Driver, putter, birdie, tee, eagle, fore, mulligan…
You’re on the manicured lawn of a golf course if you’re hearing those terms tossed about, right?
Maybe, but you could also be at one of three disc golf courses in Northwest Nebraska. Similar to golf in many ways, disc golf is played with special discs designed to be thrown faster and further, and with more accuracy than Frisbees, toward elevated disc golf poles.
“Disc golf offers all the benefits of golf without the expense,” said Tanner Sherlock, who runs the Chadron Disc Golf Club. “Nationally disc golf basically doubled overnight because of COVID,” he added. The sport, which has been around in an organized manner since at least the 1970s, is something people of all ages, skill and income levels can enjoy.
Sherlock was introduced to the sport about five years ago and decided to start the local club and organize league play. The Chadron league typically plays at Chadron State Park each Monday at 6 p.m. through the summer. Spring and fall leagues are offered as well.
Other than the cost of a state park permit, disc golf is free to play at the park for area residents and tourists alike. Non-members are also welcome at league play, Sherlock said. There’s no cost involved unless they choose to compete for bag tags for $20 per year. The bag tags indicate the top players in the league, and they can be challenged for their tag.
“The tags move around a lot throughout the year,” Sherlock said. “But even if you don’t want to compete, just come play because it’s fun to be together.”
The local league members have played with everyone from the age of 12-70, and members include a professional welder, college students, a pastor, construction workers and office workers.
“It appeals to anybody and everybody,” said Sherlock.
Caleb Cash joined the league about 18 months ago, and said it was easy to get addicted to the sport.
“You get a few discs and go for a hike with friends,” Cash said.
Chadron State Park is rated as one of the top courses in the state on U Disc with a 4.4 rating, and this summer will be the site of a regional qualifier for the National Tournament. Sherlock has hosted local tournaments each year, but is excited to bring a sanctioned event to the region. The Professional Disc Golf Association has a rating system, and sanctioned events are more likely to attract serious disc golfers. The regional qualifier will take place July 31.
The state park’s disc golf course was designed by Jake Rodiek, a former temporary assistant superintendent. The first nine holes were installed before he left the park, and the final nine added after he left in 2013. Current Park Superintendent Gregg Galbraith said the first nine holes were designed to allow any skill level to play.
“The back nine, they were designed to be tough,” Galbraith said.
Sherlock agreed that completing the course made it more challenging, earning the park its reputation as one of the best courses. The back nine brings in height and difficulty challenges as it moves into the hills and trees, Sherlock said.
“Definitely has technical lines and some pretty lengthy shots. Great views and a great hike,” posted user thewhitetoby on U Disc.
“Amazing, unique, well maintained course. #12 is fantastic. Great tee pads and well-marked. One of my absolute favorites,” wrote user weatherbear.
The Chadron Disc Golf Club has worked with the park to continue improvements on the course, providing manpower to make it more walker-friendly and searching for ways to improve the baskets.
“The park has been awesome at figuring out a way to do it,” Sherlock said. “That’s what sets a disc golf course at the next level.”
Having league play at the state park has given its members the opportunity to play with tourists as they stay at the park, and avid disc golfers have stopped often to check out the course because of its U Disc rating.
“It is very popular,” Galbraith said. The state park rents disc bags to those who don’t have their own.
For those new to the sport, Sherlock advised reaching out to the club.
“We’ll show you the ropes, let you borrow discs,” said. “Just find someone who knows how to play and go out and throw with them. We’re willing to do whatever it takes to get new people into the sport.”
The City of Chadron also has a disc golf course. The nine-hole course is located at Memorial Park, and Sherlock said the league will play there if they are anticipating stormy weather. The city course is a good beginner course, he added. The Memorial Park course was created at least 10 years ago, said City Park Superintendent Scott Schremmer, and new baskets are being installed this year. It has a rating of 3.1 on U Disc.
To round off your Northwest Nebraska disc golf adventure, head to the Crawford City Park. The nine-hole course is situated along the White River and has a rating of 3 on U Disc. All three courses in the region are available for year-round play.
To join the Chadron Disc Golf Club, reach out to them on Facebook.
By Kerri Rempp
Discover Northwest Nebraska
The smell of leather permeates an A-frame building on Highway 20 in Harrison that has traditionally been filled with the scents of burgers, pie and coffee. With every nook and cranny stuffed full of leather goods and antiques, the one-time Village Barn Café has a new purpose in 2021.
In the middle of the tack, custom made leather gifts and antiques that have overtaken the space that used to be filled with booths and tables is new owner, Gerald “Jerry” Foerderer. His vision of owning a big business in a small town is behind the makeover from food barn to leather barn. The community has been particularly receptive.
“It’s their business. Without them, we wouldn’t be here,” he said.
He opened the re-imagined Village Barn earlier this year, and an old wagon out front simply bills the business as “Boot & Shoe Repair.” In reality, Foerderer’s vision is much broader as he aims to make his business and new hometown a destination – today and tomorrow – by connecting to his ancestral heritage and sharing it with others.
As a boy in Jamestown, N.D., Foerderer’s father raised horses and ran a wagon train, peaking his son’s interest in draft horses.
“I was 16-years-old, and I had a big interest in draft horses…my goal was to make show harnesses,” he recalled. “I started making show harnesses and custom tack in my dad’s stables.”
His father helped him rebuild used stitching machines to launch the business and taught him some of the basics of leathercraft, but Foerderer also traveled east to spend time in the Amish leather shops learning the trade by observing and asking lots of questions. By the time he was 18, he was so busy he relocated his business into town, purchasing his first storefront in 1989.
Eventually, he sold his business to fulfill a dream to move farther west.
“Opportunity never gave me the chance to restart in a little town, which I really desired,” he said.
While he continued to dabble in leatherwork on the side, carpentry became his full-time occupation to support his growing family. Today, he and his wife, Laurie, have seven children. They’ve spent the last 15 years in eastern Montana living off the grid, with water from a gravity flow windmill, no power and, obviously, no modern technology like computers and internet.
“It can be done. My children have an understanding to be able to make it if there are hard times.”
