Nebraska: A Guide to the Cornhusker State (WPA Guide)

Authors

Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of Nebraska

Date of this Version

1939

Abstract

The guide to the “Cornhusker State” is full of many interesting photographs of the people and places of Nebraska. They portray a largely agrarian state of hard-working farmers. There is an interesting essay on the unicameral legislature of Nebraska. The guide sticks pretty close to the series format. Eight cities are given detailed descriptions. There are 13 detailed tours of the state.

SOME of us in Nebraska know what it is to have made the first wagon track across an unbroken sea of grass into a new land, with no guide but the sun, the distant hilltops, and our own resolution. I remember more than one such road. We had to find our way, discover our own fords, devise our own gully crossings, and leave a trail which others could follow and improve. This book is another road starter. It is the first attempt to put into one compact handy volume the story of Nebraska's land and its people and a guide to every part of the State. It is the first Nebraska Baedeker. Its preparation has called into the Federal service more than one hundred writers, researchers, draftsmen, and photographers, for a period exceeding two years. In the course of their work they have handled thousands of books, newspapers, and manuscripts, and have traveled Nebraska from the black prairie soil along the Missouri to the pine tree ridges beyond the sandhills. The Superintendent and staff of the Nebraska State Historical Society have had the privilege of assisting in an advisory and critical capacity.

Contents

FOREWORD, By Addison E. Sheldon, Nebraska State Historical Society v
PREFACE
GENERAL INFORMATION
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
The State in Review
MODERN NEBRASKA
NATURAL SETTING: Geography and Climate; Geology and Paleontology; Animal Life, Plant
Life, Natural Resources and Their Conservation
INDIANS: Prehistoric Culture; Historic Indians
HISTORY: Period of Exploration, Territorial Organization, Settlement, Statehood
GOVERNMENT: The Unicameral Legislature
AGRICULTURE AND THE FARMER
INDUSTRY AND LABOR
TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION
ETHNIC ELEMENTS
FOLKLORE AND FOLKWAYS
EDUCATION AND RELIGION
ART AND Music
ARCHITECTURE
THE PRESS
LITERATURE

II. Cities and Towns
BEATRICE
FREMONT
GRAND ISLAND
HASTINGS
LINCOLN
NORFOLK
NORTH PLATTE
OMAHA

III. Tours

TOUR 1. (Sioux City, Iowa)-South Sioux City-Tekamah-Omaha-Nebraska City-Falls City (Hiawatha, Kans.) , 205 m
TOUR lA. Omaha-Bellevue, 5.5 m.
TOUR 1B. Junction with US 73-75-Rock Bluffs 6 m.
TOUR 2. (Sioux City, Iowa)-Winnebago-Fremont-Lincoln-Beatrice-(Marysville, Kans.) ; 200 m
TOUR 3. (Yankton, S. Dak.)-Norfolk-Columbus-York-Fairmont-Hebron-(Belleville, Kans ), 235.8 m.
TOUR 4 (Fairfax, S. Dak.)-Butte-O'Neill-Bartlett-St Paul-Grand Island-Hastings-Red Cloud-(Lebanon, Kans.) ; 241.4 m.
Tour 5. (Colone, S. Dak )-Springview-Bassett-Taylor-Ansley-Kearney-Elm Creek-Holdrege-Alma-(Woodruff, Kans ) , 257 m.
TOUR 6. (Hot Springs, S. Dak )-Chadron-Alliance-Bridgeport-Sidney-(Sterling, Colo.) ;
174 m.
TOUR 7. (Sioux City, Iowa) -South Sioux City-O'Neill-
Valentme-Chadron-Harrison-(Lusk, Wyo.) ;
TOUR 8. (Missouri Valley, Iowa)-Fremont-Grand Island-Kearney-North Platte-Sidney-(Cheyenne, Wyo.) ; 447.7 m.
TOUR 8A. Maxwell-Fort McPherson National Cemetery-Cottonwood Canyon, 5.1 m.
TOUR 8B. North Platte-Maywood-McCook, 75.7 m.
TOUR 9. (Council Bluffs, Iowa ) -Omaha-Lincoln-Hastings-Holdrege-McCook-Imperial-(Holyoke, Colo.); 389.2 m. [us 6]
TOUR 10, (Sidney, Iowa) -Nebraska City-Lincoln-Grand Island-Alliance-Crawford-(Ardmore, S. Dak.) ; 525.6 m.
TOUR 11. (Rockport, Mo.)-Brownville-Beatrice-Franklin-
Trenton-(Wray, Colo.); 386.3 m.
TOUR 12. Ogallala-Oshkosh-Bridgeport-Scottsbluff-(Torrington, Wyo ) , 155.5 m.
TOUR 12A. Bridgeport-Chimney Rock-Genng-Scotts Bluff National Monument-Horse Creek Treaty Monument-Wyoming Line, 59.4 m.
TOUR 13. Junction with US 20-Ponca-Niobrara-Lynch-Butte-(Burke, S. Dak.); 169.3 m

