Falls City is a city and
county seat of
Richardson County,
Nebraska, United States. The population was 4,133 at the
2020 census, down from 4,325 in 2010 and 4,671 in 2000.
History
Falls City was founded in the summer of 1857 by James Lane, John Burbank, J.E. Burbank, and Isaac L. Hamby. The town is located on the north side of the
Big Nemaha River
Big or BIG may refer to:
* Big, of great size or degree
Film and television
* ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks
* ''Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show
* ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show presente ...
, in the southeast corner of the state. The river in 1857 had banks and bed of rock and stone. The town was located near where the river flowed over a four-foot (1.3 m) rock ledge called the "Falls of Nemaha", for which the town was named. Over time the river has changed to the extent that the falls no longer exist.
The town was a stop on the
Underground Railroad for escaping slaves during the struggles resulting from the
Kansas–Nebraska Act. Early in the city's history, it won a prolonged process to become the county seat of Richardson County. The county originally selected
Salem, Nebraska
Salem is a village in Richardson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 84 at the 2020 census.
History
Salem was laid out in 1855. Salem is derived from the Hebrew word ''shalom'', meaning "peace". It was incorporated as a city in ...
to be the county seat, but due to Salem's lack of a suitable building site, a new election was held which Falls City tied in the vote. Finally in a third election in 1860, Falls City was declared the permanent site of the county seat.
Falls City grew in the late 19th century due to the arrival of the
Atchison & Nebraska Railroad in 1871 and the
Missouri Pacific
The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad ...
in 1882, for which Falls City was designated as a division point in 1909. The population of the city peaked at 6,200 citizens in 1950.
In the summer of
1966
Events January
* January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko.
* January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
,
Braniff Airlines Flight 250 crashed near Falls City due to bad weather, killing all 42 on board.
The
BAC One-Eleven
The BAC One-Eleven (or BAC-111/BAC 1-11) was an early jet airliner produced by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC).
Originally conceived by Hunting Aircraft as a 30-seat jet, before its merger into BAC in 1960, it was launched as an 80-se ...
aircraft was on the
Kansas City to
Omaha leg of a multi-stop flight from
New Orleans to
Minneapolis on Saturday night,
August 6
Events Pre-1600
* 1284 – The Republic of Pisa is defeated in the Battle of Meloria by the Republic of Genoa, thus losing its naval dominance in the Mediterranean.
*1538 – Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada ...
.
In 1993,
Brandon Teena
Brandon Teena (December 12, 1972 – December 31, 1993) was an American trans man who was raped and later, along with Phillip DeVine and Lisa Lambert, murdered in Humboldt, Nebraska by John Lotter and Tom Nissen.Note: – as Brandon Teena was ...
, a
trans man who had recently arrived in Falls City, was murdered by two acquaintances who, upon discovering that he had been assigned female at birth, had beaten and raped him about a week previously. Brandon had reported the rape to the police, but the Richardson County sheriff had failed to take steps to protect him; in particular, he had not arrested the two alleged rapists. Learning that the rape had been reported, the two tracked Brandon to a farmhouse near
Humboldt, where they killed him and two others. Brandon's mother subsequently sued the sheriff and the county for negligence, wrongful death, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Briefs were filed in the case by thirty-four civil-rights groups, including the
Lambda Legal
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, better known as Lambda Legal, is an American civil rights organization that focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities as well as people living with HIV/AIDS ( PWAs) through im ...
Defense and Education Fund; the matter eventually came before the
Nebraska Supreme Court
The Nebraska Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The court consists of a chief justice and six associate justices. Each justice is initially appointed by the governor of Nebraska; using the Missouri Plan, each ju ...
, which found the county negligent in failing to protect Brandon.
The episode was dramatized in a 1999 film titled ''
Boys Don't Cry''; actor
Hilary Swank received an
Academy Award for Best Actress
The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. ...
for her portrayal of Brandon.
File:Falls City, Nebraska (1868).jpg, East side of Stone Street, 1868
File:History of Richardson County, Nebraska - its people, industries and institutions (1917) (14596752720).jpg, Looking south on Stone Street, 1917
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Major highways
The major highways through the city are
U.S. Highway 73 (
) running north and south through the city,
U.S. Highway 159 (
) running east toward
the Rulo bridge (and connecting to
the state of Missouri), and
Nebraska Highway 8
Nebraska Highway 8 (N-8) is a highway in southern and southeastern Nebraska. Its western terminus is at Nebraska Highway 14 in Superior and its eastern terminus is at U.S. Highway 73 (US 73) in Falls City. It runs through the southern ti ...
(
) running west toward
Salem, Nebraska
Salem is a village in Richardson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 84 at the 2020 census.
History
Salem was laid out in 1855. Salem is derived from the Hebrew word ''shalom'', meaning "peace". It was incorporated as a city in ...
and continuing along the southern border of
Nebraska. Other state highways provide connections between smaller towns in
Richardson County, Nebraska
Richardson County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,363. Its county seat is Falls City.
In the Nebraska license plate system, Richardson County is represented by the prefix 1 ...
