By Kerri Rempp

Discover Northwest Nebraska

Most Nebraska ranchers and their veterinarians probably don’t pay much attention to the scenery and historical significance of their surroundings when there’s work to be done, but a recent trip to Northwest Nebraska by veterinarians Ben and Erin Schroeder of “Heartland Docs, DVM” combined all of those elements.

The Schroeders made the trek from Hartington to Harrison to work cattle for client Jerry Stewart, who owns property in Sioux County. A vet tech and an assistant from Schroeders’ Cedar County Veterinary Services joined them, visiting western Nebraska for the first time. Since launching their National Geographic Wild show in 2019 the couple said they’ve had the opportunity to explore more of Nebraska.

Whether its releasing raptors at Fontenelle Forest, watching the crane migration or working cattle in Northwest Nebraska, the Schroeders share the unique opportunities with camera crews and viewers each episode.

“I’ve lived in Nebraska my entire life and never done some of these things,” Ben said, adding that residents need to get out and discover everything the state has to offer. “I told Erin there’s one thing I love almost as much as her, and that’s the state of Nebraska.”

Ben grew up in Cedar County before heading to Kansas State University for veterinary school, where he met Erin, a native of upstate New York. Two weeks later they were engaged; they eventually returned to Hartington to work with Ben’s father, John, in his veterinary practice. They purchased the business in 2007 and expanded it to include offices in Yankton and Vermillion, South Dakota. With seven vets and 27 staff members, they were plenty busy, but took on the challenge of renovating historic buildings in their hometown.

“Ben and I really enjoy historic buildings,” Erin said.

An Omaha World-Herald story about their work, which includes the 1917 Hartington Hotel, dubbed them the next Chip and Joanna Gaines of “Fixer Upper” fame.

“It went out on the AP (Associated Press), and all these calls started coming in,” Erin recalled.

An initial pitch to renovate vet clinics held little interest for the Schroeders, but a 2018 Skype interview caught the attention of National Geographic Wild. In January 2019, Ben and Erin learned “Heartland Docs, DVM” would be picked up for one season.

“I’ll never forget that phone call,” Ben said.

The constant presence of camera crews forces the couple to be always in the moment.

“It makes us have a deeper connection,” Erin said. “We wanted to be authentic. We really wanted to represent what the Midwest is all about and be a positive voice for agriculture.”

“With that comes great responsibility,” Ben added. Agriculture is number one industry in Nebraska, and it’s how we feed the world, he continued. It’s important to them they tell that story and educate viewers on topics like animal welfare and safety, beef quality assurance and fear-free animal handling.

Ben grew up traveling to farms and ranches as a child with his father and loved the camaraderie he saw.

“I fell in love with the people and lifestyle,” he said. That drove his decision to enter vet school, while Erin said she knew from a young age she would be a veterinarian.

Sharing the moments they experience with their clients, along with their two sons, Charlie and Chase, on television was an unexpected turn but one for which they are grateful.

“We are a testament to just say yes and try,” Ben said, adding that each time they’ve been uncertain, they’ve had the courage to say yes and it’s led to nothing but good things.

They are currently shooting season five of “Heartland Docs, DVM.”

“Everybody’s worried the magic is going to quit,” Ben said. “We’ll keep doing the show as long as it makes us feel good at the end of the day.”

They’ve put further renovations of historic buildings on hold, and they sold their two South Dakota practices since starting the show, prioritizing what’s most important to them.

On a recent morning in Northwest Nebraska, with the mercury sitting at 2 degrees, that was working cattle for a valued client. In between sessions at the ranch, Ben, Erin and their crew stayed at Fort Robinson State Park, where all those historic buildings had Erin excited. The focus of this trip, however, had to remain on the veterinary work at hand.

“We definitely know we’re coming back,” Ben said.

“Heartland Docs, DVM” airs on National Geographic Wild and is streamed on Disney+. Watch an episode at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl5npZ_-J24.

By Kerri Rempp

Discover Northwest Nebraska

The holiday season and new year will be full of changes for The New Leaf in Chadron.

“We always had a vision of a three-year, five-year and 10-year plan,” said Angela Lollar, who owns the business with her husband, Phill.

The first three years after relocating from Brighton, Colorado, to purchase the business was the evaluation phase. When they bought the business it offered floral design, tanning, tuxedo rental, lawn care services, a greenhouse and a nursery.

“Now that we’re into year five, we’re making it our own,” Angela said.

Above: Brolin Morgan completes a floral design at The New Leaf. At left: Angela Lollar, owner of The New Leaf, works on a bouquet of fresh flowers. Photos by Kerri Rempp/Discover Northwest Nebraska

They dropped the lawn care services and nursery and added a construction arm to the business, as Phill has a background in the industry. Work will begin soon on the next change – creating a separate entrance to the building and expanding the tanning salon upstairs.

A vacancy created by the relocation of the hair salon has given The New Leaf the opportunity to implement the next phase. Phill and Angela will add three new tanning beds for a total of six. One bed will be capable of red-light therapy, and The New Leaf will also add a spray tanning booth. Phill’s construction of a new entrance will allow The New Leaf customers to tan after hours with a keycard and touchscreen check-in services.

The goal is to open the expanded services Jan. 9, 2023, on the Lollars’ fifth anniversary of owning The New Leaf.

Brolin Morgan, Gillie Watson and Angela Lollar, from left, have some fun creating the holiday spirit at The New Leaf in Chadron. Photo by Kerri Rempp/Discover Northwest Nebraska

The New Leaf will kick off the holiday season first, however. The business is part of the inaugural Holiday Passport Program from the Nebraska State Tourism office. The program encourages visits to 20 businesses across the state for holiday cheer and shopping and is modeled after the popular summer Passport Program.

