Small Town Forgotten in Western Nebraska
Small Town Forgotten in Western Nebraska - Continuing our backroads adventure, we stumble upon another small town forgotten in Nebraska. Known as Western, Nebraska, this small town at its peak had over 500 people. Now the population sits around 230. Filled with old historical buildings Western is every abandoned explorer's dream. And in spite of the hand progress has dealt, this small town continues to hang onto life.
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I grew up here my dad actually owns the school western is an amazing town where everyone knows everyone and everyone helps everyone I will always call this place home. ❤️❤️
That's really awesome!
Just like me with wayland ia
When did the school close? I went to school there for 3 years from ‘88-‘90 and they were the best 3 years of my childhood. It legitimately brought tears to my eyes to see the school in that condition 😢
@@thenotoriouso.l.y.7528I wanna say 2003 or 2006 so where around there my father recently sold it tho so im hoping it’s in better conditions
This town means a lot to me. I’m related to a big part of the residents, and I’ve been visiting since I was born. I even lived there for a while. It’s great to see someone exploring this forgotten town, and the exciting little hidden treasures are worth sharing!
That's awesome! Thanks, I enjoyed discovering Western and wish we would've had more time to explore it.
Hi Sally, I grew up in Southern California on the coast. I spent summer vacations here with my grandparents. My sister and I often talk about how lucky we were to have that experience. I have very vivid memories of this town!
Thanks for highlighting this wonderful little town. My great grandfather was William Waldorf and his brother was Peter. They owned the hardware store you pointed out and opened the original store circa 1872 when the town was founded. The town cemetery is within walking distance of town and Peter Waldorf (and his two wives) are buried there. Peter lived in Western for almost 60 years!
Hi Sally, thanks for another great video. If you had a show on the Travel channel, I would watch TV again! All the best to you and Marty.
Been there, and thought that it was strange that a town in eastern Nebraska would be named "Western." That minor mystery now solved. Thanks.
Love these small towns! Thanks for sharing.
it's been 35 years since I was in Western. My dad use to have softball games there. Thanks for sharing.
You always make things worth watchin young lady! Onward!
You have a delightful personality and an interesting demeanor.
Thank you for this interesting video. You’ve inspired me to road trip and explore Western, Nebraska!
I love this video and admire the people who call this home!
Great vid! I was born, raised, and still live in small town Nebraska. Wouldn’t trade it for anything. And I had a Raggedy Andy when I was a kid 😉
These old small towns really tell the history of America! Looking at the church schedule for April. I'm guessing you have been at home for sometime now! Love the videos, never miss one!
it's not the church schedule it's the town board schedule
Oh please show us more...I love this video...
This makes my day, thank you 💖
Angela Hagerman, I agree with you. I love Sightseeing Sally and Marty and their adventures, and discoveries!🖒🖒😃❤
Just came across this video, the first of yours I've seen. I'm originally from just outside of Gretna, NE. I moved out of Nebraska in my early teens. Others have commented on the friendliness of the people in Western. As an adult traveling back through Nebraska I drove into the small town of Long Pine. I thought there must be something wrong with my truck because of the way every person I met driving toward me was waving.
I never wanted this vid to end. Such a good job and such an interesting town. THANK YOU! 7 Thumbs up!
Thanks 😊 it was such a cool little town. In retrospect, I wish I would’ve filmed more of it.
Thanks for the video. I graduated from Western High School in 1967 and still have fond memories of the school, the community, and all the wonderful people that resided there. Life has given me the opportunity to live and visit many places across the USA and the world, but I'll always cherish the time I spent, and the things I learned growing up in this community.
Glad to watch Your channel it’s Very Informative ! I live in Maine and always wanted to No about Nebraska
Smiling 🙂 and elated 😄 to learn you liked exploring abandoned buildings at an early age like myself! and Shhh, don't tell Mom & Dad about the time the cop let me and my friend go after being caught running around on the roof of the local shopping center! 👍👍👍 (Ps, I like the fixation on phone booths!)
You are wonderful! I remember having family reunions in the gym next to the abandoned school, playing capture the flag in and around the grain elevator, and walking to KT's to get mah grandma some lunch! Thank you for the wonderful trip down memory lane, keep up the good work!
Oh wow! Thanks for sharing. I loved reading some of your favorite memories of Western.
