Volume 89, Issue 1, 2011
January-February 2011
- Identifier:
- nela.2011_089_01
- Title:
- Volume 89, Issue 1, 2011
- Issue Name:
- January-February 2011
- Date Issued:
- 2011-01-01
- year:
- 2011
- Season:
- Winter
- PDF filename:
- NL_89.01_2011_Jan_Feb_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 089
- issue:
- 01
- number:
- 089.01
- Decade:
- 2010s
- Type:
- Rights Holder:
- Copyright Nebraskaland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, all rights reserved.
- Extracted Text:
-
Volume 89, Number 1, January-February 2011
14 Mammals – Our Seldom-seen Family Members
An upclose look at some of our fellow mammals that we
may not often get a look at while they’re alive.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY JOEL SARTORE
20 Windmills
Well-known symbols, many historians believe that windmills
played a key role in the settlement of the Great Plains.
BY ELIZABETH MACK
22 Sandhills Winter Waterfowl
As winter settles in each year, slowly descending from the
far north, it pushes waterfowl ahead of it. Many of these
birds travel no further than Nebraska’s Sandhills, where
powerful springs pushing up from the Ogallala aquafer
provide the open water that they need.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MICHAEL FORSBERG
28 The Lucky 13
Here are 13 activities to do at Nebraska’s state parks this
year, as well as some of best places to do them.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY JEFFREY KURRUS
34 Potash – Boom and Bust in the Sandhills
Almost 100 years later, little remains of Nebraska’s shortlived WWI potash industry that once had local landowners
seeing little but dollar signs. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY JON FARRAR
28
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42 Wildlife Conservation Fund
Donations to Nebraska’s Wildlife Conservation Fund play a
key role in the surveying and protection of a variety of
nongame species found in the state.
BY GERRY STEINAUER
Comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Mixed Bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Outdoor Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Portraits from the Past . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
20
●
34
●
22
●
Cover: The big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus, is only about five inches
long from nose to tail and is found throughout the state. To see other
portraits of Nebraska mammals, see page 14. Photo by Joel Sartore.
Opposite: A corner post wrapped with wire is glazed with light January
hoarfrost in Gosper County. Photo by Luke Kathol.
NEBRASKAland (VOL. 89 / NO. 1, ISSN 0028-1964) is published monthly, except for the
combined Jan./Feb. and Aug./Sept. issues, by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission,
2200 N. 33rd St., Lincoln, NE. Periodicals postage paid at Lincoln, Nebraska, and additional
mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NEBRASKAland, P.O. Box 30370,
Lincoln, NE 68503-0370.
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 3
“Old fashioned” Duck Hunting
Hi Jon [Farrar]
I don't know if you recall me, but
you went with my sons (Aaron and
Jake) out to the Verona Complex for
a youth waterfowl hunt last year
and used a photo of us in last
January/Febuary’s magazine.
I just wanted to show you that we are
still out hunting with the kids and doing
a fine job! This photo was taken after a
Saturday morning hunt on a “secret”
CRP-MAP tract in Gage County. They
say there are no birds in Gage County
this year! Ha, we know better!
I read your article on “old fashioned”
duck hunting and never knew about
rubber waders! Sounds like something I
am glad I missed! I enjoyed that more
than any other story in the whole issue!
Thanks for the lessons in appreciating
what we have with neoprene!
Shawn Meyer
Beatrice, Nebraska
Contrary Natures
When I moved from the city to rural
Washington County decades ago, I was
fascinated with the local creeks and
asked many of the longtime residents
what animals they saw in theirs.
Several mentioned that there used to be
a lot of shitepokes, and I gathered that
the name described the habit which in
those days was not a common fourletter word. However, they said
shitepokes were large and black, and I
thought they were describing
cormorants. Thanks for the update!
In the same vein, a co-worker from
South Dakota told me boxelder bugs
are called Democrat bugs because
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Civilian
Conservation Corps
planted so many
boxelders along the
creeks during the
depression/dust bowl
days. Old-timers
around here
remembered that trees
in our creeks were
planted by the CCC.
I may be one of
those people “with
contrary natures” Jon
Farrar writes about,
but I don’t think I am
alone in loving the
botany/biology background from
articles on milkweeds, box elder, turtles
and the rest. In the future, I think we
will all think like Chris Helzer: If it’s
better for insects, it’s better for game
animals and for us.
NEBRASKAland is better than ever.
Linda Ferring
Blair, Nebraska
Correction
In the “Live Decoys” article that ran
in the November 2010 issue of
NEBRASKAland, the photo on page
15 was credited incorrectly. It should
have been attributed to Jacques Smith
of Shelton, who said it was taken in
about 1903 and identified the men in
the photograph as, from left to right:
Rodney M. Smith, Scott Smith and Evan
Smith. We regret the error.
“That’s My Car!”
I think the old car seen on page 19
of the December NEBRASKAland
Magazine in the Darr Wildlife
Management Area is the one I learned
to drive in 1953.
When the interstate went though our
farm south of Darr in 1961, we had
already junked the car due to a broken
spring (among other ills) and pulled it
4 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
down by the river with the tractor.
Several years later we found that it
had been pulled into a washout to keep
the river from eroding the north bank,
and about five years ago I made a trek
to retrieve the horn ring and some other
trim parts to make a shadow box to
frame a picture of the car. It is a 1947
Dodge and served nine of us well at the
time (though not all at the same time).
Peter J. Seberger, Maj. USAF Ret.
Darr, Nebraska
Great Teaching Tool
Thought I’d drop you a note and say
thanks for the great job you guys do. I
incorporated a few of last month’s
articles in my EE presentation to
Edison School 6th graders at Desoto
last week. We were studying animal
adaptations, primarily the beaver, and
I slipped in Chris Helzer’s article on
winter survival strategies as well, which
they loved. I also showed them Eric
Fowler’s story on the Desoto buck
study, and wouldn't you know it, as we
were taking a bus ride onto the Refuge
to look at the new wetlands area we
spotted a doe with a radio collar and
ear tag. Talk about great timing. I want
to thank the whole staff for a great
job. Please pass this along so they
can see the fruits of their labor.
Steve Tyler
Omaha, Nebraska
NEBRASKAland Visitor Letters
We want to thank all 78 readers that
sent e-mails and letters for last issue’s
visitor, a grass spider on page 50 (see
page 13 for the winner, rules and this
issue’s hint). Here are just some of the
many wonderful responses we received:
Just received the December issue of
NEBRASKAland and nearly jumped
out of my skin when I turned over to
page 50 and saw this month's visitor.
I don't know the American species of
the spider but it could have been the
brother to the English version I found
on my curtains yesterday morning!
Valerie Stride,
England. United Kingdom
I have found the visitor on page 50 of
the December 2010 issue of
NEBRASKAland. It is a grass spider.
I used to see them in and around hay
bales when I used to work on the farm.
David Gloe
Omaha, NE
I was quickly thumbing backwards
through the December issue of
NEBRASKAland I had picked up in
the mail today when the spider on page
50 jumped out at me and I about threw
the magazine across the room! I hate
spiders, but love the magazine!
Kelly Mercer
Stanton, Nebraska
Grass spiders, or funnel-weaver
spiders, of the genus Agelenopsis are
a common Nebraska spider. They
weave dense, funnel-shaped webs in
grass and other vegetation. While
generally an outdoor spider, they will
enter homes in the fall, as the weather
turns colder.
They are generally harmless to
humans, and can actually be beneficial,
catching and consuming
other insects.
A good identification
characteristic is the pair of long
spinnerets at the end of
their abdomen. These
spiders may be
confused with the wolf spider,
which is generally larger and has
more hair, or the brown recluse,
which tends to be lighter in
color and less hairy. Grass spiders
also have dark brown bands on their
cephalothorax (back), while the brown
recluse is marked with
– Julie Van Meter,
a violin shape.
State Entomologist,
Nebraska Department of Agriculture.
Send your comments to:
Doug Carroll, Editor
NEBRASKAland Magazine
P.O. Box 30370
Lincoln, NE 68503
or e-mail doug.carroll@ngpc.ne.gov.
Please include your postal address and
telephone number. Letters may be condensed and edited for clarity. Photographs
are welcome and will be returned.
Story and photo submissions can be
sent to the same address. Include a selfaddressed stamped envelope for mailed
submissions. The publisher assumes no
responsibility for unsolicited material.
COMMISSION
CONSERV
CONSERVATION OFFICERS
Director Rex Amack
Commissioners
Chairman - Jerrod Burke, Curtis
Vice Chairman - Mick Jensen, Blair
2nd Vice Chairman - Ron Stave, Waterloo
Dr. Mark Pinkerton, Wilber
Dr. Kent Forney, Lincoln
Lynn Berggren, Broken Bow
Rex Fisher, Omaha
Mark Spurgin, Paxton
Norris Marshall, Kearney
PANHANDLE
Officer
City
Jim Zimmerman (S) Gering
Scott Brandt
Heath Packett
Dennis Thompson
Frank Miller
Dan Kling
MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE STAFF
STAFF
Editor Doug Carroll
Associate Editor Jeff Kurrus
Art Director Tim Reigert
Senior Editor Jon Farrar
Regional Editor Eric Fowler
Contributing Editor Michael Forsberg
Regular Contributors Bill Hager, Chris Helzer,
Lisa Knopp
Photo Librarian Sarah Johnson
Circulation Donna Robinson
For address changes and questions about
your subscription, e-mail
Donna.Robinson@Nebraska.gov
or call (800) 632-5263
Marketing/Advertising
For advertising information contact
Larson Enterprises
e-mail dave@larsonent.com
or call (515) 440-2810
NEBRASKAland Magazine Copyright 2011, all rights reserved.
NEBRASKAland is available on audio cassette from the Nebraska
Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service, Suite 120, 1200 N
St., Lincoln, NE 68508. (800) 742-7691. NEBRASKAland Magazine and
the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reserve the right to reject any
advertising not in keeping with the agency mission.
Rates: $18 for one year; $33 for two years; $44 for three years. Nebraska
recipients must add appropriate sales tax. To subscribe call
1-800-NEBLAND (632-5263), or go online to:
NebraskalandMagazine.com.
COMMISSION OFFICES
Headquarters
2200 N. 33rd Street Lincoln, NE 68503
Phone (402) 471-0641
District Office I
East Hwy. 2, Box 725 Alliance, NE 69301
Phone (308) 763-2940
District Office II
524 Panzer St., Box 508 Bassett, NE 68714
Phone (402) 684-2921
District Office III
2201 N. 13th St. Norfolk, NE 68701
Phone (402) 370-3374
District Office IV
301 E. State Farm Rd. North Platte, NE 69101
Phone (308) 535-8025
District Office VI
1617 First Ave. Kearney, NE 68847
Phone (308) 865-5310
Omaha Office
1212 Bob Gibson Blvd. Omaha, NE 68108
Phone (402) 595-2144
Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium
21502 W. Highway 31 Gretna, NE 68028
Phone (402) 332-3901
Phone (308)
(office) 763-2940
(cell) 641-6138
Gering
631-0663
Gordon
360-0682
Ogallala
289-0755
Valentine (402) 389-0444
Harrison
430-0572
SOUTHWEST
Officer
City
Phone (308)
Roger Thompson (S) N. Platte (office) 535-8025
(cell) 530-3097
Ray Dierking
Brkn. Bow
870-0322
George Sund
Cambridge
655-0028
Michael Thome
Cozad
529-8146
Matt Andrews
Elwood
746-2418
Dirk Greene
Imperial
882-0015
Virgil Gosch
McCook
340-2440
Dudley Sorensen
N. Platte
530-0016
Rich Routh
Rep. City
920-0367
SOUTH-CENTRAL
Officer
Jerry Pecha (Sup.)
Terry Brentzel
Randy Pomplun
Darin Gress
Dale Johnson
Robert Finke
Doug Pollard
City
Phone (308)
Kearney (office) 865-5327
(cell) 293-3551
Doniphan (402) 469-5795
Fullerton
550-0489
Hebron
(402) 768-8665
Kearney
440-3847
Milford
(402) 947-1363
Ord
778-7101
NORTHEAST
Officer
Tom Zimmer (Sup.)
City
Norfolk
Dale Davis
Steve Oberg
Daniel Roberts
Jeff Jones
Jon Reeves
Pat George
Tim Williams
Cory Krause
Phone (402)
(office) 370-3374
(cell) 649-8053
Bassett
760-0712
Columbus
910-3366
Fremont
719-1108
Hartington
762-5022
Kennard
889-8508
O’Neill
340-0787
Neligh
929-0051
West Point
380-6410
SOUTHEAST
Officer
Duane Arp (Sup.)