“I’m thrilled to death to be a part of this,” Angela said. The program launched Nov. 19 and runs through Jan. 1. Passport books are available at The New Leaf or from the State Tourism office.

Passport participants will receive a holiday souvenir token from The New Leaf, in addition to finding distinctive gift items. The New Leaf has unique men’s gifts, customizable gifts, houseware and home décor and locally-made jewelry in stock for holiday shopping.

Santa makes a stop at The New Leaf on Shop Small Saturday each year, and is scheduled to appear Nov. 26 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. for photos.

Nearly five years after making the move to Northwest Nebraska, the Lollars say it was the right decision.

“It’s beyond our expectations. It’s the best thing we’ve ever done,” Angela said.

By Kerri Rempp

Discover Northwest Nebraska

Nestled in the Pine Ridge near Chadron State Park and the Nebraska National Forest, thousands of kids have made summer camp memories at Camp Norwesca.

Established in 1954 by the United Methodist Great Plains Conference, Camp Norwesca has welcomed summer camp attendees since 1955, where they have learned new skills and gained confidence horseback riding, completing the challenge course or rocketing down the super slide.

But Camp Norwesca is more than a summer camp facility; it’s a year-round retreat center that’s becoming a popular site for retreats, weddings, family reunions and other group stays. Its secluded setting, surrounded by scenic Pine Ridge views, offers a beautiful backdrop and a quiet location for a variety of events.

“The groups that come here come back year after year,” said Director Brandi May.

Bordered on three sides by the Nebraska National Forest and adjacent to Chadron State Park, visitors can enjoy 40 acres in Camp Norwesca’s borders or hike the Lebo Canyon Trail to Chadron State Park. After connecting with the Norwesca Trail, visitors can go in nearly any direction to enjoy the trail system at the State Park and on Forest Service property.

This year, Camp Norwesca has hosted an estimated 1,000 visitors to date, with most of those using the facility for something other than summer camp.

“What’s becoming more popular ever since COVID is family reunions,” May said. Turkey and deer hunting groups have also made their way to Camp Norwesca, many when they walk in at Chadron State Park and find that site full. The site has also hosted a pastors retreat, two sewing retreats and six weddings in 2022. Wedding parties can choose from three flat-rate packages that make use of the A-frame chapel overlooking the Pine Ridge and can host their reception on the camp’s lawn or in the lodge.

As visitors use the camp, staff members point them to other experiences in Northwest Nebraska, such as Agate Fossil Beds, Toadstool Geologic Park or the Museum of the Fur Trade. Even families picking up their children from summer camp often add on a few days to explore the region, May said.

“This is a good central location to base your trip out of,” she noted.

May, who started at the camp as an office assistant in 2018, took over as director earlier this year. She’s focused on continuing to update the facility and raise awareness of its summer camp offerings and its availability as a year-round option for retreats, weddings and other group gatherings. Businesses can even rent the conference room, recreation room or community kitchen just for a day to host meetings, noted Kaylie Mason, the camp’s office assistant. Audio visual equipment is provided to make conferences or retreats seamless.

Camp Norwesca will celebrate 70 years in 2024. After original construction was completed, the Great Plains Conference added a craft house in 1956 and its outdoor A-frame chapel in 1961. Lodging accommodations were added to the central lodge in 1995 to complement the 10 cabins on the grounds.

The Region 23 Complex Fire in 2012 destroyed seven cabins and damaged 32 of the camp’s 40 acres. The challenge course was also destroyed. Since then, two cabins have been rebuilt and a new challenge course with three obstacles has returned. Today, the camp can house 50 in their basic cabins, open from May to October, with a central bathhouse, and another 32 in the lodge. Tent camping is also an option.

Staff members begin training for summer camp each May, and over the course of nine weeks in June and July, they host 15 camps. The camps are attended by kids from across Nebraska, and they even had a camper from Texas this summer, May said. Camps are offered based on themes ranging from Wilderness Wonders and Trail Trotters to Wacky Water Week and Camp Creation. The latter focuses on STEM and robotics offerings.

“That camp has really taken off,” May said.

Next summer, Camp Norwesca is working to bring offerings for 4-H campers impacted by the loss of the Halsey State 4-H Camp in the Bovee Fire earlier this fall.

“We know the feeling to lose your site to a fire,” May said. “We want to do what we can to help.”

Summer campers enjoy the super slide, gaga pit, archery, sand volleyball, basketball, arts and crafts and other activities on site. They perform short skits or music at the Phoenix amphitheater or travel to the state park for trail riding, paddleboat adventures and swimming. Camp Norwesca is an American Camp Association site, meaning all activities are run by a certified employee. Because of that, groups visiting the camp for a retreat or wedding may or may not be able to use some of the activity sites, as it is based on the time of year and staff availability, May said.

Even without structured activities, there are plenty of ways to keep groups busy. The large lawn can be home to a game of catch, frisbee or soccer, and the fire pit near the chapel is a popular spot for conversation and s’mores. Hike or mountain bike the trails in the summer or enjoy sledding, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing during the winter months. Inside, curl up in front of the fireplace or take advantage of the recreation room games and challenge each other to a rousing game of ping pong, foosball, air hockey or checkers.

Catering, from continental breakfasts to wedding receptions, is available for an additional fee and features home-cooked meals.

“It gives you that warm lodge feeling when you have a fire and a home-cooked meal,” May added.

Since June and July are dedicated to summer camps, nearly all of the retreats, weddings and other group events take place outside those months, May said.

“We’re trying to build on that.”

Learn more about Camp Norwesca at www.norwesca.org.

By Kerri Rempp

Discover Northwest Nebraska

From old-school hardback books to the newest technology, the Chadron Public Library, housed in one of Chadron’s historical buildings, is the perfect family-friendly stop during your Northwest Nebraska vacation.

