Minden, Nebraska
Minden, Nebraska | |
|---|---|
 Display at Pioneer Village in Minden (2007) | |
 Location with Kearney County and Nebraska | |
| Coordinates: 40°29′53″N 98°57′4″W / 40.49806°N 98.95111°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Nebraska |
| County | Kearney |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.15 sq mi (5.57 km2) |
| • Land | 2.15 sq mi (5.57 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,172 ft (662 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 2,923 |
| • Estimate (2016)[3] | 2,996 |
| • Density | 1,400/sq mi (520/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 68959 |
| Area code | 308 |
| FIPS code | 31-32340 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0831340[4] |
| Website | MindenNebraska.org |
Minden is a city in, and the county seat of, Kearney County, Nebraska, United States.[5] The population was 2,923 at the 2010 census. It is home of the Pioneer Village museum complex.
History
Minden was established in 1876.[6] The city was named after Minden, in Germany.[7] Minden was originally built up chiefly by Germans.[8] It has possessed a post office since 1876.[9]
Minden is known as Nebraska’s Christmas City for good reason. Beginning in 1915 when City Light Commissioner J.C. Haws aspired to impress the state convention of the G.A.R., lights were strung from the railroad depot to the town square. Weather problems prevented the lights’ use until Christmas time, when Haws found a new home for the lights: the courthouse dome! Now the spectacular Christmas Lights on the Kearney County Courthouse in Minden, NE can be seen for miles and have been a source of pride for the community and state. “The Light of the World” is a Christmas Pageant that is another source of pride and is performed by local residents on the sides of the courthouse square every year. Every performance is free of charge and culminates in the illumination of over 12,000 bulbs that adorn the courthouse and the square itself. The pageant is held the Saturday after Thanksgiving and the first two Sundays in December.[2]
Geography
Minden is located at 40°29′53″N 98°57′4″W / 40.49806°N 98.95111°W (40.498114, -98.951091).[10] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.15 square miles (5.57 km2), all of it land.[1]
Climate
The highest temperature ever measured in Nebraska, at 118 °F (47.8 °C), was recorded in Minden on July 24, 1936, during the 1936 North American heat wave which occurred during the Dust Bowl era.[11]
| Climate data for Minden, Nebraska | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 78 (26) |
81 (27) |
92 (33) |
99 (37) |
105 (41) |
110 (43) |
118 (48) |
114 (46) |
107 (42) |
97 (36) |
82 (28) |
80 (27) |
118 (48) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 36.6 (2.6) |
41.2 (5.1) |
51.9 (11.1) |
64.3 (17.9) |
73.8 (23.2) |
83.8 (28.8) |
90.1 (32.3) |
88.3 (31.3) |
79.8 (26.6) |
67.9 (19.9) |
51.6 (10.9) |
39.2 (4.0) |
64.0 (17.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.5 (−10.3) |
17.4 (−8.1) |
26.1 (−3.3) |
37.3 (2.9) |
48.3 (9.1) |
58.4 (14.7) |
63.7 (17.6) |
62.0 (16.7) |
52.4 (11.3) |
40.2 (4.6) |
26.6 (−3.0) |
17.0 (−8.3) |
38.6 (3.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −28 (−33) |
−33 (−36) |
−17 (−27) |
0 (−18) |
17 (−8) |
35 (2) |
42 (6) |
36 (2) |
20 (−7) |
1 (−17) |
−15 (−26) |
−31 (−35) |
−33 (−36) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.49 (12) |
0.71 (18) |
1.40 (36) |
2.31 (59) |
3.99 (101) |
4.01 (102) |
3.28 (83) |
3.00 (76) |
2.36 (60) |
1.65 (42) |
0.88 (22) |
0.57 (14) |
24.65 (626) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.9 (12) |
6.1 (15) |
5.7 (14) |
1.7 (4.3) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.2 (0.51) |
2.6 (6.6) |
4.2 (11) |
26.0 (66) |
| Source: [12] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 98 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,380 | 1,308.2% | |
| 1900 | 1,238 | −10.3% | |
| 1910 | 1,559 | 25.9% | |
| 1920 | 1,527 | −2.1% | |
| 1930 | 1,716 | 12.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,848 | 7.7% | |
| 1950 | 2,120 | 14.7% | |
| 1960 | 2,383 | 12.4% | |
| 1970 | 2,669 | 12.0% | |
| 1980 | 2,939 | 10.1% | |
| 1990 | 2,749 | −6.5% | |
| 2000 | 2,964 | 7.8% | |
| 2010 | 2,923 | −1.4% | |
| 2016 (est.) | 2,996 | [3] | 2.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] 2012 Estimate[14] | |||
Minden is part of the Kearney, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area.
2010 census
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 2,923 people, 1,256 households, and 791 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,359.5 inhabitants per square mile (524.9/km2). There were 1,339 housing units at an average density of 622.8 per square mile (240.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.6% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 1.4% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.2% of the population.
There were 1,256 households of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.0% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.86.
The median age in the city was 43.1 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.4% were from 45 to 64; and 22.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,964 people, 1,185 households, and 811 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,809.7 people per square mile (697.8/km²). There were 1,269 housing units at an average density of 774.8 per square mile (298.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.65% White, 0.17% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 0.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.33% of the population.
There were 1,185 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city, the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.
As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $40,092, and the median income for a family was $47,356. Males had a median income of $29,267 versus $18,929 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,847. About 2.3% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
Attractions
Minden is the home of Harold Warp's Pioneer Village. The museum, a complex of 28 buildings on 20 acres (81,000 m2) with a total collection of over 50,000 items.[15]
Minden bills itself as "Nebraska's Christmas City", illuminating the courthouse square with a display of over 12,000 bulbs and staging an annual Christmas pageant titled "The Light Of The World". The lighting of the courthouse was begun in 1915, when lights were acquired with the intention of stringing them from the railroad station to the town square for the state G.A.R. convention. Weather precluded this use, and the lights were repurposed for a Christmas display.[16]
Notable people
- Charles Binderup, U.S. Congressman[17]
- Carl Curtis, U.S. Congressman and Senator[18]
- Otto Miller, Major League Baseball player
- Norbert Tiemann, 32nd Governor of Nebraska[19]
- Harold Warp, businessman in the plastics industry[20]
References
- ^ a b "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-01-24. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
- ^ a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ Capace, Nancy (1999). Encyclopedia of Nebraska. North American Book Dist LLC. p. 253. ISBN 978-0-403-09834-7.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 209.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Lillian L. (1960). Nebraska Place-Names. University of Nebraska Press. p. 84. ISBN 0-8032-5060-6. A 1925 edition is available for download at University of Nebraska—Lincoln Digital Commons.
- ^ [1] Post Offices in Kearney County, Nebraska
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "United States Extreme Record Temperatures & Differences". Retrieved 2008-11-22.
- ^ "MINDEN, NEBRASKA (255565)". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
- ^ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved October 19, 2013.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Archived from the original on November 20, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Exploring Nebraska Highways: Trip Trivia. Exploring America's Highway. 2007. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-9744358-7-9.
- ^ "The Christmas City". Minden, Nebraska website. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
- ^ "BINDERUP, Charles Gustav, (1873 - 1950)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
- ^ "CURTIS, Carl Thomas, (1905 - 2000)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
- ^ "Nebraska Governor Norbert T. Tiemann". National Governors Association. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
- ^ Exploring Nebraska Highways: Trip Trivia. Exploring America's Highway. 2007. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-9744358-7-9.
External links
Municipalities and communities of Kearney County, Nebraska, United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Villages | ||
| Townships | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||