McCook, Nebraska

McCook is a city in Red Willow County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,994 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Red Willow County. It was named in honor of Alexander McDowell McCook, a Brigadier General in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Geography
McCook is located at 40.20528°N, -100.62611°W (40.205228, -100.626174).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.4 sqmi, all of it land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,994 people, 3,371 households, and 2,154 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,485.1 people per square mile (573.7/km²). There were 3,754 housing units at an average density of 697.4 per square mile (269.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.37% White, 0.18% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.91% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.53% of the population. The population was 7,410 in 2009.

There were 3,371 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,105, and the median income for a family was $40,455. Males had a median income of $28,065 versus $18,516 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,691. About 7.9% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government
The City of McCook has a council-manager style government. As of 2011, council members are Dennis Berry (Mayor), Mike Gonzales (Vice President), Aaron Kircher, Jerry Calvin and Shane Hilker.

The City of McCook is organized into eight different departments and offices, which are the: Public Library, Parks, Trash/Recycling, Fire Department, Senior Citizens Affairs, Police Department, Water Department, and Public Transportation.

The City of McCook also hosts thirteen advisory boards and commissions for public service, public works, and the functions of the aforementioned departments and offices.

The single largest issue faced by the City of McCook has been troubles with water purity. When the federal government's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) changed their guidelines for the acceptable purity of water from nitrates, uranium, etc., McCook's existing concern with safe water (which began in 1988) became even more intense and the city was faced with a decision to either find a new source of water or implement a water purification system to clean up the existing sources. Additional taxes were levied to pay for the purchase of land once belonging to a military setup, but was found to be contaminated. Currently, the city has constructed a water treatment facility. The facility has brought the city into full compliance for nitrate, arsenic and uranium. It is possibly the first facility to treat all three contaminants at once.

Transportation


Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service through McCook, operating its California Zephyr daily in both directions between Chicago and Emeryville, California, across the bay from San Francisco, with stops in Omaha, Lincoln, Hastings. Great Lakes Airlines is currently serving the McCook Regional Airport with commercial flights to Denver and Huron, South Dakota.

Culture
George W. Norris, who held seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate from 1903 to 1943, was a resident of McCook. Norris was the driving force behind the conversion of Nebraska's legislature to a unicameral system; in the Senate, he was a leading figure behind the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority. His house in McCook is operated as a museum by the Nebraska State Historical Society, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Originally named Main, the principal north-south thoroughfare through central McCook was renamed Norris Avenue in his honor.

Three governors of Nebraska made their homes in McCook: Ralph G. Brooks, Frank Morrison, and Ben Nelson, who currently represents Nebraska in the U.S. Senate.

The Harvey P. Sutton House at 602 Norris Avenue was designed by influential architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1905-1907 and built 1907-1908. The classic Prairie-style house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places; it is the only Wright house known to have been built in Nebraska. The house is used as a private residence, and is not open to the public.

McCook hosts the Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival each summer. There is also the Heritage Day Celebration and the McCook Balloon Fest in September.

McCook Army Airfield, active from 1943 through 1945, was located nine miles northwest of McCook.

McCook hosted a professional baseball team, the McCook Braves, who played in the Nebraska State League from 1956-59. In their final season in 1959, the club featured future Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro and won the NSL championship; both the Braves and the league folded at season's end. Another pitcher on the team, Pat Jordan, later became a writer for the Sporting News and penned the classic baseball book A False Spring about the '59 McCook Braves.

Former professional football player Jeff Kinney is a 1968 graduate of McCook High School. The school's athletic teams are the Bison.

McCook also has one of a growing number of nascent vineyards in the state, the Ravenswood Road Vineyard, run by Harold Davidson. It is situated near the Republican River.