Plattsmouth 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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Cass 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 6,620 at the 2020 census.

History

The

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...

passed the mouth of the Platte River, just north of what is now Main Street Plattsmouth, on July 21, 1804. Plattsmouth first appeared in 1854 as "the Barracks", a trading post established by Sam Martin, owner of the Platteville ferry in neighboring Mills County, Iowa, ferryman Wheatley Mickelwait, and Glenwood, Iowa attorney and politician Colonel Joseph Longworthy Sharp. The community was renamed Plattsmouth for its location at the mouth of the Platte River, and was incorporated on March 15, 1855. The organization of the city under the charter of March 1855 was effected December 29, 1856, by the election of Wheatley Mickelwait to the Mayoralty, and Enos Williams, W. M. Slaughter and Jacob Vallery, Aldermen. This Council met and proceeded to business on January 29, 1857, their first ordinance, approved by the Mayor March 2, 1857, levying a tax of one-half of 1 per cent on all taxable property within the corporate limits of the city of Plattsmouth, the amount collected to be expended in the improvement of the streets and alleys and steamboat landings at and in the city. On December 7, 1857, the Council voted each member an annual salary of $100, being something over $16 apiece for each session held during the year. This is a noticeable fact, in view of the action taken by the succeeding Council on December 30, 1858, in ordaining that the Mayor and Alderman receive for their services during that year the sum of 5 cents each, payable in city scrip; the Assessor, Recorder and Treasurer being paid $25 apiece for the same term.

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. Plattsmouth-Corp of Eng

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 6,544 people, 2,629 households, and 1,517 families in Plattsmouth. The population density was . There were 2,921 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 89.78% (5,875)

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 ...

, 0.46% (30) black or African-American, 0.46% (30) Native American, 0.4% (26) Asian, 0.03% (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 ...

, 2.6% (170) from other races, and 6.28% (411) 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 was 4.0% (302) of the population. Of the 2,629 households, 28.6% had children under the age of 18; 41.3% were married couples living together; 31.7% had a female householder with no husband present. 33.0% of households consisted of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 3.0. 25.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 89.7 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $50,680 (with a margin of error of +/- $5,806) and the median family income $59,375 (+/- $7,892). Males had a median income of $38,958 (+/- $4,911) versus $26,262 (+/- $4,383) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $32,701 (+/- $3,685). Approximately, 7.1% of families and 10.0% 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 7.5% of those under the age of 18 and 10.9% of those ages 65 or over.

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 6,502 people, 2,525 households, and 1,620 families living 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 2,863 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.3%

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 ...

, 0.6%

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 ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2%

, 1.0% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.0% of the population. There were 2,525 households, of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% 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, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.8% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age in the city was 36.5 years. 26.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.4% were from 45 to 64; and 14.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 6,887 people, 2,618 households, and 1,780 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,805 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.36%

, 0.30%

, 0.51% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.01%

, 0.46% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.00% of the population. There were 2,618 households, out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were

living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.10. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $38,844, and the median income for a family was $43,425. Males had a median income of $32,702 versus $22,032 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 $17,153. About 6.5% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the

, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Hazel Abel, U.S. Senator *

Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...

detective fiction Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an criminal investigation, investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around ...

writer * John Philip Falter, artist * Oscar Graham, baseball player * Danny Lockin, actor, dancer, "Hello, Dolly!" 1969 movie and Broadway. *

Paul Newlan Paul Emory "Tiny" Newlan (June 29, 1903 – November 23, 1973) was an American film and TV character actor from Plattsmouth, Nebraska. He was best known for his role as Captain Grey on the NBC police series '' M Squad'' and for his roles ...

, actor * John O'Rourke, businessman, Wisconsin state legislator, mayor of Plattsmouth; O'Rourke was the subject of the American Civil War song: When Johnny Comes Marching Home

References

External links

City of Plattsmouth

Plattsmouth Chamber of Commerce

* {{Authority control Cities in Cass County, Nebraska Cities in Nebraska County seats in Nebraska Nebraska populated places on the Missouri River