Tamora, Nebraska

Tamora (/təˈmɔːrə/ tə-MOR-ə) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Seward County, in the southeastern part of the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. The town presently consists of a large grain elevator complex and a small residential district, with a population of about 70.

Tamora
Census-designated place
View of Tamora from the northeast
Tamora Location within Nebraska
Coordinates: 40°53′38″N 97°13′30″W[1]
Country	United States
State	Nebraska
County	Seward
First settled	1879
Elevation [1]	1,555 ft (474 m)
Population  (1990)[2]
• Total	51
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	68434
Area code(s)	402

History

In 1877, the Burlington Railroad extended its tracks westward from Seward, Nebraska. In 1879, four men each donated 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land for a townsite, in order to persuade the railroad to build a siding and station there.[3] A dispute arose over the name of the new town, since each of the four wanted it to bear his name. The name eventually chosen was a frontier pronunciation of "tomorrow", apparently because the selection of the name had to be deferred until later.[4]

Within three years of the town's founding, three grain elevators had been constructed.[3] In 1884, the population was estimated at 53; the town was incorporated in 1888.[5] Eventually, Tamora's commercial district consisted of over thirty businesses, including two banks and the Tamora Times newspaper.[3]

In 1892, an abortive attempt was made to bring the Seward County seat to Tamora. A group of local promoters purchased a quarter-block and began construction of a building that they hoped would become the courthouse. However, support for the idea failed to materialize, and the building project was abandoned. A few years later, an attempt was made to build an opera house on the unfinished foundation. This, too, failed; and the basement was eventually filled in.[5]

By 1920, Tamora had a population of over 200.[5] However, it lacked a fire department. Many of its commercial buildings were destroyed by fire and not replaced.[3] The population steadily declined, to a low of 50 in 1980.[6] The post office was closed in 1970.[7]

Even as the retail sector and the population declined, the grain storage and loading facilities were expanded. In 1962, the local farmers' cooperative built a concrete grain elevator; in 1964, they replaced a feed mill that had burned down. In 1978, they built one of the largest grain elevators in Nebraska.[5]

Disharmony on the village board led to a number of recall attempts and, eventually, a petition to unincorporate the town, which was rejected by the voters in a 1990 election.[5] Feuding on the board continued; and in 1997, Tamora's electors voted 30-6 in favor of unincorporation.[8]

In 1990, the last decennial census before its unincorporation, the population of Tamora was reported as 51.[2] In 2007, the population was estimated at 70.[3]

Geography

Tamora lies 6 miles (10 km) west of the county seat of Seward,[5] about halfway between Seward and Utica. It is located approximately one-half mile (0.8 km) south of U.S. Route 34,[9] on the BNSF Railway.[5]

Economy

Tamora has no commercial district. Its principal business is the grain elevator operated by United Farmers Cooperative. The elevator has unit train capability.[5] It has a capacity of 2,318,000 US bushels (81,700 m³), and its siding has space for 110 railroad cars.[10]

References

1. Geographic Names Information System Feature Detail Report. Geographic Names Information System. 1979-03-09. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
2. "Population of Nebraska incorporated places: Nebraska--1990 and 2000". Nebraska Department of Economic Development. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
3. Seward County, Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey. Nebraska State Historical Society. August 2007. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
4. Fitzpatrick, Lilian Linder (1925). "Nebraska Place-Names". University of Nebraska Department of English. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
5. Ihde-Gray, Vickey. Tamora—Seward County. Nebraska... Our Towns Retrieved 2010-09-03.
6. "Population of Nebraska incorporated places, 1930 to 1980". Nebraska Department of Economic Development. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
7. "Place names for Seward County Nebraska". Seward County Nebraska. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
8. Bauer, Scott. "Nebraska's Voters Often Reckless With Recalls". Los Angeles Times. 1999-10-17. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
9. Nebraska Atlas & Gazetteer. Freeport, Maine: Delorme. 1st edition, 1996. p. 65.
10. "United Farmers Cooperative—Tamora, Nebraska". BNSF Grain Elevator Directory. Retrieved 2010-09-05.