Landmarks offer
piece of history
Nebraska not vacant
By Marissa Carstens
Staff Reporter
Imagine sleeping under
the stars after eating prime
rib cooked over a fire, real
lemon pudding and bread
made in a kettle.
Imagine sampling wine
at a winery.
Imagine following the
road the pioneers took to
the promised lands of
California and Oregon.
Imagine seeing the
complete skeletons of
ancient rhinoceroses
unearthed.
Now imagine doing all
of this in Nebraska.
Yes, Nebraska.
“We might not have a
Mount Rushmore or a
xr_• a. _ _ a -r* _ .1
losemne national rant,
but we do have a number of small unique
historical sights,” said Shirley Wichman
of the Nebraska Department of Tourism.
Those planning a trip during spring
break should consider exploring these
activities located in their own backyard,
she said.
Niobrara State Park
One of the state’s top natural attrac
tions is Niobrara State Park. Many
tourists choose to visit this park because
they can camp and canoe the scenic
Niobrara River.
Nebraska National Forest
The lush Nebraska National Forest
near Halsey is the largest hand-planted
forest in the country. Here, students can
hike, camp and picnic. A lookout tower
also offers a panoramic view of the forest.
Spring Ranche
Near Clay City, students can find the
ghost town Spring Ranche, where curi
ously named Nebraskans Elizabeth Taylor
and her twin brother, Tom Jones, were
hanged in March 1885, said Jim Potter,
who works at the State Historical Society.
According to legend, after Taylor’s
husband died of mysterious causes, her
neighbors spread rumors she had poi
soned him. These rumors eventually led
the whole town of Spring Ranche to lynch
Taylor and her brother.
Rock Creek Station
Another popular historical site is Rock
Creek Station near Fairbury, where stories
of outlaw legend Wild Bill Hickok were
first told. The stories, which were printed
in a magazine, made Bill Hickok famous
by claiming he killed 10 members of the
M’Kandlas Gang with a gun and a Bowie
knife.
According to the state tourism board,
the legends are untrue. But Hickok was a
gunfighter whose true biography is held
at Rock Creek Station.
The station also was one of the first
places the pioneers crossed into
Nebraska. The ruts from the wagons still
exist as well as one of the first Pony
Express stations, Wichman said.
The Dowse Sod
House
Students may travel to
Comstock, more than an
hour north of Kearney, to
see the hard-to-find Dowse
Sod House.
- After successfully navi
gating a remote dirt road,
travelers can find the tiny
house with three rooms and
sod walls measuring
between 15 and 18 inches
thick.
Carhenge
Debate continues on
whether this monument is
an eyesore or a landmark.
But critics said the same of
the Eiffel Tower.
Near Alliance,
Cafhenge is a replica of
Stonehenge in England.
But instead of being made of stone,
Carhenge is made of old cars. The monu
ment was built in 1987 as part of a family
reunion celebration.
The massive metal sculpture is now
one of the state’s definitive landmarks.
Chimney Rock
For centuries, Chimney Rock has
remained the best-known Nebraska land
mark, Wichman said.
In the past, the landmark guided west
ern pioneers towards their destination.
Knowing they had to make it to the
Rocky Mountains before mid-June, pio
neers became excited when they finally
saw Chimney Rock, Wichman said. The
pioneers did not realize, howevbr, they
could see Chimney Rock from three days’
travel away.
Over the years, Chimney Rock has lost
about 7 feet in height because of lightning
strikes, Wichman said. But you can still
see it from 20 miles away, she said.
Once students arrive at Chimney,
Rock, they can join the wagon train for
dinner. Here they are served bread made
in a kettle, prime rib over an open fire and
lemon pudding.
They can also spend the night at the
foot of Chimney Rock in a cabin or in a
tent beneath the stars.
Ashfall Fossil Beds
The complete, untouched remains of
rhinoceroses lie at Ashfall Fossil Beds
near Royal.
Students can see excavated, 10-mil
lion-year-old mammals that died follow
ing a catastrophic volcanic eruption.
Cuthills Vineyards
Slightly closer to Lincoln, tourists can
sample the wines of Cuthills Vineyards,
Nebraska’s first commercial winery, in
Pierce, Wichman said.
But, before students make spring
break plans, they should contact the State
Tourism Office for information on
Nebraska’b multitude of spring break des
tinations, said tourism office spokes
woman TWyla Witt.
* The State Tourism Office is located in
the Ferguson Mansion, 700 S. 16* St.
*’ if •
■ - -
Lane Hickenbottom/DN
A COWBOY BOOT adorn* a
barbed-wire fence pest in
M—■_■
vWBSVBill MDFoSKa*
