Southern Gage History
Trail -
Nebraska Self-Guided Day Tour
Traveling south on Hwy 77 take
the Blue Springs exit
and follow the guide from the beginning.
Traveling north on Hwy 77 start at Bethel Cemetery
south of Wymore and follow the guide from the end backward.
Plan ahead
for a Sunday family outing ...
you'll be pleasantly surprised by the
rich history of Southern Gage County.
Plan a weekend and reserve a room at
THE
WYMORE HERITAGE INN
If you love history, please
join our Facebook group where we
share hundreds of photos & stories about Southern Gage County
"Southern Gage County - Memories & History"
~~~~~
Berlin Guy Chamberlin Monument
312 W 2nd Street, Blue Springs MAP
This Monument celebrates the
life and football career of Blue Springs native son, Guy Chamberlin.
Chamberlin graduated from Blue Springs High School in 1911 (once
located on this school site). He went on to play for the University
of Nebraska and coach in the NFL.
United Methodist Church
112 W Broad Street, Blue Springs MAP
Drive by only attraction - this is an active church

Dating back to 1877, this historic church has been home to four
denominations. The building has gone through several expansions.
Five of the stained glass windows date back to 1880, Memorial
windows were installed in 1903. In the 1920s, the building was
raised to add the basement.
Johnson
Cabin Museum
National Register of Historic Places
100 North A Street, Blue Springs MAP
See website for open dates
Years before the Homestead Act
became law, the first settlers arrived in Gage County in the
1850s. Reverend James Johnson came to this area in 1855 to minister
to the Otoe-Missouria Reservation. He built this cabin of oak
logs that summer. In the summer of 1857, he returned with his
wife, Martha and six children. The cabin was moved to the Blue
Springs Park in 1949 and is celebrates its 75th Annivesary as
a museum in 2025.
Blue Springs Cemetery
1 mile north of Blue Springs on "A"
Street MAP
For maps and details, please visit our website

Long regarded as the "Oldest Recorded Cemetery" in
Nebraska. This peaceful setting attracts visitors from faraway
places to walk among the state's oldest pioneers, to see hundreds
of fragrant peonies among the colorful sprays of memorial flowers
and to attend Memorial Day services surrounded by a host of flags.
Feit Memorial Park Campground
E Broad Street, Blue Springs at the Blue River bridge MAP
(park rules on website)

The Blue Springs Volunteer Fire Department purchased the old
Dis-L-Do Campground overlooking the Blue River in 1973
and deeded it to the City of Blue Springs in 1975. In 1977, it
was renamed in memory of Fireman, John Feit. Enjoy a picnic or
camping in this well cared for park by the Big Blue River.
Chief Standing Bear Trail
Blue Springs Trailhead
Across the Blue River Bridge - 1 mile east on the B-Line MAP
(Facilities include shelter
and toilet)

A favorite rest stop on one of Nebraska's newest bike trails.
Kiosks offer a journey back through Ponca Tribal history, as
well as the rich history of the Union Pacific Railroad and the
Blue Springs area. The extensive landscape design offers a perfect
place for picnics and includes Pioneer Gardens, Medicine Wheel,
Monarch Watch Site, Bluebirds Across Nebraska Memorial Bench
and Arboretum.
Ron
Samuelson - Memorial Bench
@RonSamuelsonMemorial
on Facebook
Arbor State Park - the 7th Street entrance on the south side.
MAP

Ronald Earle Samuelson November 21, 1949 - August 6,1970. Killed
in action in Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam while serving
with "G" Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment,
1st Marine Division.Private First Class MOS 0311 (Riflemen)
Burlington Park Railroad Museum
100 Block S 7th Street, Wymore MAP
See website for open dates
Built by the Southern High School
shop class as a replica of the Wymore Burlington Railroad Depot,
the museum is filled with railroad stories,
photographs and memorabilia to offer a glimpse into the history
of what it was like working on the railroad.
Great Plains Welsh Heritage
& Culture Centre
307 S 7th Street, Wymore MAP
See website for
open dates
The Welsh Heritage Project celebrates
the history of Welsh settlers in Nebraska and the Great Plains
through interactive displays, artifacts and oral histories. The
building includes a state-or-the-art archive preserving Welsh
language newspapers, books, pictures, and stories from the early
settlement of the Great Plains. The Centre sponsors speakers
and activities throughout the year.
Wymore Public Library
116 West F Street, Wymore MAP
See website for
open dates

This historic Carnegie Library is celebrated 100 years of service
to Southern Gage County in 1919. The Heritage Room is an excellent
source for genealogical research.
United
Methodist Church
121 S 10th Street, Wymore MAP
Driveby only attraction -
this is an active church

This beautiful Methodist Church was dedicated in August 1910
and has been loving preserved in service since that date.

St
Luke's Episcopal Church Building
114 North 10th Street, Wymore MAP
Driveby only attraction

This pretty building was consecrated as
St Luke's Episcopal Church on April 15, 1890,
making it the oldest church building in Wymore. A rectory &
parish house
was built on adjoining lots. The parish house was razed in 1941
and the church was deconsecrated after a minor fire in 2015.
The basement continues to serve the community as its Food Pantry.
Pleasant View Schoolhouse Museum
McCandless Park on Hwy 77 MAP
See website for
open dates

This newly-restored schoolhouse preserves artifacts from the
long history of one-room schoolhouses in Nebraska. In addition
to the building being a museum, it is also used to provide a
living history experience for 4th grade students studying Nebraska
history in local schools. Students are immersed in a day of school
as it was at the turn of the century
Bethel Cemetery
5 miles south of Wymore on Hwy 77 MAP

This peaceful rural cemetery was once graced by the
Bethel Presbyterian Church, founded May 1879.
Bethel Cemetery is the final resting place of many of Wymore's
Welsh Founders. Many of the tombstones date to the mid-to-late
19th century and bear inscriptions in Welsh.

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