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Readers ask about Bradshaw spur and former missile site
The following questions were asked recently on the Wonderline:
Q: Did the missile silo by Bradshaw prompt the location of the “Bradshaw Spur” to the interstate? If so, here are some missile silo questions I have about that location. What type of missile was there, an ICBM? If so, was it a single warhead? How deep was the silo? What was the effective range of the missile? How did they keep it freshly fueled for immediate launch? How many other similar sites were located around Nebraska?
A: It is the assumption, based upon information from longtime area residents, that the location of the Bradshaw Spur was chosen due to the proximity of the missile silo near Bradshaw.
The missile site in York County was constructed in 1960 and taken out of commission four years later. It was operated by the 551st Strategic Missile Squadron from the Lincoln Air Force Base.
York’s site was one of 12 in Nebraska. The other locations were near Wilber, Cortland, Beatrice, Tecumseh, Nebraska City, Palmyra, Avoca, Elmwood, Eagle, Seward and Brainard.
The silo near York was an Atlas F operation, holding an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). The missile was stored vertically, 175 feet into the ground. The missile had a single warhead, was 75 feet in length, 10 feet in diameter, it weighed 260,000 pounds and had a range of 11,500 miles.
The site was physically maintained 24 hours a day, seven days a week by defense workers — they were on constant alert and required to make sure the missile would be ready to go at any given time, if a launch order had been given.
Q: Is it true that Amelia Earhart was at the dedication of York’s first airport, south of York, in 1929?
A: Wonderline has received information that no, Earhart, the famous pilot, was not present for the dedication of the location called “Hagood Field,” which was apparently located near what is now the Nebraska Department of Roads in York.
However, she did visit York in May, 1931, with her Beech-Nut-sponsored airplane. A photo of Earhart and her airplane are featured in the 1970 historical book called “The York Area Centennial.”
Q: Can cats eat ice cream?
A: It’s not recommended, as it can give them diarrhea. The sugar content is also a concern, as cats’ digestive systems are not equipped for its ingestion.
Q: How much did Warren Buffett pay for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad?
A: According to the Associated Press, Berkshire Hathaway will pay $23.6 billion in cash and stock for the shares of the company it doesn’t already own. The total value of the company is $34 billion.
Q: Kevon Mallory was supposed to be sentenced in York County District Court this week. Why hasn’t the newspaper reported what happened?
A: Mallory’s sentencing was continued because officials are waiting for the results of an evaluation before proceeding. The evaluation is scheduled for Nov. 20, so sentencing was postponed until Dec. 14.
Q: I have been told that my grandfather attended York College and became a United Brethren minister. What years was York College affiliated with the United Brethren Church?
A: York College was affiliated with the United Brethren Church from 1890 to 1952.
Q: Bill Cosby always wears a pin. What is on that pin?
A: Cosby started wearing the pin while still on the “Cosby Show.” The pin says “SDjr,” which is a tribute to his good friend, Sammy Davis Jr., who died in 1989.
Q: This is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard, but tell me if it is true. At one time, was it actually considered illegal to play baseball in York?
A: It sounds crazy, but Wonderline actually found a sentence in a historical book about York that seems to indicate that was true — on Sundays.
On Page 64, of “Yesterday and Today,” it says that “Until the 1930s, Sunday baseball was illegal in York. Those who wished to play traveled to Utica.”
Q: I always read the Permanent Record portion of the newspaper, on Page 2, where the county court fines, jail, etc. are published. When it comes to speeding, there’s obviously certain fines given for certain speeds over the limit. I know the fines have changed over the years. What is the scale now?
A: Nebraska state law says that the following fines must be charged if someone is speeding at these levels: 1-5 mph over the limit, $10; 6-10 mph, $25; 11-15 mph, $75; 16-20 mph, $125; 21-35 mph, $200; 35 mph-plus, $300. Also, remember to tack on $45 for court costs, per ticket.
Q: A few months ago, the county commissioners were all worried about the train crossings in this area, after a near-accident and then a fatality accident. But now I don’t hear anyone talking about it. Are they still concerned?
A: Several commissioners and the county’s highway superintendent have had discussions and meetings with representatives of the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) and the railroad on the matter. They have also physically visited a number of crossings in the county, to get a sense of visibility issues, themselves.
