A Blast from the Past (Final): Harold Warp’s Pioneer Village

…and finally, my last post about our tour/exploration of Harold Warp’s Pioneer Village in Minden Nebraska.  I’ll end this series of posts with the very late lunch/early dinner we had on the way back to Omaha.

There were a few items and collections that I’d missed or skipped over before…and I’ll mention other exhibits and collections that we just didn’t take photos of.

This is a 1934 Harley-Davidson Model VLD.  With the onset of the Great Depression, sales of motorcycles were hard to come by.  In an effort to cut costs and increase sales, Harley eliminated chrome trim, substituting black paint.  This model had its shift lever mounted on the gas tank.  A total of 4,527 Model VLD’s were built, selling for $310 each.  A 1934 H/D VLD sold this year through Hemming’s Auctions for $21,000.

We didn’t tour the second floor of the building where motorcycles, bicycles and more are on display but I’ve seen photos of both…and the floor is jam-packed with goodies.

This beautiful red 1905 Buick Model C is the oldest Buick in existence!  It is equipped with a 2-cylinder motor that produces 22 HP.  Its frame is made of wood and it was built in Jackson Michigan (my hometown).  The price tag for the Model C back in the day was $1,200. (About $42,000 in today’s dollars)

This is an illustration showing the huge Buick manufacturing plant in Jackson Michigan that I borrowed from the Internet.  Buick built automobiles in Jackson from 1905 until 1912 when it focused all its operations in Flint Michigan.  Jackson was the home of 25 different car manufacturers from 1901 until 1954.  Buick is the only brand name to have survived over the years.  As a youngster, I knew that some auto manufacturing was happening in Jackson, but most of it was related to parts and accessories.

…but, once again, I digress...

Back to the exhibits at Pioneer Village.  This is a 1914 2-passenger Saxon.  It cost $395, the equivalent to $11,696 in 2022, and it was billed as “A Good Low Priced Car”.  This particular version includes a couple of options…electric lights and an electric starter.  A total of 7,000 of these cars were built in the first year of production. 

In 1914, a Saxon roadster was driven 135 miles a day for 30 days straight.  Total miles covered was 4,050 and it averaged 30 miles per gallon.  It was among the first cars that ‘christened’ the then new transcontinental Lincoln Highway…primarily US Hwy 30 today.

The Saxon Motor Car Company was located in Detroit Michigan and it was in operation from 1914 to 1922 when it over expanded and got into serious financial difficulties.  In 1917, Saxon built 28,000 cars, making it the seventh largest car maker in the USA.

This is a 1909 E-M-F 30.  Note the lap robe on the seat for warmth...  This 2-seat coupe was built in Walkerville Ontario although the company had plants in the USA as well.  The E-M-F Company produced cars from 1909 to 1912.  The name E-M-F came from the initials of the 3 founders of the company.  The E was for Barney Everitt, an auto-body maker.  The M was for William Metzger, who had been with Cadillac.  Finally, the F was for Walter Flanders, who had worked for Henry Ford as his production manager.  The company was folded into the Studebaker Company which shortly afterwards, stopped using the EMF brand name.

Exhibits at Pioneer Village pertaining to Native American culture are limited as the focus of the museum is the growth and progress of the country from 1830 into the early 1960s.  Much of the 'progress' and innovations noted came at the expense of Native Americans.  Nevertheless, I did note this showcase of Native American artifacts in the main building at Pioneer Village.  Included are pottery items, tools, beads, a ceremonial headdress and what appears to be 2 ceremonial tomahawks.  That item at the front of the case is a hide scraper.

The Algonquian people created the tomahawk.  The word Tomahawk is derived from Powhatan ‘tamahaac’.  Originally, Native Americans would use sharpened stones secured to wooden handles using strips of rawhide.  The tomahawk quickly spread from the Algonquian culture to the tribes of the South and Great Plains.

As I’ve emphasized several times, there is little that Harold Warp and his Pioneer Village didn’t collect that is representative of European American life, growth and expansion beginning in 1830. 

The “Cigar Store Indian” in the first photo once stood in front of a Chicago Cigar factory.  It was wheeled out to the sidewalk every day from 1875 until 1902.  It was found in a Chicago basement 50 years later.  These ubiquitous carved wooded sculptures actually became popular with the demise of ship’s figureheads.  American tobacconists started buying the figureheads…especially American Indians…to advertise their shops.  At one time, there were over 75,000 “Cigar Store Indian” sculptures across the USA.  They lost their popularity in the early 1900s.

The cast metal Native American (unfortunately covered by signs) was cast in the true likeness of an Indian chief in Wisconsin.  A lumber executive made friends with the chief and had the cast made ca. 1850 to keep peace with the tribe.  The goal of course was to cut as much timber from the tribe’s hunting grounds as possible.  The figure is wearing a capote.  A capote is a wool blanket fashioned into a sort of coat to provide a means of dealing with harsh winters and they served as winter outerwear for First Nations.

This is the last automobile, I promise!  It’s a 1915 Moon touring car with a “double cowl Delaumay-Belleville” body design.  This style, it was claimed, “is usually associated with higher priced European models”.  It even had Spanish leather upholstery!  Three models were available ranging in price from $1,395 to $1,750 for the 6-66 combination touring and club roaster.

The Moon Motor Car Company, founded in St. Louis Missouri in 1905, had a venerable reputation among the discriminating auto buying public.  One early model…a true luxury car…sold for $3,000 or about $94,500 in todays dollars.  The company came to be known for fully assembled, easily affordable cars using high-quality parts.  They were expensive to build with the intensive hands-on attention to detail.  The company built both cars and trucks, almost 60,000 vehicles in total.  The company went out of business in 1930.  It is said that Moon autos were exported to 47 different countries.