Get creative in the facility’s makerspace, explore its vast collection of books, movies and audiobooks, challenge each other to a board game or the PlayStation equivalent.

The library’s recently expanded makerspace includes a laser cutter for engraving on wood, metal, tile and leather and 3D printers to make an assortment of objects, said Librarian Rossella Tesch. Computer programs allow users to download or design their own templates. Cricut and die cutting machines, as well as a sewing machine and button maker, offer hours of fun. Library staff members train visitors on the machines to ensure everyone’s safety.

In addition to an extensive in-house collection of books, movies and audiobooks, the Chadron Public Library also offers access to online collections through OverDrive, NebraskaAccess, Project Gutenberg, TumbleBooks and more. The online catalog includes magazines and books for all ages in multiple languages.

Want to view Northwest Nebraska’s night skies? Ask the library about its Space Explorer Backpacks, complete with a sky chart and telescope. Need computer time? The library offers seven desktop and two laptops for public use, and charging stations for your personal devices and wi-fi access are readily available. Looking for a projector and screen for an event or need to 3D print a special part for your washing machine? The library staff can help!

A collection of local and regional history is also available for review, though it’s use is limited to upstairs under the watchful eyes of the library staff.

“It’s very precious,” Tesch said.

Adult book clubs and yoga classes are standard features at the Chadron Public Library, and one area is dedicated to a permanent book sale. Next door, the Library Annex is a fully-stocked house of books that opens once a month for sales. Author appearances, speakers and other special programming are scheduled throughout the year as well.

Every October, the Chadron Public Library presents the Trading Stories Native American Film Festival. This year’s event is scheduled for Oct. 12-15 and will focus on extraordinary Native women and women’s issues. A complete schedule for the film festival can be found at http://discovernwnebraska.com/trading-stories-film-festival/.

Downstairs, the library’s teen room includes graphic novels, board games, a PlayStation and an Xbox, both with pre-loaded games.

“We just purchased the gaming chairs,” Tesch said. “The kids love these.”

The library hosts a variety of programs for middle school students throughout the year, from robotics and drone flight to fingerprint analysis. Younger children can color or draw, play with bricks and blocks or put on their own puppet show.

Children’s programming through December includes:

Pre-school storytime every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
Board Game Club the second Friday of each month at 3:30 p.m.
LEGO Club the first Friday of each month at 3:30 p.m.
STEAM Club the third Friday of each month at 3:30 p.m.

A newly-created Teen Advisory Board gives students their first hands-on civics training and helps the library shape its children’s and teen’s programming.

The Chadron Public Library has evolved to embrace today’s technology, but it has its roots in the earliest concept of libraries. Today, past and present merge inside a building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The community of Chadron, led by Dr. J.S. Romine, Fannie O’Linn and Mary Hayward-Smith, began discussing the formation of a library in 1889, according to the library’s history. Within a month, the trio had solicited 100 members and by 1894 had a collection of 415 books. From that time until 1904, however, little is known about the status of the library. In 1907, the public was once again enthusiastic about the idea of a library and after establishing several hundred members, the city’s mayor approached Andrew Carnegie for financial assistance.

Carnegie, a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist, donated money to construct more than 2,500 libraries worldwide, between 1883 and 1929, including 1,689 in the United States. He required cities to meet certain criteria, and Chadron was no exception. The city had to demonstrate that it could raise $500 annually and provide a site for the library. A lot at Fifth and Bordeaux streets was selected in 1911, and George Berlinghoff of Lincoln served as architect while he was in town designing the Chadron Normal College building.

The Carnegie-funded library opened in 1912. Chadron’s library became one of 69 Carnegie libraries in Nebraska. While nearly 40 of the buildings remain standing and in use as something other than a library, only 18 remain as libraries today. Twenty-five of the buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Chadron’s was added to that list in 1990.

The building was expanded in the 1960s through a bond issue, and supporters of the library are currently working on another expansion proposal to accommodate the latest technology and programming advancements.

The Chadron Public Library is open Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Friday-Saturday noon – 5 p.m.

By Kerri Rempp

Discover Northwest Nebraska

Nestled below Pants Butte and Castle Rock in Sioux County lies Sowbelly Canyon, offering a secluded, enchanting experience whether you’re looking for a scenic drive, birdwatching or first-class trout fishing.

Often referred to as a “Pine Ridge paradise,” the 11-mile Sowbelly Canyon, surrounded by buttes, pine trees, abundant wildlife and bisected by Sowbelly Creek, cuts through mostly private property. While a drive through the canyon provides a unique experience on its own, a stop at Coffee Park halfway through the canyon gives visitors more time to enjoy nature. Owned by the Village of Harrison, the 160-acre Coffee Park affords access to Sowbelly Creek.

Cast a Line

The creek is one of the few cold-water streams for trout fishing in the state, and this summer has been rehabilitated by the Nebraska Game and Parks. Game and Parks District Fisheries Manager Al Hanson said the habitat work included rehab of pools and riffles for better trout feeding and erosion prevention. The efforts also include an angler-friendly fence crossing and improvements to aid the Village of Harrison in maintenance of the park.

Sowbelly Creek is home to both brown and brook trout.

“The improvements will allow the creek to carry more and larger fish,” Hanson said.

The creek and canyon were impacted by a flood in 2015 when four to six inches of rain carried fire-downed trees down the hillsides. A logjam estimated between 2,000-4,000 cubic yards of wood resulted and had to be removed in the months following the flood. A Game and Parks press release at the time noted that the flood, even with its negative impacts, also had positive results. Game and Parks District Wildlife Manager Matt Steffl said in the release that the flood aided the stream’s health as it washed silt and soot away and deepened pools.

