Hastings, Nebraska

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Hastings, Nebraska
settlement_type = City
nickname =
motto =

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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Hastings, Nebraska


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Nebraska
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Adams
government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Matt Rossen
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 25.8
area_land_km2 = 25.5
area_water_km2 = 0.3
area_total_sq_mi = 10.0
area_land_sq_mi = 9.8
area_water_sq_mi = 0.1

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 24064
population_density_km2 = 945.4
population_density_sq_mi = 2448.5

timezone = Central (CST)
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 587
elevation_ft = 1926
latd = 40 |latm = 35 |lats = 21 |latNS = N
longd = 98 |longm = 23 |longs = 30 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP codes
postal_code = 68901-68902
area_code = 402
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 31-21415GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0829848GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Hastings is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, United States.GR|6 The population was 24,064 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Adams CountyGR|6. Hastings is home to Hastings College, a four-year liberal arts college founded in 1882. It is known as the town where Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in 1927, and celebrates that event with [http://www.kool-aiddays.com Kool-Aid Days] the second weekend of every August. Hastings is also home to Fisher Fountain, and during World War II operated the largest Naval Ammunition Depot in the United States. Hastings is also the birthplace of former University of Nebraska football coach and Congressman Tom Osborne. A National Weather Service Forecast Office is located there, serving central and south-central Nebraska and six counties in north-central Kansas. On June, 24 of 2007 Hastings won Yahoo's Greenest City in America competition.

Hastings is the principal city of the Hastings, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Adams and Clay counties.

Education

Hastings contains several elementary schools. The largest public elementary is Longfellow, others are Hawthorn and Watson.

There is a new middle school that opened in the fall of 2008.The high schools are Hastings High School (public) and St. Cecilia's (Catholic). Just outside of town is Adams Central Jr./Sr. High(public rural). All of these schools score above the national average in the SAT.

Hastings College, the alma mater of former U.S. Congressman and current University of Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne, is a private liberal arts college located in Hastings.

Transportation

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service through Hastings, operating its California Zephyr daily in each direction between Chicago and Emeryville, California, across the bay from San Francisco.

Hastings is served by major automobile routes, including east-west U.S. Highways 6 & 34, north-south U.S. Highway 281. Hastings is about 14 miles south of U.S. Interstate 80

Geography

Hastings is located at coor dms|40|35|21|N|98|23|30|W|city (40.589293, -98.391689)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.0 square miles (25.8 km²), of which, 9.8 square miles (25.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (1.31%) is water.

Demography

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 24,064 people, 9,610 households, and 5,948 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,448.5 people per square mile (945.2/km²). There were 10,333 housing units at an average density of 1,051.4/sq mi (405.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.39% White, 0.79% African American, 0.42% Native American, 2.02% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.39% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.58% of the population.

There were 9,610 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 12.8% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,461, and the median income for a family was $44,688. Males had a median income of $29,633 versus $21,262 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,941. About 5.6% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.6% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Fisher Fountain

The Jacob Fisher Rainbow Fountain is the largest water fountain between Chicago and Denver and is located in the Highland Park of Hastings, NE. The fountain was considered a "sign of hope" for the town during the Great Depression and dust bowl.

Fisher Fountain was originally meant to be a temporary exhibit at the 1932 Adams County Fair, but was made permanent because of its popularity. The fountain was relocated to Highland Park in 1933.

The fountain's name was developed by school children during a contest held by the town. The two winning essays were combined to create the fountain's permanent name. Jacob Fisher was the mayor of Hastings when the Highland Park was first developed. The "Rainbow Fountain" describes intricate lighting of continuously changing arrays of water jets (which reach heights of 67 feet). It is called the "Rainbow Fountain" because the water changes to various colors (green, yellow, orange, red, pinkish-purple, and blue).

In early July 1984, Fisher Fountain was the target of brutal vandalism and blown up with dynamite. Although the perpetrators were never brought to justice, many citizens of Hastings held serious suspicions toward several farmers that lived outside the town and who had access to explosives. The destruction of such a beautiful local attraction aroused a strong community response. Many members of the town volunteered their time and quickly rebuilt the fountain. In defiance of the vandals, the Fisher Fountain was rebuilt to the exact specifications of the original and boasts no security besides a waist-high wrought iron fence. There is a simple plaque describing the attack and subsequent community efforts on the side of the fountain's pump house.Fact|date=February 2007

Naval Ammunition Depot

During World War II the Naval Ammunition Depot (NAD) was the largest of four munitions depots in the country and was known for producing nearly 40 percent of the Navy's ammunition supply at one point during WWII. Igloo-shaped, earth covered mounds still line U.S. Highway 6 for a distance of over four miles. The Depot included over 2000 structures, and encompassed 48,753 acres. A blast on September 15, 1944, ascribed to human error (thought to be caused by someone illegally smoking in one of the "igloo" shaped storage facilities), killed nine people and injured 53. The blast was so bright that it could be seen from the nearby town of Doniphan (11 miles north of Hastings). During the Vietnam War, a portion of the NAD was turned over to the Air Force. This became a radar bomb scoring detachment that helped train pilots in electronic bombing techniques that were used in southeast Asia. The land now houses the Central Community College, a Department of Agriculture Meat Animal Research Center, an industrial park, golf course and training facilities for National Guardsmen and Reservists.

References

External links

* [http://www.cityofhastings.org/ City of Hastings, NE]
* [http://www.hastingsedc.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid= Hastings Economic Development Corporation]
* [http://www.visithastingsnebraska.com/ Visit Hastings Nebraska!]
* [http://www.hastingsmuseum.org/ Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History]