Ponca Tribe Marker

This has been the homeland of the Ponca Indians since earliest recorded history. In 1866, the Federal government signed the treaty of Fort Laramie, which transferred the land to the Sioux without the permission of the Ponca. Treaties made with the government in 1856 had guaranteed their land to them. The Ponca were forcibly removed to Indian Territory in 1877. Unable to adjust to the climate of the South, many died, including the son of Chief Standing Bear.

In January 1879, Standing Bear and his people left Indian Territory bearing the remains of his son for burial in Nebraska. When troops arrested them, white friends came to their aid. A landmark court decision, Standing Bear vs. Crook, which determined that " an Indian is a person within the meaning of the law," did much to provide legal rights for all Indians. In 1977, Standing Bear was elected to the Nebraska Hall of Fame.

A Nebraska Reservation was eventually assigned to the Northern Ponca. In 1962, the reservation was terminated. The Northern Ponca were reinstated as a federally-recognized tribe on October 31, 1990.

- Nebraska State Historical Marker

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:

Niobrara, NE Indian Heritage

Niobrara Museum

Included in the displays and items of our interesting past in the museum are:

Collections of items from Niobrara and surrounding area
Documents of the three Niobrara towns' activities
Niobrara, NE Museums

National Register Sites in Knox County

Bloomfield - Pospeshil Theater (1906): Elaborate pressed tin ceiling, fanciful woodwork.

- Carnegie Library: Being transformed into a museum. 402-373-4771

Center - Knox County Courthouse (1935

Niobrara, NE National Register

Sage Brothers Memorial

The Sage Brothers Memorial plaque was originally placed at the entrance to Sage Brothers Memorial Field. In 1999 it was moved to downtown Niobrara, just north of the Niobrara Mall.

Niobrara, NE Memorials

Gavins Point Dam

Gavins Point Dam, part of the 1944 Pick-Sloan Plan, plays an important role in the successful operation of the six main stem dams and reservoirs on the Upper Missouri River Basin. The dam was completed in 1957 at a cost of $51 million.

Niobrara, NE Recreation

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Attractions and Upcoming Events

Chief Standing Bear

Niobrara Museum

National Register Sites in Knox County

Sage Brothers Memorial

Gavins Point Dam

Things to do Historical Markers near Niobrara, NE

Trail of Tears

Ponca Tribe Marker