ALYCIA MOLTHANPROFESSOR HAMELENGL-1000-DHDW17/12/2014

M E M O R A N D U M

TO: PROFESSOR HAMELFROM: ALYCIA MOLTHANSUBJECT: TRAVEL REPORTDATE: JULY 11, 2014

INTRODUCTION

On Friday, July 11, 2014, at 4:00 p.m. I traveled with my children, in our family vehicle, to learn about five different historical markers near my home in Clay Center, Nebraska. We returned from our road trip at approximately 8:00 p.m.

ACTIVITIES

We traveled to five historical markers, which include:

o Marker 240 in Clay Center, Nebraska

o Marker 492 in Harvard, Nebraska

o Marker 458 in Harvard, Nebraska

o Marker 191 in Harvard, Nebraska

o Marker 422 in Sutton, Nebraska

Historical marker 240 is located at the Clay Center City Park, on the corner of Alexander and Johnson streets. When we got there, we learned that the reason the marker was put there was because in the summer of 1879, the town of Clay Center was laid out. An election on November 4, 1879, confirmed Clay Center as the county seat. In February of 1887, Clay Center became an incorporated village. Clay Center experienced dramatic change in 1942 when a Naval Ammunition Depot was built just west of the town to produce bombs and shells during WWII, which is now an Animal Research Center. Historical Marker 240 in Clay Center,

Nebraska.

Historical marker 492 is located on the south side of Oak Street between Harvard and Clay Street in Harvard, Nebraska. It was a little difficult to find because it is not facing the road. This marker represents the Harvard jail that was

inadvertently sold to Robert Pinkney, 16, in a delinquent tax sale in 1943. When the city refused to buy back the jail, sparking a legal battle that earned national publicity, Pinkney put the jail up for auction at a West Coast war bond drive. Charlie McCarthy, ventriloquist Edgar Bergen’s puppet, “bought” the jail for $10,000 in war bonds and deeded it back to Harvard. The jail, estimated to be over 130 years old, was refurbished in 2008-2010.

Historical Marker 458 is located on Clay Street in Harvard, Nebraska. This marker represents the Harvard Army Air Field and another one next to it was a marker for the Mid Air Collision of B-17 Bombers. Harvard Army Air Field, located two miles northeast, was one of eleven army air force training fields in

Nebraska during WWII. The 1,759-acre base included runways, hangers, barracks, and fuel and munitions storage. The 447th Bombardment Group (B-17s) and the 484th Bombardment Group (B-24s) were the first to train at Harvard. As eight B-17F “Flying Fortresses” returned to Harvard AAF after training exercises on August 28, 1943, three collided. One crash-landed and two were demolished. Fourteen airmen died that day, including co-pilot Carl Hansen, whose parachute failed. Lieutenants David Rowland, Hayden Hughes, and Sgt. Earl Lynes of Hansen’s crew survived.

Historical Marker 191 is located at the city park in Harvard, Nebraska. This marker represents Harvard. Tracks of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad

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Harvard Jail, Historical Marker 492 in Harvard, Nebraska

Harvard Army Air Field and Mid Air Collision of B-17 Bombers, Historical Marker 458 in Harvard, Nebraska

reached Harvard on December 20, 1871. Harvard was incorporated as a Village on July 1, 1873. It became a Second Class City in 1879, but because the population was less than 1500, it returned to Village status in 1880. In 1886, it became a Second Class City again. During the 1970’s Harvard vied with other towns to become the county seat for Clay County. After several disputed elections, Clay Center was selected as the location of the Courthouse in 1879.

The Soldiers’ Monument, Historical Marker 422, located in the southwest corner of the Sutton City Park in Sutton, Nebraska was our last stop. The children got out and played while I enjoyed learning about this one. By 1880, 448 Union veterans lived in Clay County. In 1884, the Union Soldiers’ Monument and Memorial Association of Sutton, was formed to erect a monument to veterans. The association petitioned the government for surplus cannon and received two 24-pounder flank howitzers cast by Cyrus Alger and Company of Boston in 1863. The howitzers arrived from Fort Montgomery, N.Y., in 1900. In 1909, a granite base was laid that included the names of area Civil War veterans, but the monument was never finished. In 2001, a bronze statue of a Civil War soldier, commissioned and paid for by community members, completed the monument.

DISCUSSION

Learning about history so close to home was very exciting. There is so much history in Clay County that I did not know before I went on this trip. Not only did I enjoy learning about history, but my children did as well. In the future, I plan to check out some more historical markers in Nebraska.

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The soldiers Monument, Historical Marker422 in Sutton, Nebraska