City
Gretna
Sean McKeehan
William Krause
Mike Luben
Dan Zuehlke
Douglas Kramer
Dina Barta
Stacey Lewton
Levi Krause
Russell Mort
Dan Evasco
Jeff Clauson
Phone (402)
(office) 332-2965
(cell) 521-0194
Ashland
521-0159
Auburn
274-8063
Colon
443-6392
Cortland (308) 289-3399
Lincoln
890-6465
Lincoln
890-6463
Lincoln
890-7140
Louisville
949-0593
Nebr. City
209-1506
Papillion
616-5961
Waterloo
658-7057
ADMINISTRATION
Officer
Ted Blume (Adm.)
Craig Stover (Asst.)
Wes Loos (Asst.)
Rod Loos (Asst.)
City
Lincoln
Lincoln
Lincoln
Ogallala
Phone (402)
471-5531
471-5532
471-5591
(308) 284-8056
Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers 1-800-742-7627
Under federal and/or state law, discrimination is prohibited on the basis
of race, color, religion, age, gender, marital status, national origin,
disability or political affiliation. If you think you have been discriminated
against in any program, activity or facility by the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission or want more information, contact the Commission in
Lincoln, NE, at (402) 471-0641 or the Equal Opportunity Commission,
Lincoln, NE, (402) 471-2024, TTY/TDD (402) 471-4693).
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 5
PHOTO BY JEFFREY KURRUS
Here is a list of
upcoming outdoor
events across
Nebraska.
For more
information
about
these and
other events, click on
the calendar at
www.OutdoorNebraska.org.
Cedar Waxwings – Here Today,
Gone Tomorrow
Jon Farrar
Two waxwing species are found in
Nebraska. The Bohemian waxwing is
uncommon in the state except in the
northwest, where it is considered an
erratic but regular winter visitor. Cedar
waxwings might be seen statewide, are
common during spring and autumn
migration, are common winter visitors
(particularly in the southeast), and
uncommon but regular breeders in
eastern and western Nebraska. They are
most conspicuous in late-winter when
flocks are attracted to fruit still clinging
to trees, particularly flowering crabapple
trees in cities, which they typically
swallow whole. As their name suggests,
the “fruits” found on red cedars and
other junipers are commonly part of
their diet. Waxwings are known to
become intoxicated or even die from
feeding on overripe and fermented fruit.
Waxwings are social birds and outside
January 1
of the breeding season are usually
found in small to large flocks moving
from one fruit-bearing tree to another,
often remaining until most of the fruit
has been consumed. Ornithologists refer
to waxwings as “irruptive,” meaning
there may be mass movements out of
an area where food is inadequate into
areas where fruit is available, particularly
in winter months. This explains
waxwings being more commonly seen
in Nebraska some years than others.
Cedar waxwings are striking birds,
cinnamon-colored with grayish wings
and tails, a terminal yellow tail band,
yellowish bellies, crests and black
masks lined with white. Waxy deposits
on the tips of the secondary feathers
(the row back from the large, outermost
primary feathers on a bird’s wing) of
some birds are visible when viewed
closely or with optics. The function of
these waxy droplets is unknown but
their number is reported to increase
with the maturity of the bird, suggesting
they are related to mating.
• New Year’s Day Buffet – Mahoney
State Park, Ashland
The Breakfast Buffet will be served
from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
The New Year Buffet begins at 11
a.m. and goes through 6 p.m.
Adults are $11.95 and Children (10
and under) are $6.95 each. A park
entry permit is required.
Contact: Brian Schmidt
402-944-2523
ngpc.mahoney@nebraska.gov
January 2
• Annual Christmas Bird Count –
Ponca State Park, Ponca
This event coincides with the
Audubon Society's national Christmas
bird count. Amateur and expert bird
watchers are invited to attend this
event. A free chili feed will be served
at noon. A park entry permit is
required.
Contact: Jeff Fields
402-755-2284
ngpc.ponca@nebraska.gov
January 16
• Beyond BOW - Underwater Diving –
Lincoln
Learn how to scuba dive from certified
instructors using Lincoln's YMCA
pool. Pre-registration is required by
January 10.
Contact: Julia Plugge
402-471-6009
julia.plugge@nebraska.gov
February 18
Shawn Riley of Brule is an area
representative for the Nebraska
Bowhunters Association, a Bow Hunter
Education and 4-H shooting sports
instructor, and a mentor hunt volunteer. He likes to tell people he bowhunts
365 days a year, spending time reading, scouting and target shooting when
all bow seasons are closed.
If you have a unique outdoor message plate you would like to share, or
know someone who does, e-mail a photo (high-resolution, JEPG format
only, please) of it to Eric.Fowler@Nebraska.gov, along with your name,
hometown, and a brief description of the interests expressed on your license
plate.
6 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
• Beyond BOW - Snoeshowing Under
a Full Moon – Platte River State Park,
Louisville
Pending on the the weather. Preregistration required.
Contact: Julia Plugge
402-471-6009
julia.plugge@nebraska.gov
February 27
• Cowboy Poetry and Music Jam –
Bowring Ranch SHP, Merriman
A park entry permit is required.
Contact: Bowring Ranch SHP
308-684-3428
diane.burress@nebraska.gov
Youngman Opening
The January 1975 edition of
NEBRASKAland featured articles
on Merriam’s turkeys, hunting
squirrels and ice fishing. This
issue also features two photo
essays.
The first, entitled “All Things
that Love the Sun,” uses macro
photography to take a close look
at various plant species. The
second, entitled “Rim of the World,”
covers the wildlife and scenery
of northwestern Nebraska
photographed by recently retired
regional editor Bob Grier.
The most intriguing piece in this
particular issue, however, could
be Gary Gabelhouse’s “Winter
Survival.”
It is interesting because while the
gear has changed considerably
through the years, the human
body has not – at least for those
who spend some time afield each
winter.
“Somewhere at the end of my
hands and feet were toes and
fingers; at least I thought they
were still there,” wrote Gabelhouse,
speaking to some of those same
feelings I still experience each
winter.
Gabelhouse then breaks down
both hypothermia and frostbite,
the science behind each, and
then how to effectively treat their
symptoms.
To read Gabelhouse’s article, go
to NebraskalandMagazine.com
and click on “A Look Back.”
Jon Farrar
Youngman Lake on the northwestern corner of 192th and Dodge Road in
western Omaha is now open to fishing. The 60-acre lake is the sparkling jewel in
the center of a 175-acre Omaha city park some have called Memorial Park West.
Land for the park and lake was purchased in 2001 by the City of Omaha and the
Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District. The project was supported by
a $500,000 gift from Judy Wigton, and the lake named in memory of her
father, Lawrence Youngman. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission also
contributed to funding the project, including excavating work prior to the lake
filling, boat ramp facilities and several fishing jetties. The Commission will be
managing the lake’s fishery.
Jeff Jackson, Commission fisheries manager for southeastern Nebraska, expects
the lake to provide excellent fishing in this urban environment. He said the lake
was first stocked two years ago with bluegills and largemouth bass. There has also
been three stockings of channel catfish as well as adult crappie. Jackson expects
natural reproduction to maintain populations of all those species except the
catfish, which will be stocked annually. Because substantial fishing pressure is
expected, there is a 21-inch minimum length limit on bass and a one-fish daily
bag limit. It should be an excellent catch-and-release lake for bass fishermen, he
said. Because of the size of the lake and its urban location, there is a five-mileper-hour, no-wake boating regulation in place.
Anglers should be aware, Jackson said, that although the lake has public land
around its perimeter, there is private land adjoining it, especially on the
western end of the lake, where trespassing is not allowed.
PHOTO BY JEFFREY KURRUS
Patrick Mainelli
Both cozy and energy efficient, Ponca’s “green” cabins feature stucco walls, straw bale
insulation and modern amenities throughout.
Ponca’s “Green” Cabins
Steaming Streams
Patrick Mainelli
If you have ever been lucky enough to stand alone on a quiet morning along the
bank of one of Nebraska’s many creeks, rivers or streams, you may have found
yourself lost in the ethereal mist that is known as steam fog. This phenomenon
can generally be seen near the beginning and end of winter when water temperature
is often mildly warmer than the surrounding air. Stephen Augustyn with the Air
Force Weather Agency explains that, “when the cool air moves over the warmer
water, which serves as a moisture source for the air above it, it will instantly
condense into minute water droplets that appear as discontinuous fog hovering
above the water.” These “steamy” moments can be brief and fleeting but always
seem to be inspiring.
See You Out There ...
But Where?
Do you know where this
Nebraska photograph
was taken?
See answer at the bottom
of page 13.
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 9
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
PHOTO BY PATRICK MAINELLI
8 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
Patrick Mainelli
In the summer of 2009, Ponca State
Park opened two environmentally
friendly cabins to the public. The
cabins were the fruit of two years of
planning and construction and were
made possible through a collaboration
of the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission, The Nebraska
Environmental Trust, the National
Park Service, the Nebraska Department
of Environmental Quality, the Better
Ponca Foundation, the Cornhusker
Motor Club Foundation, and the
Nebraska Public Power District. The
goal of this broad partnership was to
educate the public on the burgeoning
field of “green” engineering, as well
as provide a unique, all-natural
experience for Ponca visitors.
These “green” cabins, like all
cabins at the park, are fully equipped
with the modern amenities needed
for a comfortable night in the woods.
They also boast a number of other
unique design elements meant to
lessen the buildings’ impact on their
natural surroundings. Most of the
cabins’ ingenious modifications are
not immediately obvious because
they are fully integrated to the
architecture of the buildings. In fact,
one of the cleverest design
considerations would go completely
unnoticed were it not for the
educational plaques hung throughout
the cabins, educating visitors on
various eco-innovations. Packed
between the stucco walls of the
cabins, are dozens of bales of straw,
which act as a natural insulator. In
addition to being cheap, renewable
and abundant, hay is an excellent
insulator with a relatively high R-Value
(a measure of a substance’s heat
permeability).
More than one hundred years ago,
Nebraska settlers were already taking
advantage of the insulating properties
of straw. Today’s straw-insulated
buildings are covered in a resilient
stucco or plaster, providing further
temperature regulation and preserving
the straw from the damaging effects
of moisture and rodents. The quiet
earth-tones of the cabins at Ponca
blend gracefully with the forest browns
of the park, giving the buildings and
their environment a seamless feel.
The cabins are climate controlled
via a geothermal heating and
cooling system that uses the earth’s
constant temperature as a heat sink or
source. With a high-efficiency, groundsource heat pump and underground
piping, heat is transferred from the soil
to the buildings in the winter and from
the buildings to the ground in the
summer.
Ponca’s green cabins are part of a
wider commitment to environmentally
sensitive land management throughout
the park. Initiatives such as a wetland
waste-water treatment system, the
inclusion of native plants in landscape
design, a park-wide recycling and
composting program, as well as
habitat restoration for woodland birds
and mammals sets Ponca SP apart as
one of the more eco-minded parks in
the country.
The cabins, it seems have been a
big success: “Public response has
been great,” said Fields, and as a
result, plans for the development of a
third green cabin are in the works and
are currently in the fundraising stage.
The new unit will utilize many of the
same techniques, but on a larger scale.
While the existing cabins are both twobedroom single family units, the new
facility will contain four bedrooms and
better accommodate larger groups.
Reservations for the green cabins
($138 per night) can be placed by
calling (402) 755-2284 or going
online to www.OutdoorNebraska.org
and following the “Parks” link.
Reservations are accepted up to one
year in advance for two or more nights.
Learning to Hunt in Deer in January
Jeffrey Kurrus
Three years ago I hunted for a month straight, through December and
the first half of January, and never saw a single deer. Hunting the same
spots I did through firearm season, I was convinced that I just wasn’t
there at the right time and wasn’t watching the right place.
Then I talked to Kit Hams, the Commission’s big game program
manager, who informed me that deer, late in the year, can usually be
found near thermal cover and that whitetails will move large distances
to find appropriate habitat during the cold winter months.
Still being hard-headed, two years ago I hunted my same spots again,
and again saw few deer through December and January. I didn’t make
that mistake again last year.
Before last year’s late-season doe hunt, I starting looking for
Want to find whitetails during the winter?
evergreens while driving country roads and then started knocking on
Find thermal cover.
doors, asking if I could shoot a doe or two off of the landowner’s property.
A couple gave me permission, and I immediately started seeing deer. I also saw tracks, scat and bedding areas – three
things I had failed to see in the previous years. As a final test, I went back to those same spots where I had hunted the
previous years, and walked over a mile and never saw a single deer track in the snow. So if I wasn’t convinced before that
point, I was then. I would never again hunt for deer late in the season without making sure some evergreens are close by.
