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Revised 9-21-2003

NEBRASKA

    Nebraska shares a large piece of its history with the early wagon trains and Native American traditions.  The state takes its name from the Oto Indian word nebrathka, meaning "flat water" which was the name of the river that runs across the state, now known as the Platte.  The French fur traders described this river as being "a mile wide and an inch deep."  From what I remember of the river, that description was complimentary.  The early settlers often joked that the river's muddiness was due to the fact that it flowed upside down.

    The plains Indians navigated the Platte in shallow boats, but the early explorers found it useless as a navigable waterway.  The Platte was useful to the traveler for its cottonwood trees, which offered shade, a scarce commodity on the open prairies, and a source of water.  By the 1840s, Nebraska had become a trail through the region used by pioneers, prospectors and Pony Express riders as they traveled across the Oregon and Mormon trails to California, Oregon and Utah.  As many as 350,000 people were known to have traversed the Platt River Valley between 1840 and 1866.  In some spots, you can still see the deep ruts carved by the wheels of the thousands of covered wagons that traveled west.

    To some, the Great Plains were more commonly considered to be the "Great American Desert."  Tales of hostile Indians, crop-devouring grasshoppers, deadly tornadoes and floods discouraged people from remaining long in the area.  For those of us who have lived in the prairie states, another issue that would have discouraged the early pioneer women is the constantly blowing winds and the monotony of the scenery which continued for days without end.  The loneliness of the farms in this vast openness was said to drive some people crazy.  The bitter cold of the winters and the scorching heat of the summers was another factor.  In 1862, when the Homestead Act was passed, Nebraska's bad reputation was dispelled by the temptation of cheap land and settlers from the Eastern states began to pour in.  They were joined by immigrants from Eastern and Northern Europe.  The life was harsh, but the farmlands well worth the effort.  The settlers received fierce resistance from the Native American tribes of the Pawnee, Sioux, and Cheyenne, but these tribes, too, were defeated and moved off of their lands.

    The first settlers were stragglers of the California Gold Rush days, and the Oregon migration.  Those who couldn't complete the trip, or who simply tired of the adventure, dropped anchor in this area and put down roots.  The first settlement was established in 1832 and named Bellevue.  It is situated less than 10 miles south of Omaha on the Missouri river.   The Missouri River became a primary route of travel in the North/South migratory patterns.  Omaha was established on the river north of Belleview and later became the terminus of the Union Pacific and Santa Fe Railroad lines.  Lincoln, now the state capital, was founded in 1867, and at the time of its founding stood at the edge of the Western frontier.  A major landmark to those following the trails stands in Nebraska and is called Chimney Rock.  For those not familiar with Nebraska topography, it is well to remember that Nebraska contains miles of wide open spaces, including its Sand Hills region, a rather unusual section in this otherwise deep green state.  It is the largest area of dunes in North America and were formed when prevailing westerly winds blew the powdery soil of the river bottoms into drifts.  Prairie grass took root in the soil and locked the soil into place.  It is too dry for cultivation and remains a picture of the wild, untamed West to the imagination of those who dream of the past.

        Nebraska was part of the Missouri Territory before 1820.  In 1834, it was divided into three sections and placed under the supervision of Arkansas, Michigan and the state of Missouri. In 1812, Nebraska became its own Territory and was given its own name, including sections of Colorado, Montana, North and South Dakota and Wyoming.  A large group of German families migrated into the area in the 1850s out of Russia and settled in Lancaster and surrounding counties.  After the adoption of the Homestead Act of 1862, they were joined by a group of Scandinavians.

    On 1 March 1867, Nebraska was admitted to the Union as our 37th state.  Many Civil War veterans were granted cheap land after the close of the war.  The primary ethnicity of the area by the 1960s, were of German, Czech, Swedish or Russian Descent.  

    I have many old photos of early Nebraska, including some people who cannot be identified.  I will be posting these photographs in my mystery photo album.  If anyone can give these people a name, please e-mail me.  Most of them came from the area of Central City, where my grandfather's family lived for many years.  The Lutes family ran a bakery and confectioners shop on the main street of the old town and their store is shown in some of the old post cards of the period.

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