42 Nebraskaland • January-February 2025
It's a pleasure to encounter the many wild creatures that
inhabit this property at various times of the year. It may be
mule deer and red foxes along the drainages, sharp-tailed
grouse on the hillsides, Canada geese and songbirds around
the ponds or tree swallows in nest boxes. From the first
pasque flower in March to the sunflowers blooming when
Jack Frost arrives, the plant community puts on its own
show. The state champion peachleaf willow tree is on the
property.
When the college was founded in 1911, a large footprint
was allotted to the school. The 50 acres with Briggs Pond,
a dam built in 1938 as part of a livestock and farming
operation, wasn't included. When the Chadron State
Foundation signed an option to buy those acres in 1974,
Harold and LaVerne Thompson of Culver City, California,
donated the $40,000 to buy it.
The property not only serves as a recreational resource,
but also is an asset for the college's science programs,
including range and wildlife management.
LEFT: A Virginia opossum captured with
a camera trap at Chadron State College's
Thompson Natural History Preserve.
TOP RIGHT: Briggs Pond and a system of
trails attract visitors to the Thompson
Natural History Preserve.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Fog and frost decorate
the scene at Briggs Pond.
