Curt Small, left, and Jeff Brinda move cattle from one pasture to another on pasture land south of Red Cloud, Neb., near the Nebraska-Kansas border. Red Cloud, a town with a population of 935, down 17% in the 2009 census, has all the charm and challenges that face small towns in rural America. Famed turn-of-the-century author Willa Cather grew up in Red Cloud.