Ponca, Nebraska

Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Salem Church - NHR

Built in 1906, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this is one of Nebraska's outstanding examples of Swedish-American Gothic Revival wood church architecture. The building was designed by Swedish architect, Olof Z. Cervin.

Carnegie Library - NHR

This brick structure, faced on three sides with stone, was constructed in 1913, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the second to last library to be built with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie. It now contains over 7,712 volumes.

War Memorials

Union Memorial - "Sacred to the memory of the boys who wore the blue from 1861 - 1865.

Loss of Lives: North, 359,529 -- South, 349,556"

Foreign Wars Memorial - "Soldiers who died overseas - Dixon County"

Dixon County Courthouse - NHR

Built about 25 years after Dixon County was established, the Dixon County Courthouse was built in 1883-84 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Dixon County was established in 1858. Several communities competed for the county seat designation, including

Chief Standing Bear

Ponca Chief Standing Bear merely wanted to fulfill a promise; instead, he became part of one of the West's most famous trials. The Chief's son, like many of his tribe, had taken ill after being forced onto a reservation in Oklahoma. On his deathbed, the son uttered a final wish: