| Welcome
to the little farming town of Minden, Nebraska, a rural town
that lives with one foot in the present and one in the past.
Thanks to Harold Warp, a local man who succeeded in business,
Minden is home to a special museum that portrays the development
of man's industrial successes in the United States.
Probably the first indication that you have reached the
museum is the big sign with an old flivver perched high
above the traffic. A stooped figure slowly turns the crank,
while in the back seat, a patient lady sits, waiting.
 Warp
decided that his museum would show the progress made in
creating and improving upon various kinds of tools, beginning
in 1830, and running to 1950. The artifacts in the museum
represent the development of the United States over the
120-year period, from about the time their pioneers started
to explore the empty expanses of the western plains, to
right after the Second World War. Warp's museum now covers
20 acres and is housed in 26 buildings.
It was Harold Warp's opinion that during the 120 years
he portrays in the museum, man really made some fantastic
technological advancements. A sign above the entrance door
says: For thousands of years man lived quite simply. Then
like a sleeping giant, our world awakened. In a mere 120
years of eternal time, man progressed from open hearths,
grease lamps, and oxcarts to television, super-sonic speed,
and atomic power.
Be prepared to spend a lot of time here. There is a lot
to see, over 50,000 pieces, and many with a descriptive
tag to be read. If you want to see it all, plan on a full
day, and take two. The second day is free. Take your time,
and peer into all the corners, and with 26 scattered museum
buildings, there are a lot of corners. You never know when
you'll find something that really grabs your interest.
When you enter the main building you are faced with a massive
display of old cars, airplanes hanging from the ceiling,
and a vast number of items cluttering the walls. At first
it looks like a jumbled assortment of memorabilia, but further
inspection shows there is a well-managed order to it all.
Warp has worked hard to prevent the appearance of disarray
by arranging items in groups, and setting them out in chronological
order.
...
(Read full story in Vol.3 No.5) (Page
Top)
|
Feature
Article 