MINDEN — The first two acquisitions for what became Pioneer Village were local rescues by founder Harold Warp: the rural school he attended, which went up for sale in 1948, and Minden’s first church, built in 1884.
He soon bought other south-central Nebraska pioneer-era buildings in his mission to acquire more authentic artifacts representing progress in transportation, farming equipment and rural homes. Today, 28 buildings house more than 50,000 artifacts on the 20-acre Pioneer Village.
Warp had moved to Chicago in 1924 to start Flex-O-Glass, which he grew into a major player in the burgeoning plastics industry. While on business trips across the country, he found artifacts that fit his “How America Grew” theme established by those first two purchases.
He, his sister Clara and brother-in-law T.C. Jensen, the museum’s first director when it opened in June 1953 in Minden, purchased 90% of the exhibits.
Pioneer Village was in private ownership until 1983, when the family created a foundation to own and operate the site. Harold’s son Skip served as the first board chairman. Harold died in April 1994 and management shifted to a community effort after Skip died on Christmas Day 2020.
That sparked a volunteer-led effort to put life back into the museum’s buildings and grounds.
“There was a realization that the community needed the village and the village needed the community,” said Pioneer Village Director William Ascarza. “The mindset and heartset of the people was that we have a treasure here. We should be proud of it.”
Funding has come from ticket sales, online auctions, grants and donations.
Volunteer Director Alan Farlin’s email list of 180 names includes 30-40 regulars who specialize in restoring old farm equipment and other mechanical things, building repairs, painting and landscaping.
“It’s just amazing all the little things that are getting done,” Ascarza said. “It’s thousands and thousands of dollars worth (of labor and materials).”
A publicity boost came from the initial 2023 broadcast of an episode of The History Channel’s “American Pickers” that featured Pioneer Village. It was filmed in April 2022, and reruns continue to be shown, most recently on July 30
“It was profitable,” Ascarza said about selling surplus items in storage quonsets. “Almost every day, I hear people say they came in because they saw us on ‘The Pickers.'”
