See 100 Miles Across Nebraska From Scotts Bluff National Monument

The U.S. Government recognized Scotts Bluff, Nebraska, as an official National Monument in 1919. Located near Gering in Western Nebraska, this landmark helped guide pioneers on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails.

Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits

The museum at the Scottsbluff National Monument is called the Oregon Trail Museum and Visitor Center. While the museum is small, its exhibits are packed with information.

My favorite?

I have to say I found the stories of the first European fur traders to visit the area the most interesting. Of course, the fact that reproduced pages from their journal indicate the first group visited on Christmas Day, 1812, makes the visit a little more memorable.

Fast Fact: Seven fur traders left from Astor's Trading Post on the Columbia River in Oregon. They headed to St. Louis following a new route that stopped at the Scottsbluff landmark. That route eventually became the Oregon Trail. Unfortunately for the men, the War of 1812 obscured their discovery. 

Later, in 1825, Hiram Scott, a fur trader employed by General William H. Ashley’s Rocky Mountain Fur Company came through with his group. While stories vary, the museum narrates the story beginning with a group of fur traders being attacked and one injured.

Scott was the injured man. Two other men were detailed by Sublette, an agent of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, to take Scott downstream to the great bluffs where they’d be met. However, one disaster followed another, and the boat capsized en route.

The men had no food or dry gunpowder to defend themselves and panicked. They deserted Scott and caught up to the main party reporting that Scott had died.

But he hadn’t — at least not yet — instead he dragged himself to the bluffs. Of course, he had no food or water and did soon die.

The following spring, Sublette’s hunters found his skeleton. By tacit agreement, the great bluffs became a monument to Scott’s memory.

What’s at Scotts Bluff National Monument

Scotts Bluff National Monument is a rock of sorts, a formation of sandstone, siltstone, volcanic ash and limestone topped off with a caprock, or “lid,” of hard limestone that keeps it from eroding. It has 740 feet of continuous geological strata visible along the north face of Scotts Bluff.

For me, the term “bluff” is where speaking “American” and “Canadian” starts to become a problem. In Saskatchewan, at least, a bluff is a small outcropping of trees. According to Wikipedia it seems this meaning is restricted to the Canadian prairies. And when you find a bluff you won’t find any hills, rocky or otherwise.

However, according to National Geographic, a bluff is a type of broad, rounded cliff typically near water. Since it lists bluff formations everywhere from Mars to South Africa to the Cayman Islands, I have to surmise that our “local” version of the word is a little flawed.

Such is language.

On a clear day, you see for forever…or almost forever, at the top of Scotts Bluff. In fact, Laramie Peak,100 miles to the West, appears on the horizon.

Those early settlers walking the Oregon Trail must have been stunned to find it! And according to journals and letters many left behind, just the shade from the Ponderosa Pines at the higher elevations was a relief. Indeed, back when they were crossing Mitchell Pass, no trees grew along the North Platte River at all.

But that’s not what you’ll see today. In fact, the Park Service planted 23,000 shrubs and trees in the 1930s. Now, even if you’re not looking for a shady tree, I can guarantee the sights merit the time — and energy — however you decide to reach the top.

In addition to Mitchell Pass and Wyoming to the west, the Wildcat Hills appear to the south (bordering the side of the North Platte Valley) and Chimney Rock to the east.

Scotts Bluff Hiking Trails

A variety of hiking trails let you explore various parts of the
Scotts Bluff changing landscape. While short trails take you to the north and south rims of the bluff, the south trail gives you a view of Mitchell’s Pass.

Fast Fact: The oldest exposed rocks at Scotts Bluff are 33,000 years old. Each different colored layer of Scotts Bluff tells a new story of local conditions over the centuries. In fact, its exposed north face provides the longest geological history in Nebraska.

And of course, a longer trail goes all the way from the Visitor Center at the bottom, to the top of the bluff. It covers about a mile-and-a-half.

When that hot Nebraska sun is overhead though, you may want to go down the bluff rather than up! That still takes about half-an-hour with the terrain changes.

