A small city in rural North Central Nebraska, Ainsworth prides itself on providing the essential services necessary to maintain a county wide population base.

Named for Captain James E. Ainsworth, chief construction engineer of the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad, who arrived at the town site in June 1882, it was planned as one of the every ten mile stops on the westward moving railroad. The town followed the railroad plan of settlement with a north-south main street intersecting the railroad tracks, all streets to the east named after trees, streets to the west after famous individuals, and the streets to the north given numbers starting from the railroad.

Settlers flocked to the area once known as the edge of the Great American Dessert, the 100th meridian. Bordered on the South by the world’s largest expanse of grassed over sand dunes and on the north by the arid table land leading to the canyons of the Niobrara River Valley, settlers soon found that the normal homestead of l60 acres was not adequate to support them. In response the government instituted the Kincaid Act of 1904 that allowed for 640 acres homesteads which then made it possible to open up the Sand Hills for settlement. The county of Brown was established and Ainsworth was incorporated in 1883. It was named the county seat. The spirit of volunteerism and the respect for individual worth were essential in the growth and prosperity of the community and are still very much alive in Brown County and Ainsworth, Nebraska.

The pure beauty with its vast serenity continues to keep and draw people to the area. Later advances in irrigation took advantage of the tremendous water resources to convert much of the area into flourishing fields of corn. Although the once thriving railway has now been replaced by a walking trail known as the Cowboy Trail, people can still reach Ainsworth by a large well maintained airport and a system of pubic highways. U.S. #20, a major East-West artery of the United States goes right through Ainsworth. North-South state routes also connect Ainsworth with the rest of the world. Some have called it the “Middle of Nowhere”, a slogan that Ainsworth has adopted and for which it has even planned events such as the Middle of Nowhere alumni parade, and the Middle of Nowhere Carnival Days. It also calls itself the Christmas City of the Sandhills for its Annual Christmas Pageant on the first Sunday of December and for its many decorations, lighted displays, and activities during the Christmas Season. The tradition of singing and playing country tunes to pass the time on the distant ranches has been embodied in the National County Music Festival held in Ainsworth each August. The same western tradition comes alive during the annual Day of Cowboy parade and celebration each July. The study of the unique geology and planned seminars attract eager students of natural history to the Sand Hills Discovery Experience during the 2nd week in July. Participants at this event not only hear from nationally recognized experts in a variety of scientific fields but they also have the opportunity to explore the area through field trips and unique adventures such as fossil digs, float trips, and nature hikes.

Self-sufficiency and a spirit of cooperation have been the mainstays of life for people in this area. Visitors and future residents can find a great quality of life with some of the many attributes offered by communities with a larger population but minus the frenzy and the mobs of people characteristic of other cities.

*The term is Sandhills when applied to everyday life in this region. The scientific community prefers to use the two word Sand Hills in describing this area.

Ainsworth Area Chamber of Commerce in Ainsworth Nebraska