Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center
Encyclopedia
The Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center is a museum dedicated to the life and works of author Mari Sandoz
, and to the High Plains
region in which Sandoz grew up, and which was the setting of many of her fictional and non-fictional works. The Center is located on the campus of Chadron State College
in Chadron, Nebraska
. It occupies the college's former library building, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
.
authorized the construction of a new normal school
in what was then the Sixth Congressional District
. In the following year, the Nebraska Board of Education chose Chadron as the site for the new school. Classes began in the summer of 1911, with an enrollment of 111 students.
In 1921, the legislature passed a bill granting the state normal schools the status of teachers colleges. In 1949, the school officially became the Nebraska State Teachers College at Chadron; in 1963, it was given its current name of Chadron State College.
From the founding in 1911 to 1938, seven buildings were constructed on the campus. After that, no new major construction was undertaken until 1953.
The first seven buildings were the Administration Building, begun in 1910 and dedicated in 1911;
a women's dormitory, now Sparks Hall, built in 1914; the gymnasium, now Miller Hall, built in 1920;
the "training school", now the Hildreth Education Building, built in 1926;
a library, built in 1929; a new women's dormitory, Women's Hall, now Edna Work Hall, built in 1932; and Crites Hall, built in 1938.
The 1929 library served as such until 1967, when the new Reta King library was opened.
The old library building then became the Media Center, housing the campus print shop and educational television studio.
In 1983, five of the original seven buildings on campus, including the 1929 library, were named to the National Register of Historic Places under the collective designation "Chadron State College Historic Buildings TR".
The other two, Administration and Hildreth, had been too much altered for inclusion in the Register. The nomination was principally due to the college's status as the primary educational institution in western Nebraska.
in the Nebraska Sandhills. In 1935, she published Old Jules, a biography of her homesteader
father Jules Sandoz.
Most of her subsequent works of fiction and nonfiction dealt with the history of the High Plains and its Native Americans, explorers, and settlers.
Shortly before her death, Sandoz gave much of her writing material to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
.
Most of her papers are now at the UNL Archives and Special Collections. Additional manuscripts, correspondence, notes, and other papers are preserved by the Nebraska State Historical Society.
After Sandoz's death, her sister Caroline Sandoz Pifer was named her executrix
. Pifer brought Sandoz's personal papers and belongings from Sandoz's last residence, in New York City
, to Sheridan County. For over 20 years, she maintained a Mari Sandoz Room, a museum, and a bookshop in and near Gordon, Nebraska
.
In 1971, the Mari Sandoz Heritage Fund was created at Chadron State; the college provided a room to house donations of Sandoz memorabilia. Through the 1970s and 1980s, several abortive efforts were made to establish a Sandoz center at the college. In 1988, the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society was reactivated, with the goal of developing a center, and in 1991 a Mari Sandoz Heritage Room was opened in the Administration Building. A year later, fundraising began for a Mari Sandoz Center for High Plains Research, to be located in the former Chadron State Library; and in 2002, the Center opened under its present name.
architect J. C. Stitt, and built in 1929. Its design is typical of libraries of the first quarter of the 20th century, as recommended by professional librarians and the Carnegie Corporation
. The building consists of a single story above a raised basement, a form that provided two floors of usable space without the need for a two-story building. The original floor plan is one commonly used in contemporary Carnegie libraries
, consisting of a single large reading room, a vestibule in a projection from the front of the building, and bookstacks and a librarian's room in a rear projection. Also in keeping with the usual design of Carnegie libraries, the building's Neoclassical
style is simple, with few decorative details. The front entrance is flanked by Doric columns
supporting a pediment
; there is a simple stone cornice
, and a hipped
tile roof.
Adjoining the library building on the south is the Chicoine Atrium, which provides an additional 2400 ft2 of space. The building was named after donors Vernon P. and Madge Fortune Chicoine.
Its cornerstone was laid in 2002.
