National Trails System

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

National Historic Trails

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska and Northeastern Colorado

“Approaching Chimney Rock”

by William Henry Jackson
Chimney Rock, in western Nebraska, was one of the most notable landmarks 

recorded in emigrant diaries and journals. Courtesy of The Wagner Perspective.
NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAILS

AUTO TOUR ROUTE INTERPRETIVE 

GUIDE

Nebraska and Northeastern Colorado

Prepared by

National Park Service

National Trails Intermountain Region

324 South State Street, Suite 200

Salt Lake City, Utah 84111

Telephone: 801-741-1012

www.nps.gov/cali

www.nps.gov/oreg

www.nps.gov/mopi

www.nps.gov/poex

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

August 2006

Second Printing September 2010
Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

The Great Platte River Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

From Path to Highway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

“A Whiz and a Hail” —The Pony Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

A “Frayed Rope” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

The Platte Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Natives and Newcomers: A Gathering Storm . . . . . . . . . . 18

War on the Oregon & California Trails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Corridor to Destiny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Sites and Points of Interest..........................26

Auto Tour Segment A —Odell to Kearney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Auto Tour Segment B —Omaha-Central City-Kearney . . . . . . . 36

Auto Tour Segment C —Nebraska City-Central City-Kearney . . 43

Auto Tour Segment D —Kearney to Wyoming Border . . . . . . . 45

For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Regional Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover
Auto Tour

Route

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Introduction

Many of the pioneer trails and other 

historic routes that are important in 

our nation’s past have been designated by 

Congress as National Historic Trails. While 

most of those old roads and routes are 

not open to motorized traffic, people can 

drive along modern highways that lie close 

to the original trails. Those modern roads are designated as Auto 

Tour Routes, and they are marked with highway signs and trail logos 

to help today’s travelers follow the trails used by the pioneers who 

helped to open a new nation.

This interpretive publication guides visitors along the Auto Tour 

Routes for the Oregon, California, Mormon Pioneer, and Pony 

Express National Historic Trails as they approach and parallel the 

Platte River across Nebraska and cut across the northeastern corner 

of Colorado. Site-by-site driving directions are included, and an 

overview map is located inside the back cover. To make the tour more 

meaningful, this guide also provides a historical overview of the four 

trails, shares the thoughts and experiences of emigrants who followed 

those routes, and describes how the westward expansion impacted 

native peoples of the Great Plains.

Individual Auto Tour Route interpretive guides such as this one are in 

preparation for each state through which the trails pass. In addition, 

individual National Park Service interpretive brochures for the 

Oregon, California, Mormon Pioneer, and Pony Express National 

Historic Trails are available at many trail-related venues, and can 

be requested from the National Trails System Office at 324 South 

State Street, Suite 200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111. These brochures 

provide more detailed information about each of the trails. Additional 

information on each trail also can be found on individual trail web 

sites. Links are listed on the title page of this guide.
“Fort Kearny & the South Platte 

River” by William Henry Jackson

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

The Great Platte River Road

“Too thick to drink, too thin to plow, too pale to paint.” “A mile 

wide and an inch deep.” “A stream flowing upside down.” 

Covered wagon pioneers of the 19th century liked to joke about 

Nebraska’s Platte River, a stream unlike any they had known 

back East. But the Platte, strange as it looked, was no joke. A summer 

shower could send it raging over-bank and through camp; its soft 

quicksand bottom could swallow up an ox team. River crossings were 

ordeals to dread.

The river’s setting, too, seemed strange. Surrounding prairie, 

frequently cleansed by wildfire, was burned bare of trees right up to 

the water’s edge, and a line of low sand hills, looking like a stormwracked beach, rimmed much of the river valley.

Yet the yellow Platte, that treeless “Coast of Nebraska,” was an 

emigrant’s lifeline —a water source that snaked 800 dusty miles 

between the Missouri River and the uplands of central Wyoming. 

Though a choked and sandy disappointment of a stream, the Platte 

always was and still is a natural east-west corridor across the central 

plains. Migrating game and moccasin-clad feet wore paths through 

2
“Buffalo Stampede” along the South 

Platte River by William Henry Jackson

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

the valley thousands of years before any white man ventured there. 

Like those first travelers, covered wagon emigrants and their slow, 

plodding oxen found water, grass, and fuel along the river. They also 

found the valley floor to be fairly level and smooth, a fine setting for 

roads in the 21st century as well as the 19th. When you drive the 

riverside routes of today’s U.S.-26, U.S.-30, and I-80 across Nebraska, 

you are following the footsteps of native explorers, hunters, traders, 

and fighters, and of mountain men, soldiers, and countless pioneers.

This broad highway along the Platte River was known in the 19th 

century by a variety of names, depending on a traveler’s purpose and 

destination. Some native peoples called it the Great Medicine Road; 

other travelers called it the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, the Pony 

Express Route or the California Road.

But taken all together, the footpaths and wagon ruts that flanked the 

roiling, yellow Platte into Wyoming now have one name in common: 

The Great Platte River Road.

[The Platte River] was fearful to look at, —rushing and boiling 

and yellow with mud, a mile wide, and in many places of 

unknown depth. The bed was of quicksand —this was the worst 

difficulty. —Margaret A. Frink, emigration of 1850

3
Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

From Path to Highway

Supply caravans hauling supplies to the annual fur trappers’ rendezvous began following Indian paths along the Platte River 

and into the Rocky Mountains in the 1820s. Their pack trains and 

wagons wore rough tracks, or “traces,” along both sides of the river 

across Nebraska and up the North Platte into Wyoming. In May 

1840, as the profitable trade in beaver pelts drew to an end, emigrants 

Joel and Mary Walker took four children and two wagons to join up 

with the last supply caravan leaving Independence, Missouri, for the 

final “Trappers’ Rendezvous.” From the rendezvous site in western 

Wyoming, the Walker family continued westward with a group of 

missionaries and trappers, reaching Oregon’s Willamette Valley in 

mid-September. They were the first emigrant family to cross the 

continent on what would become the Oregon Trail, and their trek 

marks the beginning of the overland emigration era. 

In 1841, the first full wagon train of westbound settlers headed up the 

Platte. More wagons set out the following spring, and the next, and 

the next, gradually beating a well-defined wagon road along the south 

side of the river and into the Rockies. Maps of the emerging emigrant 

trails were published in 1843 and 1845 government reports prepared 

by explorer John C. Fremont, who was delighted to encounter 

pioneers using his work to guide them west. Fremont’s mapping 

expeditions for the U.S. Corps of Topographical Engineers made 

him a national hero, and the dashing young officer inspired many 

Americans to start across the Nebraska prairie.

The neglected old teamsters’ trace along the Platte’s north bank 

was revived in 1847, when a purposeful party of Latter-day Saints 

(Mormons) began developing its own road, apart from the main 

Oregon and California migrations. Thus began a distinct and separate 

current of the westward overland movement along Nebraska’s Platte 

River.

After years of conflict with anti-Mormons across several states, 

church leaders decided to move their people west to live and 

govern themselves according to their beliefs. Church President 

Brigham Young led the first phase of the Mormon emigration from 

4
Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Nauvoo, Illinois, to Winter Quarters (Omaha), Nebraska, in 1846. 

(The Nauvoo-to-Omaha trek is described in the Auto Tour Route 

Interpretive Guide for the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail 

Across Iowa.)

Mud and hardship dogged the Latter-day Saints across Iowa in 

1846, leaving them exhausted, sick, and hungry by the time they 

reached the Missouri River. Unable to go on, the Mormon pioneers 

built temporary shelters and settled in for the coming winter. At 

Winter Quarters and scattered settlements in Nebraska and across 

Iowa, more than 700 Mormon emigrants perished from exposure, 

malnutrition, and disease over the winter of 1846–47. 

During those brutal months, Brigham Young and his advisers 

prepared carefully for the final push over the Rocky Mountains, 

studying maps and reports and gathering equipment and supplies. 

Young left Winter Quarters in mid-April 1847 with a handpicked 

company of 143 young men, three women, and two children. For 

safety and efficiency, the group formed two large divisions, which 

later were divided into companies of fifty and ten. This welldisciplined lead party would trek across the prairie and through the 

mountains to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake to begin preparing 

a place for the thousands of faithful to follow during the coming 

summer.

...we found that the River we had seen in the distance was none 

other than the celebrated “Platte,” the highway of our future 

journey, which caused joy & rejoicing in my Soul... —Thomas 

Bullock, 1847 Mormon emigration

Keeping to the north side of the Platte River was key to Young’s 

emigration plan. The trail along the south bank would be easier and 

grass for the cattle seemed to grow thicker there, but the Mormon 

leader wanted to avoid further clashes with anti-Mormons who might 

be emigrating along the Oregon and California road. Young’s northbank trail remained the primary route taken during the ongoing 

“Gathering of Zion” that spanned the next two decades, although 

many later Mormon parties did follow the Oregon-California Trail on 

the south side of the valley, instead.

5
Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Despite a tense encounter with Omaha Indians, the loss of two 

horses to Pawnees, and a prairie fire that forced the travelers to seek 

safety on a Platte River island, the Nebraska leg of the 1847 Mormon 

journey went smoothly. Along the way, Young’s party improved the 

road, set up trail markers every 10 miles, built ferries, and measured 

and made notes of the route to aid those who would follow. When the 

first Mormon wagons arrived in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake on 

July 23, 1847, the tired travelers immediately began breaking ground 

to plant potatoes and turnips. Over 2,000 Latter-day Saints were 

expected to arrive in the valley that summer. They would need food 

to survive the winter.

In the spring of 1848, a third company of nearly 2,500 Mormon 

emigrants set out along the Mormon Trail across Nebraska and 

Wyoming to the settlement that would become Salt Lake City. 

Although the Mormons abandoned Winter Quarters at that time, later 

Mormon emigrants would continue to “jump off” at Missouri River 

crossings near today’s Council Bluffs/Omaha through the early 1870s.

Brigham Young’s hope of keeping Mormon emigrants safely 

segregated from other travelers was soon disappointed, though. 

Discovery of gold in California in 1848 opened the floodgates of 

emigration the following spring, when tens of thousands of men and 

women, the “49ers,” rushed westward along both sides of the Platte 

River. 

...When we left the Missouri River we followed the Platte. And 

we killed rattle snakes by the cord in some places; and made 

roads and built bridges til our backs ached. —Church President 

Brigham Young, 1868

For an indefinite number of miles there seemed to be an 

unending stream of emigrant trains....It was a sight which, once 

seen, can never be forgotten; it seemed as if the whole family 

of man had set its face westward. —William G. Johnston, 

emigration of 1849

It was alarming to see the long strings of wagons that were on the 

road....It would appear from the sight befor us that the Nation 

6
Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

was disgorgeing its self and sending off its whole inhabitance.

—James Pritchard, emigration of 1849

Gold-seekers swarmed the trailheads, or “jumping-off places,” in the 

spring of 1849. They competed in frenzy for oxen, gear, and supplies, 

and those without wagons or draft animals set out on horseback or on 

foot —some even pushing wheelbarrows— to find their fortunes in 

California. The 49ers stampeded up the trails, mobbed the established 

river fords and ferries, and crowded into trailside campgrounds. 

Their livestock stripped the corridor of grass, and starving oxen 

dropped dying in their yokes. Travelers abandoned dead animals, 

extra food, all sorts of belongings, and sometimes even their wagons, 

turning the Platte River Valley into a long, stinking junkyard. The trail 

also became a cemetery: cholera, a deadly intestinal disease spread by 

contaminated water, raced the 49ers up the Platte, taking hundreds, 

maybe thousands, of victims to their graves.

Oh! The sacrifice of wagons, clothing, fire arms, beds, bedding, 

Buffalo skins, trunks, chests, harnesses, and in the loss of life. 

The road to gold is strewed with destruction, wretchedness and 

woe; and yet, thousands and tens of thousands follow on in the 

way with the hope of securing the wealth of this world. —Orson 

Hyde, Mormon emigration of 1850

Despite these troubles, some 25,000 Americans went West in 1849 

—more than the previous nine years combined! The next year, nearly 

50,000 souls set feet and face toward the Pacific, lured by the hope 

of riches in California and the promise of prime farmland in Oregon. 

The flow of emigration peaked in 1852 when some 60,000 people 

hit the trails, and then continued in fits and starts —surging during 

economic hard times and during later Western gold and silver rushes, 

and dwindling when wars loomed.

