New-York tribune., 1910-10-30
LOST TOWNS OF NEBRASKA
Hundreds OF Settlements That
Have Disappeared from Map.

Nebraska is the state OF lost towns Since
the time Of It's settlement. sixty years ago,
more than three hundred OF them have dis
appeared. Some went into the NAV OF the
shifting Missouri River. Others were the
victims OF hard luck OF one kind and an
other. The shifting OF county seats brought
doom on some Of them. Not & few were
left stranded when the railroads they e1-
pected decided TO take other routes.
The Cleveland Leader" tells the story
OF these forgotten places. Perhaps the
history OF Archer Is as interesting as any,
il says. The first territorial Legislature.
which net in 1875, made Archer the seat OF
Richardson County. Among its earliest
settlers was Z party OF French They mar
ried Indian soUaws and reared numerous
families CUriousIy enough. Il was this
fact that wiped Archer OF ths map. When
the government put into effect the reseTva-
ton method Of dealing with the Indians il
found itself confronted with the problem
s7ising out OF the presence OF so many
French half breeds As a solution of il the
commissioners decided 10 set aside q Spe-
ciaI reservation II Richardson County fOr
these families.
When the survey wag made Il was found
that the town OF Archer was included IN
rT6 reservation Ne post " a. 1Eti2-
doned. the capital was located eIsewhere,
the railroads passed u by. II dWlTdled INTO
4 mere hamlet and the university closed
its doors. Its prosperity lasted seven years,
and although Archer men sought 10 have
the government change its lines, they were
unsuccessful and within Few months
there was nothing left OF the town.
Fort Calhoun. the site Of the Lewis and
Clark treaty with the Indians in lots, was
IL the early Cos a town Of twelve hundred
persons, Que, IN part, 10 the proximity o.
tbs military post It was then the county
seat OF Washington County, and a strong
contender for choice as the capital when
tie whites decided that they would not live
in a reservation town or retain II az d
county seat
town, now hamlet, had college once,
did much trading with the Indians and
freighters and was the county seaf OF
Dodge County The politicians changed TIE
county lines at q legislative session when
FonIenelle wasn't looking and threw II into
washington County, which caused il TO be
overshadowed and speedily killed
Bellevue end Florence, both located near
Omaha the one south and the other north
along the Missouri, were eacn AT one @ tliIlc
much larger Inan Omaha. Florence once
Lad five thousand; now II has less than SIX
hundred. L was the winter quarters OF q
great mum Der OF MOrTnonS. VINO cam PEG
there while on their way 20 Utah in the
late 4GE and early % e Later Il was tle
w~steTnnost point Gf heavy in1n1GIat on.
For q tirle u vas doubtful whether Omaha
or FLORENCE would win in the Ta0a between
t-- two cities but whom the Ecsies turned
in favor Of Omaha by decision or the CHlol
Pacific Railroad Florence became almost d
''Onladi. one OF The popuIous towns ~
territorial da-s, vas located on the MIS-
soUrl River almost opposite the preseni.
town OF Sioux CITY. Iowa The Missouri
changed its channel one night ana the
tgz.nsDeopIy woke the next morning 70 nnd
the swift current rapidly undermining Ine
tovvrSIte They moved their houses out 10
farms IN the uDlands or else abandoned
them Within q year the river had con-
nj, cf~.re ~ rnTEIGlIR.
Decatur. Burt County, was anotner VIC
tim Of the river. II was once seriously con
Eidered as the point OF crossing Tor the
Union Pacific Railroad. but the missouri
showed signs OF eating up the toWnslle.. !.
and Omaha was chosen instead. MoSt o.
the town lots have dropped or tato the
stream .-- .---,
thai was wiped out by the Missouri klvef-
II was q PROSPEROUS town in the late ~ 5;
6-.. within five years after the river headed
"a ifs direction everybody had left anu
practically al the buildings had droppti
into tie stream. Three otuer towns 10
c4ated at advantageous iordlhS P4aCes - 20.
49,. -5y-.- and or Dioneer Importance were
.-F,.. sd h- rle river out 0f the bottom lA--u
20 fhe BLUFFS and tae tTansplanllng proved
fag.l il each instance. -
q larc. number - the lost towns OF
Nebraska were located along the EreaL
overland routes. There were several OF
ts.asa roads The old Mormon fral fo!!o"
TIE Platte Rivers winolnSs Ia1-I 80 - -.
1-a- .hc California trail. the Inc blaZed DE
80 ,77fr7e1-g who took part IN the PIX 5
peak gold rush. and the trails foiioHeu -.
-1se FrciEhteTs and pony express rdcfs. Al
~ .,-ro~- Tho state because beyond that
as the hostile Indian country ana eaIef
IL in travelling in numbers. nen the
T-rson Pacific Railroad came through IN the
later sos and killed freigntlng on mn "a t, a-,,S
practically every one or the tai to"4S
Sissa r5Deared within a few months