Minden in Kearney County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Center Pivot Irrigator

Historic Landmark of Agricultural Engineering

Photographed By Marshall Nelson, March 23, 2020

1. Center Pivot Irrigator Marker

Inscription.
Frank Zybach, farming near Strasburg, Colorado, patented a "Self-Propelled Sprinkling Irrigating Apparatus” on July 22, 1952. Mobile towers carried a pipeline in a circle around a pivot. Sprinklers on the pipeline distributed the water. In 1954, rights were sold to Valley Manufacturing at Valley, Nebraska. This started an industry with several manufacturers, mostly concentrated in Nebraska.

Pivots were the first system to automatically irrigate a variety of crops, soils and field sizes. Today, over 110,000 pivots irrigate 14 million acres in the U.S. while efficiently using soil and water resources.

Erected 1993 by American Society of Agricultural Engineers.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the ASAE Historic Landmarks of Agricultural Engineering series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 22, 1952.

Location. 40° 30.302′ N, 98° 57.07′ W. Marker is in Minden, Nebraska, in Kearney County. Marker can be reached from North Street (U.S. 6) just east of Brown Avenue (State Highway 10), on the left when traveling east. Located on the grounds of Pioneer Village museum, open daily. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 138 E US Highway 6, Minden NE 68959, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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At least 8 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. World War Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Kearney County Courthouse (approx. 0.4 miles away); Civil and Spanish-American Wars Memorial (approx. half a mile away); Kearney County Pioneers (approx. half a mile away); The Burlington & Missouri River Railroad (approx. 9½ miles away); Fort Kearny (approx. 9.9 miles away); Dobytown (approx. 10.6 miles away); The Great Platte River Road (approx. 12.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Minden.

Also see . . . Pioneer Village. See the website for current hours & admission. Pioneer Village includes 28 buildings on 20 acres housing over 50,000 historical items, the largest private collection of Americana. (Submitted on March 25, 2020, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.)

Center Pivot Irrigator display and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Marshall Nelson, March 23, 2020

2. Center Pivot Irrigator display and Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on April 8, 2022. It was originally submitted on March 25, 2020, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 283 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 25, 2020, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.