FINAL
HUNT MASSACRE CANYON THE PAWNEE FACED THE SIOUX IN THE FINAL PLAINS BATTLE.
MAY/JUNE 2025
Swedish Midsommar Festival Annual
June 20-22, 2025
This Stromsburg Swedish Midsommar Festival started in 1953 and is still going strong. Stromsburg was settled in 1872 and given the title “Swede Capital of Nebraska” in 1966.
The Swedish heritage of those founders is shared with fun for all ages during THE THIRD WEEKEND IN JUNE as we welcome guests to enjoy the food, crafts, parade, car show, 3-on-3 basketball, horseshoes, fun run, and entertainment.
All entertainment during the festival is free. Most will be held in the city square around the recently renovated bandstand that was originally built in 1880. Plan to bring your lawn chairs and enjoy. There will also be a Carnival and Midway both Friday and Saturday.
To learn about more events and details, Call
Friday, June 20
4:30–7 pm Chicken BBQ
5-10 pm
6:45 pm
7:30 pm
8:15 pm
Saturday, June 21
7 am
8 am
8 am–8 pm
9 am–4 pm
11:15 am
Noon–4 pm
Afternoon
2-3 pm
4:30 pm
4-7:30 pm
Taste of Sweden, food
Swedish Dancers (local children)
Crowning of the King and Queen
Entertainment: Lincolnaire Chorus
Swedish Pancakes, two locations
5K-10K-1M, Earl “Helge” Byleen run/walk
Taste of Sweden, food
Midsommar market arts & crafts
State sanctioned children’s tractor pull
Edgerton Explorit Center from Aurora
Glomesdal Vikings from Oklahoma
Library: Charles Noyd “From Ockelbo to Stromsburg: Our Founding Families’ Journey to the Land of Opportunity”
Swedish dancers (local children)
Firemen serving BBQ & brats
6 pm Parade “Waves of Legacy”
7:30 pm
Sunday, June 22
Entertainment: Lincoln Continental Barbershop Chorus
11 am–4 pm 25th Annual Car, Motorcycle and Tractor Show
11 am–2 pm
Hamburger Meal by Sons of the Legion
11 am-5 pm Anna Street Trolley, ice cream treats
Both Friday and Saturday: Carnival and Midway
TasTe of sweden
MAY/JUNE 2025
FEATURES
of the Art
The Museum of Nebraska Art reopeans in Kearney, doubling in size to express Nebraska identity through bold architecture and immersive exhibits. by Ariella Nardizzi
At Massacre Canyon in 1873, the Pawnee Nation’s last bison hunt ended in tragedy. What endured is a legacy of resilience and remembrance. by Ron Soodalter
Great Nebraska Stampede
This year’s Nebraska Passport includes 70 stops of fun. Explore vibrant creative districts, creameries and heritage sites. by Ariella Nardizzi
DEPARTMENTS
Valentine is home to North America’s first Quiet Trail; The world’s largest time capsule in Seward opens after 50 years; Red Cloud honors hometown author Willa Cather with new Hotel Garber.
Test your knowledge about these Nebraska-made products. Answers on page 51.
Big or small, these museums preserve Nebraska history and heritage for all to experience.
Our poets embrace the new season’s warmth and the promise of change.
DEPARTMENTS
44 Kitchens
Cool, crunchy and colorful pasta salads pack a flavorful punch at any barbecue.
48 Traveler
Crofton’s Dam Race hosts athletes for a unique triathlon around Lewis and Clark Lake.
62 Naturally Nebraska
Alan J. Bartels gives thanks to Mother Nature.
64 Last Look
Photographer Kristie Medbery captures a rusty lineup of old 1970s Chevy trucks in Columbus.
On Aug. 5,1873, the Pawnee Nation set out on their last sacred bison hunt. What ensued was a deadly battle at presentday Massacre Canyon.
Story begins on page 28.
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS HELZER AT NIOBRARA VALLEY PRESERVE
Above: AJ Dahm (left), Quiet Trail International (top right), Danelle McCollum (bottom right)
Page 7: Nic Lehoux, Chris Amundson
Valentine pg. 12
Columbus pg. 64
Seward pg. 13
Kearney pg. 21
Johnstown pg. 1
Red Cloud pg. 14
Trenton pg. 30
Crofton pg. 48
Meadow Grove pg. 63
MAY/JUNE 2025
Volume 29, Number 3
Publisher & Editor
Chris Amundson
Associate Publisher Angela Amundson
Design
Jennifer Stevens
Mark Del Rosario
Lydia Paniccia
Staff Writer Ariella Nardizzi
Photography Coordinator Erik Makić
Advertising Sales Sarah Smith
Subscriptions
Shiela Camay
Nebraska Life Magazine
c/o Subscriptions Dept. PO Box 270130
Fort Collins, CO 80527 1-800-777-6159 NebraskaLife.com
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Subscriptions are 1-yr (6 issues) for $30 or 2-yrs (12 issues) for $52. Please call, visit NebraskaLife.com or return a subscription card from this issue. For fundraising and group subscription rates, call or email subscriptions@nebraskalife.com.
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CONTRIBUTE
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COPYRIGHT
All text, photography and artwork are copyright 2025 by Flagship Publishing, Inc. For reprint permission, please call or email publisher@nebraskalife.com.
From
the Editor
Nebraska’s Living History
Across galleries, canyons and even a time capsule, Nebraskans preserve memory in meaningful ways.
IN THIS ISSUE of Nebraska Life, our stories travel not just across the state –but across time. From the sculpture-lined galleries of a reimagined museum to the quiet cliffs of Massacre Canyon, we explore the many ways Nebraskans preserve memory and meaning – and how we turn landmarks into portals to the past..
In Kearney, the Museum of Nebraska Art has reopened after a transformative fouryear renovation. Ariella Nardizzi’s story, “State of the Art,” (pages 20-27) captures MONA’s evolution from a beloved institution into a nationally significant showcase of Nebraska’s creative identity. The museum has doubled in size to 54,000 square feet and features everything from classical landscapes and Indigenous beadwork to interactive installations and community artmaking studios – all part of the state’s official art collection.
About two hours southwest of Kearney, the land tells a different story. In “The Final Hunt,” (pages 28-35) Ron Soodalter revisits the site of the 1873 Massacre Canyon battle near Trenton, where the Pawnee suffered a devastating attack by the Sioux during their final traditional bison hunt. The piece sheds light on efforts by the Pawnee Nation and Nebraska archaeologists to document the site –not to unearth the past, but to honor it.
History echoes in quieter ways, too – like the yellow Chevy Vega and 5,000 artifacts buried beneath a white concrete pyramid in Seward. In “Fifty Years Underground,” (page 13) we explore the story behind the world’s largest time capsule, built in 1975 by local businessman Harold Davisson. Its contents will be revealed this July, offering a snapshot of everyday Americana half a century ago.
And in Red Cloud, a historic 1902 building has been reborn as Hotel Garber – a boutique stay that nods to both Willa Cather’s literary legacy and the frontier families who shaped her imagination (page 14). The hotel is also featured as a 2025 Nebraska Passport stop.
For travelers and history lovers alike, our special Museums section (pages 36-39) highlights dozens of cultural destinations across the state, including advertiser-supported institutions like the Museum of the Fur Trade in Chadron, the Neihardt Center in Bancroft, and MONA itself.
And if you’re ready to hit the road, the 2025 Nebraska Passport (pages 54-61) features 70 themed stops – from offbeat museums and local shops to state parks and art districts. Among the categories is “America’s Artland,” celebrating Nebraska’s growing creative scene, including Kearney’s own newly expanded MONA.
Because in Nebraska, history isn’t just something we visit – it’s something we live with. We preserve it, paint it, unearth it and pass it down. Not just so we remember, but so we can carry it forward.
CHRIS AMUNDSON Publisher & Editor editor@nebraskalife.com
Noteworthy news, entertaining nonsense
Valentine is Home to North America’s First Quiet Trail
BY AMY MEYER
On any given summer Saturday, the roar of Smith Falls cascading nearly 70 feet is often joined by high-pitched screams of delight from tourists splashing in its cool, clear waters. Not exactly a place one associates with silence – unless you can hear it the way Gordon Hempton does.
An Emmy Award–winning acoustic ecologist and internationally known “soundtracker,” Hempton has spent his life capturing natural sounds in wild, remote corners of the world. His pursuit of rare soundscapes recently brought him to the Niobrara National Scenic River near Valentine.
Launching a canoe from a landing just outside town, Hempton began a 76-mile journey down the Niobrara to test whether quiet still exists in this part of the Great Plains. Joining him were Nick McMahan, director of quiet trails for Quiet Parks International, and staff from both the Niobrara National Scenic River and the Nebraska Tourism Commission.
The group spent several days paddling the federally designated “Wild and Scenic” stretch of the river, recording soundscapes and evaluating the presence – or absence – of human-made noise. Their float included overnight campsites, waterfall stops and conversations with locals whose livelihoods depend on river recreation.
A key part of the assessment was determining whether visitors could experience at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted natural sound.
