Nemaha County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the U.S. state of

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 so ...

. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 7,074. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Auburn. In the Nebraska license plate system, Nemaha County is represented by the prefix 44 (it had the forty-fourth-largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922).

History

The county forms the core of the Nemaha Half-Breed Reservation formed in the Fourth Treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1830 as land for the offspring of traders and Native Americans. The grounds of modern Indian Cave State Park mark where the county's first community, Saint Deroin, was founded in 1853 by members of the reservation as a trading post on the Missouri River. When white settlement was permitted in the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854, this area was part of Forney County (named for US cabinet member John W. Forney) which stretched along the Little Nemaha River from the Missouri River to west of

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United St ...

. In 1855 Nemaha County was formally founded with Brownville as its county seat. Johnson County, also founded in 1855, was initially administratively attached to Nemaha, but was organized as a stand-alone county in 1857. Brownville was the biggest city in Nebraska at the time and several firsts occurred in the county including: in 1861 the first state

normal school A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...

was founded at what today is Peru State College; Daniel Freeman filed the first claim under the Homestead Act of 1862 for

land Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various isl ...

on January 1, 1863, at the Brownville land office. The Nebraska State Fair was held in the county at Brownville in 1870–1871. In 1883 the county seat was moved to Auburn. In 1974 the Cooper Nuclear Station was commissioned south of Brownville.

Geography

Nemaha County lies on the eastern edge of Nebraska. Its east boundary line abuts the west boundary line of the state of

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

(across the Missouri River). Most of the county's eastern border follows the Missouri River bordering Atchison County, Missouri. In the county's extreme northeast corner, the border follows the river's former course, lying nearly two miles () east of the present-day channel. This de facto

enclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

is McKissick Island. The Nemaha River flows southeastward through the upper eastern portion of the county, discharging into the Missouri River below the village of Nemaha. The county's terrain consists of low rolling hills, sloping eastward to the Missouri River valley. Much of the terrain is devoted to agriculture. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water.

Major highways

U.S. Highway 75 * US 136

U.S. Highway 136 * N-62

Nebraska Highway 62 * N-67

Nebraska Highway 67 Nebraska Highway 67 is a highway in southeastern Nebraska. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with U.S. Highway 73 near Verdon. Its northern terminus is at an intersection with U.S. Highway 34 near Nehawka. The segment between Nebr ...

Nebraska Highway 105 Nebraska Highway 105 (N-105) is a state highway in Richardson, Pawnee, and Nemaha counties in Nebraska, United States. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with Nebraska Highway 8 south of Humboldt. Its northern terminus is at an int ...

Protected area

* Indian Cave State Park (part)

Adjacent counties

* Otoe County - north * Atchison County, Missouri - east * Holt County, Missouri - southeast * Richardson County - south * Pawnee County - southwest * Johnson County - west

Demographics

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 7,576 people, 3,047 households, and 1,980 families in the county. 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 18 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 3,439 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.60%

White White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.36%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.30% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 0.37% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. 1.00% of the population were

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 for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 3,047 households, out of which 29.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.00% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.00% were non-families. 30.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91. The county population contained 23.20% under the age of 18, 11.90% from 18 to 24, 23.90% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 18.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $32,588, and the median income for a family was $43,780. Males had a median income of $30,956 versus $19,263 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 county was $17,004. About 8.30% of families and 12.60% 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 13.20% of those under age 18 and 13.50% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

* Auburn (county seat) *

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

Villages

* Brock * Brownville * Johnson *

Julian Julian may refer to: People * Julian (emperor) (331–363), Roman emperor from 361 to 363 * Julian (Rome), referring to the Roman gens Julia, with imperial dynasty offshoots * Saint Julian (disambiguation), several Christian saints * Julian (give ...

* Nemaha

Unincorporated communities

* Glenrock * Howe * Rohrs

Ghost town

* St. Deroin

Precincts

Nemaha County has the following precincts (which are similar to

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

s) * Aspinwall * Bedford * Benton * Brownville * Douglas * Glen Rock * Lafayette * London * McKissick Island * Nemaha * Peru * St. Deroin * Washington

Politics

Nemaha County voters are reliably Republican. In only one national election since 1936 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate. (With that being 1964)

External links

Nemaha County Government (Official site)

Nemaha County Tourism Website

References

{{coord, 40.39, -95.85, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NE_source:UScensus1990 Nebraska counties on the Missouri River 1855 establishments in Nebraska Territory Populated places established in 1855