Cozad is a city in Dawson County,

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

, United States. The population was 3,977 at the 2010 census. The town is on the Great Plains of central Nebraska, along the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

and

U.S. Route 30 U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...

, just north of the

Platte River The Platte River () is a major river in the State of Nebraska. It is about long; measured to its farthest source via its tributary, the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which itsel ...

. The 100th meridian, which roughly marks the eastward boundary of the arid plains, passes just west of the town as is marked nearby on a prominent sign across U.S. 30. In the early 1860s, the meridian was a stop along the

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pi ...

History

Cozad was founded in 1873 by John J. Cozad, murderer, gambler,

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

native, and father of painter

Robert Henri Robert Henri (; June 24, 1865 – July 12, 1929) was an American painter and teacher. As a young man, he studied in Paris, where he identified strongly with the Impressionists, and determined to lead an even more dramatic revolt against A ...

. Cozad was often regarded as immoral among the citizens of the early town. He purchased 40,000 acres of land from the

and laid out the future town. He built houses on some of the land to entice people to settle. He sold off most of the land to future residents who named the town after him. Cozad also founded Cozaddale, Ohio, a small, unincorporated village 25 miles northeast of Cincinnati.

The city includes at least two museums: the 100th Meridian Museum and the Robert Henri Museum. The Cozad Downtown Historic District, an area roughly bounded by 9th, 7th, H & F Sts., was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2018. The Hendee Hotel, the main building of the Robert Henri Museum and Allen's Opera House are also NRHP-listed.

Geography

Cozad is located at (40.862141, -99.984082). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

Cozad is part of the

Lexington, Nebraska Lexington is a city in Dawson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 10,348 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Dawson County. Lexington is located in southern Nebraska, on the Platte River, southeast of North Platte. It s ...

Micropolitan Statistical Area.

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 3,977 people in 1,656 households, including 1,058 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 1,881 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 92.4% White, 0.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 5.2% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.3%. Of the 1,656 households 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.6% of households were one person and 15.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age was 39.3 years. 26.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 17.8% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 4,163 people in 1,722 households, including 1,127 families, in the city. The population density was 2,007.2 people per square mile (776.5/km). There were 1,851 housing units at an average density of 892.5 per square mile (345.3/km). The

of the city was 93.39% White, 0.17% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 3.82% from other races, and 1.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.95% of the population. Of the 1,722 households 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 30.4% of households were one person and 14.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.95. The age distribution was 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males. The median household income was $32,392, and the median family income was $43,413. Males had a median income of $27,217 versus $20,089 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,139. About 9.8% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Cozad uses an elected mayor and a city council consisting of four council members, with the city clerk handling day-to-day operations. The city also has a seven-member police department with centralized dispatch out of the county sheriff's office in Lexington.

Notable people

* Heather Armbrust, IFBB professional bodybuilder, was born in Cozad * Dan Christensen, American abstract painter, was born in Cozad *

Jared Crick Jared Verlon Crick (born August 21, 1989) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The Houston Texans selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft. College car ...

, NFL defensive end * Kirstin Cronn-Mills, young adult author * Chris Dishman, NFL lineman *

, American painter of the

Ashcan School The Ashcan School, also called the Ash Can School, was an artistic movement in the United States during the late 19th-early 20th century that produced works portraying scenes of daily life in New York, often in the city's poorer neighborhoods. ...

, was the son of John J. Cozad. His boyhood home, the Hendee Hotel, now the Robert Henri Museum, is open to the public in the summer months.

References

External links

City of Cozad
* {{Authority control Cozad, Nebraska Lexington Micropolitan Statistical Area Pony Express stations 1873 establishments in Nebraska Populated places established in 1873