Long before early French explorers named it the Platte River, or "flat waters," this heartland oasis was a crossroads. Migratory birds, abundant wildlife and Native Americans had been in residence for centuries when the confluence of the Oregon and . . . — — Map (db m58888) HM
The trail which followed the south side of the Platte River was the main route to Oregon and California. Fur traders going to the Rocky Mountains took the first wagons over the trail in 1830. Oregon-bound missionaries followed in the mid-1830s, and . . . — — Map (db m53268) HM
On the South Loup River southwest of here was the site of the U.S. Army’s Post South Loup Fork. This small outpost of Fort Kearney was established in May 1865 by Company “E”, Seventh Iowa Cavalry, under the command of Capt. James B. David and . . . — — Map (db m181699) HM
When a Sioux Indian reservation was established north of here in Dakota Territory in 1878, early settlers in the region grew fearful of attack. They requested military protection, and in 1880 Fort Niobrara was built a few miles east of present-day . . . — — Map (db m77753) HM
Sidney Barracks, when established in 1867, was a temporary camp with one permanent structure, a blockhouse located to the north. In 1869 the Fort was relocated at this site and in 1870 the name was officially changed to Fort Sidney. The primary . . . — — Map (db m76864) HM
An important Omaha Indian village called Tonwantonga (Large Village) by the Omaha stood on Omaha Creek in this area. Ruled by the great chief Blackbird, an estimated 1,100 people lived in this earthlodge town about 1795 and it played an important . . . — — Map (db m206966) HM
From about 1837 until 1850, more than a quarter million buffalo robes bought from Indians and 27 tons of fur company trade goods were hauled over the 300 mile long Fort Pierre-Fort Laramie Trail that followed the White River through this area. First . . . — — Map (db m4530) HM
During the 1887 expansion of Fort Robinson six adobe barracks were built on the south side of the parade ground. Later two frame barracks were added. Each building had a dormitory area 170 by 30 feet, a kitchen wing 70 by 30 feet, and housed a . . . — — Map (db m223428) HM
Of the fifteen enlisted men's barracks of
log, adobe, or fired brick, only this structure
remains at Fort Robinson. It housed men of the
8th and 12th Cavalry and the Quartermaster
Remount Service. A similar structure near the
brick officers' . . . — — Map (db m223430) HM
These duplex officers' quarters, of adobe brick construction, were completed in 1887 when Fort Robinson became a cavalry regimental headquarters. This structure has been restored by by the Nebraska State Historical Society, and furnishings . . . — — Map (db m223431) HM
Black soldiers of the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry regiments (called "buffalo soldiers" by the Plains Indians) garrisoned Fort Robinson for eighteen years and played an important role in northwestern Nebraska's history. Organized in 1866, the regiments . . . — — Map (db m174269) HM
Site of Cavalry Barracks 1874 Cheyenne Outbreak One hundred and forty-nine Northern Cheyenne Indians led by Dull Knife were taken into custody by troops from from Fort Robinson in October 23, 1878. Imprisoned in the log cavalry barracks, . . . — — Map (db m174893) HM
Crawford sprang up as a tent city on land owned by homesteader/newspaper correspondent William E. Annin in 1886 when the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad pushed through the Nebraska Panhandle. To Incorporate the town, editor William . . . — — Map (db m44254) HM
After escaping from Fort Robinson on January 9, 1879, the Cheyennes climbed the buttes to the south and fled through this area, pursued by Third Cavalrymen. Soldiers and Cheyennes fought sharp engagements west of here on January 11 and 13. The . . . — — Map (db m235873) HM
This flagstaff, 105 feet high, is constructed of metal pipe with a ladder and crow's nest for buglers. It was originally on the other side of the 1905 headquarters near the highway, having replaced an earlier flagstaff blown
down by an 1889 . . . — — Map (db m223432) HM
In March, 1874, the U.S. Government authorized the establishment of a military camp at the Red Cloud Indian Agency on the White River. Home of some 13,000 Indians, many of whom were hostile, the Agency was one of the most troublesome spots on the . . . — — Map (db m173982) HM
On January 20, 1885. Congress granted the
Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad
a right-of-way through the Fort Robinson Military
Reservation. Later this line was acquired by the
Chicago and North Western. With direct rail access
in . . . — — Map (db m223433) HM
Ft. Robinson Nebraska named in honor of First Lieutenant Levi H. Robinson who made the supreme sacrifice February 9, 1874 in the winning of the west — — Map (db m173980) HM WM
In September 1942 the Fort Robinson War Dog Training Center was established. Barracks, classrooms, administrative offices, and other support buildings were located west and north of here. To the east and north was a sprawling kennel area housing . . . — — Map (db m223435) HM
These officers quarters with adobe brick
walls are the oldest original buildings at
Fort Robinson. The post surgeon noted they
had dirt floors and complained over delays
in shipping heating stoves. A frame lean-to
at the rear provided kitchen . . . — — Map (db m223436) HM
Consisting of four double sets and one single
occupancy dwelling for the post commander,
these were the last officers' homes constructed
