Columbus in Platte County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Road to Zion

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., February 18, 2012

1. The Road to Zion Marker

Inscription.
In 1847, Brigham Young led 143 men, 2 women, and 3 children west along the Platte River, then southwest into Utah. By the 1860s, an exodus of more than 70,000 other Mormons followed this trail to their "New Zion." Today, a marked 1,624-mile auto tour route closely parallels their historic trek from the Midwest to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake.

The Mormon pioneers set up communities and ferry crossings along the trail to assist later wagon trains going to and from Utah. From 1856-60, European converts pushed and pulled handcarts loaded with 500 pounds of supplies to Salt Lake City. After 1860, the Mormon church sponsored oxen-drawn wagons.

Erected by National Park Service.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Mormon Pioneer Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1847.

Location. 41° 25.144′ N, 97° 21.712′ W. Marker is in Columbus, Nebraska, in Platte County. Marker is in Pawnee Park, about 0.25 miles south-southwest of the intersection of 26th Avenue and 4th Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Columbus NE 68601, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

walking distance of this marker. Commemorating Loup Fork Ferry (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Andrew Jackson Higgins (approx. 0.3 miles away); Korean War Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); In Memory of Veterans (approx. 0.4 miles away); United Methodist Church Bell (approx. 0.4 miles away); St. Michael's Catholic Church Bell (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named United Methodist Church Bell (approx. 0.4 miles away); Sacred Heart Catholic Church Bell (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbus.

Also see . . . Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail. (Submitted on March 3, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., February 18, 2012

2. The Road to Zion Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on March 3, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 648 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 3, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.