Travelers are encouraged to enjoy these 2007 celebrations and exhibits in Nebraska, as we continue to celebrate the enduring spirit of the handcart pioneers and their 150^th anniversary.

 

June 23-30, 2007

150^th Anniversary of Handcart Pioneers

Kearney, NE

 

The home of the 150^th Anniversary of Handcart Pioneers national celebration in 2006, Kearney continues to honor the handcart pioneers and their contribution to our history for one week in June, 2007 at three important trail-related locations.  

 

THE GREAT PLATTE RIVER ROAD ARCHWAY www.archway.org 308-237-1000

The Archway features the Willie and Martin handcart rescue exhibit as part of the Archway show.  Guests will hear people talking about the rescue as they pass the exhibit.  A new attraction which opened in 2000, the Archway tells the stories of the Mormon, Oregon, and California trails, which converged in this area near Fort Kearny.

 

The Archway will have several handcarts on display in their indoor exhibit area from June 23-30, with display panels telling the story of their use from 1856-1860.

 

North of the Archway’s entrance, across their 1914 historic bridge, a National Park Service sign also tells the story of the first buffalo sighting of the 1847 Mormon pioneer trek.  The sign is part of 12 site-specific interpretive signs across Nebraska from the 1847 trek, a project of the Nebraska Mormon Trails Association and the National Park Service.

 

June 23 special event:  On Saturday, June 23, from 10am-4pm several handcarts and reenactors in period costumes will be outside of the Archway, joined by a small Civil War living history camp.  At 4pm the handcarts will leave the Archway and will be pulled to the Trails & Rails Museum.  This will be a one-hour trek, followed by the Mormon Trail sign dedication at Trails & Rails.  Anyone interested in joining this trek can contact the Archway.  We request that you be in period costume for the trek.

 

FORT KEARNY, GUARDIAN OF THE PLAINS  308-865-5305

Built in 1848 to protect trail travelers, Fort Kearny was one of the most important military posts in the West.  Today visitors will see the fort grounds, a visitor’s center, stockade and a blacksmith shop showing how handcarts and wagons were repaired.

The fort welcomes visitors during this important week honoring handcart pioneers, with handcarts on display.

 

4^th of July Celebration:  Fort Kearny will feature its annual 4^th of July celebration beginning Saturday, June 30. The fort will feature a large living history camp with soldier and civilian camp life demonstrations on Saturday, June 30 and Sunday, July 1, with firing of the cannons at 2pm each day.  On Wednesday, July 4 the cannons will be fired again at 2pm and the living history demonstrations will be there for all to enjoy.

TRAIL & RAILS MUSEUM           www.bchs.us  308-234-3041

Special display about the Mormon Trail in Buffalo County!

Join Trails & Rails for a sign dedication for the “The Road to Zion” Mormon Trail sign given to the museum by the Nebraska Mormon Trails Association.  This will be held on Saturday, June 23, 2007, at 5pm at the Trails & Rails Museum’s livery barn.

 

This is the same barn that is home to their Mormon handcart.  This inspirational, replica piece shows the true spirit, inspiration, and determination the pioneers on the trail had to have to survive!  There are also several wagons, the Village of Poole fire wagon, and farm equipment on display in the livery barn.

 

The museum will highlight two of their historic buildings on their property that relate directly to the Mormon Trail.  The one-room schoolhouse was built by the Oliver family along the Mormon Trail.  Children of all ages will enjoy sitting in the desks and writing on the slate boards.  Everyone can stretch their legs playing the hoop-and-stick games, gracing rings, and gunny sack races.  The Boyd Ranche House was one of the first wooden-frame houses built along the Mormon Trail.  James E. Boyd, the seventh governor of Nebraska, was the operator of the ranch house and he was a horse-trader there.

 

The Central Nebraska Woodcarvers will be at the museum on June 23^rd to demonstrate their skills.  They will be stationed in the Boyd Ranche House kitchen.

