Atlanta is a village in Phelps County,

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

, United States. The population was 131 at the 2010 Census. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the town was neighbored by

Camp Atlanta Camp Atlanta () was a World War II camp for German prisoners of war (POWs) located next to Atlanta, Nebraska. Over three years, it housed nearly 3,000 prisoners. After the war, a number of soldiers and prisoners from the camp returned to live in t ...

, which housed more than 3,000

Nazi German Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

over three years. The camp was said to house more prisoners during the war than the town had in population during its entire existence.Smith, L. (1976) "WWII soldiers found Atlanta pleasant surprise," ''Holdrege Daily Citizen.'' 12/8/76.

History

Atlanta was laid out in 1883 when the

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, CB&Q, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of Colorado ...

was extended to that point. It was likely named after

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

. In the first part of the 20th century, Atlanta was home to several amenities for neighboring farmers. They included a grocery store, post office, cafe, and a tourist shop for drivers on

U.S. Route 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6) or U.S. Highway 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the United States Numbered Highway System. While it ...

, as well as corn and

grain elevator A grain elevator or grain terminal is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lowe ...

s and two gas stations. Chataqua groups entertained at the town hall, with annual events such as the Atlanta Institute, which was an annual fair. There were also free outdoor "picture shows", and the Atlanta Industry Day Picnic. The Atlanta schoolhouse had eight grades. At the beginning of

, there was one street, approximately two blocks long, with only a few business buildings drooping and dwindling along its edges.

Camp Atlanta

During

, Camp Atlanta was established next to the town as an Allied

POW camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, an ...

to house German POWs. The Atlanta area had been the final choice of the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

to establish a $2 million POW camp after the outbreak of World War II. When construction began in September 1943 people were told this would be a "Conchie Camp" for the

conscientious objector A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...

s from the United States. By November it became known by locals that Atlanta would be a prisoner-of-war camp expected to guard German prisoners. There were approximately 275

enlisted men An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or warrant officers, except in United States m ...

and 60 officers. Soldiers were hired out to local farms to help retrieve the increased crop production demanded by the war. More than 30 local farmers sought assistance, paying the government for work completed by the POWs. Soon after the first of the year in 1946, some soldiers returned to live in Atlanta, and at least two of the Germans applied for

U.S. citizenship Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constit ...

and returned as well.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

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

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 131 people, 52 households, and 39 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 60 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 99.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

and 0.8% Native American. There were 52 households, of which 44.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 9.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.0% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the village was 38.5 years. 29.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 1.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.7% were from 25 to 44; 33.6% were from 45 to 64; and 5.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 130 people, 53 households, and 34 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 56 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.46%

and 1.54% Native American. There were 53 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were

living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 28.3% 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 2.45 and the average family size was 3.00. In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the village was $32,708, and the median income for a family was $36,875. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $14,821 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $14,469. There were 12.1% of families and 9.9% of the population living 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 ...

, including 25.0% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.

Notable people

* Warren Keith Urbom, United States District Court Judge, was born in Atlanta.United States District Court District of Nebraska-Warren Keith Urbom
/ref>

References

External links

Historical photographs of main street
– Nebraska Memories {{authority control Villages in Phelps County, Nebraska Villages in Nebraska