Don Robb, York County’s highway superintendent, told the commissioners this past week that an NDOR representative will be at their next meeting to talk about various railroad crossings in the county. So the topic appears to still be very much alive and on the table.
Q: I saw where that Carhenge place in Nebraska was named as one of the most whacky tourism destinations in the nation. My question is how on earth did that place get started? Who put those cars like that?
A: The artist of this unique car sculpture, Jim Reinders, experimented with unusual and interesting artistic creations throughout his life. While living in England, he had the opportunity to study the design of Stonehenge. His desire to copy Stonehenge in physical size and placement came to fruition in the summer of 1987 with the help of many family members.
Thirty-eight automobiles were placed to assume the same proportions as Stonehenge with the circle measuring approximately 96 feet in diameter. Some autos are held upright in pits five feet deep, trunk end down, while those cars which are placed to form the arches have been welded in place. All are covered with gray spray paint. The honor of depicting the heel stone goes to a 1962 Caddy.
Carhenge was built as a memorial to Reinders' father who once lived on the farm where Carhenge now stands. While relatives were gathered following the death of Reinders' father in 1982, the discussion turned to a memorial and the idea of a Stonehenge replica was developed. The family agreed to gather in five years and build it. The clan, about 35 strong, gathered in June 1987 and went to work. They held the dedication on the Summer Solstice in 1987, with champagne, poetry, songs and a play written by the family.
Carhenge has been preserved by Friends of Carhenge, a local group, who now owns and maintains it. Reinders donated the 10 acres of land where Carhenge is located. They have added a paved parking lot, picnic tables and an educational display board.
Additional sculptures have been erected at the site, known as the Car Art Reserve. One of the first sculptures to be added to the Car Art Reserve is a sculpture of a spawning salmon created by 29-year-old Canadian Geoff Sandhurst.
Reinders' "Ford Seasons,” comprised only of Fords and inspired by Vivaldi's Four Seasons, suggests the Nebraska landscape's seasonal changes as wheat is planted, grows, is harvested and then the field lies barren during a windy winter.
Q: Did the missile silo by Bradshaw prompt the location of the “Bradshaw Spur” to the interstate? If so, here are some missile silo questions I have about that location. What type of missile was there, an ICBM? If so, was it a single warhead? How deep was the silo? What was the effective range of the missile? How did they keep it freshly fueled for immediate launch? How many other similar sites were located around Nebraska?
A: It is the assumption, based upon information from longtime area residents, that the location of the Bradshaw Spur was chosen due to the proximity of the missile silo near Bradshaw.
The missile site in York County was constructed in 1960 and taken out of commission four years later. It was operated by the 551st Strategic Missile Squadron from the Lincoln Air Force Base.
York’s site was one of 12 in Nebraska. The other locations were near Wilber, Cortland, Beatrice, Tecumseh, Nebraska City, Palmyra, Avoca, Elmwood, Eagle, Seward and Brainard.
The silo near York was an Atlas F operation, holding an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). The missile was stored vertically, 175 feet into the ground. The missile had a single warhead, was 75 feet in length, 10 feet in diameter, it weighed 260,000 pounds and had a range of 11,500 miles.
The site was physically maintained 24 hours a day, seven days a week by defense workers — they were on constant alert and required to make sure the missile would be ready to go at any given time, if a launch order had been given.
Q: Is it true that Amelia Earhart was at the dedication of York’s first airport, south of York, in 1929?
A: Wonderline has received information that no, Earhart, the famous pilot, was not present for the dedication of the location called “Hagood Field,” which was apparently located near what is now the Nebraska Department of Roads in York.
However, she did visit York in May, 1931, with her Beech-Nut-sponsored airplane. A photo of Earhart and her airplane are featured in the 1970 historical book called “The York Area Centennial.”
Q: Can cats eat ice cream?
A: It’s not recommended, as it can give them diarrhea. The sugar content is also a concern, as cats’ digestive systems are not equipped for its ingestion.
Q: How much did Warren Buffett pay for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad?
A: According to the Associated Press, Berkshire Hathaway will pay $23.6 billion in cash and stock for the shares of the company it doesn’t already own. The total value of the company is $34 billion.
