Antioch, Nebraska
Encyclopedia
Antioch is a ghost town
in Sheridan County
, Nebraska
, United States
. Located approximately 15 miles east of Alliance
on Nebraska Highway 2
, the town was once nicknamed "the potash
capitol of Nebraska."
The location of the town near several major alkali
lakes among the Sand Hills of Western Nebraska made Antioch the logical home of five potash reduction factories: the American, Nebraska, Alliance, National, and Western potash companies. All these companies were major suppliers of potash during World War I
.
As a late boomtown
, Antioch sprang out of the war-driven needs. According to one historian, the year before the United States became involved in WWI, the town only had one schoolhouse, a church, and a store. With the advent of a method to distill potash from western Nebraska's alkali lakes by University of Nebraska scientists, by 1917 Antioch was "a small city." Antioch quickly had five large-scale potash plants, and within months the town had more than 5,000 residents. Following the war the population left again.
When Germany resumed trade with the United States in 1921, the potash trade was decimated. The factory immediately closed, and within years the town was virtually dead. Today the town has fewer than 25 residents.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in Sheridan County
Sheridan County, Nebraska
-History:Sheridan County was formed in 1885. It was named after General Philip H. Sheridan.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,198 people, 2,549 households, and 1,728 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 3,013 housing...
, 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...
. Located approximately 15 miles east of Alliance
Alliance, Nebraska
-External links:* * *...
on Nebraska Highway 2
Nebraska Highway 2
Nebraska Highway 2 is a highway in Nebraska. It is a discontinuous highway with 2 segments. The western segment begins at the South Dakota border northwest of Crawford and ends southeast of Grand Island at an intersection with Interstate 80. The eastern segment begins in Lincoln and ends at the...
, the town was once nicknamed "the potash
Potash
Potash is the common name for various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. In some rare cases, potash can be formed with traces of organic materials such as plant remains, and this was the major historical source for it before the industrial era...
capitol of Nebraska."
The location of the town near several major alkali
Alkali
In chemistry, an alkali is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal element. Some authors also define an alkali as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7. The adjective alkaline is commonly used in English as a synonym for base,...
lakes among the Sand Hills of Western Nebraska made Antioch the logical home of five potash reduction factories: the American, Nebraska, Alliance, National, and Western potash companies. All these companies were major suppliers of potash during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
As a late boomtown
Boomtown
A boomtown is a community that experiences sudden and rapid population and economic growth. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although the term can also be applied to communities growing very rapidly for different reasons,...
, Antioch sprang out of the war-driven needs. According to one historian, the year before the United States became involved in WWI, the town only had one schoolhouse, a church, and a store. With the advent of a method to distill potash from western Nebraska's alkali lakes by University of Nebraska scientists, by 1917 Antioch was "a small city." Antioch quickly had five large-scale potash plants, and within months the town had more than 5,000 residents. Following the war the population left again.
When Germany resumed trade with the United States in 1921, the potash trade was decimated. The factory immediately closed, and within years the town was virtually dead. Today the town has fewer than 25 residents.
External links
- "The Great WWI Potash Industry of Southern Sheridan County, Nebraska" Sheridan County Historical Society.
- "Antioch, Nebraska" on Ghosttowns.com
- Antioch Graveyard photo from NebraskaGravestonres.org