The Nelson, Nebraska Cemetery Has a One Of A Kind Elevated Walkway

A quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin goes, “One can tell the morals of a culture by the way they treat their dead.” The people of Nelson, in Nuckolls County, valued their departed so much at the turn of the 20th century that they completed an impressive feat of engineering to make it possible to visit the town cemetery as often as they wanted.

The town of Nelson is separated from the town cemetery by a deep ravine.

The chasm reaches down 50 feet in some places, making it extremely difficult to navigate.

In the first years of the 20th century, there was a dirt path leading to the cemetery, but it was prone to severe flooding.

To overcome the obstacle, the town's P.E.O. ladies came up with the idea to construct a 1200-foot-long walkway between the town and the cemetery.

The P.E.O. sisterhood ladies conducted several ambitious fundraising campaigns to raise the money needed for the project.

Thanks to the determination of the ladies, the walkway was completed and the town, for the first time, had easy access to their cemetery.

Over the years, the walkway was used for many purposes. It not only carried Nelson residents to visit the graves of their loved ones; it also served as a parade pathway for marching bands on holidays. Nelsonites with homes along the walkway built their sidewalks to connect with it. It became an important part of the town's identity.

Although the maintenance and future of the walkway were in question at one time, the town of Nelson pulled together again and restored the walkway in the early 21st century.

Today, the walkway still stands as a symbol of one little town’s determination and sense of community. There is no other cemetery walkway like it in the entire country; the dedication and ingenuity of the people of Nelson is unrivaled.

For a story of another unique Nebraska town, check out the unusual history of Niobrara.

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There's No Cemetery In The World Quite Like This One In Nebraska

Delana Lefevers

Author

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