Falls City is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

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

The site of Falls City is located on the north side of the Big Nemaha River, 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 rock ledge called the "Falls of Nemaha", for which the town was named. The "falls" no longer exist due to changes to the river over the course of the 19th and 20th century. Falls City was founded in the summer of 1857 by James Lane, John Burbank, J. E. Burbank, and Isaac L. Hamby. The men were all Abolitionists and the city was established as a station on the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...

for escaping slaves on a section referred to as the Lane Trail. The city was established during the struggles resulting from the Kansas–Nebraska Act (passed in 1854) and continuing through the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. 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 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 (BAC-111, BAC 1-11) is a retired early jet airliner produced by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Conceived by Hunting Aircraft as a 30-seat jet, before its merger into BAC in 1960, it was launched as an 80-seat airl ...

aircraft was on the

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

leg of a multi-stop flight from

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

on Saturday night,

August 6 Events Pre-1600 *686 – The Ummayad forces suffer a deceisive defeat against the pro-Alid forces under Ibrahim ibn al-Ashtar in the battle of Khazir. *1284 – The Republic of Pisa is defeated in the Battle of Meloria (1284), Battle o ...

. In 1993,

Brandon Teena Brandon Teena (December 12, 1972 – December 31, 1993) was an American transgender man who was raped and later, along with Phillip DeVine and Lisa Lambert, murdered in Humboldt, Nebraska, by John Lotter and Tom Nissen. His life and death are ...

, a

trans Trans- is a Latin prefix meaning "across", "beyond", or "on the other side of". Used alone, trans may refer to: Sociology * Trans, a sociological term which may refer to: ** Transgender, people who identify themselves with a gender that di ...

man who had recently arrived in Falls City, was murdered by two acquaintances who, upon discovering that he had been born female, 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 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 ...

, which found the county negligent in failing to protect Brandon."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. 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 has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a lead ...

for her portrayal of Brandon.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. 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 United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, 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 ( US_73

) running north and south through the city, U.S. Highway 159 ( US_159

) running east toward the Rulo bridge (and connecting to the state of Missouri), and Nebraska Highway 8 ( N-8

) running west toward Salem, Nebraska and continuing along the southern border of

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

. Other state highways provide connections between smaller towns in Richardson County, Nebraska.

Climate

Under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, Falls City is categorized as having a hot summer humid continental climate (Dfa).

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 4,325 people, 1,931 households, and 1,127 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 2,190 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 3.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

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 Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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

of 2000, there were 4,671 people, 2,008 households, and 1,218 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,271 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.20%

, 0.13%

, 2.33% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races.

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

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 Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $17,254. About 5.1% of families and 9.1% 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 ...

, 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 United States, 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 arc ...

'' is a part.

Education

Falls City's public school system is Falls City Public Schools. 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 List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

institution, offers K–12 education.

Culture

In 2013, Randy Houser, the sheriff, argued that the area form of

conservatism Conservatism is a Philosophy of culture, cultural, Social philosophy, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, Convention (norm), customs, and Value (ethics and social science ...

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, showman and promoter, helped create many world's fair attractions * Pee Wee Erwin, jazz musician * John Philip Falter, illustrator, ''

Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...

'' * Lloyd Hahn, Olympic runner * Dave Heineman, 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, mystery novelist and playwright

References

External links

*
Falls City Journal

Falls City Public Schools

Falls City Sacred Heart School
{{authority control Cities in Nebraska Cities in Richardson County, Nebraska Underground Railroad locations County seats in Nebraska Populated places established in 1857 1857 establishments in Nebraska Territory