“A Window into the Past” A P R I L 2 0 1 5 VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS TRAINING—WEDNESDAY APRIL 22, 2015
Roger Heidebrink, Pres.
Milan Franzen, V. Pres. You are cordially invited Mike Wolff, Sec. to the Annual Volunteer & Membership Anne Anderson, Treas. Appreciation & Training. Lyle Franzen Please be our guest for a special program to Dick Larson acquaint you with new items in the museum. Donna McConnell It will be held at the United Methodist Church beginning at 1:00 p.m. Ramona Ollendorf Refreshments following presentation. Dick Schwanz
Bev Titkemeier THANK YOU TO THESE 2014 GREETER VOLUNTEERS Chuck Titkemeier They provided 1,140 hours of service to the museum. GOTHENBURG HISTORICAL Jan Gill Cathy Simon Roger Heidebrink Denise Brittenham MUSEUM Cindy Peyton Marcy Wahlgren Elsie Cyriacks Charlene Ogier 1420 Avenue F Janice Gonzales Dixie Ackerman Chuck Titkemeier Carolyn Peterson Diane Harm Mary Theasmeyer Bev Titkemeier Carol VanOverbeke Gothenburg, NE Dennis Kirkpatrick Vera Wolf Kathy Belden Betty Hubbert 69138 Sue Kirkpatrick Kathy Nichols Carol Aden Connie Larson Telephone: Dick Ostergard Regie Fruit Lyle Franzen Judy Williams 308-537-4212 Tot Holmes Joan Aden Dick Larson Joleen Kite www.gothenburghisto Rhonda Jobman Donna McConnell Cordelia Aden Syd Kite ry.org Connie Bihlmaier Liz Frerichs Cora Lee Bosch Jane Sheets Email: gothenburghis- Rosie Bates Diane Gaudreault Cathy Healey Jack Kniss tory @outlook.com Diane Trullinger Sandi Brestel Dick Schwanz Irene Athey Arlene Franzen Bonnie Paulsen Ramona Ollendorf
Newsletter Editor: Anne Anderson Gothenburg Historical Museum Mission Statement: The mission of the Historical Museum is: to manage donated and loaned items in a responsible manner, to encourage and provide opportunities for genealogy research, to enhance the quality of life for the people of Gothenburg by preserving our history and heritage. P A G E 2 The Lincoln Highway Stair-Steps The Lincoln Highway Stairs along this route. There is private property so please Steps south of Gothenburg another feature of this route view from the roadside. were part of the original that may not be quite as well The Lincoln Highway, while 1913 highway that crossed known. A piece of the orig- not a “trail”, was certainly the United States from Bos- inal roadbed can be seen on not the only road in the ton to San Francisco. You Highway 47 just south of Gothenburg area in yester- can still travel this route by Gothenburg, between the year. The Oregon, Overland taking the Banner Road all Platte River bridge and the Stage and Morman Trails the way to North Platte. If Banner Road. Located to passed by our community as you look closely, there are the east you will see a well as the famous Pony road signs that mark this “berm” or raised roadway Express route. historic road. The Gothen- that vehicles traveled after burg Tourism Committee is crossing the mile-wide working to provide addition- bridge spanning the Platte al, informational, signage River. The “berm” is on
It seems Febold was FACTS BEHIND STRONGMEN OF YORE! the earliest settler Paul Bunyan’s legendary made a bee-line for the other Feboldson was no lumberjack. feats of strength are part of a end. Instead, he fought with twisters in these parts, and, long tradition that stretches Another story goes this way. and droughts and other ex- back to ancient Greece, Febold noticed that Kansas treme Nebraska weather condi- it was through his where guys like Hercules and was just as mountainous as tions. Take 1848 for instance. influence that the Atlas were known to hoist the Colorado, and in sympathy That was the year the Petrified whole world on their shoul- for the farmers and their la- Snow covered the plains all government decided ders. boring animals simply turned summer and held up the '48ers Out here in Nebraska the the state over to reveal the in their gold rush to California to run the Platte with the result that they be- most famous strongman dis- flat underside. Farming has came '49ers. At that time river through trinction goes to Febold Fe- been much easier and more Febold was operating an ox bodson, reputed to be the first profitable since then. train between San Francisco Nebraska instead of white settler west of the Mis- Feboldson and Bunyan had and Kansas City, because the sissippi. something in common. Both snow prevented him from do- Kansas. Feboldson was an acquaint- were made popular not by ing anything else. ance of Paul Bunyan. They pioneers trading lies around After twenty years, he gave up even worked together on a the campfire but by compa- on taming the state’s climate project to re- nies advertising