Dempster Industries has been a staple in Beatrice's business community since the late 19th century. Nebraska has been known for years for its vast amount of farms and crop fields. Without the proper equipment, farmers would not be able to maintain their farms and thrive. When technology was limited and all farm work was done without the use of high-tech machinery, an assortment of tools was needed to make the family farm profitable. With this in mind, Charles Dempster founded Dempster Industries in 1878. The company was originally known as the Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company. It produced necessities needed for agriculture such as windmills and various forms of pumps. The company also provided many new settlers with stable jobs working for the company. Nearly 134 years later, Dempster Industries continues to supply agricultural equipment and is recognized as the nation's oldest windmill manufacturer. In the spring of 1857, a steamship named Hannibal steamed up the Missouri River filled with passengers with one goal in sight: to find a place out west to settle and start a new community. A group of men aboard came together to create a settlement organization, later called the Nebraska Association. It included merchants, doctors, lawyers, masons, masons, an engineer, and a surveyor (Dobbs 118). The committee started in the town of Nebraska and later headed west where they came across the Big Blue River. The great river and surrounding land made ideal settlement ground. The Nebraska Association reached an agreement to name the area Beatrice. It was officially incorporated on October 29, 1858 (Beatrice Nebraska: Community Facts 2). The Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company was founded twenty years after it was officially incorporated......middle of paper......nationally. Works Cited “About Us/ Dempster Industries LLC.” Welcome to Dempster Industries LLC. Dempster Industries and Web. October 13, 2011. .Beatrice Nebraska: Community Facts. Columbus, Nebraska: Norris Public Power District, 2006. Print.Dempster, Charles. Dempster: Fifty years of progress. Beatrice, Nebraska: Milburn and Scott Company, 1928. Print.Historical Society. "Industries". History of Gage County. Dallas, Texas: Taylor Publishing Company, 1983. 75. Print.Dobbs, Hugh Jackson. History of Gage County, Nebraska. Beatrice, NE: Western Publishing and Engraving Company, 1918. Print.Doyle, Sonya. Personal interview. October 20, 2011.McKee, Jim. “More than 130 Years of Windmills at Dempster Industries.” Lincoln Journal Star October 2, 2011, section. Local news: n. page JournalStar.com. Network. November 3. 2011.