His wife and children work in the business with him, making it a true family endeavor, much like everything else they’ve undertaken.
For eight of the 15 years they were in Montana, the family worked together to host a Bible camp each fall for roughly 100 attendees.
“We feel blessed by the Lord,” Foerderer said. “What I have here isn’t of my own. It was given to me by Him,” he added.
He also credits those who came before him and has taught heritage activities, such as ropemaking, soapmaking, candle making, hatchet throwing, rugmaking, flintknapping, fire building, on wagon train events and, to a more limited extent, during the Bible camp. Foerderer hopes to eventually host similar events in Northwest Nebraska to connect new friends to the heritage of those who came before.
And while he’s always been interested in the pioneer lifestyle, his passion for lost ways of life has grown as he’s studied the history of his ancestors, the Volga Germans. Volga Germans settled in the lower Volga River region of Russia in the 1700s as part of a colonization program promoted by Catherine the Great. More than 30,000 Germans immigrated to Russia as part of the program, and established communities reflecting their native language, religious beliefs, customs and traditions.
By the late 1800s, some of the families began migrating to North America, and the suppressive regimes of Tsar Nicholas II, Lenin and Stalin hastened immigration out of Russia. Those who remained were either deported or died through mass executions, forced labor or deliberate starvation.
“I have such a passion for where we came from in Russia,” Foerderer said. The more he learned about his ancestors, the stronger his desire to return to leatherwork full-time.
“This was a trade that was from the old country,” he noted. “There used to be shops like this all over.”
His family immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Yankton, S.D., though there were Volga settlements across northern Nebraska as well. He knew as he returned to the leather trade, he wanted to be closer to those regions and began exploring the area. He spent time in Crawford in 2020 and determined that Northwest Nebraska would be his family’s next home and the site of his business.
This Village Barn provides mainly boot, shoe and saddle repair, but Foerderer also takes custom orders for leather gifts and tools, including chaps, tack, holsters, knife cases and harnesses.
“If it can be built out of leather, we’ll try it,” he said.
But that vision of connecting past and present is bigger still. He’s rented a pasture near his shop in Harrison and plans to drive his horse-drawn wagon to town some days, and he has parked several wagons and buggies out front. He rebuilds covered wagons and will have them for sale at his shop. An eclectic variety of antiques is also mixed in with the tack and leather goods, yet another aspect of the business Foerderer hopes to grow.
“The antiques are part of the lifestyle.”
One day, he’s also hoping to train others in leatherwork.
“I want to share this lost culture and heritage with young people,” he said. “It’s a lifestyle not to be forgotten. The hardships that our great-grandparents went through, I don’t think could ever be explained. I admire those that cut the trail for us.”
So why Harrison, Nebraska? It’s the one question he’s been asked over and over. While he was ready to set up shop in Crawford, he started looking at maps of the area and realized the population of Sioux County was just over 1,000 and that Harrison was the only town in the county. During a visit to the village, he stopped in at Herren Brothers True Value and Whiteaker’s Western Wear.
“I walked into Whiteaker’s…it was like stepping back in time,” he said of his first visit to the store on Main Street. The visit and the longevity of businesses like Herren Brothers and Whiteaker’s reinforced his idea that his vision of a big business in a small town could succeed.
“It was the adventure of being in a remote place.”
The Sandoz Center will have a naming contest for its newest feature, a life-size buffalo made of cardboard and burlap.
Artist Linda Dabbs created this life-size buffalo of cardboard and burlap for a new exhibit at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center.
By Kerri Rempp
Discover Northwest Nebraska
Personals: 7’4” male buffalo, fit and trim, embodies the “Spirit of the Plains;” seeking a name.
A new face will greet visitors to the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center, peering down over the entry to the C.F. Coffee Gallery. The life-size replica of a buffalo, made entirely from cardboard, burlap and paper mache was installed March 31 after months of work by artist Linda Dabbs. The unnamed buffalo is the first phase of the new exhibit “Spirit of the Plains” and has the distinctive tan look of an older sacred white buffalo.
Located on a traditionally empty platform above the lower level that houses the C.F. Coffee Gallery, the new exhibit fills a void in the Sandoz Center. Structurally, the platform that serves as a ceiling to the Coffee Gallery is not designed to hold much weight, presenting a challenge for any exhibit that could be located on it. Dabbs, a local artist and an adjunct professor at Chadron State College, envisioned the buffalo made of nothing more than cardboard to keep it lightweight. Work began months ago, and visitors to the Sandoz Center’s Chicoine Atrium have been able to follow the progress as his wood frame was constructed and cardboard boxes, donated by Ace Hardware, were fitted over it. Tape, paper mache horns, eyes and hooves, hot glue, acrylic paint and burlap for the buffalo’s coat gave the buffalo its completed look.
Weighing in at 50-75 pounds, the buffalo was lifted over the railing in the Chicoine Atrium and lowered on to the platform to greet visitors. Now, he’s seeking a name. The Sandoz Center will take suggestions through April 16 and then will have online and in-person voting to select the winning name.
The first phase of the “Spirit of the Plains” exhibit also includes yucca plants created from cardboard, burlap and dried yucca steps with seed pods. A second phase is planned, with Dabbs on tap to create a coyote, jackrabbit, brush and another yucca plant from similar materials. Holly Counts of the Sandoz Center said a timeline for the second phase has not been determined, as Dabbs is donating her free time to create the exhibit.
Dabbs used her background in set design at the Henry Doorly Zoo and in commercial and theater art to create the “Spirit of the Plains” exhibit and solve the weight constraint issues involved.
“Art solves,” she said.
By Kerri Rempp
Discover Northwest Nebraska
The legacy of Mari Sandoz’s creative talent is alive and well in her ancestors, and for one descendant that talent manifests itself in drawings in the realism style reflected in the author’s work.
Before Mari Sandoz’s “Old Jules” was published in 1935, the author fought those who would have standardized her language, keeping the Western idioms she used intact. Her writing style and straightforward portrayal of her father’s life on the frontier shocked readers who had romanticized the West but was the beginning of a successful writing career.
