JULY 2015 • NEBRASKAland 19
Soldiers Point
the Way at
Fort Atkinson
By Jenny Nguyen
Park-goers will notice new characters
as they drive into Fort Calhoun to visit
Fort Atkinson State Historical Park
this season. Standing on the north and
south sides of town are four three-
dimensional iron soldiers. Each at nine-
feet tall, they point the way to the park;
one is painted in the likeness of Steve
Kemper, a previous park superintendent
at Fort Atkinson, and another looks
like John Slader, the fort's current
superintendent. And on the east side of
Highway 75 in the Super Bee Orchard
property stands a new directional sign.
The project was part of an effort
to make the historical park more
visible. The Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission provided $14,000 in
grant funding, while the city of Fort
Calhoun provided assistance from its
Keno Funds. Local businesses such
as Black Dog Steel in Tekamah, artist
Art Clausen, Tri-County Grading
and volunteers were instrumental
in completing and installing the
soldiers and sign. Future plans call for
additional landscaping, brickwork, a
welcome sign and smaller five-foot
soldiers to line the streets in Fort
Calhoun.
This season's living history dates
are July 4-5, Aug. 1-2, Sept. 5-6,
Oct. 3-4 and a Candlelight Tour on
Nov. 7. For more information, visit
FortAtkinsonOnline.org. ■
An iron soldier stands by the welcome sign in Fort Calhoun, the location of Fort
Atkinson State Historical Park. Three other soldiers can be found in town.
PHOTO
BY
JENNY
NGUYEN
