OUR WOOD LAKE ACREAGE

In 1990 Yvonne and I learned that the Chicago Northwestern Transportation Company
owned land adjacent and just East of Wood Lake.  This land sort of triangle wedged
between Highway 20 and the rail road track.  This property was run down and had
several thousand trees growing all about the property.  Adjacent to the rail road tract,
our soon to be owned tract extended about 2400 foot from the East edge of Wood Lake
to the East. About the same length is adjacent to Highway 20.

Not sure who owned this property, a letter was mailed to the Chicago Northwestern
Transportation Company and was mailed to Norfolk, Nebraska.  It was about a month
when we received a letter from the railway office in Chicago.  The end results was our
purchase of this 17 acres of land.  The process of buying this land took about one year
as the rail road was not in a hurry from day one!

We started clearing misplaced trees from the landscape so that the village of Wood Lake,
and it's cemetery could be viewed from passing vehicle on Highway 20.  After ten years
of hard work, we now have septic tank system, underground water to about 1200 foot
of space, our "old" mobile home and a newly built building 40 x 64 for parking two
tractors, our boat, pickup and sedan.  We sort of wished now that the building was longer but
this will take care of our immediate need.

We enjoy spending time at Wood Lake.  In the past we arrived about April 1 and remained
to about the middle of October.  My time is utilized in tree removal and planting, working on
a new five wire fence and numerous other jobs that I enjoy doing.  Yvonne spends her time
with her garden and flower plants.  Her garden is not to large and it produces almost more
then we can take care of to include canning.  Adjacent to Yvonne's garden is our well house.
The well was drilled in about 1970 by the government for use on the Merritt Canal running
South of Wood Lake from Merritt Lake to Ainsworth, Nebraska.  The railroad hauled
gravel to our property location, they mixed the gravel with cement and hauled it South to
construct the canal.  The well is 194 foot deep and provides us with an abundant amount
of well water.  We have it tested 3-4 times during the year to check on nitrates and other
chemicals that have been found in Nebraska well's throughout the state.

We are very excited about our property and we thoroughly enjoy the deer, turkey, ducks
and other animals that roam about during the evenings.  We have left about five acres of
trees and growth on the far East end of the property.  This is our "wild life" area and
probably will remain this way through our lifetime.

There is a lot of traffic on Highway 20 both day and night, almost seven days a week.  Many
cattle trucks travel East and West both day and night moving cattle to ranches and to
market.  Below, I will attempt to place pictures of our property for your viewing.  We hope
that you enjoy looking at them.  Just sit back and scroll down for the "heck" of it.  In the
summer, thousands of motor bikes travel to Sturgis, South Dakota for their annual
get together.  For about three weeks, both day and night bikes in groups of 2 to 15
travel Highway 20.

NEW STORM SHELTER

YVONNE'S 1939 INTERNATIONAL "B" MOWING TRACTOR

OUR JOHN DEERE SWATHER

OUR TRACTOR, MOBILE HOME AND BOAT

HIGHWAY 20 VIEW FACING WEST

OUR BUILDINGS - PICTURE FACING WEST

ANOTHER VIEW OF BUILDINGS - NEW SHED, MOBILE HOME, WELL HOUSE

VIEW OF BUILDINGS FROM THE "COWBOY TRAIL"