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107-410: In 2006 a $ 96 million bond referendum was given to the voters. In 2014 a $ 63.1 million bond was approved by voters. Steve Baker served as the superintendent from 2008 until his June 30, 2017 retirement. During his period the number of students increased by 75%. Bary Habrock began as superintendent on July 1, 2017. In 2017 the district had 8,386 students. In 2018 the district put a $ 149.6 bond up for

214-495: A humid continental climate while western Nebraska is primarily semi-arid . The state has wide variations between winter and summer temperatures; the variations decrease in southern Nebraska. Violent thunderstorms and tornadoes occur primarily during spring and summer, and sometimes in autumn. The Chinook wind tends to warm the state significantly in the winter and early spring. Indigenous peoples, including Omaha , Missouria , Ponca , Pawnee , Otoe , and various branches of

321-550: A Sacramento hardware merchant, heard Judah's presentation about the railroad at the St. Charles Hotel in November 1860. He invited Judah to his office to hear his proposal in detail. Huntington persuaded Judah to accept financing from himself and four others: Mark Hopkins , his business partner; James Bailey, a jeweler; Leland Stanford , a grocer; and Charles Crocker , a dry-goods merchant. They initially invested $ 1,500 each and formed

428-697: A board of directors. These investors became known as The Big Four , and their railroad was called the Central Pacific Railroad . Each eventually made millions of dollars from their investments and control of the Central Pacific Railroad. Before major construction could begin, Judah traveled back to New York City to raise funds to buy out The Big Four. Shortly after arriving in New York, Judah died on November 2, 1863, of yellow fever that he had contracted while traveling over

535-500: A higher overall number. Since 2016, data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in one Hispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. The religious affiliations of the people of Nebraska are predominantly Christian, according to a 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center. At the 2020 Public Religion Research Institute survey, 73% of the population identified as Christian. At

642-673: A key figure in the Crédit Mobilier scandal which ultimately led to his removal from the company. Major General Grenville M. Dodge served as the chief engineer of Union Pacific during the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad. In 1865 while fighting against Native-American tribes he would discover a pass in the Laramie Mountains , which would serve as a vital passage for the First Transcontinental Railroad. Dodge would serve in

749-603: A lobbying office in the United States Capitol , received an audience with President James Buchanan , and represented the Convention before Congress. Judah returned to California in 1860. He continued to search for a more practical route through the Sierra suitable for a railroad. In mid-1860, local miner Daniel Strong had surveyed a route over the Sierra for a wagon toll road, which he realized would also suit

856-604: A long history of civil rights activism. Blacks encountered discrimination from other Americans in Omaha and especially from recent European immigrants who were also competing for the same jobs as well. During the early 20th century, In 1912, African Americans founded the Omaha chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to work for improved conditions in the city and state. During

963-671: A mile (1.6 km) of track a day or more in 1866 as the Union Pacific finally started moving rapidly west. Building bridges to cross creeks and rivers was the main source of delays. Near where the Platte River splits into the North Platte River and South Platte River , the railroad bridged the North Platte River over a 2,600-foot-long (790 m) bridge (nicknamed ½ mile bridge). It was built across

1070-528: A percentage of the total population) in the nation. Nebraska is also home to the largest Polish American population in the Great Plains. German Americans are the largest ancestry group in most of the state, particularly in the eastern counties. Thurston County (made up entirely of the Omaha and Winnebago reservations) has an American Indian majority, and Butler County is one of only two counties in

1177-635: A point formed by its intersection with the forty-third degree of north latitude [the Western border, which is the Panhandle]; thence east along said forty-third degree of north latitude to the Keya Paha river; thence down the middle of the channel of said river, with its meanderings, to its junction with the Niobrara River; thence down the middle of the channel of said Niobrara River, and following

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1284-551: A point formed by its intersection with the twenty-fifth degree of longitude west from Washington [the Southern border]; thence north along said twenty-fifth degree of longitude, to a point formed by its intersection with the forty-first degree of north latitude; thence west along said forty-first degree of north latitude to a point formed by its intersection with the twenty-seventh degree of longitude west from Washington; thence north along said twenty-seventh degree of west longitude, to

1391-428: A population of fewer than 1,000. Regional population declines have forced many rural schools to consolidate. Fifty-three of Nebraska's 93 counties reported declining populations between 1990 and 2000, ranging from a 0.06% loss ( Frontier County ) to a 17.04% loss ( Hitchcock County ). More urbanized areas of the state have experienced substantial growth. In 2000, the city of Omaha had a population of 390,007; in 2005,

1498-399: A profit on the railroad business for many months, possibly years. They determined to make a profit on the construction itself. Both groups of financiers formed independent companies to complete the project, and they controlled management of the new companies along with the railroad ventures. This self-dealing allowed them to build in generous profit margins paid out by the railroad companies. In