A life-sized bronze statue of Sandoz by artist George Lundeen stands in front of the 1929 library. Several plant collections, collectively known as the Heritage Gardens, are located around and near the buildings.
Permanent exhibits include a gallery dedicated to Sandoz's life and literature; one for the history of cattle ranching on the High Plains; and one devoted to the paleontology
of the Sandhills.
Exhibits both indoors and outdoors describe the botany of the region. Sandoz's younger sister Flora Rosa Sandoz was a trained botanist, who spent most of her life in the Sandhills; an interactive kiosk in the Center displays her photographs of local wildflowers, along with her comments on them.
The Heritage Gardens consist of several distinct collections, including fruit trees descended from those grown by the Sandoz family, plants brought to the High Plains by early settlers, and native plants used by the Lakota Sioux. The statue of Sandoz is surrounded by Sandhills prairie plants, some of which were collected near her grave in Sheridan County.
Mari Sandoz
Mari Susette Sandoz was a novelist, biographer, lecturer, and teacher. She was one of Nebraska's foremost writers, and wrote extensively about pioneer life and the Plains Indians, and has been occasionally referred to as Mari S...
, and to the High Plains
High Plains (United States)
The High Plains are a subregion of the Great Plains mostly in the Western United States, but also partly in the Midwest states of Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota, generally encompassing the western part of the Great Plains before the region reaches the Rocky Mountains...
region in which Sandoz grew up, and which was the setting of many of her fictional and non-fictional works. The Center is located on the campus of Chadron State College
Chadron State College
Chadron State College is a four-year public college in the Nebraska State College System in Chadron, Nebraska. The college is located in the northern part of the Nebraska Panhandle, in the Pine Ridge area....
in Chadron, Nebraska
Chadron, Nebraska
Chadron is a city in Dawes County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 5,851 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dawes County. Chadron is the home of Chadron State College....
. It occupies the college's former library building, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Chadron State College
In 1909, the Nebraska state legislatureNebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature is the supreme legislative body of the State of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County....
authorized the construction of a new normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
in what was then the Sixth Congressional District
Nebraska's 6th congressional district
Nebraska's 6th congressional district is an obsolete district. It was created after the 1890 census and abolished after the 1930 census.-References:*...
. In the following year, the Nebraska Board of Education chose Chadron as the site for the new school. Classes began in the summer of 1911, with an enrollment of 111 students.
In 1921, the legislature passed a bill granting the state normal schools the status of teachers colleges. In 1949, the school officially became the Nebraska State Teachers College at Chadron; in 1963, it was given its current name of Chadron State College.
From the founding in 1911 to 1938, seven buildings were constructed on the campus. After that, no new major construction was undertaken until 1953.
The first seven buildings were the Administration Building, begun in 1910 and dedicated in 1911;
a women's dormitory, now Sparks Hall, built in 1914; the gymnasium, now Miller Hall, built in 1920;
the "training school", now the Hildreth Education Building, built in 1926;
a library, built in 1929; a new women's dormitory, Women's Hall, now Edna Work Hall, built in 1932; and Crites Hall, built in 1938.
The 1929 library served as such until 1967, when the new Reta King library was opened.
The old library building then became the Media Center, housing the campus print shop and educational television studio.
In 1983, five of the original seven buildings on campus, including the 1929 library, were named to the National Register of Historic Places under the collective designation "Chadron State College Historic Buildings TR".
The other two, Administration and Hildreth, had been too much altered for inclusion in the Register. The nomination was principally due to the college's status as the primary educational institution in western Nebraska.
Mari Sandoz
Mari Sandoz (1896–1966) was born and grew up in Sheridan CountySheridan County, Nebraska
-History:Sheridan County was formed in 1885. It was named after General Philip H. Sheridan.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,198 people, 2,549 households, and 1,728 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 3,013 housing...
in the Nebraska Sandhills. In 1935, she published Old Jules, a biography of her homesteader
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
father Jules Sandoz.