The one-time Indian footpath had become a permanent highway, 

with the Platte River for a centerline. 

The trail was nearly a quarter of a mile wide —that is, a row of 

wagons fifteen-hundred feet across, and extending in front and 

to the rear, as far as we could see...a vast sea of white flapping 

7
Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

wagon covers, and a seething mass of plodding animals. —John 

K. Stockton, emigration of 1852

“A Whiz and a Hail” —The Pony Express

Adding another strand to the twisted braid of trail along the Platte was 

a crack team of young saddle-toughs who carried mail across the 

continent for the Pony Express.

The Pony Express was a cross-country relay of horses and riders 

carrying letters and dispatches in both directions between St. Joseph, 

Missouri, and San Francisco, California. In those pre-telephone, pretelegraph days, news going to California via regular mail could take up 

to six months to arrive. For a premium fee (about $85 per half-ounce 

in today’s money), “the Pony” could deliver that letter in 10 to 16 

days, depending on weather conditions.

This was a private business venture launched in 1860 by partners 

William Russell, William Waddell, and Alexander Majors, who 

also ran a freighting operation out of Nebraska City. Hoping for a 

profitable federal mail-delivery contract, the partners established 

a string of stations across the West, stocked them with fast, hardy 

horses, and hired around 80 skilled riders to relay the mail between 

stations. Each rider would carry the mail pouch (called a mochila) 

along his leg of the route, thrilling emigrants and stagecoach 

passengers with a “whiz and a hail” as he galloped past them.

Driving slow oxen seemed pretty tame compared with jumping 

on spirited ponies and going full tilt along the old trail, past the 

emigrant trains and freight outfits, or even bands of Indians.

—William Campbell, Pony rider in Nebraska

The Pony Express riders would head out with the post as soon as they 

received the mochila, any time of the day or night and in all weather. 

Pony Expressman Richard Cleve rode 75 miles across eastern 

Nebraska through a raging blizzard, only to find that his relief rider 

at the next station was too sick to sit his horse. Cleve remounted and 

floundered on through whiteout conditions, snowdrifts, and sub8
“Pony Express Rider Chased by 

Indians” by William Henry Jackson

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

zero temperatures for another 75 miles. Man and horse stumbled 

into their final station after 36 hours on the trail. Other riders 

completed similar death-defying runs, and stories of their bravery 

and endurance were repeated across the nation.

I...found it impossible to find the road. I would get off the horse 

and look for the road, find it and mount the horse, but in five 

yards I would lose it again. —Pony Express Rider Richard 

Cleve

Despite their one-time celebrity, those riders are known to few today. 

Only two names still loom above the unsettled dust of Pony history: 

James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok and William “Buffalo Bill” Cody. 

Hickok was a Pony Express stock-tender at Rock Creek Station, 

Nebraska, where he launched his career as a gunslinger in a brutal 

shootout over a Pony Express business debt. Cody, on the other 

hand, was a showman who told exciting tales about his adventures 

as a teenage Pony Express rider, and even re-enacted those events in 

his touring Wild West show. His stories seem unlikely, though, and 

historians doubt that Cody ever worked for the Pony at all. Accurate 

or not, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West performances captured the spirit of 

the Pony and branded its legend deep into the nation’s identity.

These days it is hard to separate truth from the myth of the Pony 

Express. The enterprise was so short-lived that it left little in the way 

9
Completion of the transcontinental telegraph system on October 24, 1861, made the 

Pony Express obsolete. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, from Harpers Weekly.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

of business records, and most of those —letters, receipts, payroll logs, 

etc.— have disappeared. History is further muddled by romanticized 

accounts, faulty memories, and outright hoaxes. Researchers today 

disagree on who was the first rider to leave St. Joseph with the first 

mochila full of mail, and where exactly he left from, and whether 

the western terminus was Sacramento or San Francisco. Students of 

the Pony debate trail routes, argue the authenticity of “original Pony 

Express stations,” and even wonder if some Pony riders were women 

disguised as boys. Serious researchers are still sifting through the lore, 

sorting sweet fables from sweaty reality and discovering long-lost 

nuggets of factual Pony history.

But this much is sure: The Pony Express helped run its owners into 

scandalous financial ruin within 191⁄2 short months. The operation 

quickly racked up expenses while the hoped-for government contract 

shyly stayed beyond reach. Completion of the transcontinental 

telegraph system on October 24, 1861, made the debt-ridden Pony 

obsolete. Riders finished their last run on November 20, 1861.

Ere long, the “Pony Express” must give place to the telegraph, 

and not many years can elapse before the Pacific Railroad will 

supersede the overland express to California. —George Ellis 

Baker, 1860

10
“Crossing the Missouri” by William 

Henry Jackson

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

A “Frayed Rope”

The Great Platte River Road was no neatly engineered lane where prairie schooners rolled prettily in single file, but an evolving, 

rowdy free-for-all of multiple ruts scoring the river valley. Traffic went 

both ways as emigrants, commercial freight caravans, stagecoaches, 

and postal relay riders moved back and forth between East and West. 

New tracks were created as ox-drawn wagons and mule trains passed 

each other and spread out three, six, or more abreast to escape the 

choking dust kicked up by those ahead. New cutoffs were developed 

as travelers sought out the shortest, safest, and fastest ways into and 

through the Platte River Valley.

On maps, the road’s eastern end took on the appearance of a 

frayed rope, with strands funneling traffic into the Platte Valley 

from numerous “jumping off places” along the Missouri River. 

Several strands of the rope brought overland traffic from the 

southern departure points at Independence, Westport, Kansas City, 

Leavenworth, Atchison, St. Joseph, and Amazonia. These feeder 

routes, heavily used in the early years of the migration, led across 

northeastern Kansas and into the valley of the Little Blue River. The 

main trail followed that stream northwestward into Nebraska, crested 

a 20-mile-wide divide, and then dropped to the Platte.

11
“Sand Hills of the Platte River” by

William Henry Jackson

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

More strands of trail led directly into the Platte Valley from Omaha/

Council Bluffs, Bellevue, Plattsmouth, Old Wyoming, Minersville, 

Nebraska City, and other northern “jumping off places.” By the early 

1850s, most emigrant traffic set out from the northern Missouri River 

ports, cutting off nearly 200 miles of overland travel across Kansas. 

Commercial and military traffic, much of it from St. Joseph and Fort 

Leavenworth, continued to use the Kansas feeder routes into the 

Platte Valley.

Parties setting out from Council Bluffs and Omaha on the Mormon 

Trail (also called the Council Bluffs Road) north of the Platte had to 

ford the Elkhorn and Loup Rivers and cross some broken country, 

but overall found easy traveling. Where the river forks near today’s 

city of North Platte, those travelers kept to the north, following the 

Mormon route along the North Platte River into today’s Wyoming.

. . . You would be surprised to see the ways of travel. Large trains 

of carts with one ox on a cart, some wagons with 8 yoke, wile go 

hundred horse teams, mule teams, sail wagons goes by wind and 

steam wagons and hand carts and whele barrows. So wags the 

tide of life. —Squire Lamb, Nebraska stage station operator, 

1862

12
“Through Mitchell Pass” at Scott’s 

Bluff by William Henry Jackson

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Trail strands coming into the south side of the Platte Valley braided 

together into a single main road just east of Fort Kearny, a military 

outpost established in 1848 to aid the Oregon emigration. Southside travelers continued from Fort Kearny along mostly smooth and 

level terrain to the confluence of the North and South Platte Rivers. 

Some parties crossed to the north bank of the South Platte near the 

confluence, but most continued on the south side to O’Fallon’s Bluff. 

That three-mile-long obstacle at the river’s edge forced wagons up 

and over the bluff, where they wore ruts that are still visible today.

[The sand hills are] broken into separate and rugged peaks and 

elevations, like some gigantic ocean breaker dashing its immense 

volume into a hundred different waves. —James Meline, 

emigration of 1866

From O’Fallon’s Bluff, travelers continued along the South Platte a 

short distance to one of several river fords. There, wagons could cross 

over to the North Platte and follow its south bank —paralleling the 

Mormon Trail on the opposite side— to Fort Laramie. Two of these 

South Platte crossings forced wagons on a steep, difficult climb up 

California Hill and then a steep, dangerous drop down Windlass 

Hill —and all three routes dipped into pleasant Ash Hollow, where 

the unwary sometimes were confronted by Indians. By 1860, most 

13
“Old Fort Mitchell” near Scotts Bluff 

by William Henry Jackson

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

travelers, including Pony Express riders, avoided those hazards by 

following the South Platte all the way to Julesburg, Colorado, and 

then cutting northwest to rejoin the Great Platte River Road near 

Courthouse Rock. 

From Courthouse Rock, the south-bank road continued northwest 

toward the spectacular spire of Chimney Rock, the most famous 

landmark on the combined emigrant trails. The route then went 

around (later, through) Scotts Bluff before continuing into Wyoming. 

Many travelers paused to explore, sketch, and carve their names into 

these features. Those following the Mormon Trail on the north side of 

the river also could see Courthouse Rock, Chimney Rock, and Scotts 

Bluff, and often described them in their journals.

14
Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

The Platte Experience

Otoe Indians called this region “Nebrathka,” meaning “flat water,” and the French word “Platte” means the same. The defining 

flatness of the broad Platte River Valley, which averages five to seven 

miles wide, made it ideal for animal-powered travel on both sides 

of the stream. Besides being “good wheeling,” the long Platte River 

stretch of trail also provided plenty of water and native grasses for 

game and livestock. Many emigrants later recalled it as the easiest, 

most pleasant part of their westering journey.

...As prity a rode as I ever saw....it is level and smooth as a 

plank floor. —Dr. A. H. Thomasson, emigration of 1850

We traveled through the most level plains I ever saw in my life. 

Here is such a scenery of beauty as is seldom witnessed. —Joseph 

Williams, circa 1842

The sight of a tree is out of the question. It is seldom we see so 

mutch as a bush.—Levi Jackman, Mormon emigration of 1847

North or south of the Platte, travelers shared similar experiences. 

Some were delighted by the open, treeless expanse while others were 

dismayed by it. Many wrote of the flowers, animals, sand hills, and 

rock formations they encountered along the trail. Nearly everyone 

complained about the dirty water, the quicksand, and the swarming, 

biting insects. Most were thrilled by their first sighting of bison and 

their first taste of buffalo steak, but not so happy about having to 

collect and cook over “buffalo chips” due to the scarcity of firewood.

Bison, or American buffalo, had been hunted out of their range in the 

eastern United States by the early 1800s. In the first decades of the 

emigration, Easterners saw their first buffalo along the Platte in vast 

numbers, herds of thousands and tens of thousands that covered the 

plains like a brown, woolly blanket. The massive herds sometimes 

blocked wagon trains for miles, and occasionally charged through 

a wagon train or trail side camp, frightening livestock and wrecking 

wagons. Professional buffalo hunters slaughtered bison to sell their 

hides for industrial uses, soldiers killed them to provision their forts, 

15
Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

and emigrants shot them for food as well as sport. By the early 1860s, 

travelers saw few buffalo in the Platte River Valley.

Plains wildlife, natural beauty, and minor complaints aside, 

trudging in the choking dust with ox-team and wagon under the 

hot Nebraska sun was no picnic. Many noted in their journals the 

furious storms that raged over the plains, stampeding livestock and 

terrifying travelers —even killing some. People died from accidental 

gunshot, slipping under wagon wheels, injuries caused by unruly 

oxen, drowning during a stream crossing, and from complications 

of pregnancy and childbirth. Cholera took many lives, leaving single 

parents to carry on alone, hundreds of miles from home, with a 

wagonload of youngsters —or worse, leaving frightened orphans to 

depend on the kindness of strangers. Many of the dead were buried 

in unmarked graves on the wagon trail itself, in hopes that neither 

wolves or Indians would rob their final resting place.

