Great Plains Quarterly celebrates 30 years of publication in 2010

Released on 03/03/2010, at 2:00 AM
Office of University Communications
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Lincoln, Neb., March 3rd, 2010 —

Great Plains Quarterly, an academic journal published by the Center for Great Plains Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, kicks off 30 years of continuous publication with its newly released winter issue. As usual, this interdisciplinary journal presents an eclectic range of research related to the Great Plains. Articles include accounts about the Battle of Platte Bridge, the evolution of fence law in the Great Plains, and the 19th-century botanist Edwin James.

In "'This Must Have Been a Grand Sight': George Bent and the Battle of Platte Bridge," Steven C. Haack writes about this noteworthy battle that occurred July 26, 1865, near present-day Casper, Wyo. "We have a detailed description of the event written from the Native American viewpoint -- Southern Cheyenne George Bent," writes Haack, an independent researcher living in Lincoln. Haack provides a visual narrative of the battle using maps of the battle including hand-drawn, first-person accounts.

Yasuhide Kawashima compared the evolution of fence building in the Great Plains to New England and the southern colonies. "As farmers came to predominate, they compelled the adoption of herd laws, freeing them of the obligation to fence and imposing liability on the owners of animals," writes Kawashima, professor of history at the University of Texas at El Paso. We learn how the complex interrelationship of railroads and ranchers helped create the landscape we see today.

In "Landscapes of Removal and Resistance: Edwin James's 19th-Century Cross-Cultural Collaborations," Kyhl Lyndgaard introduces readers to James and his work. Lyndgaard writes, "James's work engaged key national concerns of western exploration, natural history, Native American relocation, and slavery," yet few scholars recognize his contribution to the early accounts of the Great Plains.

Current issues of Great Plains Quarterly may be purchased in the Great Plains Art Museum gift shop at 1155 Q St., or by calling the center at (402) 472-3082. Order forms are available online at www.unl.edu/plains.

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