1605-578: A railroad. He described his discovery in a letter to Judah. Also in 1860, Charles Marsh , a surveyor, civil engineer and water company owner, met with civil engineer Judah. Marsh, who had already surveyed a potential railroad route between Sacramento and Nevada City, California, a decade earlier, went with Judah into the Sierra Nevada Mountains. There they examined the Henness Pass Turnpike Company's route (Marsh

1712-490: A rapid settlement of the West. The total area of the land grants to the Union Pacific and Central Pacific was larger than the area of the state of Texas: federal government land grants totaled about 130,000,000 acres, and state government land grants totaled about 50,000,000 acres. It was far from a given that the railroads operating in the thinly-settled west would make enough money to repay their construction and operation. If

1819-529: A reference number. Metropolitan Class City (300,000 or more) Primary Class City (100,000–299,999) First Class City (5,000–99,999) Second Class Cities (800–4,999) and Villages (100–800) make up the rest of the communities in Nebraska. There are 116 second-class cities and 382 villages in the state. Metropolitan areas 2017 estimate data Micropolitan areas 2012 estimate data Other areas The 2020 United States Census reported that

1926-405: A referendum to the district's voters. In August 2021, construction of Elkhorn North Ridge Middle School was completed and they began their first year. This Nebraska school-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Nebraska This is an accepted version of this page Nebraska ( / n ə ˈ b r æ s k ə / nə- BRASS -kə )

2033-525: A report recommending support for a proposed Pacific railroad bill: The necessity that now exists for constructing lines of railroad and telegraphic communication between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of this continent is no longer a question for argument; it is conceded by every one. In order to maintain our present position on the Pacific, we must have some more speedy and direct means of intercourse than

2140-772: A southern route near the 42nd parallel . Curtis tried and failed again in 1861. After the southern states seceded from the Union, the House of Representatives approved the bill on May 6, 1862, and the Senate on June 20. Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 into law on July 1. It authorized creation of two companies, the Central Pacific in the west and the Union Pacific in the mid-west, to build

2247-610: Is a landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States . It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River ; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwest; and Wyoming to the west. Nebraska is the 16th-largest state by land area , with just over 77,220 square miles (200,000 km ). With a population of over 1.9 million, it

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2354-406: Is at present afforded by the route through the possessions of a foreign power. The U.S. Congress was strongly divided on where the eastern terminus of the railroad should be—in a southern or northern city. Three routes were considered: Once the central route was chosen, it was immediately obvious that the western terminus should be Sacramento. But there was considerable difference of opinion about

2461-585: Is one of only two states that divide electoral college votes by district, and is not winner-take-all. Nebraska is composed of two major land regions: the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains . The Dissected Till Plains region consists of gently rolling hills and contains the state's largest cities, Omaha and Lincoln. The Great Plains region, occupying most of western Nebraska, is characterized by treeless prairie . Eastern Nebraska has

2568-713: Is subject to tax and all other personal property is exempt from tax. Inheritance tax is collected at the county level. The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates of Nebraska's gross state product in 2010 was $ 89.8 billion. Per capita personal income in 2004 was $ 31,339, 25th in the nation. Nebraska has a large agriculture sector, and is a major producer of beef , pork , wheat , corn (maize) , soybeans , and sorghum . Other important economic sectors include freight transport (by rail and truck), manufacturing , telecommunications , information technology , and insurance . First transcontinental railroad America's first transcontinental railroad (known originally as

2675-614: Is the 38th-most populous state and the eighth-least densely populated . Its capital is Lincoln , and its most populous city is Omaha , which is on the Missouri River . Nebraska was admitted into the United States in 1867, two years after the end of the American Civil War . The Nebraska Legislature is unlike any other American legislature in that it is unicameral , and its members are elected without any official reference to political party affiliation . Nebraska

2782-476: The Midwestern United States . Residents in Nebraska had passed an initiative in 1934, then the first session in the unicameral was held in 1937. Kay Orr was elected Nebraska's first female governor on November 4, 1986. The state is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, across the Missouri River ; Kansas to the south; Colorado to

2889-709: The Great Basin and hook up with rail lines coming from the East. In 1856, Judah wrote a 13,000-word proposal in support of a Pacific railroad and distributed it to Cabinet secretaries, congressmen and other influential people. In September 1859, Judah was chosen to be the accredited lobbyist for the Pacific Railroad Convention, which indeed approved his plan to survey, finance and engineer the road. Judah returned to Washington in December 1859. He had

2996-482: The Homestead Act , thousands of settlers migrated into Nebraska to claim free land granted by the federal government. Because so few trees grew on the prairies , many of the first farming settlers built their homes of sod , as had Native Americans such as the Omaha. The first wave of settlement gave the territory a sufficient population to apply for statehood. Nebraska became the 37th state on March 1, 1867, and

3103-651: The Lakota ( Sioux ) tribes, lived in the region for thousands of years before European discovery and exploration . The state is crossed by many historic trails, including that of the Lewis and Clark Expedition . The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad through Nebraska and passage of the Homestead Acts led to rapid growth in the population of American settlers in the 1870s and 1880s and

