Roscoe near Ogallala in Keith County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Alkali Station
Photographed by Mark Parker, June 27, 2024
1. Alkali Station Marker
Alkali Station played several important roles as a stopping place on the Overland Trail between 1859 and 1867. Established as a stagecoach relay station. It served as a Pony Express station in 1860-61, then as a base station along the transcontinental telegraph. line. Alkali marked a point where the trail network fanned out toward various points to the west. As a large road ranche through the 1860s, it provided travelers with supplies, rested stock, and repair facilities. Alkali Station became a fortified army post during the Civil War. It housed cavalry units charged with maintaining the western flow of people and goods. Fighting occurred at the station, and troops based there took part in combat against Northern Plains tribes. Alkali Station fell into disuse with completion of the transcontinental railway system. Sod structures and other facilities at the site were abandoned and allowed to decay. Never cultivated, it preserves evidence of its contribution to the development of the country's transportation system. Efforts by land owners and their neighbors have recognized and preserved the site.
Erected 2019 by
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers • Wars, US Indian. In addition, it is included in the Nebraska State Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1859.
Location. 41° 7.627′ N, 101° 31.119′ W. Marker is near Ogallala, Nebraska, in Keith County. It is in Roscoe. It is on Lincoln Highway (U.S. 30) 1.4 miles east of East County Road 15, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1205 Lincoln Hwy, Ogallala NE 69153, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Nebraska. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, on the prairies, on the Great Plains, and specifically on the High Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the
Photographed by Mark Parker, June 27, 2024
2. Wide view of Alkali Station Marker next to Alkalie Original Station Marker
More about this marker. An informational sign pointing to the location of the marker is on U.S. 30.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 26, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 628 times since then and 72 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 26, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