.
Climate
Under the
Köppen climate classification, Falls City is categorized as having a
hot summer humid continental climate (Dfa).
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
census of 2010, there were 4,325 people, 1,931 households, and 1,127 families living in the city. The
population density was . There were 2,190 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.1%
White, 0.3%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslav ...
, 3.2%
Native American, 0.5%
Asian, 0.5% from
other races, and 2.5% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population.
There were 1,931 households, of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were
married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.84.
The median age in the city was 44.4 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.2% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 23.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.
2000 census
As of the
census of 2000, there were 4,671 people, 2,008 households, and 1,218 families living in the city. The
population density was 1,784.9 people per square mile (688.4/km). There were 2,271 housing units at an average density of 867.8 per square mile (334.7/km). The racial makeup of the city was 95.20%
White, 0.13%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslav ...
, 2.33%
Native American, 0.21%
Asian, 0.26% from
other races, and 1.86% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population.
There were 2,008 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were
married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 24.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.
As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $26,773, and the median income for a family was $40,523. Males had a median income of $26,908 versus $17,482 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $17,254. About 5.1% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
In 2013 police recruits have training at the
Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center, which includes LGBT sensitivity training, of which ''
The Brandon Teena Story
''The Brandon Teena Story'' is a 1998 American documentary film directed by Susan Muska and Greta Olafsdottir. The documentary features interviews with many of the people involved with the 1993 murder of Brandon Teena as well as archive footage of ...
'' is a part.
Education
Falls City's public school system is
Falls City Public Schools
Falls City Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Falls City, Nebraska.
Within Richardson County, in addition to Falls City, the district includes Preston, Rulo, Salem, and Verdon, as well as portions of Barada
, name_etymolog ...
. It consists of two elementary schools, a junior high school, and Falls City High School.
Sacred Heart School, a
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
institution, offers K–12 education.
Culture
In 2013 Randy Houser, the sheriff, argued that the area form of
conservatism
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
is "mind your own business, live your own life".
[
]
Religion
In 1997 Catholicism was the largest variant of Christianity in Falls City.
Notable people
* Charlie Abbey, baseball player
* David Abbot, magician and debunker
* Jim Bethke, baseball player
* Gil Dodds, American and world indoor record holder for the mile run in the 1940s, Sullivan Award recipient in 1943.
*Elmer "Skip" Dundy
Elmer Scipio "Skip" Dundy Jr. (March 31, 1862 – February 5, 1907) was an American showman and promoter known for creating amusement rides and one of the first large amusement parks.
Biography
Elmer Scipio Dundy Jr. ("Skip") was born in Falls ...
, showman and promoter, helped create many world's fair attractions, Luna Park on Coney Island, and the New York Hippodrome
*Pee Wee Erwin
George "Pee Wee" Erwin (May 30, 1913 – June 20, 1981) was an American jazz trumpeter.
Biography
He was born in Falls City, Nebraska, United States. Erwin started on trumpet at age four. He played in several territory bands before joining the gr ...
, jazz musician
*John Philip Falter
John Philip Falter (February 28, 1910 – May 20, 1982) was an American artist best known for his many cover paintings for ''The Saturday Evening Post''.
Early life
Born in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, Falter moved at an early age with his family to F ...
, illustrator, ''Saturday Evening Post
''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely c ...
''
* Lloyd Hahn, Olympic runner
*Dave Heineman
David Eugene Heineman (born May 12, 1948) is an American politician who served as the 39th governor of Nebraska from 2005 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the 39th treasurer of Nebraska from 1995 to 2001 and 37th lieu ...
, 39th governor of Nebraska
* Patricia McGerr, American crime writer
* John H. Morehead, 17th governor of Nebraska
* Patricia S. Morehead, Nebraska state legislator and teacher
* C. Frank Reavis, U.S. Representative for Nebraska
* Arthur J. Weaver, 22nd governor of Nebraska[
*]David Wiltse
David Wiltse is an American novelist and playwright known for his versatility of form. He is the author of 12 novels, 14 plays and numerous screenplays and teleplays, including the CBS series " Ladies Man".
Mr. Wiltse was Playwright in Residence ...
, mystery novelist & playwright
See also
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Richardson County, Nebraska
* Itha T. Krumme Memorial Arboretum
References
["Brandon Estate of Brandon v. County of Richardson".]
Nebraska Supreme Court ruling. 2001-04-20. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
[de Vries, Lloyd.]
"$100K Ruled Enough For 'Boys' Mother".
CBS News.
2002-12-06. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
[Hohlt, Jared.]
"Double Trouble".
Slate.
1999-10-08. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
[Duggan, Joe.]
ttp://journalstar.com/ ''Lincoln Journal Star.'' 2007-09-19. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
External links
Falls City
official website
Falls City Journal
Falls City Public Schools
Falls City Sacred Heart School
{{Authority control
Cities in Nebraska
Cities in Richardson County, Nebraska
Populated places on the Underground Railroad
County seats in Nebraska
Populated places established in 1857
1857 establishments in Nebraska Territory