What do you look for in a town to vacation in? Golf courses, a body of water, eateries, urban/rural, shops? I seek out small towns, and am happy when they have a museum, a well-cleaned hotel, a local coffeehouse, boutiques, and an abundance of nature. So what does Beatrice Nebraska offer its visitors?
When I arrived in Beatrice, I checked into My Place Hotel, and was so thankful to find an extra spacious room with full-size appliances (!): refrigerator, microwave, stovetop, and a large coffeemaker. It is fit for an entire family. And yes, it was super clean, Kevin, at the front desk, welcomed me with a warm smile, and helped me to get started on exploring Beatrice. He sent me to the Tourism Center inside the magnificent Carnegie Library building. I met Dakota, who helped me plan my stay.
I walked through the Historic District and saw elegantly maintained Victorian buildings, as well as several that were shuttered. Many of the shops were closed on the day I was in town (Tuesday) and a few had signs posted – “by appointment only”. So double-check before you go. I happened upon a shop, and as I entered, I was instantly impressed.
Natural Vibes is a cafe with an ambiance of soothing tranquility. Amy, the owner, is pictured. As we chatted, she shared her personal story of why she created this sanctuary. Her life was dismantled by a hurricane when she was living in Houston. She had no other options, but to rebuild. And through that laborious process, she discovered an internal strength and ability to arise. So with that powerful courage and confidence, she decided to move to Beatrice and build a brand new life. And did she ever! Her business is a stand-out. She took me for a tour in the back.
Behind the cafe, there is a spa with an individual, private sauna. The client gets to control the temperature within, rather than it being set to a standard degree. And each person can bluetooth their own music of choice. There is also a shower immediately beside it.
There are rooms down the long hallway, each gently decorated for calm. Amy showed me their large yoga suite and massage rooms. Her niece, Ashley, is a certified holistic nutritionist and offers nutritional counseling. They have thought of every conceivable detail.
Even the bathrooms are thoughtfully decorated. If l lived anywhere near Beatrice, I would be here OFTEN.
Amy’s interior design of nature caused me to want to go spend time in nature itself. So, I Apple-mapped the nearest park, and was sent to the Homestead National Historical Park. I expected to just roam through the paths in the prairie grasses. Boy, was I in for a big surprise! I entered a large museum, and was soon astonished by what I learned. I vaguely knew about the Homestead Act of 1862 offering people 160 acres of free land. But the story is so much greater. In order to keep the land, the pioneers had to live on it, build a home, and farm it for five years. The impetus behind the Act was to settle the lands in the west, and to give an incentive for people to move out of the over-populated Eastern cities. Surveyors laid out 36 square mile townships and then split them into 160 acre homesteads. Thereafter the race was on! People flooded into the plains.
Who qualified for the land grab? Anyone (including women and immigrants eligible for citizenship) who were 21 or the head of their household. Former slaves qualified in 1865 after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery.
Many pioneers were coming out of big cities, i.e. fleeing the tenement slums of New York. They had little experience or knowledge of how to live in the barren lands of the midwest. Their first priority was to get a roof over their heads. Many burrowed into the ground, creating sod houses. Others lived in canvas tents. That is agonizing to imagine, considering the ice storms, violent tornadoes, burying blizzards, and suffocating summer humidity. Their second priority was to dig a well. If their tools broke, did they have blacksmithing skills? And finally, they had to start farming for food sustenance. Land can be unplantable in the midwest – hard soil and full of rocks. I believe the ones who persevered were superhumans. My head was swirling when I returned to the front counter. Young Amber Kirkendall, a park ranger, just smiled. She gets it. She pointed to the prairie outside the window, and said, “if you gave me 160 acres today….even with Google and YouTube…..there is no way I could build a home and grow crops.” Well said Amber! I wholly concur. So, who are these superhumans? Do you have any in your ancestral lineage? Well, I was excited to hear the General Land Office has records we can search to see if our great+grandparents were part of this elite group of superstars. Go this website to find out and good luck: https://glorecords.blm.gov/default.aspx.
Before I left town, I stopped in at the Gage County Historical Society and Museum, where I met staff members, Alex and Cassandra. They shared information with me about their town’s past. I learned a fact that thrilled me to the core of my being. I was standing in a town of great renown.
The first female homesteader was in Beatrice Nebraska! Mary Meyer is a symbol of the height of accomplishment for all us women. I was overawed.
Beatrice got that right, and gets to wear that badge of honor; but got another event wrong in the worst way.
In 1887, Jack Cameron went missing. Several weeks later, a badly decomposed body of a man was discovered in a shallow grave beside Indian Creek. The skull was pierced by three bullet holes. His best friend, Jackson Marion, was seen driving Cameron’s team of horses, so he was fingered as the murderer. The photograph shows Marion (in the middle, hands on lapels), just before he was hanged. It was the one and only legal hanging ever to occur in Beatrice. And they got it wrong. In 1891, the “dead” man, strolled into town. If only DNA had been available back then…..
How fun it is to discover a town’s noble stories, as well the scandalous ones. They are stories that represent all of humanity, and are endlessly fascinating. Beatrice has plenty to leave you full with the richness of history.