22 Sep
Busy first full day in Kearney NE. First thing out of the chute was an oil change for the big ol' brown truck. No issues. Got right in and out. Got back to the campground and it looked like a ghost town. 90%+ of those staying here were only here for one night. I bet there were less than a dozen campers left by noon. OK by me!
After lunch we headed to the Nebraska Firefighter Museum and Memorial. It's a beautiful facility just a block or so from the Great Platte River Road Archway. The building resembles an old firehouse, and the fire & EMS memorial is behind the building.
The museum contains firefighting equipment and memorabilia dating back to the 1800's. There is a nice gift shop and there is also classroom space for the Nebraska Fire School. I spent 25 years on the Norwalk Iowa Fire Department starting in 1984. We were still "riding tail boards" back then, using thigh-high rubber boots and no bunker pants. Our department only had a few air packs and you were chastised if you even thought about putting one on, because we had no way to refill the tanks! So I can relate to much of the equipment in here and I can appreciate the effort from both the fire department and the tax payers to make progress with this stuff. When I took over as Chief in Norwalk the average age of our fire apparatus was 29 years, so we had some in-service apparatus that was MUCH older than 29 years. We had a long way to go but we had great support from our city council, the mayor and the citizens. We improved not only the hardware but the training and safety as well. I miss those days.
Some pictures from the museum:
1895 Hook and Ladder Wagon, complete with fire buckets
Check out the ornate designs on this 1879 hand pumper!
Communications equipment including Motorola. I used to repair this stuff!
Primarily Plectron communications and notification equipment. I used to repair this stuff, too!
Emergency medical equipment including suction, defibrillators, etc
Emergency lighting equipment. Some of this would be 6 volts DC rather than 12 volts DC.
Wildland firefighting gear.
"Only YOU can prevent forest fires!
A beautiful 1914 Saxon Fire Chief car from Fremont Volunteer Fire Department. It was driven by the department's first partially paid volunteer Chief during the late 1920's. It had been stored until 1968 when it was restored and then used in parades.
A nice fire safety display especially for children.
They are challenged to find fire safety issues with two rooms
How many fire safety concerns can you find?
An 1888 Gleason & Bailey hand pumper made in Seneca Falls NY
A 1936 white American LaFrance pumper, guaranteed to pump 500 gallons per minute for three hours! It cost $3400 and the first test was at the Cozad city skating pond!
Empire Life Saving Net. Invented by Thomas F. Browder in 1887. It was nine foot wide and at least nine firefighters would be needed to hold it. The safety "nets" became obsolete when hydraulic ladder trucks were developed.
Saved the best for last. This is a beautiful REO Speedwagon, just like the rock group! It is absolutely immaculate!
We finished up inside and then walked to the back of the building where the memorial is located. Very nicely done!
Unique use of fire hose and hydrants to line the walkway
The memorial - those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.
Next stop was the Great Platte River Road Archway. This is a massive archway that goes over Interstate 80 here in Kearney. Doreen and I did not know what to expect and thought it might just be an arch that you could get a view of I-80 and the vehicles passing underneath. We were wrong! It is a very nice museum that highlights to history of those making the trek westward back in the 1800's and the coming of the Lincoln Highway that opened up automobile travel to the west.
The archway over I-80
Outside the Arch we were greeted by a Bison and an old Hammer Motel sign that is a tribute to the Lincoln Highway that passes through here. Starting in 1913 cities all across the country pitched in and started to replace gravel roads with concrete. Even the Boy Scouts were involved, erecting Lincoln Highway markers. An Ohio Boy Scout salvaged bricks from the original Lincoln Highway section in Ohio, and moved them to the Archway location where they commemorate the highway. The Motel sign was removed from the Hammer Motel that was in service from 1947 to 1987. To tickle your memory, Burma Shave signs bordered the Lincoln Highway from 1927-1963!
Entrance to the Archway with the Hammer Motel sign.
One of the Lincoln Highway markers
We entered the gift shop where you pay a small fee and then you are issued an audio device that keys off of implanted chips on the various displays that are numbered, and you hear a description of what you are seeing along the self-guided tour. Personally I detest these things, but we rolled with it.. Doreen's worked better than mine, so she listened and I took pictures!.
Up the escalator we went.
Gold miners
Log cabin
The trails leading westward that came right through here
Items dumped along the trail to lighten the load
The coming of the railroads and the golden spike
Interesting that Kearney is 1733 miles to Boston and 1733 miles to San Francisco
A Model T on a road trip on the Lincoln Highway
Finally, a speed radar overlooking Interstate 80 and a semi behaving himself!
After departing the Archway we headed to the Rails and Trails museum, but there was a large group of school kids there and the lady suggested we come back at another time if possible. Yep, no problem!
Last stop, the Classic Car Collection. This is primarily a private collection of vintage automobiles located in the back of the Cabela's building here in Kearney. There are over 220 cars here, the majority from one collection and others that are on loan. The collector was not huge on muscle cars so they have added some on loan from other owners. Here are just a few of the pictures :-)
A beautiful 1969 Dodge Coronet "Super Bee" 440 6-pak
Some other "muscle" cars right inside the door
Another awesome car from my era, a 1971 Ford Torino Cobra 2-door hardtop.
1956 Ford Crown Victoria, before and after!! This one is rough!
This one is gorgeous!
1929 LaFrance pumper, owned by the Kearney Fire Department
Mayberry Sheriff Car! We talked about these when we visited Mount Airy NC last summer!
In fact we rode in one! This one is a 1960 Ford Fairlane 500, originally sold for $3295.00
1949 Wills Overland VJ3, model 463, Jeepster
A selection of International Harvester pickups
1947 Ford Nesbitt's Beverage Truck
The beautiful vehicles go on and on!
A Studebaker pickup with a factory option camper! Apparently they started offering them in 1962! I did not even know Studebaker made pickups!
Doreen posing with Elvis and a pink Cadillac!
I want a set of horns on the front of my RAM pickup like this 1971 Cadillac Eldorado convertible has!
These next three are all AMC (American Motor Company), which used to be Rambler LOL, you know, grandpa's car! Well these are AMX models made into dragsters. The "Pete's Patriot" car was built on the AMC assembly line, then transported to a warehouse rented by Hurst Performance outside Detroit along with 51 other AMX's where they were transformed into factory super stock race cars!
1970 AMX! Wow!
Replica Texaco gas station, complete with working bell! See below!
This was "take 3" LOL
Some Ford Model A's
A gorgeous 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner Retractable hardtop convertable!
A "kit" car - 1970 Volkswagon Bradley GT. The company went bankrupt in 1981
Finally, Doreen at the wheel in a 1923 Ford Model T Touring, 3-door. This vehicle originally cost just $295.00. 136,441 were made. Would be neat to have one!
That's more than enough for today. Our list continues for tomorrow!
No comments:
Post a Comment