Bancroft is a village in Cuming 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 496 as of the 2020 census.

John Neihardt John Gneisenau Neihardt (January 8, 1881 – November 3, 1973) was an American writer and poet, amateur historian and ethnographer. Born at the end of the American settlement of the Plains, he became interested in the lives of those who had been ...

, who later became Nebraska's poet laureate, lived in Bancroft for twenty years and wrote many of his works there. His study is preserved at the

John G. Neihardt State Historic Site The John G. Neihardt State Historic Site, also known as the Neihardt Center, is located in Bancroft, Nebraska, United States and features museum exhibits about Nebraska poet laureate, Poet Laureate John Neihardt. The one-room study that Neihardt ...

in the village.

History

Succeeding cultures of indigenous peoples lived in the area for thousands of years before European encounter. By the mid-eighteenth century, the

Omaha tribe The Omaha are a federally recognized Midwestern Native American tribe who reside on the Omaha Reservation in northeastern Nebraska and western Iowa, United States. The Omaha Indian Reservation lies primarily in the southern part of Thurston Co ...

lived on the west side of the Missouri River throughout this area. The settlement was originally known as ''Unashta Zinga,'' meaning "little stopping place" in a Native American language. The site that became Bancroft was homesteaded in the mid-1870s by Ford Bella Barber and Deborah (Watson) Barber, who came from Maine to settle in Nebraska. In 1880, when the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway began planning a line through the area, the Barbers deeded of land to the railway for the platting of a town. At that time, the approximately 25 residents were of mostly German, Irish, and Scandinavian descent; some were immigrants. When the village was platted, townspeople named it Barbersville, but the couple refused the honor. The village was named after George Bancroft. Sources differ on who this was. In her 1925 ''Nebraska Place-Names'', Lilian Linder Fitzpatrick says that it was historian

George Bancroft George Bancroft (October 3, 1800 – January 17, 1891) was an American historian, statesman and Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state of Massachusetts ...

. However, more recent sources say that the Bancroft whose name was used was "a well-liked civil engineer with the railroad". In 1884, of the

Omaha Reservation The Omaha Reservation () 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. As of the 2020 federal census, the res ...

was sold to "actual residents". This brought an influx of white settlers to that portion of the reservation; and Bancroft, located at the southern edge of the reservation, profited from the increased business. The population grew until 1910, when it reached a peak of 742. The

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

drove many of Bancroft's residents away to larger cities; but the onset of World War II brought a revival of prosperity.

John Neihardt

In 1900, the 19-year-old

John G. Neihardt John Gneisenau Neihardt (January 8, 1881 – November 3, 1973) was an American writer and poet, amateur historian and ethnographer. Born at the end of the American settlement of the Plains, he became interested in the lives of those who had been ...

and his family moved to Bancroft, where he worked as assistant to a trader with the

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

. He learned about the Omaha traditions and customs while working with them. Neihardt had already begun writing; he had published his first book, ''The Divine Enchantment'', in 1897. His experiences among the Omaha strongly influenced his subsequent work. In September 1903, Neihardt became co-owner and editor of the weekly ''Bancroft Blade''. He resigned this position in January 1905; he had enjoyed writing editorials, but could not maintain interest in the stuff of local news. From that point, he devoted himself to writing fiction and poetry, quickly winning national recognition. In 1911, Neihardt rented a one-room building for a study. In 1912, he began his epic ''Cycle of the West'' there. He continued to work in the study until 1920, when he moved to

Branson, Missouri Branson is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is situated in Taney County, Missouri, Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County, Missouri, Stone County. Branson is in the Ozarks, Ozark Mountain ...

. In the following year, the

Nebraska Legislature The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislative branch, legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska, Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators ...

named him "Poet Laureate of Nebraska and the Plains". Neihardt's study was restored in 1967; in 1970, it was listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. In 1976, the John G. Neihardt State Historic Site was opened. Beside the studio, this includes a museum, a library, and the restored Sacred Hoop Prayer Garden. This was designed based on symbolism in Niehardt's ''

Black Elk Speaks ''Black Elk Speaks'' is a 1932 book by John G. Neihardt, an American poet and writer, who relates the story of Black Elk, an Oglala Lakota medicine man. Black Elk spoke in Lakota and Black Elk's son, Ben Black Elk, who was present during th ...

'' (1932). This has become his best-known work, based on the oral history and spiritual teachings of

Black Elk Heȟáka Sápa, commonly known as Black Elk (baptized Nicholas; December 1, 1863 – August 19, 1950), was a ''wičháša wakȟáŋ'' (" medicine man, holy man") and '' heyoka'' of the Oglala Lakota people. He was a second cousin of the war lea ...

, a prominent

Oglala Lakota The Oglala (pronounced , meaning 'to scatter one's own' in Lakota language, Lakota) are one of the seven subtribes of the Lakota people who, along with the Dakota people, Dakota, make up the Sioux, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Seven Council Fires). A ...

sachem Sachems and sagamores are paramount chiefs among the Algonquians or other Native American tribes of northeastern North America, including the Iroquois. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms (c. 1622) from different Eastern Alg ...

or medicine man.

Geography

Bancroft is located northeast of the county seat of

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

. 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.

Climate

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 495 people, 210 households, and 137 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 232 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 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 ...

