| All About Lexington Lexington, known as Plum Creek until 1889, is the county seat of Dawson County. The community of about 10,000 is located in south-central Nebraska in the Platte River Valley. Lexington is served by U.S. Highway 30 and 283 and State Highway 21. I-80 is 1-1/2 miles south of the city. Lexington is 220 miles west of Omaha and 320 miles east of Denver. Lexington began as a frontier trading post in 1860 when the Daniel Freeman family settled along the Oregon Trail near the Platte River. The trading post was prosperous, but as an outpost was vulnerable to the dangers of the trail. The Plum Creek Massacre took place Aug. 7, 1864, near their business and the Freemans were forced to flee to Fort Kearny and the trading post was destroyed. Today a cemetery is all that remains near the historic site. It is estimated that during those early years, more than 500,000 Americans followed the nearby Oregon Trail until the completion of the Union Pacific Railroad. When the tracks had been laid, the Freemans moved north to the river and named the new town Plum Creek, which was incorporated in 1874. With the railroad established, many new settlers arrived in the area, including railroad workers and homesteaders who came to farm the free land. Many large ranches were established along the Platte River and thousands of cattle roamed the free range. The introduction of cattle to the area provided a colorful chapter in the community's history via the Olive Gang. The Olives came to Nebraska from Texas and began ranching in the hills north of Lexington in present day Custer County. As throughout the history of the West, conflicts eventually arose between cattlemen and homesteaders who wanted to fence the range. I.P. "Print" Olive and others were accused of hanging two Custer County men and burning the bodies to destroy the evidence. The ensuing trial drew far-flung interest and their conviction and imprisonment. Print Olive's brother, Ira, became a respected banker and his wife a favorite hostess for Lexington functions. Their home can be seen in its original location, 401 E. 13th St. It is the site for the annual Olive Tea, held each June. For more information about the Olive family, visit the Dawson County Museum, 805 N. Taft, or call 324-5340. In 1889, the town's name was changed from Plum Creek to Lexington in commemoration of the Battle of Lexington during the Revolutionary War. The Union Pacific Railroad, the arrival of the Pennsylvania Colony and construction of a bridge across the Platte River stimulated new settlements. With Lexington also serving as the county seat, the community soon became a trading hub. While Lexington fell in the portion of the plains dubbed "The Great American Desert" by early pioneers, the area surrounding it has become one of the nation's top agricultural valleys, due primarily to surface irrigation from an extensive canal system constructed in the early 1900's and from groundwater irrigation. Today Lexington's economy revolves around the cattle feeding industry and a ready source of corn and alfalfa to feed those cattle. The growth in retail, medical, governmental and educational services, along with manufacturing, has made Lexington the Platte River Valley's trade center. Lexington was named an "All America City" by the National Civic League in 1973, with Dawson County receiving the "All America City" award in 1993. It is the only county in Nebraska to be so honored.
Topography Lexington is 2,408 feet above sea level. Lexington is located on level terrain composed of deep, medium-textured soil developed on a well-drained and moderately wet terrace. The uplands on either side of the community are level to gently rolling to moderately rolling.
Lexington Parks and Recreation Lexington has five parks covering more than 54 acres. Facilities include picnic tables, shelters, playground equipment, tennis courts, basketball courts, horseshoe pits, skate park, volleyball and sand volleyball. The city has 13 playgrounds with playground equipment and open play areas. Lexington has a full-time recreation director and 38 seasonal employees. Recreation programs include basketball, volleyball, softball, baseball, tennis and adult supervised gym activities. Recreation in Lexington: - Soccer: Lexington Optimists sponsor youth soccer each year and adult league soccer meets on Sundays at the soccer fields east of IBP on Prospect Road. A new $500,000 recreational complex near the airport on West 13th Street includes two soccer fields for high school youth.
- Baseball: The community baseball field is located at the Optimist Recreation Complex, near the airport on West 13th Street.
- Softball: Fields are scattered throughout the community and three more at the Optimist Recreation Complex.
- The community now enjoys a Hitting Facility located at the Optimist Recreation Complex. Baseball, softball and golf participants can take advantage of our hitting facility.
- Golf: Lakeside Country Club, a private 18-hole grass greens course with clubhouse is located at Johnson Lake, about 9 miles south of Lexington.
- Swimming: A family aquatic center with zero-depth (beach-type) entry, waterslide and diving pit opened in 1997, at Memorial Park, Ninth and Monroe. The facility also includes a snack bar and sand volleyball court. A splash pad was added during the summer of 2003.
- Tennis: Nine lighted tennis courts and organized men's, women's and youth leagues are offered through the Lexington Women's Tennis Association. For information call Mary Maloley, 324-2156.
