Articles, "Gates, Last Vestiges of Fence on N.U. Campus, Are Removed"

Title

Articles, "Gates, Last Vestiges of Fence on N.U. Campus, Are Removed"

Subject

Gates
Campus views
University of Nebraska Lincoln campus views

Description

A newspaper article, from The Daily Nebraskan, about the removal of the old iron gates and iron fence from the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1947.

Creator

Daily Nebraskan

Source

RG 38, The Daily Nebraskan, June 21, 1947, Building & Grounds Files, Box 8

Publisher

Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries

Date

1947, June 21

Rights

To inquire about usage, please contact Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries. These images are for educational use only. Not all images are available for publication.

Transcription

Gates, Last Vestiges of Fence On N.U. Campus, Are Removed

Removal of one of the weather-beaten arched iron gates located on 12th and R on the University of Nebraska campus Friday marked the disappearance of the last vestige of a Lincoln landmark for 55 years. The last gate, in front of the Student Union will be dug out Saturday.

The gates were originally located at the two walks entering the campus and after several decades of being shifted from place to place they were planted at their present locations in 1942 to serve as monuments.

L.F. Seaton, operation superintendent of the university, said that the four rusty posts, two ornamental arches bearing the seal of the university and one sagging wrought it on picket gate will be stored in the “archives” under the west stadium for future historical reference.

“We have had some criticism on the appearance of the gates, and people have decided that they are now out of place,” Mr. Seaton said.

Removal of this last piece of the famous fence, erected in 1892 at a cost of $6,800, will close the colorful story of these landmarks.

It was only after spirited debate in the 1892 state legislature that lawmakers could be persuaded to appropriate enough money for campus improvements and the cost of the new fence--an expenditure of “questionable merit.”

The closely-spaced iron pickets foiled wandering cows and postcurfew campus strollers after 10:30 p.m. when the gates were locked for thirty years until one March morning in 1922 students and faculty arrived to find the barrier gone.

To this day no one know who exactly ordered its removal. Several alumni have said the fire department had advised its removal while others said it was a city council ruling, or the personal order a university official.

June 21, 1947

Files

gatesremovedarticle.jpg

Citation

Daily Nebraskan, “Articles, "Gates, Last Vestiges of Fence on N.U. Campus, Are Removed",” Nebraska U, accessed March 28, 2024, https://unlhistory.unl.edu/items/show/544.

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