PHOTO BY JEFFREY KURRUS
Patrick Mainelli
Although generally considered an occupational hazard
unique to the world of mountain climbing, photokeratitis (or
snowblindness) can be a painful memento from even a casual
day spent in winter’s bright landscape. This condition is
essentially caused by a sunburn of the cornea, which inflames
the membrane lining the inner surface of the eyelid known as
the conjunctiva. The effects of snowblindness may not be
felt for up to 12 hours after the damage has occurred.
Increased tear production and swelling of the tissue around
the eyes are generally among the earliest symptoms, followed
by an intense irritation that can feel like sand is being poured
directly into your eyes.
Like sunburned skin, snowblindness is caused by prolonged
exposure to the sun’s ultra-violet rays. Because fresh snow
reflects up to eighty percent of UV rays, even a few hours of
unprotected exposure can damage the cornea
Prevention, fortunately, is as easy as putting on a pair of
quality sunglasses and keeping them on. Find a pair that is
rated to block one-hundred percent of all UV rays, with large
lenses that wrap around to cover even the sides of the eyes.
Remember that UV light penetrates
cloud cover, so keep the shades on
even when skies are overcast. If your
glasses are lost or broken in the field,
an emergency pair can be made from
a strip of dark fabric with a long thin
slit cut across it lengthwise. Attach the
“goggles” above the ears using a
shoe-string or simply tuck the ends
under your cap.
If you feel you may be suffering
from snowblindness, quickly remove
yourself from the offending light and, if possible, isolate
yourself in a darkened room. Remove contact lenses and
avoid the overwhelming urge to rub your swollen eyes. As
soon as possible visit your doctor, who may administer
anesthetic eye-drops to lessen the pain. A cool compress
over the eyes, artificial tears or oral pain-relievers can also
help reduce the discomfort. The condition will generally
heal itself within 36 hours as the cornea regenerates itself.
The pupils may remain constricted for up to 128 hours and
vigilant protection from bright light is recommended for at
least five days after the initial damage.
PHOTO BY PATRICK MAINELLI
PHOTO BY BOB GRIER
Preventing Snowblindness
Wanahoo Update
Updating Your Parks
lodges will have all the modern
amenities, including cable TV and
high-speed internet. Ponca’s fishing
lake has also undergone some
renovation, including a new
boardwalk around the lake, which will
be accessible from several of the minilodges.
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
The new shooting complex at Platte River State Park near Louisville. Above: A new cabin at Ponca State Park near Ponca.
10 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Information and Education Division.
Features of the new complex will
include open firing areas and an elevated archery tower to simulate treestand
shooting.
A new horse camp is under
development in the South Shore area of
Branched Oak State Recreation Area
near Raymond. When completed, the
horse camp will include electrical
hook-ups, water, restrooms, grills,
picnic facilities, hitching posts, corrals
and an ADA-accessible mounting ramp.
Construction of 15 new mini-lodges
at Ponca State Park has been in full
swing, and the last five of these
ultra-modern cabins should be
completed by spring. These mini-
PHOTO BY JEFFREY KURRUS
Elizabeth Mack
Platte River State Park outside of
Louisville is undergoing several
updates, including the addition of a
new shooting complex. New buildings
for the archery range, small-bore rifle
range and the indoor pellet gun range
should be completed in time for the
Outdoor Discovery Program April 20-21.
The sidewalks are poured and work is
being done on the baffles for the rifle
range. Prototype designs for the new
shooting benches and target holders
are complete and will represent designs
that shooters will appreciate, with a
focus on utility for education programming, according to Jeff Rawlinson,
NGPC Assistant Administrator for the
Jon Farrar
Lake Wanahoo was created by
impounding Sand Creek one mile north
of Wahoo in Saunders County. The lake
is still filling, but eventually will cover
more than 637 acres. This flood-control
and recreation reservoir has been a long
time coming, and anglers probably
have at least another year to wait
before they will get a crack at its fish.
In the early-1990s, this reservoir was
little more than a dream in search of
funding, but eventually work on the
$30.5 million project started in 2004.
Lake Wanahoo is named after Wanahoo
Park, a recreation area that operated
near Wahoo until the 1960s. Funding
for the project came from the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, the Lower
Platte North Natural Resources District
and Saunders County. Additional funds
came from the state Department of
Roads and the Nebraska Environmental
Trust. Eventually, a four-lane segment
of Highway 77 will pass across the
dam.
The Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission spent $1.4 million to
develop the lake’s fishery, most of the
work being done in advance of the dam
being closed. Deep-water areas were
excavated, most of the trees in the lake
bed were left standing and other subsurface structures were built to enhance
fish habitat. The lake is part of a
1,600-acre recreation area that will be
open to the public for fishing, hunting,
camping, day-use and no-wake boating.
Lake Wanahoo will be the only large
reservoir between the Salt Valley Lakes
near Lincoln and the Papio Creek lakes
west of Omaha.
Jetties constructed before the lake
began filling will not only reduce wind
and wave erosion, said Jeff Jackson,
Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission’s southeastern Nebraska
fisheries manager, but will also provide
shoreline access to otherwise
inaccessible portions of the lake. An
initial stocking of 500 adult largemouth
bass was made last winter, followed
by fingerling-sized stockings of bass,
bluegills, walleyes, northern pike and
crappies in 2010.
Jackson said the water quality in
Wanahoo is excellent, and he hopes
seven small impoundments on
tributaries above the new lake will
help reduce unwanted sediment from
washing into Wanahoo, prolonging the
lake’s life and enhancing its fish
habitat quality. Shallow wetlands on
the upper end of the lake will also trap
sediment and provide wildlife habitat.
The grand opening of the new
recreation area is expected to occur
in 2012.
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 11
Turpin Time
Motel Bloodbath
Logan Burke of Curtis poses with the
mule deer buck he shot this past
November using a $5 youth deer permit.
Deer Harvest Sets Record
Nebraska's November firearm deer
harvest set a record last fall, rising
18 percent over last year.
The 2010 November firearm harvest
was 63,300, compared to 53,767 in
2009. Most of the increase was from
antlerless white-tailed deer that were
harvested, as 21,000 bonus antlerless
white-tailed deer tags were available.
Good weather benefited hunters and
farmers as the corn harvest was nearly
complete at the start of the firearm
season, giving deer fewer places to hide.
In 2009, more than half of the crop was
still in the field at the start of the season.
"This is a good step toward our goal
of a 25-percent reduction in the deer
herd in eastern Nebraska over the next
three years," said Kit Hams, big game
program manager for the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission. "The use
of Earn-a-Buck rules on Elkhorn and
Wahoo permits and the October firearm
antlerless season (3,000 deer harvested)
in 2010 have both been successful in
increasing doe harvest."
Assuming normal harvest rates
during archery, muzzleloader and
January antlerless seasons, hunters
should harvest about 90,000 deer in
Nebraska for the 2010 seasons,
compared to the previous record of
80,400 in 2008 and 78,000 last year.
Snowshoes
A Beyond BOW (Becoming an
Outdoors-Woman) class uses
snowshoes at Platte River State
Park last January.
Kelsea Nore
Sledding. Skiing. Snowboarding. These are probably the first things that
come to mind when someone says ‘winter sports,’ Finding the right hill or
slope in Nebraska can prove to be a challenge for cold-weather enthusiasts
in the area. However, the state has an abundance of outdoor trails at our state
parks, many of which are open year-round. Getting out on these trails may
require some different equipment than your usual hiking gear, however – for
instance, snowshoes.
Snowshoes have a long history, more than 5,000 years by some estimates.
Indigenous peoples from all over the world had a variation on a pair of
shoes with wide, flat bottoms that made traversing deep snow possible.
Their ancient inspiration undoubtedly came from the observation of animals:
Lepus americanus, with its over-sized feet, was eventually renamed the
snowshoe hare.
European settlers, fur trappers especially, in North America quickly learned
to copy the form and function of the ‘teardrop’ (or tennis racquet) shaped
snowshoe. Typically the shoes were made from tough wood, a cross bar
through the center and rawhide webbing. Technology, however, has changed
the shape and size of the modern snowshoe. They are now lighter, slimmer
and have crampons for traction on dense snow or ice.
Sizes are based upon a person’s weight. Mike Johnson, guide and owner of
Worldwide Trekking in Omaha, suggests going down one size for local trails,
as Nebraska is less likely to have deep powder. Smaller shoes have less of an
effect on gait and help pack down snow on the trails. Other equipment
includes two ski or trekking poles for stability and, naturally, warm layers of
clothing.
Platte River, Fort Robinson and Indian Cave state parks are popular
destinations for snowshoers and cross-country skiers, but any trail open in
the winter can be used. Click on the ‘Trails’ link on the NGPC’s website for
a listing of open trails and parks. A park permit is required. “Get out and
enjoy it,” Johnson said. “You can go by yourself or with friends and there’s
no excuse not to be active all year-round. There’s something really great
about snowshoeing on a quiet winter’s morning.”
For information and answers about guided tours, check out
wwww.worldwidetrekking.net.
NEBRASKAland Visitor
Winner and Hint
Last issue’s winner of
the NEBRASKAland
Visitor drawing was
Cathy Saeger of
Fremont, Nebraska, who found the
grass spider on page 50.
Readers are encouraged to contact
NEBRASKAland within 10 days
after this issue’s publication with the
correct page number and name of
this issue’s “Visitor” – a bug found
in Nebraska that just happened to
find its way onto one of the pages of
our publication.
We will then gather the correct
entries and draw one to win a new
NEBRASKAland Magazine mug.
To enter each month, write:
NEBRASKAland Visitor
2200 North 33rd Street,
Lincoln, NE 68503.
Or e-mail:
Tim.Reigert@Nebraska.gov
with “Visitor” in the subject line of
the message.
HINT: This issue’s visitor is not on
page 4, 5, 39, 42 or 45.
Fort Robinson State Park during the Intertribal Council Powwow
12 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
PHOTO COURTESY JERROD BURKE
Seeing as how it was mid-May, I was somewhat skeptical when I received a
call from the McCook Police Department about someone butchering a deer
inside a local motel room.
When I arrived I found out three out-of-state construction workers were
renting the room in question. The management told me they didn’t want the
construction workers prosecuted – they had only called me to collect for the
damages done to the room. I didn’t bother to tell management that those
were not options they could select.
Three day-shift employees told me that when the cleaning staff went to the
room that morning, the carpet of the newly remodeled room was splattered
with blood, as were the walls, floor and tub of the bathroom. One of the
cleaning staff, who was used to processing venison at home, looked into some
coolers in the room and saw what she believed to be boned-out venison. My
first thought was thought most people would be horrified upon entering a
motel room covered with blood and wouldn’t have searched any coolers in it.
After a few more questions, my empathy for the mess and expense the motel
operators were faced with faded – management had apparently found the
three men butchering the deer in the parking lot the night before, and instead
of alerting authorities, they just told the men to remove the carcass from public
view. Apparently the suspects had complied with that request.
Because the suspects were supposed to be returning to the motel at noon
to retrieve their belonging and settle up their bill, I sent out a call for assistance
and several members of the McCook police department and Red Willow
County sheriff’s office arrived just in time to help greet the suspects. We
quickly got a search warrant and after it was served, the assisting officers
returned to their normal duties and I readied the suspects for an immediate
court appearance before they left the state.
The suspects were calm and cooperative, but one of them had to be on the
verge of a violent eruption. As I was processing him, I noticed a discrepancy
between the name he had given me and the one used on the motel registry.
Some indescribable intuition made me decide to handcuff this suspect, but as
it turned out, he had more experience with the process than I. As I prepared
to handcuff him, he bolted from my control and ran to a nearby creek area.
Figuring two in the hand is worth one in the bush, I turned my attention to
the remaining two suspects. One of them informed me that at age 27, the
escapee had already spent much of his life in the criminal justice system.
With numerous felony convictions and having served two sentences in the
penal system, he was currently facing additional felony charges for drugs,
weapons and three assaults on officers in Missouri. Given his past, he was
also facing the “three strikes and you’re out” habitual offender status, which
would result in his spending the rest of his life in prison.
I processed the two remaining suspects, and after returning to the motel, I
met their employer, who had went looking for the three missing employees.
He was less than pleased when I explained the situation to him, but promised
his cooperation. Using a local girlfriend’s cell phone, the suspect called the
foreman asking for help and his last paycheck. Arrangements were made to
get him his check, hopefully hand-delivered by me and two assisting officers.
The first and second efforts to complete the transaction
failed, but the suspect was finally located and apprehended
in his girlfriend’s car in Indianola. He had spent hours in
custody and was within minutes of freedom and going
undetected as being a fleeing felon when the adrenaline
pumping through his system finally caused him to flee. The
last I knew, this subject was incarcerated in Missouri, where
he probably will remain for quite some time.
