August 11 — Minden, Nebraska (SE partial)

South of highway 74, east of highway 10 (Brown Avenue) —  but only about half of this area

Total for today:  1:50 time  — no pedometer

Minden, Nebraska is my home town.  I lived there from third grade through high school. (well, actually on a farm about 10 miles north of Minden).  My parents now live in a house in town there, and we went there to visit this weekend.

I decided to add Minden to my streetwalking for the year.  I did one-eighth of it on this visit, and hope to be able to do the rest when we go back at Thanksgiving.  Minden’s population is just under 3,000, and I think about 15 hours should be enough time to walk every street.  It depends on whether I decide to walk every alley also.

Even though I went to school at Minden, and it’s a small town, there are still parts of town I am not familiar with.  I would go to school and back, and go to the downtown area, but there are many streets I’m sure I have never gone down.

Minden has two big claims to fame.  It is the home of Pioneer Village, which has a vast collection of relics from the past.  It is well worth a visit, and can take a day or two to even try to see everything there… it covers 20 acres.  It is also Nebraska’s ‘Christmas City’… and every winter the courthouse in the town square is decorated with lights and local residents perform a Christmas pageant.

Pioneer Village website

Minden, Nebraska wikipedia

I just noticed in the wikipedia article for Minden that apparently it has a third claim to fame.   Minden holds the record for the highest recorded temperature in Nebraska, at 118 degrees.  I find it a little strange, however, that it doesn’t give a date or even a year.

However,  I just did a little bit more research (via Google), & found this collaborating web site… which indicates that there is actually a TIE for that 118 degree high temperature… it shows that temperature was reached on July 24, 1936.  But two others towns also had that temperature earlier in 1936.  It also indicates the LOWEST temperature recorded in Nebraska was -47°, was recorded on February 12, 1899 at Camp Clarke and on December 22, 1989 at Oshkosh (90. years later!)

Nebraska Geography web site

Minden was named after Minden, Germany.   It’s population is about 80,000… so about the same size as Longmont.   When Jennifer & I and the kids went to Germany about 15 years ago, we went out of our way to spend half a day there just to see our ‘namesake’ home town.  A very enjoyable trip.

An interesting bit of trivia that I didn’t know is in the wikipedia article below.   The name of the ship that Francis Scott Key was on when he composed the Star Spangled Banner was the HMS Minden, named after Minden, Germany.

Minden, Germany wikipedia

For the purposes of my blog, I will split Minden (the Nebraska one!) up into four sections.  Highway 10 running north-south and highway 74 running east-west split the town into four quadrants roughly the same size.  The northeast (NE) section will take more time than the rest, I’m sure.

Today I did about half of the SE quadrant.  It took one hour and 50 minutes.  I didn’t have my pedometer, so don’t have the number of steps.

GRAIN STORAGE (I think)

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2nd floor ladder

2nd floor ladder

 

 

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MINDEN STREET NAMES

It occurred to me as I was walking that a lot of the street names in this part of town are the same as some nearby towns.  In particular, there are Kearney, Lexington, Hastings, Campbell, and Palmer.

And somewhat strangely, there is a Minden Avenue.  And a Nebraska Avenue.  Unfortunately, they both run north-south… otherwise somebody could live at the intersection of Minden and Nebraska in Minden, Nebraska.

There’s also a Colorado Avenue (which happens to be where my parent’s house is), which is appropriate for the Longmont Streetwalker.

Minden in Minden

Minden in Minden

 

Hastings, Nebraska

Hastings, Nebraska

 

Population 2,923

Population 2,923

 

The Christmas City

The Christmas City (sign is actually west of hwy 10)

 

Come back again!

Come back again!  (sign is actually west of hwy 10)

 

MISSION II HAITI  / RON & LINDA BREWER

Before leaving town, we stopped in to see my old geography teacher, as well as track and cross-country coach, Ron Brewer, and his wife Linda.  We had a nice visit, and they told us about the relief work they have been involved with in Haiti, helping get fresh water to people in need.

Mission II Haiti web site

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LOCAL BUSINESSES

Jack of all trades

Jack of all trades

 

Dental & Vision

Dental & Vision

 

Big John's

Big John’s (west of hwy 10)

 

Jaycee's

Jaycee’s

 

Good food

Good food (west of hwy 10)

 

King of Kars

King of Kars (west of hwy 10)

 

Stuff It Storage

Stuff It Storage

 

AND THE BEST OF THE REST of the photos…

Off to an early start...

Off to an early start…

 

Milk Can decor

Milk Can decor

 

machinery decor

machinery decor

 

Mail Box of the Day

Mail Box of the Day

 

East Elementary (where I went half a year in 3rd grade)

East Elementary (where I went half a year in 3rd grade) (north of hwy 74)

 

East Elementary shack ??!?

East Elementary shack ??!?  (north of hwy 74)

 

Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin Patch

 

Big Mouth Frog

Big Mouth Turtle

Scarecrow # 1

Scarecrow # 1

 

Scarecrow (?) # 2

Scarecrow (?) # 2

 

Sweet ride

Sweet ride

 

Front porch repair

Front porch repair

 

Courthouse from afar

Courthouse from afar (actually north of  hwy 74)

abandoned church

abandoned church

 

non-abandoned church (actually north of hwy 74)

non-abandoned church
(actually north of hwy 74)

 

yard art

yard art

 

notice the N

notice the N

 

flower portal

flower portal

 

picturesque house

picturesque house

 

Giant hay bales heading into town

Giant hay bales heading into town

 

bottle tree

bottle tree (west of hwy 10)

 

The Johnsons must be football fans

The Johnsons must be football fans (west of hwy 10)

 

Rustic sign for Countyside Park

Rustic sign for Countyside Park

 

Tall Tower

Tall Tower (west of hwy 10)

 

mailbox art

mailbox art

 

not sure what this is used for... something to do with hay?

not sure what this is used for… something to do with hay? (west of hwy 10)

 

One of type of local security

One  type of local security…

 

another type of local security

another type of local security

 

Which one of the 13 colories did they not like?  (I'm guessing Delaware)

Which one of the 13 colories did they not like? (I’m guessing New Jersey)

 

My parent's house

My parent’s house

 

stopped by to see my mom at Assisted Living

stopped by to see my mom at Assisted Living

 

Rarely used helipad outside of Assisted Living

Rarely used helipad outside of Assisted Living

 

Pretty flowers

Pretty flowers

 

Electricity substation

Electricity substation

 

Cornfield at the edge of town

Cornfield at the edge of town

 

Stationary rabbit

Stationary rabbit

 

Stationary snake

Stationary snake

 

Seemed to be a lot of rain gutters on this house

Seemed to be a lot of rain gutters on this house

 

Made me laugh

Made me laugh

 

Cool yard art

Cool yard art

 

Old brick garage

Old brick garage

 

wind chimes?

wind chimes?

 

Vegetation of the Day

Vegetation of the Day

 

neatly trimmed shrubbery

neatly trimmed shrubbery

 

 

 

 

 

 

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