Last Memorial Day weekend John Price, Jr was giving a tour of the Nuckolls County Museum to some interested people. When he finished the tour he asked if anyone had any questions. And someone did. A very young member of the touring group asked if John had a map of the Museum grounds. The correct answer was "No" because we did not have a map of the Museum grounds so John asked at the next meeting of the Board of Directors "Why?" There was no good answer, only that no one had thought about making a map. John took on the task himself. He got a friend with a drone to fly it over the Museum grounds and take a birds eye picture of the Museum and associated buildings. He then labelled all the buildings and printed of many copies of the map. So the next time you come for a visit to the Nuckolls County Museum you can pick up a map (they are FREE) and not have to worry too much about getting lost. And you can thank some inquisitive little kid for asking adults why we didn't have a stupid map.
And to make the map more meaningful I have added a brief description of what each building is, what it contains and sometimes what it represents. Descriptions are below the map.
Buildings and Features of the
Nuckolls County Historical Society and Museum Grounds
Main Hall
Here is where the tour through history begins. With collections of items gathered world-wide by Evelyn Broadstone, Nuckolls County’s own Lady Vestey, and other collections from pioneers of the area, the Native American showcase, military memorabilia and books as well as some county historic records. The historical county jail with some arrest records is also part of this Main Hall.
Aurand Hall
Home of the one and only Fuller car built in Angus, Nebraska and other antique automobiles, Aurand Hall houses many items of considerable nostalgia. With wondrous displays of Victorian ladies’ fashions, a toy store full of memories, a print shop featuring technology of years past, trophies and athletic gear from Nuckolls County schools and exhibits featuring pioneer life. There is much to be learned and observed in Aurand Hall.
Agricultural Hall
Showcasing ag equipment dating back to the 1870’s, Agricultural Hall is a large building housing all things farm related. This includes a blacksmith exhibit, a large windmill, histories of some of the mills and industries located in early Nuckolls County and more.
Marquart Hall
Home to 3,000 model airplanes, Marquart Hall is home to the lifetime model building collection of Marvin E. Marquart. The display ranges from space craft to aircraft carriers representing airplanes from many, many nations from the beginning of aviation through many eras of flight. Marquart Hall is full to the brim with a passion for flight and is sure to spark the interest of any model or airplane enthusiast.
Dahlgren Hall
Built to house the Museum’s collection of horse drawn buggies and wagons, Dahlgren Hall preserves these vital pieces of transportation from years past. Highlights of the collection include the famous “Ideal Market” wagon and a horse drawn hearse.
Beach County School #44
This one room schoolhouse can still be utilized by children (and adults) to enter and learn as young people did in the pioneer days. Built in 1884 for District #44 this School, known as Beach School was moved from its original location eat of Cadams, Nebraska onto the Museum grounds in 1982. The Beach School house is dedicated to the many teachers and students of early Nuckolls County.
Henrietta or Ruskin Presbyterian Church
The oldest Church in Nuckolls County, the Henrietta or Ruskin Presbyterian Church is a wonderful example of historic preservation. The church was organized at the community of Henrietta, near Ruskin in 1879 and the Church structure was built in 1884. When the congregation disbanded the voted to donate the Church building to the Nuckolls County Historical Society and Museum. The Church was moved onto the Museum grounds in 2007 and thoroughly repaired, cleaned and painted. Pews from the Nora, Nebraska Methodist Church were donated for seating and the Church contains many hymnals from various denominations as well as a large collection of very old family Bibles from early residents of Nuckolls County.
Burlington Northern Railroad Caboose
Full of railroad memorabilia, entering the caboose is an experience in itself. Note: The caboose is not easily accessible to people with limited mobility. Please us a lot of common sense and judgment before trying to climb the ladder. The Burlington Northern Caboose excites the imagination and makes a great photo opportunity during your trip to the Museum.
The Log Cabin Post Office
Originally built in 1872 (150 years ago) by William Loudon this log cabin was the first log cabin home/post office in Superior. The building was moved to the Museum grounds in 1999 from its original and previous locations. Featuring all the intricacies of a post office serving pioneers on the early plains while also serving as a home, this relic is a step back in time preserved for future generations.
Pioneer Hall
Pioneer hall is a meeting room that adjoins the Main Hall and is available to rent for meetings, family gatherings and programs. For more information on the space please reach out and contact the Museum.
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