Lyons is a city in

Burt County, Nebraska Burt County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska, bordering the west bank of the upper Missouri River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 6,722. Its county seat is Tekamah. The county was formed in 1854 and named afte ...

, United States. The population was 851 in the 2010 census. The city is named after its founder.

History

The first settlers of Lyons came in the summer of 1866. The fertile soil of the Logan Valley, combined with the commercial promise provided by access to the railroad after 1881, assured the life of the town. Incorporated in 1884, the village was named for Waldo Lyon, a prominent citizen upon whose land the plots were laid out. Residents have continued to abide by a provision in Lyons' deed stipulating that liquor not be sold within the town at risk of forfeit of the property. The Lyons Roller Mill was erected in 1869. The three-story structure was powered by water from a dam built across Logan Creek just west of the town, and was in operation until 1931. Many of the buildings of the town are constructed of brick manufactured in a brickyard which began operation in 1878. The swimming pool sits in the depression from which the clay was taken. One of the finest trotting tracks in the country opened in 1891. Just one-fourth mile west of Lyons named the Kite Track. Famous horses broke world records and won large purses on this kite-shaped race track before hard times ended racing after 1893.

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 city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Lyons is on

U.S. Route 77 U.S. Route 77 (US 77) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway which extends for in the central United States. As of 2005, Its southern terminus is in Brownsville, Texas, at Veteran's International Bridge on the U.S.-Mexico borde ...

, south of the

Omaha Indian Reservation The Omaha Reservation () of the federally recognized Omaha people, Omaha tribe is located mostly in Thurston County, Nebraska, with sections in neighboring Cuming County, Nebraska, Cuming and Burt County, Nebraska, Burt counties, in addition to Mo ...

and west of 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 ...

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 851 people, 395 households, and 228 families residing in the city. 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 457 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.7%

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 ...

, 0.1%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.9% Native American, 0.2%

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 ...

, 1.3% from other races, and 0.7% 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 3.2% of the population. There were 395 households, of which 19.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% 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, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.3% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.66. The median age in the city was 51.7 years. 16.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.8% were from 25 to 44; 29.5% were from 45 to 64; and 30.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.8% male and 54.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 963 people, 423 households, and 280 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 474 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.13%

, 0.31%

, 0.21% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.10%

, 0.93% from other races, and 0.21% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 5.19% of the population. There were 423 households, out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were

living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.80. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 27.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,804, and the median income for a family was $35,625. Males had a median income of $27,563 versus $20,250 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 city was $16,368. About 6.7% of families and 9.2% 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 10.3% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

Points of Interest

Center for Rural Affairs

Lyons is home to the

Center for Rural Affairs The Center for Rural Affairs was established in 1973 as an unaffiliated nonprofit corporation under IRS code 501(c)(3). The Center for Rural Affairs was formed by rural Nebraskans concerned about family farms and rural communities, and was origina ...

, a private non-profit organization. The organization's mission statement is: "Establish strong rural communities, social and economic justice, environmental stewardship, and genuine opportunity for all while engaging people in decisions that affect the quality of their lives and the future of their communities." It was established in

Walthill, Nebraska Walthill is a village in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States, within the Omaha Reservation. The population was 780 at the 2010 census. History Walthill was platted in 1906 when the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was extended to t ...

in 1973, and moved to Lyons in 2004.

Storefront Theater

The Storefront Theater is located on Main Street in Lyons. It is one of four projects that are a part of the Byway of Art project created through a $200,000 ArtPlace America grant awarded to the

. The Byway of Art project was created by former Lyons resident Adele Phillips and conceptual artist Matthew Mazzotta. The Storefront Theater creates a seating and performance area on the street. When not in use the structure appears to be a typical storefront. However, what appears to be a standard building consists of a false facade that lowers down toward the street and over the sidewalk. Bleachers behind the storefront theater pull out for seating. The Storefront Theater was selected as part of the Americans for the Arts 2016 Public Art Network Year in Review program.

References

"Frequently Asked Questions".Center for Rural Affairs.
Retrieved 2010-10-30. "Our Mission and Our Values".Center for Rural Affairs.
Retrieved 2010-10-30. "History of the Center".Center for Rural Affairs.
Retrieved 2010-10-30.

External links

City of Lyons

Lyons-Decatur Public SchoolVirtual Nebraska, Lyons
{{Authority control Cities in Burt County, Nebraska Cities in Nebraska