Shelton is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

in Buffalo and

Hall In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gr ...

counties,

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. It is part of the

Kearney, Nebraska Kearney is the county seat of Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 30,787 in the 2010 census. It is home to the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The westward push of the railroad as the Civil War ended gave new birt ...

Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,059 at the 2010 census. It is located west of Grand Island along both 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 ...

and

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 ...

. Nebraska Link 10-D connects Shelton with

Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...

Geography

Shelton is located at (40.777487, -98.733282). 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. The downtown business district is situated near the banks of the

Wood River Wood River may refer to: Rivers In Canada * Wood River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Columbia River via Kinbasket Lake * Wood River (Saskatchewan), a river in south-west Saskatchewan In Ireland * Wood River (County Clare), Kilru ...

and the historic

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 ...

(now U.S. Highway 30) passes through Shelton.

History

Shelton, evolving from Wood River Centre, is one of the older communities in Nebraska. The first European settler to live in the area was a

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

by the name of Joseph Johnson in 1858. His store, blacksmithery, wagon repair shop, tintype gallery, bakery, place where meals could be obtained, and printing office served early pioneers. The "Huntsman's Echo", his publication, was the first newspaper west of

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

and was established in April 1860. His establishment (Johnson's Ranche) found itself as an important point of supply serving Mormons and other travelers on the Council Bluffs Road. Prior to service by the railroad, The Great Western Stage Company established a stage station at Wood River Center in 1860 to serve its Fort Kearny route. The Union Pacific Railroad came to the area in 1866; with additional settlers, the need to establish government was realized. Patrick Walsh, Martin Slattery, and a Sergeant Cody petitioned the governor to organize Buffalo County in 1869. Wood River Centre (Shelton) was selected through election to be the county seat. Within a year, the seat was moved to

Gibbon Gibbons () are apes in the family Hylobatidae (). The family historically contained one genus, but now is split into four extant genera and 20 species. Gibbons live in subtropical and tropical rainforest from eastern Bangladesh to Northeast India ...

. Patrick Walsh, the community postman, wrote the Postmaster General in 1873 with the plea to change the name of Wood River Centre to Shelton to avoid confusion with

, a community to the east. The post office name was changed from Wood River Center to Shelton on February 3, 1873. Shelton held the name of Wood River Center from 1860 to about 1873. No further correspondence about the naming of Shelton is recorded. The name, Shelton, is derived from the name of an auditor for the Union Pacific Railroad, Nathan Shelton. The original townsite was surveyed from the homestead farm of Patrick Walsh, followed by a survey from the Union Pacific Railway Company. It was 1876 before the Union Pacific established a station. With incorporation in 1882, the community grew and was home to "The Shelton Clipper" formerly "The Shelton Clarion", several banks, and a community school. As early as 1866, people of the Shelton area organized together to form the first schoolhouse in Buffalo County. By 1876, a new school district was organized; it was legally known as No. 19 in Buffalo County. In January 1908, the community library was officially organized as the Shelton Public Library with a village tax being levied for its support. A Carnegie Library building was funded on April 7, 1913. The population of Shelton has been relatively consistent since its early years, always maintaining a population around 1,000 individuals. The population of Shelton in 1910 was 1,005.

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 incl ...

of 2010, there were 1,059 people, 391 households, and 283 families living in the village. 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 442 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 85.6%

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 on ...

, 0.5%

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 ...

, 0.6% Native American, 12.1% 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 1.2% from two or more races.

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 were 18.4% of the population. There were 391 households, of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% 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, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.6% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.23. The median age in the village was 34.7 years. 31.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 11.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 50.1% male and 49.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,140 people, 425 households, and 308 families living in the village. The

was 1,551.5 people per square mile (603.0/km). There were 460 housing units at an average density of 626.0 per square mile (243.3/km). The racial makeup of the village was 87.98%

, 0.79%

, 0.26% Native American, 10.18% from

, and 0.79% from two or more races.

of any race were 16.67% of the population. There were 425 households, out of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.9% were

living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.18. In the village, the population was spread out, with 31.4% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the village was $37,583, and the median income for a family was $42,381. Males had a median income of $28,864 versus $20,972 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 $16,232. About 7.2% of families and 12.1% 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 15.5% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.

References

{{authority control Villages in Buffalo County, Nebraska Villages in Hall County, Nebraska Villages in Nebraska Kearney Micropolitan Statistical Area