North Platte

by Brian Kelly

In many ways, young Latter-day Saints in North Platte, Nebraska, live like their counterparts in Fairbanks, London, or San Jose. They attend seminary and go to MIA, Sunday School, and sacrament meetings. And yet in other ways they have a refreshing and different life-style.

Their town is alive with history and pioneer lore. The Oregon and Mormon pioneer trails passed through this town. Buffalo Bill lived here, and North Platte was an early railway center.

Because there are not too many young Latter-day Saints in North Platte, what few there are seem to want to be with others who share the same values and feelings about life. Their idea of having fun is to get together and go on a hayride, visit a historical site, or have an early morning testimony meeting rather than patronize the local movies and drive-in restaurants.

Photos by Brian Kelly

After a ten-minute walk, Susan Britton, Leslie Jensen, Stephen Combs, Denise Kentner and Tim Harmon, reach Sioux Lookout, the highest point in Lincoln County. From this prominent landmark they can see the overland trail just as Indians could more than a hundred years ago as they watched the pioneers travel west. From 1840 to 1866 some 2,500,000 people traveled through this valley on their way to a new life. Today it is often the site for an early morning testimony meeting or summer picnic.

What’s a hayride without horses? Morris McConnell, Cynthia Romans, and Mary Ann McConnell (riding behind Cynthia) find galloping through the water wet but exhilarating.

They grow a lot of corn in in Nebraska.

Buffalo Bill built this grand old house for his retirement.

Brigham Young and the first group of Saints to travel to the Great Basin camped here. This historical site is a favorite place because of its special meaning to Latter-day Saints.

A wagon, a few bales of straw, a flooding river, and you have a great way to spend an afternoon.