For those not up to the hike, it’s easy to get to the top by Summit Road. My favorite part of the 1.6 mile drive? The three tunnels carved into the bluff. If you visit with an RV, or have a trailer in tow, the Visitor Center has a shuttle. Or, if your whole group wants to hike down — but not up — you can take the shuttle.

Oregon Trail Museum and Visitor Center

The museum complex covers approximately 6,677 square feet. While the original construction was in 1935, there have been several expansions including:

• Paleontology wing: home to fossils from the Brule Formation. This formation dates back 33 to 22 million years ago. It includes oredonts, stylemys (a dry land tortoise), and other vertebrate fossils like early rhinoceroses and deer-like animals.
• William Henry Jackson Wing: rotating pieces of William Henry Jackson’s watercolors, sketches and photos. Jackson was an artist and adventurer, who had a role in the 1871 U.S. Geological Survey. He aided in establishing Yellowstone as the world’s first national park in 1972.

The museum also offers seasonal living history programs. Costumed interpreters are dressed as 1850s pioneers following the Oregon Trail with their covered wagon. They demonstrate pioneer life activities such as cook over open fires and repairing wagon wheels.

Linda’s Road Trip Tips

First, let me say my week in this part of Nebraska was one of my best trips ever! There’s just so much history representing many eras, from fossils up to 18,000 years old to the Pony Express.

Check out the preserved wagon tracks at Windlass Hill. They were left by the half million or so people who traveled the Oregon Trail between 1843 and 1869, one step at a time beside their oxen. How far? Roughly 2000 miles!

When it comes to museums, be sure to visit the Legacy of the Plains Museum in Gering and Museum of the Fur Trade in Chadron. Andif you’d like something a little different, I really enjoyed the Petrified Wood Gallery in Ogallala.

While the week was full of great meals, some really stood out.

• The Tangled Tumbleweed Tapas inspired eater in Scottsbluff
• Emporium Coffeehouse in Scottsbluff

And if you’d like a unique place to stay for the night, the off-the-beaten-path High Plains Homestead is awesome. There are rustic rooms and glamping options in the great outdoors, so you’ll be able to see the night sky clearly.

Who Should Visit Scotts Bluff National Monument?

If you’re on a road trip through western Nebraska, Scotts Bluff National Monument is a must-do stop. The area is rich in history, whether you’re looking for geologic history or stories of emigrants on the Oregon Trail.

The hiking trail up the monument provides a great opportunity to stretch and enjoy the view. And, if you’re not able to walk that far, you can use the shuttle to get to the top.

Park rangers provide various summer programs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. I especially enjoyed the emigrant experience with costumed rangers and learning about cooking on the trail.

The amount of time required will depend on how much focus your stop has on nature and hiking. While the Oregon Trail Museum and Visitor Center is small, there’s a lot of information included.

And of course, the William Jackson Henry Art Gallery can also take quite a bit of time. I was here for half a day and enjoyed every minute.

Scotts Bluff National Monument has various accessibility features. Parking, restrooms, ranger programs and some trails are accessible. The Saddle Rock Trail is partially accessible with the first 700 yards being wheelchair and stroller-friendly.

How Do You Visit Scotts Bluff National Monument

Scotts Bluff National Monument is in rural Western Nebraska. It’s located three miles west of the town of Gering.

Parking: The site has lots of free parking. 

Street Address: 190276 Old Oregon Trail, Gering, Nebraska. The National Park Service provides full directions on various forms of transportation.

Visit the Scotts Bluff National Monument website from the National Park Service for more information.

Keep up-to-date with what’s happening with the Scotts Bluff National Monument Facebook page.

Take a virtual tour of The Oregon Trail Through the Historic Scotts Bluff in Nebraska on YouTube.

Plan your visit with Google maps.

Reference(s)

Oregon Trail Museum Association. (1962). History of Scotts Bluff National Monument. https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/scbl/history/foreword.htm

Acknowledgments

These stops were all part of a Fam tour hosted by the Gering Convention and Visitors Bureau, Scotts Bluff Area Visitors Bureau, and Nebraska Tourism Commission.