“We don’t have a lot of miles of public cold-water trout streams in Nebraska, so we like to do what we can to take care of what we have,” Steffl said at the time. “When the work is done here, we expect it to be even more of an attraction. When that flood went through, it washed out a lot of ash from the ’06 wildfires and also cut some holes here and there. In most places, it made a lot better cold-water stream than what we had before.”

The work completed this summer is a continuation of the rehabilitation from the flood’s aftermath and also included the addition of a culvert, the removal of dead trees from the park and the enhancement of overhead cover, Hanson said.

According to a 2015 Game and Parks blog by Daryl Bauer, less than 5% of the 12,000 miles of rivers and streams in the state can support trout.

Remember History

While trout fishing in Sowbelly Creek is a popular reason to explore the canyon, it’s far from the only motivation. The drive through the canyon is scenic and easily allows visitors to imagine an earlier era.

According to legend, the canyon was named Sowbelly after a confrontation between a band of Cheyenne led by Chief Running Deer and soldiers from nearby Fort Robinson. The story goes that Running Deer and his group were wintering in the canyon when soldiers learned of their presence and rode out to bring them to the Fort and eventually the reservation. The Cheyenne allegedly heard the soldiers coming and spread out through the canyon to ambush them. The surviving troops found themselves boxed in and trapped for several days with only pork belly to eat.

Harrison resident Jane Lewis’ poem, available at the Sioux County Historical Museum, imagines the scenario.

G.H. Coffee Park was dedicated by the Village of Harrison in 1976 as a Bicentennial project to honor the county’s pioneers. According to “Sioux County: Memoirs of Its Pioneers,” the 160 acres of land was homestead in 1887 by George Walker, a pioneer Sioux County attorney. It changed hands several times between then and 1931, when it was purchased by Howard Thompson. Shortly after, it appears a group of men, including T.M. Powell, A.M. Brown, Max Federle, John T. Coffee, Harvey Bixler, John Mann, Rex Coffee and G.H. Coffee, purchased the land but left the title in Thompson’s name. The group attempted to donate the land to the Village of Harrison for use as a recreation area, but the village refused it.

G.H. Coffee eventually purchased the land outright in 1948, and it was successfully donated to the village in 1972. An anonymous gift and other matching funds were used to secure a grant from the Game and Park’s Land and Water Conservation Fund in 1975 to develop a portion of the land for day use, according to the Sioux County history book. The late Virginia Coffee headed the Sioux County Bicentennial Celebration Committee and helped Harrison and Sioux County develop both Coffee Park and the Sioux County Historical Museum. Her obituary noted that the village and county were the first in the state to meet the guidelines to establish Bicentennial projects.

Between February 1975 and June 1976, picnic tables, fire grates, a water well, restrooms, parking, fencing, shelters and a gate were added to Coffee Park. The Harrison VFW donated and installed a flag pole. More than 400 people attended the dedication ceremony June 27, 1976, including Congresswoman Virginia Smith, who delivered a speech and presented a flag flown over the Capitol Building.

Since its inception, Coffee Park has offered day travelers a quiet respite to picnic, fish and watch for wildlife. It’s also a popular spot for weddings, family reunions, church services and other gatherings.

Enjoy Birdwatching

Sowbelly Canyon and Coffee Park are also popular spots for birdwatching as it is along the eastern edge of the range for species associated with the Rocky Mountains.

Western species often seen in the area include the Common Poorwill, White-throated Swift, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Pinyon Jay, Violet-green Swallow, Pygmy Nuthatch, Western tanager and more. Some eastern deciduous forest species, such as the Rose-breasted grosbeak, can also be sighted in Sowbelly Canyon, according to the Nebraska Birding Guide.

Roadside birding in the canyon or on-foot viewing in Coffee Park is possible.

The canyon is listed as a birding hot spot on Audubon.org and eBird.org, with the latter listing 169 species submitted to its online tracking system (https://ebird.org/barchart?byr=1900&eyr=2022&bmo=1&emo=12&r=L281255). The site also offers a printable field checklist for Sowbelly Canyon birdwatchers at https://ebird.org/printableList?regionCode=L281255&yr=all&m=.

How to Get There

Sowbelly Canyon can be accessed from either end.

Travel north of Harrison on Monroe Canyon Road just under one mile, turn right on to Sowbelly Road.
Travel 3.8 miles east of Harrison on Highway 20, turn left on to Pants Butte Road and travel for 10 miles. Turn left on Sowbelly Road.
Travel roughly 23 miles west of Crawford on Highway 20, turn right on to Pants Butte Road and travel for 10 miles. Turn left on Sowbelly Road.

Sowbelly Road is minimum maintenance and receives no snow removal. Road closed signs go up in the fall and stay well into the spring until the last snowdrifts melt, which tends to be far later than on the surrounding plains. Plan accordingly.

By Kerri Rempp

Discover Northwest Nebraska

Wood block prints hang from a line, a painted sawblade rests on a table and paintings in various states of completion are on display at Saddlebum Studio on Main Street in Harrison.

In the middle of it all, artist Di Filing works on her next piece.

“There’s so little time in life to do this stuff, and there’s so many ideas,” she said. “I find joy in it every day. There is no defining it. It’s just such a freedom to have.”

Growing up in Venango, Colorado, Filing knew she wanted to pursue art after graduation, but her dream was delayed when her father insisted she find a career that would provide a steady paycheck. Instead, she went into business and became the first woman to work at NORAD’s Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Later, she entered the banking field, working in Denver and in Wyoming, and, with her husband Phil, opened Glenrock Blue, a firearm restoration company.

Her passion for art was relegated to attending cartooning school at night and sketching in her free time. All of that changed when she retired in 2012.

“I decided to teach myself to paint,” she said.

High school art classes didn’t exist when she was growing up, but she always surrounded herself with other artists and said they’ve likely influenced her to some degree.

“I was a groupie,” she laughed.

