Courtesy Photo­Image

“Journey Stories,” an exhibit developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and presented by the Nebraska Humanities Council, opened Monday in North Platte.

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The exhibit will be housed at the Lincoln County Historical Museum through Aug. 25.

The exhibit tours Nebraska and explores America’s history through its mobility and transportation -- stories of coming to America, traveling across America, and the impact of the advent of railroads, automobiles and airplanes.

Lincoln County journeys

The North Platte exhibit also portrays these journeys to Lincoln County with photographs and artifacts:

• Japanese-American settlers.

• John Bratt, early settlers.

• The arrival of North Platte Regional Airport & Lee Bird Field.

• History of Union Pacific.

• The Orphan Trains.

• The Women of the railroad.

Nebraska journeys

The first live presentation in the series is at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, when Jeff Kappeler of the Nebraska Humanities Council talks about Northern European immigrants to the Midwest.

Also, at 7 p.m. on:

• Aug. 2, a panel of North Platte doctors will discuss their arrival in Lincoln County from various parts of the world.

• Aug. 7, the pioneers journey westward to Promontory will be presented by Don Snoddy of the Nebraska Humanities Council.

• Aug. 9 - movie Transcontential Railroad. Free popcorn.

• Aug. 14, Vicki Troxel Harris will discuss African American homesteaders and cowboys of Nebraska.

• Aug. 16 - movie Standing Bear's Footsteps. Free popcorn.

• Aug. 21, Chris Sayre will discuss and replicate the musical journey across America, playing dozens of instruments.

The historical museum, open daily 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., has many other local stories to tell, including that of North Platte’s famous World War II Canteen, which served 6 million servicemen and women who traveled by train through Nebraska from December 1941 until March 1946.

“Journey Stories” also will be displayed at the 100th Meridian Museum in Cozad (Aug. 30-Oct. 8), the Washington County Historical Association in Fort Calhoun (Oct. 15-Nov. 17), the Madison County Museum in Madison (Nov. 25-Dec. 31), the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln (Jan. 7-18), and Knight Museum and Sandhills Center in Alliance (Jan. 28-March 8).

“Journey Stories” is made possible in Nebraska with support from Union Pacific, Nebraska Cultural Endowment, State of Nebraska, Nebraska Rural Radio Network — KRVN, KTIC, and KNEB, Brown Transfer Company, and the “We the People” initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.