, 1.8% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 2.4% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population. There were 210 households, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% 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, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.8% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.99. The median age in the village was 40.9 years. 26.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.9% were from 25 to 44; 27.8% were from 45 to 64; and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 520 people, 227 households, and 138 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 252 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.69%

, 0.96% Native American, 0.58%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, and 0.77% from two or more races. There were 227 households, of which 33.5% included children under the age of 18, 48.0% were

living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 27.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age in Bancroft was 39 years. 28.8% of the inhabitants were under the age of 18; 4.0% were between 18 and 24; 23.1% were between 25 and 44; 18.1% were between 45 and 64; and 26.0% were aged 65 years or older. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males; for every 100 females aged 18 or over, there were 88.8 males. The median income for a household in the village was $28,500, and the median income for a family was $36,667. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $20,385 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 $17,244. About 11.1% of families and 10.8% 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 ...

, including 5.3% of those under the age of 18 and 22.1% of those 65 and older.

Economy

The two leading employers in Bancroft are governmental: the Village of Bancroft, and Bancroft Public Schools. The larger private employers include Renz Electric, a plumbing, heating, and electric contracting firm with 15 employees; and Triple C Products, a manufacturer of agricultural implements with 12 employees. Tourism is an important facet of Bancroft's economy; the Neihardt Center draws visitors from all over the country. Annual events at the Center include a scholarly conference the last Saturday in April and an outdoor Neihardt Day festival held the first Sunday in August.

Education and media

The Bancroft and Rosalie schools merged into Bancroft-Rosalie Public Schools in 1982. The combined district is based in Bancroft. In 1999, the junior-senior high school had an enrollment of 164 pupils. In March 2024, a $17 million bond issue passed, which would drastically expand the current building in Bancroft. The Bancroft Public Library has a collection of 8,170 volumes. Neihardt's newspaper, the ''Bancroft Blade'', was absorbed by the

Wisner, Nebraska Wisner is a city in northwestern Cuming County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,170 at the 2010 census. History Wisner was platted in 1871 shortly before the railroad was extended to that point. It was named for Samuel P. Wisne ...

''Wisner News-Chronicle'' in 1954.

Infrastructure and transportation

Bancroft is near the junction of Nebraska Highway 16 and

Nebraska Highway 51 Nebraska Highway 51 is a highway in eastern Nebraska. It has a length of and runs from west to east. It has a western terminus at U.S. Highway 275 northwest of Wisner and an eastern terminus at the Burt County Missouri River Bridge at the ...

. There are no

Interstate The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National H ...

or four-lane highways through or near the village. The railway station in Bancroft closed in 1963. The nearest railroad is the

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three Transcontinental railroad, transcontine ...

, away. The nearest river port is

Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury County, Iowa, Woodbury and Plymouth County, Iowa, Plymouth counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Iowa, fo ...

on the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

, from Bancroft. The nearest international airport is

Eppley Airfield Eppley Airfield , also known as Omaha Airport, is an airport in the midwestern United States, located northeast of downtown Omaha, Nebraska. On the west bank of the Missouri River in Douglas County, it is the largest airport in Nebraska, with ...

, away. Bancroft's electric power is supplied by Cuming County Public Power District, based in West Point. Natural gas is provided by Black Hills Energy, a subsidiary of the

Black Hills Corporation Black Hills Corporation is a Rapid City, South Dakota diversified energy company that is an electric and gas utility in South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. The company sells power throughout the America ...

. The Village of Bancroft provides water and sewer services. Fire protection is supplied by a 23-member

volunteer fire department A volunteer fire department (VFD) is a fire department of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction. Volunteer and retained (on-call) firefighters are expected to be on call to respo ...

. Bancroft has one full-time and one part-time police officer. A medical clinic in Bancroft is staffed two days a week by personnel from the Pender Community Hospital, located away, in Pender.

References

Dixon, Ione.
"Bancroft, Cuming County".Nebraska... Our Towns.
Retrieved October 31, 2010. Pilgrim, Stacey, Beth Wielde, and Christina Slattery. Retrieved October 31, 2010. Fitzpatrick, Lilian Linder (1925).
"Nebraska Place-Names".
University of Nebraska Department of English. Retrieved October 31, 2010.

Retrieved October 31, 2010. Nebraska Department of Economic Development.
Retrieved October 31, 2010. Western Historical Manuscript Collection - Columbia.
Retrieved October 31, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
and subpages thereof. Retrieved October 31, 2010. "Bancroft, Nebraska" (1999).

Nebraska Public Power District.
Retrieved October 31, 2010.

Retrieved October 31, 2010.

Retrieved October 31, 2010. "School Contact Information".Bancroft-Rosalie Public Schools.
Retrieved October 31, 2010.

Retrieved October 31, 2010. "About this Newspaper: Bancroft Blade".Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers.
Retrieved October 31, 2010. Harlan, David, Beth Jedlicka, and Kathleen L. Walter (1995).
"Booming the Town: Nebraska Newspaper Project".
Originally published in ''Nebraska Library Association Quarterly'', vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 45-49. Retrieved October 31, 2010. Delorme (2005). ''Nebraska Atlas and Gazetteer'', third edition. p. 40. "About CCPPD".

Cuming County Public Power District.
Retrieved October 31, 2010.
Retrieved October 31, 2010. "PMC Bancroft Clinic".Pender Community Hospital.
Retrieved October 31, 2010. {{authority control Villages in Cuming County, Nebraska Villages in Nebraska