The [buffalo] dung was thick in most places, and like chips and 

score blocks —for this and the sake of softening a hard word 

they go by the name of Buffalo chips. —Oliver Boardman 

Huntington, Mormon emigration of 1847

There came up a storm in the afternoon. The wind blew 

very hard and on the opposite side of the river a tremendous 

hurricane. We saw trees flying on the air and water blown out 

of the River as high apparently as the clouds. —James John, 

emigration of 1841

. . . instead of a single fork or chain [of lightning] a dozen would 

burst from the dark mass & rush in every direction like serpents 

from a rocket....at times the whole heavens would appear to 

be as a blaze for several seconds during which time the minutest 

object could be discovered. —William Henry Tappan, civilian 

draftsman at Fort Childs (Fort Kearny), June 1848 

The team behind us stop[ped] in mid-stream...and the 

treacherous sand gave way under their feet. They sank slowly, 

gradually, but surely. They went out of sight inch by inch, as the 

water rose over the moaning beasts. Without a struggle they 

16
“Teepees on the Plains” Lantern Slide by Walter McClintock. 

Courtesy of the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale 

University.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

disappeared beneath the surface. In a little while the broad South 

Platte swept on its way, sunny, sparkling, placid, without a ripple 

to mark where a lonely man parted with all his fortune.

—Luzena Stanley Wilson, emigration of 1849

Indians were a huge worry for many travelers, though for the most 

part emigrant encounters with Native Americans on the trails across 

Nebraska were peaceful, even enjoyable. In the early years of the 

emigration, in particular, native people viewed the “Great Medicine 

Road” as a kind of grand market where they could trade for goods 

and visit with travelers. Emigrants and Indians, including the much 

feared Pawnees, exchanged many acts of personal kindness; and the 

Sioux, who controlled most of the Platte River Valley, allowed the 

wagons to pass in peace.

Still, most emigrants entered Indian Country expecting the worst. 

Their fears of Indian attack were fueled by rumors, hoaxes, and 

lurid half-truths in newspapers and popular books —but also by a 

long history of very real, very violent Indian and settler conflicts in 

the East. Rumor, history, and experience likewise gave native Plains 

people reason to be wary of white Americans. When the first great 

flood of humanity and beasts rushed up the Platte Valley in 1849, 

stripping the countryside of grass and driving off the buffalo and 

other wild game, that wariness began to turn to resentment. 

17
“Indians Attack Wagon Train” by Frederick 

Remington. Courtesy of the Beinecke Rare Book & 

Manuscript Library, Yale University

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Natives and Newcomers: A Gathering Storm

As American settlers surged westward across the eastern woodlands and prairies in the early 19th century, they pushed 

American Indians out of their ancestral homes. The U.S. government 

resettled many of those displaced Eastern tribes —the Kickapoo, 

Delaware, Potawatomi, and others— in congressionally designated 

Indian Territory west of the Missouri River and south of the 

Platte. The resettled Eastern tribes were among the first Indians 

encountered by emigrants passing through northeastern Kansas.

Settlements for the Eastern tribes were carved out of territories 

already occupied by the Kanza, Otoe, Missouria, Osage, Pawnee, and 

other Missouri River tribes. Those groups, in turn, were forced to 

move, giving over their traditional hunting grounds and village sites to 

the Eastern groups. Their relocation often put them closer to enemies 

such as the Cheyenne and Sioux, powerful Indian nations that had 

moved out onto the Nebraska plains from their eastern woodland 

and prairie homelands.

The Pawnee of northern Kansas and east-central Nebraska were one 

of many tribes displaced by white settlement. Pawnees were settled 

village dwellers who lived in earth-lodges, raised garden crops, and 

ranged onto the plains to hunt buffalo. In 1833, they agreed in a treaty 

with the U.S. to surrender their weapons, give up their lands south 

of the Platte, and relocate their villages to make room for displaced 

18
“Hunting Buffalo on the Plains” 

by William Henry Jackson

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Eastern tribes. In return, the United States promised them protection.

The move put the Pawnees closer to territory controlled by the 

Lakota Sioux, their traditional enemies. In lightning attacks, Lakota 

fighters began systematically striking Pawnee settlements along the 

Loup River. The promised Army protection, if it came, was too little 

and too late. The Pawnees moved their villages back to the south side 

of the Platte to buffer them from their Plains enemies, but hostilities 

continued. As the Western emigrant trails opened in 1841, the 

Pawnee and Lakota —both fierce and eager fighters— were engaged 

in total warfare. At the same time, the Pawnee also battled other 

Missouri River tribes, such as the Kanza and Osage. In the early years 

of the emigration, war parties crisscrossed the wagon trails, clashed 

in bloody conflicts, and carried war trophies home past unnerved 

pioneers. While those war parties did not attack white settlers, they 

seemed an uneasy omen of troubles to come.

The river of white-topped wagons flowing across their lands certainly 

brought troubles to the tribes. Cholera, influenza, smallpox, and 

measles carried by sick travelers spread to American Indians along 

the trail. Pioneers slaughtered bison and turned out their livestock 

to graze on the buffalo feeding grounds, causing the great herds on 

which the tribes depended to retreat from the Platte Valley. As years 

passed, more and more emigrants left the Platte River Road to settle 

in Nebraska, where many hungrily eyed “empty” Indian lands. Some 

settlers trespassed on tribal property to steal timber and game, and 

19
Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

others boldly built illegal homesteads on Pawnee lands north of the 

Platte.

These Indians have long held undisputed possession of this 

extensive region, and...they consider themselves entitled to 

compensation, not only for the right of way through their 

territory, but for the great and injurious destruction of the game, 

grass, and timber, committed by our troops and emigrants.

—Luke Lea, Indian agent, 1859

Practical and shrewd, the Pawnees demanded that emigrants pay 

to cross their ancestral lands and use their resources. If refused 

fair payment, they were known to take travelers’ belongings or raid 

their livestock —their skill and daring in stalking emigrant herds was 

legendary. Pawnees could be threatening, even dangerous, when 

confronting white travelers, and they were blamed for a number 

of killings along the Nebraska trails. Many a pioneer approached 

Pawnee country with fear and a ready rifle.

 All of the Pawnee nation are noted for their love of plundering 

travelers of their horses and mules, but not often anything else.

—William Clayton, Mormon emigration of 1847

By the late 1850s, the friction between whites and Indians led settlers 

to demand that the Pawnee be removed from Nebraska Territory. 

Instead, in 1859 the tribe reluctantly signed away the rest of its land 

and moved its villages to a reservation north of the Loup River —

once again on the outskirts of enemy territory. The Lakota and their 

allies, the Cheyenne and Arapahos, stepped up their attacks on the 

Pawnees’ reservation villages, striking at least eight times that year.

Pawnee, Sioux, Arapaho, Cheyenne, and emigrants all would soon 

collide in warfare on the Nebraska frontier.

A smothered passion for revenge agitates these Indians, 

perpetually fomented by the failure of food, the encircling 

encroachment of the white population, and the exasperating 

sense of decay and impending extinction with which they are 

surrounded. —William Bent, trader and Indian agent, 1859

20
“Indians on the Wagon Trail” by Charles M. Russell. Courtesy of the Beinecke 

Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

War on the Oregon & California Trails

[The white man] takes our property without paying for it! He 

kills our game, he eats our meat, he burns our wood, he drinks 

our water, and he travels our country, and what does he give 

the red man in exchange for all this? —Marto-cogershne, Sioux 

chief, as reported by fur trader Rufus B. Sage, 1841 emigration

Once-friendly Western tribes watched with mounting anger as 

emigrants helped themselves, often wastefully, to their game, 

grass, water, and wood. Indian agents warned of bloody conflicts 

ahead if the issues between native peoples and emigrants were not 

soon resolved. In response, the U.S. government called for a treaty 

conference to be held near Fort Laramie, Wyoming, in September 

1851. Some 12,000 members of 11 different Northern Plains tribes 

answered the call, gathering at Horse Creek in western Nebraska for 

the “Big Talk.” Over a period of about three weeks, native leaders 

and government representatives pounded out an agreement, the Fort 

Laramie Treaty of 1851, to guarantee a long-term peace along the 

trails. 

21
Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

The agreement was undone three years later by a stray cow. In midAugust 1854 just a few miles east of Fort Laramie, a cow from a 

Mormon emigrant train bolted into a trailside camp of Brule Lakota, 

who slaughtered it for food. In response to complaints by the cow’s 

owner, Lt. John Grattan led a detachment of soldiers out of Fort 

Laramie to confront the Indians in their camp. Grattan provoked 

a firefight that ended with his entire 31-man command —and the 

respected Brule leader, Conquering Bear— dead. 

As punishment for the Grattan defeat, U.S. Army troops under 

General William Harney surrounded and destroyed a Brule Lakota 

village at Blue Water Creek, Nebraska, in September 1855. Many 

fleeing women and children as well as defending warriors died 

in the attack. This and similar military actions against the Plains 

Indians over the next several years fanned smoldering resentment 

into burning outrage. Small bands of young warriors struck back in 

1862–63 by opportunistically attacking isolated homesteads, work 

parties, and freight teamsters in Colorado and Nebraska. Then, for 12 

sweltering August days in 1864, Indian military strikes forced travel 

on the Great Platte River Road to a halt.

The Platte valley is ours, and we do not intend to give it away. 

We have let the white man have it so that he could pass, but he 

has gone over it so often now that he claims it and thinks he owns 

it. But it is still ours, and always has been ours. —Brule Sioux 

Chief Sinte-Galeska (Spotted Tail), 1864

Along the Little Blue and up the Platte River to Julesburg, war parties 

of Cheyenne, Lakota, and Arapaho fighters made coordinated attacks 

on emigrant wagons, freight teams, and stagecoaches on the emigrant 

trails. They particularly targeted lonely homesteads, stage stations, 

and road ranches —simple hostels that served travelers on the 

wagon trails— along the Little Blue River. There, warriors killed 51 

white adults and children and took seven hostages, several of whom 

died during captivity or shortly after their release months later. The 

number of Indian fighters killed is unrecorded.

The U.S. Army could ill afford to divert soldiers from its Civil War 

fronts to the Nebraska frontier. The company sent from Fort Kearny 

22
Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

to secure the emigrant trails was outnumbered, out-horsed, and outdistanced by the Indians. Pawnee men, though, were glad to help the 

Army fight their old enemies, and more than 100 of them volunteered 

for duty as frontier scouts. 

The Indians have committed terrible depredations along 

three hundred miles of the route, burned and pillaged 

everything, destroyed six thousand bushels of corn at Julesburg, 

burned hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of wagons, 

merchandise, &c... —Demas Barnes, passenger on Overland 

Stage on the Oregon-California Trail, 1865

Fighting continued across Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming the 

next year, with native leaders now targeting telegraph lines, stage 

lines, railroads, forts, and settlements in their effort to halt the 

emigration and regain control of their native territory. In response, 

entire Army regiments were assigned to protect the trail, with soldiers 

stationed at small outposts, road ranches, and telegraph stations 

along the road west of Fort Kearny. Attacks and counter-attacks by 

both sides flared over the Plains through the 1860s, causing many 

established settlers to flee Nebraska. Despite the danger, emigrants 

still poured into the West. The fighting did not truly end until the 

Lakota and Cheyenne people were finally forced onto reservations 

in the 1870s. The Pawnees, though they fought for the U.S., fared no 

better: white settlement pressures, starvation, and a final, disastrous 

battle with the Lakota forced them out of their Nebraska homeland. 

The tribe moved to Oklahoma in 1873–75 and sold its Loup River 

reservation.

Most of the overland trail traffic ended 

in 1869 with completion of the 

23
Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

24

transcontinental railroad, which provided a faster, safer way West. 

The era of the overland wagon was drawing to a close, and the era 

of the fuel-powered steam engine and the automobile was dawning. 

Some of those who traveled the Great Platte River Road with ox and 

wagon would live to see their dusty, rutted trail become a modern 

paved highway. Those pioneers took about six weeks to cover the 

nearly 500 miles along the Platte from the Missouri River to Scotts 

Bluff. Today’s travelers can make the drive on Interstate 80 in less than 

eight hours.
“Westward America” along the Great Platte River 

Road of Nebraska by William Henry Jackson

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Corridor to Destiny

Nebraska’s Great Platte River Road was a vital, throbbing artery that carried freight, communications, and hundreds of 

thousands of people —both west and east. At the same time, the road 

was a trespass that led to the taking of American Indian homelands, 

resources, and self-governance. Physical traces of this mixed legacy 

still abound along the four historic trails that followed the Platte River 

west across Nebraska.

