This marker is near the western entrance of the City Park. The text of the marker reads:
The original site of Beaver Crossing was located about three miles to the northwest. Here a trail from Nebraska City to Fort Kearny crossed Beaver Creek. John Leonard and Daniel Millspaugh were the first settlers in this area in 1862. Roland Reed established the first post office in January 1868.
About 1871 the post office was moved to the present-day town site where a flour mill had been built. During this decade many settlers arrived and Beaver Crossing grew and prospered. The town was incorporated in 1892.
This area was well known for its artesian wells. The first one was discovered in 1895. Wells in this park poured fresh water into what was once the largest swimming pool in the state. Other wells supplied the Smiley Botanical Gardens on the southeast edge of town. In the 1930s goldfish and water lilies were raised there commercially in fifty ponds. Later, the demands of irrigation dropped the water table and the artesian wells went dry.
Beaver Crossing Chamber of Commerce Nebraska State Historical Society
Information on Beaver Crossing Nebraska:
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Beaver Crossing is a village in Seward County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 457 at the 2000 census.
As of the census of 2000, there were 457 people, 184 households, and 126 families residing in the village. The population density was 690.7 people per square mile (267.3/km²). There were 203 housing units at an average density of 306.8 per square mile (118.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.19% White, 1.53% African American, 1.97% Native American, 0.22% Asian, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.66% of the population.
There were 184 households out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the village the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 85.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $30,455, and the median income for a family was $39,464. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $18,906 for females. The per capita income for the village was $14,967. About 3.4% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.