Fort Kearny Military Buttons
War and Uniform Materials
Three military buttons depicting an eagle with a shield. Original record from 06/20/2015 wrote- (1) Army uniform button v. Waterburg (CT), (2) and (3) also. Numbers refer to each button. Buttons found by Merwyn Henderson.
United States Military
Don Dingman
Merwyn Henderson
06/20/2015
April White
Dr. Thomas Kiffmeyer
Don Dingman
University of Nebraska at Kearney (Images)
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/military-and-wartime/buttons
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Button
English
Nebraska
Fort Kearny Infantry Uniform Button
Old War Materials
An old war uniform button. It is very worn down, but looks like it depicts an eagle and a shield. Button was found by Merwyn Henderson.
United States
Don Dingman
Merwyn Henderson
06/20/2015
April White
Dr. Thomas Kiffmeyer
Don Dingman
University of Nebraska at Kearney (Images)
http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/173001-us-military-uniform-buttons-interesting-facts/
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Button
Nebraska
Fort Kearny Bullet
Old War Material, Nebraska Forts
An old bullet found by Merwyn Henderson at/near Fort Kearny in Nebraska
Don Dingman
Merwyn Henderson
06/20/2015
April White
Dr. Thomas Kiffmeyer
Don Dingman
University of Nebraska at Kearney (Images)
http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=174509
JPEG
Bullet (possibly metal)
Nebraska
Fort Kearney State Bank Promotional Material
Bank Promotional Materials
Metal, red and gold colored miniature bank to promote the Fort Kearney State Bank of Kearney, Nebraska.
Fort Kearney State Bank
Don Dingman
Strongchart Co. of Chicago, Illinois
06/20/2015
April White
Dr. Thomas Kiffmeyer
Don Dingman
University of Nebraska at Kearney (Images)
http://www.bchs.us/BTales_199411.htm
JPEG
Metal Bank
English
Kearney, Nebraska
Fort Kearney
Fort Kearney Marker
Wooden Post Marker
Original wooden road marker for Fort Kearney Crossing. The dates on the front are 1848, 1871. The marker was installed in 1910 and found years later. The dates on the front mark when the trail to Fort Kearney crossed the Platte River from 1848-1871 on the Overland-Oregon Trail, and there are visible bullet holes. Don received the marker as a birthday present c. 1996. It was found in the 1950s by amateur archaeologist Merwyn Henderson.
This web article has a much more detailed history of the artifact:
http://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local/history-buffs-solve--year-old-mystery/article_25afb46a-ebfc-11e0-9a0e-001cc4c002e0.html
Don Dingman has this important information to include:
There were three crossing points on the Platte River. All of these crossing points were, and still are, located in Buffalo County, Nebraska. There were two crossing points on the north side of the river, and one on the south side at the ferry crossing point on the Oregon Trail where this marker was placed.
The Soldier's Free Homestead Association of Gibbon, Nebraska (a.k.a. the Old Settler's Association) was a Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) group of civil war soldiers. They first came to Buffalo County in 1871 on a train with the purpose of homesteading land there. In the following years, they would meet on the grounds of Fort Kearney for picnics and reunions (see attached PDF photos). In 1906, this group organized into the Fort Kearney National Park Association with the goal of having their beloved fort declared a national part. At that time they decided to have an annual three-day reunion and gain political support for their idea with their representatives in Washington D.C.
The group wanted to place large, granite markers on the three crossing points and also honor General Carrington. Carrington had done a complete survey of the islands and the crossing route in 1866. He was still alive in 1910 and had planned to be at the reunion that same year. Sadly, his health was failing and he was unable to attend. Two years later, General Carrington died in 1912.
The group had a vision of Fort Kearney and the surrounding area eventually being a national park with many stone monuments and markers to tell the history and stories of Fort Kearney and the Oregon Trail. In August 1910 came the reunion at the fort and it was a marked success. They named the reunion "Camp Carrington." Over 500 people camped at the old fort and there were four to five thousand visitors including the Governor of Nebraska and a Nebraska Congressman.
Originally, the marker was meant to be dedicated and placed on Thursday afternoon (August 25, 1910), but was moved to Thursday morning due to some train schedule mix ups with the ceremony's scheduled speakers. The Fort Kearney National Park Association did not have the funds to purchase a stone marker so a temporary one was placed instead. The marker was dedicated by the Women's Relief Corp (WRC) to the women that crossed the Platte River at that point on the Oregon Trail.
Don Dingman also adds:
For the GAR to place a marker on any western trail is extremely rare. Unfortunately the effort in Washington failed that year and the group ended along with its cause.