She didn’t let the lack of formal training deter her.

Di Filing at Saddlebum Studio in Harrison works on wood block prints.

“I felt like I always had this inside and I had to get it out,” she said. “I just bought some paints and started trying. It’s repetition. If you don’t know the rules, you’re not breaking them. It’s kind of a clean slate that I’m working with. I’m still teaching (myself). Every day is a new day.”

Many of her paintings reflect the western and Native American lifestyle, and horses wildlife are featured frequently.

“I have a love of horses, all wildlife really, but especially horses,” she said.

While living in Glenrock, Wyoming, Filing enjoyed traveling to Custer, South Dakota, to sketch bison. After numerous trips, she told her husband it would be nice to find a place in Harrison to use as a weekend home as it would put her closer to the Black Hills. Harrison is also her ancestral home, as her mother was raised in the village, her father once owned Rocky Top Dance Hall (it was a roller-skating rink) and her great-grandfather homesteaded at the now-defunct town of Montrose.

“So, I came here for some history, too,” she said.

She and Phil might have gotten more history than they bargained for when they began searching for a home. In 2014, they purchased the former First National Bank Building, which had already been converted to a residence, as their weekend home. Eventually, they purchased the building next door – the original home of the Harrison Sun, which allowed Filing to set up her studio and let the couple move to Harrison full time.

Phil Filing gives a tour of the First National Bank Building in Harrison.

An armorer in Vietnam, Phil worked as a gunsmith in Denver before the couple opened Glenrock Blue. When they retired, he sold the company to an employee and now is happy to give tours of their historic home. The brick and stone building was constructed in 1911 to replace an old frame building on the lot that was also a bank. The clock currently on Security First Bank just up the street was installed on the First National Bank building in 1915.

The First National Bank occupied the building that is now the Filings’ home until 1924, when it changed hands and became the Sioux National Bank, which was in operation until 1983. The bank was robbed in 1934, and a group of men from the community engaged in a car chase and gun battle with the perpetrator.

After the bank closed, the building was converted into an apartment and nightclub for Windy Acres Angus. The cherrywood bar and the red and gold wallpaper installed by the cattlemen remain intact, and Phil noted that the original marble baseboards are a holdover from the bank. The bank’s original vault, check writing station and teller signs denoting “Paying,” “Receiving” and “Bookkeeper” windows remain as well. The Filings hired a locksmith to take apart the vault door and reset the combination and have converted the area to function as their pantry.

“We found money in here, too,” Phil said. After moving a cabinet weighing approximately 400 pounds, they discovered an uncirculated 1942 nickel.

“It is a fun place to live. I forget that it’s different from most people’s homes,” Di said.

After she ended up owning two businesses at which she was employed, her father always joked about whether or not she owned the banks where she worked.

“Twenty-seven years of banking, and now I own the bank! That’s probably why it felt like home,” she said while in her art studio next door. “And this used to be a newspaper office, and I used to work for a newspaper!”

The Saddlebum Studio building was the original home of the community newspaper, the Harrison Sun. Constructed in 1899, it served as the newspaper’s office until 1924 when the Sun moved to a new building on the other side of Main Street, which is now part of the Sioux County Historical Museum’s complex. Filing’s studio then became home to a creamery and a grocery store. In the 2000s, it was converted from a grocery store to a residence.

Artist Di Filing has ancestral roots in Harrison. Her great-grandfather, Solomon Borky, hand-carved alters for three area churches.

Opening the studio led Filing to another piece of her family history, one that indicates she comes by her artistic desires naturally. After homesteading at Montrose, her great-grandfather, Solomon Borky, hand-carved the alters for three area Catholic Churches in Ardmore, South Dakota, Montrose and Harrison. After opening, a visitor to Filing’s studio inquired about a portrait of her great-grandfather on display. When she explained that her great-grandfather carved alters for the local churches, he asked if she wanted a piece of the alter from the original Harrison church.

“He’d had it in storage for 40 years,” Filing said. Carved in 1897, the top of the alter now sits in her studio, a reminder of her historical and artistic roots in the region.

Today, she continues that artistic legacy.

Since teaching herself to paint, she’s begun exploring other mediums as well, including charcoal, pen and ink and alcohol ink. She’s started repurposing saws and Altoids boxes as art and two weeks ago dived into wood block printing.

“I’m having a ball with it. I love what I’m doing. I have to create something every day.”

Saddlebum Studio is located at 221 Main Street in Harrison. While she is in the studio every day, she doesn’t have set hours since she and Phil are both retired. If the studio is closed but there are lights on next door at home, visitors are welcome to knock and door. She’ll be happy to open the studio, and Phil might even give them a tour of the First National Bank building! Filing’s art can be viewed at Facebook.com/saddlebumstudio.

By Kerri Rempp

Discover Northwest Nebraska

Break a rack and avoid those gobble holes!

With more than a century behind it, one Crawford building has received a facelift and is home to a new business that encourages kids and adults alike to put down their phones and enjoy simpler forms of entertainment.

The Brick House Emporium opened in April in what has long been known as Old City Hall at 209 Elm St. in Crawford. Owner Nina Anderson has fond memories of spending time at The Chief in Crawford when she was growing up, settling into high-backed booths, playing pool or pinball and listening to music on the jukebox.

“We’d just set there for hours. Adults and kids hung out there all the time. I wanted to give Crawford a place like that back,” she said.

Ian Anderson makes use of the pool tables at the Brick House Emporium, a new addition to Northwest Nebraska, located in the Old City Hall in Crawford.

Anderson’s career took her away from Crawford as an adult, though she returned to the area in 2002 to take a position in Scottsbluff before later moving to Kansas City. After 30 years with the Federal Aviation Administration, Anderson retired in 2019 and returned to Crawford, where her three sisters and son, Ian, who graduated from Crawford High School while she was stationed in Scottsbluff, still lived.

