The motto of the great state of Nebraska is "Equality before the law." The motto was adopted in 1867 as the territory became a state during the ratification of the 14th Amendment. To become the 37th state the Nebraska State Legislature was required to eliminate its "whites only" voting requirement. Nebraska then voted for the 14th Amendment. In the post-Civil War era, the notion of equality was certainly trending. A decade later the Nebraska Fish Commission was created. It later became the Nebraska Fish and Game Commission, which established the Nebraska State Parks system in 1921 with the creation of Chadron State Park, Nebraska's first state park. Mahoney State Park was established in 1991. The purpose of the Nebraska State Parks is to conserve natural and cultural assets and make them available to all citizens.
Eugene Mahoney had been a Boy Scout, Eagle Scout, policeman, state legislator and the long-time director of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. He is credited with transforming the Nebraska State Parks system into the wonderful asset it is today. The park named in his honor is 500 acres of woodland and grassland along the Platte River, roughly halfway between Omaha and Lincoln.
The park offers hunting and fishing opportunities, trail rides, an aquatic center, a melodrama theater, a nice lodge, cabins, and campgrounds for tent campers and RVers. Regardless of income level, if you can afford gas, you can enjoy a wonderful vacation at Mahoney for very little cost. The quality of the state parks makes you feel good about paying taxes and user fees, as the investment in the public good seems so beneficial and democratic.
Take a walk with Birkenstock.
