Pavelka Farm Served as 4th Tourism Serves Site

Nebraska Tourism’s fourth Nebraska Tourism Serves project took place in Bladen, Nebraska, on November 4 and 5. Nebraska Tourism Serves brings volunteers together to celebrate and restore beloved tourist destinations in our state.

The fourth project was at The Nebraska State Historical Society's Pavelka Farmstead in Bladen, Nebraska, near Red Cloud (the home of Willa Cather). This property provided part of the setting for Cather's beloved novel, My Ántonia. Over forty volunteers that assisted with the cleanup completed a number of maintenance tasks that will improve the visitor experience, including painting to cover recent vandalism, repairing the cellar steps, landscaping and cleanup of the home’s interior.

“The Pavelka Farmstead is one of Nebraska's irreplaceable literary destinations,” explained Ashley Olson, executive director of The Willa Cather Foundation. “Once home to the prototype for one of our nation's celebrated literary characters, the farmstead has the potential to provide an exceptional demonstration of Nebraska's Czech immigrant culture. The Willa Cather Foundation was pleased to work with Tourism Serves to make this site more inviting to guests as we prepare to celebrate the 100th publication anniversary of My Ántonia in 2018.”