Beatrice, Nebraska

Beatrice ()

The Territorial Legislature selected Beatrice as the county seat of Gage County in 1857. The decision was challenged by Blue Springs, but was confirmed by the Legislature in 1859. In 1864, the Legislature dissolved the original Clay County (not the current Clay County, Nebraska), dividing its land between Gage and Lancaster Counties. The addition of this ground in the north placed Beatrice near the center of the enlarged county, strengthening its claim to the county seat.

The former international foods conglomerate, Beatrice Foods, (now a part of ConAgra Foods) was founded in Beatrice in 1894 as The Beatrice Creamery Company, by George Everett Haskell and William W. Bosworth.

Beatrice State Developmental Center

In 1885, the Nebraska legislature enacted legislation to establish the Institution for Feeble Minded Youth near Beatrice, subject to the city's donating a suitable parcel of land. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Beatrice had a population of 12,261 and 5,431 households. The census also counted 2,907 families, and the population density was 1,293.4 per square mile (499.4/km).

The median age was 43.6 years. 22.1% of residents were under age 18 and 22.9% were age 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.2 males.

Of the 5,431 households, 25.2% had children under age 18. 41.4% were married-couple households, 20.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. 38.1% of households were made up of individuals and 18.8% had someone living alone who was age 65 or older. The average household size was 2.1 and the average family size was 2.8.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 12,459 people, 5,509 households, and 3,296 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 6,075 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.1% White, 0.5% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.2% of the population.

There were 5,509 households, of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.2% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% 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 2.82.

The median age in the city was 42.6 years. 22.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 20.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,496 people, 5,395 households, and 3,301 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 5,818 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.50% White, 0.34% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 0.96% of the population.

There were 5,395 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $33,735, and the median income for a family was $42,472. Males had a median income of $29,976 versus $21,303 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,816. About 7.0% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Area attractions

Beatrice Speedway
Gage County Museum, housed in the 1906 Burlington Railroad Depot and operated by the Gage County Historical Society
Homestead National Monument of America
Homestead Trail
Community Players Theatre

Notable people

George D. Baker (1868–1933), motion picture director of the silent film era
The Beatrice Six, a group of people wrongly convicted in 1989 of a 1985 rape and murder, exonerated in 2009
Eudora Stone Bumstead (1860–1892), poet, hymnwriter
Cam Jurgens, NFL player for the Philadelphia Eagles
Clara Bewick Colby (1846–1916), author
Gene L. Coon (1924–1973), screenwriter and television producer
Jim Faulkner (1899–1962), baseball player
John P. Fulton (1902–1966), special effects supervisor and cinematographer
Jim Gillette (b. 1967), glam metal rock musician and lead singer, most notably with Nitro
Homestead Harmonizers, chorus formed in 1988
Peter Jansen (1852–1923), sheep rancher, Nebraska state representative and senator
Weldon Kees (1914–1955), poet, critic, novelist, and short story writer
Oliver Kirk (1884–1960), won two gold medals in boxing at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Lou Ann Linehan (b. 1955), member of Nebraska Legislature
Kevin Meyer (b. 1956), Lieutenant Governor of Alaska
Ted Muenster, businessman and politician
Xavier Omon (b. 1985), NFL football player
Algernon Paddock (1830–1897), U.S. Senator from Nebraska
Pid Purdy (1904–1951), athlete who played both Major League Baseball and National league football
Dick Rutherford (1891-1976), NCAA football and basketball coach
Janet Shaw (1919–2001), film actress
Robert Taylor (1911–1969), film and television actor
Edward Wight Washburn (1881–1934), chemist
Dora V. Wheelock (1847–1923), temperance activist and writer

In popular culture

Beatrice is the setting for The Gallows, a 2015 found footage movie that was co-written, co-directed and co-produced by Chris Lofing, a graduate of Beatrice High School. It was covered in an episode of Unsolved Mysteries.

In June 2022, HBO Max released a documentary series titled Mind Over Murder about the Beatrice Six, a group of acquaintances who were falsely convicted of a 1985 rape and murder that took place in Beatrice.

A 1970 science fiction novel "The House in November" by Keith Laumer takes place largely in Beatrice, Nebraska.

References

</references>

External links

City of Beatrice
Gage County tourism
Main Street Beatrice is a 501 (c)(3) organization accredited as a Certified National Main Street Program, a branch of the National Trust for Historic Preservation (Main Street Programs in the United States).