Editing Boone County, Nebraska (section)

== History ==
Boone County, Nebraska, was created on March 1, 1871, and named in honor of frontiersman Daniel Boone. The settlement of Boone County began with the arrival of explorers and settlers in the late 1860s. One of the first white settlers was S.D. Avery, who in 1871 established a claim near what would become the town of Albion. The initial settlement was encouraged by the expansion of railroads and the availability of land under the Homestead Act of 1862.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2003-05-07 |title=Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska - Boone Co. Part 1 |url=http://kancoll.org/books/andreas_ne/boone/boone-p1.html |access-date=2024-11-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030507032406/http://kancoll.org/books/andreas_ne/boone/boone-p1.html |archive-date=May 7, 2003 }}</ref>

The community of Albion was platted in 1872 and became the county seat after a contest with the town of Boone. This rivalry for the county seat was common in many frontier counties, reflecting the ambition and growth aspirations of the nascent communities. Agriculture quickly became the backbone of the local economy, with wheat, corn, and later oats being predominant.<ref name=":0" />

The development of Boone County was relatively rapid thanks to its fertile soil and the dedication of its settlers. The railroad, reaching Albion in the early 1880s, played a crucial role in the county's growth, providing access to markets for agricultural products and bringing in more settlers. The county's population and infrastructure expanded, with schools, churches, and businesses being established to support the burgeoning agricultural community.<ref name=":0" />