North Loup is a village in North Loup Township, Valley 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 297 at the 2010 census.

History

In 1871, a party of

Seventh Day Baptist Seventh Day Baptists are Baptists who observe the Sabbath as the seventh day of the week, Saturday, as a holy day to God. They adopt a covenant Baptist theology, based on the concept of regenerated society, conscious baptism of believers by immers ...

s from

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

explored Valley County for settlement sites. In May 1872, they established a community near what is now North Loup."North Loup"
in "Valley County" chapter o

Retrieved 2011-06-04. A post office and general store were established in 1873. In 1877, the town of North Loup was formally organized.Fimple, Kathleen. "Historic Overview" in John Kay et al., Retrieved 2011-06-03. The name was taken from the North Loup River, in whose valley the village lies. In 1880, 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 ...

completed a branch line from Grand Island to

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

, shortening the distance from the Valley County settlements to rail transport. In the following year, North Loup and

Ord Ord or ORD may refer to: Places * Ord of Caithness, landform in north-east Scotland * Ord, Nebraska, USA * Ord, Northumberland, England * Muir of Ord, village in Highland, Scotland * Ord, Skye, a place near Tarskavaig * Ord River, Western Austral ...

voted to issue $9,000 worth of bonds to help subsidize the railroad's extension through the two towns. The rail connection from St. Paul to North Loup was completed in 1882.Foght, A. W. (1906).
Chapter 17, "Changes Down Through the Years".''The Trail of the Loup''.
Retrieved 2011-06-03. The arrival of the railroad prompted a boom in North Loup, which lasted for some four years. In the course of a single year, the village's population doubled, to two hundred residents. The boom ended in 1886, when the railway line was finally completed to the county seat of Ord.Foght, A. W. (1906).
Chapter 11, "Village Organization".''The Trail of the Loup''.
Retrieved 2011-06-03. From about 1877 to 1890, the Loup valley enjoyed a series of wet years that attracted a wave of settlers, who homesteaded even marginal agricultural land. In 1890, this ended with a series of drought years, lasting until about 1896. During this time, the valley's farmers experimented with alternative crops, among them

winter wheat Winter wheat (usually '' Triticum aestivum'') are strains of wheat that are planted in the autumn to germinate and develop into young plants that remain in the vegetative phase during the winter and resume growth in early spring. Classificatio ...

and alfalfa.Foght, A. W. (1906).
Chapter 19, "The Critical Period in Loup Valley History".''The Trail of the Loup''.
Retrieved 2011-06-03. In the North Loup valley, one such crop was popcorn. The experiment was successful; in 1901, North Loup celebrated its first "Popcorn Days" celebration, which continues to be held every August."North Loup Popcorn Days".Valley County Visitors Bureau.
Retrieved 2011-06-03. The village grew rapidly from about 1900 to 1920. By 1915, there were over 600 residents. Growth continued, albeit very slowly, in the 1920s; the maximum population of 643 was reached in 1930. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the population declined; in 1959, the village was no longer able to support its own school district, which was merged with that of

Scotia Scotia is a Latin placename derived from ''Scoti'', a Latin name for the Gaels, first attested in the late 3rd century.Duffy, Seán. ''Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia''. Routledge, 2005. p.698 The Romans referred to Ireland as "Scotia" around ...

, in neighboring Greeley County.

2010 flood

On June 12, 2010, the privately owned Bredthauer Dam, located upstream from North Loup on Mira Creek, broke due to heavy rain, flooding rural Valley County. Major flooding occurred in North Loup, with water "eight inches deep and running down Main Street." The village was evacuated for the duration of the flood.Schweitzer, Amy.
"North Loup flooded, evacuated". ''Grand Island Independent''.
2010-06-12. Retrieved 2010-06-19.

Geography

North Loup is located at (41.494856, -98.771253). 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.

Climate

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 297 people, 154 households, and 85 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 191 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.6%

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%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.7% 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 1.3% 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 1.0% of the population. There were 154 households, of which 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.8% were non-families. 42.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93 and the average family size was 2.58. The median age in the village was 51.9 years. 14.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.8% were from 25 to 44; 32.6% were from 45 to 64; and 32% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 339 people, 159 households, and 83 families residing in the village. The

was 823.8 people per square mile (319.2/km²). There were 192 housing units at an average density of 466.6 per square mile (180.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.35%

, 1.77% from

, and 0.88% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.36% of the population. There were 159 households, out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 1.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.2% were non-families. 42.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 26.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 3.06. In the village, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 2.9% from 18 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 31.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the village was $20,288, and the median income for a family was $25,750. Males had a median income of $21,750 versus $15,000 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 $12,672. About 22.1% of families and 24.1% 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 33.3% of those under age 18 and 21.3% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

The Trail of the Loup, by H. W. Fought, 1906
{{authority control Villages in Valley County, Nebraska Villages in Nebraska