There are trail ruts, worn into the earth by the passage of hundreds 

of thousands of hooves, feet, iron-clad wagon wheels, and steppingstone walkways to long-gone cabins. There are the hollows where 

teepees once nestled and black-haired children played, wooded 

creek-banks that concealed painted warriors, and still-grassless, hardpacked earth where pawing ponies long ago awaited their mochila 

and rider. There are gravestones and lonely windblown fields where 

men and women, emigrant and Indian, died defending home and 

family. There are the iconic landmarks, open skies, and expansive 

landscapes of the Western frontier. Through and among them still 

winds that corridor to destiny, the Platte River.

25
Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

SITES AND POINTS OF INTEREST

Auto Tour Routes for the Oregon, California, Mormon Pioneer, and Pony Express National Historic trails enter Nebraska in 

three locations and come together near the city of Kearney. From 

there, the routes follow the Platte River and North Platte River west 

into Wyoming. Watch for Auto Tour Route markers with trail logos 

along each of the routes. 

If you are mostly interested in Pony Express, the earliest routes of the 

Oregon and California Trails, and the Indian uprisings of the 1860s, 

follow Auto Tour Segment A to Kearney as described below. If you 

wish to trace the steps of the 1847 Mormon pioneers from Winter 

Quarters or follow California and Oregon emigrants who started 

out from the vicinity of Omaha and Council Bluffs, see Segment B 

(starting on pg. 36). Many later Oregon, California, and Mormon 

emigrants “jumped off” from other places along the Missouri River. 

The “cutoff” trails from those places are not included in this driving 

guide because they are not congressionally authorized segments of 

any current national historic trail. If you are interested in freighters, 

early Western military history, or emigrants who started their trek 

from Nebraska City along the Oxbow Trail, follow Segment C (starting 

on pg. 43). Auto Tour Segment D (beginning on pg. 45) follows the 

combined trail corridor from Kearney to the Wyoming border.

Many of the historic stops described below are on private property, but are 

interpreted and can be viewed from the roadside. Please respect private 

property rights: do not cross fences or enter sites without the landowner’s 

permission.

Caution! Many Nebraska county roads have well maintained dirt or 

gravel surfaces. Although the roads are suitable for two-wheel-drive 

passenger sedans, vehicles can get stuck when the roads are muddy.

26
Rock Creek Station State Historic Park.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Auto Tour Segment A: Odell to Kearney

(Oregon, California, and Pony Express Trails)

Begin this segment of your Nebraska auto tour of the Oregon, California, and Pony Express National Historic Trails near the 

Nebraska/Kansas border at the junction of Kansas Highway 148 and 

Nebraska Highway 8 west of Odell. This is where Pony Express riders 

and the first Oregon and California emigrants out of Independence, 

Missouri, entered Nebraska. (Their routes through Kansas are 

explored in the Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide: Western Missouri 

Through Northeastern Kansas.) Much of Auto Tour Segment A entails 

travel on maintained dirt roads.

A-1. Rock Creek Station 

State Historical Park (57426 

County Road 710, 5 miles 

east of Fairbury) is best 

known as the place where 

Pony Express stock-tender 

“Wild Bill” Hickok gunned 

down three men. The station 

also was a road ranch that 

served California and Oregon 

emigrants. The 350-acre park 

offers Pony Express exhibits, 

reconstructed buildings, pioneer graves, and trail ruts. Grounds are 

open summer, 8 a.m.–8 p.m.; other seasons, 8 a.m.–sunset. Visitor 

Center is open from mid-April through late September, daily, 10 

a.m.–5 p.m.; and on weekends in October. To arrange off-season 

and after-hours tours call 402-729-5777. Modest fee for daily park 

permit; annual Nebraska state park passes are available. For more 

information, contact the park at ngpc.rock.creek.station@nebraska.

gov.

Directions: Take NE-8 west toward Endicott and follow signs 

to Rock Creek Station State Historical Park on County Road 

710. 

Also of Interest: Homestead National Monument (8523 West NE4, four miles west of Beatrice) is off the auto tour route, but is worth 

27
George Winslow Grave site near 

Fairbury.

Homestead National Monument at 

Beatrice.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

a detour. The monument 

commemorates the Homestead 

Act of 1862 and the life of the 

prairie pioneers. Attractions 

include historic buildings, 

restored tall grass prairie, 

antique farming equipment, 

museum exhibits and videos, 

and hiking trails. For hours, go 

to www.nps.gov/home or call 

402-223-3514. Free admission.

Directions: From Rock Creek, go east on County Road 710 for 

0.5 mile, then north on 575th Avenue for 5 miles. Drive east on 

U.S.-136 toward Beatrice and the junction of NE-4. From there, 

follow signs northwest to Homestead National Monument.

A-2. George Winslow Grave

(4 miles north of Fairbury). 

49er George Winslow’s trek to 

California ended here, where 

he died of cholera. His original 

gravestone is part of a larger 

monument that marks his burial 

place; a nearby interpretive 

sign tells the story. Multiple 

wagon ruts and swales of the 

Oregon and California Trails 

run southeast-to-northwest 

across the property, which never 

has been plowed. The ruts are best viewed in the autumn and winter 

months, after haying. The site is privately owned, but visitors are 

welcome and may enter by vehicle when the gate is open, or on foot 

when it is closed. Be sure to close the gate after entering on foot as 

livestock may be using the pasture. Open at owner’s discretion.

Directions: From intersection of U.S.-136 and NE-15 in 

Fairbury, drive north on 15 for 4 miles. Turn west on County 

Road 716 for approximately 1.25 miles. (If you cross the creek, 

you’ve gone too far.) The monument is visible about 200 yards 

from the road, in a hayfield on the north side of the road. Park 

28
Site of 1864 stagecoach ambush.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

and walk in if gate is open. Return to Fairbury to continue auto 

tour.

A-3. Warpath on the Little Blue, Deshler-to-Oak Section. Several 

attacks took place on this stretch of the trail along the Little Blue 

River during the Indian war of August 1864. Roadside historical 

signs tell of the events that occurred in the vicinity, but exact sites are 

mostly unmarked and inaccessible on private farmlands. Even so, the 

route and countryside are steeped in history and are well worth the 

drive.

Directions: From Fairbury, take U.S.-136 west to Deshler. 

Proceed as directed in individual site entries below. Oregon 

Trail and Pony Express highway markers will help you find 

your way along these country roads.

A-4. Kiowa Station (7 miles northwest of Deshler). A granite marker 

commemorates the site of a one-time Pony Express station and later 

location of a stagecoach swing station. Several settlers were killed 

in this vicinity during the 1864 Cheyenne and Lakota attacks along 

the Little Blue. Site is now an agricultural field. Please do not enter 

private property.

Directions: At Deschler, turn north on NE-5 and continue 

5 miles to the first intersection north of the Little Blue River. 

Turn west onto an unpaved county road, heading toward Oak. 

(Watch for historical markers along this route, which follows 

part of the old trail here.) Drive 1 mile west, then 0.5 mile 

north, and then 0.5 mile west. Site marker is on the north side 

of the road, 0.5 mile west of the site.

A-5. Emery Stagecoach 

Ambush Site (3.5 miles east of 

Oak). A roadside monument 

recounts the life-or-death race 

of a passenger-filled stagecoach 

chased through this area by 

a war party on Aug. 9, 1864. 

Please do not enter private 

property.

29
Comstock Ranch Site at Oak Grove.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Directions: From Kiowa Station, continue west approximately 

4 miles, following trail markers. A marker commemorating the 

Emery ambush site is on the south side of the road.

A-6. Bowie Ranch Site (2.5 miles east of Oak). A roadside sign marks 

the site of the William Bowie ranch, where a pioneer couple was slain 

in their home during the 1864 uprising. No remains of the ranch are 

visible. Please do not enter private property.

Directions: From the Emery site, continue west for 0.5 mile, 

turn south toward the Little Blue for 0.5 mile, and then turn 

west again to parallel the river for another 0.5 mile. Watch for 

the sign on the north side of the road. 

A-7. Oak Grove Station/

Comstock Ranch Site (1.5 

miles east of Oak). On Aug. 7, 

1864, a suspiciously friendly 

party of 20 Cheyenne dropped 

in for a visit at Oak Grove 

Station, a busy road ranch 

operated by the Comstock 

family. While chatting casually 

with nervous ranch workers 

who had gathered for dinner, 

the Cheyenne suddenly struck, 

killing two men and wounding two more. Eleven ranch workers fled 

into the ranch house and another escaped into a nearby oak grove. 

The Indian fighters abruptly rode off as an ox train approached. The 

next day, the survivors fled and the raiders returned and set fire to 

the ranch buildings. No original structures remain, but the site retains 

its ranching character. The Oak Grove Pony Express Station is also 

commemorated here. Only the monument area is open to the public; 

please do not cross the fence.

Directions: From the Bowie site, continue west for about a 0.5 

mile, then jog right to follow the curve of the river. Take the 

next left, which angles northwestward, and continue for about 

0.75 mile. The large granite marker is on the north side of the 

road.

30
View looking toward Eubank Ranch from 

roadway.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

A-8. Warpath on the Little Blue, Oak-to-Deweese Section. Along 

this stretch of trail, Indian fighters killed several homesteaders and 

took four captives on Aug. 7, 1864. Specific locations where the 

events occurred are on private lands distant from the county road. 

Even so, it is easy to picture the events of that day while driving 

through this rural area.

Directions: Begin by taking Railroad Street north through Oak 

and follow the road as it jogs west across the railroad tracks. 

Then proceed as directed in individual site entries below. 

Again, watch for Oregon Trail and Pony Express markers along 

the route.

A-9. Eubank Homestead

(1.5 miles northwest of Oak). 

Indian fighters destroyed the 

Eubank homestead and killed 

two children who were home 

alone. A short distance north 

of the ranch, three Eubank 

men and a teenage boy were 

slain while cutting hay and a 

younger boy was taken captive. 

An interpretive sign at the fence 

line tells the story. Please do not 

enter private property.

Directions: A half mile after turning west out of Oak, the 

road turns north again. Stop at the corner and look toward the 

northwest. About a mile distant stood the Eubanks homestead. 

A-10. The Narrows (2 miles northwest of Oak). The Eubank parents, 

their two babies, and a visiting teenage girl were taking a Sunday stroll 

along The Narrows section of the trail when they heard screaming 

from the homestead behind them. The father was slain as he ran to 

the aid of his children. The women and babies hid in the brush, but 

were discovered when the toddler screamed. All four were captured, 

to be released months later.

Directions: From the Eubank homestead stop, drive north 

for 1.5 miles to the next intersection. Drive west 1 mile and 

stop again. The Narrows is about 1 mile southwest of the road. 

31
Nebraska SHS interpretive marker for 

1864 uprising.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Please do not enter private property.

Next, turn north, then follow the county roads as they stair-step north 

and west one mile at a time, following the curve of the Little Blue and the 

Oregon Trail toward Angus. You will make a series of 5 turns (including 

the north turn at The Narrows stop) before emerging onto NE-4 and 

continuing west (the 6th turn). The Oregon Trail runs in a straight line 

southwest of the stair-steps and intercepts the county road in several 

locations.

A-11. The 1864 Uprising: 

Interpretive Marker (2.5 miles 

north of NE-4 and NE-14 

intersection). A Nebraska 

State Historical Society 

interpretive marker provides 

more information about the 

1864 uprising. There is also a 

granite marker 0.5 mile north 

across the Little Blue River. 

From the state marker, look east 

toward the hillside to see a series 

of parallel wagon ruts heading 

toward your location. This is private property.

Directions: Drive west on NE-4 to NE-14; turn north and 

continue for about 2.5 miles. Interpretive marker is on the west 

side of the road, just south of the Little Blue River. 

From here, continue north on NE-14 to Spur 18-C.

A-12. Warpath on the Little Blue, Deweese to Kenesaw Section. 

Several road ranches, stage stations, and former Pony Express 

stations (remember, the Pony went out of business several years 

before the 1864 uprising) were located along this stretch of trail as it 

followed the Little Blue River northwestward. Watch for markers and 

monuments along the roadside. 

To follow this section of trail, turn west on Spur 18-C toward Deweese. 

Where the blacktop road curves south, straight ahead is the approximate 

location of Liberty Farm Station, a combination homestead, mail station, 

32
Interpretive marker at the SmithSimonton site.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

and road ranch that was destroyed in the Indian raids. From here, the 

Oregon/Pony Express Trail angles northwestward. After crossing the Little 

Blue, turn west into Deweese, then north on Deweese Street. Follow the 

road as it heads out of town and jogs west, north, and then west again. 

Continue by following site directions below.