– Virgil Gosch, Conservation Officer, McCook
Dick Turpin
You know,
here’s a little tip
for you…if you’re
out there in the
woods and you
come in to a small
town…you’ve been hunting…boots get
a little damp…here’s what you do…go
to the laundromat and put them in the
dryer…basically all you have to do is
tie a good big knot in those
strings…kind of measure it out so
when you set them in there…you’re
going to close the door on that knot and
those boots are hanging where the baffles don’t hit…close the door…the baffles are not hitting…put the quarter
in…hit high temp…that’s all there is to
hit…check them once in awhile…don’t
let them get too hot…hey, how ya
doing…oooh…that’s July’s
issue…look at…oh…maybe I better go
check on my boots. ■
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 13
Text and photos by Joel Sartore
ay hello to your little friends. Actually, since many
of them live with you, maybe you should think of
them as family members, only with really odd hours
and bad habits. Raccoons probably den in the storm
sewers in front of your house during the day and
raid your trash cans at night. Opossums get into the cat
food, then play dead when your dog catches up to them.
Bats sleep the day away behind your downspouts. Mice are
making their home out in that pile of old stuff in the
garage even as we speak, getting ready for the annual
move to the basement once the weather turns cold.
Yet as populous and widespread as mammals might be,
we don’t often see many of them. All have been persecuted
by humans since time began, so of course they’re a little
jumpy. The result is that most of us get only fleeting
glimpses of our mammalian cousins at best, usually as
they’re running away in high gear.
In order to give you, the NEBRASKAland faithful, a longer
look, I’ve photographed as many popular mammals as I can
against black and white backgrounds. Looking into their
eyes was quite a revelation – each species had a personality
S
Thanks to the beaver, the ecology of
the American West was historically
much wetter than it is today. Their
dams along streams created
thousands of impoundments. That
all changed, though, with European
settlement.
14 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
With lungs that take up a huge percentage of their body cavity,
pronghorn antelope are built not only for speed but to run
immense distances across the Plains. These two were
photographed at the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls, S.D.
all its own. It was also quite nice not seeing just their rear
ends for a change.
For example, those groundhogs that I’ve always seen just
as brown flashes diving for a hole under my barn are actually
quite comic. One hand-raised version was brought over to
my studio not long ago, where it proceeded to stand up and
beg for carrots. “If you tried to do this with a wild groundhog, it’d take your face right off,” said its keeper, Laura
Stastny of Nebraska Wildlife Rehab. She said handling any
wild animal is a bad idea.
I couldn’t agree more. The badger is another example of
something that’s best left alone. They’re the Nebraska version
of a wolverine – inquisitive, energetic, feisty and more than
willing to stand their ground. Again, the badger you see
here, along with all the rest, came from either zoos or
wildlife rescue folks, so all were conditioned to humans and
at least tolerated the photographic process.
Of course, I’m still missing a few species. Most notably
absent is the American bison. I tried photographing one
last year at a zoo in Buffalo (how ironic), but it didn’t
work out as the animal wasn’t hand-raised and wouldn’t
come close to me and my photo gear. But as the jewel in the
crown of Nebraska mammals, I can’t quit now.
And so a plea – if any of you know where a guy can find a
hand-raised and halfway-tame bull bison that’ll stand still for
a quick portrait, please give me a call.
I’ll be right over.
PS…I’m not kidding.
Though this big brown bat looks
ferocious, he’s actually a sweetheart
says his keeper, Laura Stastny. Bats
play a critical role in our night skies,
feeding on tons of insects each
night across our state.
■
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 15
The groundhog goes by
many names, but a
favorite is ‘whistle pig.’
It got this nickname
from the high pitch
squeal it makes when
danger approaches.
Nocturnal and rarely seen
by the average hiker, the
flying squirrel uses folds of
skin between its front and
hind legs to actually glide
from tree to tree.
Perhaps the most-seen large Nebraska mammal in urban landscapes,
the raccoon often travels in family groups at night. It is an extremely
adaptable species, able to thrive in just about any environment.
When threatened, a wild
Virginia opossum will
‘play dead,’ emitting a
terrible smell, locking its
jaws and appearing
completely lifeless. It’s
an involuntary act in
which the animal can be
poked or even carried
away without it waking
up for several minutes
or longer.
The long whiskers on a white-footed mouse are
important touch receptors.
The red fox is an adaptable canid, and can often be found within city limits.
16 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 17
Though it has
worked wonders with
natural threats for
thousands of years,
the raised tail of a
skunk is of no use
against oncoming
cars, hence the great
number of this
species you see
dead along Nebraska
roads.
This hand-raised badger at a rehab center in Oregon didn’t mind having his picture taken. Don’t try this with a wild one.
The coyote is said to be one
of the most adaptable and
intelligent animals roaming
our countryside. This animal
knew to just strike a pose
and wait patiently for dinner.
The photographer (Homo
sapiens sartoricus)
strikes a lifelike pose.
Joel Sartore is a contributing photographer for National
Geographic Magazine, speaker and author of RARE: Portraits of
America's Endangered Species. To see more of his pictures of
threatened and endangered species, go to rarethebook.com.
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 19
Iconic Symbol of the Great Plains
By Elizabeth Mack
A universal symbol of the Plains, many
historians believe that the windmill played a
key role in the settlement of the Great Plains
by early Euroamerican settlers.
he windmill was one of three
inventions that made settlement
of the Great Plains possible,
according to author and historian
Dr. Walter Prescott Webb in his landmark
1931 book, The Great Plains.
Although the other two he mentioned
(barbed wire and the Colt revolver) had
their place, the image of the windmill –
sprawling, spoked sails atop a wooden
tower – was one of the universal
symbols of the American Plains. Some
believe that windmills, even more than
railroads, were vital to the settling of
the West: As farmers and ranchers
settled along the arid Plains landscape,
they needed water and water-pumping
windmills could provide a seemingly
limitless supply of irrigation.
According to Richard Hills, author
of Power from Wind: A History of
Windmill Technology, farmers in early
American settlements first erected
windmills to grind their grain. As
settlers migrated westward in the
mid-nineteenth century, they found
much drier conditions than the lush,
fertile East, with no trees and few
streams available for irrigation. The
100th meridian runs straight through
Nebraska and essentially marks the
division between the United States’
drier, western climate and its moist,
eastern climate. Agriculture west of
this meridian typically relies on heavy
irrigation, thus Plains settlers adapted
their grist mill technology to a waterpumping windmill that could produce
the needed water. When the Homestead
Law of 1862 created the need for the
T
homesteaders to mark their property,
they each dug a well – powered by
windmills – on their fields.
The Plains’ “windmill belt,” as
Randy Stubbs, owner of Big Country
Windmills in Maxwell, refers to it,
luckily has a vast water source not
far below the surface: “Without the
water-pumping windmill, we would
only have had settlers along the rivers
and in those rare places where there may
be a spring. In Nebraska, especially
western Nebraska, we are in an area that
is perfect for windmills: dry regions;
abundant underground water; and
steady winds.”
“Does the wind blow this way all the
time?” asked the visitor to a ranch in
the West.
“No Mister,” answered the cowboy,
“it’ll maybe blow this way for a week
or ten days, and then it’ll take a change
and blow like hell for a while.”
– Webb, The Great Plains
As windmills followed the western
settlers, so too did the transcontinental
railroad. Windmills supplied the water
needs for locomotive boilers and travelers
alike, and windmills became prominent
features at railway stations. The first
successful water-pumping windmill
was the wooden-wheeled Eclipse, but
the upkeep on this open-geared model
was very labor intensive, as someone
had to climb it once a week to grease
the gears. Historians say male settlers
would court and marry a woman based
on her ability to climb a windmill tower
20 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
A windmill at sunset in Sarpy County.
and keep it greased. According to
Stubbs, the big breakthrough in
windmill technology was the oil bath, a
self-lubricating design: “This meant you
didn’t have to climb your windmill and
grease it every week. I sell some of
those open-geared windmills you have
to grease, but in today’s world it’s way
too labor intensive.”
Between 1854 and 1920, more than
700 U.S. companies manufactured a
wide variety of windmills. Several of
those companies continue to make
windmills today, including Dempster
Industries in Beatrice and Aermotor in
San Angelo, Texas. Stubbs says there
are still plenty of ranches, especially in
the Sandhills region of Nebraska, that
rely on water-pumping windmills
because they are too far from electrical
sources, but as more and more of the
ranches electrical needs are met, many
are going to an electrical pump.
However, the market for water-pumping
windmills is still going strong, said
Stubbs, as many younger retirees across
the nation are purchasing hobby farms,
“what we call acreages in Nebraska.”
His biggest customer base is in the
Great Lakes region: “They buy a 5- to
10-acre hobby farm and want a windmill
on it. In some cases they want it to pump
water, but it’s not a necessity for their
day-to-day operation. It’s the nostalgia.”
Nostalgia for the windmill is what
drove Billie Wolfe, a professor of home
economics who taught housing design
for Texas Tech in the mid-sixties, to
begin her quest to preserve the Plains’
historic windmills. In the early 1990s,
Wolfe made arrangements to purchase
one of the finest assemblages of early
windmills in the country from Mitchell
resident Don Hundley, who owned the
Windmill Hill Museum at the time.
Museum groups, including the
Smithsonian, and several private
collectors had often attempted to
purchase the rarest of his pieces, but
Hundley refused to break up the
collection. His entire collection is now
housed at the American Wind Power
Center in Lubbock, Texas.
As electricity was introduced across
the Plains in the 1930s, the majestic
working windmills that helped settle
the West began to slowly vanish. Many
of the early wooden structures either
slowly rotted or were destroyed by
fire, as the tall structures acted like
lightning rods on the open prairies.
However, many communities across the
Great Plains continue their desire to
restore a part of this nostalgic history
by preserving windmills, including one
antique collection restored to working
order that can be found at Windmill
State Recreation Area near Gibbon.
“Years ago, people didn’t want a
windmill in their yard because they
didn’t want to look like a farmer,”
Stubbs says. “Now everyone wants one.”
Nostalgia is a powerful emotion. ■
For more information on The
American Wind Power Center and
Museum, visit
http://www.windmill.com/index.html.
Some historical information used here
was taken from Power from Wind: A
History of Windmill
Technology by
Richard L. Hills.
Elizabeth Mack is
a freelance writer and
frequent contributor
who lives in Omaha.
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 21
Water runs off the well-oiled feathers of a common goldeneye, a diving duck and winter
migrant from the far north.
If winter arrives to the Sandhills on the wings of geese,
then it has firmly settled in with the arrival of the
merganser, bufflehead and goldeneye – diving ducks from
the immense boreal forests of the far north that rim the
earth like an emerald crown. These fish eaters share space
on the water with squabbling rafts of mallards from the
prairie potholes of the Dakotas and elegant trumpeter
swans from the western Sandhills, whose nearly full-grown
cygnets stand out in their suits of gray.
At 20 below zero, a mallard duck lifts off as the sun rises on a warmwater slough along the North Platte River.
Early in the winter season, these waterfowl may range widely as large areas of open
water and land persist. Later, however, when snow blankets the prairie and temperatures
plummet to below zero for days or weeks on end, their winter haunts shrink. Nighttime
roosts become centers of activity 24 hours a day and the most powerful springs become
waterfowl magnets. The force of the springs, the body heat of large numbers of birds and
their constant movement stirring the water’s surface are the only things that keep ice at
bay.
By late winter, food grows scarce on these last pockets of open water and only the
strong survive. Predators such as northern harriers strafe low over grassy swales and
shorelines. Bald eagles perch high on hilltops and lone cottonwood trees. Raccoons, mink,
fox and coyotes stalk the banks looking for an opportunity to cull the weak.
The ghostly figure of a raccoon stalks the shoreline at dusk.
24 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 25
A coyote keeps a keen eye and ear on all that moves in the Blue Creek Valley.
For those survivors that see
A Canada goose pair greet morning light on the roost.
26 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
winter’s retreat, these refuges
transform to become places where
the next generation is made. Pair
bonds are solidified among the
Canada geese, mallard drakes
battle over prospective mates, and
adult trumpeter swans shake free
of their family ties and begin
courtship flights, cloud-white
beacons flying low and calling in
synchrony over the Sandhills
valleys, heralding in the first
notes of spring. ■
Trumpeter swans, with seven foot wingspans, fly in
tight formation through a stiff winter wind.
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 27
Reasons to Visit Nebraska’s State Parks
All Year Long
By Jeffrey Kurrus
Whether you’re single or married, childless or family-filled, Nebraska’s
state parks and recreation areas have something for you this year.
In the pages that follow, you’ll find our list of some of the best
places to participate in many of this state’s great outdoor activities.