More Places to See in Nebraska

Check out all of guide2museum.com’s reviews of museums in Nebraska.

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• See 100 Miles Across Nebraska From Scotts Bluff National Monument

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Standout Ranching History at the MonDak Heritage Center: Sidney, Montana

The MonDak Heritage Center is the “Sunrise City’s” premier history and art museum. It’s located in Sidney, Montana, near the Yellowstone River and North Dakota border.

As with much of Big Sky country, ranching plays a big part in Sidney’s history and culture.

Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits

The Old West has always fascinated me — especially through this part of Montana. I’ve driven the length of the Yellowstone River through the state researching one of my novels, Badlands and Outlaws: Adventure on the Frontier. In the novel, the main character is riding drag behind a herd of cattle, while his eyes are on the hills looking for outlaws.

But back to the museum and its old west artifacts.

While the museum has late 1800s saddles, blacksmith shop, rifles, barbed wire and more, it was the collection of brands that most interested me.

While I didn’t count them all, there are more than 150 brands displayed in the museum. In addition to the information on the brand placards, there’s also a detailed list of the brands.

Fast Fact: Brands were first recorded in 1873 in Montana, with new brand registrations submitted until 1910. The state's historical records include over 100,000 pages of livestock brand registrations compiled by the Brands Enforcement Division of the Montana Department of Livestock. 

Brands, of course, are marks used to identify livestock. You may be surprised to know that ranchers weren’t the first to use them. Indeed, ancient Egyptians branded their livestock.

Typically, brands are family heirlooms passed down from generation to generation.

What’s in the MonDak Heritage Center

The MonDak Heritage Center was established in 1984. The building has about 16,200 sq. ft used to display its regional collection and hold its programs.

Settlers began arriving in the area in the 1870s, however, Sidney wasn’t named until 1888. It didn’t incorporate until 1911.

The story goes that settlers couldn’t get a post office to receive mail until the growing townsite had a name. Eureka had been their first choice. However, there was already a Eureka, Montana, in the northwestern part of the state close to the Canadian border. So, the townsite needed something different.

Hiram Otis, who was the local Justice of the Peace, was charged with filling out the new application. Now Hiram had a hobby that he loved and that was fishing. He also had a fishing partner he was fond of — a six-year-old boy named Sidney. Sidney and his parents were living with Hiram at the time.

An inspiration hit Hiram while he was filling out the post office application papers. He would call the townsite Sidney.

Starting your tour, you’ll see a great collection of exhibits from the homesteading era.

From washboards to separators (used to separate cream from milk), there’s lots of information on this era.

And once there were homesteaders there were fences, so the old west was fenced away!

Fast Fact: According to museum information, 500 different patents for barbed wire have been registered! That's important because barbed wire for livestock fences reshaped the old west. The first patent was granted to Michael Kelly in 1868. However, Joseph Glidden's 1874 patent improved it by using a simple wire barb locked into a double-strand wire that's still used today. 

Many find the historical “Main Street” exhibit the museum’s standout feature. It recreates the look and feel of a 1930s town, complete with local stores and businesses.  You’ll find everything from soda fountains to gas stations to dentistry.

Natural gas was piped into the Lower Yellowstone Valley in the 1930s. Electricity was provided to area homes by then as well.

And if you’re an art lover, you’ll enjoy the extensive collection of artworks. The collection includes numerous pieces from renowned Western artist, J.K. Ralston. Ralston was inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2012.

Linda’s Road Trip Tips

This trip began, as our roadtrips often do, in Williston, North Dakota. It’s just 45 miles (72 km) from Williston to Sidney.

While we’ve stayed in a number of hotels in Williston, we highly recommend the Bakken Airport XWA Hotel & Studios.

It’s great value for the dollar, being budget priced and just over a decade old. The only drawback is that it’s eight miles out of the city.

Our favorite place to eat in Williston is at Famous Dave’s
Bar-B-Que. Or, if you’re looking for more of a night out, we like Doc Holliday’s Roadhouse Bar and Grill. The atmosphere is great!

