I have had plans to stop by Pioneer Village in Minden for many years now, ever since I drove past it when I was criss-crossing Nebraska making photographs for ninety-three. It has been over 30 years since we visited on a roadtrip to see a family friend out in Grant, an experience I only have vague memory of. I have worried that the venerable roadside attraction, a relic from the heyday of US Highway 6, would close before I found the time to stop and explore. Fortunately, it is still there, open every day, and is apparently in better shape than it was just a few years ago.

Harold Warp collected all sorts of machinery, technology, furniture, and more to help Americans see how much progress had been made since the pioneer days. Now Pioneer Village, the same as it was in the early 80’s, is largely a monument to dust and a lack of attention as time passed by. It’s dark and tired, eccentric and obsessive.. and also a wonderful place to just walk around and enjoy. I hope Minden is able to find a way to save it (and modernize the lighting just a bit).