Wednesday, May 03, 2023

Shoulda held out for a country


Until 2006, Cut and Shoot was considered and called a "town". Then, the town council elected for it to be considered and referred to as a "city". The population was 1,087 at the 2020 census.[5]

According to one local legend, Cut and Shoot was named after a 1912 community confrontation that almost led to violence. According to differing versions of the story, the dispute was over:[6]

  • The design of a new steeple for the town's only church,
  • The issue of who should be allowed to preach there, or
  • The conflicting land claims among church members.

Whatever the circumstances were, a small boy at the scene reportedly said he was scared and declared, "I'm going to cut around the corner and shoot through the bushes in a minute!" This statement apparently stayed in the residents' minds and was eventually adopted as the town's name.[7]