Time in nature is proven to be restorative. Studies show that silent soundscapes offer cognitive, emotional and physiological benefits – just one reason tens of thousands of visitors float the Niobrara each year.
“To qualify as a Quiet Trail, you only
need to provide a single opportunity to experience quiet,” Hempton said. “We found numerous opportunities.”
After reviewing the findings, Quiet Parks International made a unanimous recommendation: to designate the Niobrara National Scenic River as North America’s first Quiet Trail. At the time, it was just the second certified Quiet Trail in the world.
“We know quiet has not been studied as deeply as noise,” said Hempton, who co-founded Quiet Parks International in 2019. The nonprofit volunteer organization is the first of its kind dedicated to preserving quiet around the globe.
The designation was officially celebrated in October 2023 during a community ceremony at the Niobrara National Scenic River visitor center in Valentine. The river now joins the Cuifeng Lake Circular Trail in Taiwan and the Montañas Vacías Bikepacking Trail in Spain as certified Quiet Trails. Other sites under consideration include the Kvarken Archipelago in Finland and Haleakalā National Park on Maui, Hawai‘i.
Reflecting on the journey, Hempton noted, “It wasn’t just one event that was stunning and unforgettable. Every day there was an event that was reason enough to make the entire journey.”
Gordon Hempton canoed 76 miles down the Niobrara National Scenic River near Valentine. The river is North America’s first designated Quiet Trail.
Fifty Years Underground
The world’s largest time capsule, buried outside Seward in 1975, finally opens to the public
BY ARIELLA NARDIZZI
Just north of Seward – the small Nebraska town that proudly calls itself “America’s Fourth of July City” – a white concrete pyramid rises from the prairie, guarding one of the quirkiest legacies in the state: the world’s largest time capsule.
Built in 1975, the 45-ton underground vault was built to precise dimensions: 22 feet long, 10 feet wide and 6 feet deep. Inside it rested more than 5,000 artifacts meant to preserve the everyday life and pop culture of the era. A shiny yellow Chevy Vega with zero miles. A blue leisure suit stitched with yellow flowers. Bikini bottoms. Coins, movie posters and letters from around the world describing what life was like half a century ago.
On July 4, 2025 – 50 years to the day after it was dedicated – the capsule will finally be opened to the public.
The project was the brainchild of Harold Davisson, a Seward businessman, historian and entrepreneur. Davisson constructed the vault on the front lawn of his Davisson Furniture Center to preserve what he called “modern life” for future generations. His daughter, Trish Johnson, now owns the
store – and carries on his legacy.
“He used the money he saved from not smoking, drinking or gambling,” Johnson said. “That’s what he told people funded the project.”
In 1977, the Guinness Book of World Records officially named it the world’s largest time capsule – a title Davisson proudly defended. In 1983, to protect the vault and reinforce the claim, he built a 22-foot-long, 6-foot-tall concrete pyramid over the site. It served both as a monument and a protective barrier against water intrusion.
As the project gained attention, so did the contributions. Davisson added a second car – a Toyota Corolla signed by Seward residents – along with license plates, letters and hand-painted murals, including one by his granddaughters featuring a teddy bear in a tree. Nearby, a Davisson family tree stretched upward –painted by the founder himself.
What began as a gift to his six grandchildren became a community timepiece. Davisson lived to be 91 – long enough to tell many of the stories himself.
Since his passing in 1999, Johnson has served as “Keeper of the Crypt.” She
A large pyramid protects over 5,000 donated relics (left). Harold Davisson, wearing plaid pants on the far right, built the capsule in 1975 (top), which included a new yellow Chevy Vega (bottom).
gave occasional tours, kept watch from her window when kids tried to climb the pyramid and eventually prepared for her biggest task yet: opening the vault.
She conducted a “dress rehearsal” in 2024, cutting through a four-ton slab of concrete at the side of the structure – a six-hour ordeal. Davisson had once imagined future technology would make the job easier.
“I wish he could see it,” Johnson said. “I’d tell him, ‘Oh no, Pops, those advancements can’t help us now.’ ”
Although the public unveiling is planned for July 4, the vault had to be opened in advance to prepare for the event. Using cranes and heavy machinery, Johnson and a team of volunteers lifted the 20-ton concrete lid and began the careful process of uncovering what had been sealed for half a century.
Then came the painstaking task of sorting through thousands of items – with hopes of returning long-forgotten mementos to their original owners.
“There are cherished items and forgotten family memories in there,” Johnson said. “We’re looking forward to reconnecting people with their past.”
Jon Keller (left); Dick and Bette Sample (both right)
Lost Lady’s Legacy Lives On Hotel Garber brings new life to downtown Red Cloud
BY ARIELLA NARDIZZI
For more than 25 years, a prominent corner of downtown Red Cloud sat empty. The once-grand Potter-Wright building, erected in 1902, had slipped into decay. A fire gutted the third floor in 1961, and the brick façade faded under decades of sun. But on April 4, 2025, the building was reborn as Hotel Garber – a boutique hotel and cultural anchor eight years in the making.
Led by the National Willa Cather Center and local tourism partners, the $8 million renovation aimed to boost heritage tourism and honor Red Cloud’s most famous daughter: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Willa Cather. The hotel’s name pays tribute to Silas and Lyra Garber, early civic leaders and inspirations for Cather’s 1923 novel A Lost Lady, a portrait of grace and decline on the Great Plains.
Silas Garber, founder of Red Cloud and a two-time Nebraska governor, helped shape the town’s frontier identity. Lyra Garber’s character is widely believed to have influenced F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby Known for their hospitality, the Garbers once hosted dances and picnics beneath a cottonwood grove east of town. Today, their legacy lives on in the hotel’s 27 guest rooms and a cozy reading nook lined with Cather’s works.
Once considered an “eyesore,” the former commercial building underwent a full transformation, expanding from 16,500 to 22,500 square feet. Crews reconstructed the long-lost third floor using historic photos.
Original tin ceilings now adorn the
lobby, dining and lounge areas. Arched Italianate windows, decorative cornices and a brick parapet have been faithfully recreated. A recessed cast iron entry, once hidden, now shines with restored charm.
The building’s old barbershop tile floor remains intact within the Creative Hub –a flexible space for artist residencies, readings and community workshops.
“Hotel Garber is a cornerstone for everything we’d like to see happen in Red Cloud in terms of heritage tourism and historic preservation,” said Catherine Pond, marketing specialist for the Na-
tional Willa Cather Center. “It’s the perfect place to experience Willa Cather’s prairie world and literary legacy.”
Each year, visitors from over 40 states and at least five countries come to walk in Cather’s footsteps. Now they can linger amid 70 historic photographs throughout the hotel. The lower level of the adjoining bank houses a permanent exhibit, “Making a Place,” chronicling the layered history of Red Cloud – from its Pawnee roots to its legacies in banking, agriculture and literature.
At Hotel Garber, a once-lost lady has returned – and she’s welcoming guests.
The old 1902 Potter-Wright building (top) now houses 27 guest rooms, a lounge and dining area (bottom). Hotel Garber’s name pays tribute to beloved hometown author Willa Cather.
National Willa Cather Center (both)
HONOR A LEGACY. INSPIRE THE FUTURE.
Celebrate the One Room Teacher in Your Life
Memorialize a beloved teacher on the University of Nebraska’s Wall of Honor. Your submission will honor a loved one and will also fund scholarships for future teachers. Over 70 students have
Make your submission at nufoundation.org/OneRoomOneTeacher. Honorees will be recognized during UNK’s Homecoming in October 2025. Attendance is not required.
Create a lasting legacy today!
1
Mac’s Creek Winery & Brewery in Lexington produces wine from several cold-climate grape varieties developed for the Midwest. One of their featured bottles, Mac’s Lantern, is made from which red grape known for its deep color, bold acidity and ability to survive Nebraska winters?
2
Alan Koelling founded a company in Ord, Nebraska, that produces cooking oil from what plant? It’s called Simply [this plant], and the only product sold on their website is oil in three sizes.
3
Lincoln’s Deeply Root’d offers six varieties of sauces and seasonings, including three that share the name of what Caribbean spice blend that sounds like it might be mean to you?
4
What gum brand’s name appears in a cinnamon-scented candle made by Prairie Girl Candle Co. of Benkelman? While the gum inspires the scent, the name also nods to Nebraska sports.
5
In addition to candy, Baker’s Candies in Greenwood sells two salad dressings under the Nebraska Sandhills label. One is Sweet Onion. What’s the other, whose bottle jokes, “Now everyone can afford to own a Nebraska Sandhills [answer]”?