 

Other building on the museum grounds include a depot, Freighters Hotel, church building, and a log cabin.  The building are filled with period displays year-round and there will be an additional quilt display and a clothing display up in the buildings.

 

Kearney Centennial Chautauqua June 21-24, 2007.  It would be remiss not to mention that Chautauqua, presented by the Nebraska Humanities Council, will celebrate its 100^th anniversary in Kearney.  On the weekend of June 23-24 there will be events and workshops around town, featuring important historical figures from Nebraska’s past.  Both the Archway and Trails & Rails Museum will be an important part of the Chautauqua celebration.

 

June 29-July 4, 2007

150^th Anniversary of Genoa Settlement  402-993-2875 or 402-993-6636

Genoa, NE

 

Genoa was established as a Mormon way-station on the hand-cart trek west in April of 1857.  On June 6, 1857, a hard-pressed handcart brigade of 70 outbound missionaries from Utah arrived, weary and famished after a 45-day trek…they rested and were fed.

 

This summer Genoa will celebrate its 150^th anniversary with a celebration you won’t want to miss!  The list of activities is so long it is difficult to put it on one list.  A call to the phone numbers listed can give you more information about the times and details of the events.  Congratulations, Genoa, on your wonderful anniversary celebration.

 

 

GENOA CELEBRATION SCHEDULE

Friday, June 29

7:00pm Demo-derby

7-10pm            Quilt Show

Saturday, June 30

9am-5pm         Quilt and antique show-City Hall

1880’s muzzle-loader camp open to visit and see demonstrations of 1880’s activities

            Camp open from Friday night until Sunday afternoon

10am                Parade through main street

            Old time bank robbery play with stage coach and horses immediately after parade

12-2pm            Hamburger-bratt lunch

12-2pm            Indian tacos at Indian Jan’s stand

1-5pm              Indian School museum open

1-5pm              Downtown museum open with original town displays featuring Mormon

                        Settlers, Pawnee artifacts and more

2pm                 Homemade Ice Cream Social  

2-4pm              Shooting display with old guns on horses

2-4pm              Pool water games

4-6pm              Horse shoe pitching contest

            Afternoon and evening Texas Hold-em contests

9pm                 Evening street dance

Sunday, July 1

            Genoa U.S. Indian School Reunion/Celebration

            Manual Training Building 100 years old

9am-4pm         1880’s muzzle-loader camp.  Stop by for a glimpse of life in the 1880’s

10am                Community Church Service

10am-4pm       Demos of trades taught in the Manual Training Building-by a wheelwright, a broom maker, a rope maker, carpenter, blacksmith, etc.

10am-4pm       Native American crafts

10am-5pm       Indian School museum open for tours

10am-5pm       Visit with former students and their families, view displays and learn about the school

10am                Registration of former students a families

11am                Showing of the film In the Days of the Thundering Herd

11:45am           Tour of Indian School barns  (this is an amazing tour!)

12:00 noon       Indian tacos

1pm                 Second showing of In the Days of the Thundering Herd

1-5pm              Downtown museum open-special displays

2pm                 Speaker tells about a former Genoa Indian School band instructor

 

Monday, July 2

6pm                 Little Britches rodeo

7pm                 Speaker - a descendant of handcart pioneers talks about handcarts

7pm                 Children’s carnival

 

Tuesday, July 3

7pm     Children’s carnival

7pm     Speaker at the museum

 

Wednesday, July 4

Beard and costume contest

At dusk-fireworks display-city park

 

The above is a tentative schedule and is subject to change.

 

 

Mormon Trail Visitors Center

Winter Quarters

Florence, NE       www.historicflorence.org  402-453-1538

 

You don’t have to be a Mormon Trail descendant to appreciate the great history at the Mormon Trail Visitors Center. The Center is a monument to the trials and tribulations of the early pioneers at Winter Quarters.  Throughout 2007 the museum will feature 20-25 original paintings of C.C.A. Christensen, with the 7^th handcart company of 1857.  The paintings are a sight to behold, and a real tribute to the handcart pioneers of 150 years ago.