PHOTO LEFT AND OPPOSITE BY ERIC FOWLER
ABOVE: HORSES AND RIDERS MAKE THE STEEP CLIMB TO THE TOP OF RED CLOUD BUTTES AT FORT ROBINSON STATE PARK NEAR
CRAWFORD. FORT ROBINSON OFFERS MORE THAN 100 MILES OF HORSE TRAILS AND VISITORS CAN RENT RIDES OR BRING THEIR OWN.
OPPOSITE: AIDEN AND CULLEN COOK OF JACKSON AND KIERA, GAGE AND JERRY CROXEN OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA, ROAST A HOTDOG OVER
A CAMPFIRE AT PONCA STATE PARK, WHERE VISITORS HAVE THE OPTION OF CAMPING OR RENTING ONE OF THE PARK’S 19 CABINS.
28 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
OPPOSITE, TOP: CAMPERS FISH AND PLAY ON THE BEACH AT LAKE MCCONAUGHY NEAR
OGALLALA. MCCONAUGHY BOASTS MILES OF BEACHFRONT FOR FAMILY FUN.
OPPOSITE, BOTTOM: KIDS ARE ALWAYS SMILING WHILE VISITING E.T. MAHONEY STATE PARK,
WHICH OFFERS SWIMMING, HIKING, FISHING, HORSEBACK RIDING, MINIATURE GOLF, SLEDDING,
CAMPING, WILDLIFE VIEWING AND MUCH MORE.
ABOVE: SHAYLA, SHAYNE AND TRYSTAN BENNETT OF PALMER ENJOY A FALL AFTERNOON ON
THE SWINGS AT MORMON ISLAND STATE RECREATION AREA NEAR GRAND ISLAND.
BELOW: LOUISVILLE STATE RECREATION AREA OFFERS MANY FISHING, BOATING AND CAMPING
OPPORTUNITIES. LOCATED ALONG THE PLATTE RIVER IN EASTERN NEBRASKA, LOUISVILLE SRA
GIVES THE METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY A GREAT OUTDOOR DESTINATION CLOSE TO HOME.
To Ride a Horse
• Fort Robinson SP- 100+ miles of trails
• Indian Cave SP- 25 miles
• Lewis and Clark SRA- 5.5 miles
• Pawnee SRA- 6 miles
• Rock Creek Station SHP- 4.5 miles
To Play on the Beach
• Calamus Reservoir SRA
• Fremont Lakes SRA
• Lake McConaughy SRA
• Louisville SRA
• Mormon Island SRA
To Meet New Friends
• Buffalo Bill Ranch SHP
• E.T. Mahoney SP
• Schramm Park SRA
• Wagon Train SRA
• Wildcat Hills SRA
To Get Away from Everyone
• Blue Stem SRA
• Gallagher Canyon SRA
• Long Pine SRA
• Olive Creek SRA
• Sherman Reservoir SRA
To Camp and Hunt/Fish Nearby
30 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
PHOTO BY JEFFREY KURRUS
• Chadron SP
• Lake Minatare SRA
• Lewis and Clark SRA
• Medicine Creek SRA
• Memphis SRA
PHOTO BY JEFFREY KURRUS
• Branched Oak SRA
• Johnson Lake SRA
• Lake McConaughy SRA
• Smith Falls SP
• Summit Lake SRA
To Take the Family
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 31
To Attend a Summer Event
• Lake McConaughy SRA and Kites and Castles - 7/30/2011
• Merritt Reservoir SRA and the Nebraska Star Party - 7/31 – 8/5/2011
• Niobrara SP and the Ponca Tribe Powwow - 8/12 – 8/14/2011
• Arbor Lodge SHP and the Applejack Festival - 9/16 – 9/18/2011
• Ponca SP and the Missouri River Expo - 9/17 – 9/18/2011
To View Wildlife
• Lake Ogallala SRA - Eagles in January and February
• Fort Kearny SRA - Sandhill cranes in February and March
• Niobrara SP - Birding and prairie wildlife in May and June
• Platte River SP - Whitetailed deer and turkeys in August
• Fort Robinson SP - Bighorn sheep, buffalo and more all year
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
PHOTO BY JEFFREY KURRUS
To Live in the Past
• Ashfall Fossil Beds SHP for fossils dating back 12 million years
• Buffalo Bill Ranch SHP and the creation of the Wild West Show
• Fort Atkinson SHP and the Lewis and Clark expedition
• Fort Robinson SP for westward expansion history
• Rock Creek Station SHP for Wild Bill Hickok and the Pony Express
For more information on Nebraska’s State Parks System, visit
OutdoorNebraska.org.
To Water Ski
• Branched Oak SRA
• Calamus Reservoir SRA
• Lake McConaughy SRA
• Lake Minatare SRA
• Lewis and Clark SRA
To Comfortably Camp with a View
• Chadron SP
• Lake Ogallala SRA
• Lewis and Clark SRA
• Merritt Reservoir SRA
• Niobrara SP
To Ride a Bike
PHOTO BY JEFFREY KURRUS
32 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
To Take a Long Hike
• Chadron SP- 9.8 miles
• Fort Robinson SP- 100+ miles
• Indian Cave SP- 25 miles
• Platte River SP- 17 miles
• Wagon Train SRA- 10.5 miles
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
• Cowboy Trail- 195 miles of open trail
• Platte River SP- 17 miles of trails
• Niobrara SP- 14 miles
• Ponca SP- 17 miles
• Willow Creek SRA- 9.3 miles
OPPOSITE, TOP: JASON WEBER OF LINCOLN MAKES THE ROUNDS ON VICTORY LAKE AT FREMONT LAKES SRA. WHILE SMALL IN SIZE, THIS SRA
GIVES EASTERN NEBRASKANS A SKIING SPOT CLOSE TO HOME. FREMONT LAKES SRA ALSO HAS MORE THAN 800 CAMPING SPOTS FOR VISITORS.
OPPOSITE, BOTTOM: PLATTE RIVER SP, BORDERING THIS FAMOUS AND HISTORICAL RIVER IN EASTERN NEBRASKA, FEATURES 10 MILES OF
BIKING TRAILS, FISHING LAKE FOR KIDS, SWIMMING POOL, RIVER OVERLOOK AND ITS NEWLY ERECTED SHOOTING PARK.
THIS PAGE, TOP: FORT KEARNY SHP NEAR KEARNEY FEATURES A REBUILT STOCKADE, PARADE GROUNDS AND BLACKSMITH SHOP THAT GIVE A
GLIMPSE OF WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE AT A FRONTIER FORT.
THIS PAGE, BOTTOM: A BALD EAGLE SOARS OVER LAKE OGALLALA. IN FEBRUARY, HUNDREDS OF THESE MAJESTIC BIRDS GATHER AT THE LAKE
DURING THE COLDEST OF WINTER TO FEED ON FISH FLUSHED FROM LAKE MCCONAUGHY THROUGH THE HYDROELECTRIC PLANT.
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 33
Potash
Boom and Bust
in the Sandhills
Text and photos by Jon Farrar
here is no perfect modern-day
comparison to the circumstances
spawning the short-lived potash
industry in Nebraska during World War
I. The cessation of rubber and silk
shipments from countries we were at
war with, or countries occupied by
countries we were at war with,
during World War II (leading to the
development of nylon to replace silk
and synthetic rubber to replace natural
rubber) is close. Still, the history of the
potash boom during World War I is
uniquely concise. Oddly enough, the
long-cursed alkaline wetlands of the
western Sandhills became one of the
best alternate sources of potash for
fertilizer the U.S. had, and by the end
of the war the region was meeting about
60 percent of the country’s need.
In the years before World War I,
T
most of the world’s potash came
from Germany, where extensive,
underground deposits were mined like
rock. In those times, the U.S. was a
world leader in exporting manufactured
goods, and ships returning from
Europe frequently carried potash rather
than making the Atlantic crossing with
their cargo holes empty or at least not
filled to capacity. In the U.S. potash
was used in an array of products, from
glass to soap, but about 90 percent of
it was used for fertilizer. Prior to
1912, the price was stable at $8 to
$10 per ton, but as Europe edged closer
to world war the volume shipped to the
U.S. dramatically declined and prices
soared. In 1917, potash was selling for
$150 per ton. Once the U.S. entered
World War I supplies from Germany
vanished.
PHOTO BY ERWIN BARBOUR, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN LIBRARIES
About the only reminder of the potash boom remaining are the concrete, brick and steel remnants of the
Western Potash Company plant near Antioch. In 1979, the site was added to the National Register of Historic places.
The Hord Alkali Products Company at Lakeside began operation in 1917. Barbour
wrote it was an “exceptionally large, well-regulated, and promising plant.”
34 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
With inexpensive foreign supplies
gone, the U.S. turned to homegrown
supplies. Potash was a byproduct of
dust from cement kilns, wastes from
distilleries and sugar refineries, and
kelp harvested on the California coasts;
but those sources could not meet the
demand during World War I, and other
sources were sought.
Alkaline crust had been gathered
from ephemeral wetlands in the western
Sandhills as early as 1900, but such
endeavors never prospered. A more
serious attempt to mine potash from
western Sandhills wetlands was
initiated by John H. Show and Carl L.
Modesitt (also seen in print as
Modisett) in 1912. They filed mineral
claims on 230-acre Jesse Lake and
surrounding school sections in southern
Sheridan County, and erected a 40-foothigh evaporating tower to concentrate
the lake’s briny waters. Over 200 (and
eventually 1,000) sand-point wells
were sunk in the lake bed to a depth of
about 17 feet, and the alkaline water fed
into trunk pipes to a central pumping
station. As the operation evolved, the
brine from the evaporation tower was
pumped a little over two miles to the
south, where it emptied into three steel
storage tanks with a total capacity of
40,000 gallons. The tanks were
adjacent to the Chicago, Burlington,
and Quincy Railroad line where the
potash boomtown of Hoffland would
spring up only two years later. From
the tanks, the brine flowed into four
concentration vats called “cookers” to
be reduced to about 20 percent solids,
then into finishing vats that produced a
40-percent-solids solution.
About 200 pounds of potash could be
produced per day. The operation was
inefficient as the cost to produce a
pound of potash exceeded the price
received, in part because the potash
still had a high moisture content, hence
high shipping costs. By late-summer
1913, the plant closed.
Source of the Salts
The water in lakes and wetlands of
the western Sandhills vary in salt
concentrations from mild to strong.
Highly alkaline lakes are devoid of
aquatic vegetation, salt-encrusted and
cracked mud most summers; while
mildly alkaline lakes are fringed with
bulrush and saltgrass. Dissolved solids
(a commonly-used measurement of
salts dissolved in the water, or degree
of alkalinity) in the lakes of southern
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 35
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN LIBRARIES
Workers at the Nebraska Potash Company near Antioch posed for a photograph in front of the power plant and next to “evaporating
pans” that were being installed. The negative identifies the photographer as Hager, perhaps a student of Barbour.
geologist Erwin H. Barbour wrote in
his 1916 paper, A Preliminary Report
on the Alkali Resources of Nebraska.
That was almost certainly not the
source of briny waters in the western
Sandhills, though, wrote George E.
Condra, Director of the the Nebraska
Conservation and Soil Survey
Commission, in his 1918 publication,
The Potash Industry of Nebraska.
Salts are naturally occurring in nearly
all soils. Condra believed the source of
salts in the western Sandhills and along
the North Platte River Valley had their
origin in the Rocky Mountains. The
tableland of western Nebraska was
laid down by erosion of the Rocky
Mountains, as gravel, sand and silt was
A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE ALKALI
RESOURCES OF NEBRASKA, 1916
Sheridan County ranged from about
one percent to about 19 percent in
Jesse Lake. Seawater contains
approximately four percent dissolved
solids; and waters of the Great Salt
Lake about 20 percent. Only lakes with
concentrations exceeding five percent
were considered worth mining.
Why are the shallow lakes of the
western Sandhills alkaline? The salts
found on and near the surface were
once believed to have been drawn up
from deeply buried marine deposits of
the Cretaceous period, when a vast
inland sea covered much of what today
is the North American continent. A
similar geologic history created the
extensive German potash deposits, state
carried easterly by streams and deposited.
Surface and subsurface drainage is to
the southeast, so salts leached from the
tablelands were carried into the western
Sandhills. Because the Sandhills are of
such recent origin (there being evidence
winds during periods of drought were
still reworking the dunes as recently as
600 years ago) an extensive system of
creeks and rivers to drain the region is
yet to develop. The result is that the
western Sandhills are poorly drained,
and mineral-rich water leaching down
through dunes to wetlands is not
efficiently carried away. During wet
cycles, and even during the rainy spring
months in years of average precipitation,
these salt-rich waters pool on the surface
and in summer evaporate. After hundreds
of years, the salts became increasingly
concentrated.