Mac’s Creek Winery & Brewery
Deeply Root’d
6
Dorothy Lynch first served her famous Home Style Dressing at a Legion Club in which Nebraska town?
a. Columbus
b. St. Paul
c. Springfield
7
HR Poppin’ Snacks in Gibbon, Nebraska, offers more than 125 gourmet popcorn flavors. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
a. Cashew Almond Toffee
b. Birthday Cake
c. Broccoli Cheddar
8
Beatrice’s Wicked Good Foods sells strawberries, jalapeño slices and even Twinkies prepared in what way?
a. Chocolate-covered
b. Deep-fried
c. Freeze-dried
9
In the Nov/Dec 2024 issue of Nebraska Life, contributor Ariella Nardizzi wrote about McLean Beef, a company committed to high-quality meat. What novel way can customers buy hand-cut beef in York?
a. Drive-thru
b. Food truck
c. Vending machine
10
Julie Willcock’s business in Hastings is named after a nickname for “Julie” and specializes in making what?
a. Honey
b. Jewelry
c. Jujubes
TRUE
OR FALSE
11
While Omaha Steaks was founded in Omaha, its headquarters has since moved across the river to Council Bluffs, Iowa.
12
Based in Kearney, Gizmo’s Goodies sells dehydrated animal treats for dogs, cats and even ferrets –including turkey necks, kangaroo jerky and rabbit feet.
13
Murcielago Fragrances, based in Boelus, sells three colognes named after Nashville.
14 The Wild Ass Soap Co., located near McCook, uses donkey milk in its soap-making process – hence the name.
15
Rafter 7S in Paxton makes hand-stirred pepper jellies in flavors like Blazin’ Hot Habanero, Strawberry Jalapeño and Habanero Explosion.
STATE of the ART
The Museum of Nebraska Art reopens with a fresh lens on what it means to be “of Nebraska.”
by Ariella Nardizzi
AFTER FOUR YEARS of silence, the Museum of Nebraska Art is alive again. Light streams through a new glass façade, visitors trickle into reimagined galleries and the hum of conversation carries through soaring, timber-framed spaces.
Located in the heart of downtown Kearney – surrounded by brick storefronts, small cafes and century-old architecture – MONA is both a cultural landmark and a community anchor. But its latest transformation is more than cosmetic. The museum has doubled in size to 54,000 square feet and added new galleries and education spaces – part of a $38.5 million expansion supported by a capital campaign and $7.5 million in state funding.
The new MONA is a study of contrast and cohesion. On one side stands the original 1911 U.S. Post Office, with its neoclassical stone columns and dignified masonry. On the other, a glass-and-timber structure that invites in the Nebraska sky. Bridging the two is a transparent corridor – a literal and symbolic link between past and present. This is more than a facelift, it is a chance to reintroduce Nebraska to its own story.
Nic Lehoux
As the state’s only museum solely dedicated to Nebraska art and artists, MONA is home to the Nebraska Art Collection –a permanent archive of nearly 6,000 pieces reflecting the state’s history and identity. It remains committed to its founding purpose: celebrating the artists who were born, trained or deeply rooted in Nebraska. The expanded space now widens that lens, exploring not just who we are, but how we’ve been shaped – and how we express that experience.
Visitors entering the new wing first encounter a sculptural welcome desk by Omaha artist Todd McCollister. The desk, carved from layered wood, evokes the undulating hills of the Sandhills and the ripples of the Platte River. It sets the tone: art that mirrors the land, bends the light and reclaims meaning from the landscape.
Before the renovation, MONA could only exhibit about 2% of its permanent
collection. Now, nearly 10% of its works are on view. That includes oil paintings, contemporary installations, photography, sculpture, Indigenous beadwork and a growing number of mixed-media and textile pieces.
Some of the museum’s most iconic works date back more than a century. Among the standouts are Albert Bierstadt’s dramatic Great Plains sketches, John James Audubon’s hand-colored lithograph of a sandhill crane from his landmark series “Birds of America,” and Thomas Hart Benton’s full watercolor series from “The Oregon Trail.” But perhaps MONA’s most recognized painting is Robert Henri’s 1911 portrait of Miss Eulabee Dix (later Mrs. Alfred Brooks Fry) in her wedding gown. Henri – born Robert Henry Cozad – had deep ties to Nebraska; his family founded the town of Cozad before fleeing after a fatal dispute
involving his father. The painting not only represents MONA’s most significant piece but also serves as a link to the museum’s mission: honoring art and artists of Nebraska, whether native, adopted or historically connected.
The collection’s range extends into the contemporary. Kent Bellows’ hyperrealist drawings remain arresting in their detail, often appearing more photographic than hand-rendered. Bellows, like Henri, is one of Nebraska’s artists whose work transcended the regional to earn national recognition.
The opening exhibition, “In Search of Ourselves,” spans time, style and perspective. That same Benton series now shares a wall with Wesaam Al-Badry’s powerful photographs exploring displacement and home. Born in Iraq, Al-Badry fled with his family to a refugee camp in Saudi Arabia before even-
Albert Bierstadt
MONA’s collection includes Robert Henri’s “Portrait of Eulabee Dix (Becker) in Her Wedding Gown” (right), John James Audubon’s “Whooping Crane – Young (Sandhill Crane)” (center) and Albert Bierstadt’s “Clouds Coming Over The Plains” (left).
tually settling in Lincoln. His work, which has earned national recognition, challenges stereotypes and speaks to the immigrant story – and the American dream. In another gallery, Nancy Friedemann-Sánchez’s triptych “Cornucopia” juxtaposes symbols of immigration and personal mythology. Her vivid panels pull the viewer into a world that is at once Colombian and Nebraskan.
Just down the hall, “Magic and Loss” – a collaboration between Friedemann-Sánchez and her partner Charley Friedman – immerses visitors in a surreal forest of oversized acorns and whimsical trees.
Robert Henri
John James Audubon
“Magic and Loss,” by Charley Friedman and Nancy Friedemann-Sάnchez explores themes of creation and destruction (top). Visitors peer into the visible storage wing at the museum’s extensive collection (bottom).
The installation evokes themes of memory, imagination and the shifting scale of human experience that echoes MONA’s broader exploration of identity and transformation. “It’s like walking into a magic forest,” said Executive Director Andrew Dunehoo. “You feel miniature – like ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ – surrounded by towering trees and Tyvek paintings that seem anything but static.”
Children lie on the floor, sketchpads open, drawing what they see. Across the museum, the new Anne Thorne Weaver Community Engagement Studio is filled with activity: students printing linocuts, visitors experimenting with watercolor and local artists offering demonstrations. “Education is what brings the art to life,” Dunehoo said. This isn’t just about looking at art, he added – it’s about getting your hands dirty, engaging, creating. For many, this interactive space will be the most memorable part of their visit.
MONA’s commitment to accessibility extends beyond its public-facing spaces. Behind the scenes, an expanded preservation center and state-of-the-art climate controls help protect the full collection. In the new visible storage wing, visitors peer through glass into rows of hanging artwork. These pieces are not currently on exhibit, but still part of the living archive.
A retail gallery allows visitors to purchase consignment works by Nebraska artists. Visitors can browse not only postcards and prints, but also ceramics, jewelry and small-scale sculpture. Every sale supports the MONA, which works to represent artists in the state.
In a light-filled stairwell, a 20-foot jellyfish-like sculpture by Susan Knight
Nic Lehoux (both)
floats overhead – made from Tyvek and oil paint, glowing with color and motion. Visitors enter the Rohman Gallery where classical and contemporary sit in quiet dialogue. Nearby, a group of schoolchildren sit cross-legged on the floor beneath a Lakota winter count painted on bison hide, as a guide explains how the pictographs tell a story of the seasons.
These are the kinds of stories MONA brings to light – whether by honoring tradition or challenging assumptions.
“There’s a perception that Nebraska art is all golden fields and blue skies,” Dunehoo said. “And that’s part of it. But it’s also abstract, political, personal, global. The work we show here reflects a spectrum.”
While MONA today is defined by its
expansive galleries and vibrant programs, its roots run deep into the 19th century. Among the oldest works in the collection is “Stag Resting in a Landscape” (1820), a pencil sketch by famed illustrator Titian Ramsay Peale, who served as an assistant naturalist on the 1819-1820 Stephen Long expedition. He captured rare visual records of Nebraska’s early environment. These early works provide a foundational context for MONA’s ongoing commitment to showcasing the full breadth of Nebraska-related art.
Still life paintings like “Pansies and Grapes” by Helen Martanie Snowden (late 19th to early 20th century) and “Fruit” by Anna E. Reid Hall (circa 18841891) reflect the classical training and
Plein air paintings, created “in the open air,” showcase the Nebraska landscape through different seasons and times of day. The exhibit is on loan from the Flatwater Folk Art Museum in Brownville (above).
quiet elegance of early Nebraska artists. Hall also helped establish the Nebraska Art Association, laying the groundwork for the very institution that would become MONA.
This ambitious undertaking might never have come to life without the efforts of three Kearney State College art professors: Gary Zaruba, Larry Peterson and Jack Karraker. In the mid-1970s, the trio began collecting artwork tied to
Nic Lehoux
Nic Lehoux
Guests can buy consignment works, such as ceramics and small sculptures, from the Anne Thorne Weaver Museum Shop at the main entrance (left).
Nebraska – without a budget, a building or even a proper gallery space. What started with 30 modest pieces and a few borrowed shelves grew steadily into a respected statewide initiative. In 1979, the Nebraska Legislature formally recognized their work as the state’s official visual arts collection. MONA opened its doors in 1986 inside the repurposed 1911 U.S. Post Office building, with Zaruba serving as its first director.
