Blair, Nebraska began its life as a railroad town; its location adjacent to the Missouri River was selected when the Sioux City and Pacific Railroad chose that spot to build a railway bridge. The town grew rapidly, spurred by the trade provided by the railroad and the ever present river traffic. The mainly Danish settlers in the area built churches, hotels, and general stores, and soon Blair was a bustling community with a school and a seminary to educate the young. Blair’s prominence in the area was cemented by its selection as the county seat for Washington County.
Blair soon became a center of industry in the area, boasting a sizable flour and feed mill, a patent-medicine laboratory, and a poultry plant near the city. The easy transportation offered by both the Missouri River and the railroad line made Blair a popular location for manufacturing concerns. The city of Blair continued to grow; however, the expansion and population increase of Omaha thirty miles to the north far outstripped the smaller Blair as time passed, and Omaha gained preeminence in the region as an industrial and commercial center.
Today, Blair is a thriving town of over 7,500 people and continues to grow, spurred in part by the employment opportunities in the surrounding area and the quiet, family-friendly surroundings of this small town. While many commute to Omaha, Council Bluffs, or Offutt Air Force Base, Blair is home to a number of major employers including Cargill Incorporated, the Blair Memorial Community Hospital, and the Omaha Public Power District. Residents enjoy a full range of services including a city golf course, municipal airport, and a wide array of retail shopping options in Blair.