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We invite you to enjoy the rich history of our proud past and immerse yourself in the restoration efforts associated with our promising future.

Come join past visitors, including E. G. Marshall, Susan B. Anthony, David McCullough, Debra Winger, Helen Keller, Julie Harris, Father Flanigan, Levar Burton, Rin Tin Tin, Chief Medicine Horse, Maya Angelou, Garrison Keillor, Bishop Clarkson, Dick Cavett, Alexander Payne, William Jennings Bryan, Ken Burns, Carrie Nation, Gunnar & Matthew Nelson, Lucia Woods, Eva Marie Saint, Blind Boone, Jon Bokencamp, and many others as you travel the streets of Red Cloud. Absorb some of those same sites and structures that a few of our native and adopted sons and daughters: Cy Young, Willa Cather, Silas Garber, Lea Penman, Harry Obitz, Dazzy Vance, William Norris, Fatty Arbuckle, Mildred Rhodes Bennett, and Clarence Mitchell once experienced.

The tour upon which you are to embark is not a complete representation of Red Cloud’s past, but encapsulates only a relatively small amount of information on the subject. It represents over 1,000 hours of recent research and documentation, and borrows from the author’s thousands of hours of previous scholarly investigations related to the town’s rich heritage.

Under the umbrella of a Certified Local Government grant, funding for this project was provided via volunteer hours, monetary contributions from the Red Cloud Community Foundation and the City of Red Cloud, as well as grant support from the National Park Service, and the U. S. Department of the Interior as administered by the Nebraska State Historical Society under provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Suzi Yost Schulz, a local Red Cloud Historian is responsible for the content of the project.

Again, on behalf of our community, I hope you enjoy a glimpse into Red Cloud’s past as you discover a sample of some of the stories associated with the town, its historic structures, and a number of the people who influenced outcomes, as well as those that made it all happen. An objective and anticipated product of this experience is that it will evoke other intriguing questions, events, stories, and photos that can be more thoroughly researched and shared in the future.

I am ever indebted to the following for access to their artifact and photo collections. Without such resources, an endeavor such as this would not have been possible. Photo Credits for this project are due to: The Yost-Leak Photo Collection (which encompassed the majority of the photos used), The Webster County Historical Museum Photo Collection, The Suzi Yost Schulz Photo Collection, The Nebraska State Historical Society Photo Collection, and the Willa Cather Foundation Photo Collection. Special thanks are also extended to my husband, Bob Schulz, for all of his assistance and support; my brother, John A “Jay” Yost for his assistance and editing support; Teresa Young for her fact-checking and museum assistance; Dan Benedict and Jay Hall for their technical assistance, and to readers, Harriett Yost Zade and Cindy Ryman Yost.

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Suzi Yost Schulz

There are a couple of ways to use this website to learn more about Red Cloud and its history:

1. Use a QR code scanning app on your smart phone or tablet when you see a sign like this attached to a lamppost. You’ll be directed straight to the history page for that location.

2. Browse the site and click the location links to learn about Red Cloud landmarks and history.

Please note: when enjoying our city sites, we ask that you respect the property and pick up after yourself. Let’s ensure that the sites we enjoy today remain sites that future generations can enjoy as well.