This cache is located at the eastern edge of Gordon, NE. You may
park at a turnout south of the cache or there is room to pull from
the highway far enough to not be a hindrance to traffic. This can
be a busy area, so please practice good highway etiquette and
stealth when necessary. It is a short walk to the cache area and
you do not have to climb on or dismantle anything to find this
cache. You will be looking for a 35mm film canister.
Gordon had its beginning when the Reverend John Scamahorn, a
Methodist minister and Civil War veteran, led a colony of 104
settlers by railroad from Indiana to Valentine, Nebraska, and then
on by covered wagon to Gordon. On May 12, 1884, he conducted the
first religious service, mounting the tongue of his wagon for a
pulpit near “the lone willow tree,” a landmark of the empty plains.
The lone willow tree, just east of Gordon, was a landmark for
government scouts, Indians, cowboys, and settlers. In fact, Gordon
celebrates this landmark with the Willow Tree Festival, a community
event held each year since 1984.
The name Gordon was chosen because of an incident that had
occurred nearby. John Gordon’s wagon train, bound for the forbidden
gold fields in the Black Hills, was burned by soldiers from Camp
Sheridan in 1875. The village of Gordon was incorporated on
November 19, 1885. The fertile farmlands and rich sandhill
grasslands proved an ideal location for the growth of a hardy town.
The coming of the Chicago and North Western Railroad in 1886
brought new settlers.
“Doc” Middleton, an early character of many questionable
talents, operated a saloon for a time in Gordon. When he was made
county deputy sheriff, the rate of horse stealing declined
markedly. Gordon was the home of the late Mari Sandoz, famous
author of early historical novels depicting life in the days of the
early settlers and plains Indians. A small museum in Gordon
contains many of the personal items belonging to Mari and tours can
be arranged.
Other notable residents of Gordon are Val Fitch, 1980 Nobel
Prize winner in the field of physics and Dwight Griswold, past
Governor of Nebraska and Ambassador.
Information about Gordon gleaned from
NPPD's Community Facts, Gordon, NE booklet
Respect the area, CITO if needed, and rehide as you find it for
the next cacher. Thank you and good luck.
Congratulations "Dr. Trenton"
: First to Find - July 17, 2009
