A drawing of a cowboy, his horse, clothes, and equipment are shown on the coloring page. How to read a brand is the featured activity in this issue. From 1820 to 1827 Fort Atkinson was the largest and strongest military post beyond Saint Louis. A map shows the fort's location, Long's expedition, and the early Santa Fe Trail. Pictures include Colonel Henry Atkinson and Major Stephen Long.
Illustrations show steamboats on the Missouri, an Indian peace council, and fur trappers.
The activity is a word scramble about everyday life at the fort. The text includes information about the U.S. Government granting land to railroad companies, surveying and preparing a roadbed, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. Pictures include the driving of the golden spike at Promontory, Utah. Maps show the number of railroads in Nebraska in 1915 compared to the 1980s. An illustration shows how a steam locomotive and a diesel engine work.