Verdigre is a village in Knox 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 575 at the 2010 census.

History

Verdigre was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

ted in 1887 shortly before the

Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad (FE&MV), sometimes called "the Elkhorn," was a railroad established in 1869 in the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. About The company constructed several lines in Nebraska, incl ...

was extended to that point. It took its name from nearby Verdigre Creek. Verdigre was the site of a fatal injury during a

professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...

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

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 , of which is land and is water.

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 575 people, 246 households, and 126 families living 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 287 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 96.3%

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 ...

, 1.9% Native American, and 1.7% 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 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% are

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, 6.1% 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

of 2000, there were 519 people, 232 households, and 122 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 286 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.88%

, 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

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 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 $18,128. About 4.7% 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 2.9% of those under age 18 and 19.0% of those age 65 or over.

Kolach Days

Verdigre touts itself as "The Kolach Capital of the world". A kolach is a pastry of

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

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 & King during this festival. Kolaches are sold by the local bakery and churches, 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 (1889–1966) - major general in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, 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 th ...

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 ...

References

External links

City website
{{authority control Villages in Knox County, Nebraska Villages in Nebraska Czech-American culture in Nebraska Populated places established in 1887 1887 establishments in Nebraska