Additional forms of transportation were important, including the steam wagon and the first locomotive engine of the Midland Pacific. J. Sterling Morton came to Nebraska City in 1855 to edit the '' Nebraska City News''. Originally from

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, he and his wife Caroline were lovers of nature. Morton served as Secretary of Agriculture under President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...

’s administration and in 1872 he was instrumental in establishing the annual tree planting day,

. Governor Robert Furnas of Nebraska issued the first Arbor Day Proclamation on March 31, 1874. The holiday is celebrated around the world. Nebraska City has its own hospital, St Marys Hospital. As the county seat, it has the courthouse and associated county offices.

Geography

Nebraska City is located on the western bank of the

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

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

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 7,289 people, 2,960 households, and 1,867 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 3,265 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 5.3% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 10.9% of the population. There were 2,960 households, of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the city was 40.9 years. 24.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 26.2% were from 45 to 64; and 19.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 7,228 people, 2,898 households, and 1,872 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,154 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.00%

, 0.37%

, 0.30% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.07%

, 2.01% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.40% of the population. There were 2,898 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were

living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.01. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $34,952, and the median income for a family was $42,860. Males had a median income of $29,507 versus $19,859 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $16,969. About 6.3% of families and 9.3% 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 ...

, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Events

Nebraska City is known as "The Home of

". In Nebraska City is Arbor Lodge, home of the first Secretary of Agriculture of the United States, J. Sterling Morton, who promoted the planting of trees on the

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

for shade, fruit, and windbreaks. The National Arbor Day Foundation has its headquarters near his home in Nebraska City. Each year, the AppleJack Festival in Nebraska City takes place on the third weekend of September. The event has been held for over 40 years. It includes such events as a parade, a classic car show, carnival rides, the AppleJack Fun Run/Walk, a quilt show, and craft shows and events all around the city and surrounding area. In 2011, a turnout of 40–50,000 visitors was expected.

Government

Nebraska City has a mayor-commission government system. Nebraska City is currently the only municipality in the State of Nebraska that has the commissioner form of government. The Nebraska City commissioner model does not utilize representatives from precinct divisions of the city. The commissioners are elected citywide; each has a specific departmental role. These roles are: Mayor-Commissioner of Public Affairs and Public Safety, Finance Commissioner, Parks and Recreation Commissioner, Public Works Commissioner, and Streets Commissioner. Current office holders are Mayor Bryan Bequette (through December 2024); Finance Commissioner Cole Sharp (December 2026); Parks and Recreation Commissioner Patrick Wehling (December 2024); Public Works Commissioner Ron Osovski (December 2024); and Streets Commissioner Joe Chaney (December 2026). The city is in the 1st state legislative district, as of 2022 & is represented by state senator Julie Slama in the

Nebraska Legislature The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislative branch, legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska, Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators ...

Education

The first high school in Nebraska was established in Nebraska City in 1864. Nebraska City has a public and a Catholic school system. Nebraska City Public Schools offers K-12 education. The high school has an enrollment of about 445; its athletic teams are the Pioneers. It is a member of the Trailblazers Conference. Lourdes Central Catholic Schools also provides K-12 education, with a total enrollment of about 330 in all grades. Its athletic teams are the Knights.Lourdes Central Catholic Schools Student Handbook.

Lourdes Central Catholic Schools.
Retrieved 2011-12-24. The Nebraska Center for the Education of Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired was founded in 1875 and today serves students across Nebraska and western Iowa.

Notable people

* Bret Clark — professional football player * Lloyd Fallers —

anthropologist An anthropologist is a scientist engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropologists study aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms, values ...

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

* Jeffrey J. Funke — Current Chief Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court * Leland Hayward — Hollywood and Broadway agent, theatrical producer, and father of

Brooke Hayward Brooke Hayward is an American actress. Her memoir, ''Haywire (book), Haywire'', was a best-seller. Early life and education Born in Los Angeles in 1937, Hayward is the eldest of three children born to agent turned film, television, and stage p ...

* William Hayward — attorney, commander of the Harlem Hellfighters during World War I, and father of Leland Hayward * Monroe Leland Hayward — United States Senator-elect from Nebraska and father of William Hayward * George H. Heinke — lawyer and US Congressman (1939–1940) * John Henry Kagi — second in command in John Brown's 1859

raid RAID (; redundant array of inexpensive disks or redundant array of independent disks) is a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical Computer data storage, data storage components into one or more logical units for th ...

on the US Arsenal at Harper's Ferry and created station at the Mayhew Cabin for the Underground Railroad * Mitch Krenk — professional football player * Cheri Madsen — Paralympic wheelchair racing athlete * Joy Morton — Son of J. Sterling Morton; founder and namesake of Morton Salt * Julius Sterling Morton — founder of

and former US Secretary of Agriculture under President

* Paul Morton —

Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...

under

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

, vice president of the Santa Fe Railroad * Prudence Neff — pianist and music teacher * Stephen Nuckolls — co-founder of Nebraska City * Greg Orton — professional football player *

Joe Ricketts John Joseph Ricketts (born July 16, 1941) is an American businessman. He is the founder, former CEO and former chairman of TD Ameritrade. He has an estimated net worth of US$4.1 billion as of 2024, according to ''Forbes''. He has pursued a variety ...

— founder of TD Ameritrade; father of

Pete Ricketts John Peter Ricketts (born August 19, 1964) is an American businessman and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from Nebraska since 2023. A member of the Republican Part ...

— United States Senator from Nebraska; 40th Governor of Nebraska; former Chief Operating Officer of TD Ameritrade; member of Board of Directors for

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

; son of

* Anthony "Lionheart" Smith — professional mixed martial artist with Strikeforce, UFC, and

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from ''wikt:bellator, bellātor ...

* Adam Carter Rehmeier — film director, writer, and cinematographer best known for his work on The Bunny Game, Dinner in America, and Snack Shack * James Gilligan — served as director of mental health for the

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

prison system and director of the Harvard Institute of Law and Psychiatry

References

* Olson, James C. (1968), ''This is Nebraska,'' University Publishing Company.

External links

* * * {{Authority control Cities in Otoe County, Nebraska County seats in Nebraska Nebraska populated places on the Missouri River Underground Railroad locations Cities in Nebraska 1855 establishments in Nebraska Territory Populated places established in 1855