A-13. Pawnee Ranch (4 miles west and 3 miles north of Deweese). 

Some 60 settlers, freighters, and emigrants on the Oregon-California 

Trail took refuge here at sturdy Pawnee Ranch, holding off attackers 

for several days. A monument commemorates this event; no ranch 

remains are visible. Please do not enter private property.

Directions: Continue west for 3 miles on County Road 

3045, then turn north and cross the Little Blue. Continue a 

mile beyond the river and turn west. Take a right at the next 

intersection and watch for a monument near the corner on the 

east side of the road.

A-14. Spring Ranch (4.2 miles west and 3 miles north of Deweese). 

Spring Ranch, a prosperous road ranch, was left undefended by its 

owners when they rushed to safety in a nearby town. Indians burned 

the buildings and attacked two other homesteads in this vicinity, as 

well. Please do not enter private property.

Directions: Drive north a short distance from the Huff grave 

marker, then turn west at the next road, County Road 3048, 

and cross Pawnee Creek at the old Oregon Trail crossing. From 

the bridge, look southeast of the confluence of the Pawnee 

Creek and the Little Blue to see the location of Spring Ranch. 

From here, continue west through 

the Spring Ranch Historical Area, 

the site of a town that sprang up 

after the uprising. Follow Road 

C north for 2 miles to NE-74 and 

turn west.

A-15. Smith-Simonton Site (6 

miles south of Hastings). In this 

vicinity on Aug. 7, 1864, a war 

party ambushed a small train of 

Denver-bound freight wagons 

33
Pawnee exhibit in the Hastings Museum.

Susan Hail gravesite.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

on the Oregon Trail, killing five teamsters and mortally wounded 

a sixth. Look for an interpretive sign at the fence line; do not enter 

private property.

Directions: Drive west on NE-74 to U.S.-281; turn north and 

drive 3 miles to Saddle Horn Road. Turn east and continue for 

0.4 mile to the marker on the south side of the road.

Also of Interest: Hastings 

Museum of Natural and 

Cultural History (1330 North 

Burlington Avenue, Hastings) 

offers exhibits on the Pawnee 

and Sioux people, a display 

of trail-related artifacts, and 

dioramas featuring wildlife of 

the Plains. A modest admission 

fee is charged.

Directions: From the SmithSimonton wagon train site, 

drive north on U.S.-281 into Hastings. Turn east on U.S.-34/6, 

then north on U.S.-281/Burlington Avenue. Continue north 

through town. The museum is on the east side of Burlington as 

you approach 14th Street.

To continue your auto tour from the Smith-Simonton site, turn north on 

U.S.-281 toward Hastings. The Oregon, California, and Pony Express Trail 

corridor continues northwest from the Smith-Simonton site and crosses 

U.S.-34/6 exactly 8 miles west 

of this turn. Upon approaching 

Hastings, turn west on U.S.-34/6. 

Watch for the Oregon and Pony 

Express Trails monument, erected 

by the Nebraska State Historical 

Society, 9 miles west of Hastings, 

on the north side of the highway.

A-16. Susan Hail Grave (2 

miles north and 3.5 miles west 

of Kenesaw). Susan Hail (or 

Haile) was 35 years old and the 

34
Outdoor exhibits area at the Harold 

Warp Musuem.

Fort Kearny State Historic Park .

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

mother of six children when she died en route to California in 1852. 

An interpretive sign tells her story. Gravesite is open to the public.

Directions: From U.S.-34/6, turn north on Spur 1-A to 

Kenesaw. At the south edge of town, turn west on Pine Street 

and drive 1.5 miles. Turn north on Winchester Avenue. Drive 3 

miles and turn west on 70th Street. Continue about 1.5 miles to 

pullout on north side of the road. Return to U.S.-34/6 to resume 

tour.

A-17. Harold Warp Pioneer 

Village (U.S.-34/6 and NE-10, 

Minden). This large museum 

exhibits more than 50,000 

historical objects and buildings, 

as well as a sizeable collection 

of original William Henry 

Jackson paintings depicting 

trail days. Its “Pumpkinseed 

Station,” an 1860s-era log 

cabin, is thought by some to be 

an original Pony Express station, 

but other researchers have 

determined that it actually served the Black Hills Stage route, instead. 

Open daily (including holidays except Christmas); for seasonal hours 

and current admission rates, call 800-445-4447.

Directions: Take U.S.-34/6 west into Minden. The Pioneer 

Village is on the corner of U.S.-34/6 and NE-10. Parking is 

available on the east side of the museum between the Pioneer 

Motel, Pioneer Restaurant, 

and Pioneer Museum. 

A-18. Fort Kearny State 

Historical Park (1020 V 

Road, south of Kearney). Fort 

Kearny was the first Western 

military post built to protect 

emigrants on the Oregon 

Trail, and it later served as the 

headquarters for a number 

35
Pioneer Courage sculptures.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

of small outposts along the trail. Fort Kearny was also a Pony Express 

station and a place where travelers could re-supply. The park offers 

an interpretive center with trail-era artifacts, reconstructed buildings, 

and grounds. Open Memorial Day–Labor Day, daily, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. A 

Nebraska state park pass for admission to the park can be purchased 

at the interpretive center.

Directions: From Minden, proceed north on NE-10 to Spur 

L-50A. Turn west on L-50A to Fort Kearny State Historical 

Park.

To continue your site-by-site auto tour toward Wyoming, skip ahead in 

this guide to Auto Tour Segment D: Kearney to Wyoming Border.

Auto Tour Segment B: Omaha-Central City-Kearney

(Mormon Pioneer, California, and alternate Oregon Trails)

I

nstead of driving across 

Kansas, many California, 

Oregon, and Utah bound 

emigrants set out from the 

Omaha and Council Bluffs 

area and followed the Mormon 

route into the Platte River 

Valley. An excellent place to 

begin your auto tour of the 

combined Mormon/California 

Trails is at the remarkable 

public outdoor sculpture 

exhibit in downtown Omaha.

B-1. Outdoor Sculptures: 

Pioneer Courage and Spirit of 

Nebraska Wilderness (between Dodge Street and Capitol Avenue, 

vicinity of 15th Street, Omaha). These stunning installations of heroicscale covered wagons, livestock, men, women, children, buffalo, and 

36
Mormon Trail Center.

Grieving parents sculpture at cemetery.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

geese span several blocks in the 

heart of downtown Omaha. 

Bring change for a parking 

meter so you can get out and 

explore.

Directions: If following the 

Mormon Trail west from 

Council Bluffs, take I-29 to 

I-480 west and cross into 

Omaha. Take the U.S.-6/

Dodge Street exit toward 

Eppley Airfield and go straight to enter Dodge Street. At 13th

Street, turn north and park on Capitol Avenue between 15th and 

17th Streets. If arriving from the west, take U.S.-6 eastbound 

into downtown Omaha. Turn north on 13th Street and park on 

Capitol Avenue between 15th and 17th Streets.

B-2. The Mormon Trail Center (3215 State Street, Omaha) is 

located in historic Winter Quarters (now, Omaha’s District of 

Florence), where many of the first Mormon emigrants spent the 

hungry winter of 1846–47. The visitor center, operated by The 

Church of Jesus Christ of 

Latter-day Saints, offers guided 

tours of trail exhibits (including 

handcarts and a cabin) and 

films recounting the Mormon 

emigration. Free. Open to 

all visitors daily, including 

Sundays, 9 a.m.–9 p.m.

Directions: From 

downtown Omaha, go west 

on Dodge Street and turn 

north on N 17th Street. At 

0.2 mile, bear left onto I-480 

west and continue for just 

over 0.5 mile. Take Exit 

2C and merge onto U.S.-75 

north. Drive 2.7 miles, bear 

right at North 30th Street and 

37
Old Florence Mill at Winter Quarters.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

continue for about 2 miles. Turn west at State Street and drive 3 

blocks to the center.

B-3. Mormon Pioneer Cemetery (opposite the Mormon Trail 

Center). Hundreds of Mormon emigrant men, women, and children 

who died here between 1846 and 1848 were laid to rest on this 

hillside. The exact locations of most of their graves are unmarked. 

They are commemorated by an Avard Fairbanks statue of grieving 

parents, located in the north end of the cemetery. Open to all visitors, 

dawn to dusk.

Directions: From the Mormon Trail Center, walk across the 

street and enter the cemetery through the memorial stairway 

and gate.

B-4. Historic Winter Quarters occupied much of the same ground 

where the Omaha Waterworks is located today, east of North 30th

Street. The settlement stretched south about a mile from the Florence 

Winter Quarters Mill, the only remaining Mormon Pioneer building 

in the district —see entry B-5. Although, the historic settlement is 

gone, interpretive signs at two locations tell its story.

Directions: From the Mormon Trail Center, head east on State 

Street 3 blocks to U.S.-75/N-30th, the approximate location 

of historic Main Street. A Nebraska State Historical Society 

informational sign is located here. Turn north on U.S.-75 and 

drive 0.5 mile to N. 30th Street and Dick Collins Road, and 

park in the little parking area beyond the firehouse. A wayside 

exhibit tells more of the story. 

B-5. The Old Florence Mill

(9102 N. 30th Street, Omaha) 

was built by Mormons in 

1846–47 to grind meal for the 

people of Winter Quarters. 

A grain elevator was added 

to the mill in 1915, but the 

original framework still stands. 

A historical museum and art 

gallery now occupy the mill 

and elevator. Open limited 

38
Elkhorn River crossing.

Near The Liberty Pole Camp site at 

Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

hours. Go to www.historicflorence.org or call 402-551-1233 for more 

information. A modest donation is requested.

Directions: From Site B-4, turn east onto Dick Collins Road/

Historic Davenport Street and drive down the hill a short 

distance.

B-6. Elkhorn Ferry Crossing

(Elkhorn Crossing State 

Recreation Area, 252nd Street 

and Bennington Road). The 

1847 Mormon pioneers led by 

Brigham Young faced their first 

major river crossing here and 

built a ferry to assist those who 

followed. Site is interpreted 

by a wayside exhibit. Closed 

November 1–April 1.

Directions: From Florence Mill, turn west on Dick Collins 

Road/Historic Davenport Street and proceed across the 

interesection with North 30th and North 31st Streets. The road 

becomes U.S.-75. In less than 0.5 mile, at the second traffic 

light, continue straight onto NE-36 and McKinley Street 

westbound. McKinley becomes Bennington Road. Where 

Bennington and NE-36 split, stay right on 36 and drive about 

11 miles. Cross the Elkhorn River and turn south on the first 

road to the left (252nd Street). Drive 1 mile and turn east on 

Bennington (gravel), into Elkhorn Crossing State Recreation 

Area. Continue approximately 1 mile to the interpretive exhibit 

overlooking the Elkhorn 

River.

B-7. Liberty Pole Camp

(Fremont Lakes State 

Recreation Area). After 

crossing the Elkhorn River, 

the 1847 Mormon pioneers 

gathered their wagons 

around a cottonwood pole 

to reorganize for the trip west. 

39
Genoa Historical Museum.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Nothing remains of the camp; a wayside exhibit located off-site tells 

the story.

Directions: From Elkhorn Crossing return to NE-36 and drive 

west 6 miles to U.S.-275. Turn north and drive approximately 4 

miles, crossing Old Highway 8. The next road is Morningside; 

turn west there and drive 1 mile, then turn north on Luther 

Road. In approximately 0.5 mile turn west on Military Avenue. 

Drive through the town of Fremont to Ridge Road. Turn south 

and cross the railroad tracks, then immediately turn northwest 

onto State Lakes Road into Fremont Lake State Park. Park at 

the pay station. The wayside exhibit is ahead on a grassy slope.

At Columbus, Nebraska, 40 miles ahead, the trails split. The route of the 

1847 Mormons (and some California emigrants) followed the Loup River 

northwestward, while another route of the California Trail kept to the 

north side of the Platte River.

The sites listed below are on the Mormon loop. To follow the Platte River 

route, take NE-30 west from Columbus. The two routes converge in 

Central City, Nebraska.

Also of Interest: Genoa, 

Nebraska, was settled by 

Mormon settlers in 1857 as 

a way station for the Utah 

emigration. Two years later, it 

became agency headquarters 

for the newly established 

Pawnee Indian Reservation. 

