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New site manager delves into history of the Norris House
McCOOK, Neb. The more Harold Callahan finds out about Sen. George Norris, the more impressed he is.
Since starting as the new manager in December for the Sen. George Norris State Historic Site, he’s been diving into the history of the man who served a total of 40 years in Congress and was instrumental in bringing public power and electrification to rural areas.
“I read about him all day long and the more I read, the more I like him” Callahan said. “I really admire the man for his personal life and his dedication to the country. And not just to Nebraska, but to the entire country.
“It just makes me think we need more politicians like him these days.”
In addition to studying Norris, Callahan has also been exploring the house and its history and has realized there’s much more to discover. Hundreds of items have already been inventoried and recorded, such as the bronze cast of President Lincoln’s fist, a gift given to Norris because of his admiration of Lincoln. Three hundred bronze casts were given at Lincoln’s inauguration to senators who attended. Now on display under glass, the cast is a testament to the power and influence Norris had in Washington.
Another highlight was finding fountain pens that President Franklin D. Roosevelt used to sign The Tennessee Valley Authority Act into law in 1933. The law provided flood control and electricity for thousands of people and after Roosevelt signed it, he gave the pens to Sen. Norris, who worked with the president to create the law.
“Just to touch the pens, you’re handling and touching true history,” he said.
Other items were discovered by surprise. After digging in a closet, he found a rare 47-star flag given to Norris at some point and a leatherbound recipe book, with handwritten recipes for meals such as roast duck, Welsh rabbit and quail with celery sauce.
Callahan admits there’s more to be done. “I haven’t really dug into the nooks and crannies of this house and I’m still rereading the extensive inventory list,” he said. He’s also interested in finding out more about the servant/housekeeper who lived in the house, but so far cannot even find out her name. The servant quarters, off the kitchen, is now his office.
Still, Callahan said it’s his dream job. Now retired, he moved here seven years ago from Northern California with his wife to be closer to family, and before that, Callahan said he always made a point to go to the Norris Site when they visited. “I got to know a few of the previous curators and I always thought, what a cool job,” he said.
Callahan’s future plans for the site include revamping the basement to focus on Norris’s political career, leaving the upstairs to highlight his personal life. The basement would include rotating exhibits to keep visitors coming back. Using audio devices to guide visitors through the displays is another idea he is looking into. Callahan also wants to extend the museum’s hours, from the current 10 a.m.-3 p.m. to 10 a.m.-5 p.m., to give people more time to stop in. As the house is on the Passport program this year, Callahan expects more people than usual to visit.
Connecting the local community to the traditions of the past is also being considered, such as an old-fashioned ice cream social in the summer, where children will learn to make ice cream using vintage equipment and during the holiday season, displaying Christmas ornaments, an event previous curators first initiated.
Local lore has it that the home is haunted by Norris’ first wife, Pluma, who died in childbirth. Callahan is skeptical but willing to play along.
“Every day when I come in here, the first thing I do is turn on the lights,” he said. “Now that I’ve talked to the police and I hear the stories about this place being haunted, I want to be sure the lights are on.”
While maintaining the historical site is one aspect of his job, Callahan is looking forward to finding ways to preserve the legacy of a man he’s come to admire.
“No matter how far he went in politics, he still remained a humble person,” he said. “I’m being paid to research George Norris and family, so I’m going to do that. I’m going to dig as deep and as far back as I possibly can.”