Home State.
A series of articles exploring my home state of Nebraska. In this series we hope to share with you some of the fun places and hidden gems in Nebraska.
In this weeks post, we head to Dawson County, to a small town where I grew up.
Gothenburg Nebraska - 40°55′54″N 100°9′34″W
Home of the Gothenburg Swedes.
Gothenburg was Named after Gothenburg Sweden and it has much of its roots in Swedish heritage.
The history of the town begins with Olof Bergstrom. In Nebraska History (March 1950) Louise Pound mentioned that Olof Bergstrom worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1881 Olof Bergstrom homesteaded in Dawson County, near the future site of Gothenburg.
According to the Nebraska State Historical Society In 1882 The Union Pacific Railroad laid out the town along the railroad tracks. About 8 blocks started the small town. Bergstrom made trips to Sweden leading settlers to Dawson County.
Gothenburg is home to two Pony Express stations, as the Pony Express Trail ran through Gothenburg from April 3, 1860, to October 24, 1861. Two stations still exist one in Ehman Park in Gothenburg, and one at the Lower 96 Ranch four miles south of Gothenburg.
The Swedish Crosses are another historical landmark in Gothenburg. These crosses mark the graves of three children of Swedish immigrants. It’s located two miles north and two miles west of Gothenburg.
Wild Horse Golf Club located northwest of Gothenburg. In 2007 it was rated #1 “best course under $50” in Golf Week Magazine and has been listed as 21st Best Modern Course in the US (2007).
The Gothenburg Historical Museum is a nice local museum near the pony express station at Ehman park. It has a bit of town history with local school memorabilia and other fun facts about the area.
The Sod House Museum is a fun attraction right near the interstate. Conveniently located next to a gas station for a quick rest for I80 traffic. You’ll find a couple of sculptures of a bison, a horse, and a covered wagon.
Gothenburg is a small town in Nebraska but it’s got quite a few amenities. The Sun Theatre is the local movie theater.
Frito Lay has a large corn gathering facility in Gothenburg. According to Frito Lay's website, this facility supplies corn on this side of the Mississippi River. With a nice hospital, retirement home, community center, and several churches available for folks to enjoy.
The community has many local businesses including a dealership, auto parts store, grocery store, mechanic shops, and other retail stores.
As I mentioned above, Gothenburg is home to the Gothenburg Swedes. It's elementary and high school are centrally located in town. They have many activities for students such as band, FFA, speech, and choir.
I80 and Highway 30 travel through town Northwest to the southeast. Highway 47 slices through town north to south, though it’s called Lake Ave through the town itself. The Platte river goes through town a bit
Pictures were taken from around town.
Research was done by Joe DeMarco.