Members of the Callaway Historical Society Board accepted a grant check from the Nebraska State Historical Society on Aug. 24. From left are: Chris Johnson, Brenda Still, Gary Glendy, Donna Glendy, Duane Thomas, Larry Mowry, Sue Quambusch and Leslie Fattig.
 

Custer County was officially organized in July 1877, and a spot of land on the Young ranch, located about seven miles east of Callaway, was designated as the temporary county seat. The first Custer County Courthouse was established on the ranch and served the newly formed county until 1881, when the county seat was moved to the new town of Broken Bow.
The log house that served as that first courthouse became a family home until the early 1900s when its use became simply a storehouse. Had it not been for some historical-minded citizens of Callaway, that may have been the end of the story for the log house. But several years later those citizens petitioned to have the log house moved into Callaway, and they accomplished that task. It now sits in Morgan Park, and local historical-minded citizens of today are still working diligently to preserve the piece of history.
Last week, members of the Seven Valleys Historical Society were paid a visit from representatives of the Nebraska State Historical Society. Sue Quambusch and Leslie Fattig made the drive to Callaway from Lincoln not only to visit the museum and historical sites in the Village, but also to deliver a check.
“In 2021, these folks applied for a statewide grant and we gave them $1,000,” said Quambusch.
Fattig then explained the grant the historical society received. “The former CEO of the State Historical Society and I launched a meet-and-greet program back in 2014 and visited 26 towns, libraries and historical places. And we realized most of these places are volunteer run and they need some funding help,” said Fattig. “These folks just give and give, so we wanted to start an endowment through the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation to be able to give these local sites some support.”
That led to a statewide grant program, which was launched in 2021. Seven Valleys Historical Society board members Donna Glendy and Brenda Still worked on the grant application, and the society was awarded the grant which provided funds for improvements to the log house. 
In an effort to further support the local historical sites by encouraging visitors, the State Historical Society has launched the Wander Nebraska Program. Because Callaway was awarded a grant last year the local historical society was invited to participate in the Wander Nebraska program this year. “People are encouraged to visit these 27 sites and get a little stamp in their passport book, and we ended up mailing out about 3,000 books. It’s just a great way to let people know what’s going on and to get membership and gift shop sales,” said Fattig. “It’s just another level of support that we are trying to give local sites.”
While the log house in the park benefitted from the grant funds, Glendy explained that her initial plan with the application was to use the money for the old jailhouse and the Episcopal Church. Many people, she said, may not realize the history behind the old church.
One very interesting item at the church is the bell that sits in front. Glendy referred to it as a “cousin” of the Liberty Bell. “When the parishioners built the church they wrote back to England and told them they needed a bell. Their friend told them they couldn’t afford a bell, but he would make one for them but they would have to come up with the passage to the United States,” said Glendy. “The bell is not on the top of the church anymore, it’s now in front. But it is a cousin to the Liberty Bell. It is a hollow cast bell and it has a beautiful sound.”
The bell is not the only feature of the church that came from England. Glendy explained that the octagon shaped stained glass window at the front of the church did as well.
The Seven Valleys Historical Society is now caretakers of the church, which Glendy said is in desperate need of repairs. “Right now we are in dire straits looking for funding to help with the buildings,” she added.
The historical society did receive another boost in their funding on Aug. 24, when representatives of Nebraska State Bank also showed up at the park to present a $1,000 check. “Our employees donate $5 on Fridays to wear jeans to work that day, which is just an ongoing pool. There is a small committee of us that then makes the decisions on what local charities or organizations we want to donate that money to,” explained NSB Senior Branch Manager Tammy Schall. “We thought this was a worthwhile cause.”
The log house and Episcopal Church are both properties of the Village of Callaway, under the auspices of the historical society. The County does provide some funding to the Seven Valleys Historical Society, as do some local townships. The historical society was organized in Callaway in 1966, and bought the old medical building at that time and started putting the museum together, Glendy shared. 
“It is just all volunteer work that takes care of these buildings. We have ladies that spend a lot of time cleaning and organizing the exhibits,” said Glendy. The Seven Valleys Historical Museum is open year round, and anyone wanting to visit can just call one of the numbers listed on the door of the museum to have someone open it up for guests.
The museum will be open all this weekend to welcome Kite Flight visitors.

Contact Ellen Mortensen 
at ellen@syndicatepub.com