- Fishing: Excellent fishing at Plum Creek Park's six-acre lake, as well as Johnson Lake, the Platte River, Interstate 80 lakes, Tri-County Canal, Elwood Reservoir, Gallagher Canyon and many ponds and sandpits.
- Hunting: Area hunting for ducks, geese, wild turkey, upland birds and deer.
- Bowling: Strike and Spare, 1408 N. Adams, offers bowling on 12 lanes, with many organized leagues. 324-4675.
- Theatre: The Majestic Theatre, 615 N. Washington, offers seating for 250 people.
- Boating: Boating at Johnson Lake, and canoeing on the Platte River.
- Sand Volleyball at Plum Creek Park, 13th and Adams.
- Grand Generation Center, 407 E. Sixth, Lexington, provides many recreational activities, including dancing, quilting, cards and pool for area seniors. The center, administered by the city, serves noon meals on weekdays and provides "Meals on Wheels" and Handi-Bus services. For more information, call Director Ann Luther, 324-2498.
- Other: Horseshoes, men's, women's and co-ed volleyball and men's league basketball. Summer recreation programs include Lexington Swim Team, softball, baseball and soccer.
- Johnson Lake, nine miles south of Lexington on U.S. Highway 283, has a surface area of 3,030 acres and 20 miles of shoreline, providing excellent fishing, swimming, boating and skiing. More than 900 families have built homes and cabins adjoining the lake. Two state recreation areas provide facilities for camping, playground equipment, shower and restroom facilities and picnic equipment in tree-shaded areas.
Two public docks, restaurants, boat rental and service, marina and an aircraft landing strip are available at Johnson Lake.
The Johnson Lake Yacht Club sponsors an annual invitational regatta with entries from several surrounding states.
During the spring and fall the lake is a resting place for thousands of ducks and geese migrating along the nation's central flyway. - Starting in late February, the Sandhill cranes begin arriving and by mid-March, 70 percent of the world's Sandhill cranes crowd a 150-mile stretch of the Platte River through Central Nebraska. Prime viewing spots to see the majestic cranes are along river roads south of Highway 30, between Lexington and Kearney. Photographers and ornithologists from across the nation come to Central Nebraska to witness and record the spectacular sight of more than 200,000 sandhill cranes during their migratory stay in the area.
- The Lexington area is also a winter nesting site for an estimated 250 bald eagles. They feed primarily below the Central Nebraska Public Power District J-2 Hydroplant southeast of town. Because the power plant keeps the water in the river moving through the winter months, the eagles are able to continue feeding when other waterways are frozen.
The J-2 Eagle Viewing Site is open to the public, free of charge, usually from December through February. For information, call the Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce, 324-5504. - Dawson County Historical Museum, 805 N. Taft, offers 15,000 square feet of exhibit rooms displaying an outstanding collection of historical and pioneer artifacts, many of which were donated by families of pioneers who traveled the trails to settle Lexington and the surrounding area.
The museum complex houses many examples of china and glassware, historic clothing and quilts, furniture, farm machinery and wagons, Native American artifacts, the locally-built McCabe Baby Biplane, a log cabin, train depot and an early rural school house built in 1888.
The museum also houses on-going paleontology work on "Big Al", a mammoth skeleton discovered north of Cozad, and features an art gallery and an archives for genealogical and other historical research.
For information, call Dawson County Museum Director Barb Vondras, 324-5340. - Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles, located at the Lexington I-80 exit, opened in 1994 and features military vehicles and memorabilia from WWI, WWII, the Korean and Vietnam Wars as well as Operation Desert Storm. A living museum, nearly all the vehicles are fully operational and they have appeared in films, parades, festivals and veterans reunions. Construction on a new visitors center was completed in 1998 and the building now houses a gift shop, public restrooms and educational displays.
- The settlement of the West was a tumultuous time and two sites of Indian raids are commemorated near Lexington.
Turkey Leg Raid Site, three miles west of Lexington, is the place where a Union Pacific Train was de-railed and attacked by Indians.
Plum Creek Massacre Cemetery, 14 miles southeast of Lexington, is where the victims of an Indian raid on a wagon train were buried.
The Oregon Trail marker also is located south of Lexington.
For directions, call the Dawson County Museum, 324-5340, or the Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce, 324-5504. - Annual celebrations include the Cinco de Mayo festival in May, and Old Fashioned Fourth of July celebration, the Johnson Lake Regatta in August and September, the Dawson County Fair in August, the Lexington Labor Day Antiques and Crafts Extravaganza in September, and Plum Creek Days every five years.
