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Ponca, Nebraska

20 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1898 and the latest in 1994. It stands in Ponca City. It lies in ZIP code area 68770. It stands on South Creek. The Survey maps it on the Ponca quadrangle. 907 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,148 feet above sea level.

Ponca within Dixon County

On record in Ponca

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 3 records

Population over time

2 figures

Ponca fell from 961 to 907 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
2010961
2020907-54 (-6%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

9 surveys from 20 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

In the county-history sources

1,997 words on this township

History of Dixon County, Nebraska. Its Pioneers, Settlement, Growth and Development, and Its Present Condition--its Villages, Townships, Enterprises and Leading Citizens, Together with Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men, Incidents of Pioneer Life, Etc, published 1896 names this settlement in its chapter on Ponca City. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.

Charles F. Putnam, one of the most respected of the pioneers, was born in Cavendish, Vt.,in 1835. Went to Massachusetts in '46, came to Ponca in '56, and made his home there or in Ponca township ever since. Roughed it in early times with the rest of the settlers. Lived in Ponca one year, then took as a homestead a place now owned by -I. G. Crowell, a mile west of Jeff. Wilbur's farm. The farm he now owns and has lived on for the past twelve years contains ISO acres, and is well located and cultivated. Mi-. Putnam was the first sheriff of the county, and has since usefully rilled several offices. He is in every respect a worthy citizen and highly esteemed throughout the county. His excellent memory of past events has greatly assisted in the preparation of this history. Mr. Putnam is married and has two sons and one daughter.

Passage source: History of Dixon County, Nebraska. Its Pioneers, Settlement, Growth and Development, and Its Present Condition--its Villages, Townships, Enterprises and Leading Citizens, Together with Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men, Incidents of Pioneer Life, Etc, published 1896.

A Davis, another pioneer, came to this county January 3, 1861, and first located at Ponca. In the fall of '65 he w7as elected county treasurer, and held that office year after year by the almost unanimous consent of the citizens, until January. 1876 ten years. Much of the time, Mr. Davis, like Bisbee, carried his office in his hat, yet with such extreme carefulness, that every cent received was promptly accounted for. A few years ago he removed to Ponca township, wdiere, on an excellent farm and with a clear conscience, he passes his honorable days with his family in peace and comfort,

Passage source: History of Dixon County, Nebraska. Its Pioneers, Settlement, Growth and Development, and Its Present Condition--its Villages, Townships, Enterprises and Leading Citizens, Together with Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men, Incidents of Pioneer Life, Etc, published 1896.

B. H. Beller and his' brothers, E. Beller and Phil Heller, came here at an early day. They first located in the township and B. H. now resides there. The others have removed to Ponca city. B. H. Beller wa; sheriff of the county in 1S74 and 1875. All are respected and worthy citizens.

Passage source: History of Dixon County, Nebraska. Its Pioneers, Settlement, Growth and Development, and Its Present Condition--its Villages, Townships, Enterprises and Leading Citizens, Together with Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men, Incidents of Pioneer Life, Etc, published 1896.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Ponca City - it names this place 13 more 13 times.

Fires near this place

26 since 1999

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 26 fires within 5 miles of Ponca between 1999 and 2020, burning about 267 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning13
Missing data/not specified/undetermined7
Equipment and vehicle use3
Power generation/transmission/distribution2
Railroad operations and maintenance1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
18 September 1999Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreJefferson Volunteer Fire DepartmentGRASS
20 July 2007Debris and open burning20 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire Suppressionnot named
6 May 2017Power generation/transmission/distribution30 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
21 May 2002Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreJefferson Volunteer Fire DepartmentNORTH FIRE
9 April 2020Missing data/not specified/undetermined30 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
6 April 2019Debris and open burning5.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
5 April 2003Debris and open burning30 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire Suppressionnot named
30 April 2020Equipment and vehicle use2.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Dixon County

Mines and quarries near this place

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Ponca: 1 producer. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Schram Lime QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer

