Cody, Nebraska
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| Cody, Nebraska | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Nebraska |
| County | Cherry |
| Area | |
| - Total | 1.0 sq mi (2.7 km²) |
| - Land | 1.0 sq mi (2.7 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 3,100 ft (945 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 149 |
| - Density | 145.2/sq mi (56.1/km²) |
| Time zone | Mountain (MST) (UTC-7) |
| - Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP code | 69211 |
| Area code(s) | 402 |
| FIPS code | 31-09760[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0828237[2] |
Cody is a village in Cherry County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 177.
Wrongly presuming the town to have been named in his honor, the famous "Buffalo Bill" once stopped to visit Cody. In reality, that honor belongs to Thomas Cody, foreman of an 1884 railroad camp crew. Already designated as a terminal, the campsite had real potential, as did Peter Vogt's homestead adjoining the tracks. Until a post office had been established in the depot that June, Tom Cody's shack served as communications center. Travelers, instructed to "take this to Cody," had left messages there, so when the town site was surveyed and dedicated in 1886, it was named "Cody."
Settlers flooded in. A two-room schoolhouse, built in 1886, soon proved inadequate. A multi-roomed frame structure served until 1916, followed by a brick K-12 school in use until 1981. Currently, bus routes feed a consolidated system in which pupils attend K-6 at Kilgore and finishing at Cody's modern high school. School events are well-attended.
Beginning with the murder of a camp resident by a ranch cowboy, Cody's story resembles a western novel. Some deaths went uninvestigated and arson proved a convenient method of eliminating business competition. Cody became notorious as a gambling and bootlegging center. A carload of sugar a week was used for manufacturing "moonshine." "Cody Hootch" was delivered far and wide. Niobrara River brush provided excellent cover for hideouts, but the most elaborate still ever investigated in Cherry County was located right in Cody. Raids resulted in token arrests; trials brought minor penalties or dismissals.
Encouraged by circuit-riding preachers, law-abiding citizens built churches. Hunt's Methodist Chapel was built in 1904, was followed by St.John's Episcopal in 1920. Those of Catholic faith attended Nenzel's St.Mary.
Old west flavor is manifested in accounts of "wild and wooly" rodeo and baseball competition between early-day ranch crews. "Open rodeos" were held on Cody's one-sided main street. Horse races stirred the dust on the edge of town. Even today Cody's annual "Circle C Celebration" features an amateur rodeo and barbecue.
Our first newspaper, the "Cody Cow Boy" (1900-1926), featured ranch brand ads. It first competed with the renegade "Cody Enterprise," printed in Valentine. Its editor coveted income derived from printing homestead notices. The "Cody Booster" (1929-1934) and the "Cody Round-Up" (1936-1942) carried on. A single weekly "Valentine Newspaper" now serves all of Cherry County.
Cody incorporated in 1901. Minutes of the first 18 years following organization reveal many bizarre happenings. Marshals were hired and fired. A 10-by-12 foot "calaboose" built of stacked 2-by-4 lumber held their prisoners. But, when contracts were let for telephone and electric services, the town lost some of its pioneer piquancy.
Cody's population rose from 185 in the 1920 census to 428 ten years later. The "Dirty Thirties" diminished the rural population upon which the town's economy depended. Cody's livestock yards once shipped out cattle by the thousands. When rail traffic began losing to the trucking industry, the population decline continued.
The railroad, long a factor in Cody's economy, has been stripped of depot and yard facilities and now handles mostly interstate freight. The farm crisis of the mid 1980s further contributed to the trend. The 1980 census figure was 180.
An attempt in the 1900s to move the county seat from Valentine to the "more centrally-located Cody" ended in failure. So did the suggestion to divide ponderous Cherry County, with Cody as seat of government for the west half. One can only speculate as to the effects these changes might have had upon our town's current status.
Of 30 businesses listed in a 1929 Cody Booster Card, few survive. Money formerly spent locally continues to be siphoned off. Both early financial institutions are gone; Ranchers State Bank failed in 1930, and after 85 years of service, the Bank of Cody's assets were assumed by Abbot Bank Group of Alliance. Despite all this, our July 1986 two-day centennial celebration was a decided success.
Cody is still "home" to many people. Organizations and individuals have been responsible for many civic improvements. In 1942 Ada Adamson's Community Hall was an outright gift. A well-kept cemetery, park and athletic field, and a lighted softball arena are further evidence of Cody's healthy and on-going community spirit.
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[edit] Geography
Cody is located at (42.936822, -101.246549)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.7 km²), all of it land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 149 people, 66 households, and 45 families residing in the village. The population density was 145.2 people per square mile (55.9/km²). There were 81 housing units at an average density of 79.0/sq mi (30.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 94.63% White, 0.67% Native American, 2.68% Asian, and 2.01% from two or more races.
There were 66 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the village the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 2.7% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 77.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $25,357, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $23,333 versus $13,750 for females. The per capita income for the village was $17,772. There were 18.2% of families and 25.3% of the population living below the poverty line, including 30.0% of under eighteens and 20.0% of those over 64.
[edit] References
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Cody, Nebraska is at coordinates Coordinates:
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