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Alexandria, Nebraska
Village
Downtown Alexandria: Harbine Street,March 2012
Downtown Alexandria: Harbine Street,
March 2012
Location of Alexandria, Nebraska
Location of Alexandria, Nebraska
Country United States
State Nebraska
County Thayer
Area
 • Total 0.40 sq mi (1.05 km2)
 • Land 0.40 sq mi (1.05 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
1,431 ft (436 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 146
 • Estimate 
(2021)
142
 • Density 366.34/sq mi (141.28/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
68303
Area code(s) 402
FIPS code 31-00730
GNIS feature ID 2397928
Website http://www.alexandriane.com/

Alexandria is a village in Thayer County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 146 at the 2020 census.

History

In the 1840s and 1850s, the Oregon Trail passed through present-day Thayer County, following the Little Blue River through southeastern Nebraska before crossing into the valley of the Platte River. Settlers arrived along the trail in the late 1850s. The first permanent white residents of the county arrived in 1858, settling about two and a half miles (about four kilometers) south of present-day Alexandria, on the divide between the Little Blue and Big Sandy Creek. In 1859, Isaac Alexander arrived from Kansas with a portable gristmill; he settled on Big Sandy Creek, where he built a log cabin and stockade.

In 1872, the St. Joseph and Denver Railroad (later the St. Joseph and Grand Island) was extended into Thayer County. The railroad passed through the Alexander family's property. At the railroad's behest, the Nebraska Land and Town Company platted towns along its route, naming them in alphabetical order; the easternmost of these was Alexandria, followed by Belvidere, Carleton, and Davenport. The town was named after Isaac Alexander's son, S. J. Alexander, who had been involved in negotiating the railroad's route through Thayer County, and who later served as Nebraska's Secretary of State.

Alexandria grew rapidly; its early growth was augmented by residents and businesses moving from the town of Meridian, established as the county seat of Jones County (now Jefferson County) but bypassed by the railroad and eventually abandoned. The town supported a flour mill on Big Sandy Creek; a newspaper, the Alexandrian, was established in 1879; and by 1882, there were four churches.

The town was beset by three severe storms in the decade following its establishment. In 1875, a tornado levelled a school building that had just been completed at a cost of $6,000. A second storm, in 1877, did only minor damage; a third, in 1881, produced several fatalities and widespread property damage.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.40 square miles (1.04 km2), all land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 387
1900 332
1910 447 34.6%
1920 432 −3.4%
1930 421 −2.5%
1940 369 −12.4%
1950 317 −14.1%
1960 257 −18.9%
1970 225 −12.5%
1980 255 13.3%
1990 224 −12.2%
2000 216 −3.6%
2010 177 −18.1%
2020 146 −17.5%
2021 (est.) 142 −19.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 177 people, 82 households, and 44 families residing in the village. The population density was 442.5 inhabitants per square mile (170.9/km2). There were 105 housing units at an average density of 262.5 per square mile (101.4/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 93.8% White, 0.6% Native American, 2.3% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.3% of the population.

There were 82 households, of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.3% were non-families. 40.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.91.

The median age in the village was 43.3 years. 25.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.5% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 22% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 44.1% male and 55.9% female.

Education

Local children attend Meridian School in Daykin.

Sports

For many years, Alexandria fielded a men's softball team that played other town teams from around the state, and then venturing to the State Tournament in Hastings. Alexandria has claimed two trophies from the Tournament, a third place in Class D-2 in 2002 and a state championship in class D in 1996. The local leagues have since fizzled out, and many teams around the area have dissolved, but Alexandria has still taken a team to the State Tournament to compete until 2012.

Notable person

  • Bryant B. Brooks (1861-1944) - served as Governor of Wyoming from 1905 to 1911.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Alexandria (Nebraska) para niños

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