Nebraska: A Guide to the Cornhusker State (WPA Guide)

• Main Author: Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of Nebraska
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 1939
• Subjects: Other International and Area Studies; Fairbanks; Pacific; Indian; Lone; Sutherland; Crawford; Lynch; Steamboat; Jules; Valentine; Fort McPherson; Hastings; Hebron; Bridgeport; Grand Island; Blue River; Cottonwood Canyon; Mitchell Pass
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nebraskianapubs/2; https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=nebraskianapubs

The guide to the “Cornhusker State” is full of many interesting photographs of the people and places of Nebraska. They portray a largely agrarian state of hard-working farmers. There is an interesting essay on the unicameral legislature of Nebraska. The guide sticks pretty close to the series format. Eight cities are given detailed descriptions. There are 13 detailed tours of the state. SOME of us in Nebraska know what it is to have made the first wagon track across an unbroken sea of grass into a new land, with no guide but the sun, the distant hilltops, and our own resolution. I remember more than one such road. We had to find our way, discover our own fords, devise our own gully crossings, and leave a trail which others could follow and improve. This book is another road starter. It is the first attempt to put into one compact handy volume the story of Nebraska's land and its people and a guide to every part of the State. It is the first Nebraska Baedeker. Its preparation has called into the Federal service more than one hundred writers, researchers, draftsmen, and photographers, for a period exceeding two years. In the course of their work they have handled thousands of books, newspapers, and manuscripts, and have traveled Nebraska from the black prairie soil along the Missouri to the pine tree ridges beyond the sandhills. The Superintendent and staff of the Nebraska State Historical Society have had the privilege of assisting in an advisory and critical capacity. Contents FOREWORD, By Addison E. Sheldon, Nebraska State Historical Society v PREFACE GENERAL INFORMATION CALENDAR OF EVENTS The State in Review MODERN NEBRASKA NATURAL SETTING: Geography and Climate; Geology and Paleontology; Animal Life, Plant Life, Natural Resources and Their Conservation INDIANS: Prehistoric Culture; Historic Indians HISTORY: Period of Exploration, Territorial Organization, Settlement, Statehood GOVERNMENT: The Unicameral Legislature AGRICULTURE AND THE FARMER INDUSTRY AND LABOR TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION ETHNIC ELEMENTS FOLKLORE AND FOLKWAYS EDUCATION AND RELIGION ART AND Music ARCHITECTURE THE PRESS LITERATURE II. Cities and Towns BEATRICE FREMONT GRAND ISLAND HASTINGS LINCOLN NORFOLK NORTH PLATTE OMAHA III. Tours TOUR 1. (Sioux City, Iowa)-South Sioux City-Tekamah-Omaha-Nebraska City-Falls City (Hiawatha, Kans.) , 205 m TOUR lA. Omaha-Bellevue, 5.5 m. TOUR 1B. Junction with US 73-75-Rock Bluffs 6 m. TOUR 2. (Sioux City, Iowa)-Winnebago-Fremont-Lincoln-Beatrice-(Marysville, Kans.) 200 m TOUR 3. (Yankton, S. Dak.)-Norfolk-Columbus-York-Fairmont-Hebron-(Belleville, Kans ), 235.8 m. TOUR 4 (Fairfax, S. Dak.)