at Fort Robinson. They represent the culmination
of Victorian military architecture, with fancy
fireplaces . . . — — Map (db m223437) HM
The Post Headquarters was constructed in 1905. The Post Commander's office was located here, along with other administrative offices, post office, and the Fort's telephone exchange. An ornate auditorium on the second floor was often used for parties . . . — — Map (db m223439) HM
Red Cloud Agency was established here in 1873
for Chief Red Cloud and his Oglala band, as well
as for other northern plains Indians, totaling
nearly 13,000. Their earlier agency had been located
on the North Platte near Fort Laramie. The . . . — — Map (db m223441) HM
The Chief of Fort Robinson Scouts, Baptiste “Little Bat” Garnier was shot by James Haguewood, bartender, in this building known as Dietrich’s Saloon, December 16, 1900. “Little Bat” died near the center of the street intersection about 3 a.m. and . . . — — Map (db m235888) HM
Julesburg, Colorado, visible to the southwest, was
established as a road ranche, trading post, and stage
station in 1859. Located near the junction of several
overland routes, Old Julesburg became an important
transportation and military . . . — — Map (db m228355) HM
Built near this site in 1807 by Manuel Lisa, trader and indian commissioner, through whose influence the Omaha, Pawnee, Ponca, Otoe and Sioux tribes remained loyal to the United States during the War of 1812. — — Map (db m7892) HM
On April 27, 1875, General George A. Crook assumed command of the Department of the Platte, which then included Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and part of Montana and Idaho. When the headquarters was shifted from downtown Omaha to Fort Omaha (Omaha . . . — — Map (db m223451) HM
A military post was first established here in 1868 and named Sherman Barracks after the famous Civil War general, William Tecumseh Sherman. The post's name was soon changed to Omaha Barracks and, in 1878, to Fort Omaha. In 1879, General George . . . — — Map (db m33057) HM
Until after World War I, no other method equaled a soldier’s ability to send intelligence information directly to the ground by telephone from an observation balloon.
Fort Omaha entered America’s balloon and aviation history in April 1909 when . . . — — Map (db m58151) HM
Originally a filtration plant constructed in 1912, this building was remodeled and enlarged to become the Post Exchange Building in 1923. All incoming or outgoing calls, whether emergency or routine, would pass through the Post switchboard housed . . . — — Map (db m58118) HM
To maintain discipline among a large garrison, Fort Omaha commanders strictly followed the military code of the frontier era. Facing occasional problems with drunkenness, insubordination, fighting and desertion, officers were quick to punish . . . — — Map (db m58122) HM
Constructed in 1906, this double barracks building housed noncommissioned officers of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, which had reactivated Fort Omaha in 1905. During World War I, this building served as South Post Headquarters for the Army’s first . . . — — Map (db m58106) HM
Maintaining the health and well-being of soldiers at Fort Omaha was accomplished only after overcoming serious obstacles.
One such obstacle was the shortage of potable water. By 1869 only two of the Fort’s wells were considered safe for . . . — — Map (db m58090) HM
During World War I, citizen participation in relief and aid societies was exceptional across America. Omaha’s Red Cross chapter led all cities in the country in per capita membership.
In addition to the Red Cross providing a canteen at Fort . . . — — Map (db m58149) HM
Built in 1906, Fort Omaha’s “Officers Row” typifies the architecture appropriate for officers’ residences on an army post in the early 20th century. Large and impressively formal, the houses lack elaborate exterior decoration . . . — — Map (db m58156) HM
In 1880, nearly a dozen years after Fort Omaha was established, indoor hot and cold water bathing facilities were installed – three shower rooms for enlisted men and one for officers. By the end of the 19th century a new attitude towards the . . . — — Map (db m58120) HM
Even after the 1869 completion of the transcontinental railroad, the Army relied on mules and wagons to outfit its isolated posts. The Department of the Platte, headquartered at Fort Omaha, paid over $700,000 to acquire and transport troops and . . . — — Map (db m58107) HM
Upon the recommendation of Lt. General William T. Sherman, in 1866 the Adjutant General’s office created the Department of the Platte which included present-day Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Montana and a portion of southeastern Idaho. As . . . — — Map (db m58154) HM
As a result of a major confrontation from 1866-1868 between the U.S. Army and the Lakota (Sioux), the U.S. government signed a treaty agreeing that the Army would abandon several posts along the Bozeman Trail. By this time, the Union Pacific had . . . — — Map (db m58157) HM
After nine years of inactivity, Fort Omaha reopened in 1905 as a school for noncommissioned Signal Corps officers. A structure to house the army’s only dirigible (balloon airship) was completed in 1908, and the first dirigible flew in April 1909. . . . — — Map (db m58150) HM
This small, tin-roofed building hardly suggests its central role in the mission of the officers and troops once stationed at Fort Omaha. Constructed in 1883-84, the ordnance magazine was the chief storage place for weapons and ammunition.
