Campbell Bros. Circus Mural

The picture was created by Echo & Geoff Easton & Greg Holdren of Crete, Nebraska. The scene is 140 feet long & 38 feet tall. Although the circus parade is the focus, the Easton's used historic pictures of Fairbury to make the mural more accurate. Campbell Bros. Circus stationed their home in Fairbury. From 1885 to 1913, the circus always opened their season in Fairbury but traveled nation-wide. The Campbell Bros. Circus was held at the original fairgrounds which was in the City Park.  Campbell Bros. was the second largest circus in the world at one time.

Little Blue River Trail
The Little Blue River Trail connects to the Fairbury Sidewalk System at 3^rd & C St with a concrete and limestone trail spanning 1.5 miles crossing the restored Rock Island Railroad Bridge.

The abandoned bridge once provided access across the river for the loaded rail cars full of coal and cargo.  Today the newly restored bridge is the focal point of the trail and host three fishing piers and provides a scenic view of the river and the dam.  The trail may be utilized for walking, jogging, biking and cross country skiing.  Sightings of wild turkey, deer, and other wildlife may be experienced on the trail walk.  402.729.2148

Mausoleum "Magic Etched in Stone"

The mausoleum, known as McDowell’s Tomb, is located south across the railroad tracks and Rose Creek, and about 1/3 mile west. It was hand-carved into a sandstone bluff by Fairbury resident Nelson L. McDowell, a wealthy bachelor. Nelson McDowell was the son of J.B. McDowell, one of Fairbury’s founders. When standing on “Lookout Mountain” you can see  three counties.

Nelson McDowell, spent  a decade of his life carving  the mausoleum with a hammer and a chisel. The mausoleum  has two rooms. Today, the Mausoleum shows the signs of many visitors who have left their own carvings.  Nebraska Game and Parks Commission requests that visitors do not mark on the mausoleum walls to protect them for the future.

Nelson L. McDowell died in a car-train accident in Fairbury  on September 27, 1937, at the age of 80. He  was  buried  in the Fairbury City Cemetery because, the law prevented  him  from  getting buried  in  the  Mausoleum.   Speculations still remain as to if Nelson McDowell really intended to be buried in the Mausoleum or if it was merely a hobby.  

Location from Fairbury, Nebraska: 2 miles south on Hwy 15, 3 miles west on Hwy 8, 1- 1/2 miles south on 566 Avenue.