-Butte-O'Neill-Bartlett-St Paul-Grand Island-Hastings-Red Cloud-(Lebanon, Kans.) 241.4 m. Tour 5. (Colone, S. Dak )-Springview-Bassett-Taylor-Ansley-Kearney-Elm Creek-Holdrege-Alma-(Woodruff, Kans ) , 257 m. TOUR 6. (Hot Springs, S. Dak )-Chadron-Alliance-Bridgeport-Sidney-(Sterling, Colo.) 174 m. TOUR 7. (Sioux City, Iowa) -South Sioux City-O'Neill- Valentme-Chadron-Harrison-(Lusk, Wyo.) TOUR 8. (Missouri Valley, Iowa)-Fremont-Grand Island-Kearney-North Platte-Sidney-(Cheyenne, Wyo.) 447.7 m. TOUR 8A. Maxwell-Fort McPherson National Cemetery-Cottonwood Canyon, 5.1 m. TOUR 8B. North Platte-Maywood-McCook, 75.7 m. TOUR 9. (Council Bluffs, Iowa ) -Omaha-Lincoln-Hastings-Holdrege-McCook-Imperial-(Holyoke, Colo.); 389.2 m. [us 6] TOUR 10, (Sidney, Iowa) -Nebraska City-Lincoln-Grand Island-Alliance-Crawford-(Ardmore, S. Dak.) 525.6 m. TOUR 11. (Rockport, Mo.)-Brownville-Beatrice-Franklin- Trenton-(Wray, Colo.); 386.3 m. TOUR 12. Ogallala-Oshkosh-Bridgeport-Scottsbluff-(Torrington, Wyo ) , 155.5 m. TOUR 12A. Bridgeport-Chimney Rock-Genng-Scotts Bluff National Monument-Horse Creek Treaty Monument-Wyoming Line, 59.4 m. TOUR 13. Junction with US 20-Ponca-Niobrara-Lynch-Butte-(Burke, S. Dak.); 169.3 m IV. Appendices CHRONOLOGY BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX Illustrations CORN IN FLOWER CHALK BLUFFS, NIOBRARA RIVER SKELETON OF LARGEST MAMMOTH, NEBRASKA STATE MUSEUM, LINCOLN PHEASANT SUTHERLAND POWER HOUSE IRRIGATION SPOTTED TAIL OMAHA INDIAN VILLAGE WINNEBAGO INDIAN WOMEN OMAHA INDIANS, MACY WHITE-FACED CATTLE STEAMBOAT ARRIVAL, OMAHA CITY (1868) OX TEAM, 1887 LEGISLATIVE CHAMBER, STATE CAPITOL CUTTING WHEAT FARMSTEAD COOPERATIVE MEETING, FALLS CITY POWER FARMING, WESTERN NEBRASKA GANG PLOW, PINE RIDGE STOCKYARDS, OMAHA PACKING APPLES PEELING PINE FOR FENCE-POSTS OREGON TRAIL MONUMENT BY FRED L. KIMBALL BUILDING THE UNION PACIFIC INITIATION OF Zephyr, NOVEMBER 12, 1934 JOSLYN MEMORIAL, OMAHA ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL, STATE CAPITOL AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING BUILDING THE PIONEER OLD JULES SANDOZ BLUE RIVER, BEATRICE FISHING IN SAND PIT, FREMONT CATHEDRAL, GRAND ISLAND FARMSTEADER'S SON WITH PRIZE 4-H CLUB CALF, FAIRBURY AIRVIEW, LINCOLN HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM ART DEPARTMENT, MORRILL HALL CAPITOL STATE CAPITOL DECORATION, STATE CAPITOL MAIN HALL, STATE CAPITOL O STREET, LINCOLN SHIPPING CATTLE AT NORFOLK SHANTYTOWN KID WORKERS ALLIANCE MEETING MORMON MONUMENT, BY AVARD FAIRBANKS, FLORENCE UNION STATION, OMAHA SOUTH OMAHA BRIDGE NEBRASKA'S LAST VIRGIN TIMBER THRESHING ARBOR LODGE DROUGHT, 1934 WHEAT IN SHOCKS STOLLEY STATE PARK MAILBOX, KEARNEY FARMSTEADS SOD HOUSE CHADRON STATE PARK POTATO CELLAR SANDHILL HAYFLAT CATTLE AT SANDHILL LAKE BUFFALO IN GAME REFUGE NEAR VALENTINE LAKE MINNECHADUZA SNAKE FALLS CROW BUTTE SMILEY CANYON HARVESTING POTATOES LONE TREE MONUMENT FORT KEARNEY MONUMENT PONY EXPRESS STATION, GOTHENBURG IRRIGATION DITCH AIRVIEW OF SUTHERLAND PROJECT IRRIGATION DITCH TABLELINE GRETNA FISH HATCHERY COMBINES AT WORK BLOWOUT WITH YUCCA ROOTS EARLY MORNING, SANDHILLS TOADSTOOL PARK DANIEL FREEMAN AT FREEMAN STAGE STATION CUT-OVER LAND CHEESE CREEK RANCH, 1864 EZRA MEEKER AT CHIMNEY ROCK WILDCAT HILLS RECREATIONAL AREA MITCHELL PASS