Bradshaw in York County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Bradshaw
After 1861 an important variant of the overland trails system, the Nebraska City – Fort Kearny Cutoff, passed nearby, over which freight was transported from the Missouri River to western forts and mining camps. The region’s first settlements were road ranches supplying trail travelers. Permanent towns and villages sprang up in the late 1860s and early 1870s as farmers came to claim land under the Homestead Act of 1862.
In 1880 the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad extended its line from York to Grand Island, platting Bradshaw on the land purchased from Jesse and Mary Bradshaw Richards and giving the village Mary Richards’s maiden name.
A major event in Bradshaw’s history was the June 3, 1890, tornado that destroyed the village, killing twelve and injuring sixty. By 1900 Bradshaw had been rebuilt and tallied a population of 365. In that year 354 railcars of grain were shipped from Bradshaw. In the twenty-first century agriculture remained the economic mainstay for Bradshaw and the surrounding region.
Michael Breiner, M.D.
Class of 1952, BHS
Nebraska State Historical Society
Erected by Michael Breiner, M.D. & Nebraska State Historical Society. (Marker Number 440.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Disasters • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Nebraska State Historical Society series list.
Location. 40° 53.019′ N, 97° 44.85′ W. Marker is in Bradshaw, Nebraska, in York County. Marker is on Lincoln Street, 0.1 miles south of West Jackson Street, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located in a small city park at the southwest corner of the Lincoln Street & West Jackson Street intersection. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Bradshaw NE 68319, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Porcupine Ranch (approx. 4.1 miles away); Nebraska City - Fort Kearny Cut-Off (approx. 7 miles away); York County Veterans Memorial (approx. 8.2 miles away); Nebraska City Cut-Off of the Oregon Trail (approx. 8.2 miles away); Nebraska 4-H Clubs Began in York County (approx. 8.2 miles away); Nebraska City-Fort Kearny Cut-Off (approx. 10.8 miles away); Moving People and Goods on the Overland Trail (approx. 10.8 miles away); Nebraska's I-80 Bicentennial Sculptures (approx. 10.8 miles away).
Also see . . . History of Bradshaw. Website homepage (Submitted on December 31, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 31, 2022. It was originally submitted on March 8, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 491 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 8, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.