This Peddler’s Wagon was recovered from a shed in Wisconsin where it had been stored for about 70 years.  Two mature trees had to be cut down to remove it after all those years.  Peddler’s wagons were very common between 1840 and about 1880 as they sold, bought and traded products with settlers across the mid-west and plains states. 

S.W. Kerr’s daughter learned that Harold Warp had recovered the wagon and that it would be on display at Pioneer Village.  She was very happy to learn that her dad’s wagon had found a home and would be there for all to see.  Her family was from Hurricane Wisconsin…named after a local mine.  Back around 1900 the town had a cheese factory, sawmill, blacksmith, grist mill, post office and the S.W. Kerr General Store.

Mr. Kerr would use a 3 horse hitch on the wagon and he’d roam the countryside selling and trading.  He’d sell or trade groceries, kerosene, dry goods, clothing/shoes, hardware and more.  He’d obtain eggs, animal hides, wild rabbits, crates of chickens and other farm products in exchange for the offerings on the wagon.

Note: Laurie ran across this video on Facebook of a horse powered threshing machine at a 'threshers' gathering from earlier this year.  Very interesting to see just how it was done before engines were used... Check it out at: https://www.facebook.com/reel/324172843619987.  You'll need to copy and paste this in your search bar.

OK…The last building we explored was the Hobby House.  It is the only building where Mr. Warp didn’t try to display collectibles in chronological order.  As I’ve stated many times, Harold Warp collected just about everything.

How about the ‘button collection’!  There are wooden alphabet letters hanging on the wall with each letter covered with 200 to 300 buttons.  There also is a miniature rocking chair, wheelbarrow, wind mill, water well, a star and a covered wagon…all made with wood and covered with bunches of buttons.  My favorite was the ‘button dress’.

So what other Pioneer Village items didn’t I feature?  How about outboard motors, dolls, tools, patches, snowmobiles, several more aircraft, parking meters, gas pumps, seeding and planting farm equipment and one of my favorites, a very large collection of horseshoes.

Any other weird and wonderful exhibits?  Well, yes there are!  The Hobby House has this huge collection of pens as well as salt shakers, ashtrays, pencils, liquor decanters, mechanical banks, nightcaps and spittoons. 

Other items that we didn’t feature in our tour include Currier and Ives prints, the William Henry Jackson paintings, the carousel animals, radio and TV vacuum tubes, fishing trophy mounts and fishing equipment, porcelain figures, famous American figurines…and more!

The Television Show, “American Pickers” visited Pioneer Village and bought a few surplus items earlier this year…and it was featured on one of their shows.  The Pioneer Village is now operated as a 501(c)(3) Foundation and is able to receive tax-deductible donations.  The goal is to restore and improve Pioneer Village.  State grants have helped and surplus/duplicate items have been auctioned off to raise money so the Village can move forward.  Other auctions are planned and hopefully, they will provide needed funds.

To view a short but interesting video that provides an overview of the Village’s collections, just go to https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=Pioneer+Village+-+art+collection&mid=E0D55AEDE0D7C8CDA408E0D55AEDE0D7C8CDA408&FORM=VIRE.  It provides a nice overview of the Village’s plethora of objects on display…

My family and I highly recommend a visit to Harold Warp’s Pioneer Village.  If you are a collector, a car buff, a farmer, into history or just like to tour museums, you will enjoy your visit.  Admission is amazingly low at $15.00 per person…especially given their huge and impressive historical collection of Americana.  Website: Home - Pioneer Village - Minden, NE.

…moving on down the road toward Omaha, we decided to stop for a late lunch in Hastings Nebraska.

This is Kitty’s Roadhouse Bar and Grill on US Hwy 6 in Hastings.  A grill or restaurant has been located on this spot since 1958.  In 1958 it was named “Kitty’s” and when the new owners took over in 1972, they decided to stay with the familiar name…and they just added “Roadhouse” to it.

The bar and dining area is over the top colorful and eye-catching.  The racing theme dominates.  I thought that the gas pump draft beer feature was something different, or at least I’d never seen it anywhere else. 

Kitty’s Roadhouse offers sandwiches, broasted chicken, pizzas, salads and steaks.  A couple of appetizers caught my attention.  They were “Shrimp Jammers”, 7 jumbo shrimp stuffed with Monterrey Jack cheese and served with Sweet Thai Chili. ($12.99), and; the “Junk Yard Combo Platter” (Full order $17.99/Half order $12.99).  The combo platter included deep fried mushrooms, cauliflower, corn fritters, onion rings, mini tacos and French fries.

However, since it was too early for a dinner with appetizers, salads, steaks and/or chicken, we all decided to have cheeseburgers with fries.  At Kitty’s, you design your own burger combo.  In keeping with the racing/auto theme, burgers are listed as an F-150, F-250 and F-350…with 1 through 3 beef patties. 

In this case, it was double 1/3 lb. burger patties (F-250) on a grilled bun with pickles and onion. ($9.99) Add tomato and lettuce ($.49), cheese ($.69) and French fries ($3.99) and this burger platter cost $15.16.  The burgers and fries were both above average and we were ready to hit the road back to Omaha with full stomachs… To see more about Kitty’s Roadhouse in Hastings Nebraska, just go to Kitty's Roadhouse|Hastings,NE|Wood-Fired Pizza| Broaster Chicken (kittysroadhouse.net).

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!  Happy Halloween! 

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave