The Nebraska City-Fort Kearny Cut-Off As a Factor in the Early Development of Nebraska and the West
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University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Dissertations, Theses, & Student Research, Department of History History, Department of 6-1931 The Nebraska City-Fort Kearny Cut-Off as a Factor in the Early Development of Nebraska and the West Charles Boyd Mapes University of Nebraska - Lincoln Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/historydiss Part of the History Commons Mapes, Charles Boyd, "The Nebraska City-Fort Kearny Cut-Off as a Factor in the Early Development of Nebraska and the West" (1931). Dissertations, Theses, & Student Research, Department of History. 20. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/historydiss/20 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the History, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, & Student Research, Department of History by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The Hebraska City-Fort Kearny Cut-Off as a Factor In The Early Development of Nebraska and the Vest BY Charles Boyd Pdapes A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College in the University Of Nebraska in Part iel Rllf illment of 2equiraments for the Degree of Masters of Arts Department of Histary Lincoln, Nebraska June, 1931, TABLE OF CON- Page CHdSTER I, NEBRASKA TRBILS BEFORE TBE MEBRASKA CITY- FORT -CUTeOFF LOCAm 1860. Oregon Trail Wflllkam Sublette Zxpedition, April 10, 1830----- 1 In&ependenoe Mfss-i, Eastern 3?errarkmtxr-------- 2 Route Buortglr Kansas, PJebrasW, Wyclening, Idaho aria Qregon.------------------ 2 Xormoon mi1 MOFB~OB Church O~ganized,April 6, 1830----- 5 Persemtion of Homona in Xisbourf axdl Illinois- 5 Assas8inaticra of Joseph MU--------------- 6 Ikp~Isfon Herutoo------------- 6 Mo~ptozia Me Missrouri-llin%e~q,ter8-- 7 SePmbls Hf th InBians-BCrpelleb Bgain -- 7 Seeking a BTer Zion ia the West-------- 8 Route of Iomm Trail------- - 8 Settlement ia Utah ~-HUIIIUIUIIaI---- g Old Celiiromfa or Ox&torr Wail The Oreat heria:an Desert- -- 10 Pactorer Betermining Routes or Trafls Page CmXI. ORIGIXOS OF NEBUSRX CITY AND FORT HEBRMT Table Creek Selected as Military Site---------------- 13 Post EstablisheB at Table Creek-------------- 13 Mlsaaurf 'Itroopa Winter at Table Creek------------- 14 Lieutenant Woobbtwy Seleots Mrirltary Site on the Table Ormk 'Erosps Transf'erreil to Fort Kmrny---- 16 Naw Changed IPra Fort Chllds to Fmt Kearny------- 16 Buildings at Fort Kearny-1869--------------------- 17 -chase of pmt -me-------------------------- 17 Lletttenant Woodbury Pawposes Abandonment of Fort K~~~~~uIwHI-------- - 17 Fort Kearny Became Great Bn2gretnt an8 F'reigbtiag - ----- Fort Kesrny op Missouri Abandoned--------------- Hebrash !brritorial Organfaation------------- Rebrash City Boaaded ----I-H- CEUFTER 111. HIWUSKA CITY BECOMES A 00- ImTmG DEPOT------IIWHIIUIHH-------- ulaon war In D$ah Strife bet weal^ M~FP~OMan% Gertti1e~---- Givfl m-nt Org=iz&----------------- Deaeret Seeks BBmission as State---------------- Application Denied-4tah Territory Organize&---- TPrrouble Between BBormms an8 Civil Offfcials---- State ai Deseret Again Seeks ~ssio~~--Petition Page -red .UIIIICI-H------------------------HW W 3u@ DrarmstonU and the Eormmm--------------- Attempt to RmBrigharm Yoaung a8 Governor- BZ~~IUUU Y- shouts Pertace--- Vnited Staterr -oops Sent to Weah-- €bemeatFreighting Contract Awarded Russell,--- &&jms- S~&&~~--*--------I,UI--------- Rebrash City Seleotea as Reighting Depot---- Inltfal Freighting Outfit at Hebraaka City---- Majors Diaciplfne8 ther Bul1-1Rbacksrar------- Eo Direct Routs % Fort Kgarny-Early--------- IPreIghtiag Traina Used Ox-Bon Trail------- Bgitation For a Dlreclt Route To Fort Kearny- Momn War Xnds--Majors IJeamnds Dlrecf Routs-- Fort Keam-------------------------------- Nebraska City People Renew ltaffort8 to Locate- ~~~U~III~-~I~~-I--~~~-*.L~~~-----II,--~-II,----- CHAPTEFi NEBRASKA CITY-FORT KEARNY CUT-OFF OR STXU WAGON RO~~---------*c-------------------- Nebraska City-For* Kearny Trail Lafa Out---------- mss of 18$0------------------------- 33 City EngWear Harvey Survep %he Trail-------- 34 WeU-Beaten Path-wNebraska City to Ola the----- % Breaking Plow Survey to Bart Kearny-------- 35 Rmte of Trail Tbrougb Otoe, Lancaster, Sw- arU, York, Haanllton, Hall, Bdams and Kearny Page Counties -------------------...--H-C---LL~- 36 ,$tea zagon ------..LI.----- ----------.I--.---------.