Mammoth bones found in Cherry County on display in Valentine

VALENTINE, Neb. -- Mammoth bones that were unearthed in the Sandhills are now on display in Valentine. Don Ormesher discovered the bones on his land south of Valentine. He has since passed away, and his family donated the remains to the Cherry County Historical Society Museum.

“I talked to his son a little bit, and they were rounding up cattle and had to go down in the Slagle Creek area to locate cows. They saw these bones laying there,” said Greg Gass, Cherry County Historical Society Museum President.

“People don’t realize what is around here. The mammoth is the Nebraska state fossil. Why should our children have to drive to Lincoln to see one?” said Gary Swanson, Cherry County Historical Society Museum Treasurer.

In addition to the mammoth bones, the Ormesher family has also donated leaf prints and fossil fish that they found near Kilgore.

“It’s definitely Cherry County history. It’s United States history actually,” Gass said.

You can check out these pieces of history at the museum Thursday through Saturday from 1-5 p.m. until Labor Day.