CCHS Research Center
The Custer County Historical Society (CCHS), aka Custer County Museum, was founded in 1961 as a library when Nebraska was preparing to celebrate its centennial. With a mission to “Preserve and collect the history of Custer County Nebraska for the future generations to enjoy,” the museum displays the history of pioneer life, homesteading, and items of each of the county’s communities. CCHS has a large research center with the county’s newspapers and archives called Family Files. CCHS is run by a history-loving staff member and a dedicated group of volunteers.
Solomon D. Butcher Exhibit
The museum’s most significant collection is its recently updated Solomon D. Butcher Photo Gallery. Butcher captured many iconic scenes of pioneer life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
CCHS houses many other interesting and significant stories, including that of the Olive family, who had a ranch in Custer County and were involved in a notorious killing. They “shot first and did not ask questions, that was the vigilante of the time.” CCHS has books available on these Western stories.
New projects at the museum include an ongoing effort to acquire photos of all 248 rural schools that have existed in the county. CCHS has also been updating all of the county’s cemetery census in order to have accurate data for patrons.
Custer County Museum on the Downtown Square
The Custer County Museum is located at 445 South 9th Ave. in Broken Bow, on the downtown square. The museum is open all year, weekday afternoons from 1 to 5 pm; with additional summer hours of Mon-Sat 10 am to 5 pm. Visit their website here; contact them at [email protected] or 308-872-2203.
-Christian Newth, Membership and Volunteer Coordinator, September 2024
