Celebrating Our History!
Once again, our Community Stage will feature local and regional history.
Dan Holtz and Gary Zalud
“HEROISM ON THE PLAINS”
Nebraska has many unsung heroes–people who have enriched our state’s story–yet many Nebraskans know little about them. Evelyn Sharp, an Ord native, was a legendary flight instructor during World War II. Robert Ball Anderson, a Union Civil War veteran, was an escaped slave who had the largest land-holding of any African-American in our state’s early days. And roughly 55,000 volunteers from 125 communities came together to greet over 6,000,000 servicepeople at the North Platte Canteen from Christmas Day of 1941 until April 1, 1946, during World War II.
Playing a variety of acoustic instruments, Holtz and Zalud celebrate these individuals and many more through historical narrative and song in their Humanities Nebraska program, “Heroism on the Plains: Story Songs of Courage and Determination.”
Dan Holtz, an emeritus professor of English from Peru State College, has presented his musical, historical, story-telling programs hundreds of times all across Nebraska. His performances have included the State Capitol, the Nebraska Chautauqua, Homestead National Historical Park, the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, Chimney Rock, and Ft. Robinson. He also appeared on the Millenium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., for Nebraska State Day, and, along with the band Flatwater Reunion released in 2023 a third album of his music titled A Nebraska Tapestry.
Since 2023, Gary Zalud, Holtz’s longtime friend and an emeritus professor of Literacy Education and longtime chair of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, has joined him in performing. Both Dr. Holtz and Dr. Zalud are recipients of prestigious awards from their respective state higher education systems.
In 2004, Holtz was also a bonus-round winner on the Wheel of Fortune television game show. He lives in Nebraska City with his wife, Alice.
Stories and Photos of Old-time Main Street in Gordon
Harlen Wheeler and Glenn Gealy grew up in Gordon and are historians of our region. They are known for their research and writing about the people, events, and way of life of our forbears here in the Sandhills. Wheeler is a published author whose most recent book is about a 1952 triple homicide titled The 12 Hours That Changed The Sandhills Forever: The Last Nebraska Posse.
Harlen and Glenn will present slides and stories from the early days of Gordon using the photographs gathered for their book about the Early Businesses, Business People, and Colorful Characters of Gordon.
“Tales About Homesteading” History Panel Discussions
Once again, local on-air radio personality, Mitch Gallant, from KSDZ “The Twister” Radio, will host panel discussions about the fascinating history of our region. This year’s theme is homesteading and will feature descendants of some of our early settlers in the region. There will be two different panels, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Saturday’s “Tales About Homesteading” will feature Gwen Otte, and Janet Hess. Sunday’s conversation will feature Susan McDonald, Marvel and Rick Reeves, and Steve Kime.
Historical Exhibits on Display
The speakers and panelists on our Community Stage will be bringing photographs and homesteading antiques that will help tell the story of early settlers in the Sandhills. There will be materials from Gordon’s Scamahorn Museum, from the Gordon Journal (now the Sheridan County Journal Star), and from the books about the early history of downtown Gordon. These items will be on display in the City Auditorium for festival-goers to view throughout the festival.
Willow Tree Festival 