Kearney State Teachers College was granted almost $10,000.00 in a WPA grant to improve its athletic facilities. The project was planned to be very “inclusive.” It included improving the current football and athletic field at the college, and leveling and… read more
In the early 1930s, the Buffalo County Fair was in dire straits. It went broke and was taken over by the County Farm Bureau, and thence was taken over by the newly formed Buffalo County Fair Board. In 1936, the… read more
Kearney made an application for funding for a city hall in 1935, however the bond issue failed and the Public Works Administration (PWA) money was never allocated at that time. In 1938, Kearney was given a grant from the PWA… read more
The oldest portion of the park, the block between 5th and 6th Avenues and 29th and 30th Streets, dates back to August 7, 1876, when it was given to the city by Thomas Perkins and James Harford “for the sole… read more
In June 1934, the PWA presented a grant to the Kearney School Board for a $7,000.00 addition to the existing high school. Architect John P. Helleberg was hired to prepare specifications for the project, which would include rearranging the building… read more
Construction of the concrete “stadium” at the Kearney High School athletic field on West 21st Street was designed primarily to provide dressing rooms for the high school athletes, but also provides seating for a large number of sports fans. It… read more
In May 1938, a storage yard and highway shed was under construction on 33rd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues. Utilizing Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor, the building and completed site was estimated to cost $8000. One and one quarter… read more
In November 1937, the State Board of Control decided to proceed with construction of a new men’s hospital building at the State Tuberculosis Hospital in Kearney. The building was estimated to cost $125,000.00, the bulk of which would be funded… read more
A Public Work Administration (PWA) grant was given to the Kearney School Board for the erection of Kenwood Elementary School, announced in late June, 1934. Architects McClure and Walker submitted plans and specifications to the PWA engineer’s office in Omaha… read more
In September 1935, the Kearney City Council voted unanimously to approve plans drawn by Hugh McClure for an addition to the library. The plans, together with an application for Public Works Administration (PWA) funds, were then forwarded to Lincoln for… read more
In 1937, architects McClure and Walker of Kearney were hired to draw plans for a new men’s dormitory on the campus of the Kearney State Teachers College. Planned to house 120 to 140 men, the brick building was planned to… read more
An economic account of Kearney is given in The Kearney Daily Hub paper of November 19, 1935, reporting facts disclosed at a joint Buffalo County Board and Kearney City Council meeting. Board Chairperson Martin Slattery reported that “There were nearly… read more
The first rehabilitation farm project to be established in Nebraska, and among the first in the country, was established at Kearney. Fifty-seven acres of land were purchased by the Rural Rehabilitation program. The land lay just north of the north… read more
In March 1935, nearly one hundred Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) workers started work at Cottonmill Lake, located west of Kearney. Primarily, they were involved in widening and improving the driveway around the lake. The shovel crews were widening the… read more
At approximately the same time that the State Board of Control was considering the construction of a new Men’s Hospital, a need for a new heating plant was also being considered. Architect John P. Helleberg, of Kearney, completed plans for… read more