The Northwest Nebraska community has tried to support a youth center in the past, but never quite succeeded, she said. Anderson, along with her son and Brittany Horan, set out to open a business that would provide a safe place for kids to hang out but also be a fun, relaxed, alcohol-free environment for people of all ages.

“It’s just something Crawford needed,” Nina Anderson said.

The trio looked at a few buildings before settling on Old City Hall.

“We figured it had more potential,” said Ian Anderson, noting that in addition to the business, his mother also lives in the upper story of the building.

Constructed in 1914 for $12,800, the western half of Old City Hall was home to the city government offices, while the Crawford Fire Department occupied the east half from 1915 until the 1960s when it moved across the street. The Crawford Public Library also called the building home, moving into the second floor in 1965 for 20 years.

The fire department’s electric siren was installed in the building’s cupola in 1930, replacing the original 1891 bell and the 1907 steam whistle.

“The siren is still up there because it was too heavy to take down,” Nina Anderson said. The city’s abandoned jail cells still reside in the basement, as well. The building more recently has been home to an antique mall and a café.

Brittany Horan, who prepares the meals and cupcakes at Brick House Emporium, takes aim at a pool ball.

Nina Anderson tries her hand at pinball on a Lethal Weapon machine she rebuilt for the Brick House Emporium in Crawford’s Old City Hall.

With more than two years of sweat equity, the Andersons and Horan are proud to add the Brick House Emporium to the Old City Hall’s history. Pool tables and pinball games, including a Lethal Weapon game they completely rebuilt, offer hours of entertainment while the jukebox plays in the background. Popcorn, snacks, and smoothies keep hunger at bay, and on Mondays Horan, a Scottsbluff native who has worked in delis and bakeries in the Panhandle, prepares and serves homestyle meals from 11 a.m. until the food runs out. She also offers specialty cupcakes every Wednesday.

Though they haven’t been open long, Ian Anderson said it’s been amazing to see the community’s reaction.

“The community has been very supportive,” Nina Anderson said.

The building still needs additional renovation, including Anderson’s living quarters, but when the group looks back over the last two years, they realize just how much they’ve accomplished.

While that old siren is still there, it’s now been enclosed so birds and bats can’t do any further damage. The building has been rewired and the power upgraded, and new windows, insulation and HVAC were installed. The roof on the small side of the building was redone, and one bathroom was converted into two. A kitchen with cabinets by a local craftsman was constructed so Horan can whip up her weekly specials, and in the main room of the business, they painstakingly hand-painted the wall to match the brick wallboard in the kitchen.

Once the structure was sound, they began decorating, choosing steam punk as their theme, Ian Anderson said, pointing out things like gear boxes for light switches.

“I love steam punk décor,” Nina Anderson said.

In addition to the pool and arcade games, the Brick House Emporium is working with local artists to offer their crafts, jewelry and tie-dye. The variety of offerings and the possibilities they hope to explore in the future led them to the business’ name, Ian Anderson said.

“The definition of an emporium is all inclusive, and that’s the idea,” he said.

The Brick House Emporium is currently open 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday; 2-8 p.m. Tuesday; 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday; and 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Thursday – Saturday. It is closed Sunday to the public but is available for private parties.

Nina and Ian Anderson and Brittany Horan have renovated the Old City Hall in Crawford and opened the Brick House Emporium.

By Kerri Rempp

Discover Northwest Nebraska

My stomach is flat, the ‘L’ is just silent.

Dear weather, stop showing off. We get it, you’re hot.

Anyone visiting Crawford in the last three-plus decades has probably had a chuckle thanks to the Staab’s Drive-Inn sign. But the attention-getting quotes are just a preface to the real reason locals and visitors alike keep returning to the Northwest Nebraska institution.

“Right away we put in the broasters and the broasted chicken,” Renee Staab said of purchasing the diner along Highway 20 with her husband Roger. “We thought it would be a good addition to the area.”

The couple, originally from Iowa, brought broasted chicken to Northwest Nebraska from their native state. They also added curly fries, broasted potatoes and fresh, hand-made hamburger patties rather than the frozen pre-made variety. Later they added flurries and new combinations of ice cream sundaes, Renee said.

Constructed in the 1950s by John Wickstrom, Staab’s began as a Dairy Queen before eventually changing its name to Daisy Queen. In 1981, the Staabs purchased the business and within a few years changed the name again. Even before the name change, however, the couple revamped the menu, adding the broasted chicken for which Staab’s has become famous.

The Staabs have since retired, selling the business in 2018 to Jason and Taylor Hauser. The name remains in honor of the couple’s nearly 37 years of ownership and their mentorship to the Hausers, Jason said.

Jason Hauser takes an order at Staab’s Drive-Inn.

A certain symmetry led both the Staabs and the Hausers into the business. Roger was working for Gillette and familiar with the business through his route. It was suggested they purchase the Daisy Queen during one of Roger’s Fourth of July deliveries to the business. Decades later, Hauser was doing right-of-way work in the area for the state when someone suggested he buy the business.

When Hauser reached out to the Staabs, they encouraged him to work at the drive-in first, and he did so in 2016 and 2017 before finalizing the sale in 2018.

“We wanted to see it go into good hands,” Renee said. “We put a lot of blood, sweat and tears in it.”

For Hauser, it was the culmination of a life-long dream.

“Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to own my own business,” he said. “What Staab’s has offered me and my family has been huge.”

Staab’s is still known for its broasted chicken. Hauser credits the long-standing tradition of using fresh, never frozen chicken, the 48-hour marinade and the daily hand-breading process for the home-cooked taste.

“People travel quite a way for our broasted chicken,” Hauser said. “Like Roger always says, ‘You won’t get a better piece of chicken unless you’re a rooster.’”

