Nebraska Decorative Souvenir Plate

MID-AMERICA + THE PLAINS. 
Home Decor / Kitchen Decor, Decorative Plate, Souvenir, c. 1950s. 

Rendered in a gorgeously blue-shaded etch design, the illustrations on this wall plate display Nebraska’s places to see alongside one of its main industries and a famous personality. Buffalo Bill Cody, renowned for his Wild West Show, was born in 1846 in the Iowa Territory, and lived in various places, notably Canada and the Kansas Territory, before using the profits from his performance troupe to establish a ranch in North Platte, NE. His house, the ‘Mansion on the Prairie’, was the largest in the area and he lived there from 1886 to 1913. It became a Nebraska state historical park in 1965. Cody wore many hats over his life, as a hunter, soldier, showman, and rancher. He raised a large head of cattle in North Platte, adding his own herds to what the state still calls its number one industry. Agriculture is the economic powerhouse of the Cornhusker State, and edging out even corn for the top product is beef. A white-faced Hereford illustration on this plate represents meat packing, as that English breed was the type which made Nebraska’s corn fed beef so popular. It was in demand worldwide during most of the 20th century after an enterprising cattleman lobbied for investments in the Omaha Stockyards in 1883. The places to see depicted on this plate include the Oregon trail - a storied system of routes used for passage through the Nebraska Territory and for expansion further west, and Boys Town - an institution founded in 1917 by Father Edward Flanagan to help revolutionize the care of destitute children in America. The Village of Boys Town was built on farmland purchased by Flanagan in 1921, and it was made a National Historic Landmark District in 1985. In the center of this souvenir dish is Nebraska’s State Capitol building in Lincoln, a city which sits centrally within the state as well. In fact this geographic location was one reason Lincoln ended up as the capital. When Nebraska was still a territory, Omaha was the capital. But those living much further south and west petitioned for it to be moved to a spot more convenient for them to reach. The issue was resolved, albeit bitterly, once Nebraska became a state in 1867 … Let there be no controversy that this is a wonderful souvenir piece, though. We can see it displayed with a collection in a cabinet or prominently hung on a wall. The back has a hanger secured into it already, and there is even a felt bumper to keep this ceramic treasure safe and well-positioned. [Condition: Used Very Good. Some of the transferware is smudged, but this is a result of manufacturing not of use.] 

Condition: Used Very Good. 
Local / Regional Areas. 
Dimensions: 9.25” diameter x 0.75” deep / 14 oz