Stuhr Museum

Last updated

Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer
Stuhr winter night sm.jpg
Location3133 US 34
Grand Island, Nebraska
Coordinates 40°53′02″N98°22′24″W / 40.8839°N 98.3733°W / 40.8839; -98.3733
Architect Edward Durell Stone
Architectural style New Formalism
Website www.stuhrmuseum.org OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
NRHP reference No. 15000396
Added to NRHPJune 29, 2015

The Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer is a museum located in Grand Island, Nebraska dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Pioneers who settled the plains of central Nebraska in the late 19th century. It features a living history village called Railroad Town, designed to evoke an 1890s-era prairie village and made up of many original period structures moved to the museum. [1]

Contents

The museum is named after Leo Stuhr, a local farmer and politician whose family were among the area's pioneer settlers. He donated land, money, and numerous artifacts that served as the foundation of the museum. The building that houses the bulk of the museum's exhibits, the Stuhr Building, was designed by architect Edward Durell Stone and was built by Geer-Melkus Construction Co., Inc. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015 after undergoing a $7.4 million restoration. [2] [3]

Among the structures in Railroad Town is the house where actor Henry Fonda was born in 1905. [4] Movies filmed at the museum include Sarah, Plain and Tall (1991) and My Antonia (1995). [5] The museum once had a working steam locomotive that traveled the 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge Nebraska Midland Railroad on the museum grounds. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nebraska</span> U.S. state

Nebraska is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwest; and Wyoming to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merrick County, Nebraska</span> County in Nebraska, United States

Merrick County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 7,668. Its county seat is Central City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hastings, Nebraska</span> City in and county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, United States

Hastings is a city and the county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 25,152 at the 2020 census, making it the 8th most populous city in Nebraska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairbury, Nebraska</span> City in Nebraska, United States

Fairbury is a city and county seat of Jefferson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 3,942 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wimbledon, North Dakota</span> City in North Dakota, United States

Wimbledon is a city in Pierce Township, Barnes County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 178 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fair Lane</span> Historic house in Michigan, United States

Fair Lane was the estate of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford and his wife, Clara Ford, in Dearborn, Michigan, in the United States. It was named after an area in Cork in Ireland where Ford's adoptive grandfather, Patrick Ahern, was born. The 1,300-acre (530 ha) estate along the River Rouge included a large limestone house, an electrical power plant on the dammed river, a greenhouse, a boathouse, riding stables, a children's playhouse, a treehouse, and extensive landmark gardens designed by Chicago landscape architect Jens Jensen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conner Prairie</span> Historic house in Indiana, United States

Conner Prairie is a living history museum in Fishers, Indiana, United States, which preserves the William Conner home. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the museum recreates 19th-century life along the White River. The museum also hosts several programs and events, including outdoor performances by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and summer camps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sod house</span> Turf house used in early colonial North America

The sod house or soddy was an often used alternative to the log cabin during frontier settlement of the Great Plains of Canada and the United States in the 1800s and early 1900s. Primarily used at first for animal shelters, corrals, and fences, if the prairie lacked standard building materials such as wood or stone, sod from thickly-rooted prairie grass was abundant, free, and could be used for house construction. Prairie grass has a much thicker, tougher root structure than a modern lawn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of Nebraska Art</span> United States historic place

The Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) is the official art museum of the state of Nebraska. The museum is located in Kearney, Nebraska, and is administratively affiliated with the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The official charter of MONA makes it home to the Nebraska Art Collection, which is home to works by artists who were born in Nebraska, have lived in Nebraska, or have some connection to Nebraska. MONA also hosts regular rotating exhibitions by living or historic artists who have some connection with the state of Nebraska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Plains Black History Museum</span>

The Great Plains Black History Museum currently resides on the first floor of the historic Jewell Building in North Omaha, Nebraska. It was formerly located at 2213 Lake Street in the Near North Side neighborhood in North Omaha. It was housed in the Webster Telephone Exchange Building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A nationally renowned institution for more than 40 years, the museum includes more than 100,000 periodicals, manuscripts, photographs and research materials. The museum currently conducts programs and presents exhibits throughout Omaha, the State of Nebraska, regionally and nationally upon request.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omaha Union Station</span> United States historic place

The Union Station, at 801 South 10th Street in Omaha, Nebraska, known also as Union Passenger Terminal, is "one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the Midwest". Designated an Omaha Landmark in 1978, it was listed as "Union Passenger Terminal" on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016. The Union Station is also a contributing property to the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District. It was the Union Pacific's first Art Deco railroad station, and the completion of the terminal "firmly established Omaha as an important railroad terminus in the Midwest".

