BlockFrom the record
One of 20 National Register listings published here for Adams County · listed in 2018 · category: District.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Hastings Downtown Historic District
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
The listing
- Address. Roughly bounded by W 3rd St., Burlington Northern RR, N Colorado & N Burlington Aves., Hastings, 68901
- When was it listed? December 2018
- Category. district
- Also known as. Detroit-Lincoln-Denver Highway in Nebraska MPS; Potash Highway in Nebraska MPS
- City. Hastings city
- National Register reference number. 100003090 - assigned by the National Park Service when the property was listed.
The ground it stands on
6,040 wordsThe chapter on Hastings City in Past and Present of Adams County, Nebraska, published 1916 names Hastings. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.
Tlie location of a settlement upon the land on which the City of Hastings stands was due to the oiJeration of American hnmigration agencies in Great Britain. These agencies, through the means of advertisements inserted in the British newspapers and through personal interviews with prosjDective colonists, set forth in glowing terms the inducements offered in the middle western section and other parts of the United States not already jjopidated.
Passage source: Past and Present of Adams County, Nebraska, published 1916.
There assembled in Liverpool one day a little company of colonists bound for America, who eventually settled in Hastings, Xeb. They embarked upon passenger vessel Scandinavia of the Allan Line, and in due time arrived in Portland, INIe. From Portland they continued Avestward, as directed by the immigration agents, until they reached Lincoln. Here they bought horses and wagons, a few simple agricultural implements and provisions and continued their journey overland. In the spring of 1871. in either April or JMay, this little company halted at Thirty-Two Mile Creek.
Passage source: Past and Present of Adams County, Nebraska, published 1916.
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 Hastings City - 6,040 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.
Fires near this property
15 since 2009Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 15 fires within 5 miles of Hastings Downtown Historic District between 2009 and 2020, burning about 20 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 burning | 7 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 3 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 September 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 21 July 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 25 June 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 23 June 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 3 May 2013 | Debris and open burning | 6.0 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 23 May 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 6 April 2020 | Debris and open burning | 3.5 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 29 April 2013 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
Storms near this property
60 of 211 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Hastings, the town this property stands in, in 211 storm reports between 1993 and 2024: 124 hail, 65 thunderstorm wind, 6 funnel cloud, 4 heavy rain. The reports record 2 injuries. 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2019 | Lightning | Hastings | 2 hurt, $19,000,000 | Investigators with the Nebraska State Fire Marshals Office determined that lightning was the cause of a very large fire that completely destroyed the Cooperative Producers Inc. Dry Fertilizer Facility. This facility opened in July 2018, and was located just east of the intersection of Highway 6 and Showboat Road. Hastings Rural Fire District, along with firefighters from 4 other fire districts, helped contain the fire. The fire was contained by 3 AM CDT, but firefighters were on scene to address hotspots well into Friday. Two injuries were reported as a result of the fire, both injured parties were treated and released at a local hospital within hours of the fire. The injured parties were semi drivers on site at the time of the fire. Damage is estimated to be at least $5 million worth of product at the plant with a facility cost of $14 million. |
| May 2005 | Hail | Hastings | $40,000,000 | A super cell thunderstorm pummeled the Hastings area with baseball size hail, torrential rain and strong winds. The hail was as large as baseballs, and was reported anywhere from about 10 miles south of Hastings to 5 miles north of Hastings. Damage was widespread throughout the central part of the county. |
| June 2022 | Hail | Hastings | $12,000,000 | There were several reports of hail ranging in size from golf balls to 2.5 inches in diameter all across the city of Hastings. This hail was accompanied by wind gusts exceeding 60 MPH, including a peak measured gust of 66 MPH at the Hastings Airport ASOS. Reports of damage across town included broken windows, siding damage, downed tree limbs, and power outages. |
| May 2018 | Hail | Hastings | $5,000,000 | Half dollar to golf ball size hail was reported. |
| May 2012 | Hail | Hastings | $1,000,000 | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Hail | Hastings | $750,000 | Hail to the size of softballs was reported on the north side of town. |
| December 2021 | Hail | Hastings | $500,000 | Wind-driven hail up to quarter size caused siding, fence, and roof damage. |
| May 2014 | Hail | Hastings | $250,000 | Quarter to hen egg size hail was reported. |
| May 2012 | Hail | Hastings | $250,000 | Golf ball size hail reported at Lake Hastings. |
| May 2012 | Hail | Hastings | $250,000 | Golf ball size hail was reported at the intersection of 14th and California. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $250,000 | Winds of 60 to 70 mph battered the Hastings area for about 10 minutes. There were many reports of tree and minor structural damage. |
| May 2003 | Hail | Hastings | $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Hail | Hastings | $200,000 | Hail measured at the NWS office. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $200,000 | no account filed |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $150,000 | A 30 foot tall, 10 inch diameter tree was blown down on the far east side of Hastings. Also, a flag pole was blown down. |
| August 2007 | Flash Flood | Hastings | $150,000 | Flash flooding throughout the eastern half of the county. Numerous county roads covered with water. Many streets in Hastings had 1 to 2 feet of water and the Burlington Street underpass was closed due to high water. |
| August 2019 | Flood | Hastings | $125,000 | The West Fork of the Big Blue River flooded, causing Showboat Road to be closed for a brief period of time. A 24-hour rainfall total of 4.02 inches was reported from 5 miles north-northeast of Juniata. |