“She believed that universal truths could be learned from careful study of one’s one neighborhood, and she diligently studied and wrote about her own neighborhood, the Great Plains, to our great good fortune,” wrote Helen Winter Stauffer in the Afterword to “Old Jules” in the 1985 and later editions.
Sandoz’s realistic approach to her writing is mirrored today, more than eight decades later, in the drawings of her great-great-niece, Rachel Brownlee. From graphite to charcoal, Brownlee uses several mediums to create drawings in the realism style of her ancestor.
Old Jules didn’t approve of Sandoz learning to read and write, but she persevered on her own to achieve her career as a published author. Likewise, Brownlee had no formal education to guide her career in art. She and her six siblings were raised and homeschooled on Celia Sandoz Ostrander Barth’s (her grandmother) ranch.
“There was no art education of any kind,” she recalled.
However, when she was five or six, her sister gifted her a “How to Draw Horses” book, and it inspired her to explore her budding artistic talent.
“By the time I was nine, I had sold my first piece for $1,” she said. Her works currently on display at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center in Chadron cost more than $1, all of them the product of a more recent effort to prioritize her artwork.
Brownlee completed some art in high school, but put it aside completely in college while she studied to become a software engineer. When her family returned to Ashby, it gave her the opportunity to dedicate her time and talents to artwork full-time.
“Almost everything you see is from the last five years.”
Brownlee had her first art show six months ago, and now has seven scheduled in the next year. Her work will be on display at the Sandoz Center on the Chadron State College campus through May 21, and Brownlee has two more artist-in-residence dates scheduled during that run – April 6 and May 11.
While she still operates her software engineering company – a cattle management program with 60,000 cattle in the database – she believes her artwork fits well within her wheelhouse.
“In my mind all of my artwork is technical,” she said.
Whether it’s a sepia-toned drawing of a horse, a graphite study of spur straps, a Gothic church in ink or a charcoal production, she’s using rulers to sketch it out on graph paper and math to scale it up to the finished size.
“It’s all bits and bytes. It’s black and white,” Brownlee explained.
With no formal art education, she began by copying the leg motions and body language of horses from the encyclopedia and from her own experiences on the ranch. As she’s explored other subject matters, she’s been determined to push herself to the next level.
“Most of my technical skill has come from trying things,” she said. “I’ll just put all the effort into it I can and see how far it goes. Some of those (pieces) have turned out to be my best pieces.”
She’s started to accumulate awards along the way as well, earning a certificate of excellence and Best of Show at the 2021 Box Butte Art Society Art Show for her charcoal pieces “By The Sweat of Your Brow” and “An Uncomfortable Amount of Detail.” She’s booked for custom commissioned work for the next one to two months, too.
The bulk of Brownlee’s artwork is inspired by, according to her website, “the harsh realism of agriculture and western life, and she seeks to show highly realistic details of that life.” She’s learned through experimentation that different mediums serve different purposes. Brownlee said graphite is economical and easy to work with because it’s forgiving, while ink requires the artist to be very purposeful.
Much of her work, however, is in charcoal. It’s perfect for realism, she said, but is dirty and unforgiving.
“I’m washing my hands constantly and vacuuming up the small pieces to control the white space.”
She’s dabbled in acrylic as well and wants to explore that medium more, and is considering trying her hand at black and white oil painting as well. Aside from experimentation in mediums, Brownlee also said she wants to take the next step and move from realism to artwork that viewers will be “more intimately attracted to.”
While many of the pieces on display at the Sandoz Center reflect the western lifestyle, visitors might be surprised by one display – a collection of charcoal works inspired by Star Wars and video game work.
“I am not an adherent to straight up western artwork,” Brownlee said. “I enjoy all subject types.”
The Star Wars-themed works were done for her husband, Ethan, and she made the leather steampunk costume, featuring a neck corset, hatband, sword belt and pleated skirt, for a trip to Omaha Comicon for her video game artwork. She’s explored anime and supernatural dream art, too, and during her recent artist-in-residence appearance was working on a calligraphy design.
It’s one more way she feels connected to her great-great-aunt Mari Sandoz. She wrote about frontier life, but she had other interests and lived in Denver and New York City.
“She’s always been very important. She was a huge part of our family history.”
Brownlee said her grandmother Celia greatly respected Sandoz’s accomplishments and wanted family members to be good representatives of her legacy.
“I think there is truly a genetic trail of talent because there are several artists in the family,” Brownlee said, adding that showing her work at the Mari Sandoz Center holds special meaning.
“It’s neat to be here next to her work.”
Inviting Brownlee to have a showing at the Sandoz Center was an easy decision given her family connection to Mari Sandoz, said Holly Counts. Her work is a great representation of Sandoz, she added.
“You’re seeing a younger generation, but the same type of storyline continues.”
For more about Brownlee, visit rachelbrownlee.com.
Backroads, Trails & Strolls: 6 Ways to Discover Northwest Nebraska
By Kerri Rempp Discover Northwest Nebraska Director
They say it’s all about the journey, and in Northwest Nebraska that’s certainly true.
Known for our wide-open spaces, Northwest Nebraska allows you to move beyond touristy destinations and embrace a slower pace of life. You won’t be caught in traffic jams – unless they’re of the four-legged variety, and there won’t be crowds to hem you in. Each breath will fill your lungs with clean air. The night skies will light up your soul, and our museums and fossil record will take you back in time.
So what will you do when you get here?
Take a Drive
Try one of our Roads Less Traveled trips. Complete with a Google Map, each of these trips get you out on our backroads to explore some of our top destinations. On the way, you’ll see some of the most spectacular scenery in the state, learn more about the region’s history and have a chance to see plenty of wildlife.
If the backroads aren’t exactly your style, no worries. Keep to the pavement and travel our two Scenic Byways and explore our geological record along the Fossil Freeway.
Grind that Gravel
With more than 1,200 miles of gravel roads, mountain bikers have plenty of opportunities to complete their next gravel grind. Check out our Gravel Grinding Adventures, compiled by a local cyclist who also provides a few tips. Each Gravel Grinding Adventure features a Google Map with riding directions, or use one of our Roads Less Traveled driving tours to challenge yourself. Whatever option you choose, it’s guaranteed to be an adventure!
