Indigenous people lived in the region for thousands of years before European exploration. Once European exploration, trade, and settlement began, both Spain and France sought to control the region. Artifacts from the periods are found in small museums throughout the state, but there are all sorts of interesting stops.
Kearney hosts a classic car collection of some 200 vintage and modern cars, including the 130 cars automobile collectors Bernie and Janice Taulborg donated to the museum. It includes a wide range of gangster and vintage cars, including a one of a kind 1938 Rolls Royce Wraith Limo, two rare Locomobiles and three Pierce Arrows. Also on display are two rare Lincolns from the Full Classic era, a 1 930 Convertible by LeBaron which is one of only 80 produced and a 1930 Dual Cowl Phaeton, which is one of only 20 manufactured worldwide. These are accompanied by similarly rare models from Packard and Cadillac, Buick and LaSalle. There are many rare brands, including some that most of us have never seen before, like Moon, Gardner, Maxwell, Jewett, Gray and Metz. Among these you will also find wonderful models from Studebaker, Hudson, Mercury and Chrysler.
The collection also showcases exquisite and over the top 1950’s cruisers, from the huge tailfins on a 1959 Cadillac to the stylish overload of an exquisite 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser and 1958 Studebaker Golden Hawk, and of course, the timeless Thunderbird. Their Muscle Car collection includes several rare Mopar cars made by Chrysler, a very rare supercharged Shelby Mustang GT 350 developed by Carl Shelby, and early Pontiac GTO. Other rare sports cars are also on display from Ferrari, Porsche, DeLorean, Lancia, Bricklin, MG and Triumph. Our 1930 MG Boattail Roadster, with its wood framed, fabric covered body is a wonderful look at the origin and history of the sports car.
A trip through Gothenburg will let you visit a piece of transportation history by seeing an original Pony Express way station. They promised mail delivery to the West within 10 days; however, the service was discontinued in 1891 after a year due to the introduction of the transcontinental telegraph!