Blossoming of
Industry
A schematic sketch by Barbour of a revolving steel drier used by American Potash
Company near Antioch. The driers were about 70 feet long and six feet in diameter.
36 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
In the summer of 1914, a year after
they had ceased operation and as political
events in Europe leading to World I
began influencing the availability of
German potash, Modesitt, Show, and
Omaha investors organized to resume
potash production on Jesse Lake. They
made two significant changes from
their earlier operation – increasing the
size of concentration vats and building
their plant adjacent to the Chicago,
Burlington, and Quincy Railroad line
little more than two miles south of
Jesse Lake, about 12 miles east of
Alliance. The new venture and
corporation was named the Potash
Reduction Company.
Pipelines buried 30 inches
underground carried the brine from
the lake to the plant. Iron pipes were
initially used but it soon became
evident they were corroding, so they
were replaced with pipe made of
wooden staves bound snugly together
with wrappings of a heavy, No. 6 wire.
Stave unions were sealed with tar.
“Some of it was redwood, some of
it was made out of fir lumber,” the
late Paul Dietlein recalled in a 1982
interview. Paul’s father, George, was a
railroad man, but in 1919 moved his
family to Antioch where he became a
management employee of the American
Potash Company. Paul was born in 1907
and so was 12 years old at the peak of
the potash boom. “Those pipes were
made out of long strips of this wood,
and they were beveled just enough so
they would fit and was round.”
Labor and shipping costs remained
high, so the Potash Reduction
Company made additional changes to
their plant to increase efficiency.
Plants built after theirs did not learn by
trial and error the way the Potash
Reduction Company had – instead they
imitated it.
Large, concrete basins were
constructed adjacent to the plants
where the salt-rich water was sprayed
into the air, using solar and wind power
to begin concentrating the potash. The
brine was then further concentrated
in evaporation towers and coal-fired
boilers. Barbour wrote that some
“heavy liquor” or “alkali salts in
solution” were shipped in tank cars.
Most of the briny syrup, though, was
then pumped into slowly rotating dryers
of “intense heat produced by the
combustion of crude oil accompanied
by a forced blast of air.” Barbour
described the “revolving steel driers”
A 1918 soil survey map shows Jesse Lake, the most productive lake mined for potash,
and the boom towns of Hoffland and Antioch. For decades after the potash industry
folded, State Highway 2 through the Sandhills was called Potash Highway.
as about 65 to 70 feet long and six feet
in diameter.
“Some alkali adheres to the sides of
the cylinder and is jarred off by means
of heavy mechanical hammers, weighing
about 50 pounds each, which strike the
revolving cylinder at regular intervals,”
Barbour wrote of the American Potash
Company plant. “The hard lumps drop
from the lower end of the cylinder onto
a belt conveyor, are carried to an upper
floor, pass through a crusher, and drop
down a chute into bags holding 200
pounds each.”
“That stuff that dried on the sides
would drop off, cake, and dropped into
a thing that had an auger, a big auger,
up at the other end,” Dietlein recalled,
providing a varied account of how
dried potash was jarred off the sides of
the rotary driers. “A fellow would stand
up there with the sledge and pound on
that thing, and that would jar it loose, I
don’t know… those sledges probably
weighed ten pounds. They were hitting
that dryer, that steel dryer...to break
that mud loose that had baked on the
side. Most of them guys were damn
husky guys....”
Because wood-frame buildings had
burned, later plants were built of steel,
concrete and brick. The plants operated
year-round so as to make efficient use
of the facilities and because the brine
was more concentrated below the frost
line in winter. Nebraska Potash
Company’s electrical generators not
only provided light for the plants but
also for the homes in Antioch.
Condra estimated a large potash
processing plant cost between $100,000
and $400,000, required several acres of
land and typically had the following
equipment and buildings – a main
building for storing, evaporating,
drying, grinding and sacking; boiler
and engine houses; bins for coal and oil
storage; a supply house and blacksmith
and carpenter shops; office buildings;
bunkhouses and eating houses; homes
for employees; a railroad siding; and a
freshwater supply.
Boom Towns
When the overseas supply of potash
vanished, other plants sprung up like
mushrooms in southern Sheridan
County. By the end of World War I, there
were 10 plants capable of producing
100 tons or more per day, and small
wildcat operations capable of but
seldom producing 10 tons per day that
sold their potash to larger companies.
Because hundreds of men worked at
each plant and the nearest large town,
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 37
Though seemingly inhospitable, even highly alkaline wetlands support life,
particularly insect larvae, and tiger salamanders that perish when wetlands dry.
would put you buzzing. Now I was
told, and I don’t know this to be a fact
of course, but I was told that McGee
had been a bootlegger and an ex-prize
fighter back in Boston, and he come
out there and started that pool hall. He
run a pretty good place, pretty decent
place. If them guys got too wild and
too rowdy in there, he would just throw
them out of the damned place, throw
them out in the gutter. He didn’t stand
for ... just the normal amount of guys
feeling good, drinking, and stuff like
that, that was fine and dandy, but if
they got wild and got to fighting and
wanted to tear up things, McGee took
them and handled them.”
The water in lakes and wetlands of the western Sandhills vary in alkaline concentrations from mild to strong.
Highly alkaline lakes shrivel and dry to cracked mud encrusted with salt deposits most summers.
Alliance, was miles away, the potash
companies built housing for workers at
the same time they were building their
plants. Dietlein said Antioch jumped in
population from about 25 to 1,500 in
just a few weeks.
“They were living in tents, shacks,
anything to keep the rain off of them,”
Dietlein said. “It sure went wild out
there, and we had all classes of people.
A lot of them single [men], most of
them single. A lot of them were married
but hadn’t brought their family in or
anything. No place for them. There was
two pool halls there in town, a ladies
ready-to-wear store. About the time the
potash pulled out, two drugstores, a
restaurant, two restaurants, and what
else? That’s the only business places I
can actually remember. At Antioch,
there was probably 3,000 people [living
there] at one time.
“The housing, they built housing for
the married men to live in. They built
some pretty nice houses. Each potash
plant had a couple or three real nice,
modern homes for their superintendent,
probably the office manager, and then
the plant manager. They usually had
the best houses. The rest of them, the
lake’s foreman, he had a pretty nice
house, by the standards those days you
would consider a nice house. Each
plant had about the same setup, you
38 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
see. They had a lot of those houses built
that were four-room houses.”
Condra, in his 1918 writing, probably
based on information from a year prior,
noted that Antioch “is destined to
become the big potash center,” and that
there were more than 200 houses in
that town, all of which “sprung up
within a year.” All had electric lights,
steam heat and indoor plumbing –
conveniences rare at that time in small
towns, particularly in the Sandhills.
Some of the larger companies provided
public entertainment and public
bathhouses. Condra reported that
adequate labor was difficult to hire and
retain because of the sparsely populated
region and because so many young
men were in the military, even though
wages were generous for the time.
Dietlein said eventually Antioch had
a mayor, but law enforcement was a
problem as the county sheriff was at
Rushville on the norhtern end of
Sheridan County. Prohibition was the
law of the land but liquor was available
in Antioch’s two pool halls, Dietlein
said. The best of the two was run by a
man named McGee.
“Legally speaking, all they could sell
was near-beer. But they would spike it
with alcohol; put an ounce of alcohol
in a bottle of near-beer, and by God,
about three or four bottles of that
Dashed Dreams
Almost from the beginning it was
obvious Nebraska’s potash industry
would be short-lived, but there was no
shortage of investors believing otherwise.
Reports that investors in American
Potash Company at Antioch received
more than $4 for every $1 invested
when the company was sold to the
Western Potash Company fueled the
fever. Even after the Armistice Treaty
ended World War I in November 1918,
two new companies sprang up,
believing it would be years before
potash shipments resumed from
war-torn Germany. The Berg Potash
Company near Sutherland and the
Republic Chemical Works Company
(also a Berg Company venture) near
Merriman in northwestern Cherry
County began building plants in 1919.
The Sutherland plant was never
completed.
Marianne Brinda Beel, in A Sandhills
Century, Book I, The Land – A History
of Cherry County, Nebraska, wrote of
the plant near Merriman:
“The William Berg Co. sold
$1,000,000 worth of stock in a potash
venture in Merriman; many of the
investors were local ranchers and
merchants,” she wrote in the 1986
Cherry County centennial book. “It was
to be the largest plant in the state and
would employ about 200 men with a
payroll of $30,000. They built a mess
hall and bunkhouses for Japanese help
and built company dwellings with a
promise of many more. Water was
pumped through 10-inch cypress wood
tongue-and-grove pipeline from ponds
near Gay Lake, 12 miles west of town.”
Gay Lake had a sandy bottom, rather
than an impervious “mud bed” as do
the lakes in southern Sheridan County.
Barbour wrote of highly alkaline lakes:
“The lake beds are rendered impervious
by fine materials, which are washed in
from the surrounding watershed. This
is all muck, and varies in thickness from
2 to 10 or 15 feet. This impervious muck
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 39
The open shorelines, shallow water and abundance of insect larvae and brine shrimp of alkaline lakes attract an array of shorebirds,
including American avocets that nest nearby and do not avoid the salt-encrusted soil and vegetation.
contains magnesia, aluminum hydrate,
and lime, with silt and some organic
matter.” In Gay Lake west of Merriman,
though, groundwater levels were high
and flooded the lake in the spring,
diluting the potash concentrations, and
the sandy bottom allowed surface water
carrying salts to seep away.
“The plant was converted to a
fertilizer factory,” Beel wrote. “They
resumed work in October [1919]
working one shift of 12 hours a day
and expected to be working 200 men
by summer, but as yet hadn’t turned out
any fertilizer.... Because of a coal strike
they were forced to shut down again
but were able load out their first [rail]
car in November and closed again in
December.”
More stock was issued and the plant
reopened in February 1920. By May,
the plant again closed and Merriman’s
electric lights went out, as the plant had
been providing electricity to the town.
Shortly thereafter, the Merriman potash
plant was destroyed by fire, a fire many
Coils of the heavy wired used to bind the wooden pipes through which alkaline water
was once pumped still rise from the beds of shrinking pools in dry summers.
40 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
considered of suspicious origin.
Mari Sandoz summarized the potash
boom in her book Old Jules, the story
of her father and his role in settling the
western Sandhills.
“Men let their cultivators stand in
corn rows, the polished shovels buried
in the earth; left their mowers with the
steel teeth in blowing timothy and
purple-bloomed alfalfa,” Sandoz wrote.
“They squatted on their dusty heels,
talking. They leaned over the hog pens
in the evening sun, talking. Work was
started at Jess [Jesse] Lake, four [two]
miles from the south road [Today’s
Nebraska Highway 2, the stretch of the
highway between Grand Island and
Alliance, was called the Potash
Highway for decades after the potash
boom.]. A Chicago concern already
controlled a thousand acres of the
foulest, richest brine, quietly leased up
before a foot of pipe was shunted to the
sidings at Reno. Five thousand dollars
went into a well and an evaporating
tower before anyone knew what was
up. A $50,000 plant was already on
paper. The report of the water analysis
once more brought a stream of Eastern
money to the Panhandle. It would carry
away the profits as before.
“Almost every Kinkaider with a mud
hole briny enough for water puppies
(the sandhill salamander) carried a
bottle of the gray water with him and
thrust it hopeful on any stranger in
leather puttees or with a crease in his
pants,” Sandoz continued.
“‘So it goes,’ Jules told his family
gloomily ‘I pick out a good place with
fine grass and fresh water, and along
comes a war, shuts off German potash,
and lot of fools that don’t know any
better than to file on stinking alkali
lakes make more money in a month
than I can by working a lifetime.’”
It is unlikely that many ranchers
substantially profited selling or leasing
mineral rights, as Jules Sandoz
contended, as payment to ranchers was
based on the profitability of potash
production. As with the center-pivot
irrigation boom in the eastern and
southern Sandhills in the 1970s and ‘80s,
those who profited were investors who
bought range land cheap, developed the
land and sold with substantial profits
before the folly of farming sand dunes
became fully evident.
The Crash
Nebraska’s governor-elect
Samuel McKelvie and the Nebraska
congressional delegation attempted to
have federal legislation passed to
impose an import duty on foreign
potash after World War I, so homeharvested potash would remain
competitive. Apparently the cottonfarming lobby had more clout, as
Nebraska’s delegation was unsuccessful.
Most of the potash plants began laying
off employees or shutting down in
1919. Those remaining in production
were crippled by a coal strike in
Wyoming, and a ton of coal was
required to reduce brine to a ton of
potash. By late-1920, plants were again
shutting down. Potash was again being
shipped from Germany. The potash
boom in Nebraska had run its course.
