Fremont

Fremont: Old Fremont Post Office

Fremont, city, seat (1856) of Dodge county, eastern Nebraska, U.S., near the Platte River, about 35 miles (55 km) northwest of Omaha. Pawnee, Oto, and Omaha Indians were early inhabitants. Established by homesteaders from Illinois on the old Mormon Trail in 1856, it was named for explorer John C. Frémont, Republican candidate for president in that year. The arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad (1866) stimulated its development as a trade centre for farmers and cattlemen. Its agriculture-based economy (including corn [maize], soybeans, cattle, and hogs) is augmented by light manufacturing (notably hydraulics), meatpacking, and retail catalog services. Midland Lutheran College, founded (as Midland College) in Atchison, Kansas (1887), was moved to Fremont in 1919; it merged with Luther Junior College and adopted its present name in 1962. An annual festival (July) commemorating Frémont features a rodeo, American Civil War reenactment, and other attractions. Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area is nearby. Inc. 1859. Pop. (2000) 25,174; (2010) 26,397.