Lexington Education (2003 facts) For information about enrolling your child in school, call the superintendent's office, 324-4681. New students must have a current immunization record and a certified copy of his or her birth certificate. School District No. 1 in Dawson County, also known as Lexington Public Schools, covers approximately 38.3 square miles and has a total enrollment of 2,461. The district is accredited by the State of Nebraska and the North Central Association of Schools and Universities. Lexington has four elementary schools: Pershing, Bryan, Morton and Sandoz. Their total enrollment, including that of the developmental center is 1,211.
The middle school, located between 11th and 12th Streets along North Washington, was built in 1914, with additions in 1928, 1979, 1997 and 2000.
Recent renovations include a new band room and chorus room. The school's historic auditorium has also been refurbished with new seats, curtains and a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system, paid for in part by contributions from local businesses, individuals and organizations through a $1 million fund drive spearheaded by The Lexington Foundation. Total middle school enrollment is 552. The high school, built in 1961, contains additions built in 1970, 1992, 1997 and 2000.
Renovations include the construction of a new gymnasium and classrooms and the addition of a new vocational technology building.
Vocational courses offered in the high school include construction, careers, shop, industrial technology, architecture, drafting, woodworking, business systems, business law, business economics, and family and consumer science. Total enrollment for grades 9-12 is 698. Each school building contains facilities for the education of handicapped children, including a preschool facility for students up to age 5 at Sandoz Elementary. ESL Courses are also offered throughout the system.
Lexington City Government Lexington has a mayor-city council form of government, with a city manager at the helm. The mayor, elected by the city council, serves a two-year term, and each council member, elected by the public at large, serves a four-year term. The city manager is hired by the city council. The Lexington City Council generally meets twice monthly at the City Municipal Building, 406 E. Seventh Street. Meetings are open to the public, and an agenda, kept continuously current is available at the city office. Meetings of the city council are open to the public, and each meeting includes a citizens comments segment, during which members of the public may briefly address the council. Citizens asking the council to take action on an issue can be placed on the council agenda by calling the city office, 324-2341. The city office also is the place to pay your utility bill and purchase building permits.
Fire Protection Fire protection in Lexington is provided by a 36-member volunteer fire department, with new headquarters across the street east of the municipal building. Emergency and ambulance services, as well as mutual aid, also are provided. Protection in the rural area is provided on a contract basis with the Lexington Rural Fire Department.
Law Enforcement The Lexington Police Department employs 14 full-time police officers and two full-time civilian workers. Equipment includes four radio-equipped patrol cars, three unmarked cars, police high band radio base station, intoxilyzer (breath testing) machine and firearms. The Dawson County Sheriff's Department, located at the corner of Eighth and Grant in Lexington, employs 62, including office, dispatch, jail employees and sheriff's deputies. Fire and police dispatch duties in Lexington are consolidated at the Lexington Law Enforcement Center, corner of Eighth and Grant, next to the Dawson County Courthouse. If you need law enforcement assistance at night, call the Dawson County Sheriff's Department, 324-3011, or go to the Dawson County Law Enforcement Center and use the night entry door between the courthouse and the jail, facing Washington Street. The Lexington Police Department is not open after 5 p.m. Troop D of the Nebraska State Patrol has six state troopers and a sergeant stationed in the Dawson County Law Enforcement Center in Lexington as well as a K-9 unit.
Library Lexington Public Library, 907 North Washington Street. The Lexington citizens now enjoy and beautiful, new library which has more than 30,000 volumes. The library offers a wide range of services, including a children's story hour, computers for public use, Internet for public use, cake pans, area newspapers, young adult activities, Summer reading program and an ongoing used book sale. Library hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday; from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information call 324-2151.
Lexington Utilities There is a $100, two-year utility deposit, for electricity, water, sewer, sanitation, and a $42 deposit at Hitch 'n Rail Trailer Park. Monthly trash collection rate is $11.75 for normal pickup; $9.75 for single people 65 or older. Trash collected in Lexington goes to a regional landfill north of town, which opened in 1997. The Lexington Area Solid Waste Agency includes both a composting and material recovery facility. The sewer flat rate is $19 per household while the flat rate for water is $10 for unmetered and $7 per month for metered. Electrical rates for all-electric residential customers are $0.1110 cents per kilowatt hour used per month for the first 100 kWh, and .0660 cents per kWh for the next 400 kWh used per month, and .0280 per kWh for all additional use. The minimum monthly bill would be $5.25. Rates for general service are $0.1110 in summer and also in winter; .0800 per kWh in summer and .0690 per kWh in winter for the next 400 kWh used per month; and .0435 per kWh in summer and .035 per kWh in winter for all additional use. A minimum monthly bill would be $5.25. For information on Lexington utilities call 324-2343. Rural residents are served by Dawson County Public Power District, a wholesale power customer of Nebraska Public Power District. For rate information call the DPPD office, 324-2386 Natural gas is supplied by KN Energy, Inc. through transmission pipelines. About 2,700 commercial and industrial customers are served by KN Energy. For information about gas service availability and rates, call KN Energy, 1-800-563-0012. LP gas is available for residential, commercial and industrial uses at Lexington Coop Oil Co. Oil is available for residential, commercial and industrial uses from Lexington Coop Oil Co. and Bernston Oil.