Every working recorded in Dixon County

Storms near this place

52 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Ponca in 52 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 23 thunderstorm wind, 22 hail, 5 flash flood, 2 tornado. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 2002Thunderstorm WindPonca1 hurtThunderstorm winds caused widespread tree damage, including some large trees blown down. Some of the tree debris caused damage to homes. The winds also caused other damage to buildings, including a garage which was destroyed, a shed overturned, windows broken, and roof and siding damage. Power lines and poles were blown down, resulting in power outages. A woman suffered a back injury and a broken arm when hit by debris.
July 1999Flash FloodPonca$1,000,000no account filed
July 2001Thunderstorm WindPonca$20,000Thunderstorm winds blew down trees and large branches, resulting also in damage to vehicles.
June 2000Thunderstorm WindPonca$20,000Thunderstorm winds caused tree and power line damage. A few buildings were damaged by flying debris.
May 1999Thunderstorm WindPonca$5,000no account filed
July 2002Thunderstorm WindPonca$1,000Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including several large branches down.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindPonca-A 58 mph thunderstorm outflow wind gust was measured by a personal weather station.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindPonca-Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured by a personal weather station.
June 2025Flash FloodPonca-Running water and mud entered a local residence on the west side of Ponca.
June 2025HailPonca-Occasional quarter to ping pong ball size hail fell during heavy rainfall.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindPonca-Thunderstorm winds snapped several large tree limbs and overturned two irrigation pivots.
June 2025Flash FloodPonca-A five-foot diameter culvert was overtopped by runoff with a foot or more of water running over the road.
May 2024Flash FloodPonca-A persistent thunderstorm with high rainfall rates resulted in quick rainfall accumulations and flooding on some rural gravel roads and minor flooding along area creeks and streams. A persistent area of moderate rainfall after the heaviest rain had ended further exacerbated flooding issues into the evening hours. Rainfall totals across the area by the time rainfall ended overnight were in the 2 to 4 inch range.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindPonca-Thunderstorm winds downed several 10 to 12 inch diameter tree limbs.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindPonca-Thunderstorm winds peeled a layer of shingles off the roof of a single family home.
June 2024Flash FloodPonca-Heavy rainfall occurred between 0200-0400 CST causing a rapid rise in smaller creeks and streams. Significant water flow with debris washed over Nebraska Highway 12 near mile marker 232.
April 2023HailPonca-Hail 0.88 inch in diameter fell 1 mile south-southeast of Ponca.
April 2023HailPonca-Hail 1.0 inch in diameter fell in Ponca.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindPonca-Multiple trees and powerlines were downed throughout Ponca.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindPonca-Wind gust of 67 mph was measured by a personal weather station.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindPonca-Wind gusts to 65 mph were measured by a personal weather station. Dime-size hail accompanied the strong winds.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindPonca-Thunderstorm winds blew down branches and power lines.
August 2011HailPonca-Large hail caused widespread damage to corn and soybean crops. The amount of crop damage was not known.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindPonca-Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including a large tree blown down, blocking a road.
July 2002HailPonca-Large hail accumulated to a depth of three inches.
July 2002Thunderstorm WindPonca-Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including trees and large limbs blown down. The winds also broke a window in a police building.
July 2002Thunderstorm WindPonca-Thunderstorm winds caused damage to 10,000 acres of crops. A few fields sustained extensive damage, but most was leaf damage with hope of some recovery. Most of the damage was to corn crops, while soybean crops withstood the strong winds with minor damage. No damage estimate could be given because it was not known how much the crops would recover.
April 2025HailPonca-no account filed
June 2025Thunderstorm WindPonca-no account filed
August 2020HailPonca-no account filed
September 2019HailPonca-no account filed
August 2018HailPonca-no account filed
June 2017HailPonca-no account filed
June 2017HailPonca-no account filed
September 2009HailPonca-no account filed
June 2005HailPonca-no account filed
May 2004HailPonca-no account filed
April 2002Thunderstorm WindPonca-no account filed
June 2002HailPonca-no account filed
August 2002HailPonca-no account filed
April 2001HailPonca-no account filed
April 2001HailPonca-no account filed
May 2000Thunderstorm WindPonca-no account filed
June 2000Thunderstorm WindPonca-no account filed
May 1999Tornado (F0)Ponca-no account filed
May 1999Tornado (F0)Ponca-no account filed
July 1999HailPonca-no account filed
April 1998Thunderstorm WindPonca-no account filed
April 1998HailPonca-no account filed
May 1998HailPonca-no account filed
August 1996Thunderstorm WindPonca-no account filed
June 1994HailPonca-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Dixon County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Waterbury7.4 miles9
Martinsburg7.6 miles18
Ionia (historical)8.3 miles19
Lembke Landing8.8 miles19
Newcastle10.8 miles19
Allen12.5 miles9
Lime Grove17.1 miles19
Maskell17.1 miles19

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on PoncaAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q955213The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 832300. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.