Their vision – and their leap of faith –laid the groundwork for what MONA is today: not only a place to view art, but to preserve the stories of the people who make it.
The new expansion was designed by BVH Architecture of Lincoln, with construction by Hausmann. The glass-and-laminated-timber design pays homage to prairie barns and grain elevators – structures that embody both form and function.
From a certain angle, the museum looks like a hybrid of cathedral and granary. It is sacred space and working space. It is Nebraska: pragmatic, poetic and unexpectedly expansive. This vision echoes through every gallery and lingers in the final scene.
In the final room, a couple stands before a swirling abstract canvas. They don’t speak. Behind them, dozens of plein air landscapes line the wall – each one a slightly different view of the same place.
This is the tension MONA embraces: past and present, realism and abstraction, rootedness and reimagination.
As the final galleries come into view, Dunehoo reflects, “We’re not just reintroducing MONA. We’re redefining what it means to be a Nebraska artist – whether you were born here, passed through or found something here that changed you.”
MONA doesn’t offer a single answer. Instead, it offers 6,000.
Artist Brummett Echohawk was a member of the Pawnee Nation who served in the 45th Infantry Division during World War II. His oil painting “1873 - Massacre Canyon, Nebraska” depicts the Pawnee and Sioux battle.
THE FINAL HUNT
At Massacre Canyon on Aug. 5, 1873, the Pawnee Nation faced their last stand. Today, their story of survival and loss endures through remembrance.
by RON SOODALTER
THE SUN HAD barely risen on Aug. 5, 1873, when the Pawnee people found themselves surrounded by death.
In a canyon in southeast Nebraska, Sky Chief looked at his people – fleeing, fighting and falling in the face of overwhelming odds. The Sioux, having followed their every move, had finally cornered them. On horseback and with a seemingly endless number of warriors, the Sioux began the attack, sending arrows and bullets into the fleeing Pawnee. Men, women and children were struck down, and the chaos reverberated through the canyon walls. It wasn’t a battle – it was a massacre.
Sky Chief knew the odds were impossible. His people were outnumbered, exhausted and unarmed compared to their attackers. The sacred bison they had hunted for weeks – their hope for survival – was now nothing but a distant memory. Now, at the edge of the canyon, the chief had to make a decision: let his people die in agony or give them a chance, however slim, to escape. In his last act as a father and leader, Sky Chief killed his own son, sparing him the horrors that awaited the captured.
What happened at Massacre Canyon was not just a violent confrontation between two tribes; it was the final, heartbreaking chapter of a people who had endured centuries of hardship, betrayal and loss. But
Brummett Echohawk / Omnia Auctions
Aug. 5, 1873, was the day that would break the Pawnee’s spirit – and forever change their place on the American landscape.
The year 1873 had been difficult for the Pawnee. Once a powerful tribe on the Great Plains, they were pushed to the brink by white settlers and relentless Sioux raids. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, meant to secure peace between the U.S. government and the Sioux, instead pushed the Pawnee deeper into their reservations.
The federal government failed to protect them from the Sioux, leaving the tribe vulnerable and unsupported. Compounding their struggles, the Pawnee were often forced to serve as scouts for the U.S. Army in its wars against the Sioux from 1864 to 1877. This forced duality – fighting one enemy while trying to protect their own – deepened their suffering and further endangered their culture and survival.
Their way of life was collapsing. Amid this uncertainty, the Pawnee clung to
their final cultural tradition: the summer bison hunt, a vital ritual for survival. This hunt wasn’t just a way to obtain food; it was a sacred practice, woven deeply into their spiritual beliefs and essential to their identity as a people. Yet, with the bison rapidly disappearing from the Plains due to overhunting by settlers and commercial hunters, it became more than just a tradition – it became their last hope.
IN EARLY JULY 1873, with permission from the government, 440 Pawnee, led by Sky Chief, set out from the Pawnee Reservation at Genoa in east-central Nebraska on what would be their final bison hunt. Over the next several weeks, they successfully hunted 650 bison, each providing 1,000 pounds of meat that they would take back to share with the tribe. This bounty wasn’t just for survival; it was a vital component of their culture, a symbol of the earth’s generosity.
As the tribe packed their spoils, head-
General William T. Sherman and Commissioners in Council meet with Sioux Chiefs at Fort Laramie, Wyoming (above). Pawnee Sky Chief wears a U.S. peace medal. In his left hand, he holds a tomahawk pipe, a ritual symbol of war and peace (left).
National Archives (above); William Henry Jackson & Edric L. Eaton (left)
The view from southeast, looking up what is now known as Massacre Canyon (top). William H. Jackson photographed a group of young Pawnee women, circa 1870, and Pawnee villagers, circa 1872 (bottom).
ing back toward their reservation, they camped along the river at Culbertson, east of present-day Trenton and the border with Kansas, with the intention of staging one last hunt before returning home.
That night, as the camp settled into the rhythm of evening, three white men arrived, breathless and alarmed. They warned John W. Williamson, a young government agent who was assigned to the Pawnee, that a Sioux war party was nearby. They said the Sioux had been scouting the camp for days, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
Williamson rushed to Sky Chief, delivering the warning. But the chief, a man hardened by years of conflict with the Sioux, dismissed the news. “Squaw and coward,” he reportedly said. He didn’t believe the threat was real, and this decision would seal the tribe’s fate.
Meanwhile, a young man named Lester Platt, who had joined the Pawnee hunt at his own request, became terrified. He fled the camp, abandoning his post with Williamson. His fear was real, but it was also a moment of desperation – one that left the only white man with the tribe to face the Sioux on his own.
The Sioux launched their attack before dawn. Warriors from the Brule and Oglala bands numbering between 750 and 1,000, led in part by Oglala Chief Pawnee Killer, descended upon the Pawnee camp. The attack began with the Sioux firing down into the Pawnee from both rims of the canyon walls. The Pawnee were caught off guard, and the canyon’s walls only trapped them further. The Sioux then rode into the canyon, closing in on their enemies from all sides.
Williamson recalled, “Waving a handkerchief as a token of peace, I attempted to stop the Sioux, but on they came – the whole bunch of them.” Williamson was powerless to stop the onslaught. The attack was swift, overwhelming and fatal.
As the attack began, Sky Chief knew
History Nebraska
William Henry Jackson
William Henry Jackson
A portrait (above) is of a Sioux Indian named Pawnee Killer. Lone Man (below), a member of Whistler’s band of cut-off Oglala Sioux, made a pictorial autobiography, which shows him killing a Pawnee.
the odds were stacked against him and his people. In a last act of preservation for his tribe’s future, he mounted his young daughter on a fast horse, entrusting her with the all-important bundle containing their family history. With a steady hand, he sent her galloping toward the reservation in Genoa, hoping she would carry their legacy forward.
To some extent, Sky Chief’s act was successful. The Pawnee Tribe’s historic preservation officer, Matt Reed, reflected on this moment: “When she arrived at the reservation, she was taken in and cared for by Blue Hawk,” Reed said. “He was my great-great-grandfather.”
The girl, alone and bearing the weight of her people’s history, would later adopt Blue Hawk’s family name, ensuring the continuation of her lineage despite the
massacre that had shattered her tribe.
The Sioux attack continued relentlessly. While the Pawnee tried to regroup, the situation worsened. Women, children and the elderly, unable to flee, were slaughtered. Some Pawnee were captured and taken prisoner, while others were killed outright. When the U.S. Cavalry finally arrived – hours too late to stop the attack – they found only bodies. The carnage was appalling.
Royal Buck, an early settler, was one of the first to visit the site after the massacre. He described the scene as “literally piled up with packed meat, robes, hides, tents, camp kettles, and in fact everything they carry on their hunting expedition.”
As Buck moved through the area, he came upon a chilling sight: “Here eight warriors took shelter behind a sort of
A group of Sioux and Pawnee gathered for the Massacre Canyon Peace Conference in Trenton on Aug. 5, 1925 (above). Two years prior was the first Massacre Canyon Powwow, 50 years after the battle. The powwow initially started as a way to raise money for the town, but grew into a larger event that brings awareness to the massacre through mock battles and performances from Sioux dancers.
bank or opening on one side of the canyon, and all of them are lying there in death, a squaw and pappoose [sic] with them.” The slain lay where they had fallen, victims of an overwhelming assault.
Settlers scoured the site for anything they could claim as their own, adding another layer of devastation to the tribe’s loss. Historian Paul D. Riley noted, “A great amount of goods had been taken by the frontiersmen of Red Willow and Hitchcock counties … . No doubt the battle was a boon to the frontiersmen.”
Once the attack subsided, those Pawnees who had survived were left with the grim task of returning to Genoa, some 200 miles away. Bereft of supplies, they were forced to rely on Williamson, who purchased flour and sugar at a Red Willow store to provide the bare necessities for their journey.
The government sent Williamson back to bury the dead weeks later. When he arrived, he recalled finding the charred remains of several children who had escaped injury during the retreat but met a brutal death later at the hands of the Sioux.
