BROKEN BOW— On a warm late summer Friday morning, folks gathered at the Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway Visitor Center just east of Broken Bow to celebrate the start of another expansion to the facility. The center, known simply as the ‘Red Barn’ to locals, will soon have a one room school building just to the east of the sod house built in 2023. It will be the latest piece to the mission of welcoming travelers into the Sandhills region of Nebraska.
Howard Gaffney, who is facilitating the move of the building to Broken Bow, stated the school house currently sits on land owned by the Lamb family to the south-west of Merna. Gaffney attended school at the building from kindergarten through 2nd grade. Anna Hunt, his teacher at the time will soon be honored by the One Room, One Teacher program at the University of Nebraska, Kearney according to Gaffney, and should have a prominent place in the school again when it is settled in Broken Bow.
Gaffney had long kept his eye on a way to maintain the building even after it was no longer in use, and approached Mike Evans and Rick Maas who coordinate activities at the Red Barn about moving the school to the Broken Bow site.
“Wow, that would really look good out there with the sod house,” Evans recalls thinking. “It’s just a natural fit,” he added.
Evans said that he and Maas already have a good connection on contents for the school house. However, if anyone has materials such as desks or other items that would work well inside, Evans recommended contacting the Barn. He and Maas will be working to put together a list of donations and materials to furnish the building as it would have been when in use.
The two made sure to thank the many sponsors and volunteers for the project, including a Custer County Tourism Visitors Committee grant of $9,500 for the concrete foundation work being carried out by Markham Construction. The Custer County Foundation is providing $6,000 towards the actual move of the building.
Evans was able to secure a further $14,500 from the Mervin Eighmy Foundation to finish off the move and for other restoration costs. According to Evans, Mervin Eighmy, who once ran Gooch Feeds, resided in the Broken Bow area and would have attended a one-room school house much like the one being moved to the site east of town.
“The Mervin Eighmy Foundation was key to making this happen,” said Evans.
Gaffney called out Evans’ leadership on the project, saying that he kept pushing the ‘whole situation’ and that ‘he can get it done’.
Also recognized on Friday were Mike, Kathy, Steve, and Barbara Adams, a family that was instrumental in putting up the sod house and who look to be involved again in the movement and restoration of the school building.
“Our barn committee and barn volunteers, we couldn’t do anything without all of you,” said Maas.
Linda Teahon, the President of the Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway Board, said she believes a destination point on the National Byway is certainly in the works.
Discussing the plan going forward, Gaffney said that this summer’s road work has delayed the project somewhat, but as soon as the roads are fully open again work will be clear to begin. At that point, a moving company from Grant will use dollies and beams to lift and move the school house to its new home at the gateway to the Sandhills.