Thankyou for sharing. I like seeing these old places.
That's my fathers home town. He graduated from that school. My dads sisters all graduated from there also. It's a nice quiet community.
Nice! I got that vibe from our visit and can understand why people still love living there.
Thank you Sally for another great video always great videos I love those old towns take care of my friends 🏆🌺👍✌️
Your videos are amazing! Truly.
back in the 70s and early 80s as a trucker we carried change so we could call dispatch and call the companys to find our way there.the old phone booths are gone towards the end of phone booths people ripped away the directory free books dangling below.times changed have no idea why i brought that up but love your guys videos!.i guess if you see a old real phone booth frome the late 70s with the silver cord i probaly used it and begged my girl at the time to hang in there ill be home in 2 weeks.they all left eventually so i stopped driving now they still all gone lol
Great video, Sally! 🌹
Loved the old mudflood school and churches very cool.
As a European its so weird to see abandoned towns and big empty spaces like that... What you call a small town is pretty big to us 😅 It's insane to see so many abandoned malls, stores, churches... Where i am from, France, we do have some disused hospitals or soccer fields that the town couldn't afford but they eventually get destroyed and replaced. The population is growing more and more every year, real estate companies buy woods and fields to build appartement blocks...
Here in what is called the Midwest of the United States, we have always had the feeling of wide open spaces. But from the 1950's on, it has taken less and less people to farm the land. And therefore it takes less people to support them. Plus so many of the newer jobs are located in the larger cities. So most of the youth, plus the people who lose a job head the cities. When young, I saw these towns when robust and full of life. For me it is sad to see them as they are dying.. a wonderful lifestyle that is going away.
Good video
Hi, I cant believe you didn't check out that old Pontiac car in front of that old building ! Maybe Marty checked it out ! Looks like about a 1948 I would guess. It may be a "Chiefton". I see the name was on the Drivers side rear fender . Cant believe it is still in such good condition ! I really enjoy your videos and your humor ! I am fairly new to your Channel .
Awesome 🤩 thank you for joining us! So glad you’re enjoying the vids.
Do you have any videos of you out touring NE’s panhandle? 🤔
Good unique video as always Sally. But LOSE the sunglasses ! 😎
Keep the family friendly content coming. There's so much junk 😫 on TV these days. Thanks for being respectful.
there is soo much more to this town and its history. if you'd visited 10 or 20 years ago. Or even a few years when Bobbie Schwisow was the town librarian,and historian or if you coulda talked with Abbie Back. Or visited on the day of the Old Settlers Picnic and parade held yearly. It deserves another visitand video.
Old settlers day is coming up again this July sometime
My grandmother graduated from Western Public School in the 1960’s. She still lives there today!
Very cool, thanks for sharing!
I think the church has been on some of the "ghost buster" type channels. Safe travels.
Really? That’s interesting!! Now I want to know more about it.
So sad the old towns is falling apart
in some places it it but in some not. the school building has a gym that is still currently used on occasions and the post office is still and the building built in 1900. this is just the teeniest glimpse.
I never had a raggedy Ann or raggedy Andy but I remember the cartoon in the 1980's.
hard to follow at first bc of the sound but it goes back right at the end. thanks!
Not sure what you mean, what’s wrong with the sound?
@@SightseeingSally I'm very sorry, it must of been the connection on my end, it works fine now, I watched it over, I like it!
No problem, I wanted to know in case the video’s audio got messed up during uploading
And thanks 🙏 appreciate you
I'd love to live in one of those towns time forgot. If only a supermarket were close by!
I don’t know what I was thinking. This town has a grocery store and I failed to show it.
@@SightseeingSally That's ok Sightseeing Sally, we all make mistakes and errors. I make a ton of them!😂😂🖒🖒😃❤
I lived here for a while, I’m related to about half of the residents! The local grocery store is called KT’s market, and they have everything from fresh cut meats to poster boards!
@@allieneihouse4665 Even tho I didn't show it in the video, we went into KT's Market and bought Hershey's cocoa to make hot chocolate. (It was really chilly that day!) I was quite impressed with the selection of products.
@@allieneihouse4665 did the grocery store used to be called Browns? Like late 80s?