-- Ha jor Joseph Renshaw Bmm------------------ 39 First Steam Wagon Used in Ninnesota-------0--- 40 Second Steam Wagon in Kebraska City, 1862----- 41 Stem Wagon Aocident--------------------------.41 Nebraska City People Vote Bonds to Improve--- Steam Iyagon ;ioad---------------------------- 42 Steam Nagon Abandoned----------------------- 43 What Became of the Steam Wagon-------------- 44 Concrete aesults of Steam i7ag0n Incident----- 46 CHgPTER V1 ALONG TRgT[J--r.r-r-r--c----------a Rivalry Between Omaha and Nebraska City for mi- grant and Freighting Business-------------------- 48 Russell, Najors and Baddell Freighting Contract Gives Nebraska City Advantage------------------- 49 Trail zanchgs----------------.,-------.-------~---- Description and Purposes of Hariches---------- 49 Otoe County Ranches--Wilsont s 3anch and iiur- gery =11------ --------------------.,-------.L- 49 Lancaster County Elanches--Ideachamts, Salt- fllo, Cheese Creek------------------IL----UC 52 Seward County--Camden, -Thompson, Daniel l~lills- paw and youses------------------------------ 54 York County Hanches--Porcupine, Jack Smi-th, HieDonald, Antelope, Jack Stone--------------- 55 Page Hamilton County--David Xillspaw, Prairie Camp and ---56 Hall and Adams County aanches------------------a- 57 Kearny County 8anohas--Valley City or Dogt own, Ben Holladay------------------------I-----L-- 58 The Old 3aneh vs. &£odetmTourist Camp------------ 60 Settlers sill Produce at High Prices------------- 60 Reighting over the Trail---------------.I-------------- Length of Freighting Seasan---------------------- 60 A Reighting wain----------------------------- 60 Volume of Traf ria and Frei @ti ng Rat 68---------0- 61 =grant ~a~el--------------------------~---- 62 Traffia Through Fort Kearny------------------- 62 CHAPTER SIX. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICATJCX OF THE NEBRASKB CIW-FORT mIL----------------------------m-- Opened South Platte Territory to settlement------------ 63 Brought Vealth into South Platte Territory------------- 64 Gave South Platte Territory Political Psaendancl. "during Early History of Nebraska------------------------------ 65 Capitol Removal Controversy---------------------- 66 Locating State Institutions---------------------- 67 Contribution of Nebraska City-Fort Kemny Trail to the ~~st----------------C-C-~I-c.------~----- 68 Freighting and Stage Coach Lines Discontinued in Nebr- Page Nebraska City-Fort Kewny Trail used as Highway until Present Day Landmarks of the Olai Wail--------------- 69 The Old Trail Obliterated---------------------- 70 Chapter 1 URLY ;:EBUSlU TibLILS i32FOEZE TIZ BIEBUSKA CITY- 'O3T 3ARBT CUT-OFF LOCA!FEf) 1860 By Far the mjor portion of the early overland travel into what we now know as the western and north- western portions of the United States, passed through the territory which is included in the present state of Eebraska, This traffic soon settled into definite paths, each of which took on a name significant of the destination of most of the travellers who followed its oourse, The most imporCant of these highways were the Oregon Trail and the Woman Trail, 7ur traders had been travelling into the western and northwestern territory for many years previous to 1 ? 1860 which marks the advent of the f irat wagon train otrer the Oregon 'hail. On April 10 of this year, Captairi Failliarn Sublette left St. Louis with ten wagons and two carriages bound for the Rendezvous on Big Wind 2 river in Xyming. Ke followed the general route used by those who had @pne before him in the search for furs, While Captain Sublette started this first wagon 1 Washington Irving, Astoria, 20th Century Edition 491, 525. George P, Futnam 1849, New York, 2 Senate Zxecutive aocuments 39, 21 Congress, 2nd Session, pp. 21-23, Keproduced Oregon Historical Society Quarterly, Volume 4, 395. train fram St, Louis, Independence, i<issouri, which is located near tkie junction of the Kansas and :::iss- ouri rivers, soon omto be the real eastern tern- 3 inus of the Oregon Trail. Freight and passengers came to this point by boat. Eere they left the water route azLd took up the long overland journey across the western prairies and mountains. Yhe Santa Te and Oregon Trails followed the same route 4 for forty-one miles out of Independence along the south side of the Kansas river. At this point, the Oregon !&ail bore off to the northwest. It crossed 5 the Sansas river just west of Yopeka and erosaed the 6 Bhe river where I.Iarysville, -*aansas, is now located, It entered 1:e"uraska at the extreme saztheast corner of Jefferson county, it ran northwest across Jefferson 7 oounty to a point about six miles south of the north- west corner of the county; here it turned almost due west through Thayer county and then bore northwest across the northeast corner of Luckolls county and the extreme southeast corner of Clay county. Lere it entered Bdams county, at a point about one mile Chittenden, The American B'ur '~'rade,~ol, 1, 463-64, Ibid., Vol. 1, p.464, Zrancis-- P. Parker, New York 1898, -IT. J. Ghent, The Road to Oregon (London 1929) p.124, Iiulbert, The ---Crown