Sweetwater, Nebraska

Sweetwater, Nebraska
U6 (FIPS 55-3), Unincorporated community
Map
Coordinates: 41°02′40″N 99°00′27″W / 41.04444°N 99.00750°W / 41.04444; -99.00750
CountryUnited States
StateNebraska
CountyBuffalo
Elevation
2,060 ft (628 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
68869
Area code308
GNIS feature ID835461[1]

Sweetwater is an unincorporated community in Beaver Township, Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. It lies along Nebraska Highway 2, halfway between Ravenna and Hazard. It is a part of the Kearney, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. Sweetwater is located on Mud Creek, a tributary of the South Loup River.

Geography

Sweetwater is located at 41°02′40″N 99°00′27″W / 41.04444°N 99.00750°W / 41.04444; -99.00750 (41.0444553, -99.0075863).[2] Its Census code is 48165, census class: U6.[3]

History

The community was named for a spring noted by pioneers for its clean drinking water.[4] There was a railway station there.[5] The Sweetwater post office was established in 1874, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1961.[6]

Appearance in Fiction

The fictional community of Sweet Water in Willa Cather's novel, A Lost Lady may be inspired by Sweetwater, Nebraska. Like Sweetwater, the fictional town is a railway stop between Omaha and Denver. Sweetwater is also the setting for the tv show The Young Riders.

Notes

  1. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  2. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  3. ^ U6 is defined in FIPS 55-3 as “An unincorporated place located wholly or substantially outside the boundaries of an incorporated place or census designated place (CDP) and designated as a populated place by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).”
  4. ^ Fitzpatrick, Lillian L. (1960). Nebraska Place-Names. University of Nebraska Press. p. 27. ISBN 0803250606.
  5. ^ Houser, Mona J. (2003) "Towns and Post Offices, Past and Present - Buffalo County, Nebraska" Buffalo County NE, GenWeb Project
  6. ^ "Buffalo County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved August 25, 2014.

Further reading

  • Perkey, Elton A. (1995) Perkey's Nebraska Place-Names (rev. ed.) Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln, Nebraska, p20, ISBN 0-934904-19-7