Talk:Surprise, Nebraska

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I for one would like to know how this village got its name. Sarrazip 15:22, 3 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Me too! The demographics information is hilarious...I mean, who really cares what percentage of households are made up of single women living without a husband?

I am constantly being asked how our city of Surprise, Arizona got its name. It is unsatisfying to have to tell visitors, "It was named after Surprise, Nebraska" without being able to explain how Surprise, Nebraska got its name. Anybody who knows this information, please provide it!

70.182.53.66 20:30, 10 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I've been told that on one road (presumably the main one) the town reveals itself suddenly as you reach the crest of a hill and descend. Eye.earth (talk) 16:08, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Possible but unlikely, because the name of the town was probably created before the town itself was. (A few towns are created as nameless and then only later is a name chosen, but even in the Great Plains this is fairly rare.) Surprise can be an English surname, also quite rare though, and I'd think almost certainly someone in the town would know if it was named after a settler with the surname Surprise. —Soap— 22:49, 18 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Settlers named the town Surprise, NE "because they were surprised to find the land so much better than they expected," according to Lilian L. Fitzpatrick's book "Nebraska Place-Names."2600:8804:286:3200:CDB2:F3AB:888:1B9C (talk) 18:44, 9 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

The town of Surprise, NE grew up around the mill by that name. The surprise was the amount of water power that was available a short distance from the headwaters of the Blue. [Doehling] — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2600:8804:286:3200:CDB2:F3AB:888:1B9C (talk) 21:56, 9 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

AZ State Library Archives: Surprise, AZ located just 25 minutes west of downtown Phoenix along U.S. Route 60/State Highway 93, was founded in 1938 and incorporated in 1960. The name "Surprise" came from Surprise, Nebraska, hometown of the city's founder, Homer C. Ludden and wife Flora Mae (Gillett) (Statler) Ludden. Real estate developer and state legislator Homer C. Ludden founded the city of Surprise (Maricopa), Arizona (AZ) in 1938. The community was named after his hometown of Surprise, Nebraska. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2600:8804:286:3200:CDB2:F3AB:888:1B9C (talk) 22:01, 9 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Homer was married twice, first to Edna Adelle (Robinson) Pritchett (a widower - 1883-1953) in 1922. Homer and Adelle had one child; Kathryn E (Ludden) Lieber (1924-2001). Homer was a milkman, mail carrier, realtor, land developer, a member of the Glendale Town Council and an Arizona state legislative representative. Homer founded Surprise (Maricopa), Arizona (AZ) in 1938.

Homer's second marriage sometime after 1948 was to Flora Mae (Gillett) Statler Ludden (29 May 1890-4 Oct 1953). Flora was born in Moab (Pulaski), Missouri. She was first married to Luther Ward Statler (1882-1959) in 1911 and then to Homer Charles Ludden (1880-1958) sometime after 1948. Flora was the daughter of one of Homer's business partners; Charles Edwin Gillett. Homer and Flora became partners in their real estate business comprised mostly of real estate development west of Phoenix.

Homer C. Ludden was born on November 27 1880, in Surprise, Butler County, Nebraska, to Charles W Ludden and Emma Jane Ludden (born Clark). — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2600:8804:286:3200:CDB2:F3AB:888:1B9C (talk) 22:03, 9 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Texaco products were available in 1923 at the service station of Homer C. Ludden and Charlie E. Gillett. Gillett’s daughter Flora (Gillett) Statler was one of the attendants who pumped gas. Later, Flora opened a real estate office in town with Ludden. Besides developing the Floralcroft Addition to Gilbert, Statler and Ludden secured the agreements to purchase the Luke Field properties in 1940 to start development of the town of Surprise, AZ. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2600:8804:286:3200:CDB2:F3AB:888:1B9C (talk) 13:32, 10 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]