Pender is a village in Thurston 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 southwe ...

, United States. On March 22, 2016, the United States Supreme Court resolved a disagreement as to whether Pender is located on the

Omaha Indian Reservation The Omaha Reservation ( oma, Umoⁿhoⁿ tóⁿde ukʰéthiⁿ) of the federally recognized Omaha tribe is located mostly in Thurston County, Nebraska, with sections in neighboring Cuming and Burt counties, in addition to Monona County in Iowa. A ...

, holding unanimously that "the disputed land is within the reservation’s boundaries." The predominantly European-American population was 1,115 at the 2020 census. The village is the

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 st ...

of Thurston County. European-American settlers founded the village in April 1885, naming it in honor of the Scottish politician and businessman Sir John Pender, a pioneer of the Transatlantic Cable. He founded what is now

Cable & Wireless Worldwide Cable & Wireless Worldwide PLC (informally Cable & Wireless) was a British multinational telecommunications services company headquartered in Bracknell, United Kingdom. It was formed in 2010 by the split of Cable & Wireless plc into two com ...

, and was a director of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway.

Geography

Pender is located at (42.111563, -96.710612). 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 the ...

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

Current issues

Tribal authorities of the federally recognized Omaha Nation assert that Pender is within the boundaries of the reservation as defined in its 1865 treaty with the United States. However, a Nebraska state court held in 1999 that the western boundary was a railroad right-of-way east of Pender, because of Omaha land sales to white farmers over the decades. The tribe's response is that the state does not have the power to redefine the boundary set by the Omaha treaty with the US government in 1865.Paul Hammel, “Debate Over Tribal Jurisdiction at Standstill Police on the Omaha Reservation; Want the Authority to Arrest non-Indians,”
''Omaha World Herald'' (Nebraska), 15 February 2004, p. 3b, accessed 27 February 2012 The boundary and jurisdiction issues have received recent testing related to traffic control and liquor sales.Paul Hammel, "Nebraska, Indian Officials to Meet They Will Discuss Their Differences Over the Boundaries of the Omaha Tribe's Reservation and who Polices its Roads"
''Omaha World-Herald,'' 7 January 2003, 1b Seeking to gain revenue from "nuisance" businesses, the Omaha in 2006 passed a law establishing the requirement for liquor merchants to pay the tribe license fees and a 10% sales tax to operate within the reservation. It notified the seven liquor stores in Pender, as well as those in Rosalie, and

Walthill, Nebraska Walthill is a village in Thurston County, Nebraska, Thurston County, Nebraska, United States, within the Omaha Reservation. The population was 780 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. History Walthill was platted in 1906 when the Chicago ...

, all within reservation boundaries, that as of January 1, 2007, they would have to pay the Omaha Tribe licensing fees and a 10 percent tax on sales in order to continue to operate within the reservation. Ben Thompson, an Omaha attorney who represents the tribe, said that it had the legal right to establish such laws within the reservation. The executive director of the Nebraska State Liquor Commission said that he would consult with the state attorney general on the issue.Paul Hammel, "Tribe's Liquor Tax May Restart Old Boundary Dispute,"
, ''Omaha World-Herald'' (Nebraska), 28 December 2006, p. 03B, at H-Amindian Discussion Log, accessed 27 February 2012 In April 2007, liquor merchants in Pender (later joined by the village) filed a federal lawsuit challenging the tribe's authority to demand the liquor taxes, based on their contention that Pender was outside the reservation boundaries. In October 2007 the US District Court ordered the parties first to take their challenge to the Omaha Tribal Courts, as part of the "tribal exhaustion doctrine" established by federal precedent, and denied the plaintiffs' request for dismissal. Judge Richard Kopf said he may not be bound by the tribal court, but wanted to hear their opinion.Timberly Ross (Associated Press), "Judge orders liquor lawsuit to Omaha tribal court"
''News from Indian Country'', October 2007, accessed 1 March 2012 He required the parties to report back to him regularly until a ruling was made by the Omaha Tribal Courts. While the case was pending, the judge ordered a temporary stay on the merchants' paying the liquor sales tax to the Omaha Tribe. In January 2012, the plaintiffs in ''Pender v. Omaha Tribe'' filed a request with the Omaha Tribal Courts for a summary judgment due to the length of time the case had taken. The defendants requested that no hearing be held before June 2012. The plaintiffs had submitted a detailed report to them by an expert witness on transactions related to Pender and the western boundary. In 2008 the village had voted for a five-year, 1% sales tax to finance its lawsuit related to the boundary and liquor tax issues, as well as to promote economic development in the town."Pender has spent $285,000 on reservation boundary dispute"
, ''The Pender Times'' online, January 2012, accessed 1 March 2012 On March 22, 2016, the Supreme Court unanimously held that Pender was within the boundaries of the Omaha Indian reservation.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 1,115. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 499 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 92.9%