Antioch and Hoffland vanished as
quickly as they had sprouted.
Today, about the only reminder of the
World War I era potash boom are the
concrete, brick and steel remains of the
Western Potash Company plant on the
Potash pipe wire salvaged by ranchers can still be seen used for fencing, and for
years after the plants vanished the wooden pipe staves were used for corrals.
north side of Nebraska Highway 2
near Antioch, between Lakeside and
Alliance. They stand, somehow
Stonehenge-like, somber and silent
reminders of the fickleness of commerce
and wars, and the folly of short-term
speculation. In 1979, these remnants
were added to the National Register of
Historic Places. If you drive slowly
enough, and look in shallow pools of
water shrinking away in the summer
sun, you might see a coil of the old
wire once used to wrap the wooden
potash pipes emerging from the water.
And if you look closely at a gate post
here and there, you might see twists of
No. 6 wire nearly a hundred years old,
relics and about the only remnants of
the potash boom still doing something
useful. ■
Editor’s Note: A longer version
of this article with additional
information can be found at
NEBRASKAlandMagazine.com. While
there, check out the magazine’s blog,
“Afield and Afloat.”
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 41
Wildlife
Conservation
Fund
Supporting Surveys and Research
By Gerry Steinauer, Botanist,
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
primary duty of the Commission’s nongame
program staff is the monitoring and researching
of our state’s nongame species (those species not
hunted or fished). Highlights of some of this past
summer’s projects included surveys for the rare timber
rattlesnake and western slender glass lizard, the monitoring
of Nebraska’s sole Ute ladies’-tresses orchid population, plant
surveys of the Pine Ridge escarpment and Fort Niobrara
National Wildlife Refuge, and a study of bats in southwestern
Nebraska to determine the potential impact of wind power
development on this vulnerable species group.
Such projects are vital, as conserving a species requires
knowledge of their abundance, population trends, distribution,
habitats, life history and response to disturbance and
management. Such information allows us to enhance habitat
in the most effective manner, allocate our limited conservation
dollars to the most ecologically important projects, and
determine if our past conservation efforts have been successful.
For example, multi-state surveys indicate conservation
efforts have significantly increased bald eagle populations in
recent decades, allowing this species to be taken off state and
federal threatened species lists. On the other hand, monitoring
of the Salt Creek tiger beetle in the salt marshes near Lincoln
(its sole habitat) indicate this species has declined to three
meager populations and is teetering on the brink of extinction.
These nongame projects are funded with federal grants
and the Commission’s Wildlife Conservation Fund, which is
supported primarily through tax donations. Conservation
Fund dollars are vital to the nongame program, as they often
provide the match necessary to obtain the federal grants that
make a project feasible. For example, ten dollars donated to
the Wildlife Conservation Fund is matched to federal grants
and becomes 40 dollars to put towards conservation.
Unfortunately, funding for nongame work is usually limited,
A
PHOTO BY GERRY STEINAUER
42 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
and we struggle to get current information on declining
species in the state.
The following is a look at two of the nongame projects
that the Commission has worked on this summer – they
illustrate the importance that Wildlife Conservation Fund
donations can have on Nebraska’s various species.
Ute Ladies’-tresses Orchid
In 1996, a Wyoming botanist surveying upper Niobrara
River Valley meadows in Wyoming and Sioux County made
the first discovery of the rare Ute ladies’-tresses orchid
(Spiranthes diluvialis) in our state. Spurred by this find, in
late summer of 1997 the Commission conducted extensive
surveys for this federally threatened orchid in wet meadows
throughout the Panhandle and western Sandhills, but found
no new populations. In Nebraska the orchid appears restricted
to privately-owned alkaline meadows along a roughly two-mile
stretch of the Niobrara River Valley. Last August Andrew
Pierson, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory biologist, and I
revisited the orchid meadows to evaluate their population.
The elegant Ute ladies’-tresses orchid is a long-lived
perennial with a single 5- to 20-inch stem arising from a short,
tuberous root. The lower leaves are up to a half inch wide
and a few inches long, becoming progressively smaller higher
on the stem. The flowering spike is 11/2 to 6 inches long, with
numerous small, ivory-colored flowers arranged in spirals,
resembling the braids (tresses) of a woman’s hair. A late
bloomer, the orchid flowers for a few weeks beginning in midAugust. Fruiting pods form in early fall and, if successfully
pollinated, are packed with thousands of dust-sized seeds.
In its upper reaches, the Niobrara River Valley is encased
by rocky, mixedgrass prairie-covered bluffs. The stream
itself is narrow, easily jumped in most places if not for its
In Nebraska, the rare Ute ladies'-tresses orchid is restricted to alkaline meadows along a roughly two-mile stretch of
the Niobrara River valley in Sioux County.
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 43
“The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is loss of
genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly
our descendants are least likely to forgive us.”
cattail and willow-choked margins. Wet meadows of sedge
and grass form a narrow to wide band bordering the stream
bottom. Bluff ward these give way to higher and drier terraces
of prairie grasses, with occasional low, wet swales among
the terraces. It is in the moist meadow areas that the orchid
grows – an Idaho study found the orchid grew only where
groundwater was within a meter of the soil surface and soils
stayed moist during critical late-summer flowering.
In 1992, when the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
listed the Ute ladies’-tresses orchid as a threatened species,
there were only 6,000 known plants in 10 populations in
Colorado and Utah. Since then surveys have documented
more than 35,000 plants in 50 populations and expanded the
orchid’s range to include British Columbia, Idaho, Montana,
Nebraska, Washington and Wyoming. In addition, surveys
and research have shed light on the plant’s complex life
history, habitat needs and threats.
Our 2010 orchid count documented 831 flowering plants,
fewer than the “thousands” reported by the Wyoming
botanist in 1996 and the approximately 2,300 plants found
by Commission biologists in 1997. Our results, however,
might indicate a real decline in Nebraska’s Ute ladies’-tresses
population or simply a natural annual fluctuation in flowering
individuals – the surveys counted only flowering plants, as
non-flowering orchids are extremely difficult to find among
the meadow grasses. Studies in other states found that Ute
ladies’-tresses counts based solely on flowering plants exhibit
large annual fluctuations, as the number of plants that bloom
each year varies depending on climatic conditions, herbivory
(mainly by voles, which seem to relish the flowering spikes)
and management. Drought or late summer haying the previous
year, for example, stresses plants, limiting flowering the
following year. In other states where monitoring included
both flowering and non-flowering plants, orchid populations
have remained relatively stable over the years.
Compounding these monitoring problems is the fact that,
because of orchid’s symbiotic relationship with mycorrihzal
fungi, adult plants can go dormant for one to several years
before reappearing above ground. Most orchid species and
many other plant species form interdependent associations
with soil fungi, which infect the plant’s roots and aid in
nutrient and water absorption, allowing the plants to exist
only as a root for long periods with no active photosynthesis.
The microscopic seeds of most orchid species lack
endosperm (starch supply) to fuel germination and early
growth, and also depend on fungal infection for nutrient
intake. The Ute ladies’-tresses thus will grow only in meadows
also suitable for survival of its associated mycorrihzal fungi,
which may partially explain the species’ spotty distribution
and rarity.
In Nebraska and elsewhere, the Ute ladies’-tresses does
44 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
best in meadows that are hayed or grazed in early summer
(June through mid-July). The early grass harvest lessens
competition, but does not impact the late-developing,
diminutive orchid. The orchid, however, either does poorly
or doesn’t survive at all in meadows consistently hayed in
late summer (late-July through September), as the cutting of
flowering stalks prevents seed formation and reproduction.
Threats to Nebraska’s Ute ladies’-tresses population
include aggressive, non-native forage grasses, primarily
Garrison creeping foxtail and quackgrass, which are invading
the meadows and could eventually displace orchids. Also,
recent center pivot irrigation development in the upper
Niobrara River Valley has lowered local groundwater levels
and reduced stream flows, particularly during the species’
critical late-summer flowering stage. Nebraska’s Ute ladies’tresses may not survive if the upper Niobrara River valley’s
natural hydrology is not maintained. Only through continued
monitoring and research can we track the status and needs of
this rare orchid.
Western Slender Glass Lizard
The western slender glass lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus)
is likely Nebraska’s rarest and most reclusive reptile. Until
recently its only documentation in the state was from two
collections in the 1930s from Franklin and Johnson counties.
Not seen in over 75 years, scientists thought it extinct in the
state and blamed the loss of its tallgrass and mixedgrass
prairie habitat to the plow.
Slender glass lizards are unique among lizards because
they are legless. Add to this their extremely long tail, and
superficially they resemble and often are mistaken for snakes,
despite their movable eyelids and external ear openings.
They can reach 20 to 40 inches in length, the tail accounting
for up to two-thirds of their measurement. Glass lizards are
so named for their fragile tail, which breaks off when seized
by predators and fractures into pieces when handled.
Brownish colored with dark stripes running along the back
and sides, glass lizards are perfectly camouflaged for life
among prairie grasses.
Dan Fogell, herpetologist and science instructor at Southeast
Community College in Lincoln, has been on a 13-year quest
to rediscover the western slender glass lizard in Nebraska.
Reports over the years of “strange-looking snakes” from
Nebraska’s south-central tier of counties spurred Fogell to
make weekend road trips in search of his reptilian quarry.
Supported by the Wildlife Conservation Fund, Fogell began
an intense survey effort for the lizard in August 2009. Oddly,
driving roads in search of road kills and live individuals is
the most productive survey method for finding slender glass
lizards. “On hot summer days with a strong south wind, they
PHOTO BY DAN FOGELL
– Edward O. Wilson, Biologist, Harvard University
Slender glass lizards are unique among lizards, for they are legless. They are likley Nebraska's rarest and most reclusive reptile.
show up on roadsides at dusk and you have a short survey
window. They are diurnal and move about and eat at the cool
times of day,” said Fogell. “We could walk prairies looking
for them, but they are so well camouflaged it would be like
looking for a needle in a haystack. You need to find them out
of context.”
Over the last two summers, Fogell has found three slender
glass lizards – two dead and one alive – on roadsides in
Franklin County. In addition, a turkey hunter recently
photographed a glass lizard in Webster County.
“These surveys are essential,” said Fogell. “For one, we
now know the glass lizard still exists in the state and that its
range is limited. We also know the lizard survived extensive
changes to our landscape over the last century. With future
landscape-level changes on the horizon, such as climate
change, we need to determine if this species will survive,
perish or expand its range in the state.”
Nebraska’s glass lizards are a peripheral population at the
northwestern edge of the species’ range. “At the edge of a
range, conditions are never perfect for survival because
resources are less and more varied when compared to the
center of the range, so peripheral populations must evolve
added survival characteristics,” said Fogell. “At least for
herpetofauna, peripheral populations often survive stress
better than core populations. Our population may be important
for the long-term survival of the glass lizard with the onset
of climate change.”
Loss of the remaining native grasslands presently poses
the greatest challenge to the survival of the glass lizard in
Nebraska. How remnant prairies are managed is also
important. “In Kansas, I have observed that we don’t find
slender glass lizards in prairies that are overgrazed or annually
burned due to reduced grass cover. The grass canopy keeps
them cool in summer, offers protection from predators and
supports insects for food,” said Fogell.
Though he has finished his official surveys for the
Commission, Fogell will continue his search for the slender
glass lizard. He hopes to eventually find them in Webster
and Harlan counties. At this time he doubts he will ever find
large populations of the lizards in the state, though with the
onset of climate change the species may eventually expand
its range northward.
With the aid of Wildlife Conservation Fund monies, Fogell
was able to rediscover the western slender glass lizard in
Nebraska. “Basically, these monies allowed me to intensify
my survey effort,” said Fogell. “Previously I would get out
one maybe two times a year, and I was never lucky enough
to find a glass lizard. The monies covered my gas, meals and
lodging, and allowed me to hire an assistant. I don’t do this
work for the money, I do it for the data, and more surveys
provide more data.”
Without such data, protecting species such as the western
slender glass lizard and Ute ladies’-tresses orchid becomes
that much harder to do and the likelihood increases
substantially of them disappearing from our state entirely.
And nobody wants that. ■
Donations to the Wildlife Conservation Fund can be made
online at http://www.nebraskawildlifefund.org or by a check written out to
the fund and sent to the Commission at
P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 685030370. Contributions can also be made
by using the nongame check-off box
found on state income tax forms. All
contributions to the Wildlife
Conservation Fund are tax deductible.
Gerry Steinauer lives in Aurora and
is a botanist for the Nebraska Game
and Parks Commission’s Wildlife
Division. He has been contributing
stories and photographs to
NEBRASKAland since 1990.
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 45
Pheasant Fest 2011 Coming to Omaha
National event has something for everyone.
