While I enjoy walking to the library and my own space--Brownville tugs at a persons heart strings. Before August my whole life centered around the historic village, and now I feel a strange mix of relief to be away from the drama and feeling of deserting my hometown. Every time I cross the bridge from Missouri to Nebraska, I feel more immediately home.
Brownville is a town of under 150 people struggling to maintain tourism levels high enough to sustain life as we know it. Very few of us actually make a living from tourism, most use it as a second income or a part time retirement. The economy has hit the Brownville Village Theatre, Brownville Concert Hall, and the Spirit of Brownville in the past years. A double whammy because two of the three rely on ticket sales and donations.
Perhaps the most near to my heart is the Captain Meriwether Lewis Dredge. This dredge was used by the Corps of Engineers to help dredge out the Missouri River channel before retiring in Brownville. Before the flood of 2010 the boat was open as a museum. In the past two years great deterioration has taken place by lack of volunteers, funding, and high water. Last year, in the 2011 flood she was floating for several months. My fear is a great piece of history is going to be lost if the Lewis is not restored and reopened.
I am home for a long weekend, and deeply hope Brownville pulls itself up to create a bustling community resembling the 1960s and 70s where people poured in by the bus loads. Still, I hope the economy picks up and allows Americans to enjoy the historical value and present day entertainment.
www. brownville-ne.com
