Nebraska Life Article Leads to Knight Museum Donation

An article including stories from the people in the region, caught the attention of the son of the Superintendent of the Hord Potash Plant, that was located in Lakeside during the potash boom, after it was published in Nebraska Life Magazine.

The story, titled “Boom and Bust: World War I history buried amid Sandhills ruins,” was written by Sheryl Schmeckpeper, and focuses on the history of the potash industry in the western Sandhills. Although the boom of the potash industry only lasted for a few years, the remains of the potash plants are still visible today near Antioch.

Local historian Becky Herian assisted Schmeckpeper with the story. In the article, Schmeckpeper wrote, “Becky Herian has lived in the shadow of the ruins since 1974, when she married her husband, Rick, and moved to his ranch north of Antioch.”

While working on the story, Nebraska Life Editor Alan Bartels and photo editor Joshua Hardin toured the area’s remote potash locations with Herian.

“I have wondered about Nebraska’s potash industry since first driving by the ruins long ago. The historical marker near Antioch provides only a brief explanation of the era,” Bartels said. “Exploring potash ruins on remote ranches not visible from the highway was an educational adventure I will never forget. Meeting salt-of-the-earth people like Becky and Rick Herian, George McFall, and George and Belva Krejci was rewarding, and through Becky’s passion for history I know that Nebraska’s potash story will live on long after the concrete ruins have crumbled to dust.”

Following the publication of the article in the November/December edition of Nebraska Life Magazine, Herian was contacted by 93-year-old Paul Blumer, who is the son of Fred Blumer, the Superintendent of the Hord Potash Plant.

“After conversing with Paul we determined a face –to-face visit would be in order to view photos, written communications and newspaper articles from the period,” said Herian. “We met in a screened in porch (masks and distancing were adhered to) and had a very joyful, lively conversation about Paul’s father and mother who were friends of the Herian family as discovered through a Herian photo album and a story Paul’s dad told about Charlie Herian. I shared much of the potash story through a power point detailed with photos about the industry Paul’s father was engaged in.”

Following the meeting, Blumer and his family donated items, including photos, to the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center related to the potash industry. Herian said she took some of the photos to Lakeside to try to identify historical structures.

“Some great finds included the lot where the Blumer home was (now to find where the house was moved to), the foundation of the main building of the Hord Potash Plant and the layout of additional buildings that remain standing but in disarray. If you or your family, have information, photos or stories about the potash industry please contact me at 762-2417 or the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center,” said Herian.

Herian encourages people to look for another article relating to Alliance in a future edition of Nebraska Life Magazine.