Stroll Our Cities
Meander through Chadron’s Downtown Historical District, check out Chadron’s Art Alley or immerse yourself in the artwork at Chadron State College with one of our Sole to Soul walking tours. The walking tours include a link to a Google Map to guide you. Once you’re done soaking up the art and architecture, wander into our shops and find some souvenirs to remember your Northwest Nebraska journey after you return home.
Hit the Trail
Looking for something more challenging than a city stroll? Northwest Nebraska has more than 200 miles of trails suitable for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Trails for all experience levels wind through our bluffs, the pine forests, coldwater streams, grasslands and badlands. Download a copy of our Trail Guide to help plan your trip. As you traverse the region, you’re likely to see abundant wildlife, including wild turkeys, mule and white-tailed deer, elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, porcupines, sharp-tailed grouse, ducks, wild geese, pheasants and more.
Visit one of our several museums to learn about fur trading in North America, local pioneer history, the region’s geological importance and so much more. Dozens of State Historical Markers also provide context for the region’s important place in history.
It’s sure to be a journey you won’t forget so set your compass for Northwest Nebraska. There’s No Better Direction.
The Chadron State Park lagoon has always been a popular place for recreation. Photo courtesy of Chadron State Park.
By Kerri Rempp
Discover Northwest Nebraska Director
If you’ve picked up your 2021 Nebraska State Park sticker, you’ll be sporting one of Northwest Nebraska’s premier spots on your vehicle this year. The newest park sticker features Chadron State Park, which is celebrating its 100th year in 2021. The park was the first established in Nebraska and also represents the creation of the modern-day Nebraska Game and Parks agency.
“In 2021, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is celebrating 100 years of inspiring outdoor adventures at our state park system,” says the website dedicated to the celebration. “It began a century ago in 1921 with the establishment of Chadron State Park, nestled among distinctive buttes and canyons of the Pine Ridge. Now, Nebraska’s 76 parks are top destinations for Nebraskans and visitors from around the world to enjoy breathtaking landscapes, unique wildlife, and abundant recreation opportunities.”
Chadron State Park traditionally celebrates its anniversary with a one-day slate of activities in June. The centennial, however, is being planned as a two-day celebration June 11-12. While plans are subject to change in light of the COVID pandemic, the Nebraska Game and Parks centennial website notes that Chadron State Park’s event will include a food truck rally and wine tasting June 11 and “continues into the weekend with the annual Run for the Hills 5K, canoe regatta, family games and activities, live music and more.”
The agency is also planning a special edition of its Nebraskaland magazine in April to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the state park system. Stay up-to-date with Game and Parks’ centennial plans at https://parks100.outdoornebraska.gov/.
While the Chadron State Park’s rich history will be celebrated in 2021, park officials are equally excited about improvements and additions that will continue to make Chadron State Park a favorite destination.
One of the most noticeable additions is the construction of an indoor facility for pellet gun and archery shooting. Park Superintendent Gregg Galbraith said the new facility south of park headquarters will feature a shooting gallery complete with 3D targets for a “state fair” gallery atmosphere.
“That will be a new activity for us,” he said, adding that the facility is projected to be operational this spring.
Chadron State Park is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The park was established in April 1921 due to the efforts of Sen. James Good of Dawes County. Rep. George Snow, also of Dawes County, also aided in getting the park approved. Chadron State Park is the oldest park in the Nebraska system. Photos courtesy of Chadron State Park.
Children and their families will also notice a change to the playground amenities this year.
“We’re going with just one playground,” Galbraith said. Consolidating the playground into one complex will be accomplished by installing new equipment, including swings and climbing towers, over safe rubberized landing surfaces.
Other recent or planned improvements include:
Upgrades to the 18-hole disc golf course
Electrical upgrades throughout the park
25 additional 50-amp camping pads
Construction of a new shower house
Improvements to the rustic cabins, including new ceilings, cabinets and countertops
ADA improvements to Cabin 3 and the Central Building
A remodeled kitchen and flooring at the Central Building
New siding on the cabins
Improvements at the Trading Post, including additional educational exhibits, new flooring, counters and displays
Renovations on the duplexes, including new countertops, central air, updated showers, plumbing, electrical and hot water heaters
A final project for 2021 will improvements to the park’s roads. Bids for the project have been accepted, and the park has made changes to how it will reserve cabins from now through May to accommodate the work.
“We’re also finishing our thinning project west of the campground, and will then move behind the cabins,” Galbraith said. Thinning projects are designed to strategically reduce trees and brush to prevent out-of-control forest fires like those experienced in 2006 and 2012.
With an estimated 200,000 visitors annually, Chadron State Park navigated the COVID pandemic in 2020 with an altered booking schedule for the cabins. Offered only on Thursday through Sunday once they re-opened, the cabins were full, and the park saw increased day use and camping, said Assistant Superintendent Josh May.
“Camping increased significantly. We had to turn people away,” May said.
Both Galbraith and May believe Chadron State Park offers something special to visitors.
“I think the aesthetic value of this area, this park, and the people make it a great place,” Galbraith said. “It’s a special area up here in the Pine Ridge. There’s no place else like this in Nebraska.”
May was unfamiliar with Northwest Nebraska before joining the staff at Chadron State Park three years ago. Today, he sees it as a distinctive place that provides a unique combination of outdoor adventure and historical importance.
“The Pine Ridge has a lot to offer, and I like the added value of the historical aspect of the park,” May said. “The abundance of wildlife in the park is great too. You see all sorts of stuff,” he added.
The park sees plenty of return visitors each season, Galbraith said, as well as locals who drive through the park every day or week.
“Every last person who stops me says ‘We never knew this was here,’” May says. “They love it.”
Chadron State Park offers hiking and biking trails through beautiful scenery, horseback riding, a disc golf course, paddleboat rides and more. Photo by Kerri Rempp/Discover Northwest Nebraska
A Look Back
Dawes County State Senator James W. Good persuaded 33 of his colleagues to set aside the land along Chadron Creek for Chadron State Park in 1919. The win in the Legislature was due to a deal Sen. Good made with several Omaha senators who were seeking support for a paved road out of Fort Crook. The two groups of senators supported each other’s bills to approval, according to a history of Chadron State Park written by Steve Kemper for the Nebraska Game and Parks.
