“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
― Mark Twain (Samuel Clements), The Innocents Abroad (1869)/ Roughing It (1914)
Although this quote is more than a century old, these words are even more relevant today. While everyone should be encouraged to travel, people should also be encouraged to expand how they think about their place - where you live, work, and raise a family. I am talking about your hometown.
Aside from a physical location, I think Twain’s quote addresses how a community lives together, builds personal relationships, and works together to keep a hometown vibrant.
Twain writing in the late 1860s could not have imagined all the advancements in health care, transportation and technology we take for granted today. He was likely influenced by the deadly and divisive Civil War and the mass European immigrants settling in the Midwest and Great Plains. These were people with big dreams, high expectations and determination to make a better place for themselves. Yes, some of those people were my ancestors.
More than 130 years ago, my great-grandfather took out a homestead claim just north of McCook. For four generations, my family has farmed and ranched in this area and McCook has served us well. To continue to do that, McCook must remain an economically active, culturally vibrant, and attractive place where people want to live.
McCook has the good fortune to be the geographic hub of cultural and economic activity for our region. Along with that comes much responsibility, for the area’s success falls more proportionately on our shoulders. McCook has carried this responsibility well when you think of all the innovative “Dream and Do” projects that McCook has accomplished over the years.
Forty years ago, we opened the current YMCA facility and established Heritage Hills Golf Course. In the last 20 years, partnerships involving public, private, and charitable people and institutions came together to create the Keystone Business Center, Kiplinger Fairground buildings, Anderson Cancer Center at Community Hospital, and McCook Community College’s Graff Events Center.
These projects, along with many others, were “Dream and Do” projects requiring the dedication of McCook leaders visioning, planning, and working together to take a calculated risk.
Initially fueled by the railroad and farming, McCook businesses and services grew to serve the needs of a fast-growing community. Early inhabitants had a vision and a commitment to build schools, a hospital, places of worship, theaters, a college, a YMCA, and many other community assets.
With minimal ties to the area and limited resources with them, they relied on their vision of the future and tried to anticipate the needs of 50, 75, 100 years later. Gazing down the bricks of Norris Avenue, their vision continues to serve us well 130 years later.
I continue to see a very bright future for McCook if we work to meet future demands. Internet technology, robotics, and artificial intelligence advances are changing how people live and why people choose to reside in a community. Career choices, recreation and lifestyle options will be increasingly important.
While the projects of the past century have served us well, community infrastructure must meet our needs of the next 50 to 100 years.
There is no denying our community is on a journey…friends and family traveling through time together, sharing space on the high plains with McCook as our provider of essential services.
McCook’s economic development director Andy Long has proclaimed that “This is McCook’s Decade!” to capture our community’s potential. As we share this enthusiasm, there are other McCook leaders discovering that our future is not what we settle for but rather what we make it.
Can we take McCook on an incredible journey this decade? Can you imagine 20 to 50 years from now? It will require us to travel mentally, physically, and virtually - over some rugged terrain at times - to understand what we presently do not know. The path may not always be easy, as my ancestors and I have discovered, but where it leads will be worth pursuing.
Dale Dueland is a member of the McCook Community Foundation Fund and board chairman of the Nebraska Community Foundation, as well as a life-long resident of McCook where he shares his passion, knowledge and vision.
Jeremy Shaw named April 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month
While the Bison Alumni Newsletter will still be available digitally, a new printed service is available.
During a recent performance at the Fox Theater by the Lied's Arts Across Nebraska, there was one group who was not thanked: those who showed up for the event, which is a big deal.
Mark Friehe named March McCook Volunteer of the Month.
Although the Bodensteiners no longer live in Southwest Nebraska, they are still connected and wanted to see if prosper and thrive.
From long-term projects to weekly events, you cannot say "there is nothing to do" or "nothing is happening."
With the goal of reaching 200 subscriptions, the Bison Alumni Newsletter is launching a subscription service.