Pawnee and settler artifacts 

are exhibited at the Genoa 

Historical Museum (402 

Willard Avenue/NE-22), open 

Memorial Day–Labor Day, Friday–Sunday, 1–5 p.m. Nebraska State 

Historical Society interpretive signs are located on the south end of 

Genoa City Park, west of NE-22.

Directions: From Fremont Lakes State Park, return to Military 

Avenue, turn west, and follow it as it curves northward to 

intersect with U.S.-30. Drive west on U.S.-30 for 40 miles to 

Columbus. Turn north on U.S.-81 and continue for about 4.5 

40
Wagon exhibit near Genoa.

Looking toward site of former 

Presbyterian Pawnee Mission.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

miles and bear west on 

NE-22. Continue 16 miles 

to Genoa and follow the 

highway as it turns west 

through downtown. The 

museum is on the north side 

in mid-town. Stay on NE-22 

as it jogs south again. The 

park is on the west side, and 

the signs are near a parking 

area on the south end of the 

park.

B-8. Genoa Ruts (1.5 miles southeast of Genoa). Original Mormon 

trail ruts can be seen here. Please do not enter private property.

Directions: Route is well signed. Continue south through 

Genoa on NE-22 to a split where 22 turns west and NE-39 

heads south. Just beyond the split is an intersection with an 

unsigned dirt road. Turn east there and drive 1 mile, then turn 

south on the next dirt road and drive 0.5 mile to the wayside 

and site, located on the east side of the road.

B-9. Pawnee Mission and 

Village Wayside (6 miles west 

of Genoa). Repeated attacks 

by Lakota Sioux and their allies 

on the Pawnee village near this 

pullout forced the Pawnees to 

abandon the site. A wayside 

exhibit tells the story. Please do 

not enter private property.

Directions: From Genoa, 

take NE-22 west toward 

Fullerton. The exhibit is at 

a pullout on the north side 

of the highway about 6 miles west of Genoa. Watch for more 

Nebraska Historical Society informational signs along the 

highway as you continue toward Fullerton.

41
Mormon Trail wagon ruts along the Wood 

River.

Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

B-10. Stuhr Museum of 

the Prairie Pioneer (3133 

West Highway 34, Grand 

Island) offers pioneer, Native 

American, and Old West 

exhibits, a settlement-style 

exhibit of original 1860s 

log cabins, a living 1890s 

railroad town community, a 

reconstructed Pawnee earth 

lodge, a prairie restoration 

exhibit, and a Nebraska State Historical Society informational sign 

about the Mormon Trail. Open year-round, Monday–Saturday, 

9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sundays noon–5 p.m. Admission varies by age and 

season; contact 308-385-5316 or www.stuhrmuseum.org for rates and 

group tours.

Directions: From Fullerton, turn south on NE-14, then west 

on U.S.-30 into Grand Island. Follow highway signs onto U.S.-

281 South and NE-2 East (Tom Osborne Expressway.) In less 

than 2 miles, turn east onto U.S.-34 East and Husker Highway/

Henry Fonda Memorial Highway and continue about 0.25 mile 

to Stuhr Museum.

B-11. Murdock/Mormon 

Trail Ruts (1.5 miles south 

of Alda). A wayside exhibit 

interprets these Mormon Trail 

wagon ruts.

Directions: Enter Alda on 

U.S.-30 E. Turn south on 

Link 40C for about 1.5 miles, 

then west (watch for sign 

to site) on Guenther Road. 

Wayside is on the right. 

From here, take U.S.-30 toward 

Kearney. To continue your site-by-site auto tour toward Wyoming, skip 

ahead in this guide to Auto Tour Segment D: Kearney to Wyoming Border.

42
Old Freighters Museum of Russell, 

Majors, and Waddell.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Auto Tour Segment C:

Nebraska City–Central City–Kearney 

(California Trail)

The “Oxbow Cutoff” of the California Trail was heavily used by 

freighters hauling supplies and equipment to the western military 

forts in the late 1850s and 1860s. Gold-seekers and emigrants, 

including some Mormons participating in the ongoing “Gathering 

of Zion,” also used the route. The cutoff angled northwestward from 

Nebraska City and entered the Platte River Valley south of today’s 

city of Columbus. From there, wagons followed the river’s south 

bank to Fort Kearny. Begin your auto tour from the old company 

headquarters of Russell, Majors and Waddell in Nebraska City.

C-1. Russell, Majors, and 

Waddell Building: The Old 

Freighters Museum (407 

North 14th Street, Nebraska 

City). This 1858 building was 

the corporate headquarters of 

Russell, Majors and Waddell, 

a freighting company that 

supplied the western forts with 

military equipment. This is also 

the company that operated the 

Pony Express out of St. Joseph, 

Missouri. The museum is open limited hours and by appointment. 

Call the Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce office at 402-873-

3000 or check www.nebraskacity.com for information. Modest 

admission charged.

Directions: Approaching Nebraska City eastbound on NE2, take the U.S.-75 North and NE-2 business route into town. 

Turn left on 11th Street/Business 75 and another left onto 

3rd Avenue. Continue 3 blocks to the museum on 14th Street. 

Approaching Nebraska City westbound on NE-2, turn right 

(northwest) onto 11th Street/U.S.-75 business route, then left 

onto 3rd Avenue. Drive 3 blocks to the museum on 14th Street.

From here, drive east on 3rd Avenue, then turn north on 11th Street/U.S.-75 

43
Salt Creek Crossing at Ashland.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

business route and follow it for about 3.5 miles. Turn right onto U.S.-75 

and continue for 15 miles. Turn west on NE-1, then north on NE-63 to 

Ashland.

C-2. Saline Ford/Oxbow 

Cutoff (Silver Street, Ashland). 

Freighters and emigrants took 

advantage of Salt Creek’s rock 

ledges to ford the stream as 

they continued toward the 

Platte River. A wayside exhibit 

at the town park tells the story. 

Also planned for the park is a 

sculpture, “Towers of History,” 

which will commemorate local 

Indian tribes, the Oxbow Cutoff, 

and other aspects of area history.

Directions: NE-63 intersects with U.S.-6 south of Ashland. 

Turn right (east) on U.S.-6 and continue for about 0.75 mile. 

Turn left (northwest) again onto NE-66 and cross the bridge 

into town. At the four-way stop, turn east onto Silver Street and 

drive about 1.5 blocks toward Salt Creek; park at the pullout on 

the south side of the street before you cross the silver bridge. 

Almost directly below the bridge are the stone ledges where the 

wagons crossed. To see them, cross the berm near the edge of 

the parking area, walk east toward the bridge, and look along 

the stream bank below the bridge.

C-3 Saunders County Museum (240 North Walnut, Wahoo) offers 

Oxbow Trail map and artifact exhibits (including a journal that 

describes travel on the Oxbow Trail), and trail research materials. 

Open summers April–September, Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., 

and Sunday, 1:30–4:00 p.m.; and winters October–March, Tuesday–

Friday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Directions: From Ashland, continue north on NE-63, which 

becomes NE-66 going west. Proceed west to intersection with a 

flashing light. Turn north on U.S.-77 (also called County Road 

17) and continue north into Wahoo. After the first stop sign 

in town, go north 1 block and turn west onto 3rd Street. The 

44
Archway Monument at Kearney.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

museum is on the southwest corner.

From Wahoo, follow NE-92 west to U.S.-30. Turn west on U.S.-30 to 

Grand Island. There you can visit the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer 

(see entry B-10 for description and directions) and the Murdock/Mormon 

Trail ruts (see entry B-11). 

From Grand Island, take U.S.-30 west toward Kearney. To continue your 

auto tour, see Auto Tour Segment D: Kearney to Wyoming Border, 

below.

Auto Tour Segment D: Kearney to Wyoming Border

(Oregon, California, Mormon Pioneer, and Pony Express Trails)

For all four trails, your tour of this segment of the Great Platte River 

Road begins at the Archway Monument in Kearney, Nebraska. From 

there, the auto tour mostly follows U.S.-30, NE-92, and U.S.-26, with 

detours to sites on either side of the Platte River.

D-1. The Great Platte River 

Road Archway Monument

(Archway spans I-80; entrance 

at 3060 East 1st Street, Kearney). 

The Archway is a trail-themed 

visitor center with exhibits, 

family activities, and lots more 

to see and do. Open daily; 

hours vary seasonally. Check 

www.archway.org or call 877-

511-2724 for more information. 

Modest admission charged; kids 

5 and under free.

Directions: From U.S.-30 and Grand Island, turn south at the 

intersection of U.S.-30 and 2nd Avenue in Kearney and continue 

to the south through town. At the traffic light 1 block before 

I-80, turn east onto Talmadge Road and watch for signs to 

the Archway. At the end of the block turn south onto Central 

45
Mormon Trail Interpretive exhibit about 

mail exchange.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Avenue, go 1 block, and turn east onto 1st Street/Archway 

Parkway. Continue 2 miles to the Archway Monument.

From Ft. Kearny State Park, take NE-44 north across the Platte River, 

cross I-80, and turn east onto Talmadge Road. Watch for signs to the 

Archway. At the end of the block turn south at Central Avenue, then 

east on 1st Street/Archway Parkway. Continue 2 miles to the Archway 

Monument.

D-2. Historical Wayside (I-80 

rest area about 5 miles west 

of Kearney). Because this rest 

area is accessible only from the 

freeway’s eastbound lanes, it 

requires backtracking. Here you 

will find historical information 

about Fort Kearny, forts of 

the Plains, and Mormon mail 

exchange on the trail.

Directions: From the 

Archway, return to NE-44 

and turn north. Turn west 

on U.S.-30 and continue to Odessa. Turn south on NE-10B and 

enter I-80 eastbound to the “Kearney Eastbound Rest Area” 

east of milepost 268. From here, return to I-80 east toward 

Kearney and take Exit 272 to NE-44 north into Kearney. Turn 

west on U.S.-30 toward Overton.

D-3. Plum Creek Massacre Site and Cemetery (5 miles south of 

Overton). Here, Indian fighters attacked a Denver-bound wagon 

train, killing 13 men and capturing a woman and a boy. A historical 

sign, located at the nearby Plum Creek Massacre Cemetery, tells the 

story. Although the cemetery commemorates the victims, they were 

buried elsewhere.

Directions: At Overton, turn south on NE-24B; cross I-80 

and the Platte River. Where the highway ends about 0.5 mile 

south of the river, turn west on County Road 748 and continue 

approximately 1.5 miles. The site is on the north side of the 

road. Continue west for another 2 miles to the Plum Creek 

46
Dawson County Historical Museum.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Cemetery, also on the north side of the road. From there, you 

can return to Overton and continue west on U.S.-30, or follow 

local roads as they jog west and north, following the Platte 

River, to County Road 433. There, turn north to U.S.-283 and 

following the highway north to Lexington.

D-4. Dawson County 

Historical Museum (805 

North Taft Street, Lexington). 

This area was hard-hit in the 

1864 Indian raids, and two 

captives were taken in an 

attack on a Denver-bound 

wagon train near Plum Creek. 

Museum archives about these 

events include the original 

manuscript written by Nancy 

Morton about her six months’ 

captivity with the Sioux. The museum also offers a Great Platte River 

Road exhibit about the Oregon, Mormon, and Pony Express Trails, 

exhibits of trail-related artifacts, and a locally produced driving guide 

to local historical locales (including the Plum Creek vicinity). Closed 

Sundays and Mondays. For hours go to www.dchmuseum.com. A 

free-will donation is requested in lieu of an admission fee.

Directions: From U.S.-30, turn north onto Jackson Street. Turn 

east onto 6th Street, then north on Taft. Museum is on west side 

of Taft. From here, return to U.S.-30 west.

D-5. Willow Island Pony Express Station (8th Street, Cozad). The 

original Willow Island Station has been relocated to Cozad’s Veterans 

Memorial Park, at 104 East 9th Street. Building is not open, but can be 

viewed from the street.

Directions: From U.S.-30, turn north on F Street, then east on 

9th Street.

D-6. Gothenburg Pony Express (Ehman Park, NE-47 and 15th

Street, Gothenburg). A trail-era cabin thought by some to be an 

original Pony Express Station is located in a Gothenburg city park. 

Other researchers believe this historic cabin —now used as a Pony 

47
Fort McPherson National Cemetery.

Gothenburg Pony Express Station.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

museum— was part of a 

trailside road ranch on a route 

once used by the Pony Express, 

but was not an actual Pony 

Express station. Open 8 a.m.–8 

p.m. in summer months, 9 a.m.–

6 p.m in May and September.