Though the bill was approved in 1919, the park wasn’t officially created until April 25, 1921, due to the state’s biennium cycle. Sen. Good was appointed as the park’s first superintendent at no pay and began making improvements to the land, including clearing brush for baseball diamonds and using horse-drawn scrapers to dig out the area for the park’s pond.
The park’s road system followed the cow trails that criss-crossed the area, saving the state from spending money on a survey and engineering work. Local merchants raised $300 for road construction, in a Chamber of Commerce driven effort, and area farmers and other residents donated labor. Community involvement continued to improve the park when the region raised $3,000 for the construction of the swimming pool and lake, according to Kemper’s compilation. Chadron Creek was dammed and pipeline purchased from an abandoned potash plant in the Sandhills made the lake system in the park feasible.
Merchants from the surrounding area also contributed money and materials to build picnic tables and committed to their upkeep each year.
Eight years after its inception, in 1929, Sen. Good purchased 160 acres of land adjacent to Chadron State Park, and when the state reimbursed him for the cost two years later, the park increased from 640 acres to 800. The Civilian Conservation Corp Camp was established in the park in 1933, and workers spent time clearing dead and diseased trees, cutting lumber, building new cabins and a picnic shelter, repaired the auditorium and improved the water system.
A.E. Spear took over as superintendent in 1934, but he died after two months on the job and was succeeded by his wife. She established a Transient Camp that year and laborers improved roads, parking areas, bridges, picnic tables, stone Dutch ovens and landscaping around the swimming pool. Mrs. Speer worked with Warren Olsen, an engineer and the superintendent of the National Park Service Camp, which followed the Transient Camp, to complete all of the projects, Kemper wrote.
D.C. Short became Chadron State Park’s superintendent in 1940 and created a long-range strategic plan for the park. The group camp was modernized and enlarged enough to accommodate 200 people, two double latrines, a Boy Scout camp, and new water and sewer lines were added as well.
Clive Short succeeded Short as superintendent in 1944, but served only until 1947 when L.M. “Jake” Snodgrass took the title. During Short’s time, however, the park increased in size again when E.P. Wilson and Jack Lowe negotiated a purchase of property west of the park.
The decades of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s were greeted with additional improvements at the park, including upgraded water systems, a shop and more roads, additional cabins and underground power lines, a new administration building, a remodeled auditorium and a new group complex.
The West Ash Creek Fire in 2012 threatened the park, which was evacuated. While much of the park’s landscape was impacted, no infrastructure was lost, in large part due to the backfires that firefighters set to save the structures and forest.
Kemper’s account also notes that the State Park Board was created March 18, 1921, to administer Chadron State Park and any other parks created in the future. The board operated under the Department of Public Works. According to the park’s historical marker, the law was amended in 1923 to move the board to the Department of Horticulture at the University of Nebraska. The State Park Board and the Bureau of Game and Fish with the Game Forestation and Parks Commission in 1929. In 1967, it became the State Game and Parks Commission.
Throughout the park’s history, its connection with the Chadron community was a key factor in its success. When Sen. Good passed away in 1937, his efforts to make Chadron State Park a community initiative were remembered in The Chadron Record.
“May the community never forget him for his service rendered and may his efforts be remembered as an example of true community citizenship.
By Kerri Rempp
Discover Northwest Nebraska Director
Tourism in Dawes County has seen a growing economic impact in the last five years.
Statistics compiled by Dean Runyan Associates on behalf of Nebraska State Tourism show that direct travel spending in Dawes County alone had an economic impact of more than $22.5 million in recently released data for 2019. While that reflects a nearly 4% drop from 2018, it remains the second highest year since 2015.
“The economic impact of tourism in Dawes County has continued to grow in the last five years. Moving forward, Dawes County, in cooperation with Sioux County, will continue to market Northwest Nebraska to new and returning visitors,” said Kerri Rempp, Discover Northwest Nebraska director. “We believe there is still growth potential in our region, especially in the wake of a global pandemic that has travelers searching for uncrowded, affordable, outdoor activities.”
The tourism industry supported 320 jobs in Dawes County last year, and generated $4.7 million in industry earnings, according to the Dean Runyan study. Leisure and hospitality businesses benefited from $3.9 million of those industry earnings, and retail and transportation totaled another $727,000. Visitor spending averaged $262.80 per night. These numbers again represented the second highest figures for Dawes County since 2015.
More than $3.9 million in tax revenue at the state and local levels also was generated. This figure includes lodging and sales taxes at the local level, as well as airport passenger facility charges and any property taxes attributable to travel industry businesses. On the state level, the figure includes lodging, sales and motor fuel taxes, and business and personal income taxes attributable to the travel industry.
Dawes County collects a 4% lodging tax on all overnight stays in the county, and those monies are divided equally between Promotion and Improvement funds. The Dawes County Travel Board oversees the use of those funds, awarding grants for promoting events, improving attractions and purchasing advertising to promote the region to potential visitors.
Six separate months of 2019 set records for lodging tax dollars collected, and 2019 was the second highest year for lodging tax collections since they began in 1980. The county’s fiscal year, which spanned half of 2019 and half of 2020 was also the second highest in terms of lodging tax dollars collected, in spite of a dramatic decrease in revenue during the final quarter due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The lodging taxes collected at the county level represent more than $5.1 million spent by visitors at local lodging facilities, noted Deb Cottier, Northwest Nebraska Development Corporation executive director.
“These numbers explain why it is critical to our economy that we maintain, and if possible, grow the number of visitors and length of stay at our attractions in Northwest Nebraska,” Cottier said. “We have an opportunity to extend the visitor season with events and attraction availability, but we must also provide the types and level of hospitality businesses the visitors expect. With more than 320 jobs attributed to the visitor industry, it is second only to agriculture when it comes to its impact on our economy through for-profit businesses.”
The impact of tourism on the region’s economy is further enhanced by the inter-local agreement to market Dawes and Sioux counties together as Northwest Nebraska, Rempp said.
