Franklin County, Nebraska | |
|---|---|
_Courthouse_from_E.JPG) Franklin County Courthouse in Franklin | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNebraska | |
 Nebraska's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:40°11′N98°57′W / 40.18°N 98.95°W /40.18; -98.95 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Nebraska |
| Founded | 1867 (authorized) 1871 (organized) |
| Named after | Benjamin Franklin |
| Seat | Franklin |
| Largest city | Franklin |
| Area | |
• Total | 576 sq mi (1,490 km2) |
| • Land | 576 sq mi (1,490 km2) |
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.52 km2) 0.03% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 2,889 |
• Estimate (2021) | 2,903 |
| • Density | 5.02/sq mi (1.94/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | www |
Franklin County is acounty in theU.S. state ofNebraska. As of the2020 census, the population was 2,889.[1] Itscounty seat isFranklin.[2] The county was formed in 1867 and organized in 1871.[3][4] It was named forBenjamin Franklin.[5] In theNebraska license plate system, Franklin County is represented by the prefix 50 (it had the 50th-largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922).
The settlement of Franklin County began after GeneralEugene Carr's 1869Republican River Expedition subdued theCheyenne in the area. In Organized settlements appeared starting in 1870, with the Thompson Colony establishing Riverton along Thompson Creek in September, followed by the Republican Land and Claim Association (also called the Knight Colony) founding Franklin on November 25.[4]
Franklin County was officially established on March 3, 1871, byGovernor David Butler's proclamation, with Franklin as the initial county seat. In 1872, however, the Plattsmouth Town Company founded Waterloo (laterBloomington) a mile east, igniting a fierce contest for the county seat. An 1872 election favored Bloomington, but irregularities culminating in the 1874 theft of county records by Bloomington supporters delayed the shift until Bloomington, bolstered by its designation as a U.S. Land Office site, prevailed in another election later that year. The arrival of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad in Franklin in 1879 drove population growth in the county from a handful of settlers in 1870 to over 5,000 by 1882.[4]
The first schoolhouse opened in Franklin in 1872, followed by the Franklin Academy in 1881. Religious life took root with the Methodist Episcopal Church organizing in Franklin in 1872, while commerce grew with the county's first newspaper, theFranklin County Guardsman, launched in 1874 by H.W. Fallaws. By the early 20th century, Franklin had emerged as a more prosperous and centrally located town than Bloomington. The issue came to a head in 1920 when Franklin petitioned for a new county seat election. On November 2, 1920, voters overwhelmingly favored moving the seat back to Franklin, finally ending the county seat dispute.[6]:377
Franklin County lies on the south line of Nebraska. Its south boundary line abuts the north boundary line of the state ofKansas. TheRepublican River flows eastward through the southern part of Franklin County.[7]
According to theUS Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 576 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 576 square miles (1,490 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (0.03%) is water.[8]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 26 | — | |
| 1880 | 5,465 | 20,919.2% | |
| 1890 | 7,693 | 40.8% | |
| 1900 | 9,455 | 22.9% | |
| 1910 | 10,303 | 9.0% | |
| 1920 | 10,067 | −2.3% | |
| 1930 | 9,094 | −9.7% | |
| 1940 | 7,740 | −14.9% | |
| 1950 | 7,096 | −8.3% | |
| 1960 | 5,449 | −23.2% | |
| 1970 | 4,566 | −16.2% | |
| 1980 | 4,377 | −4.1% | |
| 1990 | 3,938 | −10.0% | |
| 2000 | 3,574 | −9.2% | |
| 2010 | 3,225 | −9.8% | |
| 2020 | 2,889 | −10.4% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 2,903 | [1] | 0.5% |
| US Decennial Census[9] 1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11] 1990-2000[12] 2010-2013[13] | |||
As of the2000 United States census,[14] there were 3,574 people, 1,485 households, and 1,021 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 6 people per square mile (2.3 people/km2). There were 1,746 housing units at an average density of 3 units per square mile (1.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 99.24%White, 0.28%Native American, 0.06%Asian, 0.08% fromother races, and 0.34% from two or more races. 0.64% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 63.5% were ofGerman, 6.8%American, 6.6%English and 5.7%Irish ancestry.
There were 1,485 households, out of which 28.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.40% weremarried couples living together, 6.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 29.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.87.
The county population contained 24.50% under the age of 18, 4.50% from 18 to 24, 23.60% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 23.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 92.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,304, and the median income for a family was $34,958. Males had a median income of $26,192 versus $18,214 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,390. About 9.70% of families and 13.20% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over.
Franklin County voters have been reliably Republican for decades. In no national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2024).
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1900 | 984 | 45.47% | 1,122 | 51.85% | 58 | 2.68% |
| 1904 | 1,269 | 58.56% | 471 | 21.74% | 427 | 19.70% |
| 1908 | 1,083 | 43.74% | 1,298 | 52.42% | 95 | 3.84% |
| 1912 | 332 | 14.15% | 1,148 | 48.91% | 867 | 36.94% |
| 1916 | 1,081 | 43.24% | 1,345 | 53.80% | 74 | 2.96% |
| 1920 | 2,294 | 67.41% | 1,030 | 30.27% | 79 | 2.32% |
| 1924 | 1,920 | 51.27% | 1,331 | 35.54% | 494 | 13.19% |
| 1928 | 2,533 | 63.44% | 1,443 | 36.14% | 17 | 0.43% |
| 1932 | 1,404 | 34.32% | 2,633 | 64.36% | 54 | 1.32% |
| 1936 | 1,685 | 40.46% | 2,350 | 56.42% | 130 | 3.12% |
| 1940 | 2,354 | 63.08% | 1,378 | 36.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 2,085 | 68.27% | 969 | 31.73% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 1,555 | 53.71% | 1,340 | 46.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 2,438 | 75.88% | 775 | 24.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 1,955 | 68.77% | 888 | 31.23% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 1,798 | 64.19% | 1,003 | 35.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,241 | 46.83% | 1,409 | 53.17% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,447 | 65.03% | 626 | 28.13% | 152 | 6.83% |
| 1972 | 1,510 | 71.60% | 599 | 28.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 1,170 | 54.09% | 941 | 43.50% | 52 | 2.40% |
| 1980 | 1,675 | 73.95% | 441 | 19.47% | 149 | 6.58% |
| 1984 | 1,597 | 75.08% | 522 | 24.54% | 8 | 0.38% |
| 1988 | 1,294 | 62.06% | 768 | 36.83% | 23 | 1.10% |
| 1992 | 969 | 48.87% | 477 | 24.05% | 537 | 27.08% |
| 1996 | 1,013 | 59.03% | 483 | 28.15% | 220 | 12.82% |
| 2000 | 1,196 | 71.70% | 420 | 25.18% | 52 | 3.12% |
| 2004 | 1,277 | 74.50% | 412 | 24.04% | 25 | 1.46% |
| 2008 | 1,079 | 69.52% | 442 | 28.48% | 31 | 2.00% |
| 2012 | 1,112 | 72.40% | 384 | 25.00% | 40 | 2.60% |
| 2016 | 1,347 | 80.51% | 250 | 14.94% | 76 | 4.54% |
| 2020 | 1,437 | 83.16% | 276 | 15.97% | 15 | 0.87% |
| 2024 | 1,351 | 84.17% | 236 | 14.70% | 18 | 1.12% |
Places adjacent to Franklin County, Nebraska | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofFranklin County, Nebraska,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated community | ||
40°11′N98°57′W / 40.18°N 98.95°W /40.18; -98.95
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