Old Wheeler County Courthouse Museum, Bartlett, Nebraska

This great retired courthouse was built in 1917 in Bartlett, Wheeler County, Nebraska. It today acts as a county museum that is only open on special occasions. I was very lucky to meet the county clerk in the current 1982 courthouse that remembered working here. She gave me a personal tour of the structure. I was told that they built a new courthouse because it would have cost the county too much to make the building handicapped accessible.

She also told me that this 1917 structure was built because the previous 1888 courthouse that stood at this site burned down, and the fire was believed to have been caused by the county judge who was fond of cigars and had a tendency to through away his cigar butts in the trash.

Scotts Bluff, Nebraska

In far western Nebraska, just 20 miles from the Wyoming border, Scotts Bluff was a prominent landmark for early pioneer settlers traveling the Oregon Trail. Scotts Bluff National Monument preserves 3,000 acres which includes the bluff, Mitchell Pass and the surrounding high prairie.

There is a visitor center with an information desk, gift shop, restrooms, and a museum which celebrates the Oregon, Mormon and California Trails. A unique feature of the museum is that it is a repository of the artwork of William Henry Jackson, an early photographer and painter of the American West. There are 63 original watercolors, the largest single collection of Jackson's works.

Visitors may also drive the summit road to the top of Scotts Bluff, or the more adventureous will want to hike the 1.6 mile Saddle Rock Trail to the summit, for outstanding views of the valley below. An actual remnant of the old Oregon Trail may be seen by taking a half-mile Oregon Trail Path from the Visitor Center.

Bassett Lodge and Range Cafe, Nebraska

My lunch at the Range Cafe in Bassett Nebraska, is a good example of why I enjoy traveling to small towns, and why I am determined to visit every county in the United States at least once in my lifetime. While driving across the sandhills of north-central Nebraska I stopped at mid-day in this small town of 743 people to look for a place to eat. Downtown on Main Street, the Range Cafe looked like the best choice in town. Walking in the front door was like stepping back in time. The building and the business date back to the late 1800s, and they look little changed since that time except for a few modern touches like air conditioning and electric lights. I seriously doubt if the place had seen any major remodeling for 50 years.

The service was friendly, the food was very good, and as I was finishing my meal an elderly gentleman came up to my table and asked if I were a traveling man. Obviously they don't get many tourists in Bassett. We talked for a while, he told me he was a cattle rancher and the owner of the cafe and the adjoining lodge. He offered to show me around. The lodge was a fascinating place, like a living page-out-of-time. In fact, he showed me an actual page - an 1880's newspaper he had recently found in one of the walls of the hotel. On the paper was a note scribbled by one of the builders of the hotel who had placed it in the wall to be found more than a century later.

As my host and I chatted I learned much of the history of the Nebraska Sandhills country, and of the ups and downs of the cattle industry. Bassett, Nebraska and this extraordinary friendly gentleman (I didn't even get his name) offered me one of those magical travel moments, the memory of which I will always treasure.

I had the lunch special: Two bratwurst links, mashed potatoes with gravy, buttered corn-on-the-cob, green beans, a trip to the salad bar, and iced tea, all for only $5.50.

Sherman Reservoir, Nebraska

Sometimes a hotel is nice. But when given a choice, and especially when the weather is beautiful, it's a mystery to me why more travelers don't take advantage of free campsites like this one. You would pay a small fortune for a resort room with a view like this. And what a glorious feeling it was to look up at a billion stars at night through the open flap of my tent and to hear the crickets chirping and the gentle lapping of the waves just a few feet away.

Sherman Lake has a water surface area of 2,845 acres, and is adjoined by 1,541 acres of recreational land. There are 360 primitive campsites, picnic tables, picnic shelters and vault toilets. I am told there are also coin operated shower facilities in the Recreation Area but I was unable to find them at this particular site. A bonus is that you may meet other campers and travelers. Like the family I met here, they are almost always interesting people.

Rock County Oil Company, Bassett, Nebraska

Those with an interest in nostalgia will enjoy seeing the Rock County Oil Company in downtown Bassett, Nebraska, even though you can't buy oil or gas here any more. The Nebraska Lied Main Street Program began in 1994 to help revitalize downtown areas of small town Nebraska and Bassett was accepted into the program in 1996. The renovation of this old Phillips 66 Station was their first project. The brick building, painted white, was built in 1927 and is currently being considered for listing on the National Register of Historic Buildings.