“Marketing a larger region allows us to offer visitors more reasons to consider Northwest Nebraska for their trip, and makes it more appealing for longer stays to explore all of our attractions and communities,” she explained.
Sioux County’s statistics for 2019, according to the Dean Runyan study, indicate that county added an additional $652,420 in direct travel spending, supporting 10 jobs and generating $189,285 in industry earnings and $93,781 in tax revenues at the state and local levels. Overnight visitors in Sioux County spent an average of $86.49 nightly. Sioux County collected $3623.62 in lodging taxes last year, representing more than $90,500 spent by visitors at local lodging facilities. Sioux County maintains its own Travel Board to oversee its lodging tax collections.
By Kerri Rempp
Discover Northwest Nebraska Director
The global COVID-19 pandemic has upset the status quo in all sorts of ways this year, but at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Northwest Nebraska, the staff is using the pandemic to expand the park’s offerings.
“2020 has been unique for all of us, but even through all of that, we started the year off very well,” said Superintendent Dan Morford. “The staff here was very resourceful.”
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument re-opened its visitors’ center in September. Photo by Kerri Rempp/Discover Northwest Nebraska
Established in 1965, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument south of Harrison features exhibits and walking trails that detail the ancient mammals that called the region home, ranging from small rhinos and gazelle camels to burrowing land beavers and the large Moropus, an animal that resembled a cross between a horse and a ground sloth. The park is also home to the famed Cook Collection, which showcases the relationship between rancher James Cook and Native American Chief Red Cloud and other Plains Indians.
While the Agate Fossil Beds visitors’ center was forced to close for part of the year during the pandemic, the park remained open to visitors.
“The trails are still wide open from sunrise to sunset,” Morford said, adding that the picnic shelters are also available for use. Rangers at Agate Fossil Beds also set up an outdoor visitors’ center inside a tent that included appropriate social distancing measures, allowing staff to greet visitors and answer questions. The main visitors’ center re-opened in September, though the Cook gallery of Native American artifacts remains closed due to its smaller confines, Morford said.
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is unique in the National Park system in large part due to its distinction as one of a handful of parks focused on a region’s fossil record.
“You get to walk the grounds where different mammals used to roam, and in that you get exposure to the prairie. And the Niobrara River runs through the park,” Morford said. Agate is the first interpretive stop after the Wyoming-based headwaters of the Niobrara River, where visitors can learn about the river.
Add in wildlife sightings and the ability to sit and hear the breeze through the cattails or a variety of birds singing, along with views of the river, prairie and rock outcroppings, and Agate offers a unique, off-the-beaten-path experience, Morford said.
“It’s a beautiful, quiet (spot),” he added. “We had visitors a few weeks ago that said ‘we did not realize places like this still existed.’”
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the park to cancel its slate of onsite programming this year, which typically includes star parties, writing workshops, ranger talks and artists-in-residence, as well as its Boxing Day celebration. School field trips and ranger visits to schools have also been halted. In their place, however, rangers hosted Facebook Live events and created other digital programming.
A buck surveys the prairie of Agate Fossil Beds National Monument from atop one of the rocky outcroppings in the park. Photo by Kerri Rempp/Discover Northwest Nebraska
“We’re really looking at how to use this whole experience to take us to a widened perspective on what we can offer to visitors and (to followers) on social media,” Morford said.
Staff tested the waters on a small scale in 2020 and will look to expand those offerings in 2021 with You Tube videos and safe, outdoor 5-7 minute “popcorn talks,”, all of which can add to the experience of visiting Agate Fossil Beds even after the pandemic subsides, Morford said.
Online offerings aren’t entirely new for Agate Fossil Beds, as the park implemented distance learning opportunities in 2014. Lead Park Ranger Alvis Mar said the distance learning programs focus on the park’s main themes of geology, paleontology and the culture of the Northern Plains Native Americans. Since its inception, the distance learning lessons have been primarily made available to school groups that cannot visit Agate Fossil Beds in person due to distance.
Schools in eastern Nebraska and from across the country have taken advantage of distance learning lessons, the complexity of which increases with the age of the students. Mar, a former science teacher, has also custom-built lesson plans for schools if they are interested in other topics, such as the region’s ecosystem or career exploration. The recent addition of Education Ranger Jeremy Hoyt, who was a history and English major, will provide a broader variety of programs in the future.
An on-site field trip to Agate Fossil Beds typically lasts three to four hours and includes hikes on either the Fossil Hills or Daemonelix Trails. Distance learning lessons, by contrast, last anywhere from 20-90 minutes. In 2020, Mar has noticed that sessions have been lasting a bit longer as there are more questions, and park staff is willing to accommodate leaving the session open to answer those.
“We want them to understand that fossils are not just dinosaurs. It’s the full spectrum of life,” he said.
To accomplish that goal, the rangers work to make their distance learning activities interactive to increase engagement and retention.
From Left: Ranger Alvis Mar showcases the Niobrara River eco-system during a distance learning lesson. Ranger Ann Wilson delivers a distance learning lesson from the Agate Fossil Beds visitors cener. Rangers teach students about Native American artifacts and culture during a distance learning program at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. Photos courtesy of Agate Fossil Beds.
“That’s the key to our success,” Mar said.
Students might play a game of charades to learn about Old Faithful or use the force of their hands pushing against each other to demonstrate how mountains are formed, Mar said.
“Even doing distance learning, we can do a lot to help kids hone in on the concepts,” he noted.
Distance learning requests have stayed relatively stable in 2020, as the park is typically at capacity in teaching the lessons due to staffing levels. Hoyt’s addition to the staff will allow Agate Fossil Beds to offer more slots, Mar said, but 2020 has seen another major change and that is the increased number of requests for home-schooled students.
“Homeschool is a newer audience for us,” Mar said.
Agate Fossil Beds works closely with ESU 13, so its programming aligns well with the Nebraska standards. About half of the park’s distance learning lessons are delivered to in-state students, and half to out-of-state students. Even regional schools who visit the park in person often take advantage of distance learning, providing students with a brief introduction to the park online before their field trip, Mar said.
