Posting about the North Platte Canteen was a rushed affair for me yesterday. Within 2 minutes of finishing, I was out the door for a double header baseball game. While I did provide the links for you to check out the Lincoln County Museum North Platte Canteen Online Exhibit, I forgot to mention the other great North Platte Canteen resources available.
Books, Websites and Documentaries
The book that I recommended yesterday, Once Upon a Town, just happens to be the current 2014 selection of the One Book, One Nebraska program. By visiting their official site, you can find all sorts of online North Platte canteen resources with background information as well as discussion questions. They also include many links to articles and audio/video clips. To read the book right now, you would be in good company.
If you are looking for North Platte Canteen resources for children, you will want to look for the book that is simply titled, North Platte Canteen. The subtitle might explain it better: An Account of Heartland Hospitality Along the Union Pacific Railroad. This thirty-six page book includes numerous black and white photographs. You can even find a 1940’s political cartoon. Although the text type is smaller, you should be able to read the book in one sitting. If that is a bit much for your little listener, the pictures truly do tell the story of the North Platte canteen.
Finally, Nebraska Public Television (NET) just happens to have an OUTSTANDING documentary on the North Platte Canteen. You can watch part of their Canteen Spirit documentary online. Occasionally they re-broadcast the whole special again. Definitely worth watching if you can get a hold of the program! They also have a number of clips on YouTube about the Canteen. Note: I have NOT previewed of these, so please watch with discretion.
[…] course, they were the town that served all of the armed forces passing through at their World War 2 canteen, so maybe I should not be surprised at all at this town’s generosity! To learn more, please […]