Nebraska City

Nebraska City’s proximity to the Missouri River made it a natural jump-off point for travelers heading west during the second half of the 1800s. Beginning in the late 1850s, steamboats crowded both sides of the river. More than 75 steamboats landed at Nebraska City during June 1859, with 200 recorded for that entire summer. This photograph is of a mural painted on the first floor of the Otoe County Courthouse in Nebraska City depicting the town in those early years. (Courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation.)

In July 1862, a unique contraption weighing 20 tons was unloaded at the Nebraska City docks. Dubbed the Prairie Motor, the one-of-a-kind machine was designed to transport goods and people from Nebraska City to Denver using only steam-generated power. The smaller front wheels stood six feet tall and were designed to ride over the rough prairie sod. Unfortunately, the “steamwagon,” as it was informally called, only made it a few miles outside of town before breaking down. While citizens of Nebraska City remained positive it would get fixed, even voting to spend $2,500 to shore up the road and bridges, the steamwagon spent the next several decades rusting in a ditch off of what is now called Steamwagon Road. Its parts were eventually stripped for scrap metal. (Courtesy of Arbor Lodge.)

Even though steam power would quickly become a popular choice for transportation and work, as evidenced by the steam thresher outfit pictured here, many individuals and businesses remained committed to animal-drawn wagons. In 1858, the freighting firm Russell, Majors, and Waddell opened in Nebraska City. That year, it oversaw the transportation of 3.2 million pounds of goods to points west, all powered by ox, horse, or mule. Russell, Majors, and Waddell witnessed major growth in shipping over the next decade, reaching a high point of 4.4 million pounds of goods transported in 1865. (Courtesy of Sally Pierce.)

Stagecoaches were a common sight in Nebraska City during the latter half of the 19th century. In 1870, a passenger could ride a stagecoach from Nebraska City to Lincoln for $6 one way. This stagecoach, owned by J. Sterling Morton, was used from 1867 to 1871 to transport passengers from Nebraska City to Lexington, Nebraska. It was once driven by Buffalo Bill Cody. (Courtesy of Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce.)

For more than 30 years, from 1853 to 1888, the only way to cross the Missouri River at Nebraska City was by ferry. By August 1888, two structures had been completed to allow for greater transportation across the river. First came a pontoon bridge with a V-shaped draw. The bridge was the brainchild of Col. S.N. Stewart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He fronted half of the $20,000 cost with his own money, and Nebraska City residents supplied the rest. The draw of the 24-foot-wide bridge was constructed using a windlass, which needed only the strength of one man to operate it. When the pontoon-style bridge was completed, it was touted as the “longest, widest and best in the world.” Wagons, horses, travelers, and even livestock took advantage of the unique crossing, bypassing the ferries that used to navigate the wide and unchanneled Missouri River. A horse and rider could cross the river for a 25¢ round-trip fare. Persons on foot were subjected to a 5¢ fare, and hogs could cross for 2¢ each. (Both courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation.)

One week after the pontoon bridge was completed, the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Bridge opened to traffic. The $1-million steel-construction bridge was built on stacked stone piers 85 feet high. The railroad bridge fared better than the pontoon crossing; in the spring of 1889, less than a year after it was completed, the pontoon bridge washed away in a heavy spring flood. It was never replaced. (Courtesy of the Nebraska City Museum of Firefighting.)

In 1891, the railroad bridge was planked for wagon traffic, and it remained the main source of river crossing until 1930. (Courtesy of Dorris Sackles.)

By the late 1880s, Nebraska City boasted two train depots frequented by both passenger and supply trains. One was located on South Sixth Street, and another, pictured here, was on Central Avenue between First and Second Streets. In this photograph, wagons and porters from various downtown hotels wait to gather passengers. (Courtesy of the Nebraska City Museum of Firefighting.)

Crowds have gathered in the aftermath of a train crash on April 22, 1892. The Missouri Pacific Train derailed just north of the depot. (Courtesy of the Nebraska City Museum of Firefighting.)

In 1908, William Howard Taft embarked on a whistle-stop tour of the Midwest that included a stop in Nebraska City. The Republican Taft was campaigning against Nebraska’s William Jennings Bryan, a Democrat who was making a third attempt to secure the presidency. Even though a large crowd gathered to hear Taft speak, Bryan carried Nebraska on Election Day. Taft did, however, win the national election by a landslide. (Courtesy of Dorris Sackles.)

In 1889, Nebraska City invested in public transportation with the introduction of horse- and mule-drawn streetcars. The cars were centered on tracks that ran through downtown on Central Avenue and along South Sixth Street to the train depot. In this photograph, the streetcars are shown on one of their first days in operation. When not in use, the streetcars were stored in a barn near Twentieth Street and Second Avenue. (Courtesy of the Nebraska City Historical Society.)

Passengers could ride a streetcar for only 5¢ per trip. Much like modern public transportation, the cars provided space for advertising. The streetcars ceased operations in 1910. (Above, courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation; below, the Nebraska City Historical Society.)

The first automobile arrived in Nebraska City in 1901 and belonged to William Hayward. Ralph Duff, owner of Duff’s Garage on Fifth Street and Central Avenue, operated the town’s first sales and service garage for automobiles. (Courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation.)

In the early 1900s, Nebraska City was already known as a tourist destination. This photograph depicts a sightseeing automobile. (Courtesy of Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce.)

This image from the early 1900s illustrates the rapidly changing transportation options for Nebraska City residents. For a time, oxen and wagons shared the roadway with automobiles. (Courtesy of the Nebraska City Historical Society.)