The park is using the lessons learned during the pandemic to build a catalog of videos that will be available on its website in the future, which will allow teachers to select from short snippets to augment their own lesson plans throughout the year.
“Essentially, we’ll have self-serve opportunities for teachers,” Mar said.
With Hoyt now on board, and expanded digital offerings coming soon, Agate Fossil Beds also hopes to broaden its digital programming reach beyond schools. Mar has worked with summer camps in the past and would also like to make the digital programming available to civic groups, museums, nursing homes and assisted living centers.
To learn more about Agate Fossil Beds distance learning programming, call 308-665-4110 or 308-436-9760.
By Kerri Rempp, Discover Northwest Nebraska
Landscapes, wildlife, pottery and large theater set pieces – they’re all the province of local artist Linda Dabbs, who relocated to Northwest Nebraska several years ago to seek inspiration for her art.
“I have never not drawn,” Dabbs said. “I’ve always loved art.
Her first career, however, was not in the art world. She began working at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo in 1971 as a vet tech and the hospital nursery supervisor. During the slower winter months, she sought approval to paint during the day and eventually began creating display dioramas for the zoo, too. Dabbs left the zoo briefly to relocate out of state, but when she returned to Omaha she was appointed as art director of the newly created art department at the zoo.
Linda Dabbs works on a painting during an artist-in-residence session at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center. Photo by Kerri Rempp/Discover Northwest Nebraska
“It opened all the big corporate art departments in Omaha to me,” Dabbs recalled. Those art departments had been doing much of the work for the zoo, but as it grew it became apparent the facility needed an in-house department. The early years meant using “cheap 99 board,” colored pencils and wooden blocks she hand set to make signs.
“It was a good way to learn,” she said. “I learned by doing, and I learned a lot because I never learned to say ‘No. I can’t do that.’”
Eventually she was making display logs and rocks from fiberglass.
“I love that zoo. I watched it grow,” Dabbs said. When she started her journey at Henry Doorly, there were just 27 full-time employees. Dr. Lee Simmons spent nearly four decades as the zoo director, and Dabbs credits him with much of her growth as an artist, especially where animals are concerned.
“Dr. Simmons was adamant – you would not caricature his animals. So I became an illustrator basically, along with a graphic artist.”
“There are still so many people who recognize her artwork from her time at the zoo,” said Holly Counts, who curated Dabbs current show at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center in Chadron. “Dabbling in the Visual Arts” opened at the Sandoz Center in late September, featuring a variety of pieces from Dabbs.
The Sandoz Center typically showcases a faculty member annually this time of year, and Counts said Dabbs was an obvious choice, especially this year due to COVID-19 concerns.
Linda Dabbs, the former art director at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, works on several paintings during a recent artist-in-residence day at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center in Chadron. Photo by Kerri Rempp/Discover Northwest Nebraska
“Linda came up as a perfect solution because she has such a variety. We didn’t need to bring other artists in with her,” Counts said.
After leaving Henry Doorly Zoo, Dabbs worked as an art director for advertising agencies around Omaha, including Imperial Outdoor Advertising, Misner Advertising Agency and Action Printing, as well as at Kelly S. King Faux Finish School. She decided to start her own graphics company as she searched for a better way to balance work and family. Freelance work for her company included Misner Advertising, the City of Moaha, Northwestern Bell Telephone Yellow Pages and Nebraska State Recycling.
In 2006, Dabbs added designing theater sets to her resume, working with Lofte Community Theater, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Opera, Lincoln Community Playhouse, Kountz Memorial Theater at Mahoney State Park and Opera Omaha. A year later UNL Opera’s set for “The Most Happy Fella,” designed by Dabbs, won the International Trophy for Best Set at the Waterford International Festival of Opera in Waterford, Ireland.
Roughly five years ago, Dabbs left Omaha again, this time for Northwest Nebraska, living on a ranch north of Crawford. A friend who had been to the region encouraged her to visit the area, assuring her she would fall in love.
“I came out here and I saw it and said ‘Oh, yeah!’ So I came out to draw and paint and produce some art for myself,” Dabbs said. “I thought I was going to retire, but what I came out here for? Really, it was for me.”
Retirement for Dabbs, however, includes serving as an adjunct faculty member at the theater department at Chadron State College. Leaving eastern Nebraska had her asking one question: “I thought ‘Geez, what am I going to do, because I’m leaving theater,” Dabbs said. The opportunity to help at CSC filled that void, and gave her the opportunity to pass on one of the biggest lessons she’s learned.
“Dr. Simmons always said I needed to go back to school, but I couldn’t financially,” Dabbs said. Looking back she wishes she would have found a way and encourages students to not make that mistake. “And for the art students, they need the business background, too.”
A variety of artwork by Linda Dabbs is currently on display at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center, including potter, theater set pieces and paintings. Photos by Kerri Rempp/Discover Northwest Nebraska
After getting settled in Northwest Nebraska, Dabbs also started working with set design at the Post Playhouse at Fort Robinson State Park.
“That is such a gem,” Dabbs said of the Playhouse. “And the talent they bring in!”
Dabbs continues operating her own businesses, as well: Dabbs of Color, a faux finishing and mural business, and Fire Born, a pottery business. She prefers working with wood-fired pottery, and that’s been difficult since the relocation, but it’s another medium that pulls at her.
“I had an amazing art teacher in high school,” said Dabbs, who had a sculpture she completed in school tour the country after winning a scholastic competition. “I just like using my hands.”
Dabbs usually doesn’t use a potter’s wheel, preferring sculptural work, with many of her designs featuring sunflowers.
When asked if she has a favorite medium, of if they each feed a different part of her soul, Dabbs smiled and said “That’s it right there! I love it all!”
She maintains a studio at her ranch, but also works in the studio at White River Gallery in Crawford, owned by fellow artist Clarice Hynes. Sometimes the camaraderie and support of working in the same space inspires artists, and that supportive atmosphere is important.
“I would love to see artists come out here to explore and paint,” said Dabbs, adding that Crawford and Northwest Nebraska should become a destination for artists and art lovers.
