Editing Norfolk, Nebraska (section)

===Railroads and growth===
The [[Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad]] was built after the discovery of gold in the [[Black Hills]] in South Dakota. It ran from the Omaha area up the Elkhorn valley, then across northern Nebraska and into South Dakota.<ref>[http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/archives/0905.html "Nebraska's Cowboy Trail".] Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. May 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-02.</ref> Its arrival at Norfolk in 1879 connected the city through [[Wisner, Nebraska|Wisner]] to [[Blair, Nebraska|Blair]] on the Missouri.<ref name=pangle />{{rp|60}} The Omaha, Niobrara, and Black Hills branch of the [[Union Pacific Railroad|Union Pacific]] ran north from the railroad's main line at [[Columbus, Nebraska|Columbus]] to Norfolk;<ref>[http://www.ci.humphrey.ne.us/ "Welcome to Humphrey, Nebraska".] City of Humphrey website. Retrieved 2010-01-02.</ref> it reached the city in 1880.<ref name=histbuild>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20061116014713/http://www.nebraskahistory.org/histpres/reports/madison_county.pdf "Madison County, Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey".]}} Nebraska State Historical Society. August 2001. Retrieved 2010-01-03.</ref>{{rp|14}} The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad was completed to Norfolk in 1882.<ref name=histbuild />{{rp|14}}

The development of these railway connections led to significant growth in the city. In 1886 Norfolk's population reached 1,000, making it a city of the second class.<ref name=pangle />{{rp|80}} A street railway system and a public water supply were established in 1887.<ref name=pangle />{{rp|81–83}} In 1888 a franchise was granted to the Norfolk Electric Light Company, and the Nebraska Telephone Company was given a right-of-way for "general telegraph and telephone business".<ref name=pangle />{{rp|85}}

The Nebraska legislature created the Insane Asylum in Norfolk in 1885;<ref name=insane>[http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/docs/hhsshistory2-01.pdf "Nebraska Health and Human Services System Chronological History".] Nebraska Health and Human Services System. Retrieved 2010-01-03.</ref> it accepted its first patients in 1888.<ref name=pangle />{{rp|84}} In 1920, the institution's name was changed to the Norfolk State Hospital; in 1962, it became the [[Norfolk Regional Center]].<ref name=insane /> As of 2010, it was a 120-bed institution providing the initial phase of treatment to sex offenders.<ref name=nrc>[http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/beh/rc/nrcserv.htm "Norfolk Regional Center".]  [http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/index.htm Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221042520/http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/index.htm |date=2011-02-21 }} Retrieved 2010-10-07. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110102153055/http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/beh/rc/nrcserv.htm Archived 2011-01-02] at Wayback Machine.</ref>