Trapped by 50,000 historical items

Sept. 17, Kearney-Minden, 33 miles, NW wind, 70/40; Sept. 18, Minden-Franklin, 30 miles, NW wind, 65/35—After so many days in Nebraska I had a strong urge to reach Kansas, probably an unusual feeling. But I kept running into interesting places along the Platte River and in southern Nebraska.

Pioneer Village in Minden is a throwback to the 1950s and '60s and has tons of stuff, literally: cars, tractors, televisions, china, outboard motors, guns, furniture. Some of the collections must be the best in the world. If you find something that grabs you (bicycles for me, also to my surprise carriages and snowmobiles), it's an incredible place.

Founder Harold Warp's introduction at the main gate gives you a sense of the old-fashioned atmosphere: "In a mere hundred and twenty years of eternal time man progressed from open hearth, grease lamps and ox carts to television, super sonic speed, and atomic power. We have endeavored to show you the actual development of this astounding progress as it was unfolded by our forefathers and by ourselves."

The 50,000 objects are organized and labeled beautifully—for 1960. Harold Warp was self-made, a farmboy who later started a company in Chicago to sell his invention, Flex-O-Glass. Visiting home after making his fortune, he discovered the old schoolhouse he'd attended was about to be torn down. He bought the school, and soon after started building Pioneer Village. He insisted on putting collections in chronological order, a good decision.

Its greatness is caught in an older time, and visitor attendance is going down. Old Harold died 12 years ago, and several locals have nothing good to say about the management of his son, also Harold. Apparently he has little interest in upgrading the museum and won't spend on maintenance, instead banking on Pioneer Village's longtime reputation as the no. 1 tourist site in Nebraska.

Pioneer Village also has a campground and motel. Two out-of-town harvesters were staying there for the corn and soybean crop, most of which would go to the nearby cattle feedlot. Peter, from England, returns to Minden every season as a foreman, and stays in the hotel. Chris, a farmhand, stays in the campground, sleeping in the bed of his pickup.

Around Kearney, the Archway Monument (hard to miss, built over the four lanes of Interstate 80) and Fort Kearny are opposites in presentation. The exhibits budget must have been gigantic for the Archway. It's well done and feels like watching a good movie, though like most pioneer sites runs quickly and painlessly through American Indian relations.

When I was about about 9 I visited Fort Kearny. Sadly, it doesn't look like the displays have changed at all. The only other visitors were University of Nebraska students from Leipzig, Germany, who were scolded for wanting to see Pioneer Village in two hours ("Two hours? You need two days!). The Fort Kearny outdoor exhibits are so weathered they're only half readable. For a state historical park, it's an embarrassment.

I hear the Archway isn't getting the visitors it expected—hardly anyone was there the Sunday I visited. Possibly last night's game had something to do with that—Nebraska's beloved football team got crushed by USC. I think people don't have time for history.