Dabb’s current show will be on display at the Sandoz Center until Nov. 25, and she will have an artist-in-residence appearance Nov. 19.
By Kerri Rempp
Discover Northwest Nebraska Director
Nebraska is cattle country, and one piece of that heritage will be honored this fall in Northwest Nebraska, when Hereford Crossroads #6 makes its way to Crawford in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Crawford Hereford Breeders Association.
The Hereford Crossroads reunion will take place Oct. 10 at the Crawford Community Building, the sixth such event organized by Nebraskans for Hereford Heritage since the group’s inception in 2015. Former Crawford Hereford Breeders members will have memorabilia on display when the doors open for the 5 p.m. social hour. Other events that night include a meal at 6 p.m. and the annual Hereford Hall of Fame induction and special entertainment at 7 p.m. Typically, two Nebraska Hereford breeders and one Hereford bull are inducted into the Hall of Fame each year.
The Crawford Hereford Breeders Association was formed in 1920, with Clyde Buffington and Sam Swinbank leading the effort, said member and former sale manager Tom Lemmon. Both men were holding private bull sales but were interested in forming a regional association that could draw additional consigners.
Eleven breeders were involved with the organization when the first sale was held in March 1920, though not all of them consigned bulls that inaugural year. Without a sale barn, the association held its initial sale at the Crawford City Park, and early sales often took place in livery stables, according to a 1970 story in Nebraska Cattleman.
“They used hay bales for seats. It was a little bit western. They had some good saddlehorses to lead the bulls in and out,” Lemmon said.
The first decade of sales saw an average that never went above $200, with the lowest at $99 in 1925. By 1927, the association had 94 head consigned, and topped that at 95 in 1929. A year later, the average price was $102, but founding member Clyde Buffington had the top-selling bull at $230.
As membership grew, the association built a barn in 1941 and added a sale pavilion in 1945, Lemmon said. The association held an organizational meeting in December or January to consign bulls, and had its annual meeting prior to its sale in March. By 1945, the association was also hosting Hereford shows.
The final show and sale for the Crawford Hereford Breeders Association took place in 1995, but the group boasted 150 members in those 75 years. Membership drew heavily from the Northwest Nebraska region, but also from breeders as far away as Mullen, Lewellen, Bridgeport, Morrill and Henry, as well Edgemont, Hot Springs and Oelrichs, S.D.
From its earliest days, the association also supported local youth, starting a 4-H Calf Club in 1921, allowing youngsters to choose calves from the members; herds and sell them in the association sale. Lemmon’s father, Cal, was one of the boys who drew lots for calves in 1921. He and fellow club members Beth Riggs, Gilbert Swinbank, Jim Buffington and Lawrence Tollman staged an all-Hereford show for President Calvin Coolidge during his 1927 visit to Ardmore, S.D., with the assistance of the association, according to a Sept. 4, 1947 issue of The Panhandle Digest.
“I still like the Hereford cattle,” Lemmon said. “In talking to descendants of members, they still have fond memories of the Hereford cattle and the association. They might run Angus, but that part hasn’t gone away.”
Hereford cattle were introduced to the U.S. by Kentucky statesman Henry Clay in 1817, though he crossed his with shorthorn cattle to avoid inbreeding, according to the Texas State Historical Association. The first breeding herd was introduced in New York by William Sotham. The American Hereford Cattle Breeders Association (later known as the American Hereford Association, was organized in 1881 and established its permanent headquarters in Missouri in 1920.
The Nebraskans for Hereford Heritage want to continue the tradition of preserving information about the Nebraska Hereford industry. The brainchild of Richard Brown of Lincoln, it was organized in 2015 with the goal of creating a Hereford museum.
“It is our long-term goal to have our own museum somewhere in the Sandhills, ideally in central Nebraska,” said Linda Teahon, one of the founding board members. At the end of the first meeting, the breeders at the meeting each contributed $100 toward the effort and began working on fundraising ideas. Hereford Crossroads, an annual reunion of Hereford breeders, was the result. The reunions take place each October, at various locations around the state. All former members of the Crawford Hereford Breeders Association, Nebraskans for Hereford Heritage members, 4-H and FFA members and other interested parties are invited to the Hereford Crossroads #6 next month.
While they work toward their goal of establishing a Hereford museum, Nebraskans for Hereford Heritage has curated an extensive collection of paintings, sculptures, bull sale catalogs and American Herd Bull editions dating back to 1926. A rotating exhibit culled from that collection is on display at the Sandhills Heritage Museum in Dunning, which opened in 2017.
“Our collection of information is very valuable to the Hereford industry,” Teahon said. “We change (the exhibit) out regularly with artwork. We have to continue to promote our Nebraska beef, and that’s one thing we’re trying to do.”
Artist Brandon Bailey’s “Under the Shade Tree” is one of the premier pieces in the collection and has become the official “flag” of the Hereford Crossroads events. It is displayed at each reunion and on special occasions at the museum in Dunning. Teahon’s photo of the bulls along Goose Creek on the Benj Fink ranch near Elsmere inspired Bailey’s oil painting, which was auctioned off at the Old West Trail Rodeo fundraiser several years ago. Teahon won the bidding that night and has loaned the painting to the collection.
The group also has commissioned four pieces of artwork commemorating the role of landmark bulls in Nebraska’s Hereford history and also aided with the restoration and display of a metal sculpture of Golden Design 14, a noted herd sire owned by Warner Herefords of Waverly. The sculpture was commissioned by breeder Charlie Warner to honor his prized 1968 bull. When artist Arlo Bray completed the piece, it was 32 inches tall, 56 inches long and weighed 120 pounds. Nebraskans for Hereford Heritage has helped the piece be displayed in more than 40 communities. The Golden Design 14 sculpture is currently on display at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Museum in Chadron, where it will remain until Oct. 8, when it will be relocated to Crawford for the Hereford Crossroads reunion.
Tickets to Hereford Crossroads #6 are $30 each and can be reserved by mailing payment to Dixie Hoffman at PO Box 192, Thedford, NE, 69166 by Oct. 1. There will be no ticket sales at the door this year due to the pandemic.