3210-475: The Missouri River . Omaha was chosen by President Abraham Lincoln as the location of its Transfer Depot where up to seven railroads could transfer mail and other goods to Union Pacific trains bound for the west. Trains were initially transported across the Missouri River by ferry before they could access the western tracks beginning in Omaha , Nebraska Territory . The river froze in the winter, and

3317-678: The Niobrara River flows through the northern part, and the Republican River runs across the southern part. The first Constitution of Nebraska in 1866 described Nebraska's boundaries as follows (The description of the Northern border is no longer accurate, since the Keya Paha River and the Niobrara River no longer form the boundary of the state of Nebraska. Instead, Nebraska's Northern border now extends east along

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3424-465: The Omaha Race Riots in 1919 , many white rioters protested throughout Omaha due to there being an incident in which a black man was accused of sexually assaulting a white women. The Great Depression also had greatly affected the residents of Nebraska at the time. From 1930 to 1936 the dust bowl was common in the state due to there being a drought, wind, and dirt being dug up throughout all of

3531-528: The Pacific Railroad (called the Memorial of Asa Whitney ) was first introduced to Congress by Representative Zadock Pratt . Congress did not immediately act on Whitney's proposal. Theodore Judah was a fervent supporter of the central route railroad. He lobbied vigorously in favor of the project and undertook the survey of the route through the rugged Sierra Nevada, one of the chief obstacles of

3638-775: The Panama Railroad 's transit of the Isthmus of Panama . The CPRR Engineering Department was taken over by his successor Samuel S. Montegue, as well as Canadian trained Chief Assistant Engineer (later Acting Chief Engineer) Lewis Metzler Clement who also became Superintendent of Track. To allow the companies to raise additional capital, Congress granted the railroads a 200-foot (61 m) right-of-way corridor, lands for additional facilities like sidings and maintenance yards. They were also granted alternate sections of government-owned lands—6,400 acres (2,600 ha) per mile (1.6 km)—for 10 miles (16 km) on both sides of

3745-499: The Rocky Mountains provide a temporary moderating effect on temperatures in the state's western portion during the winter. Thus, average January maximum temperatures are highest at around 43 °F or 6.1 °C in southwestern Dundy County , and lowest at about 30 °F or −1.1 °C around South Sioux City in the northeast. Average annual precipitation decreases east to west from about 31.5 inches (800 mm) in

3852-688: The U.S. Congress a "Proposal for a Charter to Build a Railroad from Lake Michigan to the Pacific Ocean", seeking a congressional charter to support his idea. Congress agreed to support the idea. Under the direction of the Department of War , the Pacific Railroad Surveys were conducted from 1853 through 1855. These included an extensive series of expeditions of the American West seeking possible routes. A report on

3959-476: The United Methodist Church (109,283). Nebraska has a progressive income tax . The portion of income from $ 0 to $ 2,400 is taxed at 2.56%; from $ 2,400 to $ 17,500, at 3.57%; from $ 17,500 to $ 27,000, at 5.12%; and income over $ 27,000, at 6.84%. The standard deduction for a single taxpayer is $ 5,700; the personal exemption is $ 118. Nebraska has a state sales and use tax of 5.5%. In addition to

4066-540: The United States House of Representatives for Iowa's 5th District from 1867 until 1869. During this time he would push for legislation to help the construction of the railroad. In February 1860, Iowa Representative Samuel Curtis introduced a bill to fund the railroad. It passed the House but died when it could not be reconciled with the Senate version because of opposition from southern states who wanted

4173-595: The Wildcat Hills . Panorama Point , at 5,424 feet (1,653 m), is Nebraska's highest point; though despite its name and elevation, it is a relatively low rise near the Colorado and Wyoming borders. A past tourism slogan for the state of Nebraska was "Where the West Begins" (it has since been changed to "Honestly, it's not for everyone"). Locations given for the beginning of the "West" in Nebraska include

4280-493: The " Pacific Railroad " and later as the " Overland Route ") was a 1,911-mile (3,075 km) continuous railroad line built between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern U.S. rail network at Council Bluffs, Iowa , with the Pacific coast at the Oakland Long Wharf on San Francisco Bay . The rail line was built by three private companies over public lands provided by extensive U.S. land grants . Building

4387-494: The 1690s, Spain established trade connections with the Apache , whose territory then included western Nebraska. By 1703, France had developed a regular trade with native peoples along the Missouri River in Nebraska, and by 1719 had signed treaties with several of these peoples. After war broke out between the two countries, Spain dispatched an armed expedition to Nebraska under Lieutenant General Pedro de Villasur in 1720. The party

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4494-792: The 2014 Pew Research Center's survey, 20% of the population were religiously unaffiliated; in 2020, the Public Religion Research Institute determined 22% of the population became religiously unaffiliated. The largest single denominations by number of adherents in 2010 were the Roman Catholic Church (372,838), the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (112,585), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (110,110) and