Pioneers Park Nature Center, established in 1963, is a 668-acre (2.70 km2) nature preserve located within Pioneers Park, which is located at the intersections of South Coddington and West Van Dorn Streets in Lincoln, Nebraska. Both Pioneers Park and the Nature Center within it are operated by the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department.

<i>The Grand Island Independent</i> Daily American newspaper

The Grand Island Independent is a daily newspaper published in Grand Island, Nebraska.

William A. Paxton was an American pioneer businessman and politician in Omaha, Nebraska. His life as a rancher and cattleman early in his life, as well as early work with the Union Pacific Railroad was highly regarded among his contemporaries; his success as a businessman later in his life led him to great wealth. His leadership is seen as an essential factor in Omaha becoming a prominent stockyards and meatpacking center. He is frequently referred to as "the real founder of South Omaha."

The Plainsman Museum is a museum located in Aurora, Nebraska, focusing on the history of the settlers and their descendants in the central Nebraska plains region. It was officially dedicated on July 4, 1976, as a part of the American national bicentennial, and consists of a complex of buildings housing various items demonstrating the everyday life of the plains settlers, along with agricultural history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prairie Avenue</span> Thoroughfare in Chicago, United States

Prairie Avenue is a north–south street on the South Side of Chicago, which historically extended from 16th Street in the Near South Side to the city's southern limits and beyond. The street has a rich history from its origins as a major trail for horseback riders and carriages. During the last three decades of the 19th century, a six-block section of the street served as the residence of many of Chicago's elite families and an additional four-block section was also known for grand homes. The upper six-block section includes part of the historic Prairie Avenue District, which was declared a Chicago Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History is located in Hastings, Nebraska. It claims to be the largest municipal museum between Chicago and Denver. It is housed in a building funded by the Works Progress Administration and dedicated on June 15, 1939. The museum exhibits include Kool-Aid, natural history dioramas, local history, weapons, life of pioneers on the Plains, rocks, minerals, fossils, antique vehicles, coins, and a planetarium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dowse Sod House</span> Historic house in Nebraska, United States

The William R. Dowse House, more commonly known as the Dowse Sod House, is a sod house in Custer County in the central portion of the state of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. It was built in 1900 and occupied until 1959. After a long period of neglect, it was restored beginning in about 1981, and opened as a museum in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cattle Bank</span> United States historic place

The Cattle Bank is a historic bank building located at 102 E. University Ave. in Champaign, Illinois. Built in 1858, it is the oldest documented commercial structure in Champaign. It opened as a branch of the Grand Prairie Bank of Urbana, Illinois. Champaign was the southern terminus of a railroad line to Chicago, so cattle raisers from the surrounding area drove their cattle to Champaign to ship them to the Chicago market. The Cattle Bank provided banking and loan services to these cattlemen. The building housed a bank for only three years. During that time, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is known to have cashed a check there. From 1861 to 1971, the building housed several commercial tenants. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and renovated in 1983. Since 2001, the Cattle Bank has been home to the Champaign County History Museum.

Prairie Museum may refer to:

References

  1. "Railroad Town" . Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  2. Hendee, David (July 17, 2015). "After 18-month renovation, Grand Island's iconic Stuhr Building to reopen this weekend". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  3. Overstreet, Tracy (July 20, 2015). "Newly renovated Stuhr Building added to National Register of Historic Places". Kearney Hub. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  4. "Railroad Town" . Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  5. "Filming, On Location & Movie Set Opportunities" . Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  6. "Stuhr Museum, RR Town & the Nebraska Midland R.R." Retrieved January 15, 2011.

40°53′02″N98°22′24″W / 40.88389°N 98.37333°W / 40.88389; -98.37333 (Stuhr Museum of the Prairie)