It’s crazy to me stumbling on these videos. I spent a lot of years of my life living here. My friends and I would walk down to the pop machine at the first gas station you showed to get the “cheap pop”. Abby’s or the A&A is closed down now but when I was little my grandpa would take me there about every day to get his coffee. I’m not sure if they still do but the old school would hold White Elephant sales every year. Also in small towns like these the pancake feeds are the places to be
I'd also suggest Parks Nebr.. population of 14 .and Minden Nebr
Thanks you my friend see you soon where's Marty tell he missed him to
They worded it wrong the name of the town is Western but they said in western Nebraska made it sound like it was in the west of Nebraska
I lOOOOve your videos and your fun personality. I do wish you'd go inside and explore more. Lol. Besides the dude in some of your videos who's obviously not a people person and seems like he's only doing it for the money, your channel is great. Please keep the videos coming. 🙏
@Jeff, I would guess that dude (Marty) is her husband. He probably, like most husbands, just chauffeurs his wife around and is uncomfortable being on videos. I seriously doubt there is a big concern over money. Sally merely enjoys sharing her adventures with us. AND we are extremely happy that she does. Have a great day! 🤗
@@lylecoglianese1645 I get it but times they are a changing and these old no fun fogies crack me up 😹🤣 noooo, not a camera, don't film me. Says nobody except old no fun fogies 😹🤣 I love Sally and even if the no fun fogie makes her block me, I'll still watch muahahahaaaa
@@Catlife247 Marty, Sally, I'm feelin for ya's.
Not forgotten Sally! A blonde was biking!
You’re exactly right, not forgotten at all!
I have a raggedy Andy.
Evidence of Lanos, a.
Please stay long enough to ask locals to open some of these abandoned businesses. I bet many are just as they left them decades ago!
not all are abandoned. western had the old harm woulda been great set for a wild westmovie but it's difficult and takes money to keep things going. the forced consolidation of schools by the state causing the school to close and the passing of the aging population has resulted in changing the look and vibe of yhe town. it remains to be seen if it to will pass or just be renewed and in what way. example All wanted to fix/ preserve the mural at the first sign of problems but the artist was no longer around and the type of paint used made it far too expressive to fix. it was discussed about a clear coat of some sort over top in the mid 90sbut it too was very costly and no one knew if it would do something destructive to the mural or the brick bldg it's on Since the mural is faded and peeling more. no one wants to remove it secretly hoping i think that someday it will be restored or when no longer decipherable will be repainted by another local artist.
Shoot, Sally and Marty, you both are probably getting tired of me and my comments!😂 But that doesn't mean I am going to stop!😂😂🖒🖒😃❤
No way, love hearing from you Allen, keep the comments coming! 😁🤩
@@SightseeingSally Oh, don't worry about that Sightseeing Sally and Marty, like I said, I am not going to stop!😂😂🖒🖒😃❤
The one house looks like where Courage The Cowardly Dog lives
Lol it does, doesn’t it
Have you ever noticed how the date plaques on Old Brick and Stone buildings look very much newer you might say that's because they're trying to document the history but I've come to find out that it's a way to lie to you to post-date all of these buildings when most likely they are all two to three to four hundred years old trust me I've been studying this I see it everywhere so the other thing to look for is the basements you will find doors and windows carefully walked back in proving that was not the original basement but the original floor-level furthermore if you look deeper if you can find certain buildings you will find basement underneath we are living on the top of all are dead ancestors simple as that
I think your parents knew about it.
14, you were a bad girl. What was that, maybe 10 years ago.
Lol you’re too kind!
Dave Deiler, I know right! She and Marty aren't that old!🖒🖒😃❤
You mispronounced diesel
These towns are all dying its too bad
Crime, Drugs and Anti USA protest were not rampant back when this town was built.
Unfortunately criminal activities have been around since man came into being. Here it was probably someone stealing somebody’s chickens or the pie Aunt Bea left on the window sill to cool
@@SightseeingSally Wish that was the biggest crime nowadays...
wrong ! Lol. i enjoyed watching this video but there is sooo much more to this town! I couldn't believe you missed pointing out Westerns claim to fame... The bullet embedded in the now post office then bank ! it got there when the Jesse James gang attempted to rob the bank. it's rumored some of Jesse James relatives/descendents still there.
Does anyone remember the drug bust that happened in town in November of 1990?