Kearney, Nebraska
Encyclopedia
Kearney is a city in and the county seat
of Buffalo County
, Nebraska
, United States
. The population was 30,787 at the 2010 census. It is home to the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
Kearney is the principal city of the Kearney, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Buffalo and Kearney
counties.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 11.2 square miles (29 km²), of which 11 square miles (28.5 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) is water.
of 2000, there were 29,952 people, 10,549 households, and 6,160 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,498.5 people per square mile (964.6/km2). There were 11,099 housing units at an average density of 1,010.9 per square mile (390.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.18% White, 0.63% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.68% from other races
, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.08% of the population.
There were 10,549 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples
living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 23.9% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,829, and the median income for a family was $46,650. Males had a median income of $30,150 versus $22,366 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,713. About 7.4% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
, the state's official art collection. Just 2 miles (3.2 km) east of town, The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument
, spanning Interstate 80
, is a museum paying tribute to the area's pioneer history. It was featured in the movie About Schmidt
. Also the George W. Frank House
, a 1890's mansion located at the University of Nebraska at Kearney
. Located in the town's Central Elementary School is the Robert M. Merryman Performing Arts Center, a 750-seat theatre completed in 2006.
The city is also home to the Tri-City Storm
, a United States Hockey League
team. The team's home venue is the Viaero Event Center, an arena with seating for 5,000.
Two microbreweries
, Thunderhead Brewing and the Platte Valley Brewery, are located in downtown Kearney.
Before Kearney was named Kearney, it was called Dobytown and it was located 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast of the present-day Kearney. Later the city was moved and renamed after the nearby Fort Kearny
(with an extra "e" added, but pronounced the same), a United States Army
outpost along the Oregon Trail
in the middle 19th century. The fort was named after Col. and later General Stephen W. Kearny
. The "e" was added by mistake sometime afterwards by postmen who consistently misspelled the town name. Eventually it just stuck. The current location of the city is on the North side of the Platte River and steadily grew as a result of the influence of the railroad.
Recent growth in the city has been dramatic. The city is expanding quickly to the North, East, and West. The biggest employers in the city are the Good Samaritan Hospital and the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Other major employers include The Buckle
Corporate Headquarters, Eaton Corporation, Baldwin Filters, Marshall Engines Inc, and West Company Pharmaceuticals.
The council appoints a City Manager to implement policies, prepare a budget, appoints department heads, and recommends areas that the council needs to attend. There are five members elected city-wide serving staggered four year terms. One member of the City Council is chosen by the council to be Mayor. Stanley Clouse is the Mayor.
Gov. Dave Heineman has announced that Kearney is one of two cities that has been selected to participate in a new initiative designed to develop a new technology/data center park in Nebraska.
(UNK) is located in the city. The campus is a 235 acre (0.9510121 km²) residential campus with more than 37 buildings. It was founded in 1905 as Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney and became Nebraska State Teachers College in 1921. Between 1963 and 1991 the school was known as Kearney State College. The college's name was changed to University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1991 when it joined the University of Nebraska system.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Buffalo County
Buffalo County, Nebraska
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,259 people, 15,930 households, and 10,227 families residing in the county. The population density was 44 people per square mile . There were 16,830 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 30,787 at the 2010 census. It is home to the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
Kearney is the principal city of the Kearney, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Buffalo and Kearney
Kearney County, Nebraska
-History:Kearney County was formed in 1860. It was named after Fort Kearny, which in turn was named after Brigade General Stephen W. Kearny.-Demographics:...
counties.
Geography
Kearney is located at 40°42′3"N 99°4′52"W (40.700731, -99.081150).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 11.2 square miles (29 km²), of which 11 square miles (28.5 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 29,952 people, 10,549 households, and 6,160 families residing in the city. 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 2,498.5 people per square mile (964.6/km2). There were 11,099 housing units at an average density of 1,010.9 per square mile (390.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.18% White, 0.63% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.68% 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 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.08% of the population.
