Auburn and Nemaha County
Social and Economic Trends
1960-2003

Introduction

Many things have been assumed about the cultural and economic changes in small town America during the last 40 years and many of them are generally true. A study of Auburn, Nemaha County, Nebraska, and the surrounding area confirms some of these theories, but some surprises show up, too.

This study is by no means exhaustive; any conclusions are certainly open to debate. The information comes mainly from a study of the Auburn Newspapers (the Auburn Press Tribune and the Nemaha County Herald). Telephone books from 1960 through 2002 were consulted, as well as U.S. Census Bureau information. Finally, this study relies on the personal knowledge of this writer, who covered the Auburn city council (among other things) as a reporter during most of this period.

My original intent was to track businesses in Auburn from 1960 forward to see just how particular stores changed owners and locations and to see how many businesses remained unchanged after forty years. That turned out to be too much of a bookkeeping quagmire as stores changed owners, moved, changed owners again, went out of business and later were revived by yet another owner.

This study, instead, will show in general the trend of the changes between what existed in 1960 and what we have in 2003. Along the way interesting data turned up, illustrating the character of the community. Particular events have molded our nature and dictated particular approaches for dealing with the social and economic trends besetting small town America in the last half of the 20th century.

Living these events had left me with certain strong perceptions. But, when seen over the whole 40-year span, the view is actually somewhat different.