October 2022 • Nebraskaland 61
Send contributions to: Portraits from the Past, Nebraskaland Magazine, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370. Or e-mail to Tim.Reigert@Nebraska.gov.
Photos should show people enjoying Nebraska outdoor activities, such as camping, boating, hunting or fishing, and must have been taken before 2000. We will give
priority to unusual photos or activities. When possible, please include a story about the photograph and identify the people, places and approximate date it was
taken. Text may be edited and photos adjusted for reproduction. All photos will be returned.
Catfishing near Spencer, 1973
This is a picture of Tim Mann, Earl Hipke and Allen Walters (me), all farm boys from O'Neill, after
a night spent along the south bank of the Niobrara River, south of Spencer in 1973. We spent a
few hours sleeping under a tarp in the pouring rain, along the banks of the river. Since none of us
had ever fished along the river, this was all new to us, and we weren't sure what to expect. Lots
of mud and rain, and as we put out some set lines, the rains started and the catfish also started
biting. After a great night of fishing, we headed to the O'Neill Independent newspaper and had
our picture taken in front of the newspaper office. They placed it in the newspaper the following
week. Tim and Earl are still in the O'Neill area, and I am retired in Buckeye, Arizona.
– Allen Walters, Buckeye, Arizona
