Nebraska
Hall County Historical Society shares history of experimental government program in Nebraska
WOOD RIVER, Neb. (KSNB) – The Hall County Historical Society visited the senior center in Wood River to tell the story of an experimental government program from the 1930s.
Rural Rehabilitation was an experimental government program that spanned across the United States and started in 1934. One of the locations that met the criteria for the program was Hall County.
Michelle Setlik, Vice President of Hall County Historical Society, said 10 Hall County families were selected for the Farmstead Project.
“Hall County was chosen for the Farmstead Program because it met the criteria for the federal government,” said Setlik. “It had good quality soil, it had water, it had enough people that needed assistance that were on the relief roles and it had land available for the government to purchase for the project.”
The following conditions had to be met:
- The area needed to have an agricultural history
- A large number of families eligible for relief had to live in the area
- An adequate water supply (either rainfall or irrigation) had to be present
- The site had access to markets for the produced goods
- There had to be suitable land available for purchase in the area
The communities for the Farmstead Program were selected by NERA (National Economic Research Associates) and supporting agencies. The families also had to meet a certain criteria to be considered for the program.
Criteria for selected families include:
- The family must have been on the relief rolls of the county where the project was being constructed
- The head of the household had to be between the ages of 35-50
- There had to be 4-6 members of the family
According to the historical society, in order to be considered for the Farmstead Project, families had to submit an application that was then reviewed by three different agencies.
Each Farmstead Family received the following:
- Four room cottage
- Small barn
- Chicken House
- Poultry yard
- Land for garden and small orchard
- Seeds
- Livestock: two cows, 100 hens, 300 chickens
Once families agreed to the terms, they were given a one-year lease on the property for a nominal fee and after a one-year probation period they could be eligible to purchase the property on a 15-year payment plan, according to the historical society.
Setlik said the Hall County Historical Society is celebrating their 100th anniversary this year and have plans to make 12 new historical markers for the county.
One of those markers will be put at the site of the Farmstead homes in Grand Island off of Highway 34 on Farmstead Road.
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ALLIANCE, Neb. (WOWT) – Carhenge, a replica of the world-famous Stonehenge made of old cars, opened in the Nebraska Panhandle in 1987.
According to Visit Nebraska, it was constructed in Alliance by the Jim Reinders family in memory of his father during a family reunion.
Carhenge also includes sculptures made of old cars and car parts.
It is open year-round and free to visit.
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Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
LINCOLN, NEB — With less than 1% of Nebraska’s native tallgrass prairie remaining, Lincoln officials say a newly acquired tract of land could help preserve a disappearing part of the state’s landscape while expanding outdoor recreation opportunities for future generations.
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and city leaders announced the purchase of nearly 100 acres southwest of Pioneers Park for $924,630 through a partnership involving the City of Lincoln, the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District, and Solidago Conservancy.
The acquisition advances the Prairie Corridor on Haines Branch project, a long-term effort to establish a continuous conservation and recreation corridor stretching from Pioneers Park Nature Center in Lincoln to the Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center near Denton.
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said the project will provide additional opportunities for residents and visitors to experience Nebraska’s prairie landscape while protecting natural resources.
“Advancing the Prairie Corridor, we create more opportunities for residents and visitors to hike, bike, explore nature, and experience the beautiful landscape that defines our region,” Gaylor Baird said. “We protect vital natural resources that improve water quality and help reduce flood risk downstream, and we preserve an important part of Nebraska’s natural heritage for future generations.”
The newly acquired Prairie Corridor Link property is intended to help connect Pioneers Park Nature Center and Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center through a continuous protected prairie and trail system.
Plans for the Prairie Corridor include restoring over 5,000 acres of prairie lands (~2,000 acres of tallgrass prairie, and ~3,400 acres of native prairie) and constructing a 14.5-mile multiuse trail that will connect to Lincoln’s existing trail network.
“This property is a piece of a long-term vision to connect Pioneers Park Nature Center and Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center through a continuous corridor, protected prairie, and trail,” Gaylor Baird said.
Parks and Recreation Director Maggie Stuckey-Ross said approximately over a majority of the Prairie Corridor Trail project has now been secured.
“Once complete, the corridor will include a continuous 7,400-acre passage of tallgrass prairie and a 14.5-mile multiuse trail, and in just nine years, nearly 70% of the Prairie Corridor trail corridor has been secured,” Stuckey-Ross said.
Project leaders say the Prairie Corridor has the potential to become a destination for hikers, cyclists, students, and nature enthusiasts from across Nebraska while helping preserve one of the state’s rarest ecosystems for future generations.
More information about the Prairie Corridor on Haines Branch is available at PrairieCorridor.org.
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