In 1967, the towns of Madrid and Elsie consolidated, blending their
school colors, to establish Wheatland High. That year, the Wheatland
Spartans were ranked number one in the state in eight-man football (Nebraska
High School Historical Society 599).
According to the 1990 Census, Madrid (pronounced MAD-rid) has a population
of 288, a gain of four people over the 1980 Census (Nebraska Blue Book
817). Located in Perkins County, Madrid's history is tied to that of Ogallala
to the north, which was one of the end destinations of the historic Texas
cattle drives of Rawhide fame. According to the community's home page,
"During the late 1800's, when the Texas trail was being used to drive
cattle to Ogallala, Madrid was founded on the hardest stretch of the trail
between the Stinkin Water Creek and Ogallala, Ne."