It was . . . — — Map (db m58117) HM
In August 1905, the Fort Omaha post was reestablished with a new mission. The War Department designated Fort Omaha as a place of instruction for the technical duties in connection with the Signal Corps of the Army. With this change, the War . . . — — Map (db m58158) HM
Throughout the frontier era, the Quartermaster’s Department oversaw post construction, supply procurement and transportation. It worked closely with the Subsistence Department which purchased and assigned rations. To both agencies, Fort Omaha . . . — — Map (db m58131) HM
When Frontier County was organized in 1872, Stockville became the county seat. During its first decade no real town existed, it being only a trading center for the ranchers of the region. It was not until the middle-eighties, when the county filled . . . — — Map (db m223453) HM
The source of the Calamus River is spring-fed Moon Lake, 60 miles northwest of here. The river was named after a common marsh plant eaten by muskrats. Archeological evidence indicates that prehistoric Indians camped in the valley as early as 3,000 . . . — — Map (db m189344) HM
In 1872-73 white settlers were moving into the North Loup Valley. Their presence sparked occasional conflicts with Lakota Sioux wandering down from the north to hunt or raid the Pawnee Reservation near Genoa. On January 18, 1874, Sioux passing . . . — — Map (db m181899) HM
The availability of suitable building material was of great importance to Nebraska’s pioneer settlers. Here in Jefferson County, native limestone was used for building and the stone was burned in kilns to produce lime for mortar and whitewash. The . . . — — Map (db m177301) HM
Following the 1848 establishment of Fort Kearny two miles east of here and the later expansion of overland commerce and emigration, the small commercial center of Kearney City was established here in 1859. The town's more common name, Dobytown, . . . — — Map (db m58979) HM
The growth of overland emigration to Oregon after 1842 resulted in the establishment of military posts across the West to protect travelers. The first post, Fort Kearny, was established in the spring of 1848 “near the head of the Grand . . . — — Map (db m43237) HM
A few miles west of here on the south side of the Platte River is the site of Fort McPherson, 1863-1880. During the Indian troubles of the middle 1860's, troops of the post were occupied in keeping the telegraph lines in operation and the mail and . . . — — Map (db m176427) HM
The fort was established on the Oregon Trail on the south side of the Platte River in October 1863, on the eve of intensified Indian raids on the Plains.
Built next to the well-known Cottonwood Springs and McDonald ranch, it commanded a . . . — — Map (db m101821) HM
This log, two-story, cedar log structure was built in 1868 or 1869 by Mr. E.E. Ericsson. Each log is shaped and interlocked with the next with a minimal use of square nails. Mr. Ericsson was born in Varmland, Sweden on July 1st, 1835. He arrived . . . — — Map (db m191768) HM
The fort near here was established on the Oregon Trail on the south side of the Platte River in October 1863, on the eve of intensified Indian raids on the Plains. Built next to the well-known Cottonwood Springs and McDonald ranches, it commanded a . . . — — Map (db m180897) HM
This log cabin was constructed by the United States Army in the 1860's or 1870's at Fort McPherson. The logs were cut from the hills south of the Platte River near present-day Maxwell, Nebraska. Fort McPherson was established in 1863 by a . . . — — Map (db m191702) HM
This flagpole stood above Fort McPherson from 1877 to 1882 when it was removed and put in storage. It was later donated to the Lincoln County Historical Museum. Of what you can see here today the only original part is the main flagpole itself. The . . . — — Map (db m191703) HM
Permanent settlement in this area dates from 1846, with the establishment of old Fort Kearny on Table Creek. Nebraska City, founded in 1854, became an important depot for military and commercial freighting. Pioneer businessmen, such as S. F. . . . — — Map (db m177231) HM
While emigrants were mostly self-sufficient, there were
times when they needed extra help. Since there were few
forts in the early years, aid often came from the feared
"savages.” Instead of attacking the wagon trains as the
eastern . . . — — Map (db m174496) HM
In 1909 Nebraska State Surveyor Robert Harvey surveyed the Fort Mitchell site documenting the location of the fort for the Nebraska State Historical Society. Mr. Harvey’s site sketch is partially shown to the right.
The granite Oregon Trail . . . — — Map (db m79436) HM
Mitchell Pass and the city of Mitchell, Nebraska, derive their names from a military post built near here during the Indian Wars. No trace of the sod structure remains at the site on the North Platte River bend northwest of Scott’s Bluff. It was . . . — — Map (db m79426) HM
Civilization came to the west bank of the Missouri with establishment of Fort Atkinson in 1820 about a half mile southeast of here. Named after its founder, General Henry Atkinson, this western-most Fort protected the frontier's developing commerce. . . . — — Map (db m7890) HM
From 1820 to 1827, the nation's largest and most westerly military post occupied this site, the earlier scene of Lewis and Clark's Council Bluff. In late 1819, troops under Colonel Henry Atkinson established Cantonment Missouri along the river near . . . — — Map (db m223480) HM
