O'Neill, Nebraska
Encyclopedia
O'Neill is a city in Holt County
, Nebraska
, United States
. The population was 3,733 at the 2000 census
. It is the county seat
of Holt County
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), all of it land.
O'Neill is the official Irish
capital of Nebraska. Cattle, potatoes, tomatoes, soybeans and corn are the major products produced near this town.
to Chadron
. The line has since been removed and "railbanked"; it is now part of the Cowboy Trail
, the longest bike trail in Nebraska.
O'Neill is also served by a former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy branch line from the Sioux City, Iowa
vicinity. This line is now operated as the Nebraska Northeastern Railway
.
The highways which go through O'Neill include U.S. Highway 20, U.S. Highway 275, and U.S. Highway 281.
of 2000, there were 3,733 people, 1,554 households, and 988 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,580.7 people per square mile (610.7/km²). There were 1,740 housing units at an average density of 736.8 per square mile (284.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.53% White, 0.03% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.40% from other races
, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.18% of the population.
There were 1,554 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples
living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 33.8% 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 2.33 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,815, and the median income for a family was $40,063. Males had a median income of $28,614 versus $18,627 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,998. About 5.0% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.
. It was this involvement in radical Irish politics that led him to become involved in the abortive Fenian raids
of 1866, 1870, and 1871. Following a short prison term for his involvement in the 1871 raid, O'Neill became a land speculator and promoter of Irish settlement in Nebraska. He died in January 1878.
Father Edward Flanagan
, who went on to establish Boys Town
, first served as a Catholic
priest
at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in O'Neill.
For now, O'Neill houses the world's largest permanent shamrock. Made of colored concrete, it was installed in the main intersection of 4th & Douglas in 2000. Saint Patrick's Day
and the Summerfest in July are the town's main celebrations.
The local radio station is KBRX, 102.9FM, 1350AM. Both bands play country music most of the time, though the AM band also has blocks of polka ("milking music") in the morning and oldies in the evening. The Holt County Independent is O'Neill's local newspaper.
O'Neill has two high schools, O'Neill High School and St. Mary's.
Holt County, Nebraska
-History:The county was created by an act of the Nebraska Legislature in 1862. It is named for Joseph Holt of Kentucky, who was Postmaster General and Secretary of War under President James Buchanan...
, 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 3,733 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. It is the county seat
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 Holt County
Holt County, Nebraska
-History:The county was created by an act of the Nebraska Legislature in 1862. It is named for Joseph Holt of Kentucky, who was Postmaster General and Secretary of War under President James Buchanan...
.
Geography
O'Neill is located at 42°27′39"N 98°38′49"W (42.460753, -98.647016).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 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), all of it land.
O'Neill is the official Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
capital of Nebraska. Cattle, potatoes, tomatoes, soybeans and corn are the major products produced near this town.
Transportation
Until 1992, O'Neill was served by the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company. The line, known as the "Cowboy Line", ran from Norfolk, NebraskaNorfolk, Nebraska
Norfolk is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States, 113 miles northwest of Omaha and 83 miles west of Sioux City at the intersection of U.S. Routes 81 and 275. The population was 24,210 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Nebraska. It is the principal city of the...
to Chadron
Chadron, Nebraska
Chadron is a city in Dawes County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 5,851 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dawes County. Chadron is the home of Chadron State College....
. The line has since been removed and "railbanked"; it is now part of the Cowboy Trail
Cowboy Trail
The Cowboy Trail is a rail trail in northern Nebraska. It is a multi-use recreational trail suitable for bicycling, walking and horseback riding. It occupies an abandoned Chicago and North Western Railway corridor. When complete, the trail will run from Chadron to Norfolk, a length of 321 miles ,...
, the longest bike trail in Nebraska.
O'Neill is also served by a former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy branch line from the Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
vicinity. This line is now operated as the Nebraska Northeastern Railway
Nebraska Northeastern Railway
The Nebraska Northeastern Railroad is a shortline railroad that began operations on July 23, 1996, in northeastern Nebraska. It operates on about 120 miles of former Burlington Northern Railroad track between Ferry Station, NE and O'Neill, Nebraska, as well as trackage rights over the BNSF...
.
The highways which go through O'Neill include U.S. Highway 20, U.S. Highway 275, and U.S. Highway 281.
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 3,733 people, 1,554 households, and 988 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 1,580.7 people per square mile (610.7/km²). There were 1,740 housing units at an average density of 736.8 per square mile (284.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.53% White, 0.03% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.40% 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 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.18% of the population.
There were 1,554 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% 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, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 33.8% 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 2.33 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,815, and the median income for a family was $40,063. Males had a median income of $28,614 versus $18,627 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 $15,998. About 5.0% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.
Community Information
O'Neill is named after its founder, John O'Neill, an Irish born American who brought settlers to Nebraska during the 1870s. Born in Clontibret, Co Monaghan, Ireland, he had previously served as a Colonel in the United States Army before resigning his commission and becoming active in the Fenian BrotherhoodFenian Brotherhood
The Fenian Brotherhood was an Irish republican organization founded in the United States in 1858 by John O'Mahony and Michael Doheny. It was a precursor to Clan na Gael, a sister organization to the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Members were commonly known as "Fenians"...
. It was this involvement in radical Irish politics that led him to become involved in the abortive Fenian raids
Fenian raids
Between 1866 and 1871, the Fenian raids of the Fenian Brotherhood who were based in the United States; on British army forts, customs posts and other targets in Canada, were fought to bring pressure on Britain to withdraw from Ireland. They divided many Catholic Irish-Canadians, many of whom were...
of 1866, 1870, and 1871. Following a short prison term for his involvement in the 1871 raid, O'Neill became a land speculator and promoter of Irish settlement in Nebraska. He died in January 1878.
Father Edward Flanagan
Edward J. Flanagan
Father Edward Joseph Flanagan was a priest of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. He was the founder of what is arguably the most famous orphanage—Boys Town...
, who went on to establish Boys Town
Girls and Boys Town
Boys Town, formerly Girls and Boys Town and Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, is a non-profit organization dedicated to caring for its children and families, with national headquarters in the village of Boys Town, Nebraska...
, first served as a Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in O'Neill.
For now, O'Neill houses the world's largest permanent shamrock. Made of colored concrete, it was installed in the main intersection of 4th & Douglas in 2000. Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...
and the Summerfest in July are the town's main celebrations.
The local radio station is KBRX, 102.9FM, 1350AM. Both bands play country music most of the time, though the AM band also has blocks of polka ("milking music") in the morning and oldies in the evening. The Holt County Independent is O'Neill's local newspaper.
O'Neill has two high schools, O'Neill High School and St. Mary's.
Notable natives and residents
- Moses KinkaidMoses KinkaidMoses Pierce Kinkaid was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Nebraska. He was the sponsor of the 1904 Kinkaid Land Act, which allowed homesteaders to claim up to of government land in western Nebraska.-Early life and career:Kinkaid was born near Morgantown, Virginia,...
, U.S. Representative from Nebraska and sponsor of the Kinkaid ActKinkaid ActThe Kinkaid Act of 1904 is a U.S. statute that amended the 1862 Homestead Act so that one section of a township of undeveloped land could be claimed in 37 northern and western Nebraska counties... - Frank LeahyFrank LeahyFrancis William Leahy was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive...
, American college footballCollege footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach - U.S. Senator Thomas KearnsThomas KearnsThomas Kearns was a mining, banking, railroad and newspaper magnate. He was elected United States Senator from Utah from 1901 to 1905.- Immigration and mining :...
, Utah Mining magnate and owner of Salt Lake Tribune, an O'Neill native