4601-456: The 2016 American Community Survey , 10.2% of Nebraska's population were of Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): Mexican (7.8%), Puerto Rican (0.2%), Cuban (0.2%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (2.0%). The largest ancestry groups were: German (36.1%), Irish (13.1%), English (7.8%), Czech (4.7%), Swedish (4.3%), and Polish (3.5%). Nebraska has the largest Czech American and non-Mormon Danish American population (as

4708-740: The CPRR raised their wage to $ 35 (equivalent to $ 760 in 2023) per month after a strike. CPRR came to see the advantage of good workers employed at low wages: "Chinese labor proved to be Central Pacific's salvation." The Central Pacific broke ground on January 8, 1863. Because of insufficient transportation alternatives from the manufacturing centers on the east coast, virtually all of their tools and machinery including rails, railroad switches , railroad turntables , freight and passenger cars, and steam locomotives were transported first by train to east coast ports. They were then loaded on ships which either sailed around South America's Cape Horn , or offloaded

4815-459: The Great Lakes to northern California, paid for by the sale of land to settlers along the route. Whitney traveled widely to solicit support from businessmen and politicians, printed maps and pamphlets, and submitted several proposals to Congress, all at his own expense. In June 1845, he led a team along part of the proposed route to assess its feasibility. Legislation to begin construction of

4922-648: The Missouri River, the intersection of 13th and O Streets in Lincoln (where it is marked by a red brick star), the 100th meridian , and Chimney Rock . Areas under the management of the National Park Service include: Areas under the management of the National Forest Service include: Two major climatic zones are represented in Nebraska. The eastern two-thirds of the state has a humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ), although

5029-802: The Pacific Railroad's original western terminus at the Alameda Terminal on September 6, 1869, where they transferred to the steamer Alameda for transport across the Bay to San Francisco. The road's rail terminus was moved two months later to the Oakland Long Wharf , about a mile to the north, when its expansion was completed and opened for passengers on November 8, 1869. Service between San Francisco and Oakland Pier continued to be provided by ferry. The CPRR eventually purchased 53 miles (85 km) of UPRR-built grade from Promontory Summit (MP 828) to Ogden, Utah Territory (MP 881), which became

5136-560: The U.S. Army instituted active cavalry patrols that grew larger as the Native Americans grew more aggressive. Temporary, " Hell on wheels " towns, made mostly of canvas tents, accompanied the railroad as construction headed west. The Platte River was too shallow and meandering to provide river transport, but the Platte river valley headed west and sloped up gradually at about 6 feet per mile (1.1 m/km), often allowing to lay

5243-568: The Union Pacific. First he touted rumors that his fledgling M&M Railroad had a deal in the works, while secretly buying stock in the depressed Cedar Rapids and Missouri Railroad . Then he circulated rumors that the CR&;M had plans to connect to the Union Pacific, at which point he began buying back the M&;M stock at depressed prices. It is estimated his scams produced over $ 5 million in profits for him and his cohorts. Collis Huntington ,

5350-464: The United States illegally as children (also known as Dreamers). The state legislature lifted the ban in December 2016. Mexico , India , China , Guatemala , and El Salvador are top countries of origin for Nebraska's immigrants. As of 2011, 31.0% of Nebraska's population younger than age   one were minorities. Note: For 2013–2015, births in table don't add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving

5457-468: The advantages of steel rails which lasted much longer than iron rails had not yet been demonstrated. The rails used initially in building the railway were nearly all made of an iron flat-bottomed modified I-beam profile weighing 56 or 66 pounds per yard (27.8 or 32.7 kg/m). The railroad companies were intent on completing the project as rapidly as possible at a minimum cost. Within a few years, nearly all railroads converted to steel rails . Time

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5564-675: The best route. However, the survey was detailed enough to determine that the best southern route lay south of the Gila River boundary with Mexico in mostly vacant desert, through the future territories of Arizona and New Mexico . This in part motivated the United States to complete the Gadsden Purchase . In 1856, the Select Committee on the Pacific Railroad and Telegraph of the US House of Representatives published

5671-539: The capital was moved from Omaha to the center at Lancaster, later renamed Lincoln after the recently assassinated President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln . The battle of Massacre Canyon , on August 5, 1873, was the last major battle between the Pawnee and the Sioux . During the 1870s to the 1880s, Nebraska experienced a large growth in population. Several factors contributed to attracting new residents. The first

5778-475: The cargo at the Isthmus of Panama , where it was sent across via paddle steamer and the Panama Railroad . The Panama Railroad gauge was 5 feet (1,524 mm), which was incompatible with the 4-foot- 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 -inch (1,435 mm) gauge used by the CPRR equipment. The latter route was about twice as expensive per pound. Once the machinery and tools reached the San Francisco Bay area, they were put aboard river paddle steamers which transported them up