Who Should Visit the MonDak Heritage Center?

The MonDak Heritage Center has an exhibit for everyone! History buffs, of course, will find lots to see.

From cowboy days to their 1930s main street, there are a number of unique exhibits.

Art enthusiasts will find exhibitions from local and regional artists in addition to permanent collection works by renowned artist, J.K. Ralston. Exhibitions rotate, so there’s always new artwork to see.

The center also offers lots for locals including art classes and camps for all ages. Their Youth Art Show and MonDak Christmas are popular annual events.

Cultural events, including live music performances and theater productions also bring visitors to the museum.

Part of the collection is dedicated to research library and archives. So, anyone interested in local historical and genealogical research will find the museum a great resource.

How Do You Visit the MonDak Heritage Center?

The MonDak Heritage Center in Sidney, Montana is considered the best museum in the area for its focus on the region’s history, art, and culture. 

Parking: There's lots of free street parking. 

Location: 120 3rd Avenue Southeast, Sidney, Montana.

Admission to the MonDak Heritage Center is free. You can check days and hours open on the MonDak Heritage Center website.

Plan your visit with Google maps.

Find More Museum Reviews for Montana

Check out more reviews of museum attractions in Montana on guide2museums.com.

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#art #history #lifestyles #Montana #museums #pioneers #travel #US_

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"While Florence Nightingale is often credited in western literature as the pioneer of modern nursing and the first nurse, it's worth noting that Rufaida al Aslamia held this title 1,200 years before Nightingale."

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Finney County Historical Museum: 150 Years of Garden City, Kansas, History

Garden City, Kansas, is a small city on the popular north-south U.S. Route 83 highway. However, visitors enjoy a wide range of activities from hunting and fishing to the diverse mix of Mexican, Southeast Asian, and other international cuisines. When it comes to attractions, the Finney County Historical Museum tops the list.

Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits

My favorite exhibit in the Finney County Historical Museum was about the Santa Fe Trail. I always find it fascinating to hear the stories of the courageous men and women who trekked across the country. And the Santa Fe Trail was a major route from 1821 to 1880.

Today, you can still follow the general route of the old Santa Fe Trail by using U.S. Route 50. Designated as a National Historic Trail in 1987, the highway runs east to west from Missouri to New Mexico. The trail has set up 30 Passport Stamp locations that are historically relevant for you to stop in.

Fast Fact: With harsh weather, limited water, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho defining their lands, the trail was tough. Indeed, the Santa Fe Trail has been called the most forbidding and dangerous major pioneer route in American history. 

After looking through the photos, you can almost see the caravans of ox-drawn wagons plodding over the prairie. Garden City was a key stop, since the Arkansas River runs through it.

Garden City was part of the Cimarron Route, which was the shorter–but riskier–branch of the Santa Fe Trail. It shortened the trip by about 10 days, which could make a big difference if winter came early!

The museum’s display includes artifacts along with historical photos. There’s a great map to show where the trail ran.

What’s in the Finney County Museum?

The Finney County Museum collection archives over 140 years of local history. It covers the major decades, starting with the first peoples, pioneer life and early agriculture.

Back in the 1960s, the Finney County Historical Society established the museum. Originally, the artifacts were displayed around town in various businesses. But in 1975, the artifacts were relocated to the brick current location in Finnup Park.

One of the city’s founding members, George Finnup, donated the land and resources for it and the Lee Richardson Zoo.

The museum is a 10,000 square-foot facility, with lots of exhibit space for its multiple galleries. It also includes the Leola Howard Blanchard Library, which is an expanding research center. You’ll find lots of primary sources on the history of Finney County and local genealogy.

Main Galleries in the Finney County Museum

The museum is organized chronologically, so you move through time getting an idea for how the county grew.

