Kearney, Nebraska

Kearney, Nebraska
City
The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, which spans Interstate 80
Location of Kearney within Nebraska and Buffalo County
Coordinates: 40°42′3″N 99°4′52″W / 40.70083°N 99.08111°W / 40.70083; -99.08111Coordinates: 40°42′3″N 99°4′52″W / 40.70083°N 99.08111°W / 40.70083; -99.08111
Country	United States
State	Nebraska
County	Buffalo
Government
• Mayor	Stanley Clouse
Area[1]
• Total	13.00 sq mi (33.67 km2)
• Land	12.77 sq mi (33.07 km2)
• Water	0.23 sq mi (0.60 km2)
Elevation	2,152 ft (656 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	30,787
• Estimate (2012[3])	31,790
• Density	2,410.9/sq mi (930.9/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	68845, 68847, 68848 (P.O. Box), 68849 UNK
Area code(s)	308
FIPS code	31-25055
GNIS feature ID	0830442[4]
Website	www.cityofkearney.org

Kearney /ˈkɑːrni/^[5] is a city in and the county seat of Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States.^[6] The population was 30,787 at the 2010 census.^[7] It is home to the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The westward push of the railroad as the Civil War ended gave birth to the community.^[8]

Geography

Kearney is located at 40°42′3″N 99°4′52″W / 40.70083°N 99.08111°W / 40.70083; -99.08111 (40.700731, -99.081150).^[9][10] Strategically located on I-80 with convenient access to major markets like Omaha-Lincoln, Denver, Kansas City, Des Moines, Wichita and Cheyenne, Kearney is at the center of a 7-state region and 20 million people.^[11] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.00 square miles (33.67 km²), of which, 12.77 square miles (33.07 km²) is land and 0.23 square miles (0.60 km²) is water.^[1]

Demographics

Kearney is the principal city of the Kearney, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Buffalo and Kearney counties.

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 30,787 people, 12,201 households, and 7,015 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,410.9 inhabitants per square mile (930.9/km²). There were 12,738 housing units at an average density of 997.5 per square mile (385.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.3% White, 1.0% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 3.1% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.3% of the population.

There were 12,201 households of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.5% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.96.

The median age in the city was 29 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 20.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.6% were from 25 to 44; 20.6% were from 45 to 64; and 11.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

2000 census

As of the census 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.

History

Panorama c. 1909

Parade of U.S. Infantry through Kearney, Nebraska, 1888.

Streets of Kearney, Nebraska showing houses and one person, c. 1907

The original settlement in the area was called Dobytown, 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 of the 19th century. The fort was named after Colonel (later General) Stephen W. Kearny.^[15] The "e" was added by mistake sometime afterwards by postmen who consistently misspelled the town name;^[16] 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.

In 1912, a Catholic Diocese was centered here. This status was removed in 1917, with the creation of other dioceses.^[17][18] In 1997, the city began to be used as a titular see by the Catholic Church.^[19]

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. Michael W. Morgan currently serves as city manager.

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.^[20][21]

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.

Education

• Kearney Public Schools operates 3 preschools, 12 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and Kearney High School^[22]
• Zion Lutheran School
• Faith Christian School of Kearney
• Kearney West High School, at the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center^[23]
• Kearney Catholic High School

University

University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) is located in the city. The campus is a 235-acre (0.95 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.

Economy

Companies headquartered in Kearney include Citizens Telecommunications Company of Nebraska and Buckle.

Top employers

According to Buffalo County Economic Development,^[24] the top non-manufacturing employers in the city are:

The top manufacturing employers are:

Attractions

Kearney is home to several museums, many of which reflect its location on the California, Mormon, Oregon, and Pony Express trails, and the Lincoln Highway.