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 on ...

, 2.4% Native American, 0.3%

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 have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 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 ...

, 2.0% 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 2.2% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.8%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

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.

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 incl ...

of 2010, there were 1,002 people, 444 households, and 291 families residing in the village. The

was . There were 497 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 95.5%

, 1.8% Native American, 0.2%

, 0.7% from

, and 1.8% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.7% of the population. There were 444 households, of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% 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, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.5% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.75. The median age in the village was 49.5 years. 19.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.3% were from 25 to 44; 28.8% were from 45 to 64; and 27.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,148 people, 489 households, and 310 families residing in the village. The

was 1,801.9 people per square mile (692.6/km). There were 542 housing units at an average density of 850.7 per square mile (327.0/km). The racial makeup of the village was 98.34%

, 0.09%

, 0.78% Native American, 0.26% from

, and 0.52% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.78% of the population. There were 489 households, out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were

living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.84. In the village, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 29.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the village was $30,990, and the median income for a family was $38,333. Males had a median income of $26,008 versus $19,792 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 $17,672. About 3.9% of families and 6.8% 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 9.5% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Pender Public Schools Pender Public Schools is a school district located in the town of Pender, Nebraska, Pender in northeast Nebraska, United States. Pender Public Schools serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, as well as pre-school students. For the ...

Notable people

* Marion Broadstone – professional

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

player *

Monty Budwig Monte Rex Budwig (December 26, 1929 – March 9, 1992) was a West Coast jazz double bassist, professionally known as Monty Budwig. Early life Monte Rex Budwig was born in Pender, Nebraska, on December 26, 1929.His full birthname was Monte Rex Bu ...

– jazz double-bassist known for his work with

Vince Guaraldi Vincent Anthony Guaraldi (; birth name, né Dellaglio, July 17, 1928 – February 6, 1976) was an American jazz pianist best known for composing music for animated television adaptations of the ''Peanuts'' comic strip. His compositions for this s ...

. *

Dale R. Buis U.S. Army Major Dale Richard Buis (August 29, 1921 – July 8, 1959) was the second Americans, American casualty of the Vietnam War killed at the hands of the Vietcong. He is the first name listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Life and care ...

– US soldier killed during

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

; listed as first name on the

Vietnam Veterans Memorial The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a U.S. national memorial in Washington, D.C., honoring service members of the U.S. armed forces who served in the Vietnam War. The site is dominated by two black granite walls engraved with the names of those s ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Laurie Frink Laurie Ann Frink (August 8, 1951, Pender, Nebraska – July 13, 2013, New York City) was an American jazz trumpeter who worked primarily in big band idioms. Frink attended the University of Nebraska (1969-1972) and studied under Jimmy Maxwell (1 ...

- world-class American jazz trumpeter who worked primarily in big band idioms. * Bill Hoppner - politician, Democratic candidate for Nebraska governorship in 2006; lost to Republican.Anderson, Todd.
"Hoppner's humor lightens governor race"
''Daily Nebraskan''. 2006-06-15. Retrieved 2012-03-01. * Loren Miller –

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 ...

civil rights lawyer and judge born in the town; moved as a boy with his family to Kansas, * Maurice Pate – Founding figure of the

United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...

; moved to

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

as a boy. *

Ad Wenke Adolph Eilert "Ad" Wenke (January 22, 1898 – March 3, 1961) was a player in the National Football League and a state supreme court justice in the state of Nebraska. Of German ancestry, Wenke played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers ...

- professional football player