Falls City, Nebraska
Encyclopedia
Falls City is a city in Richardson County
, Nebraska
, United States
. The population was 4,671 at the 2000 census
. It is the county seat
of Richardson County
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²), all of it land.
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 successfully 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 the arrival of the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad in 1871 and the Missouri Pacific 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.
On August 6, 1966, Braniff Airlines Flight 250
crashed near Falls City due to bad weather, killing all 42 on board.
In 1993, Brandon Teena
, a transgender
person who had recently arrived in Falls City, was murdered by two acquaintances who, upon discovering that he was a female living as a male, 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
, which found the county negligent in failing to protect Brandon. The episode was dramatized in a 1999 film titled Boys Don't Cry
; actress Hilary Swank
received an Academy Award for Best Actress
for her portrayal of Brandon.
of 2000, there were 4,671 people, 2,008 households, and 1,218 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,784.9 people per square mile (688.4/km²). There were 2,271 housing units at an average density of 867.8 per square mile (334.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.20% White, 0.13% African American, 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.
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.
which offers a K-12 education.
Falls City High School is a public secondary school
founded in 1871. The school colors are orange and black. The school mascot is the tiger
.
Falls City High has been undefeated in football nine times since 1925. FCHS has been to the Nebraska State Basketball tournament 25 times and been crowned Class A State Champions twice, and Class B State Champions once. Additionally, eight individuals have won State wrestling championships in school history. Coach Larry Munn has been named to the Nebraska Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame. Two Falls City track and field athletes (Gil Dodds and Lloyd Hahn) have been named to the Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame.
Falls City Sacred Heart
School founded in 1891 is a Catholic school
which offers a K-12 education. Its school colors are green and white. The school mascot is the Irish.
Beginning in 1989 Sacred Heart athletics drew state-wide attention during a six year period when its 8-man football
program led by Head Coach Doug Goltz set a Nebraska high school record for winning six consecutive state championships and having an 87 game winning streak. The record streak was ended in double overtime in the 1995 state quarterfinals by Table Rock-Steinauer High School, 34-28.
As of 2010 the Irish football program has an ongoing state record of 24 consecutive state playoff appearances.
The Falls City Sacred Heart boys basketball team has 8 state titles (88-91, 99, 01, 04, & 08) under head coach Doug Goltz. Since 1990 the Irish boys track teams have won 6 state championships (90, 91, 93, 94, 98, & 06), the first 5 under head coach Dennis Prichard. Irish athletics earned triple-crowns (winning state championships in each sport offered each season in a school year) in 1990 and 1991.
The Lady Irish have had great athletic success recently as well. The volleyball teams won two state championships (97 & 06) and two runners-up (98 & 02) trophies, the basketball teams won 3 consecutive basketball state championships from 1998-2000 and 3 runners-up (02, 03, & 07) trophies, and the track teams won 4 consecutive state track titles from 1998-2001.
Both schools play their home football games at Falls City High School's Jug Brown Stadium.
Richardson County, Nebraska
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,531 people, 3,993 households, and 2,567 families residing in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile . There were 4,560 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 4,671 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Richardson County
Richardson County, Nebraska
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,531 people, 3,993 households, and 2,567 families residing in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile . There were 4,560 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
.
Geography
Falls City is located at 40°3′45"N 95°36′4"W (40.062447, -95.601173).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²), all of it land.
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. 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 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
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
for escaping slaves during the struggles resulting from the Kansas-Nebraska Act
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, opening new lands for settlement, and had the effect of repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820 by allowing settlers in those territories to determine through Popular Sovereignty if they would allow slavery within...
. Early in the city's history, it successfully won a prolonged process to become the county seat of Richardson County. The county originally selected Salem, Nebraska
Salem, Nebraska
Salem is a village in Richardson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 138 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Salem is located at ....
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 the arrival of the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad in 1871 and the Missouri Pacific 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.
On August 6, 1966, Braniff Airlines Flight 250
Braniff Airlines Flight 250
Braniff Airways Flight 250 crashed near Falls City, Nebraska, on August 6, 1966. It was en route to Omaha, Nebraska, from Kansas City, Missouri...
crashed near Falls City due to bad weather, killing all 42 on board.
In 1993, Brandon Teena
Brandon Teena
Brandon Teena was an American trans man who was raped and murdered in Humboldt, Nebraska. His life and death were the subject of the Academy Award-winning 1999 film Boys Don't Cry, which was based on the documentary film The Brandon Teena Story.-Life:Teena was born Teena Renae Brandon in Lincoln,...
, a transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
person who had recently arrived in Falls City, was murdered by two acquaintances who, upon discovering that he was a female living as a male, 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
Humboldt, Nebraska
Humboldt is a city in Richardson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 941 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Humboldt is located at ....
, 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
Lambda Legal
Lambda Legal is an American civil rights organization that focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender communities as well as people living with HIV/AIDS through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.Lambda's founder William J. Thom, Esq...
