1947 Beatrice City Directory
BEATRICE
"ON-THE-BLUE"
(Courtesy Beatrice Chamber of Commerce)
Statistical Review
Form of Government-Commission.
Submitted by Karen Hammer
Population-1940 U. S. Census, 10,883; estimate at present, 12,500. American-born, 85%.
Area-5.5 square miles.
Altitude-1,252 feet above sea level.
Climate-Mean annual temperature, 65 degrees F.; average annual rainfall, approximately 31 inches.
Parks-6, with total of 134.53 acres.
Assessed Valuation - $7,790,580; tax rate, $19.88 per $1,000.
Bonded Debt-$328,000; school debt, $164,000.
Financial Data-3 banks, with total deposits of $13,485,-273.25, and total resources of $14,253,451.94. 3 savings and loan associations.
Telephones in Service-4,101.
Churches-23, representing leading denominations.
Auditoriums-1, municipal, with seating capacity of 2,500.
Industry-Chief industries of city and surrounding territory: Agriculture and manufacturing. 17 manufacturing establishments, employing 1,800 workers, and paying wages of almost $3,000,000 annually. Principal manufactured products: Store fixtures, agricultural implements, culverts, electric metering equipment, hardware, office and school supplies, pumps, tanks, well machinery, water supplies and windmills.
Trade Area-Retail area has radius of 35 miles, and population of 50,000; wholesale area, radius of 100 miles, and population of 100,000.
Newspapers-2 daily and Sunday.
National Guard-HQ and HQ Co., 1st Bn., 134th Regt.; Co. C, 134th Regt.
Hotels-2, with total of 160 rooms.
Railroads-3: Burlington, Union Pacific and Rock Island.
Highways-U. S. 77; State 3 and 4.
Airports-1, municipal, 2 1/2 miles north of post office on U. S. Highway 77.
Amusements-Largest auditorium in city seats 2,500 persons. 3 moving-picture theatres, with total seating capacity of 1,800 persons. 1 golf course. 2 swimming pools, 1 indoor
and 1 outdoor. 1 roller skating rink.
Hospitals-2, with total of 115 beds.
Education-12 schools, including 1 high school, 1 junior high school and 2 parochial schools.
Public Libraries-1, with 25,000 volumes.
City Statistics-Total street mileage, 80, with 27 miles paved. Miles of gas mains, 25, carrying 1,000 BTU natural gas; sewers, 30. Daily average pumpage of water works, 1,500,000 gallons; miles of mains, 47; value of plant, $650,000.
Fire department has 8 men and 20 volunteers, with 1 station and 4 pieces of motor equipment. Value of fire department property, $250,000. Police department has 9 men, with 1station, equipped with short-wave radio broadcasting station.
Location
Beatrice, the "Queen City of Nebraska" and county seat of 'Gage County, is the etropolitan center of southeastern Nebraska's great agricultural region. Situated on the banks of the Big Blue River at an elevation of 1,252 feet above sea level, the city is appropriately called "Beatrice-on-the-Blue".
History
In 1857 a group of pioneers traveling by steamer up the Missouri River from St. Louis to the new Territory of Nebraska, organized "The Nebraska Association" and selected a committee to "explore Nebraska for the purpose of selecting a townsite".
This committee left the boat at Nebraska City, divided themselves into two groups, and set out to find a suitable location for the townsite. One group proceeded directly west from Nebraska City, passing over the spot where Lincoln now stands. The other group traveled in a southwesterly direction, and one night made camp on the banks of Indian Creek at its junction with the Big Blue River. After surveying the beautiful streams and rolling prairie surrounding their camp, they decided their quest was at an end. The association approved this site at a meeting in Omaha on May 20, 1857, and the town was named Beatrice in honor of Julia Beatrice Kinney, eldest daughter of Judge J. F. Kinney, first president of the Nebraska Association. By June, 1857, most of the members of the Association had made their way to the new townsite.
