38 Nebraskaland • April 2021
A Parks Timeline
Marking 100 Years
By Eric Fowler
hen Nebraska became a state in 1867,
parks — let alone state parks — weren't
needed. Nebraskans of the day, and for
years to come, were building homes,
farms, businesses and towns, and with all of that
work to be done, there was little time for leisure.
But the conservation movement had begun,
heightening the nation's awareness of its pristine
natural resources and prompting the launch of
eff orts to preserve them for future generations.
The movement led to the creation of the nation's
fi rst National Park — Yellowstone — in 1872.
The notion that nature was to be enjoyed
resonated with Nebraskans. Soon after they
planted their roots, they found time to play and
relax outdoors. They would fi sh, swim or take a
leisurely boat ride at natural lakes, lazy rivers
and the oxbows along them, and, as early as
the 1880s, lakes built specifi cally for recreation.
Camping, once primarily done in conjunction
W
Judge Charles Mathews, seated, claimed his homestead next to spring-fed Victoria Creek. He built two log buildings in 1873,
one for his home, which would later become Custer County's fi rst post offi ce, and the other a store, which bottled and sold the
spring water. With Mathews are O.A. Smith (left) and James Forsyth (center). In 1923, Victoria Springs was added to the state
park system, and the buildings still stand today at the state recreation area near Merna.
HISTORY NEBRASKA, RG2608-0713A
This 1936 image shows visitors playing on a slide at Chadron State Park.
ARTHUR ROTHSTEIN, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, LC-DIG-FSA-8B27683
