Banner County, Nebraska

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Banner County is a county in the western part of the U.S. state of Nebraska in the Great Plains region of the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 674.[1] Its county seat is the unincorporated community of Harrisburg; there are no incorporated municipalities within the county. Banner County is part of the Scottsbluff, NE Micropolitan Statistical Area.

In the Nebraska license plate system, Banner County is represented by the prefix 85 (it had the eighty-fifth largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922).

History

When Nebraska became a state in 1867, a single county encompassed the entire Panhandle.[2] In 1870, the Panhandle's southern half was organized as Cheyenne County. The arrival of increasing numbers of settlers led to the partitioning of the county in 1888: the eastern third became Deuel County; the middle third became present-day Cheyenne County; and the western third became Kimball, Scotts Bluff, and Banner Counties.[3] The last of these was named by citizens who declared it would become the state's "banner county", and "the brightest star in the constellation of Nebraska counties".[4]

Upon the county's organization, the settlement of Ashford was chosen as the temporary county seat. Four communities aspired to be chosen as the permanent county seat: Ashford, Harrisburg, Freeport, and Banner. Two special elections proved necessary before Harrisburg was chosen.[5]

The initial settlement of the area was by cattle ranchers, drawn by good pastures in the Pumpkin Creek valley. In the late 1880s, these open-range ranchers were displaced by an influx of settlers; by 1890, almost every quarter-section (160 acres, or 65 ha) was claimed by homesteaders. However, the good moisture years that had attracted these settlers were followed by a severe drought in 1893 and 1894, which drove many of the new settlers away; the number of farms in the county declined by more than half, from 565 in 1890 to 226 in 1900. The land thus vacated was again used by ranchers, who raised both crops and cattle. The 1904 passage of the Kinkaid Act, which allowed homesteaders to claim Script error: No such module "convert". brought a new wave of settlers; however, even these larger tracts were often insufficient to support a family, and many of the Kinkaid claims were eventually sold to established cattle ranchers.[2][6]

The county's growth was hindered by the absence of railroads: the nearest lines ran through Kimball, Script error: No such module "convert". to the south, and Gering, Script error: No such module "convert". to the north. Roads were also slow to develop in the county: in 1921, only dirt roads existed. The difficulty of reaching markets tended to discourage commercial crop farming in the county.[7]

Steep-sided rocky bluff surrounded by grassland; green fields in foreground
Corn growing near the base of Gabe Rock, west of Harrisburg

Irrigation

Rainfall in Banner County is light and variable; the average yearly precipitation at the Harrisburg weather station is Script error: No such module "convert"..[8] Farmers responded by resorting to irrigation. The first irrigation well was drilled by the late 1920s, and others quickly followed. By the late 20th century, center-pivot irrigation systems were in use through much of the county.[2] By 2000, the Pumpkin Creek basin had approximately 500 registered irrigation wells.[9] Groundwater pumping combined with drought conditions ended surface flow in Pumpkin Creek by 1993, and significantly reduced the valley's groundwater levels.[10] In 2001, the North Platte Natural Resources District, which regulates water use in the watershed, declared a moratorium on the drilling of new wells, and limited existing operations to Script error: No such module "convert". of irrigation water per year.[9] Complicating matters, lawsuits were filed contending water use in the Pumpkin Creek valley depleted flows into Lake McConaughy and interfered with the prior water rights of downstream irrigators.[11]

ICBMs

Fenced area with wind vane and antennas near base of rocky hills
ICBM silo on southern slope of Wildcat Hills in Banner County

Beginning in the early 1960s, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), based at Warren Air Force Base near Cheyenne, Wyoming, were installed in western Nebraska, Wyoming, and Colorado. From 1960 to 1963, 90 Atlas sites were constructed in Nebraska. Construction of the launch sites, and upgrading of the roads leading to them, led to an economic boom in western Nebraska. Beginning in 1963, the Atlas series was replaced by Minuteman missiles, which used solid instead of liquid fuel, and which were launched from underground silos. In the 1970s, there were 82 Minuteman III sites in the Panhandle, of which 20 were located in Banner County.[2]

Geography

Cliffs and pinnacles in distance; grassland with cattle in foreground
Cattle grazing near buttes on north side of Pumpkin Creek Valley

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has an area of Script error: No such module "convert"., of which Script error: No such module "convert". is land and Script error: No such module "convert". (0.02%) is water.[12]

Banner County lies on what was once a tableland sloping away from the Rocky Mountains. Over geologic history, it was eroded by Pumpkin Creek and other watercourses, and much of the county now lies below the original High Plains level. The county can be divided into four major geographic divisions: the low-lying and relatively flat valley of Pumpkin Creek, which occupies about 40% of the county's area; a tableland, in places smooth and in others deeply dissected, occupying the southern one-third of the county; the Wildcat Hills, a highly dissected escarpment that crosses the county's northwestern portion; and a small portion of the North Platte River valley in the county's northeastern corner.[13]

Adjacent counties

The western edge of Banner County abuts the eastern border of the state of Wyoming.

