WINNEBAGO
Thurston County - Winnebago Indian Reservation
November 7, 1937: "Although not many people know about it yet, Nebraska has forest rangers. Such a setup now exists in Thurston county in northeastern Nebraska for the protection of woods on the Winnebago Indian reservation some nine miles east of Winnebago. The same is true on the national forests at Halsey and Niobrara.
The first of a series of government-built towers in Thurston county, situated on a high bluff overlooking the Missouri river and hundreds of square miles of wooded historic Winnebago reservation, steeped in Indian lore, was completed in August.
The steel-frame outlook tower supports the 'crow's nest' 70 feet above the ground atop the bluff, permitting a view of the reservation from a height of about 600 feet above the Missouri river bed.
Boss of the tower is Leland Decora, 31, a Winnebago Indian, reared at Thurston, Neb., whose duties are to watch for forest fires and destruction of the woods by any one cutting wood without a permit. He spends eight hours a day in the crow's nest.
From the crow's nest one may look north over legendary Big Bear Hollow, south to the old Mission, Rivers End, Robbers Cave in the rock cliff and down Blackbird Hill on Omaha reservation. To across the river into Iowa may see Salix, Sloan and Onawa.
In the crow's nest is a map of the reservation for quick location of trouble that may arise and a telephone hooked up with the agency at Winnebago, over what Leland makes reports. Written reports of weather and the condition of the forest are made at the close of each day. Decora attended school at Santee and Haskell and finished at Genoa.
A three-room house built from cedar slabs about three hundred feet from the tower, is furnished Mr. and Mrs, Decora. Back of the house at the edge of the five hundred foot cliff, a picnic ground has been built. The only inconvenience Decora finds is that he has to carry water from a quarter mile down the bluff.
The tower is reached by driving east from Winnebago through the agency, follow the highway east about seven miles into Big Bear Hollow, leave the highway 'a quarter mile east of the windmill' and drive south over the newly constructed high road winding two miles along the wooded bluff ridges.
The tower was constructed under government CC-ID Indian division project. The operation of the forestry project is controlled by a delegation of twelve councilmen of the Winnebago tribe." (Sunday Journal and Star)
The first of a series of government-built towers in Thurston county, situated on a high bluff overlooking the Missouri river and hundreds of square miles of wooded historic Winnebago reservation, steeped in Indian lore, was completed in August.
The steel-frame outlook tower supports the 'crow's nest' 70 feet above the ground atop the bluff, permitting a view of the reservation from a height of about 600 feet above the Missouri river bed.
Boss of the tower is Leland Decora, 31, a Winnebago Indian, reared at Thurston, Neb., whose duties are to watch for forest fires and destruction of the woods by any one cutting wood without a permit. He spends eight hours a day in the crow's nest.
From the crow's nest one may look north over legendary Big Bear Hollow, south to the old Mission, Rivers End, Robbers Cave in the rock cliff and down Blackbird Hill on Omaha reservation. To across the river into Iowa may see Salix, Sloan and Onawa.
In the crow's nest is a map of the reservation for quick location of trouble that may arise and a telephone hooked up with the agency at Winnebago, over what Leland makes reports. Written reports of weather and the condition of the forest are made at the close of each day. Decora attended school at Santee and Haskell and finished at Genoa.
A three-room house built from cedar slabs about three hundred feet from the tower, is furnished Mr. and Mrs, Decora. Back of the house at the edge of the five hundred foot cliff, a picnic ground has been built. The only inconvenience Decora finds is that he has to carry water from a quarter mile down the bluff.
The tower is reached by driving east from Winnebago through the agency, follow the highway east about seven miles into Big Bear Hollow, leave the highway 'a quarter mile east of the windmill' and drive south over the newly constructed high road winding two miles along the wooded bluff ridges.
The tower was constructed under government CC-ID Indian division project. The operation of the forestry project is controlled by a delegation of twelve councilmen of the Winnebago tribe." (Sunday Journal and Star)
Removed