Gage County History Tours

*Please Note that some tours require pre-registration, please check your emailed registration confirmation.

1:00-4:00pm: Cortland, Nebraska

• Cortland, Nebraska, is located north on Highway 77. The tour will start at the Cortland Museum, built in 1883, one of the oldest buildings in the city of Cortland. The tour will include a visit to the museum, featuring a slideshow that showcases photos from our glass negative collection, as well as a walking tour of the town. This is the hometown of Nebraska Volleyball Head Coach Dani Busboom Kelly. The tour is on Monday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Max capacity for the tour is 30 people.

1:00-4:00 pm: Great Plains Welsh Heritage Centre and Archive for Welsh America

• Great Plains Welsh Heritage Centre and Archive for Welsh America is located at 307 S 7th St, Wymore, NE. This is the only facility of its kind in the country, featuring unique Welsh-American artifacts and rare Welsh-language documents. The tour will start at the Great Plains Welsh Heritage Center. Followed by a tour of the Welsh District 81 one-room school, and the Wymore Burlington Railroad Depot Museum. Wymore was one of the significant branches on the Burlington line in Nebraska for a century. A simple Afternoon Tea with Welsh Cakes will be made available for all those who sign up. The tour is on Monday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Max capacity for the tour is 50 people.

1:30-3:30 pm: Otoe-Missouria Reservation

• Otoe-Missouria Reservation was located in Southern Gage County from 1854 to 1881. This tour will give you a glimpse of the location of their village, the site where they wintered, and the Barneston Cemetery, where a burial marker for the tribal deceased has been placed. The Tour will be led by a Gage County Historian from the Historical Society and members of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe. The bus tour will depart on Monday from the Gage County Historical Society at 1:30 pm and return to the museum around 3:30 pm. The max capacity for the tour is 30 people. $10 per person bus fee.

12:30-4:30: Explore Gage County on Your Own

• Elijah Filley Stone Barn is located at 13282 E Scott Rd, Filley, NE. This barn, over 150 years old, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the tallest limestone barn in the state of Nebraska. Artifacts from the family will be on display inside the barn. A 10-minute history of the barn will be given on the hour at 1, 2, & 3 o’clock. The barn is open on Monday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
• Tri-County Oregon Trail Marker is one mile west of Lanham, Nebraska, which straddles the state line. Please do not use Google Maps, as it will take you to the park in Lanham. The Tri-County Oregon Trail Marker designates the place where the Oregon Trail entered Nebraska from Kansas. It is the only place in Nebraska where you are standing on the state line and in three separate counties. You are welcome to visit the site at your convenience throughout the conference.
• Homestead National Historical Park is located at 8523 NE-4, Beatrice, NE. This is the location of the first homestead in the United States, Daniel Freeman. Conference attendees will be greeted at Homestead’s Heritage Center for a brief welcome talk and film introduction. They can then explore the Heritage Center’s museum exhibits, historic structures, 160-acre restored prairie, and special pop-up stations at their leisure. The park will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Monday and Tuesday during the conference.
• Gage County Historical Society is at 101 N. Second Street, Beatrice, Nebraska. The Society preserves the history of the county inside the 1906 CB&Q Passenger Depot Station. The depot station is listed on the National Register of Historical Places and is located on the site of the trial of Wild Bill Hickock for the murders at Rock Creek Station. The museum and gift shop will be open Monday and Tuesday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm during the conference.