Little Church of Keystone and More

Little Church of Keystone There may be more ornate churches in Nebraska, but none compare to the unique quality of the 'Little Church' in Keystone. The simple board-and-batten building, trimmed in white, served as a place of worship for two faiths. Opened in 1908 with a grand dedication, the church features a Lutheran lectern on one end and a Catholic altar on the other. The church pews are hinged, allowing congregants and parishioners to face the appropriate direction of the service. It is the only known combined church in the state. The Curious Tale of Jenner’s Park Professor William Stoutamire and his student, Logan Osmera, team up to unravel the mysteries of Jenner’s Park in Loup City, Nebraska. In the early 20th century, brothers Henry and Bob Jenner put Loup City on the map with their amusement park of rides, wild animals and an exotic museum filled with mummies and assorted curiosities from around the world. Since closing in the 1940s, the park and the brothers have become the topic of tall tales and country lore, but Professor Stoutamire and Logan are on a mission to separate fact from fiction and uncover the hidden truths of Jenner’s Park. Nebraska’s Ellis Island During its earliest days, cattlemen drove their longhorns to Omaha where they loaded their livestock onto Union Pacific train cars bound for markets in the east. Within thirty years, four major meat packing plants were operating at the South Omaha Stockyards and eventually overtook Chicago as the nation’s largest livestock market. The Crane Carver At age 74, retired farmer Gene Gustafson took up wood carving and became known for his hand-carved Sandhill Cranes. Gene lived near the Platte River his entire life and over the course of twenty years, he whittled an estimated 500 birds