History Nebraska Announces First Recipients of Historic Marker Equity Grant; Genoa Indian U.S. Industrial School Among Recipients

History Nebraska is pleased to announce twelve markers have been selected as the first to receive a Nebraska Historic Marker Equity Grant. The program creates and funds markers to share the story of underserved groups and topics in Nebraska history. This cycle focused on civil rights, arts, Native American perspectives, 20thcentury immigration and refugee movements, and sports.

The marker topics and the organizations selected are:

• Charles Jackson French - Great Plains Black History Museum, Omaha

• Genoa U.S. Indian Industrial School - Genoa U.S. Indian School Foundation, Genoa

• Gladys Lux - LUX Center for the Arts, Lincoln

• Japanese Hall - Legacy of the Plains Museum, Gering

• Johnny Carson - Elkhorn Valley Museum, Norfolk

• Minor League Baseball in Norfolk - Elkhorn Valley Museum, Norfolk

• Kay Cover, Softball in Red Cloud - Katherine Stoner, Red Cloud

• Pol-y-gron-da-ha Burial Site - Red Cloud Heritage Tourism Development, Red Cloud

• Omaha DePorres Club Omaha Star, Omaha

• Peony Park - Peony Park Historical Marker Committee, Omaha

• The White Clay Extension - Br oc Ander s o n , Whi te Clay

• League Park - Nebraska Public Historians, Omaha “This is a fantastic start to this new program,” says project coordinator Autumn Langemeier. “These markers are a first step to bringing a full scope of Nebraska’s history to the public.”

Broc Anderson, a Sheridan County native who applied for a grant to share White Clay history, says the program will help people better understand certain aspects of Nebraska history. “The White Clay Extension from Pine Ridge Reservation is part of Nebraska history that is so overlooked,” says Anderson. “With the help of the History Nebraska Equity Program, the general public may better understand some of the early Native and non-native relations in northwest Nebraska.”

The selected applicants will work directly with History Nebraska to design, produce, and install their historic marker at no cost. Thanks to the efforts of State Senator Justin Wayne of Omaha, the 2021 Nebraska legislature allocated funds to assist History Nebraska in identifying diverse stories across the state to be told through the historical marker program. The funds will be used to offset the costs of new and replacement historical markers that meet diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion criteria set by the Historical Marker Equity Program.