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 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 _________________________________________________________________________________ Pender Namesake: Joh...