Nebraska

Nebraska, known as the “Cornhusker State”, is located in the Midwest region of the United States.^[1] In terms of size, Nebraska is the 16th largest state by land area, covering approximately 77,348 square miles or 200,330 square kilometers.^[2] Only about 0.7% of its total area is covered by water.^[2] As of 2024, the population of Nebraska is estimated to be around 1.96 million. This makes it the 38th most populous state in the U.S.^[3]

Nebraska’s economy is diverse and ranks 35th in size among states.^[4] The state’s unemployment rate was 2.4% in November 2024.^[5] In the 3rd quarter of 2023, the real GDP for Nebraska was $179.2 billion in goods and services per year.^[4] The state’s economy is particularly strong in insurance and financial services, with two major insurance firms, Berkshire Hathaway and Mutual of Omaha, based in Nebraska.^[6] Manufacturing is also a fast-growing industry in Nebraska.^[7] Agriculture plays a significant role in Nebraska’s economy. The state’s top five agricultural products are cattle and calves, corn for grain, soybeans, hogs, and wheat.^[8] Nebraska is also a national leader in beef production.^[9] Additionally, crude petroleum accounts for more than half of the value of the state’s mineral extraction.^[10]

As for attractions, Nebraska offers a variety of natural and cultural sites. The state is home to the impressive Scotts Bluff National Monument and the serene Sunken Gardens. The cities of Omaha and Lincoln offer lively entertainment and dining options. In Omaha, you can visit the Joslyn Art Museum, and in Lincoln, you can explore the Sheldon Museum of Art. You may also want to visit the following: Scotts Bluff National Monument and Agate Fossil Beds National Monument.

History of NebraskaHistory of Nebraska

Nebraska’s history is rich and varied. The first European discovery and occupation of the region that would become Nebraska is believed to have been by Spanish explorers in the early 15th century, with the Coronado expedition around 1540.^[11] However, it was the French explorers in the 17th century who established more significant contact, with Jacques Cartier discovering and naming the St. Lawrence River in 1534 and 1535.^[11]

Nebraska was admitted to the Union as the 37th state on March 1, 1867.^[12] The path to statehood was grounded in its formation as a territory by the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which Congress had approved in 1854.^[13] The admission of Nebraska was not without controversy, with issues over whether Congress had the right to force Nebraska to give African Americans the vote being a major point of contention.^[12]

During the Civil War, Nebraska was still a U.S. territory and did not achieve statehood until two years after the war ended.^[14] However, a large percentage of the territory’s men served in the Union army.^[14] No Civil War battles were fought within the territorial borders of Nebraska, nor did Confederate troops attempt to invade the area.^[15]

In terms of economic and social development, Nebraska underwent significant changes in the 19th and 20th centuries. After Nebraska’s admission to the union in 1867, and despite an economic depression and a grasshopper plague, the state’s population increased from about 120,000 to more than 1,000,000 by 1890.^[16] The Indian resistance on the frontier was broken during these years, and settlement extended westward into the panhandle.^[16] Most settlers were farmers, but another major economic activity involved support for travelers using the Platte River trails. After gold was discovered in Wyoming in 1859, a rush of speculators followed overland trails through the interior of Nebraska.^[17] In less than two generations, Nebraska was converted from a wilderness inhabited by a small number of Native Americans to a settlement of more than one million residents.^[16] This conquest was an important achievement of the 19th century, and many of Nebraska’s cultural contributions are centered on this frontier experience.^[16]

Demographics of NebraskaDemographics of Nebraska

The demographic distribution of the [state] population is as follows:^[18]

White: 83.55%
Two or more races: 5.14%
Black or African American: 4.78%
Other race: 3.08%
Asian: 2.48%
Native American: 0.92%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.06%

Most common surnames in NebraskaMost common surnames in Nebraska

The demographic distribution of Nebraska surnames is as follows:^[19]

Surname	Incidence	Frequency
Johnson	15,840	1:127
Smith	13,631	1:148
Anderson	9,755	1:207
Miller	9,238	1:218
Brown	7,729	1:261
Nelson	6,562	1:307
Jones	6,193	1:325
Williams	6,143	1:328
Peterson	5,427	1:371
Davis	5,265	1:383

Researching Family History in NebraskaResearching Family History in Nebraska

The National Archives at Kansas City, Missouri has the federal records for Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. History Nebraska was founded in 1878 as the Nebraska State Historical Society and collects and preserves Nebraska's history. The Nebraska State Genealogical Society has an extensive library of important records. The Danish American Archive & Library has vast holdings consist of documents, books, photographs and periodicals addressing many aspects of Danish American life. The American Historical Society of Germans from Russia has extenisve resources about German Russian history.

State county listState county list

Nebraska has 93 counties.


Adams	Antelope	Arthur	Banner
Blaine	Boone	Box Butte	Boyd
Brown	Buffalo	Burt	Butler
Cass	Cedar	Chase	Cherry
Cheyenne	Clay	Colfax	Cuming
Custer	Dakota	Dawes	Dawson
Deuel	Dixon	Dodge	Douglas
Dundy	Fillmore	Franklin	Frontier
Furnas	Gage	Garden	Garfield
Gosper	Grant	Greeley	Hall
Hamilton	Harlan	Hayes	Hitchcock
Holt	Hooker	Howard	Jefferson
Johnson	Kearney	Keith	Keya Paha
Kimball	Knox	Lancaster	Lincoln
Logan	Loup	Madison	McPherson
Merrick	Morrill	Nance	Nemaha
Nuckolls	Otoe	Pawnee	Perkins
Phelps	Pierce	Platte	Polk
Red Willow	Richardson	Rock	Saline
Sarpy	Saunders	Scotts Bluff	Seward
Sheridan	Sherman	Sioux	Stanton
Thayer	Thomas	Thurston	Valley
Washington	Wayne	Webster	Wheeler
York

References

[1] History Nebraska

[:0-2] 2.0 ^2.1 How Big Is Nebraska? See Its Size in Miles, Acres, and How It Compares to Other States

[3] Nebraska - Place Explorer - Data Commons

[:1-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Economy of Nebraska Statistics and Data Trends: GDP ranking, unemployment rate, and economic growth

[5] Nebraska Economy at a Glance

[6] What Are The Biggest Industries In Nebraska?

[7] Manufacturing

[8] Economy of Nebraska including Nebraska Agriculture and Manufacturing from NETSTATE.COM

[9] Nebraska's Top 10 Agricultural Products

[10] Nebraska - Agriculture, Energy, Tourism | Britannica

[:2-11] 11.0 ^11.1 Early Exploration and History of Nebraska – Nebraska Genealogy

[:3-12] 12.0 ^12.1 Nebraska Statehood Launched in Troubled Times

[13] How Nebraska Became a StateHow Nebraska Became a State

[:4-14] 14.0 ^14.1 The Civil War and Nebraska, 1861

[15] Nebraska and the Civil War: A substantial history

[:5-16] 16.0 ^16.1 ^16.2 ^16.3 Nebraska - Plains, Pioneers, Homesteaders | Britannica

[17] En Route to the Land of Gold: The Cherokee Trail in Wyoming | WyoHistory.org

[18] Nebraska Population 2024 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)

[19] Most Common Surnames in Nebraska, With Meanings

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Nebraska

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