Midwest Exploration

While in Cincinnati over the summer, I made a point to check out the American Sign Museum. As you can see, the museum is jam packed and contains more than 100 years of signage. Founded in 1999 by Tod Swormstedt after working for the Signs of the Times magazine, the museum promotes sign preservation and restoration. If you find yourself in the area, it's worth a visit.

The Kresge Court inside the Detroit Institute of Fine Arts was originally created as an open air courtyard when the central building of the art institute was completed in 1927. Architect Philippe Cret designed it to replicate similar courtyarda in Italian medieval palaces such as the Palazzo del Bargello in Florence. It was covered with a glass roof in 1961 - a gift of the Kresge Foundation for which the courtyard was named.

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In 1884 James and Patrick Doud, descendants of Irish immigrants who escaped the potato famine, opened the oldest family-owned grocery store in the United States on Mackinac Island, Michigan.

A fire destroyed the original building of what was then called Doud Bros. on the harbor near where the ferry's dock. Afterwards they moved it to its current location across from Marquette Park on the corner of Main and Fort Streets.

The family run business served locals by providing essential goods but following the Civil War, it had become popular with tourists as well.

Over time the store was renamed Doud's Mercantile and finally Doud's Market. James' son Frances took over the store followed by his son Stephen. Today it is operated by the fourth generation of Doud's in great grandson Andrew and his family.

The islands only grocery store stocks items to satisfy both types of customers. It ha everything from fresh produce, meet, cheese, pizza, wine and beer, liquor and snacks. It also delivers groceries to the homes of residents - a practice that keeps it in line with the historic charm of the island.

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Palms Book State Park is located on the north end of Indian Lake in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The park is home to Kitch-iti-kipi or "The Big Spring." The freshwater spring has more than 10,000 gallons of water per minutes gushing through fissures in the underlying limestone at a constant 45 degrees Fahrenheit. From a self propelled guided observation raft, visitors can view this crystal-clear pool with an emerald green bottom 45 feet below. It is open from 8 AM to Dusk.

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Built in 1896 this Queen Anne Victorian residence, officially known as Dean's Residence, was built for the head of the College of Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin. The three-story brick dwelling is located near Lake Mendota. While William A. Henry was it's first resident, three other deans and their families lived there over the next half century. The last one liked it so much that he remained after he served as the dean. The house was added the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It is currently undergoing a renovation and will be turned into offices and meeting spaces and will be available for weddings.

In 1989 the 2 1/2 acre Allen Centennial Gardens were built surrounding the Dean Residence. They were named for former faculty members Oscar and Ethel Allen - a champion of the garden. The year round garden is free to visit and features a variety of flowers, shrubs, vines and vegetables. Part of the Horticulture Department, it serves as an outdoor classroom.

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On the way to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan we passed Youngville on the Lincoln Highway. Built by Joseph Young, it was constructed in a quaint English Tudor style to attract motorists traveling along what was the first transcontinental highway. Joseph was in his 70s when he built it. His daughter, Elizabeth Wheeler, lived in the upstairs living quarters while running the business. Starting in 1931 Youngville included a roadside restaurant, filling station, bus stop and cabins. Located at the junction of Highways 30 and 218 in Benton County, Iowa, it was popular with both travelers as well as locals. It closed in 1967 as parking was no longer allowed allowed on the highway. While the cafe still stands and now opens on Tuedays, the cabins were destroyed by arson in 2004.

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While visiting friends in Colorado, they asked Rosser “Ole” Herstedt to pitch against their archival. They offered their friend who had developed a reputation as an outstanding baseball player in his youth $50 if they won. While he followed through on his end of the bargain, his friends couldn’t come up with the cash so they offered him a walnut bar that had been crafted for the Plains Hotel in Cheyenne, Wyoming. This was during prohibition though there were rumors that it would soon be repealed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

By this time, Ole had been operating a grocery store in the small town of Paxton, NE where he was born and raised. His parents, however, owned a building in town so he calculated that a fancy walnut bar and the building would give him an advantage over the competition. The building was among the first built in town and was constructed as a hardware store for Howard Miles. Ole installed the bar at 123 N Oak St and opened Herstedt’s Bar one minute after midnight once the 21st Amendment was ratified.

Ole was a young man at 29 years old and worked long hours sometimes opening at 6 and not closing until after 1. Some days he would even play cards afterwards. He ran a good bar with the help of his mother, Hattie, and it became a popular spot with the nearby farmers and ranchers. The bar really came alive during hunting season when hunters arrived in town and would retreat back to Herstedt’s for a night of card playing and story-telling. In those days, women other than Hattie wouldn’t dare go near the place.

In 1938 Ole fell in love with big game hunting which over the course of the next 35 years would take him to every continent. His obsession would also have a profound impact on his business which he would rename as Ole’s Big Game Bar in 1949. By that time he had completely remodeled the building and began mounting and hanging the trophies from his travels around the world. Among his trophies were a moose from Canada, black bear from Alaska, red fox from England, and a python from Honduras. From the bar, he served food in addition to selling sporting goods equipment, guns, ammunition and fishing gear. On the exterior of the building which had oval windows and a glass door, he installed neon lights depicting a Cowboy and American Indian.

