Editing Surprise, Nebraska

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Surprise, Nebraska
|settlement_type          = [[Village (United States)|Village]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Surprise, Nebraska Center Street 2.JPG
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Downtown Surprise: Center Street
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map = Butler_County_Nebraska_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Surprise_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Surprise, Nebraska
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|pushpin_map              = USA Nebraska#USA
|pushpin_label            = Surprise
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location within Nebraska##Location within the United States
|pushpin_relief           = yes

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Nebraska]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Nebraska|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Butler County, Nebraska|Butler]]
|subdivision_type3        = [[List of Nebraska townships|Township]]
|subdivision_name3        = [[Read Township, Butler County, Nebraska|Read]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 18, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 1.03
|area_land_km2            = 1.01
|area_water_km2           = 0.02
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.40
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.39
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 37
|population_density_km2   = 36.55
|population_density_sq_mi = 94.63

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 1536
|coordinates              = {{coord|41|06|17|N|97|18|31|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 68667
|area_code                = [[Area code 402|402]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 31-47850<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2399936<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2399936}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
}}

'''Surprise''' is a village in southwestern<ref name=dor-map>[http://www.roads.nebraska.gov/maps/docs/county%20maps/pdfs/cntybutl.pdf "General Highway Map - Butler County, Nebraska".]  [http://www.transportation.nebraska.gov/ Nebraska Department of Roads.]  Retrieved March 18, 2013.</ref> [[Butler County, Nebraska|Butler County]], [[Nebraska]], United States. The population was 43 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]], and 37 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census.]]

==Geography==
Surprise lies on the [[Big Blue River (Kansas)|Big Blue River]].<ref name=dor-map/>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the village has a total area of {{convert|0.40|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|0.39|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.01|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=June 24, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=July 2, 2012|df=}}</ref>

===Climate===
{{Weather box
| width       = auto
| collapsed   = yes
| single line = yes
| location    = Surprise, Nebraska (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1987–present)
| Jan record high F = 74
| Feb record high F = 79
| Mar record high F = 89
| Apr record high F = 96
| May record high F = 101
| Jun record high F = 106
| Jul record high F = 106
| Aug record high F = 101
| Sep record high F = 103
| Oct record high F = 95
| Nov record high F = 84
| Dec record high F = 71
| year record high F = 106
| Jan high F = 34.1
| Feb high F = 38.8
| Mar high F = 50.7
| Apr high F = 62.2
| May high F = 72.5
| Jun high F = 82.0
| Jul high F = 86.0
| Aug high F = 84.2
| Sep high F = 78.2
| Oct high F = 65.4
| Nov high F = 50.6
| Dec high F = 38.0
| year high F = 61.9
| Jan mean F = 23.1
| Feb mean F = 27.2
| Mar mean F = 38.4
| Apr mean F = 49.0
| May mean F = 60.5
| Jun mean F = 70.6
| Jul mean F = 74.8
| Aug mean F = 72.5
| Sep mean F = 64.4
| Oct mean F = 51.7
| Nov mean F = 38.0
| Dec mean F = 27.0
| year mean F = 49.8
| Jan low F = 12.1
| Feb low F = 15.7
| Mar low F = 26.0
| Apr low F = 35.8
| May low F = 48.4
| Jun low F = 59.3
| Jul low F = 63.6
| Aug low F = 60.9
| Sep low F = 50.6
| Oct low F = 37.9
| Nov low F = 25.3
| Dec low F = 16.0
| year low F = 37.6
| Jan record low F = -24
| Feb record low F = -34
| Mar record low F = -13
| Apr record low F = 6
| May record low F = 27
| Jun record low F = 41
| Jul record low F = 44
| Aug record low F = 41
| Sep record low F = 27
| Oct record low F = 6
| Nov record low F = -11
| Dec record low F = -27
| year record low F = -34
| precipitation colour   = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 0.58
| Feb precipitation inch = 0.69
| Mar precipitation inch = 1.45
| Apr precipitation inch = 2.85
| May precipitation inch = 4.87
| Jun precipitation inch = 4.36
| Jul precipitation inch = 3.25
| Aug precipitation inch = 3.38
| Sep precipitation inch = 2.55
| Oct precipitation inch = 2.07
| Nov precipitation inch = 1.34
| Dec precipitation inch = 0.91
| year precipitation inch = 28.30
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days  = 3.6
| Feb precipitation days  = 3.7
| Mar precipitation days  = 5.4
| Apr precipitation days  = 7.2
| May precipitation days  = 10.4
| Jun precipitation days  = 8.5
| Jul precipitation days  = 7.4
| Aug precipitation days  = 6.9
| Sep precipitation days  = 6.3
| Oct precipitation days  = 5.2
| Nov precipitation days  = 3.6
| Dec precipitation days  = 3.7
| year precipitation days = 71.9
| Jan snow inch = 5.8
| Feb snow inch = 6.4
| Mar snow inch = 3.6
| Apr snow inch = 1.5
| May snow inch = 0.0
| Jun snow inch = 0.0
| Jul snow inch = 0.0
| Aug snow inch = 0.0
| Sep snow inch = 0.0
| Oct snow inch = 0.6
| Nov snow inch = 1.5
| Dec snow inch = 4.9
| year snow inch = 24.3
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days  = 2.9
| Feb snow days  = 2.9
| Mar snow days  = 1.7
| Apr snow days  = 0.7
| May snow days  = 0.0
| Jun snow days  = 0.0
| Jul snow days  = 0.0
| Aug snow days  = 0.0
| Sep snow days  = 0.0
| Oct snow days  = 0.3
| Nov snow days  = 0.9
| Dec snow days  = 2.4
| year snow days = 11.8
| source = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref name="NOWData">{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=oax
|title = NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = April 2, 2024}}</ref><ref name="NCEI">{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00258328&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = April 2, 2024}}</ref>
}}