Kearney, Nebraska
Don Dingman
Merwyn Henderson (1989)
1848-1871
1910
06/20/2015
1950s
April White
Dr. Thomas Kiffmeyer
Don Dingman
University of Nebraska at Kearney (Images)
http://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local/history-buffs-solve--year-old-mystery/article_25afb46a-ebfc-11e0-9a0e-001cc4c002e0.html
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fort_Kearney_Crossing_1848_-_1871_-_Platte_River_Marker..jpg
http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/markers/texts/old_ft_kearny_road.htm
http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/39434712/
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Wooden Board
English
Kearney, Nebraska
Buffalo County, Nebraska
Platte River
Fort Kearney, Nebraska
Farmers State Bank Ephemera
Metal artifact related to bank promotion
A metal ephemera artifact (possibly a bell) meant to promote Farmers State Bank of Kearney, Nebraska. Text on the front reads "Farmers State Bank, Established 1890, Kearney, Nebr."
Farmers State Bank
Don Dingman
06/20/2015
1890
April White
Dr. Thomas Kiffmeyer
Don Dingman
University of Nebraska at Kearney (Images)
http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Default/Skins/KearneyA/Client.asp?skin=KearneyA&AW=1444927395898&AppName=2
http://www.usbanklocations.com/farmers-and-merchants-bank-16810-history.shtml
http://www.bchs.us/BTales_199101.html
JPEG
Metal
English
Kearney, Nebraska
Empress Theatre
Photo of the Empress Theatre, Kearney, Nebraska
Colored photograph of the Empress Theatre in Kearney, Nebraska. The theater opened on September 21, 1914. The named changed to Fort Theater during the 1940s and officially closed in 1993. Today, the building still stands as Fort Dentistry in Kearney, Nebraska and the office aims to preserve the theater history by decorating its lobby with the theater's original movie seats, ticket machine, and other original artifacts and memorabilia.
Don Dingman
06/20/2015
1993
1914
1940s
April White
Rob Foresman
Dr. Jinny Turman (scans)
Don Dingman
University of Nebraska at Kearney (Images)
http://jabberclarks.blogspot.com/2011/09/theater-fort-kearney-nebraska.html
http://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local/empress-theatre-gets-new-electric-sign/article_019f92ae-a0b6-11e3-9ae8-0019bb2963f4.html
http://www.nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/buffalo.htm
Placard
JPEG
English
Kearney, Nebraska
Elephant Day Postcard
Elephant Day Parade, Kearney, Nebraska.
Black and white postcard of an elephant parade in Kearney, Nebraska. Photograph taken by Solomon D. Butcher of S. D. Butcher & Son Photography Studio.
S.D. Butcher & Son
Don Dingman
S. D. Butcher & Son
S. D. Butcher & Son
February 2, 1910
06/20/2015
April White
Rob Foresman
Dr. Jinny Turman (scans)
Don Dingman
University of Nebraska at Kearney (Images)
http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/doc/egp.art.008
JPEG
Postcard
English
Kearney, Nebraska
E.J. Woolworthia Residence-Tornado Damage
Picture of E.J. Woolworth home and Tornado damage
Damage from Tornado that occurred in Kearney, 6/4/1908
H. Swan
Don Dingman
H. Swan
June 4, 1908
06/20/2015
April White
Rob Foresman
Dr. Jinny Turman (scans)
Don Dingman
University of Nebraska at Kearney (Images)
http://www3.familyoldphotos.com/photo/nebraska/8447/kearney-nebraska-tornado-june-1908
Postcard
JPEG
English
Kearney, Nebraska
Doan College and Kearney State Normal Thanksgiving Football, 1907
Picture of Thanksgiving Day Game between Doane College and Kearney State Normal, Thanksgiving 1907. At Kearney.
Black and white postcard of a football game between Doan Colage (sic) (probably Doane College of Nebraska) and Kearney State Normal School during Thanksgiving of 1907. Photograph taken by Solomon D. Butcher of S. D. Butcher & Son Photography Studio.
S. D. Butcher & Son
Don Dingman
S. D. Butcher & Son
S. D. Butcher & Son
1907
06/20/2015
April White
Rob Foresman
Dr. Jinny Turman (scans)
Don Dingman
University of Nebraska at Kearney (Images)
http://www.doane.edu/distinguished-history
http://www.unk.edu/about/history.php
http://www.lopers.com/sports/2009/9/23/FB_All_Time_History.aspx?path=football
http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/doc/egp.art.008
JPEG
Postcard
English
Kearney, Nebraska.
Doane College