Directions: Route is well 

signed. From U.S.-30, turn 

north into Gothenburg 

on NE-47. Continue on 

47 north through town, 

following signs to Ehman 

Park. From here, continue to North Platte on U.S.-30.

Also of Interest: Fort 

McPherson National 

Cemetery (12004 South 

Spur 56-A, 4.5 miles south of 

Maxwell). Fort McPherson was 

established in 1863 to protect 

the emigrant trails and the 

railroad; today nothing remains 

of the original fort. The national 

cemetery, where soldiers from 

many of the western posts are 

buried, was established in 1873 

and is still in operation. Just south of the center of the cemetery in 

Section B is a monument commemorating Fort Laramie soldiers 

killed in the Grattan Fight, which triggered the Plains Wars that 

occurred after 1854. Pawnee Scout Spotted Horse also is buried 

here, at C285. Brochures and information are available in the public 

information building near the cemetery entrance. Visitors can use 

the intercom phone there to contact staff and request a printed guide 

to the cemetery. (Staff is unavailable when funerals are in progress.) 

Open dawn to dusk.

Directions: From U.S.-30 in Maxwell, turn south on Spur 

56-A/Fort McPherson Road. Cross I-80 and continue for 

another 1.5 miles. 

48
Sand Hill ruts.

Mormon Trail interpretive exhibit about 

Roadometer.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

D-7. Roadometer Starting 

Point (North Platte Regional 

Airport, east of North Platte). 

Several Mormon pioneers 

collaborated in creating a 

“roadometer” to measure the 

miles the Brigham Young party 

traveled each day. A wayside 

exhibit, in the vicinity of the 

camp where the device was first 

used, tells the story. The camp 

itself lies beneath the airport 

runway.

Directions: North Platte Regional Airport is a short distance 

east of the city of North Platte. From U.S.-30, turn south into 

the airport entrance. The wayside is in a parking lot median. 

From here, continue west on U.S.-30.

D-8. The Sand Hill Ruts (4 

miles north of Sutherland). 

Deep ruts and swales are still 

visible where the Mormon 

Trail crests the sand hills and 

descends toward the valley. A 

wayside exhibit tells the story.

Directions: As you 

approach Sutherland, 

watch for Pioneer Trace/

Prairie Trace Road near 

the east edge of town. Drive 

north for 3.8 miles on Pioneer Trace/Prairie Trace Road. Watch 

for roadside pullout on the east side of the road. 

From here, continue to Sutherland and turn south on NE-25 to I-80. Enter 

I-80 eastbound to access the O’Fallon’s Bluff interpretive area. 

D-9. O’Fallon’s Bluff Trail Ruts & Interpretive Area (I-80 

eastbound rest area near Sutherland). Because this site is accessible 

only via I-80’s eastbound lanes, it requires backtracking. This freeway 

49
Colorado Welcome Center at Julesburg,

O’Fallon’s Bluff Rest Area on I-80.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

rest area is also an interpretive 

park for the emigrant trails. 

Wagon traces are still visible 

here —you can walk in them— 

and Nebraska State Historical 

Society signs tell the story of the 

Great Platte River Road.

Directions: From I-80 

eastbound, take the rest area 

exit between mileposts 159 

and 160. To continue auto 

tour, re-enter the freeway 

and continue east for about 5 

miles. Exit at the Hershey interchange and take Spur road 56-C 

through town. Turn west on U.S.-30.

D-10. California Hill (4.5 miles west of Brule). Deep ruts are carved 

into California Hill, where wagons pulled up out of the Lower 

California Crossing of the Platte River. 

Directions: Drive west through Brule on U.S.-30 for about 

4 miles. Watch for a granite 1912 Nebraska State Historical 

Society monument for the Oregon Trail on the north side of the 

road. About 0.5 mile beyond that, turn north on a gravel road, 

Road West MN. One-half mile from that turn, stop and park. 

Please view from the roadside. Return to U.S.-30 and continue 

west.

D-11. Colorado Welcome 

Center (Julesburg, Colorado). 

This visitor center has outdoor 

and inside exhibits on Pony 

Express, California, and 

Oregon Trail history. Here you 

can also pick up a South Platte 

River Trail brochure, which 

will guide you on a loop tour of 

trail and other historical sites 

between Julesburg and Ovid —

an area that was hard hit by the 

50
Historical monument at Old 

Julesburg site.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

ongoing Plains Wars in 1865. Most roads on this tour are unpaved.

Directions: From U.S.-30, turn south on NE-27 (7 miles east 

of Chappell). Cross I-80. Almost 2 miles later, the road will 

split: follow it east 1 mile and south 2 miles to the Colorado 

border, where the road becomes CO-11. Follow CO-11 south 

into Julesburg. In Julesburg, turn east on U.S.-138; then turn 

south on U.S.-385. Cross the Platte River. Welcome Center is at 

the intersection of U.S.-385 and County Road 28, immediately 

north of I-76.

D-12. Trail Ruts (Julesburg). As 

you follow the Julesburg-Ovid 

loop tour, look past the fence 

lines for white posts that mark the 

locations of trail ruts and swales, 

and also watch for Pony Express 

monuments and interpretive signs 

about a variety of local historical 

events and locales. Devil’s Dive, 

where the trail descends a steep 

slope, is one of the first stops on 

the tour.

Directions: Turn left from 

the Welcome Center Driveway 

onto County Road 28 and 

drive 0.9 mile. Devil’s Dive is 

on the right. 

D-13. Julesburg No. 1 (Julesburg). 

An Overland Stage and Pony Express station and outbuildings were 

burned by Lakota and Cheyenne warriors in 1865, following a 4-mile 

running battle between the Indian fighters and the U.S. Calvary. No 

original buildings remain.

Directions: Continue west on County Road 28 for about 5 

more miles. Pullout, interpretive signs, and Pony Express 

monuments are on the right.

D-14. Fort Sedgwick (south of Ovid, Colorado), originally named 

Camp Rankin, was built in 1864 to protect travelers and the 

51
Fort Sedgwick Depot Museum.

Across this field is site of Old Fort 

Sedgwick.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

transcontinental telegraph 

during the ongoing Plains 

wars. The fort was abandoned 

in 1871. No original buildings 

remain, but the site is marked 

with a flagpole.

Directions: Continue 

west on County Road 28 

for about a mile. Pullout is 

on the right. The flagpole 

indicating the original 

fort site can be seen in 

the privately owned fields 

beyond the pullout.

D-15. Upper California Crossing (east of Ovid, Colorado). Just east 

of here was the Upper California Crossing, where the Pony Express, 

California, and Oregon Trails crossed the South Platte River and 

started northwestward to Wyoming. White trail markers in the field 

indicate where wagons entered the river.

Directions: Turn north on County Road 27.8 and cross the 

South Platte River into Ovid. Turn east on U.S.-138. In the next 

block, the military trail from Fort Sedgwick crossed on its way 

to Ft. Laramie. Continue past Lodgepole Creek to a pullout 

on the right where there is a plaque about Ft. Sedgwick. The 

original Upper California crossing of the Oregon, California, 

Pony Express, and transcontinental telegraph routes crossed 

0.8 mile east of the pullout.

D-16. Fort Sedgwick Depot 

Museum (201 West 1st Street, 

Julesburg).The old Union 

Pacific Depot exhibits Indian 

and pioneer relics. Open 

summers, Monday–Friday, 

9 a.m.–4 p.m.; LaborDay–

Memorial Day, Monday–Friday, 

9 a.m.–1 p.m. 

Directions: As you enter 

52
Platte River Valley from above Ash 

Hollow.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Julesburg on U.S.-138, the Depot Museum is on the right near 

the railroad tracks.

To resume the auto tour for the Mormon Pioneer, Oregon, and California 

Trails, continue east on U.S.-138 to Big Springs. There, turn north on 

County Road 207, continue to U.S.-26, and turn west. Proceed to Ash 

Hollow (entry D-17, below).

To follow the Pony Express Trail, take U.S.-138 west out of Julesburg for 

about 2 miles. Turn north on U.S.-385 to Chappell, and there turn west on 

U.S.-30 to Sidney. Turn north on U.S.-384 to rejoin the auto tour on NE92. Continue west on NE-92 toward Bridgeport. Skip ahead in this guide 

to entry D-23 below.

D-17. Ash Hollow Complex

(about 2 miles southeast of 

Lewellen). The Ash Hollow 

Complex includes two separate 

areas administered as Ash 

Hollow State Historical Park. 

Altogether, the park protects 

over 1,000 acres of historic trail 

and surrounding landscape. 

Attractions include a park 

visitor center, a pioneer grave, 

and an impressive series of trail 

ruts and swales. A ferocious 

battle between the Pawnee and Lakota Sioux also took place in this 

valley.

Directions to park complex: From the junction of County 

Road 207 and U.S.-26, drive west approximately 1.5 miles. 

Watch for the entrance to Windlass Hill on the west side of the 

road.

D-17.a: Windlass Hill is scarred by deeply eroded ruts cut by 

thousands of wagons sliding downhill with their wheels locked. A 

paved (but steep) walking trail with outdoor exhibits leads visitors 

along the ruts to the top of the hill, where hikers are rewarded with 

a vista of Ash Hollow and the Platte River. Open daily year-round, 8 

a.m. to sunset.

53
Windlass Hill ruts at Ash Hollow.

Historical monument at Ash Hollow 

Cemetery.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Now continue on U.S.-26 west for 2 more miles to the main park entrance, 

which is on the east side of the road.

D-17.b: Ash Hollow State 

Historical Park, Headquarters 

Area. Daily permit or annual 

Nebraska state park pass can 

be purchased at the visitor 

center here. The visitor center 

has trail-related exhibits; a cave 

with archeological exhibits and 

a public picnic area are nearby. 

Grounds are open daily yearround, 8 a.m. to sunset. The 

visitor center and cave are open 

limited hours, currently, Thursday–Sunday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Call 308-

778-5651 for information.

From here, continue on U.S.-26 west for less than 1 mile to Ash Hollow 

Cemetery. Cemetery entrance is on the west side of the road.

D-17.c: Pioneer Grave at Ash 

Hollow Cemetery. Rachel 

Pattison was an 18-year-old 

bride of two months and 

on her way to Oregon when 

cholera took her life here in 

1849. Her trailside grave was 

the beginning of this pioneer 

cemetery. To find her burial 

place, turn right toward the 

north end of the cemetery. A 

monument, which preserves her 

original gravestone, is near the 

flagpole.

D-18. Blue Water Battlefield/Harney Massacre/Battle of Ash 

Hollow Historic Wayside (1.8 miles west of Lewellen). In retaliation 

for the 1854 killing of 29 U.S. soldiers in Wyoming (the “Grattan 

54
Historical monument at the Battle of Blue 

Water site.

Indian Lookout Point along U.S.-26.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Fight”), troops under General 

William Harney from Fort 

Kearny destroyed a Lakota 

Sioux village near here at Blue 

Creek the following year. 

Indian strikes against travelers 

and settlers along the Great 

Platte River Road in the 1860s 

were, in part, retribution for 

the killings at Blue Creek. 

A Nebraska State Historical 

Society sign tells the story; the 

actual battlefield, not visible 

from the pullout, is on private 

land several miles distant from 

the road. Please do not enter 

private property.

Directions: Continue 

through Lewellen on U.S.-26 and NE-92 for 1.8 miles. Wayside 

is on the north side of the highway.

D-19. John Hollman Grave (2.5 miles south of Oshkosh). Emigrant 

John Hollman died in 1852, possibly of cholera. His original 

gravestone still marks his resting place; a Nebraska State Historical 

Society sign tells of death on the trail.

Directions: Continue into Oshkosh on U.S.-26 and turn south 

on NE-27. Grave is 2 miles south of Oshkosh. 

D-20. Frog’s Head Bluff 

(Indian Lookout Point) 

Interpretive Wayside (2 miles 

west of Lisco). More widely 

known as Indian Lookout 

Point, this stone projection 

looked like the profile of 

a frog’s head to the 1847 

Mormon pioneers. A wayside 

exhibit tells the story. The 

landmark is privately owned; 

55
Distant view of Ancient Bluff Ruins from 

the east.

Nebraska Historical marker for Amanda 

Lamme grave.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

please do not enter.

Directions: Take U.S.-26 

and NE-92 west toward 

Lisco. Wayside pullout is 

about 2 miles west of Lisco, 

on the north side of the 

highway.