Most of her subsequent works of fiction and nonfiction dealt with the history of the High Plains and its Native Americans, explorers, and settlers.
Shortly before her death, Sandoz gave much of her writing material to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska...
.
Most of her papers are now at the UNL Archives and Special Collections. Additional manuscripts, correspondence, notes, and other papers are preserved by the Nebraska State Historical Society.
After Sandoz's death, her sister Caroline Sandoz Pifer was named her executrix
Executor
An executor, in the broadest sense, is one who carries something out .-Overview:...
. Pifer brought Sandoz's personal papers and belongings from Sandoz's last residence, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, to Sheridan County. For over 20 years, she maintained a Mari Sandoz Room, a museum, and a bookshop in and near Gordon, Nebraska
Gordon, Nebraska
Gordon is a city in Sheridan County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,612 at the 2010 census.- Geography :Gordon is located at ....
.
In 1971, the Mari Sandoz Heritage Fund was created at Chadron State; the college provided a room to house donations of Sandoz memorabilia. Through the 1970s and 1980s, several abortive efforts were made to establish a Sandoz center at the college. In 1988, the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society was reactivated, with the goal of developing a center, and in 1991 a Mari Sandoz Heritage Room was opened in the Administration Building. A year later, fundraising began for a Mari Sandoz Center for High Plains Research, to be located in the former Chadron State Library; and in 2002, the Center opened under its present name.
Buildings and grounds
The core of the Center is the former college library. The building was designed by Norfolk, NebraskaNorfolk, Nebraska
Norfolk is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States, 113 miles northwest of Omaha and 83 miles west of Sioux City at the intersection of U.S. Routes 81 and 275. The population was 24,210 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Nebraska. It is the principal city of the...
architect J. C. Stitt, and built in 1929. Its design is typical of libraries of the first quarter of the 20th century, as recommended by professional librarians and the Carnegie Corporation
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York, which was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 "to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding," is one of the oldest, largest and most influential of American foundations...
. The building consists of a single story above a raised basement, a form that provided two floors of usable space without the need for a two-story building. The original floor plan is one commonly used in contemporary Carnegie libraries
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
, consisting of a single large reading room, a vestibule in a projection from the front of the building, and bookstacks and a librarian's room in a rear projection. Also in keeping with the usual design of Carnegie libraries, the building's Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style is simple, with few decorative details. The front entrance is flanked by Doric columns
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
supporting a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
; there is a simple stone cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
, and a hipped
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
tile roof.
Adjoining the library building on the south is the Chicoine Atrium, which provides an additional 2400 ft2 of space. The building was named after donors Vernon P. and Madge Fortune Chicoine.
Its cornerstone was laid in 2002.
A life-sized bronze statue of Sandoz by artist George Lundeen stands in front of the 1929 library. Several plant collections, collectively known as the Heritage Gardens, are located around and near the buildings.
Holdings and exhibits
The Center holds a number of items directly related to Sandoz, including manuscripts, sound recordings, and personal effects from Sandoz's New York apartment. Its collection also includes a number of oral histories of regional ranching families, and a 6000-volume library focusing on the High Plains region.Permanent exhibits include a gallery dedicated to Sandoz's life and literature; one for the history of cattle ranching on the High Plains; and one devoted to the paleontology
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
of the Sandhills.
Exhibits both indoors and outdoors describe the botany of the region. Sandoz's younger sister Flora Rosa Sandoz was a trained botanist, who spent most of her life in the Sandhills; an interactive kiosk in the Center displays her photographs of local wildflowers, along with her comments on them.
The Heritage Gardens consist of several distinct collections, including fruit trees descended from those grown by the Sandoz family, plants brought to the High Plains by early settlers, and native plants used by the Lakota Sioux. The statue of Sandoz is surrounded by Sandhills prairie plants, some of which were collected near her grave in Sheridan County.