St. Paul 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 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 Howard 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. The population was 2,290 at the 2010 census. St. Paul is part of the

Grand Island, Nebraska Grand Island is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 53,131 at the 2020 census. Grand Island is the principal city of the Grand Island metropolitan area, which consists of Hall, Merrick, ...

Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

St. Paul is located at (41.213709, -98.459881). 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 city 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 incl ...

of 2010, there were 2,290 people, 989 households, and 590 families residing in the city. 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 1,093 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.1%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.1%

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 ...

, and 1.3% 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 1.4% of the population. There were 989 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% 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, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.3% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age in the city was 40.3 years. 26% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.9% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 21.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,218 people, 935 households, and 584 families residing in the city. The

was 2,083.8 people per square mile (807.9/km). There were 1,020 housing units at an average density of 958.3 per square mile (371.5/km). The racial makeup of the city was 99.37%

, 0.23%

, 0.18% Native American, 0.14%

, and 0.09% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.86% of the population. There were 935 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were

living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 3.01. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $31,818, and the median income for a family was $43,571. Males had a median income of $32,051 versus $19,776 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 city was $17,596. About 5.8% of families and 8.3% 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 t ...

, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 17.2% of those age 65 or over.

History

St. Paul was founded by two young surveyors, James N. and Nicholas J. Paul, who had been surveying in Nebraska and the surrounding areas as the land opened to settlers. Struck by the beauty and the prospects of the Loup valley, they took out homesteads, successfully petitioned the state legislature to form a new county to be known as Howard County, and laid out the townsite. They brought the first settlers to the county in March 1871 and established the seat of government in St. Paul. Stillman Hazeltine put up the first building for a general store and town hall in the summer of 1871. That first building burned a few years later and the brick building which replaced it is still in use with his name and date 1871 on the front. When the town was to be named, a committee collected the suggested names in a hat and the name Athens was drawn. Since an Athens already existed in the state, Nebraska Senator Phineas W. Hitchcock suggested the name St. Paul in honor of the Paul brothers who founded it. It officially became the county seat by vote in 1874 and was incorporated in 1881. The first mayor was E.F. Clapp. During its first twenty years, Howard County was a typical western frontier with covered wagons, cowboys, huge cattle herds, rowdy railroad construction gangs, and Army detachments stationed within its borders. As settlers and the railroad extended north and west, the town of St. Paul served as an important trade center and quickly grew to a population of 2,000 residents. From 1882 until 1917, St. Paul was the home of Frank Iams, the nation's largest importer of European draft horses. Three-star General C.S. Irvine set record-shattering, long-distance flights in a

B-29 The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fly ...

shortly after World War II. Herbert Paul was Adjutant General of the Nebraska National Guard for 19 years. St. Paul had a broom factory, canning factory, brick factory, cigar factory, two flour mills, hatchery and more. Through the years innovation like the first self-rising flour was developed at one of the flour mills. The first chicken hatchery in Nebraska started in Cushing in 1901, moved to St. Paul in 1922, and operated until 1956. Pirus, a cure for many kidney and liver ailments, was invented in St. Paul.

Dorothy Lynch Dorothy Lynch is a brand of salad dressing originating in the 1940s and 1960s in the American state of Nebraska, currently produced by the Tasty Toppings company. The dressing, which is also used as a dip and condiment in Nebraska, is a reddish-ora ...

invented her famous salad dressing in St. Paul, which is now sold nationally. The first two people executed in Nebraska's electric chair were sentenced for a murder they committed within Howard County.

Grover Cleveland Alexander Grover Cleveland Alexander (February 26, 1887 – November 4, 1950), nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played from 1911 through 1930 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals. He ...

, who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, was born on a farm in the area and retired to St. Paul at the end of his sports career. The American Legion baseball field was dedicated on June 15, 1971, and named after Alexander. Each year St. Paul honors Alexander with the celebration of Grover Cleveland Alexander (GCA) Days, the weekend following the 4th of July.

Notable people

* Jon Lynn Christensen, Member of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

's 2nd district (January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1999) *

, creator of Dorothy Lynch salad dressing * Vickie D. McDonald, Nebraska legislator *

Jean Potts Jean Catherine Potts (November 17, 1910 – November 10, 1999) was an American award-winning mystery novelist. Early life Potts was born in St. Paul, Nebraska, graduated from St. Paul High School, studied at the Denver Women's College, a ...

, Author of ''Go, Lovely Rose'', which won the Mystery Writers of America's Best First Novel

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

for 1955"Jean Potts, 88, Author of Prize-Winning Mystery".''New York Times''.
1999-11-17. Retrieved 2016-01-14. * Reynold F. Nesiba, Minority Leader of the South Dakota Senate

References

External links

Community website

County website

Nebraska Baseball Museum

Howard County Historical Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Paul, Nebraska Cities in Howard County, Nebraska Cities in Nebraska Grand Island micropolitan area County seats in Nebraska