[5] Adams County comprises the Hastings, NE Micropolitan Statistical Area.

The first settlers began to arrive in the late 1860s, following the Homestead Act of 1862, which encouraged settlement by providing land to those who would develop and farm it.

The initial settlement was somewhat slow due to Adams County's location in the Great Plains, often considered inhospitable because of its harsh climate and lack of timber.

The establishment of the city of Hastings in 1872 by the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad, however, marked a significant turning point.

[4] Adams county's growth thereafter was closely tied to the expansion of the railroad.

The advent of railroad access to the county led to an influx of settlers, and by the mid-1870s, Adams County had seen substantial development in agriculture, particularly in the cultivation of wheat, corn, and other grains, as well as in the breeding of livestock.

The railroad not only brought settlers but also markets for their produce, transforming Adams County into an agricultural hub.