Cozad dates to 1873, and 14% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 67% of U.S. towns · #22 of 57 in Nebraska. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 36 buildings. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1899 on, and the census since 1890.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1874.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Cozad’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Cozad is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #22 of 57 in Nebraska. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Cozad’s overall grade.
Nebraska towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Nebraska town has 16.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Cozad’s 99.1 sits above most of its state (89% of Nebraska towns have fewer) while its 39 historic buildings outnumber those of 83% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.4 points). Two sources give 1873.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Cozad’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Cozad was founded in 1873 by John Jackson Cozad, murderer, gambler, Ohio native, and father of painter Robert Henri. Cozad was often regarded as immoral among the citizens of the early town. He purchased 40,000 acres of land from the Union Pacific Railroad and laid out the future town. He built houses on some of the land to entice people to settle. He sold off most of the land to future residents who named the town after him. Cozad also founded Cozaddale, Ohio, a small, unincorporated village 25 miles northeast of Cincinnati.
The city includes at least two museums: the 100th Meridian Museum and the Robert Henri Museum.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cozad. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1899Lexington sheet · 1:125,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Cozad.
Every building
Cozad, building by building, 1909–1920
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
Cozad’s post office has been open since 1874. Another post office, Gould, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Cozad
1874–today
Gould
1881–1885
18701950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Horizon Mobile Home Park
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Cozad’s history
What year was Cozad founded?
In 1873, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Cozad’s post office opened in 1874, and the census of 1890 counted 542 people here.
How does Cozad rank for history?
Cozad is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #22 of 57 in Nebraska. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Cozad?
Three places: the Hendee Hotel (listed 1979), the Allen's Opera House (1988) and the Cozad Downtown Historic District (2018).
How old are the homes in Cozad?
14% of Cozad’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.4 points), against a typical 18% for a Nebraska town; the median home was built in 1970.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (11), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1866
2018
2018
2018
2018
2018
2018
2018
2007
2005
2004