IV. Appendices
CHRONOLOGY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX

Illustrations
CORN IN FLOWER
CHALK BLUFFS, NIOBRARA RIVER
SKELETON OF LARGEST MAMMOTH, NEBRASKA STATE MUSEUM, LINCOLN
PHEASANT
SUTHERLAND POWER HOUSE
IRRIGATION
SPOTTED TAIL
OMAHA INDIAN VILLAGE
WINNEBAGO INDIAN WOMEN
OMAHA INDIANS, MACY
WHITE-FACED CATTLE
STEAMBOAT ARRIVAL, OMAHA CITY (1868)
OX TEAM, 1887
LEGISLATIVE CHAMBER, STATE CAPITOL
CUTTING WHEAT
FARMSTEAD COOPERATIVE MEETING, FALLS CITY
POWER FARMING, WESTERN NEBRASKA
GANG PLOW, PINE RIDGE
STOCKYARDS, OMAHA
PACKING APPLES
PEELING PINE FOR FENCE-POSTS
OREGON TRAIL MONUMENT BY FRED L. KIMBALL
BUILDING THE UNION PACIFIC
INITIATION OF Zephyr, NOVEMBER 12, 1934
JOSLYN MEMORIAL, OMAHA
ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL, STATE CAPITOL
AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING BUILDING
THE PIONEER
OLD JULES SANDOZ
BLUE RIVER, BEATRICE
FISHING IN SAND PIT, FREMONT
CATHEDRAL, GRAND ISLAND
FARMSTEADER'S SON WITH PRIZE 4-H CLUB CALF, FAIRBURY
AIRVIEW, LINCOLN
HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM
ART DEPARTMENT, MORRILL HALL
CAPITOL
STATE CAPITOL
DECORATION, STATE CAPITOL
MAIN HALL, STATE CAPITOL
O STREET, LINCOLN
SHIPPING CATTLE AT NORFOLK
SHANTYTOWN KID
WORKERS ALLIANCE MEETING
MORMON MONUMENT, BY AVARD FAIRBANKS, FLORENCE
UNION STATION, OMAHA
SOUTH OMAHA BRIDGE
NEBRASKA'S LAST VIRGIN TIMBER
THRESHING
ARBOR LODGE
DROUGHT, 1934
WHEAT IN SHOCKS
STOLLEY STATE PARK
MAILBOX, KEARNEY FARMSTEADS
SOD HOUSE
CHADRON STATE PARK
POTATO CELLAR
SANDHILL HAYFLAT
CATTLE AT SANDHILL LAKE
BUFFALO IN GAME REFUGE NEAR VALENTINE
LAKE MINNECHADUZA
SNAKE FALLS
CROW BUTTE
SMILEY CANYON
HARVESTING POTATOES
LONE TREE MONUMENT
FORT KEARNEY MONUMENT
PONY EXPRESS STATION, GOTHENBURG
IRRIGATION DITCH
AIRVIEW OF SUTHERLAND PROJECT IRRIGATION DITCH
TABLELINE
GRETNA FISH HATCHERY
COMBINES AT WORK
BLOWOUT WITH YUCCA ROOTS
EARLY MORNING, SANDHILLS
TOADSTOOL PARK
DANIEL FREEMAN AT FREEMAN STAGE STATION
CUT-OVER LAND
CHEESE CREEK RANCH, 1864
EZRA MEEKER AT CHIMNEY ROCK
WILDCAT HILLS RECREATIONAL AREA
MITCHELL PASS