Thurston County, Nebraska
Encyclopedia
History
Varying cultures of indigenous peoplesIndigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
lived along the rivers for thousands of years before European encounter.
Thurston County was organized by European Americans in 1889 from land that had been divided between Dakota
Dakota County, Nebraska
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 20,253 people, 7,095 households, and 5,087 families residing in the county. The population density was 77 people per square mile . There were 7,528 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
and Burt
Burt County, Nebraska
-History:Burt County was formed in 1854. It was named after Francis Burt, the first governor of Nebraska Territory.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,791 people, 3,155 households, and 2,240 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile . ...
counties since the dissolution of Blackbird County in 1879. It was named after the United States Senator John M. Thurston.
Demographics
| Thurston County Population by decade |
1870 - 31 1880 - 109 1890 - 3,176 1900 - 6,517 1910 - 8,704 1920 - 9,589 1930 - 10,462 1940 - 10,243 1950 - 8,590 1960 - 7,237 1970 - 6,942 1980 - 7,186 1990 - 6,936 2000 - 7,171 2010 - 6,940 |
As of the census
Census
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 7,171 people, 2,255 households, and 1,725 families residing in the county. 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 18 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 2,467 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 45.77% White
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...
, 0.15% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 52.03% Native American
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...
, 0.06% Asian
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...
, 0.77% 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 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race were 2.43% of the population. 25.9% were of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
ancestry according to Census 2000. The villages of Emerson
Emerson, Nebraska
Emerson is a village in Dakota, Dixon, and Thurston Counties in the U.S. state of Nebraska. Emerson was named after the poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. The population was 856 at the 2000 census...
, Rosalie
Rosalie, Nebraska
Rosalie is a village in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 194 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rosalie is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land....
, Pender
Pender, Nebraska
Pender is a village in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States, located on the Omaha Indian Reservation. The population was 1,002 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Thurston County...
, and Thurston
Thurston, Nebraska
Thurston is a village in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 125 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Thurston is located at ....
are predominantly white, while the villages of Macy
Macy, Nebraska
Macy is a census-designated place in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 956 at the 2000 census.It is within the Omaha Indian Reservation.-Geography:Macy is located at ....
, Walthill
Walthill, Nebraska
Walthill is a village in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States, within the Omaha Reservation. The population was 909 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Walthill is located at...
, and Winnebago
Winnebago, Nebraska
Winnebago is a village in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 768 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Winnebago is located at...
are predominantly Native American.
There were 2,255 households out of which 40.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.60% 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, 19.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.50% were non-families. 21.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14 and the average family size was 3.64.
In the county the population was spread out with 36.80% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 23.90% from 25 to 44, 17.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 99.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,170, and the median income for a family was $30,893. Males had a median income of $24,792 versus $20,481 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 county was $10,951. About 19.30% of families and 25.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.60% of those under age 18 and 14.70% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
In recent decades, Native Americans in the United States have become more active politically, voting in increasing numbers in local, state and national elections. In 2004, Thurston, a majority-Native American county, was the only one in Nebraska with a majority voting for the Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
presidential candidate John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
. The 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
was preceded by a major voter registration drive; the majority of voters in Thurston County again voted for the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, making the county was one of four in the state in which Obama won a majority.
Villages and census-designated place
- EmersonEmerson, NebraskaEmerson is a village in Dakota, Dixon, and Thurston Counties in the U.S. state of Nebraska. Emerson was named after the poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. The population was 856 at the 2000 census...
(partial) - MacyMacy, NebraskaMacy is a census-designated place in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 956 at the 2000 census.It is within the Omaha Indian Reservation.-Geography:Macy is located at ....
(CDP) - PenderPender, NebraskaPender is a village in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States, located on the Omaha Indian Reservation. The population was 1,002 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Thurston County...
- RosalieRosalie, NebraskaRosalie is a village in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 194 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rosalie is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land....
- ThurstonThurston, NebraskaThurston is a village in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 125 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Thurston is located at ....
- WalthillWalthill, NebraskaWalthill is a village in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States, within the Omaha Reservation. The population was 909 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Walthill is located at...
- WinnebagoWinnebago, NebraskaWinnebago is a village in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 768 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Winnebago is located at...
Townships
- AndersonAnderson Township, Thurston County, NebraskaAnderson Township is one of eleven townships in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 180 at the 2000 census. A 2006 estimate placed the township's population at 183.-External links:*...
- BlackbirdBlackbird Township, Thurston County, NebraskaBlackbird Township is one of eleven townships in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,317 at the 2000 census. A 2006 estimate placed the township's population at 1,322.-External links:*...
- BryanBryan Township, Thurston County, NebraskaBryan Township is one of eleven townships in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 110 at the 2000 census. A 2006 estimate placed the township's population at 111.-External links:*...
- DawesDawes Township, Thurston County, NebraskaDawes Township is one of eleven townships in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 400 at the 2000 census. A 2006 estimate placed the township's population at 400.The Village of Rosalie lies within the Township.-External links:*...
- FlournoyFlournoy Township, Thurston County, NebraskaFlournoy Township is one of eleven townships in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 315 at the 2000 census. A 2006 estimate placed the township's population at 315.The Village of Thurston lies within the Township.-External links:*...
- MerryMerry Township, Thurston County, NebraskaMerry Township is one of eleven townships in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 90 at the 2000 census. A 2006 estimate placed the township's population at 92.-External links:*...
- OmahaOmaha Township, Thurston County, NebraskaOmaha Township is one of eleven townships in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,342 at the 2000 census. A 2006 estimate placed the township's population at 1,329.The Village of Walthill lies within the Township.-External links:*...
- PenderPender Township, Thurston County, NebraskaPender Township is one of eleven townships in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,314 at the 2000 census. A 2006 estimate placed the township's population at 1,312.The Village of Pender lies within the Township.-External links:*...
- PerryPerry Township, Thurston County, NebraskaPerry Township is one of eleven townships in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 293 at the 2000 census. A 2006 estimate placed the township's population at 301.A portion of the Village of Emerson lies within the Township....
- ThayerThayer Township, Thurston County, NebraskaThayer Township is one of eleven townships in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 154 at the 2000 census. A 2006 estimate placed the township's population at 155.-External links:*...
- WinnebagoWinnebago Township, Thurston County, NebraskaWinnebago Township is one of eleven townships in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,656 at the 2000 census. A 2006 estimate placed the township's population at 1,753.The Village of Winnebago lies within the Township....
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Thurston County, Nebraska