Highways

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Template:Sronly%±
18902,435—
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19101,444Script error: No such module "String".%
19201,435Script error: No such module "String".%
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1990852Script error: No such module "String".%
2000819Script error: No such module "String".%
2010690Script error: No such module "String".%
2020674Script error: No such module "String".%
2022 (est.)660[15]Script error: No such module "String".%
US Decennial Census[16]
1790-1960[17] 1900-1990[18]
1990-2000[19] 2010[20]

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Banner County's population peaked at 2,435 in 1890 and has since steadily declined. It is one of the least populated counties of Nebraska.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 674. The median age was 46.0 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 106.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 106.0 males age 18 and over.[21][22]

The racial makeup of the county was 91.1% White, 0.0% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.9% from some other race, and 5.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 7.6% of the population.[22]

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[23]

There were 267 households in the county, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 11.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 19.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[21]

There were 327 housing units, of which 18.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.0% were owner-occupied and 27.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.6%.[21]

Prior censuses

As of the 2000 United States census,[24] there were 819 people, 311 households, and 237 families in the county. The population density was Script error: No such module "convert".. There were 375 housing units at an average density of Script error: No such module "convert".. The racial makeup of the county was 95.85% White, 0.12% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 3.05% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. 5.62% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 31.2% were of German, 14.4% English, 14.1% American, 8.0% Swedish, 6.8% Irish and 5.0% Norwegian ancestry.

There were 311 households, out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.10% were married couples living together, 4.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.50% were non-families. 19.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.06.

The county population contained 28.80% under the age of 18, 3.70% from 18 to 24, 24.30% from 25 to 44, 27.20% from 45 to 64, and 16.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 108.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,339, and the median income for a family was $41,538. Males had a median income of $25,250 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,149. About 12.30% of families and 13.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.00% of those under age 18 and 11.10% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

File:C. C. Hampton homestead machine shed from NW 2.JPG
C. C. Hampton homestead machine shed

About 60% of Banner County is given over to farming: chiefly winter wheat and rangeland,[25] but also corn, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, sunflowers, rapeseed, and millet.[2] In response to groundwater depletion and drought, the Natural Resources Conservation Service has developed a system of cash incentives for farmers in the Pumpkin Creek watershed who convert irrigated cropland to dryland farming.[10]

Oil was discovered in Banner County in 1919, but the deposits were too deep to be commercially viable at that time. Petroleum production in Banner County began in 1951, and peaked in 1960, when Script error: No such module "convert". [2] was produced from 397 wells. By 2009, the number of wells had fallen to about 200;[25] but new discoveries in Weld County, Colorado prompted interest in exploring the Niobrara shale, which lies beneath western Nebraska, northeastern Colorado, and southeastern Wyoming. A 2010 sale of oil leases yielded record prices in Banner and Kimball counties.[26]

Education

Banner County is covered by a single school district, with a K–12 school located in Harrisburg. As of 2017, the school's enrollment was 151.[27]

Community

Census-designated place

It is the only community in Banner County and the county seat; it is one of two unincorporated county seats in Nebraska.[5]

Politics

Banner County voters are strongly Republican. In only three presidential elections since 1900 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate. This has only strengthened in recent years, with Republicans winning over 80% of the vote in each of the past seven elections, dating back to 2000. Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot

See also

Notes

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey—Banner County. Template:Webarchive Nebraska State Historical Society.Template:Category handler[<span title="Script error: No such module "string".">usurped]Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  3. ↑ Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey—Reconnaissance Final Report of Cheyenne County, Nebraska.Template:Category handler[<span title="Script error: No such module "string".">usurped]Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Nebraska State Historical Society.Template:Category handler[<span title="Script error: No such module "string".">usurped]Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  4. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Lilian Linder (1925). "Banner County". Nebraska Place-Names. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  5. ↑ a b "About Us". Banner County official website. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  6. ↑ Hayes and Bedell (1921), p. 11.
  7. ↑ Hayes and Bedell (1921), p. 9.
  8. ↑ "Harrisburg 10NW, Banner County, Nebraska USA". WorldClimate.com Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  9. ↑ a b "Pumpkin Creek Basin (PCB) Sub-Area". Template:Webarchive North Platte Natural Resources District. Template:Webarchive Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  10. ↑ a b Pope, Joanna. "Conservation Takes Pressure Off Pumpkin Creek".Script error: No such module "Unsubst".Template:Cbignore NRCS-Nebraska. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  11. ↑ Hansen, Sandra. "Lawsuit roils waters in Platte River irrigation fight". Scottsbluff Star-Herald. March 10, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Hayes and Bedell (1921), pp. 5–6.
  14. ↑ Nebraska Atlas & Gazetteer. Delorme; Freeport, Maine. First edition, 1996. pp. 42-43.
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ a b "Banner County". Scottsbluff Star-Herald. November 18, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  26. ↑ Jenkins, Nate. "Oil frenzy spills into Nebraska; schools get the money". Lincoln Journal-Star. June 3, 2010. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  27. ↑ Banner County Schools website Retrieved January 15, 2019.

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References

External links

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