Barnes will reveal hidden secrets about Neb. Historical Markers

WAYNE — Author/photographer Jeff Barnes shares the images and stories of Nebraska’s lesser-known historical monuments, placed far off the beaten path, during his “Marking Nebraska: Our (Mostly) Hidden Historical Monuments” program at Wayne State College on Tuesday, Oct. 10. Admission is free and the public is invited.

The program, at 3:30 p.m. in the lower-level study area of Conn Library, is funded in part by Humanities Nebraska. Guests may park in any available spots, except reserved spots.

Humanities Nebraska provides major funding for this program. It receives support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Nebraska State Legislature, the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, and private donations.

A fifth-generation Nebraskan, Barnes is a former newspaper reporter and editor, trustee with the Nebraska State Historical Society, past chairman of the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission, and former marketing director for the Durham Museum. He is the author of “Forts of the Northern Plains,” “The Great Plains Guide to Custer,” and “The Great Plains Guide to Buffalo Bill.”

Barnes will share Nebraska’s “hidden history,” with long-forgotten stories and rarely seen landscapes, such as the impact of glaciers on our community monuments, or how Nebraska’s first marker nearly went to the bottom of the Missouri River and – once placed at its permanent site – still disappeared for 50 years.

The historical marker located just west of Wayne State’s Benthack Hall will also be featured in the program.

“Marking Nebraska: Our (Mostly) Hidden Historical Monuments” is one of approximately 300 programs offered through the Humanities Nebraska Speakers Bureau.