Nebraska County Countdown 76: Dundy County

*Update - I found a current Husker wearing #76 and updated the bottom section accordingly.

In the very southwest corner of Nebraska sits Dundy County. It was named for Elmer Scipio Dundy who was a U.S. District judge in Nebraska. Dundy’s most famous decision came in 1879 when he ruled that Indians were indeed “people” and entitled to the same rights as other people under the law. The case came about after Chief Standing Bear left the Indian Territory without permission to bury the bones of his son in the Ponca homeland.

Dundy county is bordered by Colorado to the west and Kansas to the south. The population, as of the 2010 census, is 2008. It was incorporated in 1873 and includes four cities, Benkelman (the county seat), Haigler, Parks, and Max.

According to the UNL ‘Virtual Nebraska’ website:

The biggest cattle operation was owned by the Benkelman brothers. The railroad promised to name the town for them if they shipped their cattle by rail to the Omaha market rather than to herd them to other locations. In the fall of 1885 they brought in 20 loads for the initial trip, and the station was promptly renamed “Benkelman.”

Famous Dundy County resident:

• Actor Ward Bond was born in Benkelman but grew up in Denver. If you watch western movies from the 30’s, 40’s, or 50’s, chances are you will see Bond somewhere in them.

Husker “76” trivia:

• All-American tackle Jerry Minnick (1951) wore #76
• Two All-Conference players wore 76: Brian Boerboom (OT; 1991) and Chris Spachman (DT; 1986)
• Current Husker wearing 76 is offensive lineman Brenden Jaimes (sophomore from Texas). In the 2017 season, Brenden became just the 5th Husker true freshman to ever make a start along the offensive line. He played right tackle in nine games.
• The 1976 Cornhuskers, under Tom Osborne, posted a 9-3-1 record and went 4-3 in the Big Eight. The first game of the season was a tie with the Louisiana State University Tigers (at Tiger Stadium). The three losses came to Missouri and Oklahoma at home and to Iowa State (REALLY?!?) in Ames.

Have we missed anything Corn Nation? Add your memories, observations, or thoughts in the comments!