About McCook

McCook is the county seat of Red Willow County, in south-western Nebraska. It stands on the Republican River at about 2,582 feet above sea level and covers roughly 5.46 square miles. The population was 7,446 at the 2020 census. U.S. Highways 6, 34 and 83 meet here, and Amtrak's California Zephyr stops in town.

History

The town was laid out in 1882, when the Burlington railroad and the Lincoln Land Company set out to build a railroad center between Omaha and Denver. It was named for Alexander McDowell McCook, a Union general in the Civil War. McCook became the county seat of Red Willow County in 1896. McCook Community College opened in September 1926 as the state's first two-year junior college.

The Norris house

George W. Norris, who lived from 1861 to 1944, bought the house at 706 Norris Avenue in 1899 and lived there until his death. He served five terms in the U.S. House and five in the U.S. Senate, and is remembered for his work on rural electrification and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967 and is now a historic house museum run by the state historical society. Tours are by advance reservation.

The Sutton house

Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Harvey P. and Eliza Sutton House at 602 Norris Avenue between 1905 and 1907, and it was built in 1907 and 1908. The two-story frame and stucco Prairie style house is the only Wright house known to have been built in Nebraska. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is a private residence and should be viewed only from the public sidewalk.

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