Category: USA

The Durham Museum

Omaha NE

Jurassic Park Jeep outside the museum.
The Durham Museum is in the old Omaha Union Station.
Inside the station, there are a number of statues in various poses depicting activity at a train station.
Down in the lower level, there are antique automobiles and trains. This a 1920 Rauch & Lang Electric Car.
1906 Holsman Motor Car
Model A Ford (1927-1931)
Bekins Van Lines Moving Truck, early 1900s.
1932 Douglas Truck
Union Pacific 1243 4-6-0 Ten Wheeler Steam Locomotive and Tinder Car, built 1890.
Union Pacific Caboose. Cabooses were phased out in the 1970s by computer technology.
Caboose interior
Streetcar
Streetcar interior
Southern Pacific Club Car, built 1949.
Club car interior.
Cornhusker Club Car, built in 1924 by Pullman. This particular car was used by President Harry Truman in his 1948 presidential campaign “Whistle Stop Tour”. Although he was expected to lose, this Whistle Stop Tour covered over 30,000 miles and stopped in more than 200 towns, helping Truman to a surprise victory in the election.
The dining room.
General store from the early 1900s. Here is a cash register, meat wrapping paper, and a scale.
Refrigerated goods.
Meat display case.
Canned and dry goods.
Early 1860-1900 Worker’s Cottage
Home furnishings during the years…
Health Care in Early Omaha
Log cabin
School room
Omaha tribe tipi.
Covered Wagon, 1841-1866.
Wells Fargo Mud Wagon, circa 1870
Medieval Italian Manuscript dating from 1317. Likely utilized in a Benedictine Monastery. Passed down through families like Trivulzios, Trotti and Hoepli. An 1886 auction brought the manuscript to the midwest.
This is pretty cool, a silver Roman danarius coin from Julius Ceasar in 49-48 BC! There is a substantial collection of coins and paper money from a private collection on display.

President Gerald Ford Birth Site

Omaha NE

Gerald R. Ford, our 38th President, is the only president born in Nebraska. He was born July 14, 1913. His birth name was Leslie Lynch King Jr. His father was very abusive to his mother, so she left him and moved to Michigan. When she married Gerald Ford, her son took his name.
President Ford is the only president who was not elected, either as President or Vice President. He was named Vice President under President Nixon after Spiro Agnew resigned, then became President when Nixon resigned in 1974.
Bust of President Ford.
Bust of First Lady Betty Ford.
The house in which President Ford was born no longer exists. This is a model of the house.
President Ford was perhaps our most athletic president. Here is his presidential golf bag.

TD Ameritrade Park

Omaha NE

This stadium is the home of the College Baseball World Series every year.
Neat sculpture capturing the joy of victory.
The stadium was hosting the Big 10 baseball tournament when we were here.

Omaha NE

Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge over the Missouri River
Nebraska-Iowa state line
Missouri River
Sculptures at the CHI Health Center
Omaha skyline
Tallest building in Omaha, 45 stories tall
Union Pacific building
Omaha World Herald headquarters, the largest employee-owned newspaper in the US
Warren Buffet’s house
Spirit of Nebraska Wilderness
Long-time family owned bakery, Olsen’s Bake Shop…
Kolaches!
Joslyn Castle, built in 1903 for George and Sarah Joslyn. George Joslyn gained his wealth in printing newspapers toward the end of the 19th century. This castle was designed to resemble a Scottish manor.
Platte River, west of Omaha

Pioneer Courage Park

Omaha NE

This sculpture park is a pretty impressive sight. It is way too large to photograph the entire sculpture, so I did it group by group.

Installed in 2005 and 2009, Sculptors Blair Buswell and Ed Fraughton of Utah created Pioneer Courage with four pioneer families and their covered wagons departing westward from Omaha. Each wagon stands approximately 12′ high and more than 40′ long when the oxen, horses or mules are placed in their hitches. Individual characters range in height from 3′ to 7 1/2′. The Wagon Master served as a crucial element to wagon trains, guiding their members west and looking after the families and their supplies. This Wagon Master stands at 11′ tall and weighs approximately 2,000 pounds. The Hunter Group portrays the constant need to provide additional nourishment and supplement the families’ meals with meat.