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General
Information
Gothenburg is located in south-central Nebraska in Dawson County.
Gothenburg is beautifully
situated on the Platte River and sits near several lakes with many
recreational opportunities. The population of Gothenburg is 3,619 (official
census 2000).
Gothenburg is located squarely in the
old buffalo range on what was the first transcontinental highway--the overland
route to the west. It is still common to see small ponds in many of the
pastures, remains of the old "buffalo wallows" caused by the sharp
feet of the buffalo tramping through small ponds compacting the soil until it
was able to hold water indefinitely. The famous "Buffalo Bill" Cody's
home ranch and show quarters is located just 35 miles west of Gothenburg. The
Oregon Trail, the Overland Trail, and Routes of the Mormons--all passed through
this valley en route to the west. Aerial photographs still show the imprint of
the wagon ruts in the fields south of the river.
History
Gothenburg is proud of its Swedish heritage. Gothenburg was
founded in 1882 by Olof Bergstrom, a native of Hassela, Sweden, who worked for
the Union Pacific Railroad and was settled largely by Swedes and Germans. Names of businesses, mail boxes and school rosters show that their
descendants are still prevalent today. Gothenburg, Nebraska, and Göteborg, Sweden, are the
only two Gothenburgs in the World.
Bergstrom selected the site that was to be Gothenburg and located a farmstead
about a mile north. The Union Pacific Railroad laid out the original town of
eight blocks. The town was laid out parallel with the railroad tracks but not
with the world, which accounts for the bend in the city's streets. Mr. Bergstrom
returned to Sweden and enticed a number of people to migrate to Gothenburg. He
told them it was to be a Swedish town so they would not have to learn English.
The first business building was erected by E.G. West in the spring of 1883.
The Union Pacific depot was built in October 1884. The first newspaper appeared
on Saturday, May 9, 1885. Gothenburg reached a population of 300 and was
incorporated as a town on July 8, 1885. The first church was completed in 1886.
A boom occurred in the early 1890s when a canal, lake and powerhouse were
built to generate electric power. A barbed wire factory, pickling works,
galvanized iron works, lead pipe works, sheet copper rolling mill, brass
foundry, boiler iron works, and bathtub factory were some of the firms that
located in Gothenburg in the 1890s.
The Financial Panic of 1893 put most of the companies in the hands of
receivers, and the boom turned into a bust. Resulting, however, was irrigation
for about 16,800 acres east from the lake, and the community settled down to an
agricultural future which has continued to progress through the years.
A new era of progress began in 1900. Two banks were opened, George W. Erb
opened an undertaking establishment, and a coal and lumber business expanded to
include an ice business, electric roller mills, and an elevator. A new elevator
was built in 1901 to store and ship the grain from town. In 1908, Gothenburg
changed its civic government from that of a village to a city, followed by the
forming of the first mayorship.
In 1925, irrigation was even bigger than before. Many, hoping to avoid a
drought, were buying water rights which had increased from $4 per acre to $35 in
15 years. Harry L. Williams of Gothenburg was in charge of the 30-mile canal
project, which in July 1928, was dedicated with more than 12,000 people in
attendance. Built by a group of farmers to irrigate 15,000 acres, the project
was completed and paid for without federal or state aid in just 15 months.
Nebraska maintains 96 percent of its total land area with farms and ranches.
Nebraska farm products contribute approximately $8.8 billion in cash receipts to
the U.S. economy annually. Agriculture is Nebraska's primary source of wealth
and its dominant industry. Estimates reveal one-half of Nebraska's work force
depends on agriculture and food and fiber industries for employment.
By virtue of its location in the Platte Valley, agriculture is an
all-prevailing factor to the community of Gothenburg. Principal crops are
livestock, corn, food grade corn and alfalfa. It is not unusual for the area to
produce eight tons of alfalfa or 150 bushels of corn per acre.
Within a radius of 15 miles, there are more than 60,000 acres of land under
irrigation by pump and ditch. Irrigation is not new in this part of Nebraska as
it has been practiced in Gothenburg since 1896. Giving invaluable assistance to
the agriculture potential of the area are two excellent sources of irrigation
water: the Platte River and an abundant underground water supply. Dawson County
has 138,100 acres under irrigation which ranks it second highest in the state.
Dehydration of alfalfa is big
business in this area. Dawson County, which has 70,000 acres of alfalfa, is the
major producer of dehydrated alfalfa in the United States. Dawson County
produces 300,000 tons annually of which 150,000 tons are dehydrated. This is 25%
of the total dehydrated alfalfa produced in the United States.
Gothenburg Public Schools
in Dawson County covers 121 square miles and is a Class 3, Type K-12 district.
It is accredited "A" by the state of Nebraska and the North Central
Association. It is estimated that 97 percent of eighth grade students finish
high school in Dawson County.
Adult educational programs are held in the high school in conjunction with
the Central Community College Area and offered by the University of Nebraska at
Kearney based on need.
Educational Service Unit
Gothenburg is a member of Educational Service
Unit No. 10, which is headquartered in Kearney and serves seven counties.
Services available through this service unit include speech therapy, school
health programs, computer service, special education for trainable handicapped,
electronic repair service, learning center, instructional media center, delivery
services, resource teachers, school psychological services, special education
supervision, staff development, driver education simulator, audiology
assessment, industrial technology, ESL services, grant programs, and computer
bulletin board services.
Community College
Gothenburg is part of the Central Community College system which encompasses
25 counties. The college is governed by an 11-member Board of Governors elected
by the citizens of the area served. The college maintains administrative offices
in Grand Island and operates campuses at Hastings, Columbus, and Grand Island as
well as practical nursing programs at Kearney, Grand Island, and Columbus and
Community Education Centers in 89 communities in the area.
A Distance Learning Program was developed in 1992 to provide opportunities
for students to complete a business and management degree through off-campus
study. The business and management degree program uses state-of-the-art teaching
technologies for delivery of courses. Satellite courses, computer conferencing,
and other interactive programs allow students in Cozad, Beaver City, Gothenburg,
and Lexington to complete degree work without driving to one of the campuses.
The college works with area industries, retail establishments, and other
agencies and organizations in planning in-service or in-plant training programs.
More than 9,000 employees from 400 businesses enrolled for training in 1992-93
in the 25-county area.
For information on housing, realtors
or contractors in the Gothenburg area, contact the Gothenburg Community
Development Office, P.O. Box 263, Gothenburg, NE 69138, (308) 537-3505.
For a complete listing of clubs &
organizations in the Gothenburg area, contact the Gothenburg Community
Development Office, P.O. Box 263, Gothenburg NE 69138, (308) 537-3505.
Gothenburg is served by a main line of the Union Pacific
Railroad with 135 freight trains daily. East-west U.S. Highway 30 and
north-south Nebraska Highway 47 intersect in Gothenburg. There are no local load
limits imposed on these highways. East-west Interstate 80 is one-half mile south
and Interstate 70 is 178 miles south of Gothenburg. There are numerous truck
lines and bus services available daily. Bus
parcel service is also available.
The Gothenburg airport at an elevation of 2,555 feet provides two instrument
approach runways and a fuel station. Overnight hanger space is available.
