Chapter 7: The Bypassed East

Nebraska is a long way off from the Bypassed East however like Nebraska the "region is sparsely populated, with about half the population living in small cities and half in rural areas" (Regions). I will use this posting to show some photos and videos about small town, rural life in Nebraska.

Minden is a small town in Nebraska. Here are a couple of videos that I feel capture the essence of small town life:

Church Picnic

Minden drumline

Country Music Show

I spent several months living in another small town in Cozad, NE. Coming from Southern California with such a high percentage of hispanic residents I was completely surprised to attend my first quinceanera in Nebraska! However it was a wonderful experience. Cozad is almost 11% Hispanic but nearby Lexington is over 50% Hispanic! My spanish speaking skills came in handy! Cozad is such a small town it barely has 4100 residents but I loved the time that I spent there. The town had such a strong sense of community. I remember being so awed by stories of how residents would open their homes to stranded travelers when the interstate closed down due to dangerous weather conditions and the only motel reached capacity.

Downtown Cozad