Bassett is the the county seat of Rock County in the sandhills of north-central Nebraska. The economy in this beautiful but sparsely populated part of the state is based primarily on cattle ranching.

Carhenge: Alliance, Nebraska

At a family reunion in 1987. six local Alliance, Nebraska, families built this monument of old automobiles to replicate the famous Stonehenge in England. Some other local folks considered their project an eyesore and wanted to tear it down. The Nebraska Department of Highways almost declared the place a "junkyard" and required that a large privacy fence be built around it.

But others saw the whimsical charm of the place; the cars were painted a uniform gray to add to the appeal, and now signs on the edge of town announce: "Alliance, Nebraska: Home of Carhenge." There is also now a parking lot, educational display board, and picnic tables at the site. A gift shop down the road sells Carhenge souvenirs. On a recent roadtrip through the West I stumbled upon this offbeat attraction and it was the highlight of my day.

Carhenge is located on Hwy. 87, two miles north of Alliance, on the high plains of Western Nebraska. There is no admission charge, but donations are encouraged.

Nebraska State Capitol Building

The Nebraska State Capitol building in Lincoln is the third to be built on the site. The design, by architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, was chosen from a nationwide competition in 1920. It is a 400-foot-tall domed office tower topped by a 19-foot-tall statue, "The Sower." This has been called the nation's "first truly vernacular State Capitol." None built before it had departed radically from the design of the National Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Inside the building is the Governor's Suite, chambers for the Supreme Court , State Senate, House of Representatives and other offices. There is an observation deck on the 14th floor and a 112-foot-tall rotunda in the center. Many outstanding works of art may be seen throughout the building - which is itself a work of art.

On the spring afternoon when I first visited the Capitol in Lincoln the State Legislature was in session and the place was a beehive of activity. I stood beneath the rotunda and watched as a few feet away a State Senator was being interviewed by a television crew. What impressed me was how important the Senator seemed to think his remarks were, and how very inconsequential his words and posturing really was in the greater scheme of things. The scene reminded me of the way I used to feel when I was a syndicated newspaper columnist and interviewing many well known celebrities and politicians. At that moment I felt very thankful that I am now retired (at least semi-retired) and out of the rat race.

Mansion on the Hill Museum

This 1887, nine room, Victorian mansion in Ogallalan, Nebraska, has served at different times as the mayor's residence, a hospital, and an apartment building. Today it is a museum of local history and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Some say that the house is haunted. The light in a back room is sometimes seen on late at night when no one is there, and those who work at the museum have reported a shadowy figure who can be seen walking the hallway in the middle of the afternoon. I missed seeing him on the afternoon I was there.

The museum is open Memorial Day - September 15, 9-12 am. and 1-4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday.

Boot Hill Cemetery, Ogallala, Nebraska

Boot Hill Cemetery was the final resting place for many early Westerners who helped make Ogallala a booming cowtown in the 1870's and 1880's. These people - cowboys, settlers, drifters - made their way to Ogallala when the Railroad and the Texas Trail opened a new market for the Texas Longhorn.

Although one of the first burials here was a mother and child, many others were killed while running afoul of the law, some for horse stealing, others for refighting the Civil War. In July 1873, three cowhands were laid to rest in a single day, victims of the local sheriff's guns. Most were buried with their boots on, hence the name of the cemetery. The wooden headboards say little: "Pauper, 1887," reads one; "Pedro, Sept. 11, 1876" is another. Some bodies which were originally buried here have been removed. Only the unclaimed and unknown remain.

The sculpture in the center of the cemetery was placed by the local Lions Club in honor of Samuel David "Lep" Sanders, who was one of the first settlers of the area in 1869.

Ponca State Park, Ponca, Nebraska

Situated along picturesque river bluffs overlooking the Missouri River, with views into South Dakota, Ponca State Park is the eastern gateway to the Missouri National Recreational River. Upstream, beginning at Ponca, is a 59 mile stretch of river which remains little changed since prehistoric times - the only unchannelized portion of the River in Nebraska.