Q: Kevon Mallory was supposed to be sentenced in York County District Court this week. Why hasn’t the newspaper reported what happened?
A: Mallory’s sentencing was continued because officials are waiting for the results of an evaluation before proceeding. The evaluation is scheduled for Nov. 20, so sentencing was postponed until Dec. 14.
Q: I have been told that my grandfather attended York College and became a United Brethren minister. What years was York College affiliated with the United Brethren Church?
A: York College was affiliated with the United Brethren Church from 1890 to 1952.
Q: Bill Cosby always wears a pin. What is on that pin?
A: Cosby started wearing the pin while still on the “Cosby Show.” The pin says “SDjr,” which is a tribute to his good friend, Sammy Davis Jr., who died in 1989.
Q: This is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard, but tell me if it is true. At one time, was it actually considered illegal to play baseball in York?
A: It sounds crazy, but Wonderline actually found a sentence in a historical book about York that seems to indicate that was true — on Sundays.
On Page 64, of “Yesterday and Today,” it says that “Until the 1930s, Sunday baseball was illegal in York. Those who wished to play traveled to Utica.”
Q: I always read the Permanent Record portion of the newspaper, on Page 2, where the county court fines, jail, etc. are published. When it comes to speeding, there’s obviously certain fines given for certain speeds over the limit. I know the fines have changed over the years. What is the scale now?
A: Nebraska state law says that the following fines must be charged if someone is speeding at these levels: 1-5 mph over the limit, $10; 6-10 mph, $25; 11-15 mph, $75; 16-20 mph, $125; 21-35 mph, $200; 35 mph-plus, $300. Also, remember to tack on $45 for court costs, per ticket.
Q: A few months ago, the county commissioners were all worried about the train crossings in this area, after a near-accident and then a fatality accident. But now I don’t hear anyone talking about it. Are they still concerned?
A: Several commissioners and the county’s highway superintendent have had discussions and meetings with representatives of the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) and the railroad on the matter. They have also physically visited a number of crossings in the county, to get a sense of visibility issues, themselves.
Don Robb, York County’s highway superintendent, told the commissioners this past week that an NDOR representative will be at their next meeting to talk about various railroad crossings in the county. So the topic appears to still be very much alive and on the table.
Q: I saw where that Carhenge place in Nebraska was named as one of the most whacky tourism destinations in the nation. My question is how on earth did that place get started? Who put those cars like that?
A: The artist of this unique car sculpture, Jim Reinders, experimented with unusual and interesting artistic creations throughout his life. While living in England, he had the opportunity to study the design of Stonehenge. His desire to copy Stonehenge in physical size and placement came to fruition in the summer of 1987 with the help of many family members.
Thirty-eight automobiles were placed to assume the same proportions as Stonehenge with the circle measuring approximately 96 feet in diameter. Some autos are held upright in pits five feet deep, trunk end down, while those cars which are placed to form the arches have been welded in place. All are covered with gray spray paint. The honor of depicting the heel stone goes to a 1962 Caddy.
Carhenge was built as a memorial to Reinders' father who once lived on the farm where Carhenge now stands. While relatives were gathered following the death of Reinders' father in 1982, the discussion turned to a memorial and the idea of a Stonehenge replica was developed. The family agreed to gather in five years and build it. The clan, about 35 strong, gathered in June 1987 and went to work. They held the dedication on the Summer Solstice in 1987, with champagne, poetry, songs and a play written by the family.
Carhenge has been preserved by Friends of Carhenge, a local group, who now owns and maintains it. Reinders donated the 10 acres of land where Carhenge is located. They have added a paved parking lot, picnic tables and an educational display board.
Additional sculptures have been erected at the site, known as the Car Art Reserve. One of the first sculptures to be added to the Car Art Reserve is a sculpture of a spawning salmon created by 29-year-old Canadian Geoff Sandhurst.
Reinders' "Ford Seasons,” comprised only of Fords and inspired by Vivaldi's Four Seasons, suggests the Nebraska landscape's seasonal changes as wheat is planted, grows, is harvested and then the field lies barren during a windy winter.
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| City’s combined levy continues to drop |
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