Beatrice Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

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City · Gage County · County seat · Population 12,261 (2020 census) · ZIP 68310 · Founded 1857 · Peak population 13,836 (1890)

About Beatrice

Beatrice is the seat of Gage County, a city of 12,261 on the Big Blue River where US 77 crosses US 136 and NE 4, about 40 miles south of Lincoln. Four miles west is Homestead National Historical Park, on Daniel Freeman's 1863 claim, one of the first under the Homestead Act. The city has the Gage County Courthouse, Beatrice Community Hospital, Beatrice Public Schools and a Southeast Community College campus, and the Homestead Trail starts downtown.

History

In 1857, 35 passengers on the steamboat Hannibal, out of St. Louis, organized a colony, often called the Nebraska Association, and chose a site where the DeRoin Trail crossed the Big Blue. They named it for Julia Beatrice Kinney, 17-year-old daughter of member Judge John F. Kinney, and the first sermon was preached on July 5, 1857, before the first house was finished. Beatrice became the county seat in 1857, the first schoolhouse in the county was built here in 1862, and the U.S. Land Office moved here from Brownville in 1868.

The railroad reached Beatrice in November 1871 (the Omaha & Southwestern, soon part of the Burlington), the Union Pacific built south to Marysville, Kansas, in 1879, and the Rock Island arrived by 1890, the year the population peaked at 13,836. The Beatrice Creamery Company of 1894 grew into Beatrice Foods. The Institution for Feeble Minded Youth opened east of town in 1887; today it is the Beatrice State Developmental Center. Homestead National Monument was created in 1936 and renamed a national historical park in 2021. Notable people from Beatrice include poet Weldon Kees, Star Trek writer Gene L. Coon and U.S. Senator Algernon Paddock, and actor Robert Taylor grew up here.

Highways and trails through Beatrice

Route	One way	Other way
US 77 (6th St.)North–south through the city	North past Pickrell and Cortland to Lincoln	South past Blue Springs and Wymore to Marysville, Kansas
US 136 and NE 4 (Court St.)East–west through the city together	East to Filley; then US 136 to Tecumseh and NE 4 past Virginia	West: NE 4 past Homestead National Historical Park; US 136 past Ellis toward Fairbury

Nearby towns

Holmesville	about 6 mi southeast	County roads
Pickrell	about 8 mi north	US 77
Rockford	about 8 mi east	US 136 and county roads
Ellis	about 8 mi west-southwest	US 136
Blue Springs	about 10 mi south-southeast	US 77
Wymore	about 11 mi south-southeast	US 77
Filley	about 11 mi east	US 136 and NE 4
Cortland	about 16 mi north	US 77
Adams	about 18 mi northeast	US 77 and NE 41
Fairbury	about 25 mi west-southwest	US 136
Lincoln	about 38 mi north	US 77

Things to see

Homestead National Historical Park, 8523 W. State Hwy 4: the Heritage Center and Education Center, about 100 acres of restored tallgrass prairie, trails along Cub Creek and the 1872 Freeman School (visitor centers 9–5; free) · the Gage County Historical Society Museum, 101 N. 2nd St., in the 1906 Burlington depot (National Register; Wednesday–Saturday 10–4, Thursday–Saturday in winter) · the Gage County Courthouse, 612 Grant St. (1890–92; National Register) · the Beatrice Downtown Historic District around 6th and Court (National Register), with the Paddock Hotel and the 1887 J. Schmuck Block, home of Yesterday's Lady, a vintage clothing museum (Tuesday and Thursday afternoons) · the Carnegie Center, the 1902–03 library building at 220 N. 5th St. · Chautauqua Park, 6th and Grable Sts., with the 1889 pavilion and gatehouse (National Register) and campsites · the Nebraska Baseball Hall of Fame in Country Cookin' Cafe, 111 S. 8th St. · Big Blue Water Park, 1200 Scott St. · the Homestead Trail, about 40 miles to Lincoln, from 2nd and Court Sts. · Beatrice Public Library, 100 N. 16th St. · Hidden Acres Golf Course (18 holes) and the Beatrice Country Club · the Gage County Fairgrounds, 1115 W. Scott St., with Beatrice Speedway · Homestead Days in late June and the Gage County Fair in late July

Events in Beatrice

Gage County Fair
The Gage County Fair is held annually in late July at the Gage County Fairgrounds in Beatrice, the county seat, two blocks south on Logan Street off West Court.
Homestead Days

Know of another event here? Tell us about it.

Schools and health care

Schools: Beatrice Public Schools: Beatrice Elementary School (PK–5), 333 N. 33rd St.; Beatrice Middle School (6–8), 215 N. 5th St.; Beatrice High School (9–12), 600 Orange Blvd.; and Beatrice Community Preschool; Southeast Community College – Beatrice Campus, 4771 W. Scott Rd.

Health care: Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center, 4800 Hospital Pkwy. (US 77 North), Beatrice, 402-228-3344 (critical access hospital with a 24-hour emergency department), with Beatrice Internal Medicine and Beatrice Women's and Children's Clinic on its campus

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882); Dobbs, History of Gage County (1918); National Park Service; History Nebraska; National Register of Historic Places; Nebraska Game and Parks; Lower Big Blue NRD; Nebraska Department of Transportation; city, village, school, museum and hospital websites. Distances marked "about" are straight-line estimates.