NEBRASKA.
NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION OF INHABITANTS.

Population of the state—According to the Four-
teenth Census, taken as of January 1, 1920, the popu-
lation of Nebraska is 1,296,372, which represents an
increase of 104,158, or 8.7 per cent, since 1910.
During the same poriod the population of the United
States increased by 14.9 per cent.

The following summary shows tho population of
Nobraska from 1860 to 1920, inclusive, together with
the increase for each decade, in comparison with the
per cent of increase for the United States as a whole.
(The area enumerated in 1860 was substantially the
same as that of the present state.)

POPULATION OF NEBRASKA: 1860 TO 1920.

INCREASE OVER PRECEDING |] Por cont
"CENSUS.
CENSUS YEAR. Population. for iae '
United
Number. | Per cent States.
1, 296, 872 104, 158 14,9
1, 192, 214 125, 914 21.0
1, 066, 800 8, 644 20.7
‘1, 062, 656 810, 254 25.5
452, 329, 409 30.
122, 993 94), 152 22.6
28,841 |i... Ll... a - .

Counties.— Nebraska has 93 counties, 89 of which
have the same boundaries as in,1910. Of these 89
#nuaties, 56 show increases and 33 decreases in popu-
lation during the past 10 years. One new county,
Arthur, has been organized from a part of McPherson
County since 1910, (See Table 1.) It has been neces-
sary, therefore, in preparing the accompanying maps,
showing rates of increase or decrease in total and rural
population, to combine these two counties.

’ Density of population.—The total land area of the

state is 76,808 square miles, The average number of
inhabitante to the square mile in 1920 is 16,9 (see
Table 1), as against 15.5 in 1910 and 13.9 i in 1900.
Minor civil divisions.—The political units into which
the counties are divided are collectively termed ‘minor
civil divisions.” The counties of Nebraska are mado
up of 1,474 primary divisions, comprising 933 election
precincts, 503 townships, 37 cities, and 1 village. .The.
secondary divisions are 475 in number, comprising.
55 cities, 16 towns, and 404 villages. Most: of, these

‘HistonIcA1, Nore.—This state takes its name from tho Nebmska River, generally
Jnown asthe Platte. The word is of Indlan origin and signifies “shallow water.””

‘The oarliest recorded oxploration in the region now constituting Nebraska was
madein 1739 when Fronchmon followed the Platte toits forks. In 1804 a United
States Governmont expedition under Lowisand Clark passed up the Missouri River,
which forms the castern and northeastern boundary of the state, returning in 1806.
‘Pho first sottlomont was mado in 1807, when Emanuel Lisa, a fur trader, built Fort
‘isa noar the presont site of Fort Calhoun, Other trading posts as wellas military
‘posts wore established from time to tlme, but very fow settlers came to this rogion
untilabout the middle of the century.

‘Tho area now known as Nebraskn was originally a part of the vast Louisiana
region, which was coded by France to Spain in 1762, retroceded to France in 1800,
and purchased by tho United States in 1803. The area now forming tho state be-
Tonged successively to tho district of Louisiana (1801-5), the territory of Loulstana
(1805-1812), the territory of Missouri (1812-1834), and the “Indian Country" (1834~
1854),

Th ie tho territory of Nebraska was organized from the section of the Indian
Countrylying between tho fortioth and forty-ninth parallelsand extending from tho

Rocky Mountains to the Missouri and White Earth Rivers, It thus included, in
addition to the area of the present state, torritory now forming portions of Northand
South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, In 1801 the ares of Nebraska
was greatly reduced by the organization of Dakota territory, which extended west-
ward to the Rocky Mountains, and of Colorado territory, in which was included
‘what had beon the southwestern corner of Nebraska, In tho same year, however,
territory was added to Nebraska by the extension of the western boundary to the
thirty-third meridian from Washington (approximately the one hundred and tenth
from Greenwich). In 1863 Idaho territory was organized with botndariesineluding
that part of Nebraska lying west of the twenty-seventh meridian from Woshington
(approximately tho one hundred and fourth from Greenwich) and the tertitory-of
‘Nebraska was left with substantially the same limits as the present state.

In March, 1867, Nebraska was admitted to the Union as the thirty-seventh state,
‘In 18824 small tract of land, formerly a part of Dakota, lying south of the forty-third
paralleland between the Keyapaba and Missouri Rivers, was added to Nebraska;
and in 1908 a still smaller tract, now in Dakota County, in the northeastern part of
the state, was ceded by South Dakots to Nebraska. No further changes in bounda-
ries have been made.

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