76 Nebraskaland • April 2026
PORTRAITS FROM THE PAST
Canoe trip down the Niobrara, 1986
Loren Wilson owned Rocky Ford Campground on the Niobrara and Wilson Outfitters with an office in
Lincoln for a number of years. In spring, he would haul the canoes from Lincoln to the Niobrara and
then back to Lincoln in the fall for repair. In 1980, I started working with him and even worked for the
outfitter for a short time after his death in 1986. This memorial marker for Loren is located at the Rocky
Ford Campground while his ashes were sprinkled into the Niobrara River. The other photo is of my wife,
Jo, and myself camping at Fred Krzyanowski's pasture, just downstream from Turkey Feather Falls.
– Tom Bouse, Lincoln
1940s Pheasant Hunt
Left to right: An unknown man; my
uncle, Bob Litz (the young boy); my
grandfather, Glenn Litz; and my great-
grandfather, George Curtiss. This was
probably from somewhere near Bassett
in the early 1940s. It is possible that the
photo was taken near Valley County,
too, as my grandfather hunted there for
pheasants with the Arnold family who
farmed in that area.
– Tom Lanz, Omaha
Send contributions to: Portraits from the Past, Nebraskaland Magazine, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370. Or e-mail to Jenny.Wheatley@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.
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