5885-432: The chief financiers of the Union Pacific. With the end of the Civil War and increased government supervision in the offing, Durant hired his former M&M engineer Grenville M. Dodge to build the railroad, and the Union Pacific began a mad dash west. Former Union General John "Jack" Casement was hired as the new Chief Engineer of the Union Pacific. He equipped several railroad cars to serve as portable bunkhouses for

5992-568: The city's estimated population was 414,521 (427,872 including the recently annexed city of Elkhorn ), a 6.3% increase over five years. The 2010 census showed that Omaha has a population of 408,958. The city of Lincoln had a 2000 population of 225,581 and a 2010 population of 258,379, a 14.5% increase. As of the 2010 census, there were 530 cities and villages in the state of Nebraska. There are five classifications of cities and villages in Nebraska, which are based upon population. All population figures are 2017 Census Bureau estimates unless flagged by

6099-419: The current states of Colorado , North Dakota , South Dakota , Wyoming , and Montana . The territorial capital of Nebraska was Omaha . Late 19th century In the 1860s, after the U.S. government forced many of the American Indian tribes to cede their lands and settle on reservations , it opened large tracts of land to agricultural development by European immigrants and American settlers . Under

6206-429: The development of a large agriculture sector for which the state is known to this day. Nebraska's name is the result of anglicization of the archaic Otoe Ñí Brásge (contemporary Otoe: Ñíbrahge ; pronounced [ɲĩbɾasꜜkɛ] ), or the Omaha Ní Btháska , (pronounced [nĩbɫᶞasꜜka] ), meaning "flat water", after the Platte River which flows through the state. Indigenous peoples lived in

6313-408: The eastern terminus. Three locations along 250 miles (400 km) of Missouri River were considered: Council Bluffs had several advantages: It was well north of the Civil War fighting in Missouri; it was the shortest route to South Pass in the Rockies in Wyoming; and it would follow a fertile river that would encourage settlement. Durant had hired the future president Abraham Lincoln in 1857 when he

6420-416: The explorations described alternative routes and included an immense amount of information about the American West , covering at least 400,000 sq mi (1,000,000 km ). It included the region's natural history and illustrations of reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. The report did not include detailed topographic maps of potential routes needed to estimate the feasibility, cost and select

6527-463: The federal government to issue 30-year U.S. government bonds (at 6% interest). The railroad companies were paid $ 16,000 per mile (approximately $ 543,000 per mile today) for track laid on a level grade, $ 32,000 per mile (about $ 1,085,000 per mile today) for track laid in foothills, and $ 48,000 per mile (or about $ 1,628,000 per mile today) for track laid in mountains. The two railroad companies sold similar amounts of company-backed bonds and stock. While

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6634-499: The federal legislation for the Union Pacific required that no partner was to own more than 10 percent of the stock, the Union Pacific had problems selling its stock. One of the few subscribers was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leader Brigham Young , who also supplied crews for building much of the railroad through Utah. Durant manipulated market prices on his stocks by spreading rumors about which railroads he had an interest in were being considered for connection with

6741-416: The ferries were replaced by sleighs. A bridge was not built until 1872, when the 2,750-foot-long (840 m) Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge was completed. After the rail line's initial climb through the Missouri River bluffs west of Omaha and out of the Missouri River Valley, the route bridged the Elkhorn River and then crossed over the new 1,500-foot (460 m) Loup River bridge as it followed

6848-527: The final 130 miles (210 km) of the Sacramento River to the new state capital in Sacramento . Many of these steam engines, railroad cars, and other machinery were shipped dismantled and had to be reassembled. Wooden timbers for railroad ties, trestles, bridges, firewood, and telegraph poles were harvested in California and transported to the project site. The Union Pacific Railroad did not start construction for another 18 months until July 1865. They were delayed by difficulties obtaining financial backing and

6955-445: The first U.S. Army post west of the Missouri River, just east of present-day Fort Calhoun . The army abandoned the fort in 1827 as migration moved further west. European-American settlement was scarce until 1848 and the California Gold Rush . On May 30, 1854, the U.S. Congress created the Kansas and the Nebraska territories, divided by the Parallel 40° North , under the Kansas–Nebraska Act . The Nebraska Territory included parts of

7062-461: The following six months, the last leg from Sacramento to San Francisco Bay was completed. The resulting coast-to-coast railroad connection revolutionized the settlement and economy of the American West . It brought the western states and territories into alignment with the northern Union states and made transporting passengers and goods coast-to-coast considerably quicker, safer and less expensive. The first transcontinental rail passengers arrived at

7169-416: The forty-third degree of north latitude until it meets the Missouri River directly.): The State of Nebraska shall consist of all the territory included within the following boundaries, to-wit: Commencing at a point formed by the intersection of the western boundary of the State of Missouri, with the fortieth degree of north latitude; extending thence due west along said fortieth degree of north latitude, to

