Last week I showed a bit of old downtown Lincoln… on a bike ride this week we ended up touring University of Nebraska – Lincoln, and we were amazed at the size and architecture of this campus!

The chemistry building looks impressive, until you compare it in size to the Huskers Stadium right behind it!  Says something about priorities…

 

The Museum of Natural History is guarded by a huge Mastodon.

 

The bell tower above has this plaque on the side… It plays beautifully… quite nice thank-you notes!

 

 

Don L. Love

Love was Lincoln’s mayor for two non-consecutive terms, six years in between 1909 and 1931.  He donated money to Union College in 1939, and after his death his estate donated to UN-L.  Consequently, both Union College and University of Nebraska- Lincoln have buildings named for Don Love.  

Below is UN-L’s Don Love Library:

 

Johnny Carson

Johnny Carson grew up from age 8 in Norfolk, Nebraska.  After high school, he hitchhiked to Hollywood, and the world was never the same.  Something of Nebraska must have stayed in his heart, however… Three months before his death, he gave $5.3 Million to the University of Nebraska Foundation, which was used to create the Johnny Carson School of Theater and Film.  Another $5 million was donated by his estate after his death.  So below is one of the Carson buildings.

 

“Torn Notebook”

This huge metal sculpture apparently reminds student to hold tightly to their notebooks in high Nebraska winds.

 

 

Johnny Carson’s name is on the door of this huge “Temple”.

 

This artsy building is where apparently someone lost his head… It reminded me of Medusa’s Head sculptures in the huge cistern underneath the city of Istanbul… but that’s another story…

 

 

North Bottoms Neighborhood

Many Germans moved to Russia in the early 1800’s, promised free land, exemption from Russian Military and political autonomy.  When the Czar revoked those privileges in 1971, a flood of German emigration to the Americas began.  Lincoln was a great destination, with land and jobs available.  Most took advantage of “Bottom Lands” along Salt Creek, where frequent flooding reduced land values and the rail yards offered jobs.  The many homes in the area show a mixture of architectural styles – some like the “Old Country” and some more American.

 

The neighborhood is not too terribly far from our campground, but we haven’t explored the area very much.  Here are a couple of examples:

 

PS: the Iris blooming in the sunset are in our campground north of the North Bottoms Neighborhood.