Editing Alma, Nebraska (section)

==History==
Alma was founded in the spring of 1871 by a group of [[Union Pacific]] railroad laborers originally from [[Cheyenne, Wyoming]].  [[Harlan County, Nebraska|Harlan County]] was created by the [[Nebraska Legislature]] on June 3, 1871, and Alma was made the county seat on July 3, 1871.  A dispute among the original settlers led to a dissolution of the town, but it was re-organized in 1874.

Alma's status as county seat was challenged by residents of [[Orleans, Nebraska|Orleans]], but an 1884 [[Nebraska Supreme Court]] decision affirmed Alma's status as seat of Harlan County.  Alma officially incorporated in July 1881.  The town was named after a daughter of one of the early settlers.<ref>Fitzpatrick, Lilian Linder (1925).  [http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=englishunsllc "Nebraska Place-Names".]  University of Nebraska Department of English.  Retrieved 2013-04-06.</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=InM_AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA117 | title=History of Hamilton and Clay Counties, Nebraska, Volume 1 | publisher=S.J. Clarke Publishing Company | author=Burr, George L. | year=1921 | pages=117}}</ref>

On January 13, 1880, the [[Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad]] reached Alma, providing a significant boost for local commerce and industry.  In 1887, the Kansas City and Omaha Railroad also reached Alma.  Telephone service reached Alma in June 1899.  [[Electricity]] arrived with a steam power plant in 1906 and water service followed in 1907.

In 1935, major flooding of the nearby [[Republican River]] provided an impetus to build a dam on the river.  The [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|Army Corps of Engineers]] started construction of the Harlan County Dam on August 1, 1946, and completed work in November 1952. The lake thus created, [[Harlan County Reservoir]], became one of Alma's top recreation destinations.

During [[World War II]], Alma hosted a small number of captured [[Germany|German]] [[prisoners of war]] who were interned at [[Camp Atlanta]] in neighboring [[Phelps County, Nebraska|Phelps County]] and who were employed for farm work and other tasks in Harlan County.