Boys Town
When one says “Nebraska”, there are several things that come to mind. One is the word “cornhuskers”, which alludes to its status as a farming state. Another is the word “sports”, as a wide variety of sports (professional and otherwise) are enthusiastically supported by Nebraskans. But perhaps the one term associated with the fair state of Nebraska that really strikes an emotional cord among many Americans is the name of that one special place – Boys Town.
There are many who remember Boys Town as the title and subject of that 1938 movie that won Spencer Tracy an Oscar. The movie was, of course, based on the life work of Boys Town founder Father Edward J. Flanagan – a Roman Catholic priest working in Omaha. While it was this film that brought Boys Town in Nebraska to national (and highly sentimental) attention, it was what the place itself did for the youth that captured and took hold of everyone’s hearts.
Boys Town (also known as Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home) was originally founded in 1921 by Father Flanagan, and was built to be an orphanage for boys in Nebraska. Part of the aim of the place was to make way for new methods of taking care of young people, methods that helped the youth prepare to live normal lives by means of social preparation. Through this socialization program, children at risk of becoming delinquent are gently steered toward the direction of responsible citizenry.
Since then, Boys Town had expanded its program to include girls, and children and teenagers who are not orphaned but are nevertheless troubled. On the fourth of February 1985, it became one of America’s National Historic Landmarks. Currently, Boys Town is officially known as Girls and Boys Town, although many still prefer to refer to it as the movie had (ah, the power of popular culture!). Sitting on Douglas County Nebraska, the territory that is Boys Town Village is now home of the headquarters of the non-profit group Girls and Boys Town.
Today, Boys Town is one of Nebraska’s most popular places to visit. Apart from still helping the youth of America and exuding an atmosphere that is wonderfully conducive to a young person’s holistic growth, it has several displays and sites that would pique those who are interested in the legacy of the place. Spencer Tracy’s Oscar is actually displayed in Boys Town, and the Father Flanagan Shrine is enough to spur you to reflect. The best way to appreciate Boys Town as an attraction is to take the tour, of course, but if you prefer to explore on your own, then you can do that as well.
It really is a beautiful place, with a legacy that is not only Nebraskan or American, but human.
