herrie Beam-Callaway is a Humanities Nebraska speaker
and native Nebraskan. She presented a program at the Chase County Museum last Sunday called the “Promise in a New Land” in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Nebraska.
After a brief introduction, Callaway began weaving an interesting account of an Irish immigrant girl and her family traveling by ship across the ocean to the New York harbor. She presented her story in traditional clothing
of the period between 1847 to 1876. She spoke with an Irish brogue in first person
character as “Moriah Monahan.”
As “Monahan,” she described
the trip over on the ship where there was only enough room for everyone to lay on the floor side by side and roll over at the same time because of lack of space. She said there wasn’t enough clean water much of the time, danger from illness and storms was always a threat, and many died and were thrown overboard.

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