Telephone Service Qwest Communications provides telecommunications services to the Lexington area. The electronic switching office utilizes digital carrier facilities for trucking to the Grand Island switching center for equal access to all companies. AT&T, Dial-Net, Sprint, MCI and LDDS Communications are the network carriers currently serving this equal access community. Installation and maintenance personnel are located in Lexington. For information about telephone service in Lexington, call US West, 1-800-244-1111 Spanish-speaking customers, 1-800-564-1121; and hearing impaired customers (TTY and voice), 1-800-3131.
Package Delivery Services Package delivery services in Lexington are provided by Airborne Express, Burlington Air Express, Courier, Federal Express, Pony Express, Purolator and United Parcel Service.
Lexington Industry The base industry in the Lexington area is agriculture. Agriculture fits the area because of the availability of natural resources: excellent fertile soils, availability of high quality surface and ground water and a growing season suitable for crop and livestock production. Although the annual rainfall in the area is 22 inches, high crop yields are possible because of surface irrigation from the Platte River to area fields, plus 3,400 irrigation wells providing water for crops. The Platte Valley is at its widest as it passes through the area. In addition, an equal number of acres are productive hill rangeland. The Lexington area is a major player in livestock production, particularly cattle and hogs. Over one million cattle are finished in feedlots within a 50-mile radius of Lexington, 50,000 beef cows produce calves and over 100,000 hogs are produced in the area each year. Lexington is a community on the grow and is considered one of the top retail hubs in Nebraska for communities between 5,000 and 9,999 as named by the University of Nebraska, Agricultural Research Division. Most any product or service you could want can be found in Lexington, from major discount and department stores to many specialty shops. Whether you need to get a car serviced, or you're looking for a night on the town, Lexington has something for everyone. Lexington is fortunate to have a downtown business district that is full of historical buildings and is home to many specialty shops. In downtown Lexington you can find shoes, men's and women's clothing; jewelry, flowers, electronic equipment, collectibles and gift items; restaurants, bakery goods, hardware items, grocery items and auto parts. Downtown has many service and professional businesses, including attorneys, dentists, real estate, insurance, beauty salons, pharmacies, accountants, banking, washing and dry cleaning and an automobile dealership. Also, Lexington has numerous businesses along Plum Creek Parkway (from the viaduct to the interstate) including restaurants, lodging facilities, hardware, banking, industry, automobile dealerships, grocery items, department stores, radio station and discount stores.
Industrial Development Manufacturers - Eilers Machine and Welding, Inc., established in 1983, employs 35 people, who manufacture fabricated metal parts and also do local welding and machine repairs.
- Tyson, established in Lexington in 1990, employs 2,400 people, producing boxed beef and related products for a national and export market.
- Nebraska By-Products since 1979 has produced meat scraps, tallow and hides for the local market, with 80 employees.
- Orthman Manufacturing Co., established in 1960, has 100 employees, who build farm implements and grain carts for the national and export market.
- Reach/Veetronix Inc., in business since 1962, employs 29 people who make custom keyboards and key caps for a national market as well as communications equipment.
- Lexington Alfalfa Dehydrators, established in 1967, makes dehydrated alfalfa pellets for feed for the national market with 12-25 employees.
- Designer Craft Woodworking, in business since 1985, has 22 employees and produces furniture for a national market.
Non-manufacturing employers (20 or more) - City of Lexington employs 81 in city government and services.
- Dawson County employs 168 people in county government and services.
- Dawson County Public Power District, an electric utility, employs 64.
- Lexington Public Schools employ more than 300 people.
- Lexington Coop Oil Co., with 50 employees, sells farm supplies, fertilizer, chemicals, feed, operates a care center and two gas stations with convenience stores.
- Lexington Livestock Commission Co., a livestock market, has 49 employees.
- Plum Creek Medical Group P.C., a local medical clinic, has 40 employees.
- The State of Nebraska employs 31 people in the Lexington area.
The above information was taken from the Dawson County Fact Book. For more information about Lexington and the surrounding communities of Dawson County, check out this publication by the Lexington Clipper. |