The business gave Staabs the opportunity to raise their family in a small community, employed their children during high school and allowed them to meet a variety of people from across the country, some who remain close friends today, Renee said.

“We really did enjoy it,” she said.

Taylor and Jason Hauser bought Staab’s Drive-Inn in Crawford in 2018. They are pictured here with their son, Jackson.

Janet Lemmon takes an order at Staab’s Drive-Inn.

With a typical staff of eight, Staab’s continues to employ a lot of high school kids during the summer, and Hauser tries to mentor them in business practices and a general attitude of success. Working with them and interacting with the customers is by far the most rewarding aspect, he said. He enjoys meeting the travelers who come from all over the country and the world, but also is deeply appreciative of the support from local residents.

“The cornerstone of (Staab’s) is definitely the locals,” he said, offering thanks to both his employees and the community for making the business a success.

“We definitely wouldn’t be where we are without those two ingredients.”

The Hausers have continued many of the traditions built by the Staabs, including the sayings on the signs. Roger was meticulous the business’s appearance, and Renee said they started using the funny quotes to grab the attention of passers-by. It worked, and over the years, many people have snapped photos in front of the sign.

“Sometimes it just pops in your head,” Hauser said of what to put up on the sign. Other times they go searching the internet and tweak it to the business or the region.

The newest addition to Staab’s, however, was one added by the Hausers – Big Ern. The overgrown iron chicken was something the Staabs had always hoped to find, but it took two years into ownership by the Hausers before it became a reality. Taylor saw the chicken along the highway while they were driving through the Black Hills. The unpainted chicken was exactly what they had been searching for.

Their first trip to bring him home was a bust because he was frozen to the ground, but he eventually made it to Northwest Nebraska. Crawford’s Creighton and April Grant painted him in preparation for a chicken walk in May 2020, where they rolled him through Crawford’s streets to his final nesting place underneath the business sign.

“He’s heavy. He’s a pretty stout chicken,” Jason said.

Staab’s Drive-Inn is open March through November each year and hosts an annual Retro Night in June.

By Kerri Rempp

Discover Northwest Nebraska

Turn your expectations about Nebraska upside down. When you set your compass for Northwest Nebraska, you’ll do exactly that.

Here are five ways Northwest Nebraska will exceed your expectations.

Landscape: Northwest Nebraska isn’t the flat, cornfield-ridden landscape you envision. It’s towering buttes that provided an escape route for Cheyenne Indians breaking out of Fort Robinson in 1879. It’s the lunar-like surface of Toadstool Geologic Park, where you can turn back the clock 30 million years and view in-situ fossils of miniature horses, humpless camels, gigantic tortoises and more among toadstool-shaped rocks. It’s Sowbelly Canyon, cut through the buttes and hiding the perfect picnic, fishing and birdwatching spot at Coffee Park. It’s the soaring Ponderosa pine tree stands of the Nebraska National Forest and the sweeping expanse of the Oglala National Grasslands, all under a vast night sky filled with stars. Learn more about our Parks and Wildlands at http://discovernwnebraska.com/parks-and-wildlands/

2. Prehistoric Stops: Along what Northwest Nebraska dubs the Fossil Freeway (Highways 29, 20, 71), you’ll view fossils unlike any you’ve ever seen. At Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, the Devil’s Corkscrew fossils are rare spiral burrows that the Smithsonian Magazine has called “one of the most unusual fossils ever found.” Further along the Fossil Freeway, Trailside Museum is home to the premier Clash of the Mammoths exhibit, a display featuring bull mammoths that died with their tusks interlocked in combat. Hudson-Meng Bison Bone Bed and Toadstool Geologic Park are located in the far reaches of Northwest Nebraska. Hudson-Meng houses a mystery yet to be solved at one of the most important paleo-archeological discoveries in North America. Nearby is Toadstool Geologic Park with its 30 million years of fossil and geological history and unusual rock formations. Learn more about these and other attractions at http://discovernwnebraska.com/attractions/.

3. Arts and Culture: Northwest Nebraska’s newest attraction is nestled inside an old cistern south of Chadron State College. The Earth art Labyrinth was completed by area residents and college students in the midst of the pandemic and provides a quiet place for reflection. Chadron State College also offers a variety of musical and theater performances, as well as guest lectures throughout the academic year. And don’t forget a stop at Art Alley nestled in the heart of Chadron’s downtown, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. At Fort Robinson State Park, Post Playhouse is the region’s favorite live theater venue, showcasing five shows a season with actors from across the nation. Two art galleries in Crawford and Harrison give you the chance to take a piece of Northwest Nebraska home with you. Learn more about these and other attractions at http://discovernwnebraska.com/attractions/.

4. Wildlife: This might be where the buffalo roam and the deer and antelope play, but Northwest Nebraska is also home to elk, bighorn sheep, mountain lion, turkey and hundreds of species of birds, from bald eagles to Swainson’s thrushes and Cordilleran flycatchers. The region’s lakes and streams offer a plethora of fish, including five types of trout, northern pike, walleye, largemouth and rock bass, channel catfish and more. Learn more about the region’s parks, wildlands and wildlife management areas at http://discovernwnebraska.com/parks-and-wildlands/.

5. Unique Businesses: Northwest Nebraska also has several unique shopping opportunities to take advantage of during your stop. Take home authentic western wear, antiques, and locally-sourced honey. Enjoy coffee and atmosphere in our local coffee shops and stop for a nightcap at the local tap room or one of our bars. Explore our business partners at http://discovernwnebraska.com/shop-nw-nebraska/

Start planning your trip to Northwest Nebraska today. Learn about our museums, monuments and historical markers at http://discovernwnebraska.com/museums-and-markers/. Discover unique events to attend at http://discovernwnebraska.com/events/, and follow our calendar of events at http://discovernwnebraska.com/calendar-of-events-2/. View our lodging, dining and transportation options at http://discovernwnebraska.com/plan-your-trip/. Explore our 2022 travel guide online or request a copy at http://discovernwnebraska.com/plan-your-trip/nw-nebraska-travel-guide/. You can also download the Discover Northwest Nebraska app at https://northwest-ne.yo.city/app/download and have all the information at your fingertips.