• The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument spans Interstate 80 at mile marker 274 and contains exhibits that trace the history of the Great Platte River Road from the Oregon Trail days to the present.^[25] On December 8, 2000, while on a visit to Kearney, President Bill Clinton toured the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument.^[26] Jack Nicholson was filmed in a scene at the Archway for the movie About Schmidt.^[27]
• The Museum of Nebraska Art, the state's official art collection, houses artworks spanning 175 years, from the 19th century to the present.^[28]
• The George W. Frank House is an 1890s historic mansion located at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The Robert M. Merryman Performing Arts Center, located in the city's Central Elementary School, is a 750-seat theatre completed in 2006.^[29]
• The 5,500 seat Viaero Event Center hosts concerts, events, and performances, and is home to the Tri-City Storm, a United States Hockey League team.^[30]
• In 2013, the Shrine Bowl State High School All-Star Football Game was moved from Lincoln to Kearney.^[31]
• Two microbreweries, Thunderhead Brewing and the Platte Valley Brewery, are located in downtown Kearney.^[32]
• The Classic Car Collection is an automotive museum containing over 210 automobiles.^[33]

Local media

Newspaper

• Kearney Hub

Radio

• KRVN (AM) 880
• KGFW AM 1340
• KXPN (AM) 1460
• KKPR-FM 98.9
• KRNY FM 102.3
• KQKY FM 105.9
• KHGI-TV

Outdoor areas

• Apollo Park
• Buffalo Ridge Golf Course
• Centennial Park
• Collins Park
• Cottonmill Lake Recreation Area
• Dryden Park
• E.K. & Mary Yanney Heritage Park
• Fort Kearny State Historical Park and Recreation Area
• Harmon Park
• Harvey Park
• Kearney Country Club
• Meadowlark Hills Golf Course
• Memorial Field
• Pioneer Park
• Nina Hammer Park
• Ted Baldwin Field
• West Lincoln Way

Notable people

• Jon Bokenkamp, writer and producer
• Solomon Butcher, photographer of the Homestead era in Nebraska, lived in Kearney for about a decade, beginning in 1902
• Alexander H. Conner, politician
• Leslie Easterbrook, actress
• Kyle Larson, NFL player
• Stephen R. Lawhead, author
• David Martin, congressman
• Peter George Peterson, U.S. Secretary of Commerce 1972–73, co-founder of the Blackstone Group
• Tim Schlattmann, screenwriter
• Kathy Lou Schultz, poet and scholar
• Charlie Tuna, radio personality
• Dale E. Wolf, businessman and politician

In popular culture

• Dexter (season 6), episode 7 ("Nebraska", airdate November 13, 2011) was set in Kearney, Nebraska, in large part because the show's co-executive producer, Tim Schlattmann, is a 1981 Kearney High School graduate.^[34][35] In "Nebraska", whose departure in multiple ways from previous Dexter episodes was (for the most part) favorably received,^[36] witness protection has relocated the Trinity Killer's surviving family to Kearney, where a copycat killer appears to have murdered Trinity's widow and daughter, so Dexter travels to Kearney to avenge the killings. Numerous elements in the episode underscore Kearney's rural setting and culture, some sinister, and farm-specific settings and implements add variety to Dexter's methods of killing and corpse disposal.^[37]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kearney, Nebraska.

• City of Kearney
• Kearney Hub, local newspaper
• Buffalo County Economic Development Council
•  "Kearney". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911. 

Municipalities and communities of Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States
County seat: Kearney
Cities	Gibbon Kearney Ravenna
Villages	Amherst Elm Creek Miller Pleasanton Riverdale Shelton‡
CDPs	Glenwood Odessa Poole
Other unincorporated communities	Buda Denman Prairie Center Saint Michael Sartoria Sweetwater
Townships	Armada Beaver Cedar Center Cherry Creek Collins Divide Elm Creek Gardner Garfield Gibbon Grant Harrison Logan Loup Odessa Platte Riverdale Rusco Sartoria Schneider Scott Sharon Shelton Thornton Valley
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties