RonnieAdventure #0488 - Antioch and Alliance, Nebraska

In the early 1900s there were only a few people living in Antioch (Nebraska). The town had one church, a school, and general store. When World War I started the United States was cut off from its potash suppliers in Germany, so Antioch became the main supplier of potash for the United States. The town soon became known as "The Potash Capital of Nebraska.". 

Before the War, imported potash had been selling for $8 to $10 per ton, but the price quick jumped to $150 per ton when Germany quit selling potash to the United States. Five new potash processing plants were built along the railroad tracks in Antioch and the population quickly grew to over 5,000 people. It was expensive to produce potash in Nebraska, but it was the only potash available to companies that use potash in their manufacturing processes. 

When WW I ended, potash was once again imported from Germany and the Nebraska potash plants went out of business. There are still a few people that live in the Antioch area, but the town is considered to be a ghost town. A few abandoned houses and potash plant ruins are still standing. 

Located just north of Alliance is an art project entitled "Carhenge," which is similar to Stonehenge (England), except Carhenge was made using vintage American automobiles instead of stone. The exhibit was built by Jim Reinders on the family farm and dedicated in June 1987 during the summer solstice.

Carhenge was included in the Path of Totality during the August 21, 2017 solar eclipse. Over 4,000 people showed up at Carhenge that day, including Nebraska's Governor and other dignitaries. The artist that created the exhibit said he did not know about the 2017 solar eclipse when he built Carhenge. 

Alliance (population 8,491) was founded in 1891 and the town's name was chosen because they wanted a name that would be toward the top of the alphabet. In the Lakota language, Alliance means "Sand River Bend."

While we were staying in Alliance, we attended a carnival in the downtown area in front of the courthouse. There was even a Zesto in Alliance (not downtown), but it was closed in the evenings because the carnival was in town. 

BONUS PICTURES BY KOLOHE

"The Ford Seasons"