The Sioux showed no mercy based on age or gender. A report from the Pawnee’s
Bureau of Indian Affairs agent stated that “20 men, 39 women and 10 children were killed; 11 wounded; 11 captured. Over 100 horses were lost, along with saddles, arms and all the proceeds of the hunt.” Unofficial accounts place the number of Pawnee fatalities far higher. According to the Sioux’s government agent who had approved the raid, no Brule or Oglala warriors had been killed, and only two were wounded – although evidence suggests six Sioux died of their wounds.
“Through it all,” historian Mark Van De Logt, author of War Party in Blue: Pawnee Scouts in the U.S. Army, wrote, “the United States government proved wholly incapable of providing the tribe with adequate aid and protection.”
In the aftermath of the massacre, the government paid the Pawnee $9,000 as compensation for the loss of over 100 horses, 20 tons of dried meat and various equipment.
THE SURVIVORS EVENTUALLY arrived at the reservation in Genoa, only to discover that a combination of drought and a plague of grasshoppers had destroyed their crops. For many who had counted on the produce for sustenance after the failed hunt, this
was the last straw. “We had needed that bison meat to survive, and now it was gone,” Matt Reed said.
Over nearly half a century, the Pawnees had been reduced by disease, hunger, overhunting, drought, insect infestation and killing attacks by both white settlers and Sioux. Federal food allotments had been inadequate, and despite the promises made in treaty after treaty, the government was ineffective at protecting the tribe from its enemies. It is little wonder that the Pawnees now experienced what one author has termed a “spiritual demoralization.”
For many on the Nebraska reservation, the time had come to move. Less than a month after the massacre, former Pawnee Scout Big Spotted Horse, at the head of 300-350 Pawnees, left the reservation without permission and traveled to the agency of their friends, the Wichitas, in Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma.
By the beginning of 1875, all 3,700 Pawnees were living in Indian territory. A modern Nebraska Historical Marker at Massacre Canyon ends its description of the massacre: “The defeat so broke the strength and spirit of the tribe that it
History Nebraska
In September 1930, the Massacre Canyon Monument was dedicated (top) and reads “The Last Battle Fought Between Pawnee Nation and Sioux Nation”
Seth Varner (left); Barbara Johnston (right)
(left). A 35-foot stone monument overlooks the canyon from a hill (right).
History Nebraska
moved from its reservation in Central Nebraska to Oklahoma.”
The Massacre Canyon incident, though never forgotten by the Pawnee, was buried by time and overshadowed by other events in American history. It wasn’t until 1923, 50 years later, that Trenton held its first Massacre Canyon Powwow. The powwow was initially intended to raise money for the town, but over time it grew into an annual event that attracted thousands, some of whom had come to witness the mock battles and Sioux dancers.
In 1925, some Sioux who had participated in the massacre attended the event. According to local reports, they offered apologies to the Pawnee. Yet for many Pawnee families, especially Ruling His Son, who had lost his entire family during the massacre, the gesture felt hollow. The Pawnee people did not seek reconciliation in the way the settlers imagined; their trauma ran too deep.
In September 1930, a congressionally funded 35-foot stone monument was unveiled on a hill overlooking the canyon. The inscription read, “The Last Battle Fought Between Pawnee Nation and Sioux Nation. It stood as a reminder of the brutal end to a proud nation’s life on the Great Plains.
For years, Reed had carried the weight of Massacre Canyon with him. It haunted him – the site, the loss, the culture that had been nearly destroyed. But in 2023, Reed and other archaeologists from History Nebraska and the Nebraska Department of Transportation began a formal investigation of the site. They used metal detectors and cadaver dogs to uncover evidence that might shed light on the massacre. They found spent bullets, arrowheads and signs of human remains.
In August 2023, for the 150th anniversary, Reed and other Pawnee tribal members returned to the site. They held a prayer service to honor their ancestors, but also to reconnect with their past.
“The massacre is more than just a historical event. It is part of who we are,” Reed reflected. “And we must continue to tell the story, so that future generations will understand what we went through.”
In the summer of 2024, Reed, along with eight tribal members, reentered the
In 2023, Pawnee Tribe Historic Preservation Officer Matt Reed and archaeologists surveyed near the mouth of Massacre Canyon with metal detectors and cadaver dogs (top). They uncovered artifacts (bottom) such as bullets, arrowheads and signs of human remains.
canyon to again join History Nebraska in the ongoing metal detector survey and cadaver dog search.
“The cadaver dogs were again successful in locating likely remains,” he recalled, “and the question arose as to what to do about them.”
“After the archaeologists had dug down half an inch, I told them to stop. We decided that no matter where the bodies lay, their families could still hold our Mourner’s Feast ceremony for them. So in a sense, they were already buried, and they had moved on to whatever comes next. To disturb their remains would be the same as desecrating their graves,” he said about their decision.
Reed acknowledges the deep, lasting significance of the site, stating, “It remains the single most important cultural site to the Pawnee Nation, and the main reason our people now live in Oklahoma.”
Massacre Canyon, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, remains a symbol of the Pawnee people’s survival, a testament to their strength and resilience in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Though they were scattered and their land taken from them, the Pawnee people, through their descendants, continue to honor those who died there. Their legacy, rooted in that canyon, will never be forgotten.
History Nebraska
History Nebraska
BANCROFT
John G. Neihardt State Historic Site, p 38
BAYARD
Chimney Rock Museum, p 37
BOYS TOWN
Boys Town Visitors Center, p 59
BROKEN BOW
Custer County Museum, p 38
CHADRON
Dawes County Historical Museum, p 38 Museum of the Fur Trade, p 37
DORCHESTER
Saline County Museum, p 39
ELMWOOD
Bess Streeter Aldrich Foundation, p 58
FORT CALHOUN
GRAND ISLAND
Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer, p 36
HENDERSON
Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park, p 39
KEARNEY
Museum of Nebraska Art, p 57
Czech and Slovak Educational Center and Cultural Museum, p 38
Museum
TEKAMAH
Burt County Museum, p 36
WEEPING WATER
Weeping Water Valley Historical Society/ Heritage House Museum Complex, p 36
YORK
Clayton Museum of Ancient History, p 39 Wessels Living History Farm, p 40
MUSEUM OF THE FUR TRADE
See the history of the first business in North America–The fur trade
UNIQUE ITEMS TO VIEW!
John Kinzie’s gun
HBC officer’s sword
Brass handle cartouche knife
William Clark fabric samples
Chief’s coat
Kit Fox Society lance
Russian American Co. note Oldest dated trap 1755
Parchment HBC officers certificate
Andrew Henry’s leggings
Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m., May 1-Oct. 31
3 miles east of Chadron, Nebraska on US Highway 20 www.furtrade.org 308-432-3843 • museum@furtrade.org
Experience life the
MENNONITE WAY
Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park and History Museum
Explore our 8 1/2 acre site with its turn-of-the-century farmstead, depot, country church, and school, where stories of Henderson’s Mennonite immigrants come to life!
May-Sept. Tue-Sat, 1-4 pm or open upon request
402-723-4252
HENDERSONHERITAGE.ORG
1 mile south of Henderson, I-80 Exit 342
Paid in part by a grant from York County Visitor’s Bureau.
Explore ancient Rome, the Near East and more. Includes a children’s interactive play area. A new exhibit, Rise of the Greeks, highlights the ancient culture that shaped Western civilization.
ADMISSION IS FREE
Check website for hours Call for group tours.
ClaytonMuseumOfAncientHistory.org
402-363-5748 • 1125 E 8th St • York
Paid for in part by a grant from the York County Visitors Bureau
Lower level of the Mackey Center on the York University campus
Clayton Museum
New beginnings arise with the dawn over Nebraska, where first light spills across open fields and winding rivers. Our poets awaken to the promise of change as the land warms with each passing day.
Not the End
John T. Hansen, Lincoln
I look back, and there I see, some good times, and some misery. I look around, and there I see, the world in all its beauty. I look down, and there I see, the earth and its reality.
I look ahead, and there I see, the future, uncertain, but waiting for me.
With Winter’s Demise, Spring is Born
Lloyd E. Friesen, Omaha
Every winter dies – gradually.
As the sun’s day arc rises higher in the sky, the days lengthen and the air warms.
Causing the ice covering ponds to thin and recede from their banks.
And fewer are the days when the sky looks cold and is hued in dull shades of gray.
With increased warmth, the frozen ground softens. Until, at last, winter releases its icy grip.
But we need not mourn its demise. For the birth of spring – the season of new life and new beginnings – requires it.
Nature’s Renewal
Duane Anderson, La Vista
Freshly plowed fields, awaiting seeds to be planted.
Corn kernels sprouting, rising from earth’s womb.
Leaves budding on trees, a new foliage begins.
Flowers blooming in gardens, a landscape of colored beauty.
Eggs hatching in nests, young birds opening their beaks.
Spring has arrived, a grand renewal begins.
Heather Ingraham
Graduation
Steven M. Lukas, Minneapolis, Minnesota
I loved country life, the quiet, the isolation. Yet I wondered what lay over hills to the east or west. Confident I’d never totally leave behind my first love, I was ready to chance a look for new romances. I donned my P.F. Flyer Fairy Boots and soared over gumbo ground, lifted by spring breezes and youthful curiosity to explore never-been-to places.
