Beatrice

About this city

Also known as: The Homestead City

Nestled along the sweeping banks of the Big Blue River in southeastern Nebraska, Beatrice serves as the historic county seat of Gage County. Incorporated in 1873, the city developed rapidly as a prosperous center for water-powered milling, agricultural equipment manufacturing, and railroad commerce. Beatrice holds a highly significant place in American history as the neighbor to the official location of the first-ever land parcel claimed under the historic Homestead Act of 1862, signed by President Abraham Lincoln. This profound heritage shaped the city into a monumental national symbol of American pioneer migration. Today, Beatrice coordinates a robust advanced manufacturing and agribusiness economy while carefully preserving its stunning historic brick downtown storefronts and rolling riverside parks.