The Western Nebraska community is celebrating its 125th anniversary.  As part of the celebration the community is planning many special events in its historical area.  Special events include:  creating a book of interviews from some of our elderly in the community, a tour of historical buildings, a Western Art Show, Chariot Races, parade and PRCA rodeo, an old fashioned cook off with chuck wagons, square dancers, Native American dancers and many other activities.

Western Nebraska’s 125-year legacy also boasts of some great destinations.  The Fur Trade Museum in Chadron, Nebraska dates back before European settlements in the area. It was a place where white trappers stopped to gain goods for their livelihood as well as trade furs with the Native Americans. 

Chadron’s interesting history grew from there. Crawford was started as a town for the entertainment of the soldiers at Fort Robinson and a converging point where to Railroads were being built in 1887.

The Fort had many notable historical events. Here are some examples: Fort Robinson has 47 years of military history. It was a substantial part in the taming of the west. The Cheyenne outbreak took place there as well as Crazy Horse’s death. Buffalo Bill Cody’s fight with Yellowhand took place north of Crawford.  It housed the first triple crown winner for the famed Thoroughbred race horses. It was one of 7 places in the U.S. that were part of their breeding program. These horses were used to create the finest equestrian military units of World War I. 10,000 horses and 3,000 mules were housed there during certain periods of time for the wars before WWII.  The 1930’s Olympic Equestrian Teams were housed and practiced there. After WWI and our entrance into WWII, it housed 1200 dogs for the Canine units as well as 3,000 German prisoners of war.

In the community of Crawford there was also a colorful Western History, such as Big Bats shooting death in the saloon in town, now named the Corner Bar. It was the location of the first female owned Cinema in the United States.

Toadstool Park, a national Geologic park, is a very unusual place to visit. Near there the Hudson/Meng bone bed is the 5th largest of it’s kind in the world. It is a place where generations of Native Americans came to through their migrations and hunted. East of these places just 6 miles was where a world class find was hidden deep in the clay; two mammoths with their tusks locked in combat. These mammoths are found at the Trailside Museum located in Fort Robinson.

Agate Fossil Bed National Monuments also rich in geologic history, but has deeper meaning in the relationship with The great Native American lead; Red Cloud and rancher Mr. Cook.

Train watching is popular. Towns sprouted everywhere to supply coal and water to the to main lines. Many of these towns are now ghost towns or sites to be explored by our visitors. Northwest Nebraska High Country is a group of rural people primarily ranchers with value added businesses on their land. They would love to show you what they have to offer the pubic. I am one of them, my ranch has been featured on RFD-TV’s Best of America By Horseback.