The Nebraska Association continued to control the town until 1870, at which time all the original lots were disposed of and the Association disbanded. In 1873, Beatrice was incorporated, and it became a key town in the development of Nebraska. By 1895, Beatrice had reached the proportions of a flourishing Midwest city, and since 1900 has enjoyed a steady growth due to an economy well divided between agricultural development and manufacturing expansion.
Beatrice Today
Beatricians boast of the fact that their city rates second in the state in per capita industrial production, and that Gage County leads the state in agricultural products.
Population
1940 U. S. Census, 10.883. Present estimate, 12,500, with 85% native-born white.
Climate
Beatrice enjoys climatic conditions typical of the Middle west, with warm, sunshiny summers and healthful, invigorating winters. Mean temperatures vary from 75 degrees in summer to 26.2 in winter. Average annual rainfall is 31
Transportation
Beatrice is served by three railroads: The Burlington, Union Pacific and Rock Island, and by four regularly-scheduled bus lines. Two highways, one paved and one graveled, intersect here, giving access to all sections. Beatrice also has three state-aid highways and other well-kept dirt and graveled roads branching out in all directions. The city's transportation needs are adequately served by a new, modern city bus system.
Recreation Facilities
Eight beautiful parks, one of them 31 acres in size, provide many cozy spots for picnickers; boating and fishing on the Blue River; tennis and golf; floodlit baseball and athletic fields. An amusement park with a large outdoor swimming pool provides a varied and adequate source of recreation. In addition, the Beatrice Municipal Auditorium, dedicated in 1940, is one of the best in the state, and serves as the civic center during the winter months. Concerts, parties, dances, roller-skating and entertainment programs are well attended.
Municipal Airport
The Beatrice Municipal Airport, located 1 1/2 miles from the heart of the business district and easily accessible by bus or taxi, is one of the best in the Middle West and is ideally suited for air-line operations. It is almost totally tree of obstructions on all the landing approaches; the few small obstructions are well marked and lighted. Two concrete runways 3,800 feet long and 100 feet wide are built according to prevailing winds. Taxi strips and loading ramp also are concrete. Recently-completed lighting system includes boundary, obstruction and runway marker lights, plus a rotating beacon and lighted wind cone.
Homestead National Monument
Located 3 1/2 miles northwest of Beatrice on State Highway 4. On Jan. 1, 1863, when the National Homestead Act became effective, hundreds of settlers flocked, to local land offices to file their "claims". In their vanguard was Daniel Freeman, who made the first "claim". The U. S. Government recently purchased the original Freeman homestead from his descendants, and on Jan. 3, 1939, it was designated as the Homestead National Monument of America. By direction of Congress, the monument is dedicated as a "proper memorial emblematical of the hardships and the pioneer life through which the early settlers passed, in the settlement, cultivation and civilization of the great West". How expressive of that spirit is Beatrice today! A city of beautiful homes, 67% occupied by their owners.
Shopping Center
Beatrice's markets, shops and department stores are modern and progressive, and take pride in their reputation as "friendly merchants". Their trade territory of 5,000 square miles in Nebraska and Kansas consists of the richest agricultural section in the heart of the nation.
Medical Center
Beatrice is becoming renowned as a medical center. Patients travel from distant places seeking the services and advice of the city's progressive doctors, who are nationally-known specialists in various medical lines. Two modern, well-equipped hospitals provide excellent facilities for the treatment of patients.
Chamber of Commerce
The Beatrice Chamber of Commerce typifies a community absolutely cemented in harmony and .cooperation, and headed in one direction-fostering legitimate business enterprise and extending the sphere of commercial, manufacturing and social influence. Its officers and directors are representative business men of the city. The Chamber solicits correspondence and is prepared to furnish complete data to investors, merchants, manufacturers, working men and homeseekers. Truly, it is the "watchdog of the city's interests". There also is a very progressive and alert Junior Chamber of Commerce.