If you ever stopped at the Platte River rest stop near Ashland, you may or may not have noticed the sculpture behind the building.
It's one of several located along rest stops on I-80. The history behind them, and their legacy, is the topic of this installment of America 250: Community Connection.
The story starts with a creative idea by two people. Thomas Yates, a Lincoln businessman, and Norman Geske, the director of the Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln. Their goal: get people off the interstate, experience Nebraska, and celebrate the bicentennial.
"That [idea] was to create large-scale, abstract sculptures that would go at the rest areas along I-80...that developed into a multi-part selection process for the artwork, and now we have seven sculptures along the interstate," Meagan Dion, Director of Public Art at the Nebraska Arts Council, told KMTV.
141 artists applied, ten were selected, and eight sculptures were created. Seven are located at rest stops near Ogallala, Brady, Kearney, Grand Island, York, Seward, and the Platte River. The eighth, at Sidney, has been removed.
Aspects of the project were controversial. Of the ten artists commissioned, none were from Nebraska. Nor did any of the artwork represent the state.
The sculptures brought mixed reactions then. A 1976 documentary by Nebraska Public Media showed the range of opinions that neighbors had.
"If we're gonna have something here in Hall County or the state of Nebraska, it should be related to something that was brought here years ago by our forefathers, not this," said one man in opposition.
"As a Nebraska artist. I came here to urge the support of the interstate sculpture project," said one woman in support.
KMTV went out to the Platte River rest stop to get reaction from neighbors in 2026.
"It looks good," said Tom, a passerby.
“It’s interesting from a metalworker’s perspective,” said Mark, another passerby.
This summer, the Nebraska Arts Council is planning events to celebrate the milestone, 50 years later. You can check out the schedule of events on their website.
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