On April 29th, at the Trails & Rails Museum, there will be a program designed to inform the public about this amazing woman and to raise money for this state-wide project. As a partnered event during the Kearney sesquicentennial year, the Kearney Woman’s Club and the Buffalo County Historical Society/Trails and Rails Museum are hoping to bring awareness to some of the Native American history in Nebraska; specifically with the Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte Memorial Hospital Restoration in Walthill, NE. The combined effort hopes to help further preserve an important historical structure in Nebraska.
According to Lisa Atchison, President of the Kearney Woman’s Club, “This restoration is a state-wide project of all the clubs in the Nebraska Federation of Woman’s Clubs. Dr. Susan was one of us! It is time for our club to do our part.”
Atchison, also a board member for the Buffalo County Historical Society, then approached Broc Anderson with the Trails & Rails Museum about doing a fundraiser for the restoration efforts. According to Anderson, “Our new space in the Family History Center and the Bison Exhibit lined up perfectly for an event like this. Often times we forget about the great Native American history we have in Nebraska, so it is only appropriate that we partner with the Kearney Woman’s Club to help preserve another historical site in the state.”
Susan, daughter of the last Chief of the Omaha tribe, was born in a tipi in Nebraska Territory in 1865. Her father, Chief Iron Eye, wanted her to assimilate to the white man’s world. After graduating at the top of her class from the Woman’s Medical College in Pennsylvania in 1889, she emerged as the first Native American physician in the US and is one of the most extraordinary female figures in American history. Yet, few know her story.
Dr. Susan served on the Board of Nebraska Federation of Woman’s Clubs and was a member of the Nebraska State Medical Society. In 1913, Dr. Picotte opened her hospital doors in Walthill. This was one of the first Native American hospitals and was built on the Omaha Reservation without any federal funding. Her hospital was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1993. Today, this landmark is at risk. In order to save it, a coalition of public and private partners are embarking together on a strategic planning process. The coalition also has a vision of honoring the past and building for the future. The renovated building will house a state-of-the-art museum and a community/wellness center for the Omaha Tribe and Walthill citizens.
As for the April 29th fundraiser, 100% of the proceeds will be given to Picotte Center restoration efforts. Museum doors will open at 6:00PM so people can peruse the Bison Exhibit, bid on silent auction items, and enjoy a dessert bar with refreshments. Then at 7:00PM, the program will begin with an Omaha Drummer’s opening ceremony followed by author Joe Starita, and short talks by Dr. Britt Thedinger from Omaha, Dwight Howe and Gary Bowen. Tickets are on sale at $20 each and can be purchased at the Trails & Rails Museum Monday-Friday 1:00 – 5:00 or by calling Lisa Atchison at 308-991-2353. Ticket sales are limited to 100 due to space availability.
As part of the Kearney 150th year-long celebration, people wishing to participate in other fun activities can go to www.bchs.us or look at the Kearney 150 Facebook page to see all of the events that are coming up.