In 1969 Ole got his prized possession, a polar bear which he bagged from an ice floe in the Bering Strait. In total he acquired over 200 trophies that he displayed at his bar which also attracted crowds for its wild game dinners and films that were recorded during his safaris. While Ole ceased his hunting trips in 1973, he continued to operate the bar which had gained a national following as it appeared in publications across the country. It began attracting motorists driving along I-80 in addition to those attending the annual Nebraska-Colorado rivalry game. It even attracted celebrities such as heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey, Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne, actor Robert Duvall, boxer Sugar Ray Robinson and many professional baseball players.

Ole was ready to retire by 1986 but failed to find a buyer at the time. His son, Corky who had helped him run the bar since 1973 wasn’t interested in taking it over. While his preference was to keep the bar in Paxton, he began making arrangements to sell his trophies to friends in South Carolina who intended to open a bar of their own. He eventually found a buyer that was determined to keep the establishment in town. I found it interesting that Louis Pribyl who once operated the Nifty Bar in Omaha handled the sale. See my page for the history of the Nifty Bar.

A Paxton native himself, Tim Holzfaster, thinks of himself primarily as a curator whose responsibility it is to pass what may be the state’s most famous bar and grill to its next owner in good condition. He even expanded the bar after purchasing the adjacent Swede’s Cafe. Ole continued to visit the bar that had become his legacy until he passed in 1996. Ole’s remains in good hands and is just as popular today with the locals as it is with hunters and passersby. It is open every day of the year except for Christmas.

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On a recent trip to Kansas City, I took my son to the Rabbit Hole. The first of its kind, it is a museum that immerses kids and adults in the world children's literature.

The idea of an interactive literary museum where kids could stroll "Where the Sidewalk Ends" or step into "Goodnight Moon" was first announced eight years ago. The museum finally opened its doors in 2024.

My family had a blast going through he rabbit hole at the entrance and into the various exhibits based on books some of which I was familiar with and others not.

The Rabbit H0le is located at 919 E 14th Ave in Kansas City, MO.

The oldest continuously operating tavern west of the Missouri River is located in Columbus, Nebraska. Before opening the bar, Joseph Bucher worked at his father’s flour mill in Switzerland. Born in 1845 Joseph immigrated to the U.S. in 1873. First settling in Chicago, he moved to Columbus, NE in 1876 and built a flour mill, bowling alley and saloon with his brother William at 2301 S 11th St. Bucher’s Saloon was best known for selling ci**rs and to***co in its early days.

William “Buffalo Bill” Cody would occasionally drop into the bar from 1883-1915. Rumor has it that in 1883 he dropped in with his Wild West troupe and bought a round of drinks for everyone before paying the tab with a $1,000 bill. In 1892 the brothers Glur installed a beer garden with eight tables, sixteen benches and electric lights. It was shaded by large trees and gave it an appearance of a retreat in the woods.

In 1894 Joseph sold his share of the business to William due to his wife’s health issues. Joseph purchased 33 acres of land near Escondido near San Diego where he grew lemon, orange and olive trees in addition to peaches and apricots. They later relocated to San Bernandino where he would ship barrels of wine back to Columbus for the tavern. William continued to operate the bar until 1914. Afterwards he founded Farmers State Bank in 1917.

William hired Louis Glur in 1903 when he was just seventeen years old. 11 years later in 1914, Louis took over the bar and renamed it Glur’s Tavern. After prohibition started in 1920 it operated as a soft drink and ice cream parlor. Its owner also brought in decks of cards, cribbage boards, slot machines and started serving food in an attempt to keep it open. The effort paid off as the bar has remained open ever since. It also started a tradition of playing cards in the bar that continues to this day.

Joseph Bucher passed away in 1925 followed by his brother William in 1938. Louis Glur, meanwhile, passed away in 1931. From there his sons Louis and Conrad took over. The biggest renovation occurred in the 1960’s when the bar was moved from one side to the other. It was around this time that they added a ladies room. Conrad sold it after brother passed away in 1968. Their sister, Elinor Glur Viergutz and her husband Gus ran the bar until 1977. They made several improvements including installing the wooden railing around the building and replacing the bar with one from the old Ivanhoe Bar in downtown Omaha. That marked the end of its long run being owned by the Glur family as Brian Gaver took over. He enlarged the kitchen in the 1980’s. In 1992 he sold it to its the former owners of McFly’s Center Street Tavern in Omaha, Todd and Carrie Trofholz who worked hard over the next 24 years to keep its legacy intact. While they sold the business in 2024, it remains open under new ownership.

The two-story frame building with a large wraparound porch looks nearly identical to the photo from 1899. Its original oak floors remain in place in addition to its limestone foundation. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Widely believed to be the oldest continuously operated tavern west of the Missouri River, today it is known as a reliable place that attracts family gatherings, weddings, funerals and family reunions. Its history is a draw for tourists and has seen its share of politicians including Bob Kerrey and Ben Nelson not to mention former heavyweight champion boxer Leon Spinks who married a Columbus native. Glur’s is known for its famous burgers and fried potatoes. It still features a beer garden, basketball hoop and sand volleyball court. Inside the walls are lined with stuffed deer, pheasants and geese in addition to beer signs and other memorabilia.