World War II Canteen, 1800s buildings highlight Lincoln County Historical museum visit
To get an excellent idea of the area’s history, you should stop by the Lincoln County Historical Museum in North Platte. The museum grounds are home to a look at the story of the Platte River valley.
The entrance gives you an immediate look back. The three doors used as the entrance to the museum are from the original North Platte Canteen. It was a spot along the railroad where more than six million troops visited during World War II, 1941-45. The canteen closed in 1946.
The main building houses a great exhibit on the canteen and the people who were there – both soldier and local volunteer.
Other items of significance are also contained in the building – a diorama of old-time North Platte, a medical instrument display, telecommunications, and society’s goods – clothing, accessories, music and furniture.
The museum has an old film projector from the Fox Theater downtown. The former movie house is now home to community theater productions.
The World War II Canteen exhibit appealed most to me.
The set up was interesting. Sitting among war souvenirs and reminders was a kitchen area with fruit, vegetables, donuts and drinks.
The war items on display were impressive.
Weapons and uniforms adorn the area.
A Nazi flag is on display behind glass. It’s noted that the flag was captured by an American and that it is displayed as a reminder of war’s consequences.
A battered American flag is displayed nearby.
An exhibit highlights the love story of Virgil and Ethel Butolph. Virgil started writing to Ethel in 1942 during his deployment. His buddy was writing Ethel’s sister at the time. Virgil thought it would be nice to have someone to correspond with.
Their relationship grew during the ensuing years until they met face-to-face in September 1944. Virgil was from Kearney and was coming home for a furlough. He wanted to meet Ethel in person.
He proposed and they were married Sept. 19, 1944. Her dress and his uniform are on display, along with their story.
As you step outside the main building, you’re transported to the 1800s.
The outdoor section of the museum is home to 16 original buildings.
A windmill and cistern stand near the front of the pack. A cistern is basically a water tower.
A flag flies atop a pole that once belonged to nearby Fort McPherson. A cabin that was located at the Maxwell-based fort sits close by.
I have no idea what it is about old jail cells and Lisa. But, she managed to get herself tossed into an old brig again. This has happened to her in previous visits to Alcatraz, USS Midway and an old time jail in Oklahoma City.
We checked out the Birdwood Schoolhouse. The one-room school was one of a few in the area.
The Trinity Lutheran Church offers a place of worship on the plains.
A couple of houses were open for viewing. The first we checked out was the Ericsson House. The second was the childhood home to William Jeffers.
Jeffers, whose father worked for the railroad, worked his way up from a janitor and “call boy” (ran to crew members’ homes to give them their work schedules) to lead the Union Pacific Railroad as its president in the late 1930s.
You can take a gander at what was needed for progress with old-fashioned ditch plows on display.
The railroad’s importance is again displayed with a depot and caboose. Inside the depot, visitors get a view of an old station – train schedules on the wall, as well as luggage on the benches.
Visitors can close out their trip through history with a walk on the boardwalk featuring a general store and barbershop.
For more information on the Lincoln County Historical Museum, please visit its website at http://www.lincolncountymuseum.org/.
Disclaimer: Thanks to the Lincoln County Museum and North Platte/Lincoln County Visitors Bureau for the complimentary tickets. However, all views and opinions are ours.