By Doug Carroll
t may not be as good as being in
the field, but it will definitely be
warmer there, and it may help you
find more success and enjoyment
in future hunts. Who knows, maybe
you can make a weekend of it and do
both.
“It” is Pheasant Fest 2011, a national
festival put on by Pheasants Forever
that will be held January 28-30 at the
Qwest Center in Omaha. Pheasant Fest
is a trade show that focuses on wildlife
conservation, upland game bird hunting,
dog training and wildlife habitat
management and restoration. In
connection with the trade show,
Pheasants Forever will be holding
seminars on habitat improvement,
pheasant hunting, shooting sports,
wild game cooking, dog training and
conservation, among other topics. A
any of these topics, Omaha is the
place to go.”
The first-ever Pheasant Fest was
held January 2003 in Bloomington,
Minnesota, and the event has grown
markedly since its inception. National
Pheasant Fest 2011, presented by
Cabela’s, will be Pheasants Forever’s
seventh such event , and marks the
second time this event has been held
in Nebraska. This now annual gathering
has grown into the nation’s largest
event for upland hunters, farmers,
sport dog owners and wildlife habitat
conservationists.
“We’re extremely excited to bring
our biggest and best event to Nebraska
and to have Cabela’s on board as
presenting sponsor for National
Pheasant Fest 2011,” said Howard
Vincent, Pheasants Forever’s president
Pheasant Fest 2011 is expected to draw thousands of visitors to the Qwest Center this January.
46 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
and chief executive officer, “The event
has grown dramatically since we last
brought it to Omaha, and we plan to
unveil new features for our second
go-round, making it your pheasant
destination to kick off 2011.”
Berthelsen said the help desk that
will be open throughout the duration
of the show should be of particular
interest to landowners that attend the
event. Landowners visiting the festival
from anywhere in the nation can sit
down and look at aerial photos of
their land with Pheasants Forever
biologists that can help suggest ways
of improving their wildlife habitat
while increasing revenue from their
land.
“All a landowner has to do is to be
able to tell the biologist where their
land is and they can help find programs
to improve habitat and increase revenue
for their farm or ranch. It really is a
one-stop shopping venue,” he said.
Daily admission to the event is free
for children under five years of age,
$5 for people 6 to 16 year of age, and
$10 for attendees 17 years old or older.
The doors will be open from 1 p.m. to
9 p.m. on Friday the 28th, 9 a.m. to
6 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to
5 p.m. on Sunday.
“This is only the second time
Pheasant Fest has been in Omaha – it
bounces around from state to state
every year, but some of the locations
are quite a ways away,” said
Berthelsen. “This is an opportunity
that folks in Nebraska don’t have
every year without having to drive or
travel a long way.” ■
PHOTO COURTESY OF PHEASANTS FOREVER
PHOTO COURTESY OF PHEASANTS FOREVER
I
“help desk” will also be available
to help landowners learn more about
managing their land for wildlife of
all types, so there’s something for
everyone who attends this event.
“There’s going to be 20,000 plus
people with a passion for wildlife and
the outdoors that will attend the festival
in Omaha this year, and this is just the
type of show to attend if you’re at all
interested in wildlife habitat,” said Pete
Berthelsen, senior field coordinator for
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever in
Nebraska.
“Every hour there will be five to six
different seminars and presentations to
attend, all of them free with your price
of admission and covering such topics
as wildlife management, outdoor
photography, cooking, predator calling,
dog training … if you’re interested in
Dog training is just one of the many and varied seminars and presentations that will be
available to participants at this year’s Pheasant Fest.
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 47
ATTRACTIONS/EVENTS
bass, perch, crappie, bluegill, walleye, rainbow trout,
grass carp, minnows. Pleasant Valley Fish Farm, 27851
U.S. Highway 83, McCook, NE 69001. (308) 345-6599.
WILDERNESS SURVIVAL CLASS - Start a fire with
the bow-drill method, build a survival shelter,
be introduced to primitive traps, cordage, flint
knapping, edible and medicinal plants, water
location and purification, and much more! Go to
www.greatplainstracker.com.
NEBRASKA LAKE MANAGEMENT. Biological lake
surveys, fish stocking, rough fish control, lake aeration,
algae control, aquatic weed control. Rob Hofpar, Aquatic
Biologist, licensed, insured and qualified. (402) 784-6005
Valparaiso - (888) 850-2460 www.nelakes.net.
EXPLORE NEBRASKA art, history, culture and the
great outdoors with a subscription to Nebraska Life
Magazine. One year (six issues) for $21 or two years
(12 issues) just $38. Phone (800) 777-6159, write us at
206 W Norfolk Ave, Norfolk NE 68702-0819 or visit
www.NebraskaLife.com. Makes a great gift.
GET YOUR FISHING, HUNTING or Nebraska state
park permit online today! Don’t wait until tomorrow to
enjoy Nebraska’s great outdoors by hunting, fishing or
camping and hiking with the family. To purchase a permit
from the comfort of your own home, go online to
www.OutdoorNebraska.org and click on Purchase a
Permit under Licenses and Fees. Permits can also be
purchased from permit vendors and Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission offices across the state.
NEBRASKAland
HOMEBREWING/BEER AND WINEMAKING.
Fermenter’s Supply, 8410 K Plaza, Suite #10, Omaha, NE
68127. Phone orders only, (888) 655-2739. Advice line
(402) 593-9171. www.fermenterssupply.com.
BOOKS/PUBLICATIONS/VIDEOS
FOOD/GIFTS/HOME
For Visa or MasterCard orders call
1-800-NEB-LAND
GUIDES/OUTFITTERS
(632-5263)
CANOE - KAYAK - TUBE RENTALS on the
beautiful Niobrara River with Dryland Aquatics at
Sparks, Nebraska. Your Niobrara River Specialist.
(800) 337-3119. www.drylandaquatics.com, info@
drylandaquatics.com.
DOGS
OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT
PLUM CREEK KENNEL. German shorthairs, stud
service, puppies and started dogs. Training for all pointing breeds. Specialize in training the handler as well as
the dog. Wayne Clark, Percival, Iowa (near Omaha) (712)
529-4238, clarks1@iowatelecom.net.
IS PERFORMANCE IMPORTANT? For the finest
canoes and accessories look to Great Plains Canoe Co.,
205 Main, Springfield, NE 68059. Phone (402) 253-2000.
DUCKDAWG RETRIEVERS - Raising exceptional
hunting yellow and black Labradors. Puppies raised in
our home. 30-month, written health guarantee. Stud
service: GRHRCH UN DuckDawg’s Eba Roll the Dice
and GRHRCH UH McMac Magic Eyes A’Smilin MH.
The first Grand Hunting Retriever Champions in
Nebraska. www.duckdawg.com Ron Green, DVM and
Libby Milroy, North Platte, NE (308) 534-3659.
TAXIDERMY
B&B SKULL CLEANING and European mounts:
professional service at affordable prices. Contact
Rubin Fields in Omaha at (402) 598-1873 or go to
www.bbskullcleaning.com.
VACATIONS/RESORTS
PREMIER GUNDOGS TRAINING KENNEL, Inc:
Nebraska state licensed gundog training kennel specializing
in training programs for waterfowl and upland hunting
retrievers, spaniels, pointing Labradors and all gundog
pointing breeds. Dale-Kris Taylor (402) 787-2048
www.premiergundogs.com.
THE OLDE MAIN STREET INN. A historic bed and
breakfast listed in the National Register of Historic
Places. Beautiful dining room with fireplace.
Headquarters for General Nelson Miles, Wounded Knee
Incident, 1890-91. 115 Main Street, Chadron NE 69337
(308) 432-3380. www.chadron.com/oldemain.
FLATLANDER KENNELS INC. Bayard, NE
Full-time retriever training facility for the serious hunter
or AKC and HRC hunt tester. Trainer of Nebraska's first
and only GRHRCH's! Super Retriever Series competitor
and a member of Avery's Team Waterdog. Training
available for all levels of hunt tests and gundogs. Chris
Jobman: (308) 249-0707, www.flatlanderkennels.com.
DIAMOND B TROUT RESORT, Orchard, Nebraska.
Lodge, cabins, spring-fed lakes, playground equipment,
paddleboats. Great for families, groups, hunters. Book
your cabin now! Call for brochure (800) 974-3002.
www.diamondbtroutresort.com.
FOR SALE: Young registered female Treeing Walker
Coonhound. Contact Ron at (605) 269-2693, Whitewood,
South Dakota.
FISH/FISHING
FISH FOR SALE. Catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth
BIG BLUE RANCH & LODGE - Enjoy fishing, hunting,
hiking, birdwatching and ranch adventures on 2000+ acre
cattle ranch in southeastern Nebraska. Beautiful log
cabin, with fireplaces, kitchens & big covered porches,
overlooks 20-acre lake. www.bigblueranch.com (402)
730-3643.
PLANNING A VACATION? Why not spend it at a
Nebraska state park? With more than 80 state park and
recreation areas across Nebraska to choose from, you can
enjoy a campground or cabin and enjoy activities such as
fishing, swimming, camping and hiking. Call
(402) 471-1414 for reservations or go online at
www.OutdoorNebraska.org and follow the Parks link.
WANTED
WANTED – VOLUNTEER INSTRUCTORS. Interested
in making a difference? Get involved in teaching the next
generation of hunters. Contact Mike Streeter at
mike. streeter@nebraska.gov or call (402) 471-6134.
Classified Rates: 85¢ per word, minimum $15.
Closing: First business day six weeks before issue
date. Classified ads are accepted on a first-come,
first-served, space-available basis. Classified Ads,
NEBRASKAland Magazine, P.O. Box 30370,
Lincoln, NE 68503-0370. Telephone (402) 471-5473.
Fax: (402) 471-1984. E-mail: ngpc.classifieds
@nebraska.gov. Ads are posted online at
NebraskalandMagazine.com at no additional charge.
48 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 49
▲ This 1941 photo shows Calvin Harvey (left)
and Bernard Bolin, who enjoyed hunting in the
Page area through their school years. Bernard
entered France at Omaha Beach and was killed
near St. Lo in 1944, while Calvin was in the
infantry in Luzon. Calvin hunted and fished
throughout his lifetime and passed away in 1995.
– Lyle Harvey, Page, Nebraska
▲ Pictured left to right is my dad, Howard Gould; his brother, Ralph Gould; and their brotherin-law, Delbert Rickett, around 1947. These three hunted for many years in the 1930s and
1940s on the Missouri River just north and east of Newcastle. The photo shows a good
day’s hunt with mallards, snow, whitefront and Canada geese in the mix. They had many
fond memories of their hunting days together on the Missouri.
P.S. – I’ve always thought of this photo as the “Untouchables” on their day off!
– Daniel Gould, Laurel, Nebraska
▲ This photo was taken the day after a successful nighttime raccoon
hunt. Alvin Shafer, my uncle, snapped this photo on November 30, 1946.
The three men (left to right) are my dad, Alfred Shafer; my uncle, Ralph
Shafer; and a neighbor, Harold Rowell. The little white dog dad is holding
is Bounce, our family pet; the other three “coon hounds” were used to
trail and tree the coons. They bagged seven raccoons that night, and as
you can see, they have already skinned the coons and have their hides
stretched out on drying boards. That was how they prepared the hides,
which would later be sold to a local fur buyer. The scene of the photo
was beside a barn near “The Brick,” which was a name the family used
to refer to the two-story brick house where my dad and uncle grew up
and where I was born. The remains of the house are three-and-a-halfmiles east and a fourth of a mile south of Shubert.
– Lonnie Shafer, Exeter, Nebraska
▲ This picture was taken in November of 1978 or 1979 after
spending three hours hunting just north of Superior Street in
Lincoln. From left are Brad Nelson, Les Watermeier and myself,
Larry Harre. Watermeier shot a double on the rooster pheasants
while everyone enjoyed shooting the ducks and quail. No dog
was used during the hunt but we did use a fishing pole to
retrieve a mallard drake from the ice, which was too thin for us
boys to walk on.
I truly enjoy your magazine and sent many copies to Col.
Nelson while he was stationed in Afghanistan with the U.S.
Army last year. Thank you for the wonderful pictures and stories
about our great resources in Nebraska.
– Larry Harre, Kearney, Nebraska
Send contributions to: Portraits from the Past, NEBRASKAland Magazine, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370. Or e-mail to
tim.reigert@nebraska.gov. Photos should show people enjoying Nebraska outdoor activities, such as camping, boating, hunting or fishing,
and must have been taken before 1980. We will give priority to unusual photos or activities. When possible, please include a story about
the photograph and identify the people, places and approximate date it was taken. Photos will be returned.
50 NEBRASKALAND • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
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