The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-07-24
REPORT OF A SURVEY FOR A WAGON
ROAD FROM COUNCIL BLUFFS
TO FORT KEARNEY, NEBRASKA.

REPORT OF SURVEY FOR A WAGON
ROAD FROM COUNCIL BLUFFS
TO FORT KEARNEY, NEBRASKA.
ST.. Louis Missouri, Dec. Is, 1856.
SIR: By instructions from the War De-
partment, dated Washington city, May %,
1856, Twas placed in charge of the location
and construction of the territorial road in
Nebraska Territory, connecting New Fort
kearney and point on the Missouri river,
opposite Council Bluffs, Iowa.
On the 18th | left Omaha City, having re-
ceived your instructions to commence the
survey at the eastern end of the line.
crossed the river at Weston and marched up
through Missouri and Iowa to Council Bluffs,
where crossed the river, and arrived at
Omaha City, on the Goth of June.
On the 1st of July commenced the pre-
liminary survey, using the compass and the
odometer, intending only to make hasty
reconnaissance, selecting the best points for
crossing the streams, and on my return to
connect these points by the most practical
route. crossed Big and Little Papillon on
what is known us "Winter Quarters trail, -
the route usually pursued by Mormon emf
grants, and struck Elkhorn river, eighteen
miles above its junction with the Platte, and
at distance Of twenty-four miles from
Omaha City.
Between the Missouri and Elkhorn rivers
the country is high, rolling prairie,
elevated three hundred feet above the Mis-
souri, river, and is very much broken by
ravnes, which attain a depth of from thirty
to one hundred and forty feet below the
general level. The two Papillon creeks are
small streams with high banks, but, except
ing for short time after freshet, there is
very little water in them, the supply being
mostly from springs issuing from their
banks. Elkhorn river has an average width
of about two hundred feet. 1t is surprising
ly tortuous, with rapid current, sandy
bed. and low, sandy banks, which overflow
and are subject to great changes. Very
considerable annual alterations of its bed
are evident. On the east side it runs near
and in places washes the bluff; on the west
the valley of the Platte borders on it for
thirty miles above its mouth. 1t is only
where the river runs near the bluff that Its
banks are sufficiently permanent to erect a
bridge with any reasonable prospect Of its
standing. examined the stream for sew
eral miles on either side of the crossing,
with view Of selecting the best location
for bridge, but could find no point that
presented equal advantages with the location
selected. On the eastern side, at this point,
the approach to the valley from the high
ground is very good in its natural condition,
and the banks is high and relatively quite
permanent; but on the west side roadway,
to serve also as guard bank, of from two to
six feet in height, will have to be thrown up
for distance of three-quarters of n mile
from the bridge.
| 7 flo l,ft
or Nebraska river, thirteen miles distant, and
continued up the north side Of it, touching
the points of timber growing on its banks.
till | came to the Loup fork of the Platte,
four miles above its mouth. This is wide,
low sandy banks, which, however, do not
appear to be inundated during freshets;
had no means of examining its bed to depth
exceeding twelve feet, but to that depth, and
have no doubt to a much greater, is quick
sand-the iron rod with which made the
examination sinking into it with but slight
pressure. There are strata three or four feet
apart, differing somewhat in frmness; but
still it is all loose sand, the specific gravity
of which is but little greater than that of
water, and is ready to move with the slight
est increase of the current in which it has
for the time become deposited. On account
of this loose character of the soil the bed of
the river has changed for miles in many
places, and there Is no permancncy about It's
banks. These beds are now mirv sloughs,
making the river Inaccessible on the south
side, where they occur more frequently y than
on the north. Its width is about a thousand
feet. Bridging it at any reasonable cost is
mpracticablc, and could only be done by
using stone freely to protect the piers and
abutments, and no indications of stone have
been discovered in the vicinity. A ferry
has been established on it near its m outh to
facilitate the Mormon emf grafton, but sand
bars originate rapidly, and interrupt the
crossing. In going to Fort kearney the
ferry was good, but on returning twenty-five
days afterwards, sand bars had formed, and
the wagon train was gotten over by the men
wading by the side of the boat, winding
about among the bars, hunting out the
deepest water. The only thing that can be
done here is to improve the ferry by driving
piles and throwing up bank, coniining the
channel to narrower limits, thereby produ-
cling current in which sand bars will not
| form. The banks wash so readily that,
without they are protected with stone, it is
doubtful whether even this would succeed.
continued up the south side of the l.oup
fork fifty-sevcn miles, when left it, and,
marching twenty-three miles across the
range of high broken sand hills intervening
between it and the Platte valley, | struck
Prairie creek. This creek meandcrs through
the Platte bottoms for eighty miles. Where
it is first met with after leaving the Loup
fork it is pretty little stream, with clear,
deep water and q rapid current, without
trees, shrubS,or hills to indicate the pres
ence of watercourse. | continued up II
twenty miles. Before leaving it its banks
became high, with continuous short growth
of ash and elm on their slopes. The volume
of water is also greater here than it is lower
down. Before reaching the Platte the wa
ter disappears for the greater part OF the
year, sinking into the quicksand, which pre-
vail in this valley at depth of from six to
ten feet below the surface. This disappear
ancc of the water is not a popularity OF this
creek, but is common to all the small tribu-
taries of the Platte in this section of its
valley. While their beds are dry and over
grown with grass and weeds near their
mouths, they are running streams towards
their sources.
Leaving Prairie creek, crossed Wood
river twenty five miles above its mouth
For thirty miles its direction is nearly par
aIlCl 10 JUat vi tHt laett, anu doVut NV
miles from it. Its banks are high, but grad
ually decrease towards its mouth. and these
slopes are covered with short growth of
ash and elm. | kept up Wood river six
miles, and then diverging to the left, again
struck the Platte river near the head OF
Grand island.
After examining the river found that, on
account of the quicksand, crossing the train
would be attended with difficulty; did not
attempt it, but moved down the river, and
encamped opposite Fort Kearney. /
From the crossing of the Little Papillon ]
pursued very nearly the route over
which the Mormon and California emf
grants have been passing for several years.
1t is said that the early travellers continued
up the immediate valley of the Platte, instead
Of diverging to the north and going up the
Loup fork, but all traces of the road have
disappeared. The greater part of the route
out was good, but is less direct than is de-
sirablc. Along the Loup fork there nrc
few good camping grounds. The valley,
which is from three to five miles wide, is