Chadron (Scottsbluff, Gordon, Crawford: apartment, school, university)

[Lily0fthevalley]

Hi - I'm looking hard at Chadron as a place to retire. It looks a lot like Alpine TX to me - a place I lived and loved before it became "cool" and RE prices blew up. Chadron is small and rural but has a university, so there should be lots to do. It's in a beautiful location for outdoor fun. Prices look reasonable. So - tell me about Chadron. Is the University still drawing students? What are the strong departments? Is it a party school? Are relationships between the town of Chadron and the people at Pine Ridge pretty good, or are there conflicts? Is there religous and political tolerance, or is it dominated by Tea Party Baptist crazies? What are the + and - about Chadron? Thanks!

[SandHills]

Hello Lily. :-)

Chadron: lived there & for over half of this last decade until a few months ago. Overall, better than most places I've experienced that include 46 of the lower 48, though every plus has a minus, every minus a plus. A place where the comparative academic arrogance @ Chadron State College helps to balance out the neo-conservative, FOX News believing (hook, line & sinker) sheeple. The surrounding communities are much more conservative, wee towns like Crawford, Hemingford, Gordon, Rushville that are in my estimation beyond conservative (yes, a fair amount of tension towards "Native Americans in thoses places, though there is in Chadron too by virtue of a small number of drunks/thieves making a bad name for the People). The campus library was a fine place to hang out for interesting people thinking for themselves with an open mind. Would put on my backpack & walk out my apartment door & head to Chadron State Park 9 miles to the south, or head north across the border to Pine Ridge nation in SD 23 miles away to attend a Lakota Sundance.

Lots of really good people there in Chadron though. It was great being over 100 miles to the nearest interstate to the west, north or south... but there is a Super MalWart there as well as a Safeway grocer & most other modern conveniences & services. :-) All is within walking distance if you live in town, most years living there I walked more miles in the year than driving my vehicle. It is the surrounding country itself that led me there to the Nebraska panhandle back in '01. Wonderful to me in being able to drive 100+ miles to Scottsbluff or 100+ miles to Rapid City without so much as having to stop sometimes. Some wide open country; the people's minds out that way: not so much. Plenty of space out there to easily find places of solitude in various, hilly terrain.

Parties in a college town? Naturally, :-) most state college/university towns have students partying though it's not overly, consistently wild there by any means. Funny little community in ways, though. One could move there & be an upstanding citizen for decades there & you'll likely still be considered an outsider. 10 or 12 major "social circles" there, non of which interested me... but I am a strange man. Over all, my years in Chadron were good ones. Being on the Left Coast since the first week in September this year is agreeing with me so far, though one day I may well return to the Nebraska panhandle or the Sand Hills area (Thedford always had its alluring qualities). Lovely country out there.

If you know how to get along up there in NE Minnesota then you'll know how to be anywhere: Just be yourself. :-) Best to you, Lily.
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[itsMeFred]

most years living there I walked more miles in the year than driving my vehicle.

My husband and I both rode our bikes everywhere.
I miss that...

attend a Lakota Sundance

Sandhills is kidding of course.
You can attend a pow-wow, but it's a pretty safe guarantee you will NOT be invited to a sundance ceremony.

Otherwise I'd agree with his assessment. I, too, really enjoyed my years in Chadron. If life should take me back, I wouldn't mind in the slightest.
BTW, Chadron State isn't a university. It's just a state college. And according to the alumni newsletter, the school continues to grow. (And would appreciate my donation in any amount. lol) I would call it, primarily, a teacher-school. Thoug

[SandHills]

Originally Posted by itsMeFred

Sandhills is kidding of course.
You can attend a pow-wow, but it's a pretty safe guarantee you will NOT be invited to a sundance ceremony.

Hello again, lovely lady. So far as attending a Lakota Sundance is concerned, was merely speaking for myself insofar as what I've personally been able to do while living in Chadron, to help share the proximity of the town to many things. Also, my reference of "college/university" towns was a generalization of any community finding itself within this particular type of environment.

Sheesh... as a writer, my ability to impart my thoughts in an understood manner is apparently still sorely lacking. Heh heh heh...

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[itsMeFred]

The OP called it a "university," that's why I made that comment. I just didn't want her thinking CSC was more impressive than it is.

And I see I apparently erased the last few sentences of my post! lol
Eh.
I don't remember what I was saying, so it must not have been important.