f
there's
one
artifact
that
sums
up
the
early
history
of
Crete,
Nebraska,
it's
the
time
ball
at
Doane
College.
What
does
a
time
ball
do?
Think
of
the
New
Year's
Eve
ball
drop
at
Times
Square
in
New
York
City.
Do
you
ever
wonder
why
they
drop
a
large
ball
at
the
stroke
of
midnight?
Time
balls
were
once
found
in
large
cities
and
seaport
harbors.
A
large
metal
ball
on
a
pole
would
drop
at
noon,
allowing
ships
and
businesses
to
set
their
clocks
to
Standard
Time,
the
nationwide
system
of
time
zones
that
began
in
1883.
Railroad
whistles
usually
served
this
function
in
the
interior,
but
Crete
was
an
oddity.
Every
day,
a
Doane
College
student
would
crank
a
windlass
to
raise
the
56-pound
metal
ball
—
painted
black
and
sectioned
like
an
orange
—
atop
the
tallest
building
on
campus.
A
special
clock
inside
nearby
Boswell
Observatory
sent
an
electrical
signal
to
release
the
ball
at
just
the
right
moment.
It
was
all
very
modern
and
precise,
and
very
much
to
the
liking
of
Col.
Thomas
Doane.
Doane,
of
Cape
Cod,
Massachusetts,
was
a
railroad
civil
engineer
and
leading
citizen
who
wanted
to
make
Crete
into
a
prairie
version
of
a
New
England
town—something
that
may
surprise
you
considering
Crete's
Mediterranean
name
and
Czech
and
Latino
ethnicity.
The
Eastern-staffed
college
was
part
of
the
plan,
and
the
time
ball
was
another
coastal
import.
Time
balls
became
obsolete
when
time
signals
could
be
transmitted
by
radio,
but
Doane's
ball
is
still
kept
inside
Boswell
Observatory,
a
reminder
of
the
town's
early
ideals
(Doane.edu/
boswell-observatory).
Another
part
of
the
New
England
vision
for
Crete
involved
planting
a
lot
of
trees.
Today
the
300-acre
Doane
campus
—arguably
the
prettiest
campus
in
the
state
—
is
also
designated
the
Osterhout
Arboretum,
home
to
more
than
160
species
of
trees
and
shrubs.
Around
town,
you'll
find
more
recent
beautification
efforts
in
the
form
of
murals.
In
1992,
local
artists
Geoff
and
Echo
Easton
painted
a
mural
on
their
downtown
building
representing
the
history
of
Crete.
Since
then
dozens
of
other
property
owners
have
commissioned
murals.
Public
art
became
a
Crete
thing
to
do.
The
town
is
also
fortunate
to
have
a
half-dozen
public-access
lakes
within
a
few
miles
east.
Two
of
these,
Olive
Creek
and
Bluestem
Lake,
are
state
recreation
areas;
smaller
lakes
include
Merganser,
Tanglewood,
Teal
and
Wild
Plum.
Check
the
2015
Fishing
Guide
at
OutdoorNebraska.ne.gov.
Crete
is
also
just
10
miles
southeast
of
Spring
Creek
Prairie
Audubon
Center,
an
850-acre
tallgrass
prairie
sanctuary
with
walking
trails,
native
grasslands
and
wetlands
(Springcreekprairie.audubon.org).
For
something
more
daring,
consider
Crete
Skydiving
Center
(Skydivecrete.com)
at
the
airport
east
of
town.
It
offers
tandem
and
solo
dives
and
training
for
beginners.
You'll
have
a
good
view
of
Crete
while
dropping
like
a
time
ball.
■
By
David
Bristow
f
N
tim
Squ
Crete
One
of
downtown
Crete's
many
murals.
Historic
truss
bridge
at
Tuxedo
Park.
Doane
College
photo
from
1900
Crete
The The metal al
tim tim time b e b e ball all all
NEBRASKA
STATE
HISTORICAL
SOCIETY
RG
PHOTOS
BY
DAVID
BRISTOW