There were 10,549 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% 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, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 23.9% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,829, and the median income for a family was $46,650. Males had a median income of $30,150 versus $22,366 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 city was $17,713. About 7.4% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people From Kearney
- Alexander H. ConnerAlexander H. ConnerAlexander Hamilton Conner was a United States politician and legislator.Born in Hamilton County, Indiana, Conner was the son of William Conner, a pioneer and politician. He was admitted to the bar in 1855. He served in the Indiana House of Representatives in 1856. In 1860, Conner took part in the...
- politician - Leslie EasterbrookLeslie Easterbrook-Early life:Easterbrook was born in Los Angeles and adopted by a family in rural Nebraska, where she was raised. Her father later earned a Ph.D and became a voice/trumpet professor at University of Nebraska at Kearney...
- American actress - Peter G. Peterson - Co-Founder of the Blackstone Group
- Kyle LarsonKyle LarsonKyle Larson is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Nebraska.-Early years:...
- NFL Player - Tim SchlattmannTim SchlattmannTim Schlattmann is a three-time Emmy award nominee. Nebraska born and raised, this former disc jockey and college professor's writing credits include ABC's number one hit Roseanne, Fox's Get Real, the WB's Smallville, the feature XCU: Extreme Close-Up, and most recently critically acclaimed Dexter...
- American screenwriter
Attractions
Kearney is home to the Museum of Nebraska ArtMuseum of Nebraska Art
The Museum of Nebraska Art is the official art museum of the state of Nebraska. The museum is located in Kearney, Nebraska, and is administratively affiliated with the University of Nebraska at Kearney...
, the state's official art collection. Just 2 miles (3.2 km) east of town, The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument
Great Platte River Road Archway Monument
The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument is a museum of and monument to Nebraska's and the Platte River valley's role in westward expansion. The Archway Monument is directly over Interstate 80 three miles east of Kearney, Nebraska.-History:...
, spanning Interstate 80
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
, is a museum paying tribute to the area's pioneer history. It was featured in the movie About Schmidt
About Schmidt
About Schmidt is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne, starring Jack Nicholson in the title role. It is loosely based on the 1996 novel of the same title by Louis Begley. Many of the scenes were filmed on location, especially in Omaha, Nebraska and Denver, Colorado...
. Also the George W. Frank House
George W. Frank House
The Georege W. Frank House is a historic mansion located in Kearney, Nebraska. The George W. Frank House is operated by the University of Nebraska at Kearney.- Frank Family History :...
, a 1890's mansion located at the University of Nebraska at Kearney
University of Nebraska at Kearney
The University of Nebraska at Kearney , founded in 1905 as the Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney, is the Kearney, Nebraska, United States campus of the University of Nebraska system.-History:...
. Located in the town's Central Elementary School is the Robert M. Merryman Performing Arts Center, a 750-seat theatre completed in 2006.
The city is also home to the Tri-City Storm
Tri-City Storm
The Tri-City Storm is a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team playing in the West Division of the United States Hockey League .-History:Following the worst single season record by the team, it was announced that head coach Tom Rudrud was informed that he would not remain as the Storm head coach...
, a United States Hockey League
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
team. The team's home venue is the Viaero Event Center, an arena with seating for 5,000.
Two microbreweries
Microbrewery
A microbrewery or craft brewer is a brewery which produces a limited amount of beer, and is associated by consumers with innovation and uniqueness....
, Thunderhead Brewing and the Platte Valley Brewery, are located in downtown Kearney.
History
Fort Kearny
Fort Kearny was a historic outpost of the United States Army founded in 1848 in the western U.S. during the middle and late 19th century. The outpost was located along the Oregon Trail near present-day Kearney, Nebraska, which took its name from the fort .-Origins and various missions of the...