7276-515: The four steam locomotives they had purchased. After the American Civil War ended in 1865, the Union Pacific still competed for railroad supplies with companies who were building or repairing railroads in the south, and prices rose. At that time in the United States, there were two primary standards for track gauge, as defined by the distance between the two rails. In Britain, the gauge was 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ) standard gauge , and this had been adopted by

7383-434: The heavy manual labor since only a very limited amount of that work could be done by animals, simple machines, or black powder. The railroad also hired some black people escaping the aftermath of the American Civil War. Most of the black and white workers were paid $ 30 per month and given food and lodging. Most Chinese were initially paid $ 31 per month and provided lodging, but they preferred to cook their own meals. In 1867

7490-412: The interchange point between trains of the two roads. The transcontinental line became popularly known as the Overland Route after the name of the principal passenger rail service to Chicago that operated over the length of the line until 1962. Among the early proponents of building a railroad line that would connect the coasts of the United States was Dr. Hartwell Carver , who in 1847 submitted to

7597-498: The majority of northern railways. However, much of the south had adopted a 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) gauge. Transferring railway cars across a break of gauge required changing out the trucks . Alternatively, cargo was offloaded and reloaded , a time-consuming effort that delayed cargo shipments. For the transcontinental railroad, the builders adopted what is now known as the standard gauge . The Bessemer process and open hearth furnace steel-making were in use by 1865, but

7704-521: The meanderings thereof to its junction with the Missouri River [the Northern border]; thence down the middle of the channel of said Missouri River, and following the meanderings thereof to the place of beginning [the Eastern border, which is the Missouri River]. Nebraska is composed of two major land regions: the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains . The easternmost portion of the state

7811-444: The nation with a Czech-American plurality. In recent years, Nebraska has become home to many refugee communities. In 2016, it welcomed more refugees per capita than any other state. Nebraska, and in particular Lincoln, is the largest home of Yazidis refugees and Yazidi Americans in the United States. Notably, Nebraska was the last of all 50 states to maintain a ban on the issuance of driver's licenses to adults who had entered

7918-476: The native peoples of Nebraska. Spain dispatched two trading expeditions up the Missouri River in 1794 and 1795; the second, under James Mackay, established the first European settlement in Nebraska near the mouth of the Platte River. Later that year, Mackay's party built a trading post, dubbed Fort Carlos IV (Fort Charles), near present-day Homer . In 1819, the United States established Fort Atkinson as

8025-496: The north side of the Platte River valley west through Nebraska along the general path of the Oregon , Mormon and California Trails . By December 1865, the Union Pacific had only completed 40 miles (64 km) of track, reaching Fremont, Nebraska , and a further 10 miles (16 km) of roadbed. At the end of 1865, Peter A. Dey, Chief Engineer of the Union Pacific, resigned over a routing dispute with Thomas C. Durant , one of

8132-486: The population of Nebraska was 1,961,504 on April 1, 2020, a 7.4% increase since the 2010 United States census . The center of population of Nebraska is in Polk County , in the city of Shelby . According to HUD 's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report , there were an estimated 2,246 homeless people in Nebraska . The table below shows the racial composition of Nebraska's population as of 2022. According to

8239-762: The poverty and terrors of the war (especially the Punti–Hakka Clan Wars ) in the Sze Yup districts in the Pearl River Delta of Guangdong province in China. When they proved themselves as workers, the CPRR from that point forward preferred to hire Chinese, and even set up recruiting efforts in Canton . Despite their small stature and lack of experience, the Chinese laborers were responsible for most of

8346-541: The project. In 1852, Judah was chief engineer for the newly formed Sacramento Valley Railroad , the first railroad built west of the Mississippi River . Although the railroad later went bankrupt once the easy placer gold deposits around Placerville, California , were depleted, Judah was convinced that a properly financed railroad could pass from Sacramento through the Sierra Nevada mountains to reach

8453-469: The railroad companies failed to sell the land granted them within three years, they were required to sell it at prevailing government price for homesteads: $ 1.25 per acre ($ 3.09/ha). If they failed to repay the bonds, all remaining railroad property, including trains and tracks, would revert to the U.S. government. To encourage settlement in the west, Congress (1861–1863) passed the Homestead Acts which granted an applicant 160 acres (65 ha) of land with

8560-461: The railroad. Judah, Marsh, Strong, Stanford, Huntington, Hopkins and Crocker, along with James Bailey and Lucius Anson Booth, became the first board of directors of the Central Pacific Railroad. Former ophthalmologist Dr. Thomas Clark "Doc" Durant was nominally only a vice president of Union Pacific, so he installed a series of respected men like John Adams Dix as president of the railroad. While serving as vice president of Union Pacific he would be

8667-414: The railroad. The legislation called for building and operating a new railroad from the Missouri River at Council Bluffs, Iowa , west to Sacramento, California , and on to San Francisco Bay . Another act to supplement the first was passed in 1864. The Pacific Railroad Act of 1863 established the standard gauge to be used in these federally financed railways. To finance the project, the act authorized