This is Northwest Nebraska, and there’s No Better Direction.

By Kerri Rempp

Discover Northwest Nebraska

Northwest Nebraska’s newest attraction, a piece of Earth art, is designed to encourage users to slow down, reflect and gain new perspective.

Community volunteers and Chadron State College students and staff completed a Classical seven-circuit labyrinth in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a piece of land art using natural materials created to inspire contemplation.

“Our campus is set into the remote Pine Ridge escarpments of Northwest Nebraska on the edge of the High Plains,” Mary Donahue, a CSC professor of communication, music, art and theatre, wrote for a case study on the labyrinth’s conception. “Within the hills on the south edge of campus is a historic, brick-walled open-air cistern, once used as the water supply for the town of Chadron. This was our planned labyrinth location. The cistern is a 15-minute hike from campus, through native grasses and yucca plants. From the top of the walls, a panoramic view extends beyond campus to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Walking down into the cistern, one’s focus becomes the circular space and the sky above.”

Labyrinths are depicted in neolithic petroglyphs, Roman pottery and Greek currency.

“They’ve been around a long time,” said Elizabeth Ledbetter, a retired CSC instructional designer and certified labyrinth facilitator. “It’s really interesting to think about where this bubbles up from, given that it’s lasted throughout history.”

Labyrinths have only one path in and one path out and can be found in monasteries, cathedrals, hospitals, colleges, parks, prisons and businesses. They have applications in education, team building, spirituality, art and more.

“You just kind of let go. It’s a walking meditation,” Ledbetter said

She first became familiar with labyrinths after visiting the one at Pathways Spiritual Sanctuary in the Black Hills. That design is modeled after a labyrinth at the Chartres Cathedral in France, an 11-circuit one built in the 13^th Century. There are three stages of walking a labyrinth: letting go, receiving and reflecting. Each means different things to different people, Ledbetter said, but the end result is a change in perspective.

“It’s just a way of focusing. It’s best to go in with no expectations,” she said.

The labyrinth on the Chadron State College campus is located west of C-Hill on the southern edge of the campus past Briggs Pond. A hike to the labyrinth takes visitors through the Harold and LaVerne Thompson Natural History Preserve, 50 acres of land dedicated as a preserve for recreational and educational opportunities in 1975.

Ledbetter had thought for years the old cistern would be an ideal place for a labyrinth, but things didn’t start coming together until 2019-2020. Donahue was searching for an Earth art project she could do with her students, and Ledbetter mentioned the idea of a labyrinth at the old cistern. After visiting with Ledbetter, Donahue wrote up a proposal detailing the significance of labyrinths in history, culture and art for her dean and secured permission from the Chadron State College Foundation, which owns the land where it’s located, in December 2019.

Donahue’s spring 2020 graphic design practicum class researched labyrinths and their influence on wellness, history and art and used field trips to the site to take measurements and begin the planning process. Lucinda Mays, CSC’s grounds supervisor, also met with the class, teaching them about native plant communities at the site and how to draw site sketches.

Then March 2020 and COVID arrived. Students left for spring break and didn’t return until fall so the project was put on hold. That fall, Donahue’s graphic design solutions class took up the charge. One of the most challenging decisions was how to make the labyrinth, Donahue said. A variety of options and materials were discussed, but the renovation of the college’s Math and Science Building provided the opportunity to recycle rocks removed from that area to the labyrinth.

The Chadron State College Art Guild created the Rock and Run to challenge students to help transport the piles of rock to their new site. Five-gallon buckets donated by businesses and local citizens were filled, loaded on pickups and driven to the cistern. Students, after loading the rocks, ran to the site, dumped the rocks and ran back to campus, with prizes for the first three finishers.

“It was a fun way to get the rocks up there,” Donahue said.

By November of 2020, volunteers with the Mini Big Event helped prep the site and later that month community members, students and staff started laying out the pathways under Ledbetter’s direction.

“It was all outside so it was a really great thing,” Donahue said, allowing students a safe way to take part in something during the pandemic. In addition, part of her objective with her classes is to subtly encourage students to put down their devices and engage with the world around them, and the project also accomplished that.

Ledbetter settled on a Classical 7-circuit labyrinth because it fit the space while allowing the pathways to be wide enough for walkers to pass by each other without encroaching on the other’s space.

Jan Sellers of Labyrinth Pathways used Chadron’s labyrinth as a case study in her print and online index of Permanent and Landscaped Labyrinths in Universities and Colleges.

“It is a fine example of a labyrinth being in an exceptional setting, in pandemic times, with whole-hearted community participation (academic and wider community) and as a part of the curriculum. It’s valuable to have these aspects highlighted,” Sellers said in a CSC article about why she featured it as a case study.

According to Seller’s index, CSC is the only college in Nebraska to feature one of the creations.

Donahue didn’t know much about labyrinths prior to the project, except that they were prevalent in history and art. Learning how they are used to inspire students in education and as a place to be calm and de-stress became important to her as the project proceeded.

“(Mental health) is one of our biggest issues in higher education,” she said. The students benefited from the project from a wellness standpoint while it also expanded their thinking about how to create and enjoy art.

With plenty of leftover rocks remaining at the site, visitors to the labyrinth are now building cairns.

“They’re participating in making Earth art, unknowingly maybe,” Donahue said. “It was a really wonderful thing to do during COVID and to see people come together to create a bigger project like this.”

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