South of the Platte River and a few miles south and east of Kearney, NE (with an 'e') is a partially restored Fort Kearny, which was the first military post built to protect the Oregon Trail emigrants. The fort (now a state historical park) remained an important wayside throughout the emigration period. Many pioneers purchased food at the fort, and most everyone took advantage of the fort's reliable mail service to send a letter back east. In late May of each year, as many as 2,000 emigrants and 10,000 oxen a day might pass through. By the 1860's the fort had become a significant freight way-station and a Pony Express station. One of the fort's final duties was the protection of workers building the Union Pacific, then several years later it was discontinued as a military post.
Visit the Trails & Rails Museum in Kearney. Also, Pioneer Village in nearby Minden is an excellent museum with extensive displays of the earlier days on the plains. And there's the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument representing the gateway to the west. Spanning I-80 by Kearney, over 12,000 people a day pass under the structure. There are two levels of fascinating interactive exhibits that trace the history of the Great Platte River Road from Oregon Trail days to the fiber optic future of tomorrow.
