The tiny town of Gordon, midway between Merriman and Chadron, is a typical northwestern Nebraska ranching town with a strong connection to the “Storycatcher of the Plains,” Mari Sandoz (1896–1966), whose many books document the lives and times of the surrounding Sand Hills region. Sandoz, who wrote about growing up on a nearby ranch in her first book, the haunting classic Old Jules, captured the spirit and history of the Great Plains in her many works of fiction and nonfiction, all of which are available in the Mari Sandoz Room (closed Sun.; free; 308/282-9972), 117 Main Street, north of US-20 beyond the grain elevators and railroad tracks at the center of town. The Sandoz museum, which shares space with the Ad-Pad stationery store, has extensive displays of her personal effects, and free pamphlets describing a driving tour of Sandoz-related sites in the area. For aficionados of her work, a local woman, Sybil Berndt, offers guided tours (308/282-2133); and Mari Sandoz’s sister, Caroline Sandoz Pifer, has a small museum and bookshop at her home, 20 miles south of Gordon via Hwy-27, then six miles east on a gravel road. For details and hours, phone 308/282-1687.
Gas stations line the US-20 frontage in Gordon, and the one-stop Hacienda Motel (308/282-1400), on the west side of town, has rooms and a popular restaurant and bar.
