Stromsburg

History

Stromsburg was settled early in Nebraska history. A group of Swedish settlers from the town of Ockelbo arrived in the 1860s after several years in Illinois. This group was led by Lewis Headstrom, who was a real estate agent. Seeing some similarities to their old Swedish homeland the settlers formed what would be called Stromsburg, named after a section of Ockelbo, Sweden. By the 1880s, two brickyards were in operation in the town. Many buildings constructed of ‘native’ brick still stand, including the Viking Center, now a community center that was originally The Opera House; the Cornerstone Bank; two businesses on the east side of the square; and several homes. Brick streets still surround the city square in Stromsburg. A brick Carnegie library was built in Stromsburg in 1918. The downtown area of Stromsburg has a town square in its center. This square forms a park, with lawns and mature trees, where festivals and events are held. In the center of the square is a two-story Swedish style building made of brick with decorative toll painting and the phrase "Välkommen" (Swedish for "Welcome"). Stromsburg was given the title of the “Swede Capital of Nebraska” by Governor Frank B. Morrison in 1966 at the Swedish Festival. The Swedish festival is held in June each year and showcases Stromburg's Swedish heritage. Stromsburg Public School was established in 1887. It operated until 2002, when the Stromsburg district consolidated with Benedict, Nebraska to form Cross County Community School.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  172
• Brown-belted Bumble Bee

  Bombus griseocollis (De Geer, 1773) · Insecta
  161
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  144
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  118
• Common Grackle

  Quiscalus quiscula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  115
• Bumble bee

  Bombus pensylvanicus (De Geer, 1773) · Insecta
  95
• Common Eastern Bumble Bee

  Bombus impatiens Cresson, 1863 · Insecta
  89
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  87

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2025-02-05
  8 km SSE of Tilden, Nebraska
• M 2.8 — 2024-11-21
  3 km W of Harvard, Nebraska
• M 3.3 — 2010-11-18
  4 km E of Octavia, Nebraska
• M 3.3 — 2002-06-20
  8 km NE of Scotia, Nebraska