Come and experience a magical photo opportunity with our historic 1889 Baldwin Locomotive as we celebrate the Polar Express! Enjoy interactive experiences such as a Train Conductor interpretation, Engine Steam, Blacksmith Forged Bell, and “sock” tea with the Hobo, along with the enchanting sounds of bells and whistles.

DON’T FORGET TO STOP BY AND CHECK OUT OUR GIFT SHOP OFFERING MUSEUM SURPLUS AT 25% OFF!!

Saturday December 14th, 4-6PM

Free Will Donation

By Jon Vanderford

We recently visited the unique Nebraska tourism attraction in Minden known as “The Harold Warp Pioneer Village”, and we discovered a number of improvements are happening.

One of the renovation projects involves the Valentine diner. “This diner is being fully restored,” Pioneer Village director William Ascarza said. “We have been working on this project since March of 2023, and there’s been so much happening with it. The diner dates back to 1947. It was manufactured in Wichita. It was brought to Nebraska and served several years of operation in Kearney before it was brought to the village in 1953 by Harold Warp. It probably served the village here at least until 2019 or 2020. Then it was closed. It needed to be repaired, and there was initiative among local volunteers to make this happen. What has occurred, is that it’s been totally gutted from the inside, all of the flooring has been replaced, with all new electrical and plumbing.”

The diner has been known to serve visitors inside the village because there is a west side access point. But, with the new renovations there is going to be an east side order window where people can come and get a burger and fries if they are not visiting the village.

“People will be able to come by here and get lunch, even if they are not visiting the village,” Ascarza said. “So, we will be able to provide food to the community as well.”

Another renovation project involves the Pioneer Village carousel. “This restoration has been going on for a couple of years now,” Ascarza said. “Essentially what happened was, the animals on the carousel were in bad need of repair. These animals date back to the turn of the century, the late 19th Century or early 20th Century. The carousel itself is a late 19th Century Armitage. It had a steam engine when it was created. Since that time, the steam engine has fallen into disrepair, and it’s going to take a little more work to get that going. In the meantime, we have an electric motor that is operating it. The carousel does work. We are hoping to have it running later this summer, and it’s going to be very important to the community.”

As you look around Pioneer Village, you see a number of improvements and upgrades. The director says there’s an effort underway to get more people invested in the village through memberships. “We have levels of memberships from annual memberships, all the way to lifetime memberships,” Ascarza said. “We’ve even added an adopt-a-vehicle membership. That adds a personal touch for people, which is so important.”

In a future episode of Pure Nebraska, we are going to meet some of the artisans who volunteer at Pioneer Village and show visitors everything from blacksmithing to broom-making.

See the interview here on the 10/11 News site.

Aeronauts of the Platte River Valle

Southcentral Nebraska is a hub for various bird species, with the sandhill cranes being the most renowned. These re- markable birds cover extensive distances annually in a consistent migratory path to- wards their breeding grounds in Canada, Alaska, and Siberia. During late February to early April, south central Nebraska welcomes over 1 million sandhill cranes, representing over 80 percent of the global population. The cranes are attracted to the fertile Platte River, where they refuel on the grains found in farmers’ fields before continuing their journey northward. This river was named “Platte” by French explorers due to its “flat water” appearance as a slow-moving shallow body of water originating from the eastern Rocky Mountains.

For a close encounter with lifelike cranes and other local birds in Nebraska’s Platte River Valley, the Harold Warp Pio- neer Museum showcases var- ious bird specimens, including those mounted by renowned Nebraskan taxidermist Henry G. Stolze in the late 19th cen- tury. The museum also displays antique duck decoys, which have evolved from Native

American bulrushes and mud creations to paper-mâché and hand-carved wooden decoys over the years. Additionally, the museum’s art section features original paintings and prints, including works by John James Audubon, known for his detailed bird illustrations in the early 19th century. The Pioneer Village houses some of Audubon’s famous bird plates, such as the Meadow Lark, Barn Swallow, Wood Duck, Prairie Warbler, American Magpie, and various orioles and thrushes. These plates were engraved and colored by Robert Havell Jr. of London. The museum also proudly exhibits the original 1968-69 duck stamp designed by C. G. Pritchard of Omaha, along with artworks by other prominent bird artists like John Gould, L. E. “Bud” White, Edward Marshall Boehm, and Michael Sughroue.

Visitors can admire Gould’s prints of birds like the Barnacle Goose, Tengmalm’s Owl, Pied Flycatcher, Sabine’s Gull, and the Sand Martin, showcasing his global ornithological expeditions. White’s bird carvings from the 1970s, Boehm’s porcelain bird sculptures, and Sughroue’s lifelike woodcarvings of wild birds, including the intricate basswood-carved Roadrunner, can also be appreciated at the museum. Harold Warp’s passion for collecting Americana and ornithological art is evident throughout Pioneer Village, offering a glimpse into his diverse interests and art appreciation.

Minden Courier Story

The history of Minden, Nebraska started with a county seat and a railroad. In 1878, there was no railroad going through the area around Minden, so the county seat was in Lowell, Nebraska. Back in that day, the only other form of transportation was by horse, which only traveled three and a half miles an hour. Lowell Nebraska was too far north for the liking of the people of Kearney County, so they put it to a vote. When the vote came out, Minden was named the new seat for the county. When the people of Kearney County went to the courthouse in Lowell, there was a note on the door. The note said the courthouse was closed because the county clerk’s wife had a contagious disease, and no one could enter. That didn’t stop the people from breaking in and stealing the records. 

With the records now in the hands of the people, the city of Minden was created. By 1882, the population of Minden was almost 300 people. Most were of German descent, because the town was named after Minden, Germany. The railroad finally reached Minden in 1883, bringing in new settlers and making it easier to access to materials. With the arrival of the train came the decision to elect the first community member to the local government. The first board member was elected in 1883 and his name was Lewis A Kent. He served for a few years before becoming mayor in 1888. The canal and irrigation system was thought of in 1889 by Joel Hull. The canal used to be called the Kearney County Canal, now everyone knows it as the Central Nebraska Irrigation and Public Power District Tri-County System. This project took nearly half of a century to finish and was promoted heavily by the county.

In 1915, Minden started a new tradition in town each December, where over 10,000 Christmas lights were hung from the courthouse, giving them the title, “Christmas City”. Along with the 10,000 lights, a Christmas pageant started in 1946. It was extremely popular in the 50s and 60s. Many people came from Omaha and surrounding areas to participate and watch. In 1946, the airstrip was built by the Harold Warp Pioneer Village Museum. Pioneer Village was started in 1953 by Harold Warp. It is a historic museum that has a vast collection of over 50,000 historical items depicting the time period between the pioneer days and the present. The items at Pioneer Village were collected from all over the country. 

Today, Minden has a population of over two thousand people. The Christmas pageant is still going strong, and the lights are just as spectacular as they were in the beginning. There are still some of the same buildings standing in the town square. The bank that was initially built in 1884 is still standing, as well as the Minden Opera house that was built in the 1891. The courthouse is still the original that was built in 1907. The Jensen Memorial Library was built in 1953 but the original library was in a room at the courthouse. There are plenty of cute shops on Main Street such as the Cozy Corner Café and Hissy Fit Boutique. Lastly, Pioneer Village.