Fremont, Nebraska

Fremont is a city located in eastern Nebraska, in Dodge County, near Omaha. The population was 25,174 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of and largest city in Dodge County ⁶. The Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, Washington is named after the city.

History

From the 1830s to the 1860s, the area saw a great deal of traffic due to the Mormon Trail, which passed along the north bank of the Platte River. It was a major overland route for settlers, the military and hunters.

Fremont was founded in 1856, and was named after the American explorer, politician and military official General John C. Frémont. A colorful article about the early history Fremont can be found in this article.

Due to its geographically central location, the first transcontinental telegraph line (1861), railroad (1866) and highway (1913) passed through or very near Fremont. You can still drive on some of the original brick portions of the "Old Lincoln Highway" located east of Fremont, on the way to Omaha.

More recently, on January 10, 1976, in downtown Fremont, the Pathfinder Hotel exploded due to a natural gas leak in the basement. At the time the hotel was being used as a nursing home. This explosion shattered windows around the city and the ensuing fire killed 18 people and destroyed most of the city block which the hotel sat on.

Geography

Fremont is located in the northeastern portion of Nebraska, at ¹, along the Platte River, and is known locally as the "Big Fish of the Platte." Fremont is approximately 35 miles northwest of the largest city in the area, Omaha, and 50 miles northeast of the state capitol, Lincoln.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total land area of 19.2 km² (7.4 mi²). Fremont is quite flat, lying in the river plain between the Platte and Elkhorn rivers, at an elevation of approximately 366 meters (1,203 feet) above sea level.

Arts, culture and attractions

The Louis E. May Historical Museum is housed in a Victorian house built by Fremont's first mayor, Theron Nye, in 1874. There is also a log cabin on the site, which is an example of the type of house the settlers who moved to Nebraska as part of the Homestead Act would have lived in.

Some of Fremont's roots in the railroad can be experienced by taking a ride on the Fremont & Elkhorn Valley Railroad (FEVR), or taking a special weekend trip on the historical Fremont Dinner Train and at the Nebraska Railroad Museum.

Historic downtown Fremont is known for its large number of antique stores, and a collection of historical buildings. Several local buildings are on the national register of historic places.

Each summer, in July, Fremont spends a long weekend celebrating John C. Fremont Days, which is a celebration of Fremont's history through a parade, a Chautauqua, a rodeo, and local vendors selling their hand-made crafts. It draws attendees from around the area for both historical and social reasons.

The local AM radio station, KHUB 1340, is where many of the residents get their news and entertainment. It is the proud home of the famous "Moustache Joe" Polka show, every Sunday from noon to 5PM.

For recreation, the Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area (also known as "the State Lakes") attracts boaters, skiiers, fishermen and beachgoers from the area to the group of 20 man-made tree-lined lakes which cover nearly 700 acres (2.8 km²), along the Platte River. Two regional Boy Scout camps, Camp Cedars and Camp Eagle, are located near Fremont, along the Platte River.

For the motorsport enthusiast, just down the road, near Scribner, is the Nebraska Motorplex, a drag racing venue which is built on an old World War II military base.

Fremont forms part of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum collection.

Education

Fremont is the home of the undergraduate liberal arts college, Midland Lutheran College, which houses the Musbach Art Center, among other attractions. The Metropolitan Community College sytem has a community college campus in Fremont as well.

There is one public high school, Fremont Public High (part of the Fremont Public School System), one private high school, Bergan Catholic High School (part of the Archbishop Bergan Catholic School System), and one private grade and middle school, Trinity Lutheran School.

Industry and business

Fremont has its roots in agriculture and is still an agribusiness community with the typical skyline of grain silos and elevators, but is also home to several industries. The nationally-known meat packing company Hormel (the maker of SPAM) is the largest employer in town; the city also is home to Jayhawk boxes, Magnus Metals. Other large employers include the Fremont Area Medical Center and the local newspaper, the Fremont Tribune. The three major industrial sectors in Fremont are food processing, metal fabrication, and teleservices.

Demographics

Fremont is the county seat of Dodge County, Nebraska, and is likewise the financial and social center of the area. Facilitated by the completion of the US Highway 275 and Highway 30 bypass around Fremont, from Omaha, eastern Fremont is growing rapidly as a bedroom community for Omaha (see links to air photos below).

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 25,174 people, 10,171 households, and 6,672 families residing in the city, which makes it the 6^th largest city in Nebraska. The population density was 1,309.9/km² (3,393.3/mi²). There were 10,576 housing units at an average density of 550.3/km² (1,425.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.28% White, 0.57% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 2.29% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.31% of the population.

There were 10,171 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,700, and the median income for a family was $45,259. Males had a median income of $31,865 versus $21,035 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,006. About 5.1% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

External links

Cities in Nebraska | Micropolitan areas of Nebraska | Dodge County, Nebraska