| June 2015 | Flash Flood | Hastings | $125,000 | Multiple rounds of heavy rainfall totaled generally 4-7 across primarily northern Adams County between the 3rd-6th, with the majority of this rain falling on the 4th-5th. Road flooding was initially reported across parts of the county on the evening of the 4th. On the morning of the 5th, the Adams County Department of Roads reported that many roads (paved and gravel) were closed due to severe flooding, especially within the northeast quadrant of the county. Just as one example of these road closures, paved Showboat Road from 12th Street to 26th Street was barricaded on the east side of Hastings for several hours on the 5th. The flooding situation gradually improved over the following 24 hours. |
| June 2015 | Flood | Hastings | $125,000 | Multiple rounds of heavy rainfall totaled generally 4-7 across primarily northern Adams County between the 3rd-6th, with the majority of this rain falling on the 4th-5th. Road flooding was initially reported across parts of the county on the evening of the 4th. On the morning of the 5th, the Adams County Department of Roads reported that many roads (paved and gravel) were closed due to severe flooding, especially within the northeast quadrant of the county. Just as one example of these road closures, paved Showboat Road from 12th Street to 26th Street was barricaded on the east side of Hastings for several hours on the 5th. The flooding situation gradually improved over the following 24 hours. |
| May 2013 | Hail | Hastings | $125,000 | Nickel to ping pong ball size hail was reported on the west side of Hastings. |
| July 2024 | Tornado (EF0) | Hastings | $100,000 | A multi-vortex tornado, confirmed by storm chaser video, touched down in a corn field just north of the highway rest stop along Highway 6 east of Hastings. The tornado produced intermittent tree damage as it drifted south over the rest stop area and near a residence. A new condensation funnel developed over a nearby corn field where a pivot was overturned. The tornado actually curved back to the north, back across the highway, then dissipated shortly thereafter in a corn field. The official track is a best estimate based on a combination of damage and storm chaser video. The peak wind gust was estimated to be 85 MPH. |
| October 2014 | Hail | Hastings | $100,000 | The one inch diameter hail occurred along with thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 50 mph. |
| October 2014 | Hail | Hastings | $100,000 | One inch diameter hail was occurring, with damage to siding occurring. Wind gusts of 55 mph were measured a bit earlier at 848 pm CDT at the Hastings Airport, which likely contributed to the damage to siding. This report was received from Facebook. |
| October 2014 | Hail | Hastings | $100,000 | This report was received from Facebook. |
| June 2014 | Hail | Hastings | $100,000 | Hail ranged in size from golf ball to baseball. |
| September 2015 | Hail | Hastings | $100,000 | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $100,000 | no account filed |
| August 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $75,000 | Wind gusts were estimated to be between 60 and 80 MPH. |
| July 2014 | Hail | Hastings | $75,000 | no account filed |
| May 2014 | Hail | Hastings | $75,000 | no account filed |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $75,000 | no account filed |
| May 2019 | Flood | Hastings | $50,000 | Heavy rainfall across the area resulted in the flooding of the West Fork of the Big Blue River in eastern Adams County. Portions of Showboat Road near the river, which runs along the east edge of Hastings, was covered in several inches of water. |
| May 2014 | Hail | Hastings | $50,000 | Quarter to half dollar size hail was reported. |
| July 2008 | Flash Flood | Hastings | $50,000 | All lanes of 82nd Street and Highway 281 were covered by water. Three feet of water was reported over Blaine Street from 12th to 26th Street. Two feet of water was reported at the intersection of 26th Street and Showboat Road. The Big Blue River and Turtle Creek were both out of their banks. Over a dozen county roads were flooded with several roads washed out. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $50,000 | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Hastings | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Hail | Hastings | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $40,000 | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Strong Wind | Hastings | $40,000 | no account filed |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $35,000 | Wind gusts were estimated to be near 60 MPH. There were a few tree limbs downed in town, and to the south-southeast of town an irrigation pivot was overturned. |
| May 2002 | Hail | Hastings | $30,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Hail | Hastings | $30,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Hail | Hastings | $30,000 | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Hail | Hastings | $25,000 | One oblong stone measured near softball size. The entire spectrum of hail sizes occurred, with the average size of the largest hailstones being 2.5 inches. Pea size hail started falling around 9:25 p.m. CDT. |
| September 2015 | Hail | Hastings | $25,000 | no account filed |
| September 2015 | Hail | Hastings | $25,000 | no account filed |
| September 2015 | Hail | Hastings | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2013 | Hail | Hastings | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2013 | Hail | Hastings | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2005 | Hail | Hastings | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2005 | Hail | Hastings | $25,000 | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hastings | $25,000 | no account filed |
| August 2007 | Tornado (EF0) | Hastings | $20,000 | A brief tornado began on the east side of Hastings and traveled to the southeast for 1 to 2 miles. Damage was minimal and winds were estimated at 75 mph. The tornado was rated an EF0. |
| July 1997 | Hail | Hastings | $20,000 | no account filed |
Map coverage status
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Listed places nearby
6 within 8 milesOther National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Stein Brothers Building | under 500 feet | 1979 |
 | Farrell Block | under 500 feet | 1979 |
 | Clarke Hotel | under 500 feet | 1987 |
 | Nebraska Loan and Trust Company Building | 0.1 miles | 1979 |
 | Victory Building | 0.1 miles | 1987 |
 | Burlington Station | 0.1 miles | 1978 |
Sources for this property
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 100003090 in Record Group 79. |
| Adams County | All 20 listed properties in this county. |
Provenance
- Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
- Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
- How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
- 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.
- 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.