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Valentine, Nebraska

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Valentine, Nebraska
City
Nickname: 
America's Heart City."[1]
Location of Valentine, Nebraska
Location of Valentine, Nebraska
CountryUnited States
StateNebraska
CountyCherry
Area
 • Total
2.0 sq mi (5.2 km2)
 • Land2.0 sq mi (5.2 km2)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation
2,582 ft (787 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total
2,820
 • Density1,401.1/sq mi (541.0/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
69201
Area code402
FIPS code31-49950Template:GR
GNIS feature ID0834323Template:GR

Valentine is a city in Cherry County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 2,820 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cherry CountyTemplate:GR.

In 2007, National Geographic Adventure magazine included Valentine in its list of the best ten wilderness towns and cities.

History

Valentine is named for Edward K. Valentine, who as a congressman from Nebraska, was the chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture during his six years in office (1879–1885). He was instrumental in getting local settlers' grievances redressed by the federal government.[2]

Valentine was nearly destroyed two years in a row: a large storm with extremely high winds caused extensive damage to trees and buildings in July 2005, and in July 2006 the "Big Rock Fire" engulfed over 3,000 acres (12 km2) of land.

Valentine participates in an annual re-mailing program where thousands of pieces of mail flow into the local United States Post Office so that they can be re-mailed with a special Valentine's Day postmark and verse.[3]

Geography

Valentine is located at 42°52′25″N 100°33′1″W / 42.87361°N 100.55028°W / 42.87361; -100.55028Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (42.873686, -100.550308)Template:GR. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²), all of it land.

Valentine is immediately north of the Niobrara River, on the northern edge of the Sandhills physiographic region. Merritt Reservoir, created by a dam on the Snake River, is located about 48 km (30 mi.) southwest of Valentine. Snake Falls, the largest falls in Nebraska, is located on the Snake River between the reservoir (a few miles downstream) and Valentine. Smith Falls, the tallest waterfall in Nebraska, is located on a small stream tributary to the Niobrara River about 15 miles (24 km) east of Valentine in Smith Falls State Park.

Just south of Valentine, a pair of bridges span the Niobrara River. The modern bridge carries traffic north and south along U.S. Route 83. Just to the west, an arched cantilever truss bridge named the Bryan Bridge is also open to through traffic. Designed by Josef Sorkin and built in 1932, the Bryan Bridge is made of steel and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[4] A large red neon heart (a star during the Christmas season) is found on the pine-covered Minnechaduza Creek canyon wall at the north end of Main Street.

Climate

Valentine experiences extremes of heat and cold annually. Typically, temperatures in the town exceed 100 °F (38 °C) for a few summer days and drop below zero for a few winter nights. Summer afternoon temperatures average around 90 °F (32 °C) with lows near 60 °F (16 °C). In the wintertime, highs are typically about freezing, with lows in the single digits. [1]

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rec High °F 72 78 85 100 99 110 114 108 104 96 86 74
Norm High °F 33.8 39.4 48.4 59.8 71.2 81.9 88.3 86.9 77.2 63.5 45.9 36.7
Norm Low °F 7.8 13.7 22.1 32.4 43.7 53.2 59.1 57.3 45.8 33.1 20.1 10.5
Rec Low °F −30 −31 −29 3 18 30 38 34 17 −1 −22 −39
Precip (in) 0.3 0.48 1.11 1.97 3.2 3.01 3.37 2.2 1.61 1.22 0.72 0.33
Source: USTravelWeather.com [2]

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 2,820 people, 1,209 households, and 733 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,401.1 people per square mile (541.7/km²). There were 1,373 housing units at an average density of 682.2/sq mi (263.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.20% White, 0.04% African American, 5.78% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.89% of the population.

There were 1,209 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 36.1% 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 2.27 and the average family size was 2.95.


The median income for a household in the city was $27,359, and the median income for a family was $39,138. Males had a median income of $26,549 versus $18,285 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,101. About 8.3% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

  • Valentine Rural High School
  • Valentine Middle School
  • Valentine Elementary School
  • Grace Lutheran School

Notable residents

  • James Dahlman worked as a brand inspector for the Wyoming Stock Association in Valentine in the 1890s. Later he became the eight-term Omaha mayor from 1906 to 1930.
  • TV sitcom Full House's fictional character, Rebecca Donaldson (portrayed by Lori Loughlin), originates from Valentine.

References

  1. ^ Home Valentine municipal website, 2007. Accessed 11 May 2007.
  2. ^ E.K.Valentine Valentine municipal website, 2007. Accessed 11 May 2007.
  3. ^ Valentine Cachet Valentine municipal website, 2007. Accessed 11 May 2007.
  4. ^ Bryan Bridge description nebraskahistory.org. Retrieved on 03-16-2009.
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