Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Library
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Sandoz Center: historic library building, with statue of Sandoz in front
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 Location in Nebraska
Location in the United States
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| Location | Chadron State College campus, Chadron, Nebraska |
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| Built | 1929 |
| Architect | J. C. Stitt |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| MPS | Chadron State College Historic Buildings TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001084 |
| Added to NRHP | September 8, 1983 |
The Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center is a special museum. It celebrates the life and writings of an author named Mari Sandoz. The museum also teaches about the High Plains region of the western United States. This is the area where Sandoz grew up and where many of her stories took place.
The Center is located at Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska. It is inside the college's old library building. This building is so important that it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
History of Chadron State College
Starting a New College
In 1909, the state government of Nebraska decided to build a new school. This school would train teachers and was called a "normal school." The next year, Chadron was chosen as the perfect spot for the new school.
Classes at the new school began in the summer of 1911. There were 111 students in the first group.
Becoming a College
In 1921, the state government passed a new law. This law changed the normal schools into "teachers colleges." So, in 1949, the school officially became the Nebraska State Teachers College at Chadron. Later, in 1963, it got its current name: Chadron State College.
Early Campus Buildings
From 1911 to 1938, seven main buildings were built on the campus. After that, no big new buildings were added until 1953.
The first building was the Administration Building, started in 1910. It was ready in 1911. Other early buildings included:
- A women's dorm, now called Sparks Hall, built in 1914.
- The gym, now Miller Hall, built in 1920.
- The "training school," now the Hildreth Education Building, built in 1926.
- A library, built in 1929.
- A new women's dorm, now Edna Work Hall, built in 1932.
- Crites Hall, built in 1938.
The library building from 1929 was used as the main library until 1967. That's when a new library, the Reta King library, opened. After that, the old library became the Media Center. It held the campus print shop and a TV studio for educational shows.
Historic Buildings Recognition
In 1983, five of the original seven buildings on campus were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This special list recognizes important historic places. The 1929 library was one of these buildings. The college was honored because it was the main school in western Nebraska.
About Mari Sandoz
Mari Sandoz (1896–1966) was a famous author. She was born and grew up in Sheridan County, in the Nebraska Sandhills.
In 1935, she published a book called Old Jules. This book told the story of her father, Jules Sandoz, who was a homesteader. Most of Mari Sandoz's other books, both fiction and non-fiction, were about the history of the High Plains. They often featured Native Americans, explorers, and settlers.
Before she passed away, Sandoz gave many of her writings to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Most of her papers are now kept there. Other important papers are at the Nebraska State Historical Society.
Creating the Sandoz Center
After Mari Sandoz died, her sister Caroline Sandoz Pifer took care of her personal items. Caroline brought Mari's papers and belongings from her last home in New York City back to Sheridan County. For over 20 years, Caroline ran a Mari Sandoz Room, a museum, and a bookshop near Gordon, Nebraska.
In 1971, the Mari Sandoz Heritage Fund started at Chadron State College. The college set aside a room for items related to Sandoz. Over the years, people tried to create a Sandoz center at the college. In 1988, the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society was restarted. Their goal was to build a center.
In 1991, a Mari Sandoz Heritage Room opened in the Administration Building. A year later, people began raising money for a Mari Sandoz Center for High Plains Research. This center would be in the old Chadron State Library. Finally, in 2002, the Center opened with its current name.
The Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center Today
Buildings and Design
The main part of the Center is the old college library. An architect named J. C. Stitt designed the building in 1929. Its design is like many libraries built in the early 1900s. These designs were often suggested by librarians and the Carnegie Corporation.
The building has one main floor above a slightly raised basement. This design gave two usable floors without needing a very tall building. The inside layout is also common for Carnegie libraries. It has one large reading room, an entrance area, and spaces for books and the librarian.
The building's style is simple Neoclassical. It does not have many fancy decorations. The front entrance has Doric columns that hold up a triangular roof part called a pediment. There is also a simple stone edge and a hipped tile roof.
Next to the library building on the south side is the Chicoine Atrium. This area adds about 2,400 square feet of space. It was named after Vernon P. and Madge Fortune Chicoine, who donated money. Its first stone was placed in 2002.
A life-sized bronze statue of Mari Sandoz stands in front of the 1929 library. The statue was made by artist George Lundeen. Around the buildings are several plant collections, known as the Heritage Gardens.
Collections and Exhibits
The Center has many items related to Mari Sandoz. These include her writings, sound recordings, and personal items from her New York apartment. The collection also has recorded interviews with ranching families from the region. There is also a library with 6,000 books about the High Plains.
The museum has several permanent exhibits:
- A gallery about Mari Sandoz's life and books.
- An exhibit on the history of cattle ranching on the High Plains.
- A display about the paleontology (fossils) of the Sandhills.
Plants and Gardens
Both indoor and outdoor exhibits describe the plants of the region. Mari Sandoz's younger sister, Flora Rosa Sandoz, was a trained botanist. She spent most of her life in the Sandhills. The Center has an interactive screen that shows her photos of local wildflowers. It also includes her notes about them.
The Heritage Gardens have different plant collections. These include fruit trees that came from the Sandoz family's own trees. There are also plants brought to the High Plains by early settlers. Another section features native plants used by the Lakota Sioux. The statue of Sandoz is surrounded by plants from the Sandhills prairie. Some of these plants were collected near her grave.
Visiting the Center
The Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center is open all year. More than 5,000 people visit the Center each year.
