Central City is a city in and the county seat of Merrick County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Grand Island metropolitan area. The population was 3,039 at the 2020 census.

There had been considerable rivalry between the Chaui and the Skidi, which eventually led to an unprovoked attack by the Skidi on a group of Chaui hunting buffalo. It was estimated that 200 Chaui were killed. All were men from the Chaui village, which was near Lone Tree and where Central City is now located. The surviving Chaui returned to their village (this was thought to have occurred during winter). The Chaui did not believe they were strong enough to attack the Skidi, so they held councils with two other Southern Pawnee bands and told them what happened. The Pitahauerit and Kitkehahki decided to help the Chaui against the Skidi.

The actual county seat was created in 1866 near the planned location of Elvira and renamed "Lone Tree". It was established as the Union Pacific Railroad was laying tracks through Merrick County. In 1868, J.H. Berryman built the first substantial building, which functioned as a general store, hotel, bar, courthouse, revival meeting hall, and his home. The first courthouse was built in 1871 and was replaced by the current court house in 1912.

thumb|right|upright|Nebraska Christian High school main building, formerly [[Nebraska Central College main building

Boom town

By the 1880s, Central City was a boomtown after the arrival of a second railroad, the Burlington & Missouri River. During this time of peak growth, three banks were built, in addition to a hardware store, a roller mill, two newspapers, three lumberyards, a cracker factory, a cigar factory, a new brick school, nine churches, and Nebraska Central College, a Methodist institution which opened in 1885.

The first newspaper in Central City was The Merrick County News, which published its first edition on March 21, 1872; it would become the Courier in 1874. Several attempts were made to establish a second paper, starting with the Sentinel, a "railroad" paper, on April 10, 1873; it lasted only a short time. In 1880, the Merrick County Item was first published, but lasted only until 1881. In 1882, the Nonpareil opened and Central City again had two newspapers.

By the 1890s, economic growth had slowed. The Courier closed in 1890, and Nebraska Central College closed in 1891. A flood washed out both the Union Pacific and Burlington railroad tracks. By the mid-1890s, economic conditions were improving. Two new newspapers opened: the Record in 1895 (which would close in 1908) and the Republican in 1896 (which would merge with the Nonpareil to form the current Republican-Nonpareil in 1953). Economic growth was aided in the 1920s by the opening of a branch of Omaha Cold Storage in 1927, allowing farmers to sell their poultry and eggs locally at better prices. Perhaps the most notable citizen of Central City, Wright Morris, lived here from 1910 to 1919. There are currently two such locations marked in Central City: Lone Tree and the Mormon Trail, which passed near the historical location of Lone Tree.

Geography

Central City is in east-central Merrick County, northwest of the Platte River. U.S. Route 30, passes through the city as G Street and 16th Street; the highway leads southwest to Grand Island and northeast to Columbus. Nebraska Highway 14 passes through the center of town as 17th Avenue, leading north to Fullerton and south to Aurora.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Central City has a total area of , all land.

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Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Central City had a population of 3,039. The median age was 41.1 years. 25.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.6 males age 18 and over.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,225 households in Central City, of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.9% were married-couple households, 17.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 2,934 people, 1,240 households, and 762 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,419 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.5% white, 0.1% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population.

There were 1,240 households, of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.5% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.94.

The median age in the city was 42.4 years. 24% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.7% were from 45 to 64; and 20.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,998 people, 1,212 households, and 812 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,352 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.20% white, 0.40% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.

There were 1,212 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85 males.

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $50,000 and the median income for a family was $39,118. Males had a median income of $27,250 versus $19,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,943. About 6.3% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

  • Wright Morris, author and photographer
  • Dick Wagner, Cincinnati Reds executive
  • Bill Wilson, Major League Baseball player

References

  • Central City Public Schools
  • Merrick County & Merrick County Courthouse
  • The Republican-Nonpareil