Museum of The High Plains

08/26/2026

Honoring John Hubert — a dedicated leader, longtime board member, and former president of the High Plains Historical Society. John poured both his knowledge and his hard work into the museum, becoming an early and valued contributor to its growth. His passion for preserving local history was evident in everything he did. We are deeply grateful for his service, and he will be truly missed.

08/19/2026

We recently learned about the senate race in Alaska where there were two candidates by the same name. In the 1930 Senate race in Nebraska, a grocer by the name of George W. Norris was paid to run in opposition to the sitting senator, George W. Norris of McCook.

07/23/2026

Exciting Exhibit Progress at the Museum!
Thanks to a generous donation, we’ve been able to construct new interior walls that will help us complete some of our existing exhibits. One of the first spaces to benefit from this improvement is our newly refreshed Gazette exhibit.
This updated display honors founder Harry Strunk and offers a snapshot of what his office might have looked like during his tenure — a tribute to his vision, leadership, and lasting impact on our community’s story.
We’re grateful for the support that makes preservation possible and thrilled to share these enhancements with our visitors. More updates are coming soon as our exhibits continue to grow.

07/16/2026

07/04/2026

Susan Doak is a valued volunteer and board member who continually goes over and beyond. Her dedication makes a huge impact in our community! Congratulations! Well deserved recognition!

07/03/2026

Another piece of history reclaimed by nature…. Luckily there are artifacts and stories saved to remember this unique piece of our local landscape during the Second World War. You may see these at some of the local museums in our area. Museum of The High Plains Nebraska Prairie Museum.

During World War II, this quiet Nebraska pasture north of Indianola was the site of the Indianola POW Camp, a large compound built to hold thousands of prisoners of war.

For Veronica Waddell, the property is deeply personal. She grew up coming to the land, playing around the old concrete piles near where her grandparents lived, long before she fully understood the history around her.

Today, the former camp remains on private family land, preserved not by a museum staff or state institution, but by a local family that chose not to erase what was left.

The barracks are gone.
The water tank is gone.
Most of the buildings are gone.

But the outlines remain, in concrete, brick, old roads, and quiet pastureland.

And through Veronica Waddell’s care, the story of the Indianola POW Camp is still being told.

Full story in the comments.

07/02/2026

In honor of our nation's birthday, we went through our collection and found some unique and special flags and patriotic items. These are on display in our temporary exhibit room. We have a tapestry made for the centennial in 1876; a tattered remnant of a 37-star flag lovingly framed; a handmade 37-star flag that flew in 1874 in an early Red Willow County celebration; the faded 48-star flag carried by a local boy flanked by musicians and civil war veterans up main street on November 11, 1918, upon learning of the armistice and the end of the first world war.