Dawes County, Nebraska

Dawes County, Nebraska
Dawes County Courthouse in Chadron
Location in the U.S. state of Nebraska
Nebraska's location in the U.S.
Founded	1885
Named for	James W. Dawes
Seat	Chadron
Largest city	Chadron
Area
• Total	1,401 sq mi (3,629 km^2)
• Land	1,396 sq mi (3,616 km^2)
• Water	4.6 sq mi (12 km^2), 0.3%
Population
• (2010)	9,182
• Density	6.6/sq mi (3/km²)
Congressional district	3rd
Time zone	Mountain: UTC-7/-6
Website	www.dawes-county.com

Dawes County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,182.^[1] Its county seat is Chadron.^[2] The county was formed in 1885 and named after Governor James W. Dawes.^[3]

In the Nebraska license plate system, Dawes County is represented by the prefix 69 (it had the sixty-ninth-largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922).

History

Dawes County was a part of the unorganized area of northwestern Nebraska until February 19, 1877 when it became a part of Sioux County from which it was separated February 19, 1885 and was given its present name.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,401 square miles (3,630 km²), of which 1,396 square miles (3,620 km²) is land and 4.6 square miles (12 km²) (0.3%) is water.^[4]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 20
• U.S. Highway 385
• Nebraska Highway 2
• Nebraska Highway 71

Adjacent counties

• Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota - northeast
• Sheridan County, Nebraska - east
• Box Butte County, Nebraska - south
• Sioux County, Nebraska - west
• Fall River County, South Dakota - northwest

National protected areas

• Nebraska National Forest (part)
• Oglala National Grassland (part)
• Pine Ridge National Recreation Area

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1890	9,722		—
1900	6,215		−36.1%
1910	8,254		32.8%
1920	10,160		23.1%
1930	11,493		13.1%
1940	10,128		−11.9%
1950	9,708		−4.1%
1960	9,536		−1.8%
1970	9,761		2.4%
1980	9,609		−1.6%
1990	9,021		−6.1%
2000	9,060		0.4%
2010	9,182		1.3%
Est. 2015	9,055	[5]	−1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8] 1990-2000[9] 2010-2013[1]

As of the census^[10] of 2000, there were 9,060 people, 3,512 households, and 2,086 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile (3/km²). There were 4,004 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.34% White, 0.81% Black or African American, 2.88% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.03% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. 2.43% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 38.0% were of German, 9.9% English, 9.2% Irish and 7.4% American ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 3,512 households out of which 26.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.50% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.60% were non-families. 31.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the county the population was spread out with 21.20% under the age of 18, 23.40% from 18 to 24, 20.40% from 25 to 44, 20.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,476, and the median income for a family was $41,092. Males had a median income of $29,162 versus $17,404 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,353. About 9.80% of families and 18.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.40% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• Chadron (county seat)
• Crawford

Village

• Whitney

Unincorporated communities

• Bordeaux
• Dakota Junction
• Horn
• Marsland
• Pine Ridge

Ghost town

• Belmont

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Dawes County, Nebraska

Further reading

• Pinney, Patricia M. (1985). Dawes County Nebraska: The First 100 Years. Dallas, Texas: Curtis Media Corporation. ISBN 978-1-881070-35-1.

• The Louis Berger Group, Inc. (2005). Dawes County Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey (PDF). Lincoln, Nebraska: Nebraska State Historical Society.

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
3. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 101.
4. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
5. "County Totals Dataset: Population, Population Change and Estimated Components of Population Change: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
8. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
9. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
10. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

Coordinates: 42°43′N 103°08′W / 42.71°N 103.14°W