Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and community representatives today dedicated a Nebraska Historical Marker honoring Lincoln native, anthropologist, educator, philosopher, and natural science writer Loren Eiseley in Irvingdale Park, 20th and Van Dorn streets.
Located in an area of Lincoln Eiseley explored as a boy, the historical marker reads:
Anthropologist, poet, and nature writer Loren Eiseley (1907-1977) was raised in the nearby neighborhoods of Lincoln. As a boy he collected specimens of aquatic life from this and nearby creeks and ponds to stock his homemade aquarium. His books such as The Immense Journey and The Night Country include personal narratives set in this area. His time exploring creeks such as this one inspired his most famous line: “If there is magic in this world, it is contained in water.”
Mayor Gaylor Baird said that in addition to honoring Eiseley, the monument also acknowledges how places like parks impact community members.
(Courtesy: City of Lincoln)
“Parks like this are more than green space. They are places where kids explore, imagine, and discover who they are,” Mayor Gaylor Baird said. “I hope this marker inspires people of all ages to pause, look around, and feel some of the very same magic that Loren Eiseley found here so many years ago.”
To celebrate the Eiseley’s legacy, Lincoln City Libraries is presenting a monthlong display at the Eiseley Branch Library, 1530 Superior St. Prepared by the Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors, the exhibit explores how Lincoln shaped Eiseley’s life and work through photos and books from the Heritage Room’s collection.
(Courtesy: City of Lincoln)