Pierce in Pierce County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Gilman Park
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 24, 2022
1. Gilman Park Marker
The first flour mill in Pierce County was constructed here about 1880 by Stephen F. Gilman. Power for its operation came from a dam on the north fork of the Elkhorn River. Flour from the mill was marketed widely under the Golden Crescent brand-name.
Flour milling was an important pioneer industry in Nebraska. Small mills processed locally-grown grain, provided jobs, and brought customers to patronize the stores of hometown merchants. The mill ponds provided recreation including fishing, swimming, and ice skating. The Pierce Mill was a mainstay of the areas economy until it was destroyed by fire on November 7, 1908. Though the mill was rebuilt, the importance of small-town mills had begun to wane; soon after a flood destroyed the mill dam in 1924, the Pierce Mill closed permanently.
In 1935 the City of Pierce acquired the mill site from Stephen F. Gilmans heirs and a new dam was built by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. The resulting park was named in honor of the Gilman family. Subsequent improvements have expanded the park to its present fifty acres.
Erected by Pierce County Historical Society; and
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Nebraska State Historical Society, and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1880.
Location. 42° 12.055′ N, 97° 31.347′ W. Marker is in Pierce, Nebraska, in Pierce County. It can be reached from North Mill Street 0.1 miles north of East Main Street (State Highway 98), on the right when traveling north. Marker is located near the Gilman Park entrance, just east of North Mill Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 North Mill Street, Pierce NE 68767, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Nebraska. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, and on the prairies. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 24, 2022
2. Gilman Park Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Old Willow Creek Bridge (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Meridian Highway: From Canada to Mexico (approx. 3.8 miles away); St. Paul's Lutheran Church (approx. 12 miles away); Verges Park (approx. 12½ miles away); Battle Creek (approx. 13.9 miles away).
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 24, 2022
3. Gilman Park Works Progress Administration Bridge (1936)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 24, 2022
4. Gilman Park Works Progress Administration Bridge (1936)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 24, 2022
5. Gilman Park Works Progress Administration Bridge (1936)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 24, 2022
6. Gilman Park Works Progress Administration Bridge (1936)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 28, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 27, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 285 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 28, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