; the matter eventually came before the Nebraska Supreme Court
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 Justice is then subject to a retention vote for additional...
, which found the county negligent in failing to protect Brandon. The episode was dramatized in a 1999 film titled Boys Don't Cry
Boys Don't Cry (film)
Boys Don't Cry is a 1999 American independent romantic drama film directed by Kimberly Peirce and co-written by Andy Bienen. The film is a dramatization of the real-life story of Brandon Teena, a transgender man played by Hilary Swank, who pursues a relationship with a young woman, played by Chloë...
; actress Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank
Hilary Ann Swank is an American actress. Swank's film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then a major part in The Next Karate Kid , as Julie Pierce, the first female protégé of sensei Mr. Miyagi...
received an Academy Award for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
for her portrayal of Brandon.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,671 people, 2,008 households, and 1,218 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,784.9 people per square mile (688.4/km²). There were 2,271 housing units at an average density of 867.8 per square mile (334.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.20% White, 0.13% African American, 2.33% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.26% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 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
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
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.
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
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
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.
Education
Falls City has a public school system composed of four schools, two elementary, one junior high school and one senior high school. Additionally there is a Catholic schoolCatholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
which offers a K-12 education.
Falls City High School is a public secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
founded in 1871. The school colors are orange and black. The school mascot is the tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
.
Falls City High has been undefeated in football nine times since 1925. FCHS has been to the Nebraska State Basketball tournament 25 times and been crowned Class A State Champions twice, and Class B State Champions once. Additionally, eight individuals have won State wrestling championships in school history. Coach Larry Munn has been named to the Nebraska Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame. Two Falls City track and field athletes (Gil Dodds and Lloyd Hahn) have been named to the Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame.
Falls City Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
School founded in 1891 is a Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
which offers a K-12 education. Its school colors are green and white. The school mascot is the Irish.
Beginning in 1989 Sacred Heart athletics drew state-wide attention during a six year period when its 8-man football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
program led by Head Coach Doug Goltz set a Nebraska high school record for winning six consecutive state championships and having an 87 game winning streak. The record streak was ended in double overtime in the 1995 state quarterfinals by Table Rock-Steinauer High School, 34-28.
As of 2010 the Irish football program has an ongoing state record of 24 consecutive state playoff appearances.
The Falls City Sacred Heart boys basketball team has 8 state titles (88-91, 99, 01, 04, & 08) under head coach Doug Goltz. Since 1990 the Irish boys track teams have won 6 state championships (90, 91, 93, 94, 98, & 06), the first 5 under head coach Dennis Prichard. Irish athletics earned triple-crowns (winning state championships in each sport offered each season in a school year) in 1990 and 1991.
The Lady Irish have had great athletic success recently as well. The volleyball teams won two state championships (97 & 06) and two runners-up (98 & 02) trophies, the basketball teams won 3 consecutive basketball state championships from 1998-2000 and 3 runners-up (02, 03, & 07) trophies, and the track teams won 4 consecutive state track titles from 1998-2001.
Both schools play their home football games at Falls City High School's Jug Brown Stadium.
Notable natives and residents
- Gil DoddsGil Dodds (athlete)Gilbert Lothair Dodds , called "The Flying Parson", was an American distance runner and athlete. In the 1940s, he held the American and world records for the mile run. He was awarded the James E...
- American and World record holder for the mile run in the 1940s, Sullivan AwardJames E. Sullivan AwardThe James E. Sullivan Award, presented by the American Amateur Athletic Union , is awarded annually in April to "the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States". Often referred to as the Oscar of sports awards, it was first presented in 1930. The award is named for the AAU's founder and past...
recipient in 1943. - Pee Wee ErwinPee Wee ErwinPee Wee Erwin was an American jazz trumpeter.-Biography:Erwin started on trumpet at age four. He played in several territory bands before joining the groups of Joe Haymes and Isham Jones...
, jazz musician - John Philip FalterJohn Philip FalterJohn Philip Falter , more commonly known as John Falter, was an American artist best known for his many cover paintings for The Saturday Evening Post....
- noted artist and Saturday Evening Post illustrator with over 200 Post covers to his credit. - Dave HeinemanDave HeinemanDavid Eugene "Dave" Heineman is the 39th and current Governor of Nebraska. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
- 39th Governor of NebraskaGovernor of NebraskaThe Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the State of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Nebraska Constitution. The current Governor is Dave Heineman, a Republican, who assumed office on January 20, 2005 upon the resignation of Mike Johanns . He won a full...
. - Arthur J. WeaverArthur J. WeaverArthur J. Weaver was a Nebraska Republican politician best known for being the 22nd Governor of Nebraska. Early in his life he was a lawyer and fruit grower. He was married to Maude E...
- 22nd Governor of NebraskaGovernor of NebraskaThe Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the State of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Nebraska Constitution. The current Governor is Dave Heineman, a Republican, who assumed office on January 20, 2005 upon the resignation of Mike Johanns . He won a full...