Some of the long-term exhibits in the Main Exhibit Hall include:

• Take Stock in Finney County. This exhibit focuses on the cattle industry. As well as ranching, the exhibit covers the development of its beef packing industry.
• C.J. “Buffalo” Jones: Last of the Plainsmen. He’s definitely someone you might describe as a character! You’ll see that in this display that shows his life and community contributions.
• 19th-Century Kitchen. If you’ve ever had questions about cooking in the late 1800s, here are some answers. These artifacts make it clear that women’s work was no walk in the park in those days.
• Finney County Agriculture. While Finney County has a semi-arid climate, irrigation from the Arkansas River helped farmers expand their options. In the late 1800s, sugar beets became a profitable crop. A sugar processing plan was built in Garden City.

You’ll also find the Spirit of the Plains Gallery provides insights into the history of the Southwest Kansas plains. Weather even gets some headlines with the Big Blizzard of 1957.

Fast Fact: The weather forecast for March 24, 1957, was up to two inches of snow for Garden City. What fell was five-inches of sloppy snowball-snow in a furious storm that paralyzed the area. Nothing moved for three days. Power went out. Homes and businesses were cut off. 

When it comes to popularity, the Clutter Family Murders exhibit typically tops most visitor lists. In 1959, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith set out rob Herb Clutter in nearby Holcomb, who they believed to be rich. In the end, the two murdered four people to get roughly $50, a pair of binoculars, and a transistor radio.

Truman Capote made the tragedy widely known in his book, In Cold Blood. Indeed, the book has been called the most famous true crime novel of all time!

There’s also a Front Door Gallery with smaller cases and exhibits that change a number of times through the year.

Fast Fact: Settlers reaching Garden City came by covered wagon or prairie schooner. Each wagon held about 2,000 pounds of provisions and household supplies. That meant the majority of settlers walked all the way beside their wagons--some as far as 2000 miles. 

The Temporary Gallery is dedicated to rotating exhibits that change every few years. And, if you have children with you, the Dress-Up Room is an interactive space for trying on period clothing and taking selfies.

Linda’s Road Trip Tips

We packed a lot of miles and museums into our itinerary the day we visited the Finney County Museum. We started with the Fick Fossil & History Museum in Oakley — do check out the artwork made with fossils!

The museum is right next to the Lee Richardson Zoo, which gave us an excellent reason to do some walking.

That’s something we often miss when traveling.

Since the zoo is the largest one in western Kansas, it’s very popular.

However, if you’re not into walking you can also take your own vehicle on a driving tour.

And we ended our day in Dodge City at the Boot Hill Museum. It’s another excellent choice, especially if you find the old west fascinating!

On the recommendation of a local in the Long Branch Saloon in the museum, we ate and stayed overnight at the Dodge House. It was a great choice.

Who Should Visit the Finney County Museum?

The Finney County Museum is a great stop for all ages. On our visit, there were a hundred or so students just ending a visit to the museum and zoo.

When it comes to agricultural history, we found some unique pieces of equipment that would be new to many museum-goers outside Kansas.

Something we hadn’t seen before was information about the sugar beet industry, so that was a nice addition.

One of the strengths we noted was that the museum was well-curated. There’s lots of information about each artifact, so you won’t be left wondering what something is.

As well, the lay-out wasn’t crowded so you can see everything on display. That also makes it ideal for strollers and wheelchairs to get around.

How Do You Visit Finney County Museum?

Garden City is located on north-south U.S. Highway 83, which runs from Canada to Mexico. Connecting to U.S. Highways 50 and 400, there are great regional connections for visitors.

Parking: There's lots of free parking directly in front of the museum. 

Street Address: 403 S. fourth Street, Garden City, Kansas

The museum and zoo are both free, but do check days and hours open (and for any changes in admission) on the Finney County website.

Keep up to date with what’s happening with the Finney County Historical Museum Facebook page.

Explore the True Crime Exhibit at the Finney County Historical Museum with Good Day Kansas on YouTube.

Plan your visit with Google maps.

Find More Museums to Visit in Kansas

Check out all of guide2museum.com’s reviews of museums in Kansas.

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#farming #history #Kansas #lifestyles #museums #outlaws #pioneers #travel #US_

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