their prod- and moved to the sunny cli- establish the ucts. mate of California. state line be- Feboldson was the brainchild In 1973 the “Old Codger” tween Nebraska of Wayne Carroll in the late shows up in the office of Tot and Kansas. The 1920’s. Carroll was a lumber Holmes by surprise. For those line was acci- dealer in Gothenburg. and who don’t know who the “Old dentally erased wrote a column for a the Codger” is, he’s the one and when Bunyan Gothenburg Independent only Bergstrom Stromsburg, and Babe the where Feboldson was includ- grand nephew of the legendary Blue Ox leveled ed in his ad called “The Two Febold Feboldson. Tot would continue the tall tales of Berg- all the mountains By Four:. When the Inde- strom Stromsburg for every- that once clut- pendent folded, Don Holmes one’s enjoyment until July tered Kansas. of the Gothenburg Times 1985. Feboldson came kept the on-going saga of up with the idea Feboldson alive for years. to breed bees as Evenutally Paul Beath of big as eagles and Gothenburg compiled several he hitched them of the stories and printed a to a plow. He book entitled Febold Febold- released them at son. Beath’s work helped one end of the cinch Febold’s status as Ne- state and they braska’s most famous strong man. Being Nebraskan,
“A WINDOW INTO THE P AST” APRIL 2015 ISSUE P A G E 3 LAKE HELEN—THEN AND NOW
er plant that supplied electrici- ty to Gothenburg in the early years? Well, the part about Febold, although intriguing, is not how it happened, but the 1895 Independent other parts of the story are News reported true! We are looking for- “Gothenburg ward to water in the lake again sometime soon. Construction today is the is nearing completion. leading city in
Western
Nebraska ever
In the book Paul R. since the Beath compiled on “Febold the Gothenburg Canal Feboldson”, Mr Beath de- which leads to Lake Hel- completion of the scribes Febold as “an indom- en and eventually Lafa- itable Swedish pioneer who yette Park, which led to Gothenburg the flume and to the pow- could surmount any difficul- Canal in 1890 for ty.” He goes on to write: “(Febold) wrestled with re- power purposes gional adversities which be- set early settlers as torna- and for the does, hostile Indians, development of drouths, extreme heat and cold, unsavory politicians the young city as and floods.” Is it possible that the a manufacturing resourceful and visionary center.” Febold hitched a mighty team of mules to an over- sized plow and ripped out
2015 VISITORS……………………...
TWENTY THREE JOURNALISTS they visited the 1913 Lincoln High- Country Living, Forbes Life, Yahoo! AND TRAVEL WRITERS TOUR way “berm” located just south of the Travel, USA Today, Miami Herald, GOTHENBURG: Platte River, the historic Pony Ex- RV Life, plus many more. Thank you Gothenburg hosted a group of jour- press Station located in Ehmen Park to Matt Weiss, Joyce Sabin, Roger nalists writing for national and re- and the Gothenburg Historical Mu- Heidebrink, Dick Larson, Rhonda gional media outlets on Sunday seum. The visiting journalists write Jobman, Anne Anderson and Jane March 22nd. This tour which includ- for a wide variety of publications Sheets for their help showcasing ed several areas of Nebraska was including Better Homes & Gardens, Gothenburg for these visitors. sponsored by the Nebraska Tourism Reader’s Digest Global Traveler Commission. While in Gothenburg Magazine, Western Art & Architec- ture, Calgary Herald, MSN.com, Would you consider becoming a volunteer for the Museum? If so, drop a line at our mail- Thank you to the following individuals ing address, call or email us: who have renewed their membership GOTHENBURG HISTORICAL MUSEUM and contributed to the museum build- 1420 Avenue F ing fund to date……. PO Box 204 Dick & Connie Larson Gothenburg, NE 69138 Pam Slack Phone: 308-537-4212 Bev & Chuck Titkemeier Denise Brittenham E-mail: [email protected] Leonard France Gene & Velma Schriver Jim & Janice Gonzales Milan & Barb Franzen Tom & Rhonda Jobman Gary & Anne Anderson Roger Heidebrink Jane Sheets FYI
The museum will open for the season on Friday, May 1st. Hours will be: Tuesday-Friday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Amount enclosed: $______Life Time Membership 10x Building Fund Contributor ..… $1,000 Check payable to: Gothenburg Historical Museum Building Fund* PO Box 204 Building Fund Benefactor ……... $500+ Gothenburg, NE 69138. Building Fund Contributor……....$100+ Cash *Contribution to the Building Fund includes an annual membership. Annual Membership Name Supporting Membership ….…..$50
Address Contributing or Family Membership ………….....$25 City/State/Zip Base Membership ……….....……$15 Email Address