Great Grandson
Carol Lukas Franssen, Steelville, Missouri
You fit into my arms so naturally the familiar embrace comes easily as I unconsciously call upon a past, when I held our four ... then their nine ... and now one more.
A new generation A new beginning
It seems there is no failing in this –this memory of the heart that molds willing arms.
Great grandson, as you grow – when you no longer fit into my space nor I in yours I hope that some little memory lingers of this time when we fit naturally … our perfect beginning.
Milk Pails are Waiting
Vaughn Neeld, Cañon City, Colorado
The sun rises golden on the east horizon. The early morning is hushed – waiting. The cows low softly, murmuring to themselves that breakfast is coming.
Mom and Dad are already busy; morning chores cannot wait for a sleepy-head who stares out an upstairs window at the glorious, ever-changing banner as another early spring day begins.
SEND YOUR POEMS on the theme “Harvest Season” for the September/October 2025 issue, deadline July 1, and “In the Kitchen” for the November/December 2025 issue, deadline Sept. 1. Email your poems to poetry@nebraskalife.com or mail to the address at the front of this magazine.
AJ Dahm
SUMMER PASTA SALADS
Cool, crunchy and colorful pasta salads pack a flavorful punch at any barbecue – and just in time for summer.
recipes and photographs by DANELLE McCOLLUM
SUMMER CALLS FOR a salad that’s as vibrant as the season itself. From bowties packed with crunchy broccoli and tangy dressing, to rotini tossed in a zesty Greek mix and herbaceous shells coated in savory pesto, these three pasta salads are the ultimate crowd-pleaser at any backyard BBQ.
Broccoli Bowtie Pasta Salad
Sweet and tangy, crunchy and textured – this delicious pasta salad medley will be the neighborhood favorite at your summer block party or potluck. Pair with a crackly slice of sourdough bread and serve as a main course for lunch or dinner.
Boil water and cook pasta for 8-10 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and add 1 tsp of salt. Add broccoli and boil 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, drain and pat broccoli dry.
Whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, red onion, vinegar and remaining salt in a large bowl. Add broccoli, pasta and grapes. Stir to coat.
Cover and chill for 3 hours. Just before serving, stir in bacon and pecans.
8 oz farfalle pasta
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp salt
4 cups broccoli florets, chopped small
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
6 cooked bacon slices, crumbled
Ser ves 6-8
Greek Pasta Salad
Opa! Bring along this Greek-inspired pasta salad to a summer picnic. Drizzled in olive oil and vinegar dressing, it keeps well in the heat. For a full-course meal, serve alongside grilled beef souvlaki or balsamic chicken.
Boil water and cook rotini for 8-10 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic salt, basil, oregano, ground black pepper and white sugar in a large bowl. Add pasta, tomatoes, bell peppers, feta cheese, green onions, black olives and pepperoni.
Toss until evenly coated. Cover and chill for 2 hours or overnight. Serve cold.
16 oz rotini pasta
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp garlic salt
1 ½ tsp dried basil
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp white sugar
1 cup cherr y tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 green onions, sliced thin
1 14-oz can sliced black olives
3/4 cup pepperoni, sliced in strips
Ser ves 8
Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
Savory pesto sauce coats this easy, no-bake pasta salad. Add all of your favorite herbs and vegetables picked straight from the garden. Serve as your family’s new favorite weeknight meal with crusty bread, or enjoy as cold leftovers for lunch.
Boil water and cook shell pasta for 8-10 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Add chicken, tomatoes and edamame to pasta. Add jarred pesto and toss until well combined.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate and serve cold.
8 oz shell pasta
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1/3 cup cherr y or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1/2 cup prepared pesto
Salt and pepper to taste
Ser ves 6
WE’RE RAVENOUS TO taste (and publish) your favorite family recipes and stories that accompany them. Send recipes and stories to kitchens@nebraskalife.com or to the address at the front of this magazine.
TAKING TO THE ROAD FOR FOOD, FUN AND FESTIVITIES
by ARIELLA NARDIZZI
TRIATHLON CROFTON’S DAM RACE
JULY 26 • CROFTON
Wispy morning mist trails off Lewis and Clark Lake as the quiet hills surrounding Crofton come alive with the rhythmic splash of paddles and the steady grind of wheels on pavement. On July 26, Crofton’s Dam Race returns for its eighth year – promising athletes and spectators a dam good time.
The unique event draws over 300 participants who choose their challenge: a sprint triathlon that swaps open-water swimming for kayaking, a half-marathon or a 12-mile bike race. For those looking to cruise, an e-bike division offers a more
relaxed ride around the lake too.
The triathlon begins at 8 a.m. from Weigand Beach, where racers launch into a 1.5-mile paddle on the lake. From there, they tackle a 5K through the scenic Weigand campground, followed by a 12-mile bike ride of rolling highway into downtown Crofton. It’s no walk in the park – but it does take you through one.
Runners can opt instead for the half-marathon, which begins at 7 a.m. and winds through valleys and grasslands of the Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area. Proceeds from the race support the creation of a pe-
destrian trail through the park.
Spectators are encouraged to bring signs and cheer. There’s plenty of room along Weigand Beach for watching the start, while the finish line lands in front of the historic Crofton Haymarket and Pulley Museum.
The post-race celebration kicks off around 10 a.m., with awards shortly after the final racer crosses the finish. Enjoy live music and Crofton’s famous Best Dam Bloody Mary. Whether you’re racing or just along for the ride, the hospitality here flows as easily as the Missouri River. croftonsdamrace.com (402) 388-4169.
Athletes participate in a triathlon that includes kayaking instead of swimming, a half-marathon or 12-mile bike race at Crofton’s Dam Race around Lewis and Clark Lake.
Sean Anderson
WHERE TO EAT
CJ’S AT THE LAKE
Keep the lake views going at this laidback watering hole. Stop in for burgers, pizza or the Sunday breakfast buffet – complete with a Bloody Mary bar. 54882 897 Rd. (402) 388-4267
WHERE TO STAY
HISTORIC ARGO BED AND BREAKFAST
This early-1900s brick B&B sits in the center of town. Period furnishings fill each room, with suites featuring Jacuzzi tubs and balconies. 211 Kansas St. (402) 388-2400
WHERE TO GO
LEWIS & CLARK PULLEY MUSEUM
Just steps from the race finish, the museum features a collection of antique barn hardware, hay pulleys and a 1925 Ford Model T. 105 Main St. (402) 510-8845
OTHER EVENTS YOU MAY ENJOY
JUNE
Swedish Festival
June 20-22 • Stromsburg
Stromsburg – Nebraska’s official “Swede Capital” – celebrates its Scandinavian roots. Festivities begin Friday with a chicken BBQ and folk dancing. Other weekend highlights include a 5K, maypole raising, Swedish food, Viking reenactments, and a grand parade at 6 p.m. theswedishfestival.com (402) 747-2911.
Concerts on the Creek
June 28 • Cambridge Nebraska Chamber Players present a relaxing evening of classical music, set
along the Republican River. Refreshments begin at 5 p.m., a light dinner at 5:30 p.m. and the indoor concert begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person. 72184 Crosscreek Road. (402) 429-8227.
White River Wacipi
June 28-29 • Crawford
Join a traditional inter-tribal gathering at the Crawford City Park Complex. The event includes dancing, drums and song, educational exhibits, arts and crafts, storytelling and vendors. Activities begin at 11 a.m. both days and admission is free. 27 Main St. (308) 430-1299.
JULY
Party at the Tower
July 5 • Oshkosh
For the 5th annual celebration, the Historic Oshkosh Tower shines red, white and blue. Grab a lawn chair and your dancing boots, and party at the tower with the Jim Rice Band. 103 East Ave. E. (308) 772-3686.
Oregon Trail Days
July 10-13 • Gering
The longest, continuous running celebration in Nebraska enters its 104th year of commemorating the historic Oregon Trail. Events include a carnival, bicycle hill climb, parade, barbecue, street dance, art and quilt shows. (308) 436-4457.
Art in the Park
July 12 • Kearney
Seventy artists across the state congregate at Harmon Park for the 54th annual event. Their booths are filled with beautiful work from paintings to pottery, avail-
able for showing or purchase. Enjoy food, entertainment and interactive activities at this free show from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 3100 5th Ave. (308) 237-3178.
Nebraska Star Party
July 20-25 • Valentine
Northcentral Nebraska’s remote sandhill region is quintessential for experiencing a clear night sky. The 32nd annual Star Party invites guests to Merritt Reservoir, a certified International Dark Sky Park, for stargazing, field school, wildlife viewing and recreational activities. 88292 State Highway 97. (402) 547-8221.
Nebraska’s Big Rodeo
July 23-26 • Burwell
Since 1921, Burwell has claimed its rightful spot as Nebraska’s outdoor rodeo capital. Nearly every professional rodeo champion has tramped through the historic arena as the Big Rodeo celebrates the town’s rich western heritage with wild
Fun for all ages awaits at the Cass County Fair in Weeping Water. Enjoy extreme bullriding, 4-H shows, Outlaw Tractor pulls, figure 8’s, tuff truck and a concert.
horse racing, relay racing, junior rodeo and a dinner bell derby. 46710 L St. (308) 346-5010.