Long-time volunteer Don Harpst was recognized as the first McCook Volunteer of the Month in March 2025.
McCook's youth survey shows that young people now value safety in their community, something McCook provides.
Building Connections in McCook Matters June in McCook will be abuzz with fun events including a Youth Summit, hosted by McCook Community Foundation Fund. Our young people in Youth Change Reaction will host the first Nebraska Community Foundation gathering for youth, which will bring youth from across Nebraska to McCook. While still in the planning stages, our students identified that McCook is great because of connections . Our young people easily recognize how critical this factor is to people attraction, to people retention, and to improve their futures. What I miss most about my high school classroom is connections with students and colleagues. In education, I taught first, second, and sometimes third generations in families. My husband, Greg, and I are not McCook natives, but I eventually knew who was related to whom and usually where the parent(s) were employed. Going to the grocery store meant greetings from students and sometimes their family members. I officially retired from my high school classroom nine years ago in May. When you retire, the most-asked question becomes “What do you do with your time?” I try to maintain those connections and make new ones by belonging. For the past seven years, Sharon Bohling and I have volunteered to help plan and organize Bison Days for our high school students, which took place February 10 and 11. It would not happen without the financial support of McCook Community Foundation Fund, plus the McCook High School, local businesses, and the talented people of Southwest Nebraska who say “yes” when one of us reaches out to ask for the donation of time and talent. I would venture that they allow us to be on the Bison Days’ committee because we both have connections within our community—it’s certainly not our computer savvy. Connections can also solve a problem. Recently, I signed up to help a local family in crisis. My morning plan revolved around delivering my donation at a designated drop-off place. That didn’t work out. Fortunately, I still work with youth in various capacities, so I know that Keri Wilkinson works for Camy Bradley. Keri was an organizer for the family fundraiser, so I walked in Camy’s office hoping to find Keri. She was not there, so Camy and I visited briefly. She knew someone (who I did not know) who could possibly give me further direction. Only in a town with connections are you able to interrupt someone’s business, have her reach out for you using her connections , and offer to keep the donations for me until Keri’s return. Another great example of connecting can be found over coffee. Dee Friehe and I are longtime teacher friends. During a chance meeting at the grocery store a few weeks ago, she shared how she was there following a funeral service and was gathering supplies to deliver supper to the grieving family that night. She also updated me on her group of adults who meet for coffee on Thursdays at Ember’s, which varies from 8-28 depending on the day. She recognized the need for adults moving to McCook or folks just wanting to get out to make connections . Dee’s husband, Mark, also hosts his own group of men who are new(er) to McCook. She regaled me with stories of their Christmas party and other special gatherings. Wanting to call McCook your home is solidified by building connections . Ronda Graff has written about McCook Connects which matches a McCook person with someone new to the community of similar interests. I earned my McCook Connects’ T-shirt welcoming a young family with children. We have since spent many hot summer days sitting on bleachers together cheering on our 4-H horse kids while they show their horses. Warning: I connected them with a “free” new-to-them horse. Be careful connecting with me or you’ll probably own a horse. You do not have to be retired to connect in this community. Volunteering is a surefire way to meet people. McCook has many civic groups looking for new faces. Attend a church here; we have many welcoming congregations. Go to ball games or school concerts, attend concerts in the park, learn a new skill through the college, show up at a Third Thursday event or invite the neighbors for a BBQ. Take your youngsters to story hour or Move and Groove at the library. Go watch an event at the Kiplinger Arena. You can even take it a step further: Make a friend or call a friend and invite him/her to go with you. It is human connection that keeps us healthy and happy. If McCook Community Foundation Fund can help you connect in some meaningful way, please reach out for advice or support. *** While Pam Wolford may be retired, she is just as busy serving on the McCook Community Foundation Fund committee and started a new Learn and Return Scholarship with MCFF, while stepping up to grandparent whenever the call comes in.
