Alma, Nebraska facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alma, Nebraska
City
Main Street
Location of Alma within Harlan County and Nebraska
Country	United States
State	Nebraska
County	Harlan
Area
• Total	1.15 sq mi (2.98 km2)
• Land	1.15 sq mi (2.98 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	2,005 ft (611 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,043
• Density	906.96/sq mi (350.15/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	68920
Area code(s)	308
FIPS code	31-00975
GNIS feature ID	837849

Alma is a city in Harlan County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,133 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Harlan County.

History

Alma was founded in the spring of 1871 by a group of Union Pacific railroad laborers originally from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Harlan County was created by the Nebraska Legislature on June 3, 1871, and Alma was made the county seat on July 3, 1871. A dispute among the original settlers led to a dissolution of the town, but it was re-organized in 1874.

Alma's status as county seat was challenged by residents of Orleans, but an 1884 Nebraska Supreme Court decision affirmed Alma's status as seat of Harlan County. Alma officially incorporated in July 1881. The town was named after a daughter of one of the early settlers.

On January 13, 1880, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad reached Alma, providing a significant boost for local commerce and industry. In 1887, the Kansas City and Omaha Railroad also reached Alma. Telephone service reached Alma in June 1899. Electricity arrived with a steam power plant in 1906 and water service followed in 1907.

In 1935, major flooding of the nearby Republican River provided an impetus to build a dam on the river. The Army Corps of Engineers started construction of the Harlan County Dam on August 1, 1946, and completed work in November 1952. The lake thus created, Harlan County Reservoir, became one of Alma's top recreation destinations.

During World War II, Alma hosted a small number of captured German prisoners of war who were interned at Camp Atlanta in neighboring Phelps County and who were employed for farm work and other tasks in Harlan County.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.85 square miles (2.20 km²), all land.

Alma is located at the junction of U.S. routes 136 and 183, at the northwest end of the Harlan County Reservoir.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,133 people, 502 households, and 303 families living in the city. The population density was 1,332.9 inhabitants per square mile (514.6/km²). There were 597 housing units at an average density of 702.4 per square mile (271.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.1% White, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% from other races, and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population.

There were 502 households, of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.6% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.83.

The median age in the city was 49.6 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.9% were from 25 to 44; 27.3% were from 45 to 64; and 28.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

Transportation

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 136
• U.S. Highway 183

See also

In Spanish: Alma (Nebraska) para niños