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State Symbols

The official state symbols represent the cultural heritage and natural treasures of each state or the entire United States

Nebraska Symbols

Nebraska State Baseball Capital

Wakefield

Adopted on October 9, 1997.

On Oct. 9, 1997, Gov. Ben Nelson declared Wakefield to be the official baseball capital of Nebraska.

For a small town, Wakefield has it all! Wakefield residents enjoy scenic parks, walking and bike path, softball field, baseball field, t-ball and one of the finest baseball complexes in the state. Wakefield is known as "The Baseball Capital of Nebraska"! Wakefield has a recreation facility free to the public with a walking track and complete exercise room.

The Wakefield area was settled primarily by Swedish and German families. Wakefield, incorporated in 1881, was named after L. W. Wakefield, a railroad surveyor who platted the original townsite. Because of the area's abundant water supply and rolling fertile hills, crop and livestock production quickly prospered.

Along with the increase in farming came the need for irrigation and well digging which led to the Salmon Well Company that has operated in Wakefield for more than 75 years. In 1882 the local newspaper and other businesses were established. The Wakefield Brickyard produced many of the bricks used for the buildings. The J.O. Milligan Roller Mills was built on nearby Logan Creek and became a regional business, drawing various other trades to Wakefield. Two branch lines of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha railroads converged at Wakefield. The large amount of stock and grain shipped and passenger traffic made it one of the busiest rail districts in northeast Nebraska.

State Symbols

State symbols represent things that are special to a particular state.

symbol \ˈsim-bəl\
noun

Etymology:
in sense 1, from Late Latin symbolum, from Late Greek symbolon, from Greek, token, sign; in other senses from Latin symbolum token, sign, symbol, from Greek symbolon, literally, token of identity verified by comparing its other half, from symballein to throw together, compare, from syn- + ballein to throw — more at devil
Date: 15th century

1: Something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible.