Thurston County, Nebraska

Founding: 1889
Parent county: Blackbird
Namesake: John Thurston, Nebraska senator
Seat: Pender (1889–)
Land area: 394 square miles
Population (2020): 6,620
Population (historic): 3,176 (1890); 8,704 (1910); 10,462 (1930)
Periods of population growth: 1880–1930; 1970s; 1990s
Subdivisions: Five cities; one CDP; 11 townships
National Register listings: Six
Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 528 (21.6%)
Pre-1940 housing survival rate: 33.7%

Farm housing in disrepair (1950): 22.5%

Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950): 21.8%

Average farmhouse value (1930): $1,548
Average outbuilding value (1930): $1,463

Average farmhouse size (1940): 5.1 rooms

Number of farms (1920): 1,105
Average farm size (1920): 160.5 acres
Sources of settlement: Iowa, Illinois, Germany, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Sweden
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Pender

 
Namesake: John Pender, Scottish politician
Founding: 1885 (platting); 1885 (post office)
Population (2020): 1,115
Population (historic): 429 (1890); 804 (1910); 1,006 (1930)
Periods of population growth: 1885–1900; 1910–1950; 1960–1980
Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 112 (21.1%)
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