Sprague is a village in Lancaster County,

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

, United States. It is part of the

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 136 at the 2020 census.

History

In 1865, a settlement called Centerville established a post office in the area, but never grew into a sustainable community. Sprague was established in 1888 when the

Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad o ...

was extended to that point and was named after a local Civil War veteran, William Sprague, and his wife, Amy. In 1894, a station named "Martell" was established and platted by the Rock Island Railroad nearby, but the village was never incorporated. Sprague was incorporated in 1913, when it was no longer required there be a population of at least 200 people. In 1912 and again in 1927, fires broke out and burned down much of the business sector of Sprague. In 1963, the Bluestem Conservation Dam was built in the area, creating a 325-acre lake. A conservation area was created around Bluestem Lake, creating 742 acres of recreational area. The lake increased numbers of retirement communities and recreational homes in the area, though it remains primarily rural and agricultural.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the village has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 142 people, 61 households, and 41 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 63 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.7% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 61 households, of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.8% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.68. The median age in the village was 39 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 30.2% were from 45 to 64; and 16.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 51.4% male and 48.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 146 people, 59 households, and 42 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 60 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 96.58%

, 0.68%

Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

, 1.37% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.37% of the population. There were 59 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.7% were

living together, 1.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.86. In the village, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the village was $40,000, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $22,000 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $20,203. There were none of the families and 2.8% of the population living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including no under eighteens and 8.3% of those over 64.

References

{{authority control Villages in Lancaster County, Nebraska Villages in Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska metropolitan area