==History==
White people began settling southwestern Butler County in about 1866.  In 1881, George Miller built a gristmill on the Big Blue River.  He was pleasantly surprised to discover that so much waterpower was available so close to the river's headwaters, and this led him to name the mill "Surprise".  Businesses and homes were established near the mill; and in 1883, a post office was established under the name "Surprise".  The town plat was registered in 1884.  In 1887, the [[Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad]] established a depot in Surprise, resulting in further expansion of local businesses.<ref name=casde>[http://www.casde.unl.edu/history/counties/butler/surprise/index.php "Surprise - Butler County".]  [http://www.casde.unl.edu/history/index.php Nebraska... Our Towns.]  Retrieved March 18, 2013.</ref>

In 1913, [[chautauqua]]s began to be offered at Chautauqua Park on the river.  In the same year, the Surprise Opera House was built.  Events held at the latter included local gatherings, lectures, musical performances, and moving pictures.  The opera house's role in the community declined after about 1917, as increasing automobile ownership enabled residents to attend events at larger facilities in [[David City, Nebraska|David City]], [[Seward, Nebraska|Seward]], and [[Osceola, Nebraska|Osceola]].  Chautauquas continued to be held into the early 1930s; at their peak, the population of Surprise expanded to 1,500 during its week-long Chautauqua Show.<ref name=casde/><ref name=opera>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120716151900/http://nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/butler/BU14-008_Surprise_Opera_Hs.pdf "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Surprise Opera House".]}}  {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110307215553/http://www.nebraskahistory.org/index.shtml Nebraska State Historical Society.]}}  Retrieved March 18, 2013.</ref>  The last performance at the opera house took place in 1954; the building is now listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name=nrhp-butler>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20000407174827/http://nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/butler.htm "Nebraska National Register Sites in Butler County".]}}  {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110307215553/http://www.nebraskahistory.org/index.shtml Nebraska State Historical Society.]}}  Retrieved March 18, 2013.</ref>

The population of Surprise reached its peak of about 350 in the early 1920s.  Its businesses included a brick factory and two grain elevators; it was an important shipping point for livestock, and exported ice cut from the millpond in the winter.<ref name=casde/>

[[File:Surprise, Nebraska opera house from SW 2.JPG|thumb|alt=One-story concrete-block building, fairly small; pedimented porch with four columns|Surprise Opera House]]

In 1924, Surprise's school was expanded to provide [[K–12 (education)|K&ndash;12 education.]]  This continued until 1953, when Surprise and four other districts consolidated their high schools. The Surprise school shut down and assets were liquidated around 2000.

The railroad line through Surprise was abandoned in 1942.<ref name=casde/> The Surprise post office was discontinued in 1988.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=NE&county=Butler&searchtext=&pagenum=2 | title=Butler County | publisher=Jim Forte Postal History | accessdate=August 25, 2014}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 323
|1920= 279
|1930= 257
|1940= 228
|1950= 120
|1960= 79
|1970= 77
|1980= 60
|1990= 55
|2000= 44
|2010= 43
|2020= 37
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=June 24, 2012}}</ref> of 2010, there were 43 people, 17 households, and 11 families living in the village. The [[population density]] was {{convert|110.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 22 housing units at an average density of {{convert|56.4|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the village was 100.0% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]].

There were 17 households, of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.27.

The median age in the village was 44.5 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21% were from 25 to 44; 13.9% were from 45 to 64; and 34.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 51.2% male and 48.8% female.

===2000 census===
At the 2000 [[census]],<ref name="GR2" /> there were 44 people, 18 households and 12 families living in the village. The population density was {{convert|110.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 22 housing units at an average density of {{convert|55.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the village was 100.00% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]].

There were 18 households, of which 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 16.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.17.

27.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.8 males.

As of 2000 the median income for a household was $26,667, and the median family income was $29,375. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $11,667 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the village was $11,978. There were 13.3% of families and 19.6% of the population living below the [[poverty line]], including 22.2% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.

==Notable people==
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦---> 
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
*[[Eva Greenslit Anderson]] (1889–1972), educator, author, and politician

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Butler County, Nebraska}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in Butler County, Nebraska]]
[[Category:Villages in Nebraska]]