Alma, Nebraska
Encyclopedia
Alma is a city in Harlan County
, Nebraska
, United States
. The population was 1,214 at the 2000 census
. It is the county seat
of Harlan County
. The town is named after a daughter of one of the early settlers. The town is near the Harlan County Reservoir
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), all of it land.
Alma is located at the junction of US Route 136 and US Route 183. The community is at the northwest end of Harlan County Lake.
of 2000, there were 1,214 people, 520 households, and 318 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,744.7 people per square mile (669.6/km²). There were 594 housing units at an average density of 853.7 per square mile (327.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.18% White, 0.08% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.08% from other races
, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.58% of the population.
There were 520 households out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples
living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 28.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,315, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $26,786 versus $17,065 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,795. About 9.5% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.5% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.
. Harlan County
was created by the Nebraska Legislature
on June 3, 1871, and Alma was made the county seat on July 3, 1871. A dispute among the original settlers led to a dissolution of the town, but it was re-organized in 1874.
Alma's status as county seat was challenged by residents of Orleans
, but an 1884 Nebraska Supreme Court
decision affirmed Alma's status as seat of Harlan County. Alma officially incorporated in July 1881.
On January 13, 1880 the Burlington Railroad
reached Alma, providing a significant boost for local commerce and industry. In 1887, the Kansas City and Omaha Railroad also reached Alma. Telephone service reached Alma in June 1899. Electricity
arrived with a steam power plant in 1906 and water service followed in 1907.
In 1935, major flooding of the nearby Republican River
provided an impetus to build a dam on the river. The Army Corps of Engineers started construction of the Harlan County Dam on August 1, 1946, and completed work in November 1952. The new artificial lake, Harlan County Lake, became one of Alma's top recreation destinations.
During World War II
, Alma hosted a small number of captured German
soldiers.
Harlan County, Nebraska
-History:Prior to 1870, the portion of the Republican valley that now includes Harlan County was a prized hunting ground for the Native Americans; and the threat of attack deterred white settlement in the area...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,214 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Harlan County
Harlan County, Nebraska
-History:Prior to 1870, the portion of the Republican valley that now includes Harlan County was a prized hunting ground for the Native Americans; and the threat of attack deterred white settlement in the area...
. The town is named after a daughter of one of the early settlers. The town is near the Harlan County Reservoir
Harlan County Reservoir
The Harlan County Reservoir includes a dam and a reservoir of located in Harlan County in south-central Nebraska. Its southernmost part extends into northern Phillips County, Kansas. The reservoir is formed by a dam in the Republican River, which starts in Colorado and ends in Kansas.The two...
.
Geography
Alma is located at 40°6′3"N 99°21′45"W (40.100733, -99.362618).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), all of it land.
Alma is located at the junction of US Route 136 and US Route 183. The community is at the northwest end of Harlan County Lake.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,214 people, 520 households, and 318 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,744.7 people per square mile (669.6/km²). There were 594 housing units at an average density of 853.7 per square mile (327.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.18% White, 0.08% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.08% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.58% of the population.
There were 520 households out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 28.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,315, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $26,786 versus $17,065 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,795. About 9.5% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.5% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.
History
Alma was founded in the spring of 1871 by a group of Union Pacific railroad laborers originally from Cheyenne, WyomingCheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
. Harlan County
Harlan County, Nebraska
-History:Prior to 1870, the portion of the Republican valley that now includes Harlan County was a prized hunting ground for the Native Americans; and the threat of attack deterred white settlement in the area...
was created by the Nebraska Legislature
Nebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature is the supreme legislative body of the State of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County....
on June 3, 1871, and Alma was made the county seat on July 3, 1871. A dispute among the original settlers led to a dissolution of the town, but it was re-organized in 1874.
Alma's status as county seat was challenged by residents of Orleans
Orleans, Nebraska
Orleans is a village in Harlan County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 425 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Orleans is located at ....
, but an 1884 Nebraska Supreme Court
Nebraska Supreme Court
The Nebraska Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. Each Justice is initially appointed by the Governor of Nebraska; using the Missouri Plan, each Justice is then subject to a retention vote for additional...
decision affirmed Alma's status as seat of Harlan County. Alma officially incorporated in July 1881.
On January 13, 1880 the Burlington Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
reached Alma, providing a significant boost for local commerce and industry. In 1887, the Kansas City and Omaha Railroad also reached Alma. Telephone service reached Alma in June 1899. Electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
arrived with a steam power plant in 1906 and water service followed in 1907.
In 1935, major flooding of the nearby Republican River
Republican River
The Republican River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, flowing through the U.S. states of Nebraska and Kansas.-Geography:...
provided an impetus to build a dam on the river. The Army Corps of Engineers started construction of the Harlan County Dam on August 1, 1946, and completed work in November 1952. The new artificial lake, Harlan County Lake, became one of Alma's top recreation destinations.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Alma hosted a small number of captured German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
soldiers.