Campfire Christmas in July
July 25-26 • Shubert
Celebrate Christmas in July at Indian Cave State Park. The 12th annual event brings holiday cheer to the midst of summer with tractor-drawn Polar Express rides, a yule log quest, reindeer pellet round-up, water slide, visit with Santa and campsite decorating contest. 65296 720 Road. (402) 883-2575.
Omaha Quilters Guild Show
July 31-Aug. 2 • Omaha
The 46th annual beloved quilt show returns to Omaha’s Scott Conference Center. This year’s theme, “Diamonds! Dazzling Companions,” will feature judged competitions, challenge quilts, a vendor mall and mercantile. Scott Conference Center, 6450 Pine St.
TRIVIA ANSWERS
Questions on p 18-19
8 c. Freeze-dried
9 c. Vending machine
10 b. Jewelry (Jules Jewel Box)
False (Omaha Steaks is still headquartered in Omaha)
(Name comes from two real donkeys, Donkey and Elmer – not the soap recipe
Page 18, Top Mac’s Creek wine barrels
Page 18, Bottom Sauces from Deeply Root’d
Page 19 Wild Ass Soap Co.’s namesakes Trivia Photographs 1 Frontenac
Photo: Arturo Banderas
Saddle Up for the
79th Old West Trail
PRCA Rodeo ~ Crawford
The 3rd oldest and ONLY PRCA rodeo in Nebraska!
This summer, celebrate Independence Day with thrilling rodeo action, hometown charm and a spectacular fireworks display after the rodeo!
July 3-4 8pm
July 1
9 am – Jr. King and Jr. Princess Contest 10 am – Kids Fun Day Rodeo!
July 3-4
8 pm – Rodeo thrills, family fun and fireworks await!
TICKET LOCATIONS IN CRAWFORD AND CHADRON
For more details & info on PRCA rodeo and Junior Rodeo fun day visit owtrodeo.com
Provided in part by a grant from the Dawes County Travel Board.
Vitamé Vas
we welcome you to Clarkson Nebraska June 27-29 2025 Clarkson Czech Days
Join us for 3 days of authentic Czech food, music and dancing.
Featuring polka bands in the Opera House. Side Step, Bronze Llama and Angie Kriz and the Polkatoons in the beer garden. Plus, a car show, wine tasting, Nebraska Czech Queen Pagaent, street parade, adult and children’s Czech Beseda dancing and more!
Find us on Facebook (402) 892-3331 clarksonczechdays.org
Photos by Moni Hourt
by ARIELLA NARDIZZI
FTHE GREAT NEBRASKA STAMPEDE
This year’s Nebraska Passport features 70 off-the-beaten-path stops –from indie bookstores and fiber arts to gelato shops and creative districts.
ROM MAY 1 to September 30, participants can visit 70 unique stops grouped into 10 quirky themed categories like “Lactose Tolerant” (cheese and dairy), “Her Way” (women-owned businesses), “America’s Artland” (arts scene and creative districts) and “Lasso Lane” (cowboy culture). The 2025 tours include everything from historic landmarks to offbeat museums, state parks, pizza pubs and bookstores.
Highlights include a slate of female-led businesses, local eateries and a fresh focus on Nebraska’s growing Creative Districts, from Kearney’s expanded Museum of Nebraska Art to McCook’s Embers Bakery and Ogallala’s Eccentric Lamb Fiber Arts.
Other categories include “Activate Yourself” (active activities), “Coloriffic” (color-inspired spots), “Culture Cluster” (heritage sites), “Eat, Shop, Repeat” (local restaurants and shops) and “Growth Spurt” (agriculture).
In 2024, nearly 50,000 people requested a booklet and 1,085 explored all 70 stops. Together, participants racked up more than 145,000 check-ins statewide. The secret to the program’s success? It changes every year.
Atkinson resident Deb Ecklund is inspired by the passport stops every year. She visited every destination on her passport from 2014 to 2024 and this year, she plans to cap her adventures at a cool 50.
“We still visit many of our favorite past stops that were on the passport in 2015, like Red Door Coffee in West Point,” Ecklund said. “If it weren’t for the passport program, I’d probably just drive right by.”
Ecklund says that, like her, the dedicated passport travelers “take this thing seriously.” She travels with intention, calls businesses ahead of time and plans her road trip meticulously.
In past years, she has adventured solo, with
her husband or with friends. From 2011 to 2014, she visited stops with her granddaughter. “It was a special memory to travel together and show her places around Nebraska that she’d never visit,” Ecklund said.
No two passports are the same. One year, travelers are knocking down pins at Burgie’s Bowling in Chappell and hopping on bikes from Beatrice’s Big Blue Bike Company. The next, they’re treasure hunting at the Happy Dackle Market in Mitchell or flipping through novels at The Cenacle Bookstore and Cafe in Auburn – one of many indie booksellers on this year’s “Tale Trail.” Travelers can download the Passport app or
request a physical booklet to track their visits. With each adventure, collect a digital or physical stamp for a chance to win prizes. Hit 10 stops and earn $5 in Nebraska Lottery coupons and a commemorative magnet, 25 stops for a Visit Nebraska calendar and 50 stops for a canvas tote. Visit all to win a Passport champion package: T-shirt, tote bag, seed packet and lottery vouchers.
The Nebraska Passport isn’t just about getting somewhere – it’s about wandering well. For those ready to explore, visit nebraskapassport.com to request a booklet or download the app. Then, start the engines and get ready to explore your own state with fresh eyes.
The Capitol District in Omaha is a trendy urban dining and entertainment spot on Capitol Avenue. The courtyard features splash pad fountains and a large, outdoor screen.
CB Visual Designs
Passport Theme Legend
America’s Artland
Activate Yourself
Coloriffic
Culture Cluster
Eat, Shop, Repeat
ALLIANCE
Growth Spurt
Her Way
Lactose Tolerant
Lasso Lane
Tale Trail
BOYS TOWN
Boys Town Hall of History Museum 13628 Flanagan Blvd. (531) 355-1141
BROKEN BOW
Ortello Dale 421 S. 9th Ave. (308) 872-2727
BROWNVILLE
Dobby’s Frontier Town 320 E. 25th St. (308) 762-7157
ASHLAND
The Roost Bed and Breakfast 203 N. 15th St. (402) 521-2056
ATKINSON
Flat Iron Bar & Grill 112 S. Main St. (402) 925-2933
AUBURN
The Cenacle Bookstore and Cafe 1304 Courthouse Ave. (402) 414-5070
AURORA
JoJo’s Gelato & Grill 1007 Q St. (402) 694-6880
BEATRICE
Zoellner Design Co. Beatrice Creative District 123 N. 6th St. Big Blue Bike Company 719 Market St. (402) 230-3035
BELLEVUE
Dip Cravers 2217 Franklin St. (402) 239-8269
BENNINGTON
Cup & Cone 15420 S. 2nd St. (531) 466-4339
BIG SPRINGS
Big Springs Depot Museum and Veterans Memorial 206 W. 2nd St. (308) 289-1299
EnvironsArt of the Midwest Studio & Gallery 128 Main St. (816) 210-3634
BURWELL
Calamus Outfitters 83720 Valleyview Ave. (308) 346-4697
CHADRON
CocoShack 802 W. 3rd St. (308) 430-3738
CHAPPELL
Burgie’s Bowling 145 Vincent Ave. (308) 874-3000
CLARKSON
Fat Head Honey Farms 1531 Road 7 (402) 910-7028
COLUMBUS
Columbus Area Children’s Museum 2500 14th St., Ste. 1 (531) 230-8091
COZAD
The Frontier Frau 114 W. 7th St. (308) 784-1000
ELMWOOD
Bess Streeter Aldrich House
204 E. F St. (402) 994-3855
EUSTIS
Gal & Goat
104 E. Railroad St. (402) 802-3423
FAIRBURY
Memories & More Antique Mall
409 D St. (402) 729-5464
GIBBON
Windmill State Recreation Area 2625 Lowell Road (308) 468-5700
GENEVA
Cumberlands Fashion 848 G St. (402) 759-3813
GERING
Western Nebraska Pioneers Baseball Club 1414 10th St. (308) 633-2255
GRAND ISLAND
Big Red Treats – Downtown 223 W. 3rd St. (308) 392-3456
Pham’s Coffee & Boba 614 N. Eddy St. (308) 395-7630
Embers Bakery and Cafe, formerly Sehnert’s Bakery, uses local, Midwest ingredients at their shop in McCook Creative Art District.
Embers Bakery and Cafe
Plains Lighthouse, a 55-foot-tall mock lighthouse, is made entirely of native stone at Lake Minatare State Recreation Area.
