Garden County, Nebraska

{{Redirect|Garden County|the county in Ireland that is referred to as the Garden County|County Wicklow}}

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Garden County

| state = Nebraska

| founded = 1909

| seat wl = Oshkosh

| largest city = Oshkosh

| area_total_sq_mi = 1731

| area_land_sq_mi = 1704

| area_water_sq_mi = 27

| area percentage = 1.5%

| census yr = 2020

| pop = 1874

| density_sq_mi = auto

| web = https://gardencounty.ne.gov/

| ex image = Garden County, Nebraska courthouse from SE 1.JPG

| ex image cap = Garden County Courthouse in Oshkosh

| named for = Garden of Eden

| district = 3rd

| time zone = Mountain

}}

Garden County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,874.{{Cite web |title=Garden County, Nebraska |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Garden_County,_Nebraska?g=050XX00US31069 |access-date=June 17, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}} Its county seat is Oshkosh.{{Cite web |title=Find a County |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 |access-date=June 7, 2011 |publisher=National Association of Counties}}

In the Nebraska license plate system, Garden County is represented by the prefix 77 (it had the seventy-seventh-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922).

History

Garden County was formed in 1909 by popular vote. Voters in the general election of November 2, 1909, approved making the northern part of Deuel County into its own county.Joseph Nathan Kane, The American Counties (4th Ed.), (The Scarecrow Press, 1983), pp. 130, 479 It is said the county was so named in the hope that this land should become the garden of the West or with allusion to the "Garden of Eden".{{Cite web |title=Garden County |url=http://www.nacone.org/webpages/counties/countywebs/garden.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720145218/http://www.nacone.org/webpages/counties/countywebs/garden.htm |archive-date=July 20, 2008 |access-date=March 15, 2008}}

The county has lost population since the Great Depression and Dust Bowl of the 1930s. The land was homesteaded for family farms that often turned out to be too small for subsistence farming under the arid conditions of the region. In the early decades of settlement by immigrants and migrants from the East, farmers did not know how to work the land on the prairies. Tons of topsoil were lost after droughts.

Geography

The North Platte River runs ESE through the south part of Garden County. Since the county is in the western portion of Nebraska, its residents observe Mountain Time. The eastern two-thirds portion of the state observes Central Time.

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|1731|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1704|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|27|sqmi}} (1.5%) is water.{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_31.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113024152/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_31.txt |archive-date=November 13, 2013 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |publisher=US Census Bureau}}

=Major highways=

=Adjacent counties=

Sheridan County - north
Grant County - east
Arthur County - east
Keith County - southeast
Deuel County - south
Cheyenne County - southwest
Morrill County - west

=Protected areas=

Ash Hollow State Historical Park
Clear Creek State Waterfowl Management Area (partial)[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Clear+Creek+State+Waterfowl+Management+Area,+Lewellen,+NE+69147/@41.299599,-102.0820964,14z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x8770d537179b7317:0xf4b86498863e08a9!8m2!3d41.3001979!4d-102.0546909 Clear Creek State Waterfowl Management Area, Lewellen NE Google Maps (accessed 21 January 2019)]
Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

{{US Census population

| 1910 = 3538

| 1920 = 4572

| 1930 = 5099

| 1940 = 4680

| 1950 = 4114

| 1960 = 3472

| 1970 = 2929

| 1980 = 2802

| 1990 = 2460

| 2000 = 2292

| 2010 = 2057

| 2020 = 1874

| estyear = 2022

| estimate = 1837

| align-fn = center

| footnote = US Decennial Census{{Cite web |title=US Decennial Census |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |access-date=December 7, 2014 |publisher=US Census Bureau}}{{cbignore}}
1790-1960{{Cite web |title=Historical Census Browser |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |access-date=December 7, 2014 |publisher=University of Virginia Library}} 1900-1990{{Cite web |title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ne190090.txt |access-date=December 7, 2014 |publisher=US Census Bureau}}
1990-2000{{Cite web |title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |publisher=US Census Bureau}} 2010{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/gardencountynebraska/PST045222}} 2020 2022{{Cite web |title=State & County QuickFacts |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/31/31069.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607150005/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/31/31069.html |archive-date=June 7, 2011 |access-date=September 20, 2013 |publisher=US Census Bureau}}

}}

File:Nebraska Tree near Cisco.jpg

As of the 2000 United States Census,{{Cite web |title=U.S. Census website |url=https://www.census.gov |access-date=January 31, 2008 |publisher=US Census Bureau}} there were 2,292 people, 1,020 households, and 658 families in the county. The population density was {{convert|1.3|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people|}}. There were 1,298 housing units at an average density of {{convert|0.8|/mi2|/km2|adj=pre|units }}. The racial makeup of the county was 98.34% White, 0.13% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.52% from other races, and 0.48% from two or more races. 1.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 43.5% were of German, 10.0% Irish, 9.6% American and 9.2% English ancestry.

There were 1,020 households, out of which 24.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.90% were married couples living together, 6.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.40% were non-families. 32.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.77.

The county population contained 21.80% under the age of 18, 4.60% from 18 to 24, 22.70% from 25 to 44, 27.00% from 45 to 64, and 24.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 94.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,458, and the median income for a family was $32,546. Males had a median income of $21,495 versus $17,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,414. About 10.80% of families and 14.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.00% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Like much of the Nebraska Panhandle, Garden County has been a Republican-leaning county since the late 20th century. It was one of only two counties that Ben Nelson failed to carry in 1994.[http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/comparemaps.php?year=2006&fips=31&f=1&off=5&elect=0 David Leip Electoral Atlas (Maps for Nebraska gubernatorial races)] In Presidential elections, the last Democratic candidate to carry the county was Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1932.[http://geoelections.free.fr/USA/elec_comtes/1932.htm Geographie Electorale] As part of Nebraska's 3rd congressional district, Garden County has been represented by Republicans since 1961.

{{PresHead|place=Garden County, Nebraska|whig=no|source1=[http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS Election Results]}}