The park encompasses 1,400 acres of heavily wooded rolling hills and bottomlands. There are numerous ammenities including a swimming pool, boat ramps, 20 miles of hiking trails, rental cabins, and an excellent modern campground. I was privileged to visit and camp here during the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which camped in this same area 200 years before. Ponca State Park has been designated a part of the Lewis and Clark Historical Trail.

The name "Ponca" comes from a native American Indian tribe which lived in this area. Ponca Chief Standing Bear is the man who fought and won his case to have American Indians recognized under United States law as persons. He is now listed in the Nebraska Hall of Fame.

Lincoln County Historical Museum, North Platte, Nebraska

The history, heritage and frontier spirit of Western Nebraska are captured at the Lincoln County Historical Museum. I spent a couple of fascinating hours here and would have stayed longer but it was closing time.

One of the highlights of the museum is the famous World War II Canteen. The interpretative display details the story of volunteers who for 51 months, 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, throughout World War II met every U.S. Military train which passed through the major rail hub of North Platte. They provided food, treats, and hospitality for more than six million servicemen and women during the Canteen's existence.

There are numerous other Old West exhibits and displays in the museum which will delight any history buff.

Buffalo Bill's Barn at Scouts Rest Ranch

William F. Cody, the famed Pony Express rider, Indian fighter, and buffalo hunter turned showman, acquired the nickname "Buffalo Bill" after he killed 4,280 Bison during an eight month period in 1867. He built this barn and ranch, 20 years later, at the height of his popular Wild West Show. He spared no expense. The immense barn, along with the original house, and outbuildings, has been restored and is being preserved by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission as a State Historical Park.

The barn features Wild West Show memorabilia, original posters, and a movie made of film clips taken at the time the show was touring throughout the United State and Europe. Visitors are allowed to explore both the ground floor and the loft. I found the experience very educational as well as entertaining. It will give you a whole new insight into and appreciation for the "Wild West."

Buffalo Bill State Historical Park

North Platte, Nebraska was home of the man who made the Wild West world-renowned. In his day he was as famous, or even more so, than any entertainment superstar today. No one figure personifies the frontier spirit better than William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, the West's most colorful showman, army scout and buffalo hunter.

This State Historical Park preserves 25 acres of what was originally Buffalo Bill's home, Scout's Rest Ranch. Cody's elegant Victorian house, built in 1886, is a museum, with numerous exhibits depicting the life and times of Buffalo Bill and other members of his Wild West Show, which toured throughout the United States and Europe.

Other attractions in the park include Sandhill Crane viewing and camping facilities. A State Park Permit is required for all vehicles and costs $2.50 daily.

This sculpture, named Silent Leather, stands in front of the Wheeler County Courthouse, Bartlett, Nebraska. It is by the noted "Cowboy Artist" Herb Mignery. Herb grew up on a working cattle ranch in Wheeler County.

With only 828 people in the entire county, Wheeler is one of the least populated counties in the United States. I stopped here while on a October 12, 2007, while on a meandering road trip from Cincinnati/Loveland, Ohio to Denver, Colorado. I had breakfast at the local Sinclair station - the only business I saw open in the town - and chatted with a table of about six local senior citizens, who seemed to be proud of the fact that there's nothing much to do in Bartlett.

Smallest Town Hall in America

I was driving along Nebraska Highway 12, paralleling the Missouri River and just across the border from South Dakota, when I saw the billboard: "Welcome to Maskell, Home of the Smallest City Hall in the U.S." An arrow pointed three blocks off the highway, and it so happens that the town of Maskel is exactly three blocks long and two blocks wide. There is a Lutheran Church, a cluster of houses, and a population of 54 people.

I circled the town completely and found myself back out at the highway, but saw no City Hall. I went back and looked more carefully the second time around and found it. The small white shed-like building, 10x12 feet, was painted white. In front was a large barrel of petunias, a water fountain, and a sign which said "Wet Paint." I peered into the open front door and could clearly see that the grey floor paint inside had recently been applied. An electric fan stood in the doorway, no doubt to speed the drying of the paint. There was not a stick of furniture in the tiny building - but then it was being painted.

I walked all around City Hall, peered in both windows, and looked up and down the street. Not a single soul was in sight. I'll have to come back another time when the paint is dry. Why is it that I just love discovering places like this?