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Hitchcock County, Nebraska

Coordinates: 40°11′N 101°02′W / 40.18°N 101.04°W / 40.18; -101.04
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hitchcock County
Hitchcock County courthouse in Trenton
Hitchcock County courthouse in Trenton
Map of Nebraska highlighting Hitchcock County
Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska
Map of the United States highlighting Nebraska
Nebraska's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°11′N 101°02′W / 40.18°N 101.04°W / 40.18; -101.04
Country United States
State Nebraska
Founded1873
Named forPhineas Hitchcock
SeatTrenton
Largest villageCulbertson
Area
 • Total
718 sq mi (1,860 km2)
 • Land710 sq mi (1,800 km2)
 • Water8.5 sq mi (22 km2)  1.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
2,616
 • Density4.0/sq mi (1.5/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district3rd
Websitewww.hitchcockcounty.ne.gov

Hitchcock County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 2,616.[1] Its county seat is Trenton.[2]

In the Nebraska license plate system, Hitchcock County is represented by the prefix 67 (it had the sixty-seventh-largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922).

History

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Hitchcock County was formed in 1873.[3] It was named for US Senator Phineas Warren Hitchcock.[4]

The Massacre Canyon battle between Sioux and Pawnee took place on August 5, 1873, at a spot three miles east of Trenton.

Geography

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The terrain of Hitchcock County consists of rolling low hills. The flattened hilltops are used for agriculture; mostly dry farming with some center pivot irrigation. The Republican River flows eastward through the central part of the county. The county has a total area of 718 square miles (1,860 km2), of which 710 square miles (1,800 km2) is land and 8.5 square miles (22 km2) (1.2%) is water.[5]

The eastern two-thirds of the state of Nebraska observes Central Time; the western portion of the state observes Mountain Time. Hitchcock County is the westernmost county to observe Central Time.[6]

Lakes

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  • Swanson Lake: formed by a dam on the Republican River, between Stratton and Trenton.

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18801,012
18905,799473.0%
19004,409−24.0%
19105,41522.8%
19206,04511.6%
19307,26920.2%
19406,404−11.9%
19505,867−8.4%
19604,829−17.7%
19704,051−16.1%
19804,0790.7%
19903,750−8.1%
20003,111−17.0%
20102,908−6.5%
20202,616−10.0%
2021 (est.)2,586[7]−1.1%
US Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2013[1]

As of the 2000 United States Census,[12] there were 3,111 people, 1,287 households, and 899 families in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile (1.5 people/km2). There were 1,675 housing units at an average density of 2 units per square mile (0.77/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.36% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.29% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 1.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,287 households, out of which 28.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.10% were married couples living together, 6.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 27.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.50% 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 2.89.

The county population contained 23.80% under the age of 18, 5.90% from 18 to 24, 22.60% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 22.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 95.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,287, and the median income for a family was $34,490. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $18,879 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,804. About 10.90% of families and 14.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.90% of those under age 18 and 8.40% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

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Villages

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Former communities

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  • Beverly
  • Blackwood
  • Cornell[13][14]
  • Dike
  • Driftwood
  • Meeker
  • Poe
  • Rill
  • Rupert

Politics

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Hitchcock County is strongly Republican in presidential elections. Since 1900, the county has failed to back the Republican candidate in only five presidential elections, most recently in 1936 in the midst of Franklin D. Roosevelt's national landslide victory. Republicans also hold a voter registration advantage of 1,326 registered Republicans compared with just 262 registered Democrats in Hitchcock County as of 2021.[15]

United States presidential election results for Hitchcock County, Nebraska[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 1,269 88.19% 152 10.56% 18 1.25%
2020 1,264 85.99% 175 11.90% 31 2.11%
2016 1,232 83.92% 161 10.97% 75 5.11%
2012 1,178 78.80% 274 18.33% 43 2.88%
2008 1,001 72.59% 346 25.09% 32 2.32%
2004 1,171 78.80% 296 19.92% 19 1.28%
2000 1,126 76.08% 312 21.08% 42 2.84%
1996 977 62.27% 409 26.07% 183 11.66%
1992 824 47.60% 359 20.74% 548 31.66%
1988 1,132 69.45% 480 29.45% 18 1.10%
1984 1,391 79.99% 341 19.61% 7 0.40%
1980 1,474 75.09% 329 16.76% 160 8.15%
1976 898 51.85% 786 45.38% 48 2.77%
1972 1,339 78.63% 364 21.37% 0 0.00%
1968 1,173 66.91% 387 22.08% 193 11.01%
1964 1,149 54.84% 946 45.16% 0 0.00%
1960 1,634 70.67% 678 29.33% 0 0.00%
1956 1,570 67.94% 741 32.06% 0 0.00%
1952 2,008 75.01% 669 24.99% 0 0.00%
1948 1,208 56.69% 923 43.31% 0 0.00%
1944 1,556 63.95% 877 36.05% 0 0.00%
1940 1,663 58.33% 1,188 41.67% 0 0.00%
1936 1,285 42.20% 1,738 57.08% 22 0.72%
1932 1,168 39.16% 1,772 59.40% 43 1.44%
1928 2,022 73.71% 698 25.45% 23 0.84%
1924 987 45.80% 633 29.37% 535 24.83%
1920 1,127 61.58% 615 33.61% 88 4.81%
1916 435 36.16% 733 60.93% 35 2.91%
1912 128 12.11% 471 44.56% 458 43.33%
1908 633 48.84% 632 48.77% 31 2.39%
1904 598 61.08% 166 16.96% 215 21.96%
1900 450 45.36% 528 53.23% 14 1.41%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "US Census Bureau". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 1, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Burr, George L. (1921). History of Hamilton and Clay Counties, Nebraska, Vol. 1. S.J. Clarke Pub. Co. p. 118.
  4. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 157.
  5. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  6. ^ "Map of Central/Mountain Time Zone Division Line". Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  7. ^ "County Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  8. ^ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  9. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  10. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  11. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  12. ^ "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  13. ^ Cornell (Hitchcock County) NE
  14. ^ Cornell Church Google Maps (accessed 22 January 2019)
  15. ^ "2021 Eligible Voter Statistics". Nebraska Secretary of State. January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  16. ^ Election Results
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Official website

40°11′N 101°02′W / 40.18°N 101.04°W / 40.18; -101.04