8774-406: The region of present-day Nebraska for thousands of years before European colonization . The historic tribes in the state included the Omaha , Missouria , Ponca , Pawnee , Otoe , and various branches of the Lakota ( Sioux ), some of which migrated from eastern areas into the region. When European exploration, trade, and settlement began, both Spain and France sought to control the region. In

8881-442: The requirement that the applicant improve the land. This incentive encouraged thousands of settlers to move west. The federal legislation lacked adequate oversight and accountability. The two companies took advantage of these weaknesses in the legislation to manipulate the project and produce extra profit for themselves. Despite the generous subsidies offered by the federal government, the railroad capitalists knew they would not turn

8988-407: The road's eastern terminus at the Missouri River settlements of Council Bluffs and Omaha, Nebraska , westward to Promontory Summit. The railroad opened for through traffic between Sacramento and Omaha on May 10, 1869, when CPRR President Leland Stanford ceremonially tapped the gold "Last Spike" (later often referred to as the " Golden Spike ") with a silver hammer at Promontory Summit . In

9095-666: The route for the railroad over the Sierra Nevada through Clipper Gap and Emigrant Gap , over Donner Pass , and south to Truckee . They discovered a way across the Sierras that was gradual enough to be made suitable for a railroad, although it still needed a lot of work. Four northern California businessmen formed the Central Pacific Railroad : Leland Stanford , (1824–1893), President; Collis Potter Huntington , (1821–1900), Vice President; Mark Hopkins , (1813–1878), Treasurer; Charles Crocker , (1822–1888), Construction Supervisor. All became substantially wealthy from their association with

9202-474: The shallow but wide North Platte resting on piles driven by steam pile drivers . Here they built the "railroad" town of North Platte, Nebraska , in December 1866 after completing about 240 miles (390 km) of track that year. In late 1866, former Major General Grenville M. Dodge was appointed Chief Engineer on the Union Pacific, but hard-working General "Jack" Casement continued to work as chief construction "boss" and his brother Daniel Casement continued as

9309-533: The southeast corner of the state to about 13.8 inches (350 mm) in the Panhandle. Humidity also decreases significantly from east to west. Snowfall across the state is fairly even, with most of Nebraska receiving between 25 and 35 inches (0.64 and 0.89 m) of snow each year. Nebraska's highest-recorded temperature was 118 °F (48 °C) in Minden on July 24, 1936. The state's lowest-recorded temperature

9416-638: The southwest of this region may be classed as a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) using the −3 °C or 26.6 °F near the Kansas state line, analogous to the predominantly humid subtropical climate of Kansas and Oklahoma . Western Nebraska, including The Panhandle and adjacent areas bordering Colorado have a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk ). The entire state experiences wide seasonal variations in both temperature and precipitation. Average temperatures are fairly uniform across Nebraska, with hot summers and generally cold winters. However, chinook winds from

9523-644: The southwest; and Wyoming to the west. The state has 93 counties and is split between two time zones , with the majority of the state observing Central Time and the Panhandle and surrounding counties observing Mountain Time . Three rivers cross the state from west to east. The Platte River , formed by the confluence of the North Platte and the South Platte , runs through the state's central portion,

9630-481: The state of California and the city of San Francisco. The Central Pacific hired some Canadian and European civil engineers and surveyors with extensive experience building railroads, but it had a difficult time finding semi-skilled labor. Most Caucasians in California preferred to work in the mines or agriculture. The railroad experimented by hiring local emigrant Chinese as manual laborers, many of whom were escaping

9737-418: The state tax, some Nebraska cities assess a city sales and use tax, in 0.5% increments, up to a maximum of 1.5%. Dakota County levies an additional 0.5% county sales tax. Food and ingredients that are generally for home preparation and consumption are not taxable. All real property within the state of Nebraska is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. Since 1992, only depreciable personal property

9844-480: The track, forming a checkerboard pattern . The railroad companies were given the odd-numbered sections while the federal government retained the even-numbered sections. The exception was in cities, at rivers, or on non-government property. The railroads sold bonds based on the value of the lands, and in areas with good land like the Sacramento Valley and Nebraska sold the land to settlers, contributing to

9951-457: The unavailability of workers and materials due to the Civil War. Their start point in the new city of Omaha, Nebraska , was not yet connected via railroad to Council Bluffs, Iowa . Equipment needed to begin work was initially delivered to Omaha and Council Bluffs by paddle steamers on the Missouri River . The Union Pacific was so slow in beginning construction during 1865 that they sold two of

10058-479: The very thinly populated Central Nevada Route through central Utah and Nevada. The telegraph lines along the railroad were easier to protect and maintain. Many of the original telegraph lines were abandoned as the telegraph business was consolidated with the railroad telegraph lines. The Union Pacific's 1,087 miles (1,749 km) of track started at MP 0.0 in Council Bluffs, Iowa , on the eastern side of

