72 NEBRASKAland • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018
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 1980. 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
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Victor was an illustrious character of North Platte. An immigrant
from Austria, he had many titles. Originally planning to go all the way
to Oregon, he ended up settling in North Platte and working for the
Union Pacific since he was trained as a mechanical engineer.
He went on to be mayor of North Platte, ran a dry goods store
there and also was a photographer. He even went on two tours with
Buffalo Bill, documenting the showman's Wild West Show. Victor
later sold his photo equipment to Louis Bostwick and helped him get
started in photography.
At right is a photo of Victor taken by Bostwick in 1929 at Victor's
home in North Platte. This scan is from the original 8-by-10 negative.
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As I was reading the other day, I noticed you're
looking for photos for your "Portraits from the Past"
page. Well, I have several, since both sides of my
family go several generations back here in Nebraska.
The only problem is that I don't have much info on
them.
These top two images were probably taken between
1915 and 1935. I've worked here in Omaha as the
digital archivist for the Benson Historical Society for
almost a decade so preserving old photos is one of the
things I do well. Attached are four of what I have.
Both are undated (but probably taken between 1915
and 1935) and were shot near the Swanson farm
west of Aurora. The first is my great-uncle on the right,
Myrl R. Swanson, with another man showing their
hunting skills of the prairie chicken. The other shows a
hunting expedition in a wagon pulled by mules. What's
interesting is that it seems that they unhitched a horse
from another wagon to pose in the shot. The mules
don't look too happy, with their ears back. It seems
they wanted to show off the horse as well.
– Sam G. Swanson, Omaha, Nebraska
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Here's one from North Platte in 1893 (bottom left).
My grandmother is the girl in front with the hand mitts.
The photo was by her father who was also at one time
the mayor of North Platte, Victor vonGoetz (shown in
the image below).
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