(with an extra "e" added, but pronounced the same), a United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
outpost along the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
in the middle 19th century. The fort was named after Col. and later General Stephen W. Kearny
Stephen W. Kearny
Stephen Watts Kearny surname also appears as Kearney in some historic sources; August 30, 1794 October 31, 1848), was one of the foremost antebellum frontier officers of the United States Army. He is remembered for his significant contributions in the Mexican-American War, especially the conquest...
. The "e" was added by mistake sometime afterwards by postmen who consistently misspelled the town name. Eventually it just stuck. The current location of the city is on the North side of the Platte River and steadily grew as a result of the influence of the railroad.
Recent growth in the city has been dramatic. The city is expanding quickly to the North, East, and West. The biggest employers in the city are the Good Samaritan Hospital and the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Other major employers include The Buckle
The Buckle
The Buckle, Inc. is an upscale retailer selling apparel, footwear, and accessories for fashion-conscious young men and women.-History:Buckle began as a men's clothing store in 1948 in Kearney, Nebraska. The first store was founded by David Hirschfeld and operated under the name "Mills Clothing"....
Corporate Headquarters, Eaton Corporation, Baldwin Filters, Marshall Engines Inc, and West Company Pharmaceuticals.
Kearney Tornadoes
On May 29, 2008 Kearney was hit by 3 tornades. At about 5:30pm tornadoes started to hit Kearney and lasted about 15 minutes. The majority of the damage was to the Northern part of the town.Government
The council-manager form is used in Kearney. The City Council makes legislative and policy-making decisions. There are five members elected city-wide to serve four year terms which are staggered. The council manager form of government was adopted in 1950.The council appoints a City Manager to implement policies, prepare a budget, appoints department heads, and recommends areas that the council needs to attend. There are five members elected city-wide serving staggered four year terms. One member of the City Council is chosen by the council to be Mayor. Stanley Clouse is the Mayor.
Gov. Dave Heineman has announced that Kearney is one of two cities that has been selected to participate in a new initiative designed to develop a new technology/data center park in Nebraska.
University
University of Nebraska at KearneyUniversity of Nebraska at Kearney
The University of Nebraska at Kearney , founded in 1905 as the Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney, is the Kearney, Nebraska, United States campus of the University of Nebraska system.-History:...
(UNK) is located in the city. The campus is a 235 acre (0.9510121 km²) residential campus with more than 37 buildings. It was founded in 1905 as Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney and became Nebraska State Teachers College in 1921. Between 1963 and 1991 the school was known as Kearney State College. The college's name was changed to University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1991 when it joined the University of Nebraska system.
Outdoor Areas
- Apollo Park
- Buffalo Ridge Golf Course
- Centennial Park
- Collins Park
- Cottonmill Lake Recreation Area
- Dryden Park
- Harmon Park
- Harvey Park
- Kearney Country Club
- Meadowlark Hills Golf Course
- Memorial Field
- Pioneer Park
- Nina Hammer Park
- Ted Baldwin Field
- West Lincoln Way
- E.K. & Mary Yanney Heritage Park
- Fort Kearny State Historical Park and Recreation Area
Education
- Kearney Public Schools operates 3 preschools, 12 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and Kearney High SchoolKearney High SchoolKearney High School is a public high school in Kearney, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Kearney Public Schools district. It is one of two high schools in Kearney . However, it is the only public high school in Kearney...
- Zion Lutheran School
- Faith Christian School of Kearney
- Kearney West High School, at the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center
- Kearney Catholic High SchoolKearney Catholic High SchoolKearney Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Kearney, Nebraska. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island.-Background:Kearney Catholic High School was founded in 1961, the first Catholic high school in Kearney....
- University of Nebraska at KearneyUniversity of Nebraska at KearneyThe University of Nebraska at Kearney , founded in 1905 as the Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney, is the Kearney, Nebraska, United States campus of the University of Nebraska system.-History:...
- University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, Kearney Division