Editing Falls City, Nebraska (section)

==History==
The site of Falls City is located on the north side of the [[Nemaha River basin|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 {{convert|4|feet|adj=on|spell=in}} 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 [[Jim Lane (politician)|James Lane]],<ref>Hammel, Paul. (November 26, 2022) [https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/11/26/underground-railroad-site-in-falls-city-recognized-by-national-park-service/ “Underground Railroad site in Falls City recognized by National Park Service”] | Nebraska Examiner | Access Date: May 8, 2024</ref> John Burbank, J. E. Burbank, and Isaac L. Hamby. The men were all [[Abolitionism in the United States|Abolitionists]] and the city was established as a station on the [[Underground Railroad]] for escaping slaves on a section referred to as the [[Lane Trail]].<ref>[https://www.fallscitynebraska.org/about/history "Historic Falls City"], City of Falls City, Nebraska. Accessed October 25, 2023.</ref><ref>Edwards,&nbsp;Lewis Clifford.&nbsp;(1917) [https://books.google.com/books?id=O9o37LOQ0c0C ''History of Richardson County, Nebraska: Its People, Industries and Institutions''].&nbsp;Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen & Company, Inc. p 674-675.</ref> The city was established during the struggles resulting from the [[Kansas–Nebraska Act]] (passed in 1854) and continuing through the [[American Civil War]].  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 and Nebraska Railroad|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.

In the summer of [[1966 in aviation|1966]], [[Braniff Flight 250|Braniff Airlines Flight 250]] crashed near Falls City due to bad weather, killing all 42 on board.<ref name=fjcifc>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xjdWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=r-gDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6419%2C2283879 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |agency=Associated Press |title=Flaming jet crashes kiiling all 42 aboard |date=August 8, 1966|page=1}}</ref> The [[BAC One-Eleven]] aircraft was on the [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]] to [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]] leg of a multi-stop flight from [[New Orleans]] to [[Minneapolis]] on Saturday night, [[1966 in aviation#August|August 6]].<ref name=pckftw>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PotRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tRAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5969%2C1097983 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=Associated Press |title=Plane crash kills 42 |date=August 8, 1966 |page=1, part 1 }}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name=csincr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dtsjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1ycEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5040%2C3672731 |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal |agency=wire services |title=Clues sought in Nebraska crash |date=August 8, 1966 |page=2, part 1 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In 1993, [[Brandon Teena]], a [[transgender|trans]] 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, Nebraska|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.<ref name=supreme>[https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ne-supreme-court/1275811.html "Brandon Estate of Brandon v. County of Richardson".]  Nebraska Supreme Court ruling.  2001-04-20.  Retrieved 2010-11-11.</ref><ref name=cbs>de Vries, Lloyd.  [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/100k-ruled-enough-for-boys-mother/ "$100K Ruled Enough For 'Boys' Mother".]  [http://www.cbsnews.com/ CBS News.]  2002-12-06.  Retrieved 2010-11-11.</ref> The episode was dramatized in a 1999 film titled ''[[Boys Don't Cry (1999 film)|Boys Don't Cry]]''; actor [[Hilary Swank]] received an [[Academy Award for Best Actress]] for her portrayal of Brandon.<ref name=slate>Hohlt, Jared.  [http://www.slate.com/id/36040/ "Double Trouble".]  [http://www.slate.com/ Slate.]  1999-10-08.  Retrieved 2010-11-11.</ref><ref name=nissen>Duggan, Joe.  [http://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/article_0b534ed4-60b2-5d84-9529-ac44c989a117.html "Nissen: 'I am the person who shot and stabbed Teena Brandon'."]  [http://journalstar.com/ ''Lincoln Journal Star.'']  2007-09-19.  Retrieved 2010-11-11.</ref>
<gallery widths="225px" class="center">
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
</gallery>