HARRISON
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument 301 River Road (308) 665-4113
HASTINGS
The Cheese and Wine Shop 615 W. 2nd St. (402) 705-0090
Bryant Books & Music 625 W. 2nd St. (402)-303-8554
HEBRON
Blue Bison
135 N. 4th St. (402) 200-2583
HOLDREGE
Coal & Feed Coffee and Vittle
Iron Horse Arts District 612 E. 4th Ave. (308) 995-2195
KEARNEY
Axe Holes Kearney 5012 3rd Ave., Ste. 150 (308) 455-8321
Museum of Nebraska Art
The Bricks Creative District 2401 Central Ave. (308) 865-8559
Kearney Welcome Center
220 11th Ave. (308) 237-3178
LINCOLN
Nebraska High School
Sports Hall of Fame 500 Charleston St., Ste. 3 (402) 476-4767
The Scarlet, Marriot Tribute Hotel 2101 Transformation Dr. (531) 300-5300
Open Harvest Co-op Grocery
330 S. 21st St., Ste. 104 (402) 475-9069
(402) Creamery
330 S. 21st St. (402) 413-2238
Elleinad Books 5930 S. 58th St., Ste. S (605) 261-9711
Bess Streeter Aldrich House & Museum
Chris Amundson
Sower Books
914 N. 70th St. (402) 937-9571
LONG PINE
The Tipsy Pine Pizza Pub/Elm Street Ambitions Boutique 257 N. Main St. (402) 382-0963
McCOOK
Embers Bakery and Cafe McCook Creative Arts District 312 Norris Ave. (308) 345-6500
Mint 217
217 Norris Ave. (308) 345-8659
Senator George Norris
State Historic Site 706 Norris Ave. (308) 345-8484
MINATARE
Lake Minatare State Recreation Area 290415 The Point Road (308) 783-2911
MITCHELL
The Happy Dackle Market 1308 Center Ave. (308) 424-1085
NEBRASKA CITY
Grimm’s Gardens 1401 S. 11th St. (402) 874-9340
NELIGH
River Mill Coffee Company 407 W. 11th St. (402) 929-2425
NORFOLK
NoFo Pizza & Cafe River Point Creative District 501 W. Norfolk Ave., Ste. 100 (402) 685-8752
V’z Oddz and Endz 400 W. Norfolk Ave. (402) 242-3006
NORTH PLATTE
North 40 Chophouse 520 N. Jeffers St. (308) 221-6688
Passport Theme Legend
America’s Artland
Activate Yourself
Coloriffic
Culture Cluster
Eat, Shop, Repeat
Growth Spurt
Her Way
Lactose Tolerant
Tale Trail
Yarn and community are spooled together at Eccentric Lamb Fiber Arts, a yarn store and community hub in Ogallala.
Tiffany Williams Photography
Lasso Lane
OGALLALA
Eccentric Lamb Fiber Arts Western Trails Creative District 111 N. Spruce St. (308) 284-7077
OMAHA
Legend Comics & Coffee Benson Creative Arts District 6068 Maple St. (402) 391-2377
The Capitol District 1022 Capitol Ave. (402) 200-3039
The Next Chapter 2508 Farnam St. (531) 218-7996
ORCHARD
Corner Hardware and More 250 E. 2nd St. (402) 893-3111
OSHKOSH
Historic Oshkosh Water Tower 103 E. Ave. East (Stamps at Mark Ferrari Coffee, 209 W. 1st St.)
PRAGUE
A-mazing Flowers and Studio
103 W. Center Ave. (402) 304-8916
RALSTON
It’s All About Bees! 8540 Park Dr. (402) 216-4545
RED CLOUD
Hotel Garber
346 N. Webster St. (402) 746-2545
SIDNEY
Savor and Grace 824 10th Ave. (308) 249-6965
ST. PAUL
Bed Head Coffee Co. 716 Howard Ave. (308) 754-2036
STUART
Bloomin’ Daisies Floral & Gifts 205 N. Main St. (402) 822-0309
SYRACUSE
Roc Hopper Brewing Company
448 5th St. (402) 409-0011
VALENTINE
Tooth and Whisker Outdoors 311 W. Hwy 20 (402) 376-1284
WAHOO
Found + Flora 165 E. 5th St. (402) 443-1117
WAYNE
Rose Cottage Guest House 303 E. 10th St. (402) 369-9341
WINNETOON
Winnetoon Mall & Post Office 312 W. Main St. (402) 847-3368
YORK
Mack’s Golden Grounds 600 N. Grant Ave. (402) 745-6073
Discovery awaits at Arbor Day Farm. Whether feasting on local barbecue at Porter’s, exploring the one-of-a-kind Treetop Village® or relaxing under the soaring timbers of Lied Lodge, there’s something for the entire family at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City. Start planning your getaway at arbordayfarm.org.
Nourish your skin with all natural sheep’s milk products. Select scents from kids options, unscented Native Nebraska fragrances and more. Try the “Hope” fragrance and Shepherd’s Dairy 4 Ewe will donate 10% of each sale to the American Cancer Society.
NATURALLY NEBRASKA Maternal Instincts
Mother Nature has nothing on Alan’s Mom
by ALAN J. BARTELS
IDIDN’T GROW UP
hunting, hiking, fishing, floating or otherwise exploring the outdoors. Thankfully, more Nebraska kids today are doing those things with friends and family. I hope those early experiences help form the foundation for a lifelong respect for wild places and wild things.
I was lucky, though. My parents were supportive whenever nature crept or crawled into my young world and tugged at me.
One time, my grandpa – Mom’s dad – abruptly stopped mowing and took off running through our yard. Keep in mind this was 50 years ago. Grandpa’s been gone for decades, and I’m now about the age he was when this memory was made.
The roar of the mower had flushed a young cottontail rabbit from the grass. Grandpa was still spry enough to chase down the darting bunny. He knelt, uncapped his big hands and showed me the trembling animal. I was instantly attached – and probably teary-eyed. Instead of doing what I’m sure he and Mom intended, releasing the rabbit, they let me keep it.
Feeding a baby rabbit with an eyedropper of milk every hour was more work than I could manage at age four. More tears came when we finally let it go in the backyard and watched it bound away.
Mothers – and most other experts – say spring babies should be left in the wild where they belong. I don’t disagree. But I’ve learned a lot through relationships
with wild animals, and I know the love and respect I now have for wildlife only exists because Mom said yes to that bunny all those years ago.
She never complained. But I must have tested her patience years later, after we moved to Meadow Grove. I could bike the mile from town to the Elkhorn River in minutes. It’s amazing how good you get at riding
while hauling two fishing poles, a bucket and a tackle box – and still keeping three fingers on the handlebars.
I caught my first snapping turtle at a pond near the river bridge and hauled it home in my bike basket. It was a 20-pound behemoth. Mom was startled by its prehistoric look, but I was fascinated. I’d toss in bullheads or frogs and watch it lunge toward its food. One afternoon, I took it out of the tank. From inside the house, Mom yelled, “That thing is going to get you!”
I don’t know how she knew, but minutes later – while I was trying to handfeed it a radish – the turtle clamped down on my 14-year-old hand.
Mom patiently endured my rotating menagerie of turtles by the dozen, plus bullsnakes, salamanders, crawdads and other creatures throughout junior high and high school. It still makes me laugh that she even allowed some of those critters in the house – in an aquarium in my bedroom – but snakes were never, ever allowed indoors.
One late afternoon, I snuck off to fish with friends and came home to find Mom mowing the yard – a chore I should’ve done. I braced for a scolding. But I am reminded that Mom was not mad in the least. She just kept mowing, business as usual, showing once again that quiet grace I’ve come to appreciate even more with time.
She still doesn’t like snakes. But she still cheers me on. Thanks, Mom.
Writer Alan Bartels may not have been raised wild, but thanks to one loving, patient mother, he’s found wonder in the natural world since childhood.
EDITORS’ CHOICE
photograph by KRISTIE MEDBERY
KRISTIE MEDBERY AND her husband were headed east out of Grand Island, en route for their 1970 Chevy Camaro race car in Iowa, when the trip took an unexpected turn. A quick stop for gas meant taking a right instead of a left – a small detour that led them past the lot at Precision Unibody and Auto Sales along Highway 81, just west of Columbus. There, lined up like sentinels, sat a row of old square-body Chevrolets – their sun-faded paint and rusty tailgates aimed into the Nebraska wind. “We’re a Chevy-loving family,” Medbery said. “We’d seen these beauties on the side of the road and had to stop.”
They didn’t have time that day, but on the drive home, they doubled back. Dust rolled in waves across the lot as Medbery, seated in the passenger seat of her own Chevy, snapped a photo with her phone. “With the high winds and blowing dust, it was the perfect shot,” she said.
The Medberys own a 1969 Chevy truck they plan to restore and a 1977 Chevy Camaro that’s been in the family since the early ’90s. And while they’ve been to more car shows than they can count, it’s the spontaneous image of a dusty roadside lineup that stays with her.
All because of a right turn instead of a left.
SUBMIT YOUR BEST photographs for the opportunity to be published in Nebraska Life. Send digital images with descriptions and your contact information to photos@nebraskalife.com or visit nebraskalife.com/contribute.
Kristie Medbery shot this photo with an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Adventure Photography 2020
