Opinion

State birthday

Tuesday, February 26, 2002

Dear Editor,

Friday, March 1, 2002, the state of Nebraska will celebrate its 135th birthday anniversary. In Lincoln, Neb., the State Historical Society will hold a grand opening of a new permanent exhibit identified as Building the State: Nebraska, 1867-1916. Also, there will be a celebration of Nebraska's 135th birthday in the Museum of Nebraska History from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Museum of the High Plains will be featuring Nebraska's 135th birthday during the month of March. The public is cordially invited to visit the museum to see the exhibits of "old" things which were at one time brand new and the pride and joy of their owners. Adults will recognize displays which illustrate the growth and development of our area as well as our state.

Children have always enjoyed magic and will understand that today would be magic for a child born more than 100 years ago.

For the little girl who helped her mother fill and clean kerosene lamps, today's light switch, which produces instant electric light, would have been truly magical.

The little boy who chopped wood and carried corncobs and heavy coal scuttles, as well as containers of hot ashes for disposal would regard today's heat controlled furnaces as magic and more magic that the same control can produce cool air for the home in hot summer weather.

Don't forget the adults who 100 years ago traveled by horse after the creatures had been fed, watered and "housed" in barns and finally had been harnessed up and hitched to a buggy or wagon for a trip. Today, adults turn a key which starts a many-horse-powered (even today we call it horse power) motor and the trip is begun in a short time. This would have been called magic by our grandparents and great grandparents.

These three finger actions are the equivalent of the magician who says "Presto!," snaps his fingers and there is his magic.

Visit the museum as a family. Look at the old pharmacy display honoring one of the first Nebraska women to become a graduate pharmacist. See the old building in which the fruit-flavored liquid, which later became known as Kool Aid, was invented. Find old pictures, old musical instruments, old-fashioned clothing and so many things that once were new.

Many families have pioneer stories that should be written and presented to the museum to be included in scrapbooks, becoming part of Nebraska's history.

Visit the museum, enjoy the museum; there are surprises for everyone. "Oh, my! I've never seen one of those," or "I didn't know that" are often-heard comments by museum visitors.