D-21. Ancient Bluff Ruins 

and Narcissa Whitman 

Interpretive Waysides (6 miles 

west of Lisco, 8 miles east of 

Broadwater). Narcissa Whitman, 

a missionary and one of the first white female overland travelers, 

passed by here in 1836. Brigham Young and his advance group of 

Latter-day Saints camped near here 11 years later. Interpretive signs 

and waysides tell the stories.

Directions: Continue west on U.S.-26 and NE-92 from Lisco. 

Pullout is on the north side of the road east of Broadwater.

Continue on U.S.-26 toward Broadwater. At the east edge of town, turn 

south onto NE-92 west toward Bridgeport.

D-22. Amanda Lamme 

(or Lamin) Grave (5 miles 

southeast of Bridgeport). 

Twenty-eight-year-old Amanda 

Lamme died near here in 1850 

while on her way to California. 

Her grave, located on private 

property, cannot be viewed 

from the road, but a Nebraska 

State Historical sign interprets 

the site and discusses death 

on the trail. Please do not enter 

private property.

Directions: Pullout is on NE-92 north of the intersection of 

that highway and U.S.-385. 

56
View Of Courthouse and Jail Rocks.

Mud Springs Pony Express station.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

D-23. Mud Springs State 

Historical Site & Pony 

Express Station (5.5 miles 

north of Dalton) Caution! 

This site is accessed by a dirt 

road that may be unsuitable 

for low-clearance vehicles. 

Site is in rural area open to 

livestock. Mud Springs was a 

Pony Express home station 

—a place where riders ate 

and slept— and an Overland 

Stage and transcontinental telegraph station. It also is the site of an 

1865 skirmish between stage station employees, the U.S. cavalry, and 

Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne fighters. Free public access to monument 

area; do not enter nearby private land.

Directions: From the junction of NE-92 and U.S.-385, drive 

south for 8.1 miles on U.S.-385. Turn west onto a dirt road 

(intersection is near a feature mapped as “Lookout Mound”) 

and watch for signs to Mud Springs. Turn left on Mud Springs 

Road. Pass the Pony Express Trail marker and watch for a 

small, white sign reading “Monument.” From here, return to 

U.S.-385 and drive north.

D-24. Courthouse & Jail 

Rocks (5 miles south of 

Bridgeport). Travelers on 

the south side of the river 

had a close-up view of these 

celebrated landmarks.

Directions: From U.S.-

385 where you exit Mud 

Springs, turn north for 

about 2.5 miles. Turn west 

on County Road 78 (paved). 

The road jogs north and 

becomes County Road 105, then jogs west and becomes County 

Road 82. Turn right (north) on NE-88 toward Bridgeport and 

cross Pumpkin Creek. A Nebraska Historical Society sign and 

57
Chimney Rock from U.S. -26.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

pullout are on the west side of the road, and a gravel road will 

take you closer to the features.

D-25. Courthouse & Jail Rocks: View from the Mormon Trail (2 

miles northeast of Bridgeport). Although they were on the opposite 

side of the river, Mormon emigrants could see Courthouse and Jail 

Rocks, and often noted them in their journals.

Directions: From NE-88, continue north through Bridgeport 

and cross the Platte River. Turn west on U.S.-26. A pullout 

with a view of the landmarks and an interpretive wayside is 

located on the north side of the highway about 2 miles east of 

Bridgeport. Return to Bridgeport and continue west on U.S.-26 

and NE-92.

D-26. Chimney Rock National 

Historic Site (1 mile south 

of Bayard). Again, travelers 

on the Mormon Pioneer Trail 

viewed this famous landmark 

from a distance while those 

on the Oregon, California, and 

Pony Express Trails passed 

much closer. Watch for a 

roadside pullout with a wayside 

exhibit (west of U.S.-26 where 

it turns north from NE-92, 

near milepost 47) telling of the first Mormons to view the feature. 

Chimney Rock grounds and visitor center are open daily year-round, 

and closed on state and federal holidays. Modest admission charged.

Directions: Continue west from Bridgeport on U.S.-26 and 

NE-92 for about 12.5 miles. Turn south on County Road 75 and 

follow signs to the visitor center. Return to NE-92 West.

D-27. Rebecca Winters Grave (1 mile east of Scottsbluff). Fiftyyear-old Rebecca Winters, a Mormon emigrant, died of cholera near 

here while on her way to Utah in 1852. Her resting place is marked 

with an iron wagon wheel rim that was inscribed with her name 

when she died. A monument, Nebraska Historical Society sign, and 

a wayside exhibit commemorate the site and interpret the Mormon 

58
Entrance way to North Platte Valley 

Museum.

Rebecca Winters grave site.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

emigration.

Directions: Return to NE92 and drive west toward 

Gering. Approaching town, 

turn north on NE-23 and 

Scottsbluff-Gering Bypass to 

the South Beltline Highway. 

Turn east; the road turns 

northward and crosses the 

railroad tracks. Immediately 

after crossing the tracks, 

turn right on Rebecca 

Winters Drive. The grave is in the small triangle between the 

railroad tracks, South Beltline Highway, and U.S.-26.

D-28. North Platte Valley 

Museum (11th and J Streets, 

Gering).This museum offers 

exhibits about American 

Indians, Robidoux Trading 

Post, emigrant trails and cabins, 

and Rebecca Winters. It also 

houses the archival collection 

of renowned emigrant trail 

scholars Paul and Helen 

Henderson. The museum 

gallery is open year-round 

Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; 

and summer weekends (Memorial Day–Labor Day) 1–4 p.m. Modest 

admission charged; kids 5 and under free. Researchers may call 308-

436-5411to request access to archival collections. 

Directions: From the Winters monument, take the South 

Beltline Highway west into Scottsbluff. Turn south on 

Broadway/10th Street/NE-71 Business Route and cross the 

North Platte River into Gering. Continue south through town; 

turn west onto J Street 1 block to end at the museum.

D-29. Robidoux’s First Trading Post (8 miles west of Gering). 

Before the overland trails cut through Scotts Bluff, they swung south 

59
Pioneer graves east of the summit from 

Robidoux Pass.

Site of Robidoux’s first trading post.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

60

around it. Joseph Robidoux 

built the first of two trading 

posts in this vicinity in 1849 to 

serve the Oregon and California 

traffic. It later burned; no 

buildings remain. Some 

researchers question whether 

the marked location is the 

actual site of the fort.

Directions: Return to NE92 (Old Oregon Trail Road), 

then turn south on NE-71. 

South of Gering, turn west on Robidoux Road (watch for sign 

to Robidoux Pass and blacksmith shop), a maintained gravel 

road suitable for cars. In 4 miles, the road jogs north and then 

west. Continue another 4 miles. As the road curves northwest, 

watch for the Robidoux Post site on a low rise on the south side 

of the road. Park along the road and walk up to the site. (If you 

see a sign for pioneer graves, you have passed the trading post 

site by about 0.2 miles.)

D-30. Pioneer Graves (8 

miles west of Gering). Wagon 

swales and four anonymous 

pioneer graves are located near 

Robidoux’s Post. Watch for 

white trail markers and ruts 

along the road.

Directions: From the 

trading post, continue 

northwest on the gravel 

road a short distance, about 

0.2 mile. Turn north onto 

a rough two-track or park 

along the road and walk in. The graves are 0.1 mile from the 

road.

D-31. Robidoux Pass (9 miles west of Gering). This pass was used by 

Oregon and California-bound traffic until Mitchell Pass was opened 
Robidoux Pass beyond the interpretive 

marker.

Robidoux’s second trading post.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

through Scott’s Bluff in 1851. 

Watch for ruts on the south side 

of the road.

Directions: From the 

gravesite, return to the main 

gravel road and continue 

northwest to the crest of the 

hill. At the hilltop, turn right 

down a two-track a short 

distance to an interpretive 

panel about the pass. 

Return to the gravel road and 

continue west over the hill; 

watch for a road sign for Robidoux Pass.

D-32. Robidoux’s Second 

Post (about 9 miles southeast 

of Gering). The log buildings at 

this site are a reconstruction of 

Robidoux’s second post, built 

in 1851. Interpretive signs tell 

the story.

Directions: At Robidoux 

Pass, the road makes a 

hairpin turn and then splits. 

Continue straight (south) 

onto Summit Ranch Road. 

Follow it for about 3 miles and turn east onto to Carter Canyon 

Road, watching for directional signs to the post. Continue 

about 1.5 miles to the reconstructed post on the south side of 

the road. 

D-33. Scotts Bluff National Monument (2 miles west of Gering). 

The first wagon trails skirted around this majestic geological 

formation, but a later route cut through at Mitchell Pass. Attractions 

include a visitor center with a trail museum and artwork by pioneer 

photographer and artist William Henry Jackson; a short hiking trail; 

and a paved driving route (with free shuttle in the summer). Wagon 

swales are still visible. Trails are open year-round, dawn to dusk. 

61
Roadside pullout and interpretive 

markers for Horse Creek Treaty site.

Mitchell Pass at Scotts Bluff National 

Monument.

Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

Visitor center is open daily, 8 

a.m.–7 p.m. in the summer and 

8 a.m.–5 p.m. in other seasons. 

Admission is $5/car, $3/

motorcycle.

Directions: From 

Robidoux’s Second Post, 

continue on Carter Canyon 

Road as it swings north 

once more to Robidoux 

Road. Turn east and onto 

Robidoux and continue to 

NE-71. Turn north on 71 

toward Gering. Turn west again on NE-92 (Old Oregon Trail 

Road) and continue into Scotts Bluff National Monument. 

D-34. Horse Creek Treaty 

Grounds and Battle Site (2 

miles southwest of Morrill). 

This spot in September 1851 

was the campground of some 

12,000 tribal representatives 

—the largest gathering of 

Indians ever recorded. 

They came to work out the 

terms of a treaty to protect 

the emigrant trails and 

compensate the tribes for that 

use of their lands and resources. 

At the same site in 1864 a band of Lakota Sioux resisted efforts of 

the U.S. Army to move them to Ft. Kearny, resulting in a fight known 

as the Battle of Horse Creek. Nebraska State Historical Society 

interpretive panels tell about the treaty; privately owned treaty 

grounds can be viewed from the pullout.

Directions: From Scotts Bluff National Monument, continue 

west on NE- 92 (Old Oregon Trail Road) to NE-29. Turn north 

on 29 and drive to U.S.-26. Turn west on U.S.-26. Interpretive 

pullout is 4 miles west of Morrill.

62
Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

This ends the auto tour route of the Oregon, California, Mormon Pioneer, 

and Pony Express National Historic Trails through Nebraska. To continue 

west along the auto tour route, follow U.S.-26 toward the Wyoming border 

and Fort Laramie National Historic Site.

63
Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide

Nebraska

National Park Service:

National Trails System Office

324 South State Street

Suite 200

Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Email:

ntsl_interpretation@nps.gov

California NHT

www.nps.gov/cali

Mormon Pioneer NHT

www.nps.gov/mopi

Oregon NHT

www.nps.gov/oreg 

Credits:

Research & Text: Lee Kreutzer, Cultural Resources Specialist, 

National Trails Intermountain Region

Layout/Design & Graphics: Chuck Milliken, Lead Interpretive 

Specialist, National Trails Intermountain Region

Graphic Images: cover image “Approaching Chimney Rock” and all 

other paintings not labeled are by William Henry Jackson from the 

NPS collection at Scotts Bluff National Monument. Photographic 

images not labeled are from the National Park Service. Images 

on page 17: Walter McClintock “Teepees on the Plains,” page 18: 

Frederick Remington “Indians Attack Wagon Train,” and page 

21: Charles M. Russell “Indians on the Wagon Trail” are from the 

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University.

For More Information:

64

Pony Express NHT

www.nps.gov/poex 

Nebraska Tourism:

www.visitnebraska.org

Colorado Tourism:

www.Colorado.com

Oregon & California Trails 

Association - OCTA:

www.octa-trails.org

Mormon Trails Association:

www.mormontrails.org

National Pony Express 

Association:

www.xphomestation.com
INSTRUCTIONS ONLY!

This space for a pocket envelope and 

folded map that is adhered to the inside 

back cover. The map is folded to fit within 

this pocket so that approximately 1/4 to 

1/2 inch of it protrudes from the opening 

of the pocket.
National Trails System

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

for free distribution