64 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN January 2024 were kept in the corrals and grazed the pastures on the property. In 2007, the barn was moved across town to the east side, and after some renovation and paint, it became known as The Red Barn. It was dedicated to the Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway (SJNSB) as its information center. The SJNSB is made up of 272 miles of Highway 2 from Alliance to Grand Island. After many years of planning, a sod house was built to the south of The Red Barn. More than 40 volunteers worked for about four months, turning sod on the west side of the barn property. The wet spring helped with these efforts, and the sod house was completed in the summer of 2023, with a ribbon cutting and dedication taking place Oct. 5. In memory of O.K. Luther and his Herefords, a metal sculpture of the bull Golden Design 14 traveled to Broken Bow for the dedication. This sculpture is part of the Hereford Crossroads exhibit at The Sandhills Heritage Museum in Dunning. The Red Barn and the sod house is a destination point for many travelers to central Nebraska. ~NC~ Request a Catalog! JD Smith of Crawford stands with a photo of Domino Lad C, inducted into the Hereford Crossroads Hall of Fame in October 2023. Smith’s father worked for Virg Kennedy for 42 years and took special care of the bull, which allowed Smith to share special, first-hand knowledge of the bull. Inducted into the Hereford Crossroads Hall of Fame was the Chadron Hereford Show, which ran from 1930 to 1954. It was a huge event, bringing together local and out-of-area Hereford breeders. It was often said that in the late 1940s, there were more purebred Hereford herds within a 100-mile radius of Chadron than any other ranching community in America. Sod House Added to SJNSB Miles to the south and east of Chadron in Broken Bow, another part of Hereford heritage was also celebrated in October. For many years, a well-kept white barn and corrals owned by O.K. Luther sat on the west side of Broken Bow. During that time, Hereford cattle CELEBRATING HEREFORD HERITAGE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 62
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