Verdigre is a village in
Knox County,
Nebraska, United States. The population was 575 at the
2010 census.
History
Verdigre was
platted in 1887 shortly before the
Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad was extended to that point. It took its name from nearby
Verdigre Creek
Verdigre Creek is a stream in Knox and Antelope counties, in the U.S. state of Nebraska.
Verdigre is derived from the Spanish word ''verde'' meaning "green"; the name was applied to the stream for the green soil on its banks. Verdigre Creek was ...
.
Verdigre was the site of a fatal injury during a
professional wrestling tag team match on June 13, 1971, when Alberto Torres was hurt while competing against
Ox Baker. Torres died of a ruptured appendix four days after being hurt.
["Wrestler Dies After Professional Match", ''Los Angeles Times'', June 18, 1971, p.13]
Geography
Verdigre is located at (42.596437, -98.034118).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
census of 2010, there were 575 people, 246 households, and 126 families living in the village. The
population density was . There were 287 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 96.3%
White, 1.9%
Native American, and 1.7% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 0.2% of the population.
There was 246 households, of which 18.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9%re
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, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 48.8% were non-families. 48.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 29.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.94 and the average family size was 2.74.
The median age in the village was 56.7 years. 15.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14% were from 25 to 44; 26.3% were from 45 to 64; and 40.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 46.1% male and 53.9% female.
2000 census
As of the
census of 2000, there were 519 people, 232 households, and 122 families living in the village. The
population density was 934.1 people per square mile (357.8/km). There were 286 housing units at an average density of 514.7 per square mile (197.2/km). The racial makeup of the village was 97.88%
White, 1.93%
Native American, and 0.19% from two or more races.
There were 232 households, out of which 19.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% 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, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.4% were non-families. 45.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 34.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 15.2% under the age of 18, 3.9% from 18 to 24, 16.2% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 45.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 59 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.0 males.
As of 2000 the median income for a household in the village was $21,667, and the median income for a family was $30,208. Males had a median income of $22,031 versus $12,708 for females. The
per capita income for the village was $18,128. About 4.7% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 19.0% of those age 65 or over.
Kolach Days
Verdigre touts itself as "The
Kolach Kolach is the Slavonic term for a number of traditional baked products, such as:
*Kolach (bread), a circular bread, most often made as a sweet dish
*Slavski kolač, a Serbian variant of the kolach, made for the celebration of Slava
*Kolach (cake), ...
Capital of the world". A kolach is a pastry of
Czech and
Slovak origin, with a fruit center, usually poppy seed, prunes, cherries, or blueberries, somewhat similar to a Danish. During the summer, usually the second week of June, Verdigre hosts a huge festival celebrating the kolach and usually provides rides, tractor pulls, both duck and turtle races, live music, mud volleyball, kolach eating contests, and a variety of activities for the community. Verdigre crowns its annual Kolach Queen during this festival. Kolaches are sold in the local bakery and a variety of local wares and produce are available at outdoor stalls on Main street.
The city elects Kolach Royalty ( both King and Queen ) during the festivities.
Notable people
*
Pauline Davis - California state legislator
*
William R. Schmidt
Major General William Richard Schmidt (October 14, 1889 – July 18, 1966) was a decorated United States Army officer who spent most of World War II as commanding the 76th Infantry Division.
Early life and military career
William Richard Schm ...
(1889–1966) - major general in the
United States Army during
World War II.
References
External links
City websiteSchool website
{{authority control
Villages in Knox County, Nebraska
Villages in Nebraska
Czech-American culture in Nebraska