10165-584: The war. The Union Pacific also utilized their experience repairing and building truss bridges during the war. Most of the semi-skilled workers on the Union Pacific were recruited from the many soldiers discharged from the Union and Confederate armies along with emigrant Irishmen . After 1864, the Central Pacific Railroad received the same Federal financial incentives as the Union Pacific Railroad, along with some construction bonds granted by

10272-772: The west, the four men heading the Central Pacific chose a simple name for their company, the "Contract and Finance Company." In the east, the Union Pacific selected a foreign name, calling their construction firm "Crédit Mobilier of America." The latter company was later implicated in a far-reaching scandal which would greatly effect the railroads purpose, described later. Also, the lack of federal oversight provided both companies with incentives to continue building their railroads past one other, since they were each being paid, and receiving land grants, based on how many miles of track they laid, even though only one track would eventually be used. This tacitly-agreed profiteering activity

10379-481: The workers and gathered men and supplies to push the railroad rapidly west. Among the bunkhouses, Casement added a galley car to prepare meals, and he even provided for a herd of cows to be moved with the railhead and bunk cars to provide fresh meat. Hunters were hired to provide buffalo meat from the large herds of American bison. The small survey parties who scouted ahead to locate the roadbed were sometimes attacked and killed by raiding Native Americans. In response,

10486-405: Was a founding director of that company). They measured elevations and distances and discussed the possibility of a transcontinental railroad. Both were convinced that it could be done. Judah, Marsh and Strong then met with merchants and businessmen to solicit investors in their proposed railroad. From January or February 1861 until July, Judah and Strong led a 10-person expedition to survey

10593-476: Was an attorney to represent him in a business matter about a bridge over the Missouri. Now Lincoln was responsible for choosing the eastern terminus, and he relied on Durant's counsel. Durant advocated for Omaha, and he was so confident of the choice that he began buying up land in Nebraska. One of the most prominent champions of the central route railroad was Asa Whitney . He envisioned a route from Chicago and

10700-714: Was attacked and destroyed near present-day Columbus by a large force of Pawnee and Otoe, both allied with the French. The massacre ended Spanish exploration of the area for the remainder of the 18th century. In 1762, during the Seven Years' War , France ceded the Louisiana territory to Spain. This left Britain and Spain competing for dominance along the Mississippi River; by 1773, the British were trading with

10807-472: Was captured (probably accidentally) by Union Pacific photographer Andrew J. Russell in his images of the Promontory Trestle construction. Many of the civil engineers and surveyors who were hired by the Union Pacific had been employed during the American Civil War to repair and operate the over 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of railroad line the U.S. Military Railroad controlled by the end of

10914-506: Was financed by both state and U.S. government subsidy bonds as well as by company-issued mortgage bonds. The Western Pacific Railroad Company built 132 miles (212 km) of track from the road's western terminus at Alameda / Oakland to Sacramento, California . The Central Pacific Railroad Company of California (CPRR) constructed 690 miles (1,110 km) east from Sacramento to Promontory Summit, Utah Territory . The Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) built 1,085 miles (1,746 km) from

11021-621: Was founded in Nebraska City by territorial governor J. Sterling Morton . The National Arbor Day Foundation is still headquartered in Nebraska City , with some offices in Lincoln. In the late 19th century, African Americans migrated from the South to Nebraska as part of the Great Migration . Eventually, they lived primarily to Omaha which offered working-class jobs in meat packing , the railroads and other industries. Omaha has

11128-479: Was not standardized across the United States and Canada until November 18, 1883. In 1865, each railroad set its own time to minimize scheduling errors. To communicate easily up and down the line, the railroads built telegraph lines alongside the tracks. These lines eventually superseded the original First Transcontinental Telegraph which followed much of the Mormon Trail up the North Platte River and across

11235-726: Was scoured by Ice Age glaciers ; the Dissected Till Plains were left after the glaciers retreated. The Dissected Till Plains is a region of gently rolling hills; Omaha and Lincoln are in this region. The Great Plains occupy most of western Nebraska, with the region consisting of several smaller, diverse land regions, including the Sandhills , the Pine Ridge , the Rainwater Basin , the High Plains and

11342-473: Was that the vast prairie land was perfect for cattle grazing. This helped settlers to learn the unfamiliar geography of the area. The second factor was the invention of several farming technologies. New agricultural innovations such as barbed wire, windmills, and the steel plow, combined with fair weather, enabled settlers to transform Nebraska into prime farming land. By the 1880s, Nebraska's population had soared to more than 450,000 people. The Arbor Day holiday

11449-680: Was −47 °F (−44 °C) in Camp Clarke on February 12, 1899. Nebraska is located in Tornado Alley . Thunderstorms are common during both the spring and the summer. Violent thunderstorms and tornadoes happen primarily during those two seasons, although they also can occur occasionally during the autumn. Eighty-nine percent of the cities in Nebraska have fewer than 3,000 people. Nebraska shares this characteristic with five other Midwestern states: Kansas , Oklahoma , North Dakota and South Dakota , and Iowa . Hundreds of towns have

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